Chapter 1235: Chapter 428: Yuan Family, Sima Family!_3 Ling Zixiao carefully put away the Spiritual Contract and the Blood Covenant before nonchalantly adding a sentence. Then she gracefully returned to the carriage. Zhou Datong, although aware that her words were just pie in the sky, still harbored some hope and began to comfort himself. Thinking that the Blue Lake Mountain Lu Family was so extraordinary, apart from Mr. and Mrs. Lu, there was such a top-tier cultivator; if he truly devoted himself, perhaps he could really reap some benefits... "Big Pot, next time you should probably not use your fists; you’re punching people to death." At this moment, Lu Linghe said to his big brother, feeling that the punch just now was too fierce. "Alright." Lu Ping’an smiled awkwardly. Lu Ruyi, who was standing next to them, looked at Lu Lingxiao in silence. It was one thing for the eldest brother to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single punch. This younger brother of his, who had only recently broken through to Foundation Establishment, managed to kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator without even using a Spiritual Artifact. And as for herself... As the caravan continued moving forward, Ling Zixiao then instructed her son, Lu Lingxiao, "Xiao’er, in the future, you will be in charge of family affairs. You must remember the four words ’both kindness and might’." "As for how to bestow kindness and how to exert might, that is something you will have to grasp on your own." "Although Zhou Datong signed the Blood Covenant, he has not yet fully pledged allegiance and lacks loyalty. Along the way, you can try applying both kindness and might to win him over." "This might, you can exert it yourself, or through your big brother..." Ling Zixiao’s eyes gleamed brightly as if she could see through the carriage to Lu Ping’an and Zhou Datong. Although her son was not interested in family affairs, In her view, a lack of interest and a lack of understanding were two different concepts. "Both kindness and might." Lu Lingxiao, hearing his mother’s words, glanced at Zhou Datong on top of the pack animal, nodded his head, and a memory surfaced in his mind of his mother’s demeanor towards Zhou Datong just moments ago. He suddenly realized that he had never seen this side of his mother at home before. ... Meanwhile, At Great Ape Mountain, 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢 "Family Head, bad news, the Fourth Elder’s Soul Plate has shattered!" The Yuan Family elder, who was guarding the ancestral hall, came rushing with a look of urgency to report. "What? The Fourth Elder’s Soul Plate is shattered? How is this possible?" The Yuan Family Head’s eyes bulged with disbelief upon hearing this news. Their Fourth Elder possessed the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer and his combat strength was extraordinary; even a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment would find it difficult to kill him. This excursion was merely to probe the strength and situation of the Blue Lake Mountain Lu Family Caravan; how could he have died out there. "The Lu Family only has two Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even if they had some hidden depth, it would only add up to three Foundation Establishment Cultivators at most. How could they possibly kill the Fourth Elder!" "Moreover, the Fourth Elder had invited two Foundation Establishment Cultivators to accompany him on this outing." The head of the Yuan Family still couldn’t believe the news. But once he arrived at the ancestral hall and saw that the Fourth Elder’s Soul Plate was indeed shattered, he immediately notified the family and then sent people to investigate the matter. ... Nine days later, The Lu Family Caravan was moving along the road. "Hm!?" From inside the carriage behind a pack beast, Ling Zixiao’s eyes suddenly opened wide as she looked at a compass in her hand. This Formation Compass was not meant to set up formations, but to sense them. After all, during the journey of commerce, one could encounter bandits who had arranged formations in advance, setting up an ambush. If one entered a formation set by others, even with a cultivation level one rank higher, it was very dangerous and would put one at a disadvantage. "Ping’an, Ruyi, Ling Xiao, be on your guard!" Ling Zixiao called out to halt the caravan. "Hoo hoo hoo——" Just then, a strong wind suddenly arose in the forest, howling ominously. "Buzz!" Suddenly, within the sky dome, a stream of earthy yellow brilliance flowed, and a gigantic Xuanhuang (mystic yellow) miniature mountain descended swiftly from the air, its might extremely terrifying. "Not good!" Lu Ping’an was the first to react, his Qi-Blood surging turbulently as his tall and burly figure skyrocketed towards the miniature mountain in the air, pushing upwards against it. "Woo woo woo——" In that instant, a protective light screen formed around the beasts of burden and the carriages. Yet, facing this oppressive aura, the beasts of burden all started to whine and cry tragically. "Swoosh!" The moment Lu Ping’an took action, a golden arrow shot towards him furiously, its aura sharp and aggressive. Even though she knew her elder brother’s Body Refinement was astonishing, Lu Ruyi still activated a Second Rank Golden Light Insignia for him without hesitation. "Clang!" The sound of gold striking metal rang out from his body, as the golden arrow slammed into the Golden Light Insignia with a-deafening impact, shattering it instantly. "Boom!" Lu Ping’an directly flipped the earthy yellow miniature mountain above his head, and then his palm, as large as a millstone, violently slapped away the arrow that had broken the Golden Light Insignia. "Blue Lake Mountain Lu Family, what an impressive Blue Lake Mountain Lu Family; truly extraordinary!" "Eldest son of the Lu Family, Lu Ping’an, it was rumored that you were at the Second Rank Middle Stage of Body Refinement. Now it seems that the rumor was not only inaccurate but greatly mistaken. Your Body Refinement has already reached the Second Rank Late Stage." "Tsk tsk tsk, the Lu Family really knows how to keep a low profile." "I thought Lu Wangshu was the main pillar of the Lu Family, but now it turns out, you, Lu Ping’an, are the true main pillar of the Lu Family. No wonder Lu Changsheng dared to trust you leading the caravan." At this moment, four figures stepped forward, standing side by side. One had a miniature earthy yellow mountain floating above their head, one held a bow and arrow, another wielded a Feather Fan, and another held a Formation Compass. They all appeared quite young and had an extraordinary demeanor. Lu Ruyi, Lu Lingxiao, and Zhou Datong immediately came to Lu Ping’an’s side, looking at the four people before them. "Hmm? Three Foundation Establishment cultivators?" "Interesting, more and more interesting. No wonder your Lu Family had the confidence to start a trade association and create such a commotion." The young man holding the Feather Fan paused, and then chuckled aloud. "Xuanwu Ridge Sima Family, the Sima Sijie (Four Heroes)!" Lu Ruyi recognized the identities and backgrounds of the four individuals in front of them. Not only did the four hail from the Sima Family, but they were also siblings born of the same mother. For four brothers, all born of the same mother to each possess a Spiritual Root and have exceptional talent enough to break through to Foundation Establishment is indeed quite rare in the Cultivation World. And all four of them had their own fair share of fortunate encounters, each possessing not ordinary strength, having once killed a Great Cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. They were not only famous in the Qingyun Region but also had considerable notoriety throughout the Jiang Country Cultivation Realm. Lu Ruyi did not expect that the Sima Family would be so brazen in making a move on their family caravan. Unlike the Xie Family who had come previously just for a probe. If the family had enough strength, even offering an apology or discussing cooperation was considered. The Yuan Family, though directly murderous, still concealed their identities. But the Sima Family in front of them had no disguise at all, openly assassinating their caravan. This was completely disregarding their Lu Family, with no concern for face. "I heard the Sima Family has some relations with the Jin Family. Now that our family is involved with the Jin Family, it makes sense that the Sima Family would take direct action." Lu Ruyi contemplated and immediately communicated the intel on the Sima Sijie to her elder brother, Lu Lingxiao. She then proceeded to tell Zhou Datong the situation of the four individuals as well.