After several minutes, Old Ti stopped in front of a finely crafted building. He turned to Xiao Wei and bowed.
"This is our guest hall. Please wait here, Young Master Wei. The Matriarch will invite you shortly."Old Ti said and left.
Xiao Wei entered the room without a word.
The guest hall was quiet and serene. Intricately carved wooden screens divided the space, and faint incense filled the air with a calming aroma. Xiao Wei chose a seat by the window and crossed his legs. Instead of idly waiting, he closed his eyes and began to Cultivate.
Time passed slowly.
Two hours. Then three.
Eventually, the door opened again. Old Ti stepped inside.
"Young Master Wei, our Matriarch is ready to receive you."Old Ti said with a bow.
Xiao Wei stood up, nodded, and followed Old Ti through another long hallway.
Soon, they reached a quiet chamber guarded by two Cultivators. Old Ti give a nod to the guards as they left that post and opened the doors without a word.
Inside, the room was warmly lit. A carved wooden table sat at the center, flanked by two elegant chairs. Behind the table, seated with an air of calm authority, was a mature woman in her late thirties. Her black hair was pinned into a graceful bun, and her eyes, though serene, carried the sharpness of someone who had seen many storms.
She wore a simple yet elegant dark green robe with golden embroidery with lotus patterns.
Her aura was refined, carefully concealed, yet powerful.
Xiao Wei immediately recognized her as someone not to be underestimated.
One chair across from her was empty.
She smiled gently.
"Young Master Wei, please come in and have a seat."the lady said.
Xiao Wei nodded politely and stepped forward. His footsteps were calm and deliberate, neither rushed nor hesitant. With a composed demeanor, he sat down in the chair across from the Dan Clan Matriarch.
Just as he settled in, Shadow Ming's voice echoed quietly in his mind, his tone serious.
'Brat, you have entered into a dragon's den. That woman is at least a Martial King Realm Cultivator. I can't even sense the depths of her Cultivation clearly. That means she is stronger than me when I was alive"
Despite the grave warning, Xiao Wei remained unmoved. His expression didn't flicker, his breathing remained calm, projecting the image of a composed guest.
Old Ti, who had been silently standing to the side, walked past Xiao Wei and took his position behind the seated woman, standing like a loyal guard.
Breaking the silence, Xiao Wei spoke first.
"Senior, I do not wish to waste your valuable time. Let's come to the point. Why have you summoned me?"Xiao Wei asked, his tone was clear and respectful, but direct.
The Dan Clan Matriarch didn't answer instantly instead she picked up a slender porcelain teapot from the side of the table and poured tea into two delicate cups. The aroma of the tea spread through the room, light and fragrant, clearly of high quality. She gently pushed one cup toward him.
"Young Master Wei, you may call me Lady Li. As for why you are here, let me ask you something in return. What brings you to Kin City?"Lady Li said with a pleasant voice, neither cold nor overly friendly.
Xiao Wei glanced at the tea for a moment before raising his eyes back to hers.
"Why are you asking that, Lady Lu?"Xiao Wei asked, his tone not confrontational, but certainly guarded.
The Lady Li raised her cup and took a small sip before responding, her eyes never leaving his.
"Word travels fast. I heard the Xiao Clan of Mo City made a swift and quiet departure. But before they left, they expelled someone... someone they labeled as trash."Lady Li said.
There was a subtle tension in the air, not from open hostility, but from the weight of carefully chosen words.
Xiao Wei remained silent for a moment, then finally picked up the cup and took a sip. The tea was refined, fragrant with a bitterness that lingered just beneath the surface—much like the conversation.
"Are you the one who was expelled?"Lady Li added, her tone probing but without mockery, it was a question rooted in curiosity, not disdain.
Xiao Wei placed the cup gently on the table.
"So what if I am, Lady Li?"Xiao Wei said, his voice calm, though a faint edge of anger colored his tone because he doesn't like it when someone check his background.
Lady Li raised an eyebrow slightly, as did Old Ti. Neither of them expected the young man before them to respond with such composure—and certainly not with defiance.
The tension in the room remained calm, yet the air itself felt heavier as the Matriarch of the Dan Clan leaned slightly forward and spoke with a softened voice.
"Young Master Wei, please don't misunderstand us. We harbor no ill intent toward you. The truth is—we need your help."Lady Li said, her tone polite, carefully measured.
Xiao Wei raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest lighting in his eyes. He did not immediately respond, waiting for her to continue. Lady Lj gave a subtle glance to Old Ti before turning back to Xiao Wei.
"Our Dan clan… is under a curse that has troubled us for generation. And we believe only you might be able to break it."Lady Li admitted.
Xiao Wei tilted his head slightly, his gaze growing more focused.
"A curse? What kind of curse are we talking about here?"Xiao Wei asked curiously.
Lady Li didn't answer directly, instead, she gave a faint smile.
"Young Master Wei, once you meet with our ancestor, everything will become clear."Lady Li said.
Seeing the sincerity in her eyes and having no pressing matters at the moment, Xiao Wei finally nodded.
"Very well."Xiao Wei said.
With that, Lady Li stood and beckoned him to follow. Old Ti silently moved aside to let them pass as he don't follow them.
Lady Li and Xiao Wei traversed several winding hallways, their steps echoing softly across the polished floor. Finally, they reached an ancient iron door carved with runes and glowing faintly with Spiritual Energy.
It was an Array Formation—but unlike any Xiao Wei had seen before.
In his mind, Shadow Ming's voice crackled like a whisper of warning.
'Boy, be careful. This array is... something else. I can't even discern what Tier it belongs to. It's far beyond anything I practiced in my time. Be cautious, if you die in there, I die with you.'
Xiao Wei's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Lady Li pressed her palm to the Array, channeling a complex string of Spiritual Energy. With a soft hum, the door unlocked and creaked open.
They stepped into a room suffused with dense Spiritual Energy. The air was thick with the scent of herbs—rich, pungent, and invigorating. Array formations covered the walls and floor, intricate patterns glowing in faint hues of blue and green. It was less a chamber and more a sacred sanctuary of Cultivation.
As they entered, Lady Li called out with reverence.
"Ancestor, this is the young boy I told you about."Lady Li said and bowed in respect.
A moment later, a faint shimmer lit the air in front of them. Slowly, the figure of a mature woman materialized—a spectral presence, ethereal and glowing faintly with a silvery hue. Though she was clearly no longer among the living, her form was unmistakably dignified. Her features were elegant and wise, framed by long flowing hair that drifted as if suspended in water. Her body, though ghostly, retained an alluring fullness, her generous curves hinting at the powerful femininity she once possessed in life.
But there was something more. Unlike Shi Ming's soul which appeared faint and flickering and was white hue in colour. This mature woman soul was vivid and dense, nearly tangible and her soul was silver hue in colour.
Xiao Wei quickly lowered his head and bowed with utmost respect.
"Greetings, senior"Xiao Wei said solemnly.
The mature woman hovered silently for a moment, her translucent eyes fixed intently on him. She seemed to peer not just at his face, but deep into his soul, as though unraveling layers of destiny and hidden truths.
After a long pause, her expression softened.
"Yes… yes, he is the one. I am certain now—absolutely certain."she said softly, her voice echoed slightly in the chamber, but it carried firm conviction.
Lady Li looked up quickly, her eyes wide with restrained hope, but she did not speak.
Xiao Wei's expression remained steady, but his heart was already beating faster. The mature woman's words were weighty, their implications far beyond the ordinary. He took a breath and asked respectfully.
"Senior, what are you talking about?"Xiao Wei asked.
The ethereal figure of the mature woman floated gracefully in the air. Her soul shimmered with a brilliance far more refined than the spirit of Shi Ming. Her posture was regal, her eyes carried the wisdom of countless ages.