Chapter 22 One Clan, Two Purple Mansions, Branch Clan People Arrive!

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: One Clan, Two Purple Mansions, Branch Clan People Arrive!

With the Immortal Flame transforming his physical body, two Earth Rank, Top Grade cultivation methods strengthening his foundation, and a Profound Rank treasured sword at his disposal, Adrian Mercer’s peak combat strength had become astonishing.

He could now contend with cultivators in the lower three layers of the Heavenly Origin Realm despite not having reached that realm himself.

Therefore, when Adrian defeated an Elder at the first layer of the Heavenly Origin Realm, the entire Mercer Family erupted into an uproar!

The clansmen were overjoyed. They understood that their once-celebrated prodigy had not been defeated by the harshness of reality. Instead, he had risen from the depths of despair and reclaimed his place among the family’s strongest younger generation.

This time, however, Adrian’s transformation went far beyond recovering what he had lost.

His physical body had been reforged, his talent had surpassed its former limits, and his potential had become even more frightening than before.

His performance had even begun to overshadow the achievements of Julian Mercer in his younger days.

For a time, Adrian became an idol in the hearts of the younger disciples. The Elders praised him as a future Purple Mansion powerhouse, someone who might eventually surpass even the family’s distant ancestors.

But Adrian’s progress was only part of the good news.

Four Elders who had remained trapped at the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm for many years had also consumed Marrow Cleansing Pills. The pills repaired their damaged foundations, allowing them to break through the bottlenecks that had restrained them for so long.

All four successfully advanced to the Heavenly Origin Realm.

Combined with the three Elders who had already reached that realm, the Mercer Family now possessed a total of seven Heavenly Origin Realm cultivators!

And there was even greater news.

The Grand Elder had consumed the Top Grade Purple Spirit Pill bestowed upon him by Julian. Relying on its astonishing medicinal effects, he finally broke through the barrier between the Heavenly Origin Realm and the Purple Mansion Realm.

He successfully opened his Purple Mansion space and became a Purple Mansion cultivator.

The Mercer Family had not only destroyed three major rival families. It had also gained a second Purple Mansion powerhouse!

The news filled the entire clan with excitement.

Many disciples eagerly proposed holding a grand banquet to celebrate the Grand Elder’s breakthrough. However, the Grand Elder immediately refused.

He believed that the family had more important matters to attend to and that a celebration was unnecessary.

Unfortunately for him, Julian soon learned about the proposal.

After hearing that the Grand Elder had successfully broken through, Julian waved his hand and made the decision himself.

The banquet would take place.

Faced with his Patriarch’s direct command, the Grand Elder could no longer refuse. He could only nod helplessly and accept the arrangement.

However, Julian had a different plan from the one the clansmen had originally proposed.

Rather than inviting only members of the Mercer Family, he ordered his people to distribute invitations throughout Wexford City.

Every minor clan Patriarch in the city was to be invited.

The Mercer Family’s current reputation was enough to make the invitation impossible to ignore. Everyone remembered the fate of the Rourke, Bellamy, and Kessler families. No minor clan Patriarch dared risk offending the Mercers by refusing to attend.

That evening, the minor clan Patriarchs arrived one after another, each bringing generous gifts to demonstrate their sincerity.

The banquet proceeded amid lively conversation and careful displays of respect.

With the strength of two Purple Mansion cultivators behind it, the Mercer Family now possessed an authority that no other clan in Wexford City could challenge.

One after another, the minor families publicly declared their willingness to follow the Mercer Family’s lead.

No one dared express the slightest disloyalty.

That night, the Mercer Family firmly established its dominance over Wexford City.

When the banquet ended, news of the Grand Elder’s breakthrough quickly spread beyond the city through the various clan leaders who had attended.

Wexford City was thrown into another wave of excitement.

Countless commoners sighed in amazement at the Mercer Family’s growing power. In the space of only a few days, the family had transformed itself from a clan on the brink of destruction into the undisputed ruler of the city.

Naturally, a few people who had once been connected to the three destroyed families privately complained about the injustice of it all.

They wondered why heaven would allow such a ruthless family to produce a second Purple Mansion cultivator.

But when they learned that the remaining minor families had already pledged their allegiance to the Mercers, even those complaints quickly disappeared.

No one wanted a careless remark to reach the wrong ears and bring disaster upon them.

As for City Lord Darius Fenwick, he chose to turn a blind eye to everything happening around him.

The Mercer Family’s momentum was simply too great. Even he could no longer afford to provoke them casually.

Until he was absolutely certain that he could defeat Julian, Darius decided that silence was his safest option.

He would keep his head down and avoid antagonizing that terrifying man.

...

The crimson sun hung high in the sky.

It was noon.

Inside the Patriarch’s room at the Mercer estate, Julian sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly closed.

Every pore in his body seemed to relax as divine brilliance flowed across his skin. An extraordinary Dao aura surrounded him, while the Spiritual Qi in the surrounding space rushed toward him as though being swallowed by an invisible black hole.

Suddenly, his breathing paused.

Julian’s eyes snapped open, and brilliant light flashed through them.

Purple Mansion Realm, Eighth Layer!

He had broken through!

Julian examined his palm, feeling the surging power coursing through his body. A trace of satisfaction appeared on his face.

During the past seven days, he had continuously cultivated while benefiting from the cumulative strength of the entire Mercer Family.

The combined effect had allowed him to break through three minor cultivation stages, advancing directly to the eighth layer of the Purple Mansion Realm.

His progress had been astonishing.

Whenever prolonged cultivation left his mind exhausted, he would visualize the Nuwa Visualization Chart. This strengthened his Soul Power while clearing away his fatigue.

Once his mind had recovered, he would return to cultivating the Great Sun Body Refining Art and the Pure Yang Technique.

By repeating this cycle, he had maintained an efficient rhythm of cultivation without allowing exhaustion to slow his progress.

His improvements were not limited to his cultivation realm.

During these seven days, Julian had also deepened his understanding of Sword Intent, reaching the Minor Achievement stage.

Both Ten Thousand Blades Return and Purple Thunder Palm had advanced to the Perfected Realm.

His overall combat strength had risen to an entirely different level.

With his current abilities, crossing an entire major realm to kill a cultivator at the Origin Sea Realm was no longer a difficult task.

He could accomplish it with relative ease.

As Julian carefully examined the boundless power within his body, a sudden knock sounded at the door.

Knock, knock.

He gathered his thoughts, rose from the bed, and turned toward the entrance.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened.

The Grand Elder entered, accompanied by an unfamiliar elderly man with white hair. The stranger looked nervous, his face tense as though he had been carrying a heavy burden for a long time.

The Grand Elder stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Patriarch."

Before Julian could respond, the white-haired elder suddenly dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.

"Greetings, Lord Patriarch! I beg you to deliver justice for us!"

Julian was momentarily taken aback.

He looked at the kneeling elder, then at the Grand Elder.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The elderly man tried to answer immediately, but his nerves got the better of him. His throat tightened, and the words he wanted to say seemed to become stuck.

Seeing his distress, the Grand Elder stepped forward to explain.

"Patriarch, this is Edmund Mercer, the former Patriarch of our Mercer Family’s branch in Briarford City."

Julian’s gaze shifted slightly.

After a brief moment of recollection, he remembered the history behind the branch families.

Decades ago, several members of the Mercer Family had committed serious offenses. As punishment, they had been removed from Wexford City and sent to other cities to establish branch families.

The Briarford City branch was one of them.

However, the main family and that branch had not maintained contact for decades.

Now, Edmund Mercer had suddenly arrived at the Mercer estate, kneeling before the Patriarch and begging for justice.

Something serious must have happened.

Julian regarded the elderly man calmly.

"There’s no need to panic. The main family and its branches share the same blood. If someone has wronged your branch, I won’t stand by and ignore it."

His voice softened slightly.

"But if you want me to deliver justice, you must first explain what happened. Tell me everything from the beginning."

Hearing Julian’s reassuring words, Edmund’s nervousness eased considerably.

He lowered his head and clenched his fists, struggling to contain the resentment that had built up inside him.

Then he finally began to speak.

"The Wycliffe Family has gone too far! They have bullied our branch beyond endurance. I beg Lord Patriarch to stand up for us!"

As Edmund recounted the events, Julian gradually pieced together the situation.

More than ten years earlier, Edmund’s son, Callum Mercer, had met Soren Wycliffe, the eldest young master of the Wycliffe Family, during a trial.

The two young men had faced dangerous situations together and repeatedly risked their lives to survive. Through those shared experiences, they had developed a deep friendship.

Eventually, they became sworn brothers despite bearing different surnames.

At the time, their bond had been genuine, forged through hardship and mutual trust.

But whatever had happened since then had apparently turned that friendship into a source of misery for the Mercer branch.

Julian continued listening, his expression growing more serious as Edmund prepared to explain what had happened next.