A few months had passed since Lu Fan's breakthrough into the Foundation Building Realm. During this time, he had focused on refining his cultivation, strengthening his Array Map, and deepening his understanding of arrays. However, peace was short-lived.
News arrived that another Foundation Building expert from the Lu family had been ambushed while attempting to buy healing pills. This was the second attack in a short span of time, and it was too much of a coincidence. Something was clearly wrong.
Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. Could someone be targeting the Foundation Building experts of the family?
Although he had distanced himself from family matters, this was still his bloodline. If the Lu family weakened further, it might spell disaster for all its members, including those who didn't involve themselves in internal politics.
He decided to investigate—but he would do it on his own terms.
Infiltrating the Lu Family
Rather than announcing his return, Lu Fan chose a different approach. He would sneak into the Lu family estate in secret.
Using his medallion to its fullest capability, he became completely invisible, his presence erased from the world. His spiritual signature vanished, and even the most powerful elders of the family would not be able to detect him. It was as if he no longer existed.
Under this perfect cover, he infiltrated the Lu family compound, moving like a ghost in the night. He followed key figures, listening to their conversations, watching their movements, and studying their intentions.
One by one, he observed the most influential members of the family—those who had the most to gain from internal strife. Most of them seemed unaware of the greater conspiracy, their focus purely on their cultivation or personal ambitions. But Lu Fan was patient.
Eventually, his patience paid off.
The Traitor—Lu Cheng
After days of observation, Lu Fan discovered something shocking. The culprit behind the attacks on the Foundation Building experts was none other than Lu Cheng, a Level 9 Qi Cultivation Realm expert.
Lu Cheng had been desperate to break into the Foundation Building Realm, but instead of waiting for his natural breakthrough, he had taken a darker path—betrayal.
Lu Cheng had been selling out the family's secrets to outsiders.
Through careful eavesdropping and surveillance, Lu Fan confirmed the truth: Lu Cheng had leaked information about the movements of the family's Foundation Building experts, ensuring that they were ambushed when they were most vulnerable. In exchange, he had been promised resources to advance his own cultivation.
A traitor within the family was far more dangerous than any external enemy.
But Lu Fan didn't act immediately. He needed proof.
Securing Evidence
Rather than confronting Lu Cheng directly, Lu Fan took out a Recording Stone—a special device capable of capturing sound and images.
Silently, he followed Lu Cheng, recording every secret meeting, every whispered conversation, and every incriminating detail. He captured the moment when Lu Cheng received a bag of high-grade spirit stones from a hooded figure, proof of his treachery.
By the time Lu Fan was finished, the evidence was airtight. There would be no denying it.
With the Recording Stone in hand, Lu Fan silently left the family estate, disappearing into the night just as easily as he had arrived.
Now, it was time to decide what to do with this knowledge.
Lu Fan didn't reveal himself but secretly delivered the recording stone to the injured Foundation Building expert. He left behind a brief message detailing Lu Cheng's betrayal and the forces behind the attacks. After ensuring the message reached its target, he quietly left the Lu family estate without alerting anyone.
Using the intelligence he had gathered, Lu Fan began hunting down the attackers. He already knew their locations and affiliations, so he moved swiftly. With his medallion's concealment ability and his mastery over arrays, he ambushed them one by one. Some he eliminated silently, while others he interrogated before dealing with them.
As days passed, he followed the leads further up the chain, discovering that the attack on the Lu family wasn't just an external assault—it was orchestrated by a hidden hand within the cultivation world.
Lu Fan followed the trail of evidence, leading him to a secret gathering of cultivators in a remote valley. Hiding himself with the medallion's power, he observed the meeting. Among the group, he recognized figures from various factions—rogue cultivators, mercenaries, and even members of a rival noble family. At the center of it all was Lu Cheng, discussing the next phase of his plan.
From their conversation, Lu Fan confirmed that Lu Cheng had been selling family secrets in exchange for resources to advance to the Foundation Building realm. The recent attacks on the Lu family were meant to weaken their defenses so that Lu Cheng could rise in power and take control.
Lu Fan's expression remained calm, but his eyes turned cold. He silently set up multiple high-level arrays around the valley, sealing off all escape routes. Once everything was in place, he activated them at full power—trapping everyone inside. Before they could react, he unleashed his newly formed Foundation Building aura, suppressing the entire gathering with sheer might.
The valley turned into a battlefield.
Lu Fan didn't waste any time. With a single swing of his Titan Qi-enhanced club, he sent enemies flying, their bones shattering on impact. The sheer force of his blows left deep craters in the ground, and every step he took made the earth tremble.
Activating his Indomitable Body, Lu Fan's muscles surged with power, making him unstoppable. Swords and spells struck him, but they barely left a mark. His reinforced physique absorbed the attacks effortlessly, and his counterstrikes sent opponents crashing into the ground, unable to get up.
At the same time, a dense fog spread across the battlefield, covering the area. Lu Fan had already set up a Fog Array beforehand, ensuring that his enemies couldn't escape or even see what was happening. They stumbled around in confusion, bumping into one another, while Lu Fan moved through the mist like a phantom, taking them down one by one.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, the trap array activated, sealing off all exits. The mercenaries and traitors found themselves completely surrounded, unable to flee.
Realizing they were doomed, some of them begged for mercy, while others desperately tried to fight back. But against Lu Fan's brute strength, impenetrable defense, and flawless strategy, they didn't stand a chance. One by one, he crushed them, ensuring no one would threaten the Lu family again.