He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

Deep within the Xiao family ancestral hall, the light was dim, and the air was filled with the decaying smell of old wood and a faint scent of sandalwood. Xiao Jiulang curled up on a cold futon, scratching his hair in frustration. His once-luxurious training clothes were now covered in dust, no longer as pristine as before. This was his third day of confinement, but every minute and every second felt like torture.

Having been pampered since childhood, Xiao Jiulang had never suffered such humiliation. In his own villa, he was the undisputed master, with a dozen or so young and beautiful wives and concubines at his beck and call, living a life more carefree than that of a god. But here in the ancestral hall, he could only eat dry, hard coarse grain cakes and drink bland boiled water every day, with no one to talk to, only rows of cold ancestral tablets silently "watching" him.

"Damn Zhang Bufan! Damn Ye Qingxue! And that heartless father and ancestor!" Xiao Jiulang cursed inwardly, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked. If it weren't for Zhang Bufan, he would have already won the heart of the beauty, instead of being locked up in this hellish place. The thought of Ye Qingxue's stunning beauty, and the way she nestled beside Zhang Bufan, ignited a raging fire in Xiao Jiulang's heart, and his resentment towards his father, Xiao Feng, grew even stronger.

He was a pleasure-seeking man by nature, and three days of austerity had exhausted all his patience. Unable to endure it any longer, Xiao Jiulang finally swallowed his pride and shouted to the guards outside the ancestral hall, "Go tell the patriarch! I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I'll never dare to provoke Ye Qingxue and Zhang Bufan again. Tell him to let me out!"

Hearing his shout, the guard dared not delay and immediately turned to report to the family head, Xiao Feng. However, after hearing the guard's words, Xiao Feng merely waved his hand dismissively, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever: "I know, you may leave."

The guard paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Master, Young Master Jiulang says he truly repents..."

"Truly repentant?" Xiao Feng sneered, his tone filled with deep disappointment. "Don't I know his temperament? He couldn't even endure three days in jail. This isn't repentance; he clearly just wants to get out and continue his pleasures!" Xiao Feng knew his son all too well—spoiled, unruly, and utterly unpredictable. If he didn't take this opportunity to temper his character, he would inevitably cause a major disaster in the future, even implicating the entire Xiao family. This time, he was determined to teach Xiao Jiulang a lesson.

Seeing Xiao Feng's resolute attitude, the guards dared not say another word and silently retreated. Inside the ancestral hall, Xiao Jiulang, having waited for a long time without receiving any news of release, instantly transformed his frustration into rage. He rushed to the hall's entrance, pounding on the tightly closed wooden door, roaring, "Xiao Feng! You heartless father! How long do you intend to keep me locked up? I want to get out! I want to go back to my villa!"

No matter how much he roared and cursed, there was no response from outside the door. Xiao Jiulang's voice became hoarse from shouting, and he collapsed to the ground, leaning weakly against the door, panting heavily. He finally understood that his father was truly angry this time and would not let him off easily.

In the days that followed, Xiao Jiulang fell into utter despair. He tried crying, cursing, and starving himself, but all his methods were like stones sinking into the sea, having no effect whatsoever. The guards, following Xiao Feng's orders, ignored all his actions, only bringing him simple food and water on time each day, leaving him to fend for himself the rest of the time.

Time passed day by day, and a month went by in the blink of an eye. The austere days in the ancestral hall had long since worn down Xiao Jiulang's sharp edges and exhausted all his strength. He no longer roared, nor did he curse; he simply curled up on the prayer mat all day, his eyes vacant. But no one knew what kind of resentment and violence was hidden deep within those empty eyes. He hated Zhang Bufan, hated Ye Qingxue, and hated his father Xiao Feng's heartlessness even more.

"Father... I know I was wrong... I really know I was wrong..." Finally, Xiao Jiulang couldn't hold back any longer. He hugged his knees and cried like a child, his voice shrill and desperate. "I promise I'll cultivate diligently from now on and never cause trouble again. Please let me out... I want to go home..."

This time, the crying was no longer feigned, but carried a deep weariness and helplessness. Hearing this heart-wrenching cry, the guard felt a pang of pity and went to report to Xiao Feng again. When Xiao Feng arrived outside the ancestral hall and heard his son's desperate cries, a wave of sorrow washed over him. How could he not feel heartache for his son? But thinking of the safety of the family, and of Xiao Jiulang's past actions, he hardened his heart and still did not order them to pass.

"Let him continue to reflect. We'll talk again when he truly understands," Xiao Feng said in a deep voice, then turned and left. He knew this was the best way to temper Xiao Jiulang, and also a responsible act towards the entire Xiao family.

Xiao Jiulang cried for a long time, until his tears dried up, before he slowly stopped sobbing. He raised his tear-streaked face, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He finally understood that crying and cursing were useless; his father was determined to reform him this time. Since that was the case, he might as well go along with his father's wishes, pretend to obey for now, and then slowly plot his revenge after they got out.

From that day on, Xiao Jiulang became completely quiet. He stopped crying and complaining, ate and drank on time every day, and spent the rest of his time sitting cross-legged on a futon, closing his eyes, and beginning to circulate the family's cultivation techniques. Although Xiao Feng had confined him, he had not cut off his cultivation resources.

Xiao Jiulang's cultivation aptitude was already quite good, possessing dual earth and fire elemental roots. Coupled with the relatively abundant cultivation resources of the Xiao family, he reached the Qi Refining Perfection stage at the young age of thirty. However, his usual indulgence in pleasure had delayed his cultivation. Now, having calmed down and focused on cultivation, the results were surprisingly good. He transformed the resentment and anger in his heart into motivation for cultivation, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the circulation of his cultivation technique.

Time passed quietly in the peaceful cultivation, and in the blink of an eye, almost a month had passed. That morning, a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy suddenly erupted in the ancestral hall, followed by a dazzling white light emanating from Xiao Jiulang's body, illuminating the entire ancestral hall.

"I broke through! I actually broke through!" Xiao Jiulang suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of wild joy in them. He could clearly feel that the spiritual power within his body was several times stronger than before, his meridians had become wider and more resilient, and his entire aura had undergone a qualitative leap. He had finally broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage!

This sudden breakthrough not only overjoyed Xiao Jiulang, but also alerted the guards outside the ancestral hall and Xiao Feng and Xiao Changfeng deep within the family. Xiao Feng rushed to the ancestral hall immediately, sensing the intense fluctuations of spiritual energy, and a delighted smile appeared on his face: "Jiulang… he's actually broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage!"

At the same time, Xiao Changfeng, who was in the secluded cultivation room, also sensed this fluctuation of spiritual energy. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "Not bad, this kid finally has some potential. He was able to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage under such circumstances. It seems he has really reflected on his mistakes."

Xiao Changfeng personally ordered the ancestral hall doors to be opened. When Xiao Jiulang walked out of the ancestral hall, he had completely changed. He was no longer as arrogant and domineering as before; his eyes were calm, his expression indifferent, and although his worn-out training clothes were covered in dust, they could not conceal the fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from him.

"Father, Ancestor." Xiao Jiulang walked up to Xiao Feng, bowed respectfully, and spoke in a calm tone, completely different from before.

Seeing the change in his son, Xiao Feng was overjoyed. He quickly stepped forward and patted his shoulder, saying, "Good! Good! Jiulang, you've broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and genuinely repented. I'm very pleased!"

Xiao Changfeng walked over slowly, looked Xiao Jiulang up and down, and nodded: "Hmm, it is commendable to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Your ability to cultivate diligently in the ancestral hall and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage shows that you have understood the importance of cultivation. From today onwards, you are free from confinement."

To celebrate Xiao Jiulang's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage and to demonstrate the family's high regard for him, the Xiao family held a grand banquet. At the banquet, Xiao Jiulang wore a brand-new brocade robe, his demeanor elegant and courteous. He was respectful to the family elders and gentle and friendly to his peers, a stark contrast to the arrogant and domineering Xiao Jiulang of the past.

Seeing Xiao Jiulang's transformation, Xiao Feng was overjoyed. He immediately announced that Xiao Jiulang was to be appointed as the young patriarch of the Xiao family, a candidate for the next patriarch. This news caused a stir, and everyone congratulated Xiao Jiulang. Xiao Jiulang smiled and responded to each congratulation, his face always bearing a gentle smile. However, no one noticed that deep within his eyes lurked a barely perceptible hint of violence and ruthlessness.

After the banquet, Xiao Jiulang declined everyone's offers to stay and returned to his villa alone. The moment he stepped through the gates, the gentle smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling ruthlessness and violence. His true nature, suppressed for a month and a half, was completely exposed at that moment.

"Guards!" Xiao Jiulang shouted sternly.

Several servants rushed over and bowed respectfully: "Young Master, what are your orders?"

"Summon all the ladies to my room!" Xiao Jiulang said coldly.

The servant dared not delay and immediately turned to inform them. Soon, more than a dozen wives and concubines, dressed in their finest attire, arrived at Xiao Jiulang's room. Upon seeing Xiao Jiulang, they all smiled with delight and rushed forward, wanting to nestle beside him.

But Xiao Jiulang didn't treat them with his usual gentleness. Instead, he coldly surveyed them, a cruel smile playing on his lips. His pent-up anger and desire, accumulated over nearly two months, needed an outlet. For the next three days and three nights, sounds that would make anyone blush emanated from Xiao Jiulang's room, a mixture of women's cries and pleas for mercy.

Relying on his powerful physique at the Foundation Establishment stage, Xiao Jiulang vented his anger without restraint. He unleashed all the resentment and rage in his heart onto these innocent women. It wasn't until the morning of the third day that he emerged from his room, disheveled and with a satisfied exhaustion on his face.

The room was a complete mess. Three concubines, none of whom possessed any cultivation, had succumbed to Xiao Jiulang's brutality and died. Their cold bodies lay on the bed, their eyes still filled with lingering fear. The other wives and concubines were also trembling, their bodies covered in wounds. Seeing this, Xiao Jiulang showed no pity, simply indifferently ordering his servants, "Dispose of these three corpses cleanly, leaving no trace."

The servants trembled with fear upon seeing the horrific scene in the room and hurriedly nodded in agreement, "Yes, young master." They were already used to Xiao Jiulang's brutality, but they never expected that he would become even more terrifying after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

After disposing of the body, Xiao Jiulang returned to his room, washed up thoroughly, and changed into a clean brocade robe. He sat at his desk, his eyes filled with a sinister light as he stared at a slip of paper on it. The slip contained detailed information about Zhang Bufan. He had secretly investigated this information through his family's channels after his release from confinement.

"Zhang Bufan, born an ordinary mortal, was rescued by Yue Buwei, the patriarch of the Immortal Sword Sect, after accidentally falling off a cliff and was taken in as a personal disciple. His current cultivation level is the early Foundation Establishment stage..." Xiao Jiulang read the contents of the note softly, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "So he's just a mortal who got lucky! I thought he was some kind of powerful figure, but he's just a piece of trash at the early Foundation Establishment stage!"

The note also stated that Zhang Bufan was currently at his rural home with a junior sister from the Immortal Sword Sect and Ye Qingxue. Upon seeing this, Xiao Jiulang's eyes flashed with greed: "A junior sister from the Immortal Sword Sect? Interesting. Though I have many wives and concubines, I've never enjoyed the company of a female disciple from a secret realm sect. This time, not only can I avenge myself, but I can also gain something extra. This is wonderful!"

He knew that although he was now the young patriarch of the Xiao family, he absolutely could not openly attack Zhang Bufan. Otherwise, if the Immortal Sword Sect found out, the entire Xiao family would face annihilation. But as long as he did it discreetly enough and killed Zhang Bufan and the other two without anyone noticing, there would be no way to prove anything, and even if the Immortal Sword Sect wanted to investigate, they wouldn't be able to find any clues.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jiulang immediately got up and quietly left his villa, heading towards the settlement of his family's collateral branches. He needed to find two people to help him complete his revenge plan. These two were his cousins ​​from the collateral branches, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Gang, both of whom were at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, possessing considerable strength, and were also greedy and easily controlled.

Xiao Jiulang quickly arrived at Xiao Yuan's residence. Xiao Yuan was somewhat surprised to see the young clan leader personally come to greet him, and hurriedly went to welcome him warmly: "Young clan leader, what brings you here? Please have a seat!"

Without wasting words, Xiao Jiulang went straight to the point: "Uncle Xiao, I need to speak with you and Uncle Xiao Gang about something. Could you please call him over?"

Seeing Xiao Jiulang's serious expression, Xiao Yuan knew something important must have happened, so he didn't dare to delay and immediately sent someone to invite Xiao Gang. Soon, Xiao Gang arrived at Xiao Yuan's residence. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes.

"Young clan leader, what can I do for you, brothers and me?" Xiao Gang asked.

Xiao Jiulang looked around and, seeing that there were no outsiders, lowered his voice and said, "I need you to help me kill someone."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Gang's expressions both changed. Xiao Yuan quickly said, "Young Clan Leader, killing someone is no small matter, and who is the other party? We can't afford to provoke trouble."

"The other party's name is Zhang Bufan. He is the personal disciple of Yue Buwei, the patriarch of the Immortal Sword Sect, and his current cultivation level is the early stage of Foundation Establishment," Xiao Jiulang said calmly.

"What?! Disciples of the Immortal Sword Sect?" Xiao Yuan and Xiao Gang turned pale with fright and hurriedly waved their hands. "Young Clan Leader, this won't do! We can't afford to offend the Immortal Sword Sect. If this is exposed, not only will we brothers be implicated, but the entire Xiao family will be dragged down!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Xiao Jiulang sneered. "He's only a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the early stage, and he only has two women with him: his Daoist partner Ye Qingxue, who is at the Qi Refining stage, and his junior sister, who is also at the Qi Refining stage. The three of us—two at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and one at the early stage—can easily crush them!"

He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, I've already investigated. They're currently in a remote rural hometown, a desolate place where no one will discover them. As long as we do it cleanly, killing them and destroying the evidence, even if the Immortal Sword Sect wants to investigate, they won't find any clues."

Xiao Yuan and Xiao Gang remained hesitant. Though greedy, they knew the terrifying power of the Immortal Sword Sect. Seeing their indecisiveness, Xiao Jiulang's eyes flashed coldly, and he spoke with a threatening tone, "I am now the young patriarch of the Xiao family, the future head of the clan. If you help me accomplish this, when I inherit the position of patriarch, you will be my confidants, and you will undoubtedly receive a share of the core power of the family. But if you don't agree…"

Xiao Jiulang didn't continue, but the threat in his tone was unmistakable. Xiao Yuan and Xiao Gang's expressions changed, and they felt a sudden sense of fear. They knew Xiao Jiulang's character—cruel and ruthless—and if they didn't agree, they feared they would have no good days in the Xiao family.

Moreover, Xiao Jiulang's words also tempted them. Two mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators against one early-Foundation Establishment cultivator and two Qi Refining cultivators was indeed a sure win. As long as it was done discreetly, there would be no risk. If they succeeded, they could become the future confidants of the family head and gain greater power and benefits.

Xiao Yuan and Xiao Gang exchanged a glance, both seeing interest in each other's eyes. They had done many heinous things in the past, but as long as they did it cleanly, they had never run into trouble. Although this mission was risky, the rewards were equally tempting.

"Alright! We agree!" Xiao Yuan gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "However, young clan leader, let's be clear from the start: this matter must be done flawlessly, leaving absolutely no trace."

"Of course." Xiao Jiulang smiled with satisfaction. "Don't worry, I've planned everything. We'll set off tonight, rush to Zhang Bufan's hometown overnight, and kill him in one fell swoop while he's off guard. Then we'll return immediately, without anyone knowing."

"Alright!" Xiao Gang nodded, a greedy glint in his eyes. "Young Clan Leader, let's make preparations now and depart on time tonight."

"Okay." Xiao Jiulang nodded. "Remember, this matter must not be known to a fourth person, otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

"We understand!" Xiao Yuan and Xiao Gang said in unison.

Xiao Jiulang smiled with satisfaction, then rose and left Xiao Yuan's residence. Walking back to his villa, he looked up at the dark night sky, his eyes flashing with a violent and greedy light. "Zhang Bufan, Ye Qingxue, and that junior sister from the Immortal Sword Sect, you just wait! Tonight is your death day!"

He couldn't wait to see Zhang Bufan die a horrible death before his eyes, and he wanted to kidnap Ye Qingxue and the junior sister from the Immortal Sword Sect to torture them and vent all the resentment and anger in his heart. A meticulously planned revenge conspiracy was quietly unfolding, while Zhang Bufan, far away in his rural hometown, was completely unaware of it.