When faced with the scene before him, Old Master Hui was greatly shocked.
The infant's parents had already been bitten to death, while the infant lay motionless on the bed, neither crying nor fussing.
Out of pity, Old Master Hui drove away the pack of wolves and then took the infant with him.
It was precisely this benevolent act that, twenty years later, propelled the Hui family to become the foremost among the Five Great Immortal Families.
After bringing the infant back, Old Master Hui named him Zhang Peikun.
To command the heavens and earth!
Originally, he had intended for the infant to follow his own path when he grew up, whether he wished to be a spirit medium disciple or live an ordinary life.
The decision would be his own.
The boy grew day by day, and by the time he was ten, many elders within the shrine hall were no match for him.
By seventeen, all the spirit medium disciples of the Hui family combined could only fight him to a draw.
Furthermore, Old Master Hui himself chose to become Zhang Peikun's guardian spirit.
The fact that Old Master Hui became his guardian spirit demonstrated the extent of his affection for Zhang Peikun.
One must remember that at that time, he was only around seventeen years old.
What truly propelled him to the pinnacle of his life was the year he turned nineteen.
That year marked the occasion when the Five Great Immortal Families would select a new Grand Hall Master.
Each family could choose six disciples to participate in the competition, and the Hui family also selected five disciples.
However, none of the Hui family's immortal disciples held out hope.
Although Zhang Peikun was strong, the other four families possessed strengths far beyond their imagination.
One must consider that the Fox and Yellow families were at their peak during that time, and even the slightly inferior White and Willow families were significantly stronger than the Hui family.
In the very first match, the Hui family had already lost all five disciples, leaving only Zhang Peikun.
Just as the Hui family believed all hope was lost, Zhang Peikun turned the tide, winning three consecutive matches.
Among these, he defeated the most promising prodigies from the White and Willow families, who were considered strong contenders for the championship.
This astonishing display of strength caused an uproar among everyone present.
Following this were the fourth, fifth, and sixth matches.
He fought seven consecutive matches and won all seven!
Such a remarkable achievement was a rare sight, even within the entire Northeast spirit medium community, occurring perhaps once in a millennium.
More importantly, Zhang Peikun never relied on his own strengths but instead fought using the opponents' specialties.
He matched the Fox family in illusions, the Yellow family in sorcery, the White family in medicine, and confronted the Willow family head-on.
This Zhang Peikun was incredibly audacious.
However, he had the capital to be audacious!
In the final match, Zhang Peikun was already exhausted, but he had to face a prodigy from the Fox family, one rarely seen in a century.
Had it not been for the exhaustion from the previous seven battles, it was uncertain who would have claimed the championship this year.
But now, Zhang Peikun was at the end of his strength.
The crowd lamented, shaking their heads in resignation.
But… he won!
Zhang Peikun won!
He won!!
Against all odds, Zhang Peikun actually won!
And he did so using illusions, the very skill the opponent excelled at.
This battle was enough to deify him!
Without a doubt, Zhang Peikun became the Grand Hall Master.
During the three years he served as Hall Master, the Hui family's reputation soared to second among the Five Great Immortal Families, closely rivaling the peak Fox family.
But good times did not last. When Zhang Peikun was twenty years old, those beings from the heavens descended.
Zhang Peikun died in battle!
Zhang Peikun was usually taciturn and never smiled, earning him the nickname "Poker Face Zhang."
However, just before the great battle, Zhang Peikun suddenly decided to make tea.
For a full day and night, Zhang Peikun presented the tea he had made to Old Master Hui, a brilliant smile gracing his face.
This was also the first time Old Master Hui had ever seen him smile.
Old Master Hui had initially planned to accompany him, but Zhang Peikun refused.
The Hui family could do without him, Zhang Peikun, but they could not do without you, Old Master Hui.
Zhang Peikun left and never returned.
And this tea was the only gift he left for Old Master Hui.
It was like a pure white ice sword; the Hui family received it, but when the sun rose, it would melt into water and finally disappear.
Only the legendary tales remained.
After hearing Old Master Hui's account, Yu Daochen felt a surge of emotion.
In terms of innate talent, this Zhang Peikun was no weaker than himself, nor weaker than Xu Feng.
But it was a pity.
When he decided to face them alone, his defeat was already sealed.
Although spirit medium disciples were powerful, they needed the cooperation of their immortal companions to reach their maximum potential.
However, his courage in facing fear directly was truly admirable.
Yu Daochen suddenly thought of something and inquired, "Did Qin Muyu not come looking for Zhang Peikun?"
Old Master Hui nodded helplessly and replied, "He did!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Daochen's face was filled with confusion. "Since he came looking, why..."
Before he could finish, Old Master Hui spoke, "You want to ask why Qin Muyu and Liu Feng never appeared from beginning to end, right?"
Yu Daochen nodded.
Old Master Hui sighed deeply and said helplessly, "When Zhang Peikun was seventeen, Qin Muyu and Liu Feng came looking for him, but he drove them away."
"Drove them away?" Yu Daochen was full of doubt.
Old Master Hui nodded and continued, "Back then, Liu Feng and Qin Muyu intended to find Zhang Peikun before he was even born, but Zhang Peikun's battle in his previous life had nearly led to their annihilation, which is why they came seventeen years later."
Hearing this, Yu Daochen fell silent.
Old Master Hui continued, "I raised him from childhood. Rather than staying with the Hui family, I hoped he would go with Qin Muyu and the others. Perhaps that would have offered him a path to survival, but Zhang Peikun refused."
"Although Zhang Peikun was taciturn, he thought a great deal. He understood that it was too late to leave and cultivate anew with Qin Muyu and the others. Instead, he preferred to use his remaining time to do more for the Hui family."
Yu Daochen could only sigh helplessly after hearing Old Master Hui's narration.
The cultivation methods of the Northeast spirit mediums were entirely different from those of other sects.
Other sects condensed Qi to cast spells, whether it was drawing talismans or invoking rituals; these were completely different from the Northeast spirit mediums.
The Northeast spirit mediums primarily relied on their immortal companions, and most of their spells were cast through these companions.
It was like teaching one person to run and another to swim; they were fundamentally different things.
If you asked a runner to swim, no matter how strong their explosive power, it would be of no use.
This was also why Zhang Peikun believed he could not defeat those beings from the heavens in this life.
Remaining a spirit medium disciple might not necessarily mean he lacked the strength to fight.
No!
It might even mean he had a greater chance of defeating those beings from the heavens than in any previous life.
Spirit medium disciples invited immortal companions, and then the immortal companions fought.
But this also meant that not only would Zhang Peikun die, but his invited immortal companions would also perish with him.
Even Old Master Hui had no confidence in dealing with those beings from the heavens.
This was why Zhang Peikun chose to confront those beings from the heavens alone.
After explaining the entire story, Old Master Hui looked filled with helplessness.
If he had lived a few more years, the Hui family would have long been the foremost among the Five Great Immortal Families.