Boom—
High above, the power of the Black Demon Lightning had not even been one-third spent. Yet, moments later, the black thundercloud gradually dissipated. The curtain of lightning that had shrouded the Ye Family mansion turned transparent and vanished.
The oppressive, destructive aura dissipated in an instant, finally allowing the members of the Ye Family to draw a heavy breath of relief.
As for the entire Liu Family... they had been completely wiped out!
Even the Giant Rock Scorpion, under the bombardment of the Black Demon Lightning, had its body riddled with holes and was thoroughly dead.
At this moment, everyone shifted their gaze toward the figure in the green robe standing by the stone platform—Ye Han! The entire Liu Family had been annihilated, all because of him!
"I never imagined that he would be the one to save our Ye Family."
The First Elder and the other elders exchanged deep glances. They knew that without Ye Han, the Ye Family would have been finished long ago. They felt a sense of guilt in their hearts, recalling how cruelly the Ye Family had once humiliated Ye Han.
Ye Han cast a faint glance at the corpses on the ground before walking toward the massive carcass of the Giant Rock Scorpion. Seeing that the colossus had no breath left in it, he felt a secret pang of regret. Had this creature been usable, it would have been a powerful assistant for him. Unfortunately, its body had been pulverized by the barrage of Black Demon Lightning.
However, though the flesh was ruined, the treasures it carried remained.
With that thought, Ye Han’s palm was enveloped in a golden halo as he struck down.
*Pfft!*
His palm force tore open the head and abdomen of the Giant Rock Scorpion, releasing a glowing brown sphere and a crystal-clear bone.
"This is... the Giant Rock Scorpion's Spirit Essence!"
Seeing the orb, the First Elder and the others crowded around with burning eyes. Inside the palm-sized orb, a miniature Spirit Entity of the Giant Rock Scorpion hovered. This was a beast's Spirit Essence!
Beast Spirit Essences were treasures for cultivation, especially for those who had entered the Spirit Soul Realm. The higher the rank of the Spirit Essence, the stronger the power it provided. Had Ye Baili been able to use this Spirit Essence to cultivate beforehand, his odds of defeating Liu Zhentian today would have been much higher.
"Han'er, this Giant Rock Scorpion Spirit Essence is no small matter; it is at least a Ninth-Grade Spirit Essence. If you use it to cultivate after you ascend to the Spirit Soul Realm, it will undoubtedly be of great benefit to the enhancement of your own strength," the First Elder said in a deep voice, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
"Indeed. With your talent, I’m sure you will reach the Spirit Soul Realm within a few years. This essence is far too important for you," the other elders added, stroking their beards in agreement.
However, Ye Han had no interest in this Ninth-Grade Spirit Essence. He had already decided that if he were to break through to the Spirit Soul Realm, he would need something of a higher grade to replace this beast's essence. Of course, he wasn't about to give it to these Ye Family elders either—he still remembered how these old men had treated him in the past.
"I wonder if there is a spiritual art hidden within this beast bone?"
Ye Han put away the Spirit Essence and turned his attention to the beast bone in his palm. Every beast bone had a chance of containing a spiritual art. For instance, the "Heavenly Lion Shattering Gold Roar" he had previously obtained came from the bone of a Flame Heavenly Lion.
Thinking of this, Ye Han sent a strand of his divine sense into the bone. A few minutes later, he tossed the bone away in disappointment. There was no spiritual art inside.
Ye Han then looked at the First Elder and said in a grave tone: "First Elder, organize the troops. Now is the perfect time for us to settle the score with the Liu Family..."
"Settle the score with the Liu Family?!"
Everyone gasped at these words. The elders nodded; it was indeed the time to root out the danger once and for all.
With that, the Ye Family forces regrouped and marched in a grand procession toward the Liu Family mansion.
***
At the Liu Family mansion, there were still many experts stationed on patrol. Standing at the center of the stone platform were two white-haired elders—Liu Yue and Liu Xuan—who had been left behind to guard the residence.
"It’s been several hours, and the Patriarch still hasn't sent any news back. Could there have been some complication?" Elder Liu Yue frowned, feeling inexplicably restless.
"Don't worry. Our Liu Family sent out so many experts; the Ye Family surely cannot resist. And don't forget, our house-protecting beast, the Giant Rock Scorpion, was deployed. By now, the entire Ye Family must have been wiped out," Elder Liu Xuan shook his head, pride in his voice.
Elder Liu Yue nodded in thought. After all, with Liu Zhentian and the Giant Rock Scorpion—two powerful Spirit Soul Realm entities—they should have been more than enough to sweep through the Ye Family.
Yet, at that very moment, a cold, chilling voice echoed from nowhere.
"Stop waiting. Your Liu Family has already been completely wiped out!"
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
"Enemy attack!"
"Ah!"
Sounds of thunderous impacts erupted throughout the Liu Family mansion. With a *bang*, the main gate was shattered, and several bloodied Liu Family disciples, their bones crushed, were hurled in front of the two elders.
"What?!" Liu Yue and Liu Xuan’s pupils constricted. They looked up to see black-robed figures pouring in.
"The Ye Family!"
The realization hit them like a bolt of lightning, leaving them standing frozen in place, unable to move.
"Kill them all! Leave no one alive!" Ye Han stepped through the gate, his tone icy.
"Yes!"
Behind him, hundreds of Ye Family disciples erupted with Spiritual Power, surrounding and slaughtering the Liu Family disciples.
*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!*
"Ah!"
Chaos engulfed the Liu mansion. Only now did Elder Liu Xuan and Elder Liu Yue regain their senses. Their faces turned ashen, and they nearly collapsed. They realized that Liu Zhentian’s plan to annihilate the Ye Family had failed!
***
"Your Liu Family is finished!"
This cold declaration landed like a heavy hammer, making the legs of Elder Liu Yue and Elder Liu Xuan go weak. It was impossible—how could the Liu Family lose? With Liu Zhentian’s strength and a Late Spirit Soul Realm Giant Rock Scorpion, wiping out the Ye Family should have been effortless! Did the Ye Family have help from a master?
The two elders were ghostly pale, their minds clearly reeling from the shock, muttering to themselves in a daze. But the surrounding screams of agony quickly pulled them back to reality. They looked up in terror, seeing the Liu mansion engulfed in flames, watching as countless people were slaughtered, their eyes trembling violently.
*Pfft! Pfft!*
"Ah!"
Cries of pain filled the air; with swords flashing, the Liu mansion turned into a river of blood in an instant.
"Your family schemed to exterminate my Ye Family. Today, you are simply reaping what you have sown. You have only yourselves to blame," Ye Han said to the two elders, his expression cold and detached.
At this, the eyes of Elders Liu Yue and Liu Xuan turned venomous, bloodshot veins appearing in their eyes.
"You little bastard! Even if I have to sacrifice my old life, I’ll take you down with me!"
*Boom!*
Elder Liu Yue let out a hysterical roar, his wild hair flying as he lunged forward, a Half-Step Spirit Soul Realm aura exploding from his body! He shot toward Ye Han, his palm gathering violent Spiritual Power, intending to kill him in one blow.
"Liu Yue, do you think I am merely decoration?"
A majestic shout came from behind, causing the very air to tremble. Ye Baili snorted, stepping forward. His palms erupted with rich spiritual light before he transformed them into a fist.
*Roar!*
A tiger’s howl resonated from the strike, and the phantom of a golden tiger appeared. Under Liu Yue’s terrified gaze, his palm power collapsed with a *bang*. The fist landed heavily on his crown, shattering his skull like a watermelon, and he fell dead instantly.
Behind them, the other Ye Family elders exchanged glances and swarmed Elder Liu Xuan, initiating a cataclysmic battle. But he was only one man against many; soon, Elder Liu Xuan fell to his death, meeting a bitter end.
*Whoosh, whoosh!*
The entire Liu mansion was ablaze, its grand palaces reduced to ash. On the ground lay corpses, dead in pools of blood, eyes wide with the shock of their demise. Ye Han felt no pity; he knew that had the Ye Family failed, the Liu Family would have slaughtered them all without mercy.
The brutal massacre continued for half an hour before finally coming to an end.
"Young Patriarch, we have captured some of the younger generation of the Liu Family. How should we deal with them?" The Second Elder brought forward several dozen children, only seven or eight years old.
These boys and girls were trembling in terror, their innocent faces splattered with blood.
"Spare us! Spare us! We are willing to serve the Ye Family as beasts of burden!" one of the oldest, only fourteen or fifteen, pleaded, throwing himself to his knees. The others followed suit, kneeling one by one.
However, among the dozen youngsters, a single seven or eight-year-old girl with a ponytail did not kneel. She clutched her tiny fists tight, her round eyes glaring fiercely at Ye Han. Unlike the others, she bit her lip, showing no signs of fear.
"What is your name?" Ye Han asked, looking down at the girl.
"Liu Qingling," the girl replied coldly.
"Commendable courage. I will spare your life. If you have the ability in the future, you can come find me for revenge."
A flicker of appreciation crossed Ye Han’s face. He then turned his gaze to the elders behind him and said in a low voice, "Kill the rest!"
Hearing this, the Liu Family youths collapsed, their pants soaking through with urine, their faces pale as paper. They hadn't realized that pleading for mercy would only make Ye Han despise them more.
*Pfft! Pfft!*
Blood sprayed. In a few moments, save for Liu Qingling, the dozen or so Liu youths lay dead in a pool of blood. Liu Qingling stood cold and motionless among the corpses, her small face stained with blood, yet there was still no fear in her eyes.
"When I grow up, I will definitely kill you!"
With that, Liu Qingling walked out of the Liu mansion.
"Young Patriarch, you wanted to root out the danger—why spare this little girl?" the Ye Family members asked, confused.
Ye Han did not respond. It wasn't because he felt pity; it was because he admired the character she possessed at such a young age—it was truly extraordinary. In that instant, Ye Han seemed to recall the despair he felt when he was cast into the alchemy furnace by the Danwu Great Emperor. This shared sense of suffering was why he decided to give Liu Qingling a chance.
He could never have imagined that the girl he let go today would, in ten years' time, become a terrifying force that would shake the entire Azure Sky Continent...
***
After destroying the Liu Family, the Ye Family began searching for the family treasury. As one of the Four Great Families of Yan City, the martial arts, weapons, and countless cultivation resources left behind by the Liu Family would be a tremendous fortune for them.
However, after several hours of searching, the entire mansion was empty. Aside from a small amount of resources and spiritual stones, there were no treasures to be found.
"What is going on?" Ye Han was puzzled. A grand family like the Liu clan couldn't possibly have so little. Had they moved it beforehand? But that was impossible; they hadn't expected to fall so quickly.
"Young Patriarch!" A few tribesmen ran over, breathless. "We found a secret cave on the mountain behind the Liu estate. That might be where the treasury is."
"Oh?" Ye Han and the elders were delighted. "Lead the way!"
They hurried to the mountain behind the mansion. Before long, they climbed to a hidden spot on the hillside, obscured by ancient vines, where a crimson stone gate was vaguely visible.
"Liu Zhentian was truly cunning!" Ye Baili noted as he approached the gate. No one had expected the treasure to be hidden in such a desolate place.
"Young Patriarch, this is the key we found on one of the Liu elders; it seems to fit the gate," a tribesman said, handing over a palm-sized iron key.
Ye Han nodded. "Open it."
"Yes!"
The gate rumbled and slowly creaked open, black mist pouring out from the gap. Just as they were about to enter, shrill whistles erupted from the mist.
*Swish! Swish!*
Poisoned arrows shot out from the darkness!
"There are hidden weapons! Everyone, be careful!"
***
*Swish! Swish!*
The moment the secret cave opened, poisoned arrows streaked out of the black mist with lethal speed.
"Poisoned arrows! Watch out!"
Ye Han’s expression shifted slightly. He stomped his feet and soared into the air, leaning his body just enough to let the arrows whistle past him.
*Pfft! Pfft!*
However, some of the men behind him couldn't react in time; in the blink of an eye, they were pierced by the arrows and collapsed, dead. The survivors retreated, faces pale, their hearts still pounding.
"That old bastard Liu Zhentian actually rigged the cave with poisoned arrows!" Ye Baili’s anger boiled over as he looked at the bodies. Had they not been so cautious, the losses would have been even greater.
"With such tight security and traps, this must be the Liu Family's true treasury," Ye Han said, frowning. The fact that the Liu Family had gone to such lengths to rig this cave meant that something truly valuable must be inside.
He scanned the crowd and said, "Everyone step back a few paces. Let me test if there are other traps."
*Boom!*
Ye Han took a deep breath, his Spiritual Power roaring out as he blasted it into the cave entrance. This time, no arrows emerged from the mist.
"It seems the traps in the cave could only be triggered once and are now spent."
Seeing Ye Han unharmed, the First Elder and the others let out sighs of relief.
"There are no more traps at the entrance. We can enter, but everyone, be careful. Do not touch anything inside indiscriminately. It is fraught with danger, and there may be other traps."
A moment later, Ye Han’s voice came from within. The tribesmen raised their torches and swarmed in. Once inside, a spacious stone chamber appeared. Ye Han shone his torch forward, revealing rows of ancient wooden shelves in the center of the room.
"Are these... weapons?!" The elders looked at the shelves, which held blades, swords, and more. Each weapon emitted a faint, dazzling glow. Everyone was stirred with excitement and rushed to inspect them. They were all precious treasures of the Liu Family!
"Spiritual weapons! There are even spiritual weapons!" a tribesman shouted in excitement as he lifted a silver sword. It was the "Star-Moon Sword," a Third-Grade spiritual weapon. Spiritual weapons were rare treasures; the Ye Family didn't possess many themselves. Obtaining this stockpile would significantly boost the Ye Family's foundation and strength!
They immediately began an inventory. Ye Han walked through, examining the collection. Most were common weapons, but there were indeed spiritual weapons to be found.
"Golden Crow Saber, Third-Grade common weapon."
"Zhuge Crossbow, Second-Grade spiritual weapon."
"Flame Sun Sword, Fourth-Grade spiritual weapon..."
The collection was quite substantial. Even as one of the Four Great Families, the Ye Family had to admit they were inferior in this regard.
"Young Patriarch, there are over thirteen hundred weapons here," an elder said, beaming as he walked over. "Over twelve hundred are common weapons from First to Ninth grade, and there are over a hundred spiritual weapons of varying grades."
The Ye Family disciples were all smiles, filled with excitement.
"Pack these weapons carefully and have them transported back to the Ye Family estate," Ye Han commanded. He then turned his gaze toward the other stone chambers in the secret cave. There were more than one, and they held yet more treasures.
Entering the second chamber, they found shelves laden with ancient scrolls. Perhaps because they hadn't been tended to for a long time, most were covered in dust and yellowed with age.
"Third-Grade spiritual art, Flame Spirit Palm."
Ye Han flipped open a scroll, and the words "Flame Spirit Palm" met his eyes. It seemed this chamber functioned like the Ye Family’s Martial Tower—all these scrolls were the Liu Family’s collection of spiritual arts.
Ye Baili and the elders pored over the scrolls, their eyes bright with excitement. These were all precious techniques!
"Move all these spiritual arts back to the Ye Family!" the First Elder commanded, his voice trembling with joy. The Ye Family forces began sweeping the area, moving every scroll they could find.