Qin Ze's eyes flashed with fury as he unleashed the Azure Nether Sword Art. His aura enveloped the longsword in his hand, and he thrust it straight at Qin Wuyang.
Qin Wuyang was shocked and hurriedly turned to block the attack.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..."
With a few strikes, the precision and power of Qin Ze's swordsmanship were far beyond what Qin Wuyang could withstand. He retreated hastily, and with this retreat, he was soon pushed close to the crowd.
Yet Qin Ze's sword moves did not stop; he raised his sword and swept it horizontally.
Overwhelmed by utter despair, Qin Wuyang gritted his teeth and shouted, "Are you all just going to watch? If I die, none of you will have an easy time of it!"
At these words, four figures from the crowd stepped forward swiftly.
"Clang!"
A crisp sound rang out.
A silver saber blocked Qin Ze's longsword.
The newcomer was none other than Ye Chong, the head of the Ye Family. Behind Ye Chong stood representatives from the Wang Family, the Ji Family, and the Situ Family.
Together, they shielded Qin Wuyang and stood on guard against Qin Ze.
"Qin Ze, to spare others where possible is the virtuous path. Didn't your parents teach you that when you were a child?" Ye Chong said coldly.
Qin Ze glanced at Ye Chong and said coldly, "Head Ye, is it your intention to rescue this scoundrel?"
"That's right. You've killed enough people today; don't kill any more," Ye Chong said, putting on a pretense of high moral ground.
Finding it utterly sickening, Qin Ze sneered, "You are the head of the Ye Family. What business do you have meddling in the affairs of the Qin Family?"
"Even if I were to wipe out every single member of the Qin Family, that is still our own internal affair."
With a stern expression, Ye Chong replied calmly, "Qin Wuyang is a friend of mine, as well as a friend of the heads of the other great families. Grant me this favor, young friend Qin."
Qin Ze let out a cold laugh. "And what if I refuse to grant you this favor?"
He flicked his right wrist, and the crimson longsword once again radiated intense heat.
Clearly, even facing the Four Great Families, Qin Ze felt not the slightest bit of fear. After all, he had the Lord of Yuelong City backing him. If a real fight broke out, Mo Tianwen would never stand by and watch Qin Ze die at the hands of the Four Great Families.
The two sides remained locked in a stalemate.
At that moment, a voice rang out from among the Ye Family members.
"Such an arrogant punk! Do you really think your pitiful level of cultivation makes you invincible under heaven?" The young man who had previously stood beside Ye Pianyu stepped forward and spoke coldly.
Qin Ze swept his gaze over him. Although the youth wore ordinary martial robes, the accessory at his waist was that of a disciple of the Xuanyang Sect.
The Xuanyang Sect was one of the three major powers in the Bahuang Domain, as well as a sacred ground for the cultivation of young talents in the region. A practitioner in the mid-to-late Heaven Spirit Realm might be considered an expert in Yuelong City, but in the Xuanyang Sect, they were merely the weakest of disciples. Joining the Xuanyang Sect was the ultimate life goal for every youth in Yuelong City. Once admitted, one could at least become a powerhouse in the Bahuang Domain. And with sufficient talent, there would even be a chance to venture into stronger territories and become an even more formidable martial artist.
Mo Tianwen clearly recognized the newcomer's identity and knew that this person was not someone to be offended, so he hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Young Master Qin, why don't I offer a fair solution to today's matter?" Mo Tianwen said as he stepped up.
"I propose that the Qin Family expel Qin Wuyang from the clan, and that Qin Ze take over as the head of the Qin Family. As for the grievances between Qin Wuyang and the Qin Family, we will temporarily set them aside. How does everyone feel about this?"
Naturally, Qin Wuyang had no objections. He hurriedly chimed in, "I am willing to sever ties with the Qin Family and join the Ye Family."
Once free of the Qin Family, Qin Ze could no longer kill him casually—at least his temporary safety would be guaranteed.
Mo Tianwen turned to Qin Ze and asked with a smile, "Young Master Qin, what is your view?"
Qin Ze said calmly, "I have no objections."
Although he hadn't killed Qin Wuyang today, at least the Qin Family was back in his hands.
Qin Ze walked over to the members of the Qin Family and announced, "Anyone wishing to leave the Qin Family today, please feel free to do so. But after today, if anyone still harbors disloyal intentions toward the Qin Family—you die."
As his voice trailed off, several figures in the crowd let their gazes wander restlessly. Yet upon catching Qin Wuyang's eye, they chose not to leave, opting instead to remain in the Qin Family.
Qin Ze knew that there were still quite a few of Qin Wuyang's loyalists within the Qin Family. Rooting them out completely would certainly require some effort. However, he chose not to expose these individuals just yet, saying instead, "From this moment on, I, Qin Ze, officially assume the position of Head of the Qin Family. Does anyone have any objections?"
Since Qin Ze's strength already surpassed Qin Wuyang's, naturally no one raised any objections.
Qin Ze swept his gaze across the various great families and said coldly, "Today's Qin Family assembly has concluded. I will not detain you all any longer; please feel free to leave."
The members of the various families slunk away in embarrassment.
Having severed ties with the Qin Family, Qin Wuyang's courage had naturally grown considerably. He walked up to Qin Ze and sneered, "Qin Ze, do you really think managing the Qin Family is easy?"
"I'll put it right here: with you acting as the family head, the Qin Family's enterprises will go completely bankrupt within three months."
"That's not something you need to worry about; I'll handle it myself. However, you'd better be careful and avoid wandering around outside." Qin Ze's words caused Qin Wuyang's expression to shift slightly, and he hurriedly retreated a few steps.
He could clearly hear the lingering intent to kill in Qin Ze's words. It seemed he truly would have to be careful from now on.
The members of the Ye Family also began to withdraw slowly. Ye Pianyu approached Qin Ze, her eyes filled with vexation and frustration.
Only moments ago, she had confidently boasted that her Third Level of Heaven Spirit Realm cultivation was a hundred times stronger than Qin Ze's. Yet now, Qin Ze's absolute dominance in strength felt as humiliating as a direct slap across her face.
"Qin Ze, I never imagined you were hiding your strength so deeply. It seems I misjudged you back then," Ye Pianyu said.
"Don't get too smug just yet. It's only the Peak of Heaven Spirit Realm; I possess the Tianhun Disk, and it won't be long before I reach that level too."
"Besides, your strength is only enough to swagger around in Yuelong City. The vast world is far beyond your imagination. For instance, your competence falls far short of Senior Brother Wu's."
As she spoke, she deliberately looped her arm around the young man beside her.
Qin Ze smiled faintly. "The world is indeed far beyond your imagination. The next time we meet, even Xiaoshan will be able to crush your cultivation with ease—do you believe me?"
Xiaoshan? That good-for-nothing Xu Shan?
Ye Pianyu's pretty face flushed red. "Qin Ze, you can humiliate me all you like, but don't talk nonsense."
Qin Ze smiled and said, "I said the world is far beyond your imagination. Just how strong do you think your Tianhun Disk is? It's nothing special."
"Didn't I mention before that I would pay a visit to the Ye Family? I'll bring Xiaoshan with me, and by then he will definitely crush you with ease. Just wait for it."
"Also, a friendly reminder: when your lower abdomen aches at night, drink more Primordial Spirit Tea; it can relieve the pain."
With that, Qin Ze turned and walked away.
Ye Pianyu stood frozen in place, looking utterly shocked.
The young man beside her asked gently, "Junior Sister Xiaoyu, what's wrong?"
Ye Pianyu shook her head slightly, her heart turbulent with shock.
Pain in her lower abdomen—how could Qin Ze possibly know about that? Could it be that he poisoned her? No, this must be a side effect of cultivating with the Tianhun Disk. Could Qin Ze actually know the reason behind this?
Never mind, she would focus on her cultivation first.
Glaring at Qin Ze once more, Ye Pianyu hurried away.