"The First Elder of the Ye Family suddenly spoke up. Having seen Ye Qing’s peerless talent, the First Elder had completely turned to his side.
"Bullshit!" The Patriarch gave the First Elder no face at all. He manifested a giant eagle claw and launched a ferocious attack. In the void, elemental energy raged, creating a series of sonic booms. The Ye Family Patriarch’s cultivation had reached the Third Stage of Yuan Condensation, giving him an absolute, overwhelming advantage.
"Patriarch, we have already lost Ye Yan; must we also lose an peerless prodigy with a six-star bloodline?" The First Elder rushed forward as he spoke, trying to stop the Patriarch.
"He killed my son! I want him to pay with his life!" The Patriarch was blinded by rage and murderous intent, having completely lost his reason.
"How noisy!" Ye Qing didn't bother listening to their nonsense. He imbued the Shura Blood Sword with the Eight Desolation True Fire. A golden flame erupted upon the blood-red sword, and a vast, oppressive aura bloomed.
"Hum!"
The golden sword light streaked through the air. The next moment, the eagle claw manifestation created by the Patriarch collapsed completely, and the majestic Azure Cloud Eagle bloodline phenomenon vanished in an instant.
"Splutter!" A bloodied head soared into the air. With one strike, he had killed the Ye Family Patriarch.
The strength Ye Qing displayed was unimaginably terrifying. Every martial artist of the Ye Family was left stunned, utterly frozen in place. The Patriarch had been the strongest fighter in the Ye Family, yet even he had died at Ye Qing’s hands. Furthermore, after the Patriarch’s death, the blood essence within his body was completely devoured by the Shura Blood Sword in Ye Qing’s hand. The remaining elders of the Ye Family retreated in terror, their shock beyond words.
"This... this is impossible!"
"A demon sword! That is a demon sword!"
"Ye Qing, you murdered the Patriarch! This is treason! Everyone, attack with me and slaughter him!"
The Second Elder of the Ye Family shouted before charging forward. He had been the Patriarch’s confidant, and with the Patriarch dead, he immediately called upon a group of Ye Family experts to surround and kill Ye Qing. However, few were willing to follow the Second Elder. Ye Qing’s display had been too shocking; they were already terrified. The Second Elder dared to attack only because he assumed Ye Qing, being merely a practitioner of the Body Refining Realm, must have exhausted himself using such a powerful weapon and could not keep it up for long.
"Stop!" Just as the Second Elder rushed forward, the First Elder intervened with force, knocking him back.
"Today, no one is allowed to harm Ye Qing! From this moment on, he is the Young Patriarch of the Ye Family!" the First Elder declared resolutely.
"First Elder, have you gone mad? He killed the Patriarch! He must be brought to justice immediately!" the Second Elder raged.
"You..." Before the First Elder could finish, a figure rushed past him with blinding speed.
"Splutter!" A flash of blood-red sword light erupted. In an instant, the Second Elder’s head flew off.
"Who else wants to make a move? Come on!" Ye Qing stood with the Shura Blood Sword, like a god of slaughter, his eyes burning with a crimson glow. He held his sister in his left arm to protect her, while his right hand swung the Shura Blood Sword. He looked like an Asura freshly emerged from hell, radiating an sky-high murderous aura. No one could withstand his sword!
The Second Elder was dead. The other Ye Family experts who had considered attacking were now frozen like wooden chickens, not daring to act out again. Ye Qing had slaughtered a Second Stage Yuan Condensation expert like butchering livestock! He was strong—too strong! So strong it was suffocating.
"The Patriarch is dead. As the First Elder, from now on, I have the final say in the Ye Family’s affairs!" the First Elder’s authoritative voice echoed around the Wind and Cloud Terrace. "From today, Ye Qing is the Young Patriarch of our family. Whoever dares to defy the Young Patriarch shall be executed without mercy!"
The people of the Ye Family remained silent. A deathly silence. The atmosphere was incredibly stifling.
"Whoosh!" Just as the First Elder declared Ye Qing the Young Patriarch, a figure rapidly approached—it was He Xiong, an elder from the Prince of Jizhou’s Mansion.
"Ye Qing, you dare kill the son-in-law of our Prince’s Mansion? Come with me to the mansion to admit your guilt!" He Xiong sneered, signaling the experts from the Prince’s Mansion to surround Ye Qing. However, the First Elder of the Ye Family stood by Ye Qing’s side. When Ye Qing’s bloodline had been crippled, the First Elder hadn't uttered a word, but now that Ye Qing had risen with such strength, he was immediately making his stance clear.
"Brother He, this is the internal business of the Ye Family! It is not for your Prince’s Mansion to interfere!" the First Elder said with a dark expression. Ye Qing was now the most gifted talent among the Ye Family’s youth, and his strength was more than enough to kill even the family elders. Such a peerless prodigy had to be protected.
"Internal business? Have you forgotten that Ye Yan married our young lady and was thus the son-in-law of our Prince’s Mansion?" He Xiong sneered, his eyes filled with murderous intent. One of his missions this time had been to kill Ye Qing. None of the ten death soldiers sent previously had returned, likely having died at Ye Qing’s hands. He Xiong realized Ye Qing was troublesome; if he wasn't eliminated quickly, it would lead to endless trouble. With such a monster, the Ye Family might one day surpass the Prince’s Mansion and become the overlord of Jizhou!
"He Xiong, you must be mistaken! Ye Qing is of the Ye Family, and Ye Yan was also of the Ye Family. This is an internal conflict; what does it have to do with an outsider like you?" the First Elder retorted, firm in his defense of Ye Qing.
He Xiong was speechless. He hadn't brought many men, and if he were to force the issue, he would be at a disadvantage. While the Ye Family’s overall strength was far inferior to the Prince’s Mansion, none of the men He Xiong brought were at the Yuan Condensation Realm. They could not fight the Ye Family on their own turf!
"First Elder, do you really intend to offend our Prince’s Mansion?" He Xiong’s eyes were cold as he used the mansion as a threat.
"He Xiong, I am not offending your mansion. I am saying this is a private matter for the Ye Family, so there is no need for you to trouble yourself! Someone, escort our guest out!" The First Elder waved his hand, and a group of Ye Family martial artists approached.
As the two sides stood in a standoff, He Xiong snorted, turned, and left. Circumstances dictated that he had to retreat for now; he would find another opportunity to eliminate Ye Qing later.
"I, Ye Qing, am not the Young Patriarch of the Ye Family!" Ye Qing suddenly shouted. "From today, I am completely severing all ties with the Ye Family!"
"Ye Qing, what are you saying?" The First Elder was shocked. He had been protecting Ye Qing with all his might, yet now Ye Qing wanted to leave the family. It was a slap in the face.
"I would like to ask the First Elder: when my bloodline was crippled, did any elder of the Ye Family step forward to speak for me? Not a single word of justice was spoken!" Ye Qing’s voice was piercing. "My sister is also of the Ye Family, and despite her suffering from a severe cold-poison illness, the family refused to provide even a single Kaiyang Pill, leaving her to freeze to death! Such a family, devoid of even a shred of warmth, is not worth staying in!"
Ye Qing had seen through it long ago: the Ye Family was a cold-blooded, heartless entity. The elders were only interested in profit. When Ye Qing hadn't shown talent or strength, everyone had sided with the Patriarch and Ye Yan. The First Elder had only stepped forward once Ye Qing killed Ye Yan—and he did it purely for the family’s benefit. There was no affection, only self-interest. Ye Qing would not remain in such a family and rot with them.
"Sister, let’s go!" Ye Qing held his sister’s hand and strode away.
He Xiong, having not gone far, heard Ye Qing’s declaration. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he spun around.
"Elder, kill him!" He Yumian, standing beside He Xiong, said coldly, her eyes filled with murderous intent. She had become a widow shortly after her wedding, and her hatred for Ye Qing was profound.
"Young Lady, rest assured, I will kill him! Those who oppose our Prince’s Mansion will not meet a good end!" He Xiong sneered, signaling the experts to charge again and surround Ye Qing. There were twenty experts from the mansion in total, five of whom were at the Ninth Stage of Body Refining.
"First Elder, Ye Qing has now severed ties with the Ye Family. You have no objection to me taking him to the mansion to answer for his crimes, do you?" He Xiong sneered, his intent clear. If he brought Ye Qing to the mansion, he would surely suffer all manner of torture.
"This..." The First Elder was left speechless. He no longer had a reason to intervene. Ye Qing had announced the separation in front of everyone, leaving no room for negotiation. The First Elder knew Ye Qing was making a clean break and would be of no further use to the Ye Family. He fell silent.
He Xiong laughed, his murderous aura surging. "Boom!" Releasing his Fourth Stage of Yuan Condensation cultivation, He Xiong charged personally.
"How noisy!" Ye Qing summoned the Shura Blood Sword and used the Wind Sword Art. In an instant, a soft 'splutter' echoed. He Xiong’s body was run through by the sword!
"You!" He Xiong was struck with horror as he felt his life force slipping away. In the blink of an eye, his blood essence was drained by the Shura Blood Sword.
The Fourth Stage of Yuan Condensation expert was dead! He Xiong hadn't lasted a single move under Ye Qing. However, Ye Qing was starting to feel weak; continuously using the Shura Blood Sword took a heavy toll. Had he broken through to the Yuan Condensation Realm, he would have had elemental energy and the sword would be easier to manage. Without it, he could not use it for long; he had to finish this quickly.
"Boom!" As He Xiong fell, the remaining experts from the mansion rushed forward together.
"Slash!" Ye Qing exerted all his strength and swung the Shura Blood Sword again. A crimson beam of light streaked through the air. The next moment, heads began to fly. Soon, all the experts from the Prince’s Mansion were dead, leaving only He Yumian.
"You..." He Yumian retreated repeatedly, her eyes filled with terror. She had never expected that even Elder He Xiong would die so easily under Ye Qing’s sword.
"If you dare kill me, the Prince’s Mansion will never let you go!" she hissed, her face twisted in a ferocious expression.
"Slash!" Ye Qing swung the sword again. A second later, He Yumian’s head flew off.
He slaughtered them all. The people from the Prince’s Mansion were dead to the last man. Ye Qing was merciless toward his enemies. Having survived in the cruel world of martial arts, he knew well that mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself. Back in the prison, he had killed every single prisoner inside.
"Brother, I’m scared..." Ye Mengling trembled. Her brother seemed like a stranger to her now. Ye Qing’s eyes were flashing with a blood-red light, and his body radiated a heavy, violent aura. The Shura Blood Sword, having devoured the blood essence of the experts from the mansion, emitted an even more eerie crimson light.
"Guard your heart and mind! Do not be controlled by the Shura Blood Sword!" A cold, clear voice suddenly sounded. It was like a bucket of cold water, waking him up—it was the Mysterious Woman from the Myriad Worlds Pagoda.
Ye Qing instantly regained his clarity. He had killed too many, and the demonic nature of the sword had almost consumed his reason. He was thankful for the woman’s sudden warning.
"Sister, don't be afraid!" Ye Qing comforted her softly, the blood-red light in his eyes gradually fading.
At the Ye Estate, the cold wind whistled. The scene was dead silent. All the martial artists of the Ye Family were shocked beyond measure, a moment they would never forget.
"Brother, let’s go," Ye Mengling whispered.
"Right. Let’s go." Ye Qing took her small hand, retrieved a horse, and the two rode out of the estate.
The First Elder watched their departing silhouettes from afar, filled with infinite regret. "My Ye Family had the potential to become the overlord of Jizhou, perhaps even one of the top powers of the Great Zhou Empire! What a pity, what a pity! If I had only helped Ye Qing that day, none of this would have happened."
Regret, however, was useless. Ye Qing had completely severed ties with the Ye Family.
...
Under the blazing sun, Ye Qing and his sister traveled quickly. With the people from the Prince’s Mansion dead, he knew their intelligence network would soon discover it. They had to leave Jizhou City immediately, or they would be trapped. The Prince of Jizhou’s Mansion had a deep foundation, far exceeding that of the Ye Family. The men He Xiong had brought were merely the tip of the iceberg, and if more powerful figures were sent, Ye Qing would find it difficult to resist. Exhausted from his constant use of the sword, he was in a weakened state.
After half an hour, they charged out of Jizhou City without meeting any resistance—the news had likely not reached the mansion yet. Once out of the city, Ye Qing planned to head for the capital of the Great Zhou Empire. He still held the jade token Zhao Ruoning had given him, which would allow him to bypass the entrance exam for the Emperor Star Academy. It was an opportunity he could not miss.
The capital was far away, however. Ye Qing knew the geography of the empire well from his time as the Ye Family’s heir. Their first stop would be Jinyuan City, not far from Jizhou, where they could take a boat along the empire’s canals to reach the capital—the fastest route.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a group of experts appeared behind them, riding snow-white horses with incredible speed. High in the air, three middle-aged men stood on the backs of Silver-Winged Eagles, looking down at Ye Qing.
"You audacious villain, daring to kill the elders and the young lady of our mansion! Surrender at once! Do you think you can afford to offend the Jizhou Prince’s Mansion?"
The three elders descended, their murderous intent swirling like a storm. Three experts of the Fourth Stage of Yuan Condensation! They were high-ranking members of the mansion, accompanied by thirty others at the Ninth Stage of Body Refining. It was a massive force, clearly intent on killing him.
In an instant, the three elders swooped down, their bloodlines surging. As high-ranking elders, their bloodlines were at least four-star quality, making them incredibly formidable.
"Sister, be careful!" Ye Qing shielded her and brandished the Shura Blood Sword. His Eight Desolation Fire Dragon bloodline erupted, and the golden fire coated the blade. He launched a thunderous strike!
"Splutter!" One of the elders was cleaved in two on the spot.
"Boom!" At the same time, Ye Qing was struck by a palm attack, vomiting blood as his face turned pale. He was already weak, and taking a blow from a Fourth Stage Yuan Condensation expert caused his internal organs to tremble.
"Brother!" Ye Mengling cried out in terror, rushing to stand in front of him. She was only an ordinary person, weak and fragile, but she would never let her brother come to harm.
"Kill his sister first!" The two remaining elders in the sky were livid. Ye Qing’s killing of their comrade had sent them into a frenzy. The thirty other experts swarmed forward, launching a barrage of lethal attacks.
Ye Qing was in a precarious situation. A thin, frail silhouette stood firmly in front of him. Ye Qing’s heart ached. He felt such hate—hate for his own lack of strength, for being unable to protect his sister."