"The Cloud Transformation Sect rejects Tang Ruoxue because of Yi Xiaoyao!"
The moment this was announced, the entire area erupted in an uproar.
First, Yi Xiaoyao had defeated Tang Ruoxue. Then, the bigwigs from the three sects had fought tooth and nail to recruit him.
In the eyes of the crowd, the series of dramatic events that had unfolded today was truly spectacular.
However, many people still couldn’t understand why Mei Han would do such a thing.
"Isn’t this too harsh on Tang Ruoxue? It’s like throwing her straight into an abyss!"
"Is Tang Ruoxue really that much worse than Yi Xiaoyao? Why would several sect elders be willing to pay such a high price to fight over him?"
"Elder Mei first broke her own rule, then gave up on Tang Ruoxue. Paying such a steep price... it seems she thinks incredibly highly of Yi Xiaoyao."
The buzz of discussion was endless. Meanwhile, Tang Ruoxue stood frozen in place, her lips slightly parted in utter disbelief.
She had originally planned to enter the Cloud Transformation Sect and cultivate diligently, to one day stand proudly before Yi Xiaoyao again. But now...
On the high platform, Tang Long flew into a rage.
"Elder Mei, you already accepted my daughter as your disciple! Are you going back on your word just because Yi Xiaoyao defeated her? Is this how an elder from the number one sect behaves—so faithlessly?"
Hearing Tang Long’s accusation, Mei Han shot him a cold glance, then snorted.
"During the duel just now, Tang Ruoxue consumed an Elixir to boost her Spiritual Power. While there are no explicit rules against it, someone who would resort to such a despicable act is not worthy of being my disciple!"
After speaking, Mei Han stared coldly at Tang Long, silencing him with her glare despite his rage.
Tang Long’s face flushed red with anger, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Though he didn’t dare act presumptuously toward Mei Han, he roared at Yi Xiaoyao, "Yi Xiaoyao! To harm my daughter like this, you are far too scheming!"
The crowd was instantly reminded of Tang Long’s earlier speech, filled with grief and helplessness, where he had "exposed" Yi Xiaoyao. For a moment, they began to feel sorry for Tang Long and Tang Ruoxue again.
At the same time, many people started berating Yi Xiaoyao for being cold-blooded, heartless, insidious, and cunning.
Yi Xiaoyao looked at Tang Long and gave a speechless smile.
That old fool was still trying to slander him, even now, hoping to ruin his reputation and win the sympathy of the ignorant.
"Tang Long, you really know how to put on a show."
Yi Xiaoyao sneered and began to address the crowd, systematically dismantling Tang Long’s previous slander.
"I was with Tang Ruoxue for ten years. For ten years, I treated her with all my heart. But there are some things none of you know, which is why Tang Long was able to deceive you with his words."
"During the soul aptitude test three years ago, Tang Ruoxue’s aptitude was found to be extremely poor. I believe the Tang Clan Members all know this, correct?"
When Yi Xiaoyao said this, everyone nodded thoughtfully. They had long wondered why Tang Ruoxue, despite her extremely poor soul aptitude, was able to receive the inheritance of a seventh-grade Immortal Soul.
Seeing the crowd’s eagerness to know the truth, Yi Xiaoyao continued.
"For the past three years, I have been merging my own soul with Tang Ruoxue’s every single day. I forcibly raised her trash-level aptitude, which could only connect with a second-grade Immortal Soul, to the genius-level aptitude required for a seventh-grade Immortal Soul!"
At this, the crowd burst into an uproar. Everyone was stunned.
You see, the art of soul fusion was not some Secret Technique; almost everyone knew of it.
But almost no one in the world would be willing to do such a thing. Firstly, merging one’s soul into another would damage one’s own aptitude. Secondly, the process of soul fusion is excruciatingly painful and long. A normal person could never endure the agony of having their soul split, let alone for three years!
Yet Yi Xiaoyao had done this for Tang Ruoxue. And the Tang father and daughter still dared to call him heartless?
Everyone was amazed that Yi Xiaoyao had been willing to pay such a huge price for Tang Ruoxue. Their opinion of him instantly changed dramatically.
Yi Xiaoyao glanced at the shifting expressions on Tang Long and Tang Ruoxue’s faces and sneered. "But this father-daughter pair repaid my kindness with enmity. They are utterly ungrateful!"
"Ten days ago, when I ran into a problem while communing with my Immortal Soul, this pair thought I had failed. They immediately turned on me, not only renouncing our engagement but also revealing that their only reason for being close to me for the past ten years was for my status and talent!"
"Furthermore, according to my uncle’s discoveries, Tang Long has been secretly sending assassins after me for the past ten years, scheming to gain my trust! And just now, he had the gall to turn the tables and frame me for trying to poison him!"
Finally, Yi Xiaoyao let out a long sigh. "I can only blame myself for being blind, for treating a pair of vipers as my own family!"
After hearing this revealed truth, the crowd realized they, too, had been deceived by the Tang father and daughter, just like the old Yi Xiaoyao.
They had only been deceived for a short while and were already filled with unbearable anger. Yi Xiaoyao, however, had been deceived for ten long years.
Instantly, the gazes everyone directed at Yi Xiaoyao softened. In their eyes, this youth, as sharp and straight as a sword, was worthy of their admiration.
And looking again at Tang Long and Tang Ruoxue, now stripped of their hypocritical facade, they seemed so utterly detestable and hateful.
"So Tang Long and his daughter Tang Ruoxue are actually that despicable and shameless! And to think we supported them so strongly!"
Seeing the crowd’s contemptuous and critical gazes, Tang Long shot to his feet, pointed at Yi Xiaoyao, and yelled.
"Yi Xiaoyao! You beast, you’re spouting nonsense!"
Tang Feng stepped forward with a cold smile and said, "Tang Long, you still refuse to admit it, even now? Do you want me to call forward the people who discovered your assassination attempts on Xiaoyao to confront you face-to-face?"
Tang Long was momentarily speechless, his body trembling with rage.
As for Tang Ruoxue, not only had she lost the position of Fortress Master, but it was as if her hypocritical facade had been stripped away, exposing her ugliest side to everyone.
At this moment, Tang Ruoxue’s face was contorted with extreme shame and anger. Her once-beautiful features were now rendered incredibly ugly by the distortion.
Icy words ground out from between her clenched teeth: "Yi Xiaoyao! For the humiliation I have suffered today, for the status and reputation I have lost, I will make you pay it all back one day!"
Yi Xiaoyao scoffed. "All this time, the very foundation of your arrogance was a handout from me. Did you know how ridiculous you looked, flaunting what I gave you right in front of my face? Now I’m taking back what was always mine to begin with and knocking you back to your original state. You have no one to blame but yourself for reaping what you’ve sown!"
Recalling the heartless and cruel words Tang Ruoxue had said, and how she had smashed the only memento his mother had left him, Yi Xiaoyao didn’t feel the slightest bit of pity for her now.
After doing all this and saying all this, Yi Xiaoyao felt an immense sense of satisfaction.
Meanwhile, up on the high platform, the elders from the three sects were growing impatient. Compared to this revelation of the truth, they were far more concerned about whether Yi Xiaoyao would stay or go.
Mei Han had watched the entire exchange and now understood the grudges between them. She instantly felt that her decision to reject Tang Ruoxue for Yi Xiaoyao had been an incredibly wise one.
"Yi Xiaoyao, have you made your decision?" Mei Han asked with a faint smile.
Yi Xiaoyao was about to agree when Xu Jin and Elder Ge, seeing that things weren’t going their way, quickly interjected.
"Yi Xiaoyao, don’t be so quick to answer. The urgent matter at hand is the succession of the Fortress Master of your Tang Family Castle," Xu Jin said with a smile. "As for becoming a disciple, that can wait. We can discuss it in detail privately after the official business is settled."
Yi Xiaoyao immediately thought that made sense. Becoming a disciple was his personal affair, but everyone had gathered here for the succession of the Tang Family Castle. He couldn’t just make them all wait around for him.
How could Mei Han not know what Xu Jin and the other man were plotting? The two of them were just stalling for time, trying to come up with a counter-plan to snatch Yi Xiaoyao away.
In response, Mei Han let out a light laugh. She beckoned to the three gorgeous disciples behind her and said, "I’ll leave this matter to you three."
The three gorgeous young women immediately blushed, but they couldn’t hide their delight. They answered Mei Han in acknowledgement, then gracefully descended the high platform and walked toward Yi Xiaoyao.
Xu Jin and Elder Ge were both stunned. ’What a move, Mei Han! To think she’d even use beautiful women to recruit a disciple!’