Spirit Realm, Mohe.
Here, there were originally countless palace buildings, stretching for tens of thousands of miles. Today, although only broken walls and ruins remain, one can still see the former magnificence and grandeur.
Deep within the ruins stands a huge palace, the ancestral hall of this place, towering majestically. Amidst the scattered bricks and tiles, it stands intact, seemingly enveloped in a layer of white light, constantly flickering with strange patterns.
Within the protective shield formed by the white light, stand men, women, young, and old, all covered in blood. Despite their injuries, they exude a fierce aura, wielding sharp blades with murderous intent.
Floating in front of the shield were tens of thousands of cultivators, dressed in elegant robes. They trod on spiritual treasures emitting ethereal light, their auras akin to immortals. They were divided into ten different positions, surrounding the ancestral hall.
Among them, an elderly Taoist standing at the forefront reveals a sorrowful expression: “Your Ye family has already lost so many clan members. Must you still stubbornly resist, refusing to accept my goodwill?”
The other numerous cultivators were all high and mighty, their eyes filled with disdain, treating those wounded and defeated cultivators as mere ants.
“Only a few lingering people remain. Do you think you can escape?”
“The Hunyuan Pearl [1]A pearl nurtured by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth over thousands of years, greedily absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, its power growing continuously. However, the spiritual energy … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3553029_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3553029_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); is extremely precious. It’s not something your insignificant Ye family can possess. Hand it over quickly!”
“The treasure of heaven and earth should belong to the capable. Your Ye family’s desire for exclusive ownership is selfish!”
Greedy words echoed from all directions.
Yet, those within the shield showed no signs of weakness or begging for mercy. They only looked at the condescending cultivators with disgust.
The old Taoist spoke again: “In the name of this humble Taoist, if your Ye family is willing to hand over the Hunyuan Pearl, I will spare the remaining members of your Ye family and preserve the family line. How about it? Family inheritance is not easy to come by. You should consider the welfare of your family…”
Upon hearing these words, someone among the Ye family finally spoke up: “Hahaha! What a joke! You old thief deceived our Ye family master and elders into going to subdue demons, only to lead them to their deaths. Now you bring a bunch of thieves to plot against our Ye family’s treasure. Your despicable and vile behavior is as worthless as your words. Who would trust your guarantee? Who would listen to your nonsense?”
As the laughter subsided, the Ye family members laughed heartily:
“We of the Ye family will never compromise or seek survival at any cost!”
“If you want to kill, then kill! Who’s afraid of whom?”
“You despicable and shameless lot are worse than the demonic path. Our Ye family is ashamed to be associated with you!”
“Enough talk! A bunch of cowardly turtles hiding here pretending to be heroes?”
“Human-faced but beast-hearted, despicable! Bah!”
Regardless of age or gender, they all cursed vehemently, their momentum soaring higher and higher, fearless, only desiring to live and die with their clan members!
However, this barrage of curses from the Ye family made the old Taoist in the air extremely embarrassed and angry.
Being in a position of power and respect, he had never been subjected to such vicious insults before. However, his profound cultivation and good self-control quickly calmed him down. He sneered, “Those who refuse a toast must drink a forfeit. Once I slaughter every member of your Ye family, let’s see if you can still hide that Hunyuan Pearl!”
The many scolded cultivators were also furious and ashamed. They had come for the treasure, and beforehand, they had conspired extensively against the Ye family, showing a lack of integrity. However, though they knew it in their hearts, being pointed out by the victims was both embarrassing and stirred up a lot of murderous intent.
Some cultivators shouted angrily, “Even facing death, you dare to speak arrogantly!”
Others said, “Your Ye family has not cultivated virtue and deserves to perish today!”
And there were those who spoke without restraint, “Once we slaughter all the men of your Ye family, the women—”
“Heh.”
A sneer interrupted those shameless words.
In an instant, countless eyes turned towards one direction—the laughter emanating from the Ye family ancestral hall.
At the same time, the faces of the Ye family members all showed expressions of joy, as if by mutual agreement.
“Young Patriarch!”
“It’s the Young Patriarch coming out!”
“Quick, make way for the Young Patriarch!”
At this moment, the Ye family members hurriedly parted to the sides, swiftly making way for the vermilion gates of the ancestral hall.
From those gates, a dense black shadow, like spilled ink, slowly emerged.
The first to appear before the eyes of the many cultivators were two young Ye family maidservants. Their figures were graceful, their faces beautiful, but their expressions were extremely solemn.
In their hands, each held a long ebony staff, and behind them, lifted on the ebony staffs, was a reclining chair. At the other end of the chair were two other beautiful maidservants, while sitting on the chair was a young man.
The young man’s features were obscured by the dark shadow, making it impossible to see his face clearly. His voice carried a hint of hoarseness, but with it, a chilling coldness filled with killing intent: “Ridiculous.”
Behind him stood a tall figure.
This was a giant towering three or four zhang [2] zhang, an old Chinese measure of length equal to 10 chi, or 3.58 metres (11 feet 9 inches). jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3553029_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3553029_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); tall, with a sturdy and robust build, entirely crimson, as if enveloped in a dense aura of bloodthirstiness. He carried a blood-red heavy sword on his back, giving off an extremely ferocious vibe… Yet, despite his face being covered in blood vessels, one could still discern the handsome contours from before.
The shadow obscuring the young man emanated from the giant. He followed behind the young man like an indomitable mountain, providing unwavering support. However, the giant kept his eyes tightly shut, expressionless and silent, resembling a silent rock.
As they stepped forward, the young man’s face finally became visible.
It was a pale face, with a frail body.
His wrist, exposed outside his clothing, was slender, with visible veins running through it. Although he sat up straight, his legs hung weakly, indicating a disability. Yet, his bright eyes, shining like cold stars, emitted a compelling light.
…Unforgettable at a glance.
Upon seeing the young man, the hundred members of the Ye family all bowed deeply: “Greetings, Young Patriarch!”
Their demeanor was respectful, though they still exuded an aura of murderous intent, it was no longer as chaotic as before. Instead, it seemed to have found a backbone, rallying together with unity and strength, stronger than ever before!
From this, it could be seen that their respect came from the heart, without the slightest hint of coercion.
The four maidservants moved like the wind, their dresses fluttering as they swiftly arrived in the midst of the Ye family members.
The young man’s expression was icy cold as his gaze fell upon a young man standing beside the old Taoist. His voice was equally cold: “Ye Ju, praised by the elders as the ‘Ye family’s Thousand-Mile Colt’ [3]千里驹 (Qiān lǐ jū) is a Chinese phrase that literally translates to “thousand-mile colt”. It is a metaphor for a person who is exceptionally talented and capable. The phrase is … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3553029_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3553029_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, now you betray the Ye family, groveling to the enemy while trampling upon the bones of many brothers, sisters, relatives, and elders. You must be very pleased with yourself.”
If one looked closely, the young man’s face indeed bore some resemblance to the members of the Ye family. He was originally a member of the Ye family, but now he stood opposed to them, joining the cultivators in plotting to seize the Ye family’s treasure.
Ye Ju’s face twisted with resentment: “The Ye family treated me unfairly. Why should I care about the Ye family? You’re just a useless person, disabled and with blocked meridians. The patriarch poured countless resources into you, making you the Young Patriarch of the Ye family. And what about me? Initially, I was given some resources, but later, when I encountered a bottleneck, the resources were greatly reduced, not even one-tenth of what you received! What ‘Ye family’s Thousand-Mile Colt’? It’s just nonsense! Why? Why am I still inferior to you, this waste? And those with less talent than me, each received a large amount of resources, just because they are descendants of the elders, while I’m just an ordinary clan member? The Ye family is unjust. I’m just looking out for myself. I’m not wrong. Seeing the Ye family in such a state, of course, I’m pleased!”
The young man’s voice grew even colder: “So, this is the ‘grievance’ in your heart.” He spoke each word deliberately, “The Ye family is a prestigious clan. All descendants are treated equally. To ensure the continuation of the family, those with high talent receive more resources, while those with lower talent receive less. Your talent was good back then, so you naturally received more resources. Later, due to inner demons, you fell into a bottleneck, so it was only natural for your resources to decrease. There is no injustice here. As for the elders of our clan, they have all made significant contributions and are highly respected. With their status, they are entitled to access resources as a reward for their contributions. It is only natural for them to use these resources on descendants with lesser talent. If you’re unwilling to see resources flow out, then you should train to overcome your inner demons and breakthrough your bottleneck. If you want more resources, then you should strive to repay the clan. When your contributions are sufficient, you too can become an elder of the clan. Even if your descendants have inferior talent, they can still access a large number of resources.”
As he spoke, the young man’s gaze hardened to the point of frost: “However, you, disregarding the clan’s nurturing, betraying the clan, are unfilial and unrighteous! Now, in the name of the Young Patriarch, I, Ye Qian, charge you with your crimes and expel you from the Ye family!” His voice remained hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against stone, yet it carried a chilling momentum. “From this day forth, your Ye surname is stripped away. The Ye family no longer has a Ye Ju. Even in death, the ancestral spirits of the Ye family will not bless your wandering soul!”
Upon hearing these words, a hint of satisfaction appeared on the faces of many Ye family members.
Ye Ju’s expression immediately turned extremely ugly.
He gritted his teeth, “Bah! Who cares!” But he couldn’t help himself, “You waste, what about you? Your qualifications—”
However, at this moment, the young man no longer paid him any attention.
He just turned his head towards the Ye family members and nodded slightly.
The Ye family members’ eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, they took out a jade plaque and held it in their palms, continuously channeling their own mana into the jade plaque!
On the jade plaque, a radiant light burst forth, dispersing into countless white lights!
Meanwhile, the young man raised his arms gently.
From his fingertips, countless mysterious powers burst forth. With a flick of his fingers, several black lights exploded abruptly, rushing towards eight directions like thunderbolts!
The young man spoke slowly at this moment, “As for me…”
He snapped his fingers again, causing the vast land to tremble violently!
“You will see soon.”
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