Chapter Seventy: Excessive Arrogance

In the main hall of the Ye Clan, the elders and the clan lord confronted each other in tense silence.

Ye Haiyi’s face was grave as still water. He fixed his gaze on the elders across from him, then abruptly let out a cold snort and swept his sleeve, turning to leave.

Ye Deyin and the other elders could only force a bitter smile. Over the years, they had come to understand that this generation’s clan lord had always wanted to escape the shadow of the Grand Ancestor. Yet it was the Grand Ancestor who had founded the Ye Clan—without him, none of them would exist. Deep within every elder’s heart, the Grand Ancestor’s position remained supreme.

This was not a matter of stubbornness or clinging to the old ways, but rather a deep-seated faith and conviction.

Ye Peng let out a long sigh of relief, but his murderous intent toward Ye Yun only grew; Ye Yun had become a threat that gnawed at his heart like a canker. He had a strong intuition: if he did not eliminate Ye Yun soon, this threat would inevitably disrupt his grand plans.

Ye Qian, meanwhile, was left bewildered. She had thought that after her outburst today, the clan lord would certainly punish Ye Yun severely. Even without ironclad evidence, she believed she could ruin Ye Yun’s standing in the entire Ye Clan.

Yet she never imagined that all the elders would stand on Ye Yun’s side, even to the point of opposing the clan lord.

Who was the person the clan lord mentioned? What connection did he have to Ye Yun? What was Ye Yun’s true status within the Ye Clan?

Ye Qian had no answer. All she knew was that she had failed.

Ye Yun said nothing at all. He simply turned and walked out of the hall, never once deigning to glance at Ye Qian.

This cut Ye Qian deeply. She would have preferred Ye Yun to point at her and curse; at least then she would still have occupied a place in his thoughts.

Now, in his eyes, she was nothing at all…

After this uproar, Ye Yun’s resolve to leave Cloudwater City grew ever firmer. However, Elder Ye Min had shown him great kindness, and before departing, he felt compelled to bid the elder farewell. Thus, he planned to wait until Ye Min emerged from seclusion before leaving.

Before his departure, there was another crucial matter he had to consider: how to make arrangements for his parents.

Returning home, he saw Lu Suxue. Their eyes met, and a ripple stirred in his heart.

The marriage arranged by the clan was one Lu Suxue would rather die than accept. Ye Yun wondered: if he were to leave Cloudwater City and wander the world, would she be willing to follow him?

As this thought crossed his mind, the heart chilled by Ye Qian’s actions was suddenly warmed.

Lu Suxue sensed the intense, almost predatory look in Ye Yun’s eyes, and her own heart fluttered. She turned her head at once, not daring to meet his gaze any longer.

But peace was not to return so soon. Only three days had passed since Ye Qian’s false accusation against Ye Yun, when Ye Peng’s scheme began to unfold.

“Clan lord, something terrible has happened!”

A Ye Clan disciple, bruised and battered, burst into the main residence, his panic drawing everyone’s attention.

In the great hall, as the disciple recounted what had happened, Ye Haiyi’s fury erupted.

“You say Ye Peng is being besieged by the Wu Clan’s cultivators in Sunset Mountain, his life hanging by a thread?”

“Yes, Elder Brother Ye barely managed to carve out a bloody path so I could escape and bring word,” the disciple replied respectfully.

“The Wu Clan has gone too far!”

Without hesitation, Ye Haiyi strode down from his seat of power, seized the injured disciple, and said, “Lead the way!”

With those words, his figure soared into the sky. He had the wounded disciple point the direction, and together they sped toward Sunset Mountain with astonishing speed.

Sensing the clan lord’s presence as he departed, many Ye Clan elders exchanged puzzled looks. When they learned that the clan lord had gone to rescue Ye Peng, who was trapped in Sunset Mountain, several elders could not help recalling what Ye Yun had said in the hall three days before.

“Could Ye Peng truly have colluded with the Wu Clan to betray the clan lord?” Those who harbored doubts gathered at Ye Deyin’s quarters.

“So what if he has? So what if he hasn’t?” Elder Ye Deyin replied with a wry smile.

“If it’s true, isn’t the clan lord’s life now in grave danger?” one elder asked, frowning.

“After all these years, do you still not understand the clan lord’s nature?” Ye Deyin shook his head. “Ever since he became a golden core cultivator, his self-confidence has become unshakable. Even knowing Ye Peng might be plotting against him, he would still go.”

Hearing this, the other elders fell silent. It was just as Elder Ye Deyin said: since ascending to the position of clan lord, Ye Haiyi had changed—becoming far more controlling than before.

…

Soaring through the skies above Sunset Mountain, Ye Haiyi exuded the oppressive might of a golden core cultivator, causing all the myriad beasts of the mountains to bow in submission, none daring to act out of turn.

But upon entering the area pointed out by the disciple, the previously clear sky suddenly turned dark, streaks of gray mist drifting in the air.

“A formation?” Ye Haiyi’s expression darkened. He immediately realized he had entered an array.

“Ye Peng, you have utterly wasted all my painstaking efforts and guidance!” Fury flashed in his eyes. The disciple who had led him here had no chance to react before Ye Haiyi coldly killed him on the spot.

Though he knew the disciple was just a pawn of Ye Peng’s, and likely knew nothing of the truth, Ye Haiyi was now consumed by wrath, unable to consider such things.

“Ye Haiyi, a year from today will be your death anniversary!” A voice rang out from all directions, accompanied by wild laughter. “You never imagined, did you? That the disciple you personally raised would betray you…”

Standing amidst the swirling gray mist, Ye Haiyi surveyed his surroundings. Within a formation capable of changing heaven and earth, even his divine sense could extend no more than ten meters.

A figure appeared soundlessly ahead, garbed in yellow robes, his face cold and sharp, a hooked nose prominent, hands clasped behind his back as he faced Ye Haiyi from afar.

This man was Wu Ying—the name fit him well—the current head of the Wu Clan from Flying Dragon City.

“Wu Ying, do you truly believe that hiring a formation master is enough to deal with me?” Ye Haiyi’s tone was calm.

“Heh, I know your cultivation is a hair’s breadth from the mid-stage golden core, but your arrogance will be your undoing! The formation master I hired is no ordinary figure, and I have also invited another guest.”

Wu Ying laughed heartily, and another figure emerged from the gray mist. He was shrouded in black robes, his face twisted and menacing, a single jade-like horn atop his head—a golden core demon king!

“The Jade Flood Dragon King?” Seeing this formidable demon, the composure on Ye Haiyi’s face vanished.

“Ye Haiyi, hand over the Blood-Red Jade, or I will show you no mercy!” The Jade Flood Dragon King bared his fangs in a grim smile.

This was a golden core demon, the king of all beasts in Sunset Mountain, whose power surpassed even Ye Haiyi and Wu Ying.