Chapter Eighty-Five: I Am Leaving

Elder Ye Min led Ye Yun’s parents and Ye Xian’s family into the secret passage. Yet, unsettled by concern for Ye Yun’s safety, he retraced his steps once more. What greeted him, however, left him utterly stunned.

Both Lü Mengqiu and Wu Ying, cultivators of the Golden Core stage, lay dead. Chaos reigned throughout Cloudwater City; though the Wu family’s cultivators had retreated, the people remained shaken and fearful.

“What happened? Where is the City Lord?” Elder Ye Min asked.

Ye Yun shook his head, choosing not to reveal that he himself had killed Wu Ying and Lü Mengqiu. After all, as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, slaying two Golden Core experts seemed beyond belief.

“At the final moment, the City Lord burned his life essence, slew Wu Ying and Lü Mengqiu, and vanished like smoke. As for the Jade Flood Dragon King, it fled after being severely wounded by the City Lord,” Ye Yun answered.

Hearing that City Lord Ye Haiyi was dead, Ye Min’s expression dimmed, and he sighed but said no more.

“The disorder in Cloudwater City still needs you and the other elders to settle. Wu Ying is dead, and the Wu family no longer has Golden Core experts to hold sway,” Ye Yun continued.

A sharp light flashed in Ye Min’s eyes. “You’re right. I’ll bring back the other elders and elite disciples. Once the city stabilizes, the Wu family will learn the consequences of offending the Ye clan!”

With those words, Elder Ye Min returned to the secret passage to retrieve the elders and disciples who had fled.

Ye Yun cared little for what followed; his heart had already turned toward leaving Cloudwater City. He handed the City Lord’s token to Elder Ye Min, whose Golden Core cultivation secured his position as the new City Lord without opposition.

In less than half a year, under Ye Min’s leadership, the Wu clan of Flying Dragon City was destroyed. Some Wu cultivators abandoned the city and fled; the Ye clan claimed both Cloudwater and Flying Dragon Cities, becoming the true overlords of the northwestern frontier.

Ye Yun did not join the battle; instead, he remained in Rain Pavilion Courtyard to cultivate in solitude.

Half a year slipped by. Ye Yun restored the cultivation he had lost to spell backlash. This was thanks to the boundless true energy that Ye Haiyi had bestowed upon him before his death. Without it, regaining Foundation Establishment would have taken at least two years.

“Misfortune turned to blessing. Though my cultivation barely progressed these past months, it was a different kind of tempering. Soon, I should break through to the mid Foundation stage,” Ye Yun murmured as he pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard.

In Wu Ying’s storage pouch, Ye Yun had found another Blood Jade, making three in all. Now, only one remained, held by the Jade Flood Dragon King.

That demon king, a true Jade Flood Dragon, possessed tremendous strength. Even Elder Ye Min could only hope to avoid defeat, with no chance of killing it.

Even if a mid Golden Core cultivator intervened, the Jade Flood Dragon King could escape unharmed. For the Ye clan, letting it flee would invite endless revenge.

Thus, over the past six months, Elder Ye Min made no move against the demon king of Sunset Mountain.

Ye Yun, at the early Foundation stage, had exhausted his remnant soul power helping him slay powerful foes. The Demon Lord of Infinity had fallen into slumber again, with no telling when he would awaken.

So, the Blood Jade held by the Jade Flood Dragon King remained out of reach.

But the demon king dared not stir trouble with the Ye clan; the deaths of Wu Ying and Lü Mengqiu had thoroughly frightened it.

A door creaked open.

Lu Su Xue stepped out, her eyes falling on Ye Yun standing in the courtyard.

After countless days spent together, she realized she’d developed an indescribable dependence on this young man before her.

Watching his back now, she felt he was like a breeze—ready to drift away at any moment.

Ye Yun turned, their gazes met, and his heart stirred slightly.

“I’m preparing to leave,” Ye Yun said suddenly.

He yearned for the wider world; Sunset Mountain was too small. He needed more tempering and hoped one day to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

His master once said, if Ye Yun reached the Nascent Soul stage and ventured into a broader world, perhaps they would meet again.

As he spoke, Ye Yun felt a pang of melancholy.

“Where are you going?” Lu Su Xue asked.

“To a broader world,” Ye Yun replied with a smile, pointing to the sky overhead.

“When will you leave?”

“In the next few days,” Ye Yun answered.

“When will you return?”

“I don’t know, but I will return.”

In the following days, Ye Yun sought three Fire Dragon Herbs and some spirit stones from City Lord Ye Min.

He had already acquired the storage treasures of Lü Mengqiu, Wu Ying, and Ye Haiyi, totaling several hundred low-grade spirit stones. With what Ye Min provided, it was enough to complete the first turn of the Nine Revolutions Profound Art.

Yet Ye Yun did not rush into cultivation. Instead, he spent time at home with his parents.

A few days later, he bid farewell to his parents. Amid tearful goodbyes, dressed in a green robe, he left Cloudwater City.

Lu Su Xue wished to accompany him, but he refused. He said he wanted to cultivate alone; another person would only complicate matters.

Only Ye Yun knew this was an excuse. He feared he could not protect Lu Su Xue.

He was but a low-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the cultivation world was full of hidden dangers. She was a rare beauty. Should anything happen, Ye Yun would never forgive himself.

With this departure, Ye Yun’s heart brimmed with sorrow. He did not know when he would return—years, perhaps decades.

But no matter what, he would come back. Here were the parents who raised him. Once his cultivation was complete, he would extend their lives, granting them longevity.

Leaving Cloudwater City, Ye Yun prepared to cross Sunset Mountain and step into the wider world beyond.

Upon entering Sunset Mountain, he had no intention of provoking the Jade Flood Dragon King. Instead, he chose a secluded cave to cultivate the first turn of the Nine Revolutions Profound Art.

Wu Kun, in the past, had only reached minor completion in the first turn, yet stood invincible among peers in both Cloudwater and Flying Dragon Cities. Ye Yun intended to reach full completion in one go, and according to the secret art, his strength would at least double.

The cave Ye Yun chose lay in an inconspicuous corner of a barren peak—cold and dim, with no other exits.

After settling in, Ye Yun wasted no time. With a flip of his right hand, a delicate jade box appeared, containing three precious Fire Dragon Herbs.

This spiritual herb was a main ingredient in refining the Dao Profound Pill. Even Elder Ye Min possessed only a few stalks. If not for Ye Yun’s request, Elder Ye Min would never have handed them over.

(Deepest thanks to Fellow Daoist Kui Mei for your silent support. My gratitude is boundless...)