When the thunder finally dissipated, where Ye Xiuming had stood, a deep, hundred-zhang-wide scorched pit had appeared.
But to their surprise, despite such an overwhelming attack, Ye Xiuming had not died.
A broken jade pendant beside him still faintly glimmered with light.
Clearly, this pendant must have been a treasure, saving Ye Xiuming’s life at the crucial moment.
Yet even so, Ye Xiuming was gravely injured, his entire right arm completely blown apart. His robes were in tatters, blood streaming from his seven orifices.
“Hah, haha! You’re really a freak, kid. You’ve—taken me by surprise!”
Ye Xiuming coughed up blood as he laughed maniacally.
“I’m impressed by your abilities. Serve me, and I’ll make you a servant of the Ye family. Unrivaled cultivation techniques, the path to ascend to the heavens—whatever you want, I’ll give it to you!”
Hearing this, Ye Yu couldn’t help but think this guy was completely deranged.
In reality, it wasn’t that Ye Xiuming had lost his mind.
It was just that, throughout his long years of cultivation, he had encountered countless geniuses of extraordinary talent, and all of them took pride in being able to join the Ye family.
Not to mention, Ye Xiuming prided himself as a descendant of the Ye family.
He didn’t believe anyone would dare to kill him. Killing a member of the Ye family would mean an eternal blood feud!
Even though the Ye family had been hidden from the world for millennia, their vast resources still gave Ye Xiuming absolute confidence.
But what he didn’t know was that Ye Yu was unlike any other cultivator he had ever met.
If you provoked him, you would truly die!
“Swish!”
In an instant, Ye Yu appeared right in front of Ye Xiuming and stomped his foot on the latter’s head.
The force was so great that Ye Xiuming’s face began to distort!
Feeling the dense killing intent around him, and the sword qi gathering once again, Ye Xiuming finally realized.
This man before him truly intended to kill him.
Panicking, he shouted, “You can’t kill me! I’m a direct descendant of the Ye family! If you kill me, the Ye family will hunt you down for eternity.”
“Even if you’re in the late stage of Ascension Realm, you won’t escape death!”
Upon hearing this, Ye Yu raised an eyebrow.
Even a late-stage Ascension Realm cultivator wouldn’t escape death?
This was the power of a hidden cultivation family?
However, Ye Yu had never feared such things. He preferred to crush all threats while they were still in the cradle.
With just a thought, a strand of sword qi instantly took Ye Xiuming’s life.
But Ye Yu didn’t leave just yet. Instead, he raised one hand and set up a formation.
A barrier appeared around him, blocking Tuoba Qiyue, who stood not far away, from seeing anything that was happening inside.
Afterward, Ye Yu once again used the Ten Thousand Souls Technqiue. He began to search the remnants of Ye Xiuming’s soul.
The reason for all this trouble was simply to clarify one thing.
What exactly was the deal Lin Fengyuan made with the Ye family thirty thousand years ago, using the Pure Sword Heart?
Ye Xiuming had claimed to be a direct descendant, and he came to search for Lin Fengyuan. He must have known something.
And sure enough, it only took a few moments. Ye Yu found the information related to Lin Fengyuan.
The Ye Family’s Treasure Vault!
It contained records of all the cultivators who had ever made deals with the Ye family.
Lin Fengyuan’s file was classified as Heaven Tier. On the first page of the file, there were two names.
Lin Fengyuan / Lin Miaoxue!
Over thirty thousand years ago, the mortal kingdoms were engulfed in constant wars. Countless civilians were displaced, and many young children became orphans.
At that time, Lin Fengyuan, who was only eleven years old, and his sister Lin Miaoxue, who was seven, were among them.
To survive, Lin Fengyuan voluntarily joined a third-rate demonic sect.
Later, due to his remarkable talent, he caught the eye of the sect leader and was specially nurtured.
Two years later, at the age of thirteen, Lin Fengyuan was full of ambition.
He told his sister, Lin Miaoxue, that one day in the future, he would become the most powerful demon lord, standing at the pinnacle of the Central Continent.
When that day came, no one would ever dare to bully them again.
Lin Miaoxue, seeing her brother’s serious expression, was filled with hope for the future as well.
After that, under the sect master’s guidance, Lin Fengyuan’s cultivation advanced rapidly. And with her brother’s help, Lin Miaoxue also embarked on the path of cultivation.
From the moment she first held a sword, Lin Miaoxue’s Pure Sword Heart fully awakened.
Immaculate, pure and untainted, her sword heart was pristine.
A sword cultivation prodigy, unmatched in a million years.
From the day her Pure Sword Heart awakened, Lin Miaoxue soared ahead on the path of sword. Her cultivation realm advanced at lightning speed.
At this rate, it wouldn’t take long before Lin Miaoxue would surpass her brother, Lin Fengyuan.
Yet, far from being jealous, Lin Fengyuan was immensely proud of his sister.
But he warned her repeatedly, insisting that unless absolutely necessary, she must never fight in front of outsiders. Nor should she ever reveal the secret of her Pure Sword Heart.
For Lin Fengyuan, being older, understood well:
“A person without sin, yet guilty for possessing a precious treasure!”
Such a constitution would surely arouse the greed of others. So as she grew stronger, it had to be kept hidden.
But Lin Fengyuan still underestimated the ruthless world of cultivation.
In the eyes of the great cultivators, Lin Miaoxue, who was only in the late Qi Refining Realm, could never conceal her Pure Sword Heart. This matter was soon discovered by the Ye family.
The Ye family had a long-standing legacy. They knew exactly how to handle such matters.
The Pure Sword Heart was incredibly precious. If they attempted to forcibly seize it, any slight misstep could affect its quality and lead to failure.
The best approach was to wait until the Pure Sword Heart had fully matured, then extract it in its perfect state.
So, they devised a plan, one that would make Lin Miaoxue willingly surrender her Pure Sword Heart.
And so, three months later, under the manipulation of the Ye family, Lin Fengyuan was gravely injured by a mysterious figure.
His spiritual sea shattered, and his life hung by a thread.
When Lin Miaoxue discovered this, she wanted to use elixirs to save him, but it was of no use. So she sought help from the demonic sect master.
However, this demonic sect master, under the arrangement of the Ye family, could only deliver the pre-prepared lines.
“With injuries this severe, if you want to save him, I’m afraid the only option is to go to the Ye family. They claim to possess all the world’s treasures, perhaps they have a way!”
Hearing this, Lin Miaoxue seemed to grasp at her last lifeline. She immediately took Lin Fengyuan to the Ye family.
By that time, the Ye family already had people waiting.
Lin Miaoxue begged the Ye family, as long as they could save Lin Fengyuan, she was willing to do anything.
The Ye family said that if she wanted them to save him, they could. But she had to exchange it for her Pure Sword Heart.
Moreover, the chance of success in saving him was only fifty percent.
Lin Miaoxue was frantic.
She had only one family member left in the world, Lin Fengyuan. Naturally, she was willing to give up everything.
So, she immediately agreed to the Ye family’s terms.
After that, the Ye family began the treatment on Lin Fengyuan, but the result was still a failure.
Because from the very start, the Ye family had never intended to let Lin Fengyuan live!
A true strong cultivator could not afford to have attachments. To temper Lin Miaoxue’s Pure Sword Heart, Lin Fengyuan had to die!
When she received the news of her brother’s death, Lin Miaoxue’s heart turned to ash.
But the Ye family wouldn’t let her sink into despair. They said, seeing how deep the sibling bond was, that they were willing to help investigate the cause of Lin Fengyuan’s death.
After a few days of “busy investigation”, the Ye family fabricated a non-existent powerful cultivator, claiming he was the one who killed Lin Fengyuan.
And they gave Lin Miaoxue five hundred years to avenge her brother.
Five hundred years later, they would come to claim the Pure Sword Heart as promised!