"Hey!"
Hong Qianye let out a cold, incredulous laugh, his palm igniting with dark red flames as scorching heat waves distorted the air.
"You keep provoking me. Did you really think I wouldn't lose my temper?"
Ye Junlin looked at the seething young man, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Perfect timing. I needed someone to boil water."
Seeing the silver-haired youth remain so shameless, Hong Qianye nearly lost it.
"Listen here, I—"
Just then, an urgent voice rang out from outside the door. "Esteemed Celestials! Urgent news from the Wei Kingdom!"
"Identity?" Ye Junlin asked, extending his Divine Sense toward the door.
"I am the Crown Prince of the Wei Kingdom!"
The door opened, and a young man in ornate royal robes stepped inside, cupping his hands respectfully.
"What is it? Speak."
Hearing Ye Junlin's composed voice, the Crown Prince immediately knelt, his tone filled with anxiety.
"Esteemed Celestial, I haven't told my father yet, but I suspect the disturbances plaguing the capital are connected to the back mountains of the Imperial Palace. A few nights ago, I witnessed black bat demons sneaking into a cave. Since then, palace maids and eunuchs have been disappearing. I don't believe it's a coincidence."
"I've long admired your reputation, and I believe only you can resolve this crisis. Please help us eradicate those demons!"
He kowtowed deeply, his sincerity seemingly genuine.
"Oh?"
Ye Junlin's Divine Sense swept across the mountainous terrain behind the palace with sharp precision.
But… there was nothing unusual.
Still—
Moments later, the door creaked open again.
The Crown Prince looked up to see a young man in flowing black robes stride forward, silver hair cascading like a shining waterfall.
"Esteemed Celestial," the Crown Prince greeted again, bowing.
"Take me to the cave."
"Yes, right away!"
The Crown Prince stood quickly, though a glint of cunning flickered in his eyes.
When his gaze fell on Hong Qianye, that gleam turned into open greed.
Still fuming from earlier, Hong Qianye wore a frosty expression. The crimson flame mark on his brow pulsed ominously.
As he followed Ye Junlin, his eyes narrowed.
Fine. I'll deal with you later.
—
Nearby, in the corridor,
The little princess hid behind a pillar, silently observing.
Her eyes widened in shock. "Brother… how could he…"
She alone knew how rotten her brother's character truly was.
He was the one their father had always disapproved of most!
And now this scoundrel was secretly meeting with Celestials from the Xuantian Sect?
"I have to tell Father!"
She turned and ran off in haste.
—
In the back mountains,
Overgrown weeds and jagged rocks covered the land.
The Crown Prince led the way, Ye Junlin followed at a leisurely pace, while Hong Qianye stayed vigilant, sensing something off.
"We're here," the Crown Prince said, flashing an eerie smile.
"And where are the bat demons?" Ye Junlin asked calmly.
"Fools! There are no demons. This is your grave!"
His face twisted with madness as he crushed a jade slip.
Swish!
A blood-red Five-Point Star Fiend Formation erupted from the ground, surging with ominous energy.
The Crown Prince was instantly shielded and teleported away.
Landing safely on a nearby cliff, he sneered. "Elders, it's your turn."
Whoosh.
The air warped as five black-robed figures emerged, surrounding Ye Junlin and Hong Qianye, each taking a point on the formation.
Their faces, shadowed by hoods, were twisted with sinister smiles.
"Ye Junlin of the Xuantian Sect, you've become quite the thorn in our side," one of them, a one-eyed elder, rasped.
"We anticipated you might come. This trap was designed just for you. You won't walk away alive."
All five were Nascent Soul experts, with the strongest at mid-stage. With this formation, they could easily destroy anyone below the Transformation Realm.
Ye Junlin shook his head. "Enough. Call your leader. I'm tired of wasting words on grunts."
He'd already seen through the Crown Prince's pathetic scheme—he simply didn't care. He was curious about what kind of tricks the true mastermind might pull.
But to his mild disappointment, only a few weathered Nascent Soul elders appeared.
"You arrogant brat! You dare mock us?!"
The one-eyed elder snarled.
The Crown Prince stood smugly, arms folded. "Elders, kill him. As for the one in red—cripple him. I want to play with him later."
Boom!
Hong Qianye had been composed—until that moment.
The Crown Prince's words ignited something inside him. His gaze turned frigid, black hair flaring as if swept by a furious storm.
The ground beneath him cracked, flames surging upward.
He raised a hand, dark red fire swirling around his fingers, then with a single strike—
Boom!!
The formation shattered.
The five elders staggered back, coughing blood in disbelief.
"Transformation Realm?!"
What sick joke was this?
Since when did the Xuantian Sect have someone at the Transformation Stage?!
In a flash, Hong Qianye appeared before the Crown Prince, his voice like death's whisper.
"Repeat what you just said."
The Crown Prince froze. Horror flooded his face. His legs nearly gave out.
"F-Fellow Daoist, have mercy!"
Hong Qianye's sneer deepened. A beam of searing flame shot from his palm, piercing the Crown Prince's chest.
AHHH!!
The Crown Prince shrieked as blisters tore across his skin, as if molten iron had been poured over him. His agony was indescribable.
"Heh."
Hong Qianye wasn't planning to end it quickly.
Slow suffering was more satisfying.
Especially for someone who had led so many righteous cultivators to their deaths.
"Tragic," Ye Junlin muttered.
"Esteemed Celestial!"
A squadron of Imperial Guards thundered in, led by the Wei Emperor atop a white horse, with the little princess by his side.
She pointed accusingly at her brother. "Father! It was him!"
The Wei Emperor's face darkened as he took in the scene, piecing it together in an instant.
"You vile traitor! Colluding with demonic cultivators to ambush the Xuantian Sect?! Were you planning to kill me too?! You've brought disgrace to our bloodline!"
Ye Junlin smirked. "Your son is quite the visionary. Teaming up with your enemies to endanger your kingdom. Truly admirable."
"What?!"
The Wei Emperor staggered in shock.
"You fool! Why would you do this? Speak!"
With a snap of Hong Qianye's fingers, the Crown Prince's pain eased slightly—just enough for him to respond.
He gave a bitter smile.
"Why not? You never intended to make me heir. So I found another way. With their help, I could seize power and become Emperor."
"Idiot! Do you realize how many lives were lost because of your selfish ambition?! The entire kingdom could fall! What good is a throne over a pile of corpses?!"
The Wei Emperor's voice trembled with fury and grief.
"I don't care!" the Crown Prince spat. "I want the throne. Let the commoners die. With their help, I can cultivate and live without limits!"
"You... you're beyond saving!" the Emperor choked, coughing up blood.
Ye Junlin glanced at the remaining elders, who trembled with fear. "Are we done? This pathetic setup won't even scratch me. Where's your leader?"
"We will never betray our master!" the one-eyed elder snarled through clenched teeth.
"Heh. Then die."
Ye Junlin raised his hand.
Boom!
One elder exploded, his Nascent Soul obliterated.
Boom!
Another vanished into mist.
Boom!
A third followed.
With each point of his finger, another fell like a fly.
Cultivators nearby were stunned.
"H-He's not Nascent Soul! He's Transformation!"
The one-eyed elder trembled.
Transformation Realm cultivators were revered across the vast Eastern Domain—any sect would kill to have even one.
Yet two had just appeared in this remote province?!
"Run!!" another elder screamed, activating a secret escape technique.
But a breath later, his body froze.
"No—!"
Boom!
He burst into a blood cloud.
"Only you remain," Ye Junlin said coldly to the last elder.
Drenched in sweat, the one-eyed man felt death creeping closer. Desperate, he cried out:
"Master! Save me!!"
BOOM!!!
The entire mountain shook violently. A pillar of blood-red light shot into the sky, ripping through the clouds.
Hong Qianye's eyes widened in disbelief. "It really is him…"
Ye Junlin flicked his fingers, eyes gleaming. "Heh. I've been waiting for you."
---