"Useless trash, you've completely disgraced the Ye Race."
"Get out of Ye Village, leave the Ye Race!"
"The Ye Race is ashamed because of you. How do you dare stand here? You're just like your father back then, bringing disgrace to our Ye Race. Useless trash, get out of Ye Village!"
Many members of the Ye Race were angry, constantly yelling at Ye Xiaofan to leave.
Ye Xiaoyue, seeing the situation, felt immense heartache. She met countless angry gazes from the Ye Race people defiantly: "The disgrace of the Ye Race isn't entirely my brother's fault. Don't you have any responsibility yourselves? If the Ye Race were strong enough, how could anyone force us to hand over our marriage contract? Clearly, it's your own uselessness."
"Go! Get out of Ye Village!"
Ye Xiaoyue's words hit them where it hurt, and people instantly became agitated, shouting insults.
Among the crowd, Ye Xiaojiang and others took the opportunity to attack, throwing various items at Ye Xiaofan.
Smack!
A rotten egg hit Ye Xiaofan's cheek hard, the foul-smelling liquid splattering all over his face, leaving him a bit dazed.
At the same time.
Crash!
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, and a torrential downpour ensued, instantly engulfing the world.
The cold rain splashed across Ye Xiaofan's face as he stared vacantly at the stern expressions of the clan members, the last bit of warmth he held shattered into pieces.
Both sides shared a brief gaze, but the next moment.
"Get out of Ye Village, leave the Ye Race!"
More objects rained down like a storm—smelly socks, rotten leaves, rotten eggs, and even handfuls of mud mixed with rainwater were thrown mercilessly at Ye Xiaofan.
Ye Xiaoyue desperately shielded her brother behind her, letting the filth hit her instead.
Ye Xiaofan looked at those faces filled with contempt and felt like he had become a walking corpse.
Despite everything happening outside, Ye Wuyuan and others sitting in the main hall remained indifferent, not saying a word to stop it.
Finally, under the expulsion and humiliation of countless Ye Race members, the siblings leaned on each other as they walked away, their lonely silhouettes gradually fading into the heavy rain.
Yet before Ye Xiaofan and Ye Xiaoyue had gone far, faint voices within the Ye Race's main hall reached their ears through the rain.
"Patriarch, Patriarch, Tian'Er, Tian'Er…"
"What's wrong with Tian'Er? Speak, quickly!"
"Young Master Tian has broken through, entering the second level of Profound Spirit. Before the Star Moon City competition, he may even reach the Fourth Realm!"
"Hahaha, the heavens bless our Ye Race, the heavens truly bless us, hahaha."
"Tian'Er, well done, he's a thousand times better than that useless trash, a thousand times better."
Crash!
While Ye Wuyuan and the Ye Race members were overwhelmed with joy, the entire Star Moon City was plunged into darkness, with downpours making the world seem like it was submerged in a water curtain.
Little did they know how happy they were at this moment, would reflect how much they would regret it in a half-month's time.
Ye Wuyuan could never have foreseen that the useless trash they had expelled with endless humiliation today would soon rise like a star, shocking the entire Star Moon City and, eventually, the entire Hundred Broken Mountain Range region.
His future achievements would leave all the young talents of Star Moon City unable to catch up, leaving them in his dust.
An hour later.
Ten miles outside Ye Village.
After leaving Ye Village, Ye Xiaoyue and Ye Xiaofan found a couple of rundown huts to temporarily take shelter.
The surroundings were desolate, with no signs of human life.
At a certain moment.
"Xiaofan, Xiaofan, what's wrong? Please don't scare your sister."
Her voice, filled with worry and urgency, was barely audible above the sound of the thunderstorm, but it embodied utter desolation and helplessness.
Under the eaves, Ye Xiaoyue held Ye Xiaofan tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Since they left the main hall of the Ye Family, Ye Xiaofan had been silent, his eyes hollow, terrifying Ye Xiaoyue.
Perhaps feeling Ye Xiaoyue's warmth,
Ye Xiaofan's head rested on Ye Xiaoyue's shoulder, and a hint of focus returned to his once vacant eyes, though his expression remained dazed, filled with melancholy.
As though asking Ye Xiaoyue or recognizing some truth, he spoke with desperation and a longing for rebirth: "Sister, if we were strong, would we not be bullied anymore?"
Ye Xiaoyue listened to Ye Xiaofan's first words since leaving the Ye Race's main hall, her eyes filled with both sadness and a touch of astonishment.
At that moment, Ye Xiaofan seemed to understand something, having matured significantly; his eyes slowly regained vitality, staring silently at a young sapling in the rain.
Though currently weak, it stood steadfast through the wind and rain, growing resiliently without relying on any shelter, until one day, it would become a tall, distinct tree.
Ye Xiaofan quietly looked at the sapling, suddenly recalling something, his expression turning intensely emotional: "The Red Maple Tree, Sister, the Red Maple Tree, Father's Red Maple Tree."
"Xiaofan, here is the Red Maple Tree; Sister brought it out for you, it's here." Ye Xiaoyue hurriedly presented the Red Maple Tree she had brought, carefully handing it to Ye Xiaofan.
She knew how important this Red Maple Tree was to Ye Xiaofan; it represented his longing and emotional connection to their father.
Ye Xiaofan looked at the rapidly withering sapling in his hands; it was clear that Ye Xiaojiang's dagger had been coated with poison, never intending for the Red Maple Tree to survive.
Seeing the Red Maple Tree dying, Ye Xiaofan panicked. He drew Ye Xiaoyue's sword with a clang, scrambled into the rain, furiously using the sword to loosen the soil, trying desperately to plant the Red Maple Tree in the ground to preserve its life.
Yet despite his frantic efforts to bury the roots, the originally vibrant sapling continued withering visibly.
"Water, water!" Ye Xiaofan cupped his hands to scoop water from a puddle, irrationally pouring it over the roots again and again, hoping to save it.
Fatefully, the Red Maple Tree continued to wither until it finally died before Ye Xiaofan, leaves falling, turning into deadwood.
The moment the Red Maple Tree died, all of Ye Xiaofan's emotions erupted. He repeatedly questioned in a low voice, eventually roaring at the sky: "Why? Why? Why?!!"
Watching her brother screaming into the rain, Ye Xiaoyue wept uncontrollably. She knew it was Ye Xiaofan's only remaining connection to their father, and now it had become the last straw breaking the camel's back.
"Ah!!!" Ye Xiaofan let out a long howl, and his Spiritual Power burst forth, rippling outwards, sweeping the torrential rain in a storm of power: "Why? Why? Why?!"
His speed increased, veins bulging as he gripped the sword hilt tightly.
Finally, he slashed out with his sword; terrifying Sword Qi pierced through the rain, cutting through the curtain, altering the trajectory of countless raindrops.
It seemed that Ye Xiaofan had channeled all the bullying and humiliation he had endured into his sword, transforming his pain into power. Every swing was like a release of anger.
An ordinary "Grass Cutting Sword Technique" became increasingly sharp and fearsome with his emotional turmoil.
For a time, within the rain curtain, Sword Qi swept in all directions, as if tearing the void, smashing the heavens and earth, with the sound of swords singing like roaring dragons.
Standing under the eaves, Ye Xiaoyue trembled violently, watching the terrifying power unleashed by Ye Xiaofan and the staggering Sword Qi filling the skies. Her eyes gradually revealed disbelief and immense shock!
"Xiaofan, you…? You…?"