Chapter 103: Seclusion and Breakthrough Charging Toward a New Realm!

As Sikong Haoran turned to take one last look at his clan, his gaze met a pair of deep, penetrating eyes.

He was momentarily shaken.

The owner of those eyes was none other than Sikong Qianjun the clan’s foremost King, a Fifth Heaven powerhouse.

For the first time, Sikong Haoran felt as if his secrets had been laid bare.

His heart trembled slightly, but he dared not speak.

Feigning innocence, he bowed respectfully.

“Take care, Ancestor.”

In the past, such gestures would earn him praise and encouragement.

But today, all he received was silence.

That silence unsettled him.

He turned and left, his steps faltering.

Sikong Qianjun watched his retreating figure, eyes dark and unreadable.

He murmured, “Was our decision back then truly the right one?”

Years ago, it was he who had personally ordered the expulsion of Sikong Mingyue’s lineage from the clan registry.

And the reason?

Sikong Haoran.

Did he truly like the boy?

No.

He found him calculating, manipulative.

What he valued was the Heaven-Gazing Divine Eye an unparalleled talent that could elevate the Sikong Clan to greatness.

In the face of such potential, everything else could be ignored.

But now, with Sikong Haoran choosing to leave, doubt crept in.

He had lived for over five centuries.

He’d seen all kinds of people.

Sikong Haoran appeared obedient and composed but beneath that, he was a master of human nature.

Sikong Qianjun knew this better than anyone.

A sudden thought struck him.

He turned away from Sikong Haoran and headed toward the clan’s forbidden zone.

This was where the Sikong Clan imprisoned those who had committed grave offenses.

When Sikong Mingyue’s lineage was destroyed, the clan couldn’t let Sikong Haoran’s branch go unpunished.

To appease the other branches, his parents were made scapegoats.

They were imprisoned in the back mountain, subjected to lightning punishment for a hundred years.

Sikong Qianjun arrived at the site.

Bound to two massive stone walls, the couple had been tortured for years—reduced to skin and bones.

Their only hope was their son, Sikong Haoran.

They endured, believing he would one day rise to prominence.

Seeing them, Sikong Qianjun felt a moment of clarity.

These were Sikong Haoran’s parents.

And yet, for years, he hadn’t visited them once.

With his influence, a single word could’ve eased their suffering.

But he had never spoken that word.

Even as he left the clan, he hadn’t said goodbye.

If he could treat his own parents this way—could he truly care about the clan?

Regret stirred in Sikong Qianjun’s heart.

The couple looked up, hope flickering in their eyes.

“Ancestors, have you come because Haoran has achieved something?” the man asked weakly.

The woman’s eyes mirrored his hope.

Sikong Qianjun didn’t answer.

Instead, he asked gravely, “Tell me the plan to destroy Sikong Mingyue’s lineage truly yours? Or was it Haoran’s idea?”

He had his suspicions but couldn’t believe an eight-year-old could orchestrate such a scheme.

He needed confirmation.

The couple trembled.

A flicker of panic crossed their faces.

The man quickly replied, “Of course it was our idea. Ancestor, do you really think a child could conceive such a plan?”

He lied.

Sikong Qianjun saw through it instantly.

But he didn’t expose it.

It no longer mattered.

He left the forbidden zone, his body hunched, his face aged.

A sense of decline clung to him.

His temples turned visibly gray.

“Sikong Haoran Sikong Haoran.”

He muttered as he walked, prompting curious glances from passing clan members.

They thought he was simply missing his beloved descendant.

Only when he reached a secluded spot did he stop.

He looked up at the sky, a bitter smile on his lips.

“The Sikong Clan… is finished.”

Then he turned to make arrangements.

He no longer had faith in Sikong Haoran.

The boy had likely abandoned the clan the moment he left.

Meanwhile, Ye Wushang knew nothing of Sikong Qianjun’s thoughts.

After rescuing Ye Tianhuang, he rushed back to the Daxia Imperial Capital.

“Where’s Zixuan?”

He asked Summer Zixuan’s personal maid, his brow furrowed.

Only Ye Wushang could address her so intimately.

The maid bowed quickly.

“Greetings, War God. Greetings, Crown Prince. Her Majesty is unwell and resting in her chambers.”

Ye Wushang and Ye Tianhuang hurried inside.

They heard retching.

Their expressions changed—they rushed in.

“Zixuan, are you alright?”

“Mother, are you okay?”

Their voices brought Summer Zixuan back to herself.

She looked up—and saw the two most important men in her life.

Without hesitation, she pulled Ye Tianhuang into her arms.

Tears streamed down her face.

She didn’t hide her vulnerability.

Only she knew how helpless she had felt when Ye Tianhuang was taken.

Father and son said nothing, afraid to disturb her.

After a long while, Ye Wushang asked gently, “Zixuan, are you feeling ill? I heard you vomiting. Should I examine you?”

Summer Zixuan rolled her eyes.

“I’m fine.”

Then, glancing at Ye Tianhuang, she added shyly, “I’m pregnant.”

What?

Ye Wushang blinked then realized.

They had indeed been intimate recently.

His expression turned into a silly grin.

“I’m going to be a father again!”

He was genuinely happy.

Summer Zixuan felt sweet inside.

It showed he truly cared.

Ye Tianhuang sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Not again…

He was getting used to this “dog food.”

After spending half a month with mother and son, Ye Wushang returned to the Ye Clan.

He learned that Ye Zhen had gone to retrieve the Heavenly Soul Grass—a vital resource for his future.

Ye Wushang understood and didn’t blame him.

Under his arrangements, Su Xiaoxiao began her cultivation at the Ye Clan’s seclusion platform.

Just as he was heading to the rear courtyard, Sikong Mingyue arrived.

“Dear, I heard Sikong Haoran caused trouble and took Tianhuang. Is that true?”

Though she and Summer Zixuan were cousins, they were bonded by life-and-death experiences.

She treated Tianhuang as her own, visiting him yearly.

When she heard he’d been taken, she was ready to storm the Sikong Clan—if not for Yue Rushuang holding her back.

No one knew better than her how ruthless Sikong Haoran’s branch could be.

Ye Wushang nodded.

“It’s true.”

Sikong Mingyue’s face turned pale.

“Tianhuang…?”

“He’s safe. I brought him back.”

She sighed in relief.

Ye Wushang steadied her and looked her in the eye.

“Mingyue, the Sikong Clan is your maternal family. But they dared touch my son. I won’t let this go. Do you have anything to say?”

He would respect Sikong Qianjun but his principles were non-negotiable.

For Mingyue’s sake, he might spare some bloodlines.

But the clan itself he would not forgive.

Mingyue understood.

She smiled bitterly.

“Maternal family? I have none. I was expelled long ago.”

“Dear, I understand. Don’t worry about me. When my father and brother died, they did nothing. Why should I care about them?”

Ye Wushang nodded.

After a few days of rest, he didn’t linger.

He entered seclusion.

This time, he wouldn’t emerge until he broke through to the Starsea Realm.

Facing four Starsea Kings had shown him—cultivation mattered.

He hadn’t rushed before.

Now, he was ready.

In the secluded chamber, Ye Wushang sat cross-legged, calm and focused.

He activated his cultivation technique.

A vast aura surged around him.

He began his assault on the Ninth Heaven of the Cave Realm.