Xiao Feng's heart trembled upon hearing the word "reincarnation."

"Hehe, my surname is Ye and my name is Haotian. I am the Sect Master of the Wan Jian Sect," the purple-robed man said, his laughter brimming with domineering authority. He then added, "I am the only remnant soul of an Emperor's Relic on the Xian Qi Continent! My mastery of the Sword Dao is far, far greater than yours. You cannot possibly assimilate me. So, while I'm not yet fully revived, you'd better scram! I only need to sleep for another decade or so to be completely restored."

Ye Haotian! The only remnant soul of an Emperor's Relic on the Xian Qi Continent!

Xiao Feng's pupils contracted sharply. He never expected Yun Chang's father to have such a connection!

"What are you still hesitating for, little thing? Leave quickly!" Ye Haotian urged. "Otherwise, once I fully recover, fleeing won't even be an option! And this physical body of yours... not bad at all. I like it!"

WHOOSH!

Xiao Feng immediately turned and fled into the distance.

"Damn it!"

"You bastard! Damn it!"

"Xiao Feng, you can't leave!"

The entire Yunxia Sect erupted into chaos.

"That sword strike of yours was truly extraordinary. As expected of a treasure left by Emperor Zun, it nearly obliterated the Sect Master of the Yunxiao Sect!" Ye Haotian's slightly regretful voice echoed. "Unfortunately, it can only kill Nascent Soul cultivators. It's still too strained to be used against those at the Golden Core Stage."

Xiao Feng shook his head bitterly. His own cultivation wasn't weak, but the remnant soul of the Emperor's Relic was simply too powerful. He could control the Emperor's Relic, but only for a single use. The relic was so damaged that even if he were Emperor Zun, he would be unable to use it again.

"Your old friend seems to have perished," the remnant soul of the Emperor's Relic remarked, seeming to sense Xiao Feng's thoughts. "He cultivated the Sword Dao. Logically, after you mastered the 'Seven Injuries Manual', you could have aided his cultivation. So why did he leave you to fend for yourself?"

Xiao Feng was stunned.

"You're useless. You couldn't even save your so-called friend. Your life is a waste of resources," the soul cackled. "You might as well die early instead of dragging him down. The Cultivation Technique he practices is quite something. After you're dead, I might be able to seize his body!"

"Hmph!" Xiao Feng snorted coldly at the words. "Seize his body? In your dreams!"

He sneered and turned to leave, his figure gradually blurring. Just as he was about to merge with the sky, he suddenly glanced back.

That one glance revealed a horrific scene. An elder in black robes held Yun Chang captive. She struggled as the elder's face twisted into a savage grin, and he spat a gout of bizarre flame! The fire landed on Yun Chang, burning through her skin in an instant.

SIZZLE!

The strange flames incinerated her, turning her to ash in a flash.

Yun Chang! Dead, right before his eyes!

Xiao Feng froze, his fists clenching so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.

"Haha! Good! Excellent!"

"That bitch Yun Chang is finally dead!"

"The harlot!"

"A death like that was too good for her!"

The higher-ups of the Yunxia Sect sneered. Xiao Feng's face turned ashen.

"Hmph! A bunch of fools. This was just a transaction," Ye Haotian sneered. "My part was to help you kill Xiao Feng, and your part was to give me some treasure! If this scourge escapes, don't blame me. It's not my fault."

"As you wish, Senior."

"Of course! On behalf of the Yunxia Sect, we are eternally grateful for Senior's help in eliminating Xiao Feng!"

The high-ranking members of the Yunxia Sect bowed and clasped their hands in respect.

「...」

Xiao Feng had escaped.

"Damn it! Where's that old bastard? Why did he get away?!"

"Damn you, Xiao Feng! You have no honor!"

"Damn that Xiao Feng! He must have hidden in some secret place!"

For a moment, curses, shouts, and cries echoed through the heavens.

"Yun Xi! How are you? Yun Xi, wake up!"

"Sister!"

"Yun Xi, please, wake up!"

Yun Xi remained unconscious.

"Sister!" Yun Yao cried, holding Yun Xi in her arms.

"Yao Yao, take care of little sister Xi'er. I'll contact Master, Mistress, and the grand-uncles immediately!" Yun Ni said hastily before taking out a communication token to send for help.

A few breaths later, Yun Ni emerged from the room, her face ashen. As soon as she stepped outside, all the elders of the Yunxia Sect fixed their gazes on her.

"Xiao Feng! That scourge from the Xiao Family!" she cried out. "He has destroyed our sect! He didn't just harm Yun Tong, he even harmed you and Xi'er! Xiao Feng, that traitor!"

BOOM!

Thunder roared as a tremendous murderous intent surged through the air. Yun Ni's delicate body trembled, her face deathly pale. The next second, her beautiful face turned to ice. With red, swollen eyes, she roared at the heavens, "Xiao Feng! I, Yun Ni, swear I will have you cut into a thousand pieces!"

「In the inner courtyard of the Yunxia Sect.」

Inside a pavilion, a stone table and chairs were set in the center. Two young men in blue robes sat opposite each other, engrossed in a fierce game of Go on a black and white board. One youth, holding a feather fan, appeared elegant and cultured. The other had heroic features and an imposing build.

"Your Highness the Third Prince, although our Yunxia Sect is not the strongest, we are still one of the top sects in the Yun Ling Realm. Why must you press us so hard?" the Sect Master of the Yunxia Sect sighed.

"Hehe, I've come to the Yunxia Sect because I'm interested in your Sect Protection Array. I have no interest in anything else," Yun Feiyu, the ruler of the Yun Ling Realm, said indifferently. He glanced over the members of the Yunxia Sect, his gaze pausing on Yun Ni. "Yun Ni, you should know why I'm here. I don't want to waste time. Hand over the core control hub for the Sect Protection Array, and I promise to spare your life and your brother's."

"Your Majesty... our sect truly does not possess the core control hub," Yun Ni said, lowering her head. "It was destroyed hundreds of years ago along with our old mountain! We simply have no way to activate the Sect Protection Array. If we did, the Yunxia Sect would have already become one of the top superpowers in all of Yunxiao City."

"Hmph! Do you take me for a fool?" Yun Feiyu looked at Yun Ni coldly. "If there were no control hub, why would I have spent so much effort attacking the Yunxia Sect? I'm here today with a word of advice: be sensible and cooperate. Otherwise..."

"Your Majesty, are you planning to force your way in?" Yun Ni asked, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

"Hahaha! Force my way in?" Yun Feiyu laughed heartily, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked down on her. "Do you really think your mastery of arrays is enough to stop me? The Yunxia Sect should have been wiped out hundreds of years ago! Men, go and annihilate them!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

In an instant, several streaks of light shot in from all directions. They were all Nascent Soul Realm cultivators!

"Mere early-stage Nascent Soul ants dare to block my path? Get lost!"

Just as the streaks of light approached, the black tiger beside Yun Feiyu suddenly bellowed. It swept its massive claw out fiercely.

SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!

The Nascent Soul cultivators were swatted from the air and killed instantly, not even having time to scream.

"This..." The remaining cultivators retreated hastily, their faces filled with terror.

Yun Ni couldn't help but gasp, taking a sharp breath at the sight. She knew the black tiger was extraordinary and had suspected it was a pet raised by some mysterious expert. However, she never expected it to be so formidable! With just a casual swipe of its claws, it had killed five Nascent Soul cultivators!

"Hmph!" Lu Yunfeng, the Supreme Elder of the Yunxiao Sect who stood nearby, snorted coldly. His eyes filled with a chilling light as he said, "Beast, you're courting death!"

BOOM!

He flicked his finger, and a Jade Talisman shot out.

CRACK!

The black tiger reacted with incredible speed, instantly biting down and shattering the talisman. However, just as it was about to swallow the pieces, its body suddenly swelled to more than double its size. A boundless pressure erupted from it, so immense that it distorted the very space around it!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The fragments of the Jade Talisman exploded with terrifying power that shook the void.

RUMBLE!

The air itself seemed on the verge of collapsing.

"Be careful! This is a peak sixth-order demonic beast! It can devour magical treasures!"

"This is bad! It's going to devour us! Retreat!" the other Nascent Soul Realm cultivators beside Lu Yunfeng exclaimed in panic.