Chapter 171: Chapter 171: To Be Assassinated
At this moment, Zhao Wei was deeply moved by his decision to invite Ye Xuan, and his gratitude toward him had reached an incredible level.
It was no exaggeration to say that if not for Ye Xuan, everyone present, aside from Zhao Wei himself, would have died in the Wind-Thunder Cave. He himself would also have been unable to raise his Martial Soul to Two-Stars.
After the Martial Soul breakthrough, Ye Xuan’s group of four re-entered the Wind-Thunder Cave and rushed toward the exit.
Although they were missing two people and the Six-in-One Unification Array could not be used to its full potential, the four of them were much stronger than when they had entered. By working together, they escaped the Wind-Thunder Cave safely.
They encountered no danger on their way back.
The four had just returned to camp when a surprised voice called out from the side. "It’s you! I can’t believe you actually made it out of there alive. Eighth Brother, your subordinate is quite good at staying alive!"
Everyone followed the voice and immediately saw the Sixth Prince standing nearby, a foul expression on his face as he glared at them coldly.
"Sixth Brother, I won’t forget what happened a few days ago. When I return, I will report this to our Royal Father," Zhao Wei said gravely.
"Hahaha." The Sixth Prince let out a cold laugh, saying nothing more. His gloomy gaze immediately fell on Ye Xuan. "Kid, you’ve got some real nerve."
His voice was sinister, laced with an incredibly dense killing intent.
He still clearly remembered what happened a few days ago. If he hadn’t made it back to camp in time, his "little brother" would have been completely destroyed.
Even so, after treatment, his lower body had been in excruciating pain for days. According to the Alchemist who treated him, although his manhood was saved, its function would be severely impaired. From now on, none of his sexual encounters would last longer than thirty seconds.
After his treatment, the Sixth Prince immediately found a woman. Just as the Alchemist had predicted, he had barely entered her and moved a few times before he ejaculated uncontrollably.
He, the great Sixth Prince Zhao Gang, had become "Zhao Ruan"—Zhao Soft.
The thought that he would never again be able to enjoy the pleasure of conquering women filled Zhao Gang’s heart with a murderous rage toward Ye Xuan that was truly unquenchable.
He had originally thought Ye Xuan would die in the cave while being hunted by Mosen. To his surprise, after several days of waiting outside, he hadn’t seen Mosen, but Ye Xuan and his group had walked out unharmed.
At this thought, a savage look appeared on Zhao Gang’s face. He pointed at Ye Xuan and roared, "Men! Seize him for me!"
At Zhao Gang’s command, a squad of soldiers immediately surrounded them with weapons drawn, their gazes fixed coldly on Ye Xuan.
The soldiers on duty here were all members of the royal Imperial Guard and naturally followed the orders of the royal children.
"Zhao Gang, what do you think you’re doing?" Zhao Wei’s expression changed. He dropped the respectful title of "Sixth Brother" and spoke in a cold voice.
"What am I doing? A few days ago, this subordinate of yours attacked me on Cyan Profound Mountain and nearly killed me in the cave! Attempting to murder a Prince is a capital crime. What, my dear Eighth Brother, are you planning to protect him? Seize him!"
"I’d like to see who dares!" Zhao Wei shouted angrily, glaring at the surrounding soldiers. "This man is my brother. Anyone who touches him makes an enemy of me, Zhao Wei!"
"Brother?" Zhao Gang’s face darkened. "Eighth Brother, you’re becoming more and more of a disgrace. You are of noble birth, of royal blood, yet you call a commoner ’brother.’ You have brought shame upon the entire Zhao family!"
He looked at the soldiers. "What are you standing around for? This man tried to assassinate me on Cyan Profound Mountain. His crime of attempting to murder a royal is unforgivable. Arrest him now!"
"As long as I, Zhao Wei, am here, I’d like to see which of you dares to make a move," Zhao Wei said icily.
The soldiers on the scene all looked to their leader. The Captain in charge could only smile bitterly. He was caught in a difficult position; with a Prince on each side, they didn’t dare act rashly.
"It seems quite lively here, doesn’t it?"
Just then, a light, smiling voice sounded out. Everyone turned to see a young man in magnificent robes, exuding a noble air, walking slowly toward them.
Behind him, several armored experts followed closely, their faces impassive.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Fourth Prince."
The soldiers present bowed hastily.
"Fourth Brother!"
Zhao Gang’s expression changed upon seeing him, and he spoke reluctantly.
Zhao Wei also quickly greeted him.
This was the Fourth Prince, Zhao Tian, the only one among the many princes whose prestige could rival that of the First Prince.
"So it’s Liuliu and Eighth Brother. What’s this? The two of you seem to be at odds."
Zhao Tian came closer. Though he appeared gentle and refined, his aura naturally carried a superior air that instantly subdued the entire scene.
"You jest, Fourth Brother. What could possibly be going on between Eighth Brother and me?" Zhao Gang seemed unwilling to linger with Zhao Tian. He shot a cold glare at Ye Xuan and turned to leave.
Ye Xuan’s expression was calm. Although Zhao Gang’s parting glance was filled with venomous hatred, making it clear he wouldn’t let this go, Ye Xuan was not the least bit afraid.
’If there hadn’t been so many prying eyes in the cave back then, I would have killed Zhao Gang on the spot. I wouldn’t have let him act so arrogantly now.’
"Eighth Brother, you came to Cyan Profound Mountain to improve your Martial Soul, didn’t you? I hear you’re currently fourth on Profound Spirit Academy’s List of Prodigies. You must work hard and strive for first place to bring glory to our Zhao family. And you all must be geniuses from the List of Prodigies as well. It is the great fortune of our Liuyun Kingdom to have talents like you. Keep up the hard work."
The Fourth Prince, Zhao Tian, admonished Zhao Wei in the tone of an elder while also encouraging Ye Xuan and the others.
"Thank you for your concern, Fourth Brother."
"Thank you, Your Highness the Fourth Prince."
Qing Ling and Zuo Liu also bowed quickly.
Among them, only Ye Xuan remained calm and unconcerned, completely unphased by the Fourth Prince’s aura.
After speaking, Zhao Tian turned and led his guards into Cyan Profound Mountain. Before leaving, however, he glanced at Ye Xuan, his gaze impassive.
"Your Highness, was that the Fourth Prince? His aura is truly astonishing," Zuo Liu said with awe on the way back.
Zhao Wei nodded. "Fourth Brother is the only one among the princes of the Zhao family who can rival our Eldest Brother. His talent is also astounding. He graduated from Profound Spirit Academy at the top of the List of Prodigies. After all these years, he’s probably just a step away from becoming a Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist."
"A step away?" Ye Xuan heard this and said lightly, "Brother Zhao, I’m afraid you’ve misjudged. That Fourth Prince has not only broken through to the Celestial Martial Artist realm, but he’s also far beyond the First Layer."
"What? Fourth Brother is already a Celestial Martial Artist? That’s impossible, isn’t it?" Zhao Wei was stunned. In his memory, his Fourth Brother had been lingering at the Third Layer of the Earth Martial Artist realm; there was no way he was a terrifying Celestial Martial Artist.
But based on the strength Ye Xuan had displayed on Cyan Profound Mountain, Zhao Wei didn’t believe he was just speaking carelessly.
Ye Xuan just smiled. Zhao Tian had hidden it well, but the aura of his Profound Power couldn’t deceive him. However, he didn’t explain further to Zhao Wei. Whether he believed it or not was up to him.
After returning to the stone forest outside the Royal City, the four of them did not travel together but went their separate ways.
Ye Xuan was strolling leisurely on his way back alone when his expression suddenly shifted. He threw a punch toward a patch of weeds not far away.
BOOM! A terrifying wave of fist energy swept over the patch of weeds. Amidst the violent roar, a black shadow shot into the sky, a hint of shock in its eyes.
"Kid, you actually managed to find me."
The black shadow landed on the ground, his voice thick with surprise, his expression revealing utter shock.
His concealment technique was terrifying. Combined with his strength, not even a Celestial Martial Artist-level expert should have been able to discover him. He never expected that Ye Xuan, a mere Martial Master at the Third Layer, could find a trace of him.
"You must have been following me for a long time. Tell me, who sent you?"
The last time Ye Xuan went to the Soul Master Tower, he had already noticed someone was tailing him. It was just that the person had been quick to slip away, allowing them to escape.
Ye Xuan didn’t believe they would only watch him once, so he used his Soul Sense at full power to observe his surroundings at all times.
After coming out of Cyan Profound Mountain, Ye Xuan’s overall strength had risen to a new level. He had previously felt a faint, almost imperceptible killing intent nearby, and with his newly advanced Third Grade Soul Power, he immediately pinpointed the person’s location.
This time, Ye Xuan had no intention of letting them get away.
Hearing Ye Xuan’s question, the masked, black-clad man couldn’t help but show a trace of disdain and sneered, "Kid, you don’t really think you can deal with me just because you found me, do you? It seems you still don’t understand your situation."
The man in black wasted no words. As soon as he finished speaking, he lunged for Ye Xuan with a palm strike. A dense wave of Profound Power instantly transformed into a monstrous aura that bore down on Ye Xuan.
’A First Heaven Celestial Martial Artist?’
Even though he was prepared, Ye Xuan was still speechless as he sensed his opponent’s strength. ’I just escaped the Celestial Martial Artist Mosen’s pursuit on Cyan Profound Mountain, and now that I’m out, another Celestial Martial Artist expert immediately shows up.’
Not wanting to clash head-on, Ye Xuan suddenly raised his hand, and three black objects shot toward the man’s face like streaks of light.
’Hidden weapons?’ The man in black sneered inwardly. He believed Ye Xuan was acting out of desperation. ’What kind of hidden weapon from a mere Martial Master at the Third Layer could possibly harm a Celestial Martial Artist like me?’
With that thought, the man in black threw a punch at the three streaks of light. To his surprise, when the streaks were struck, they suddenly exploded with a loud BOOM. The intense shockwave was like three speeding heavy trucks slamming into him.
BANG!
The protective layer of Profound Power around his body fluctuated. The man’s face turned ugly, and a sweet taste rose in his throat. In his moment of carelessness, he nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
