The Forbidden Yin River Ye Family, with a legacy spanning tens of thousands of years, was once heralded as the strongest cultivation clan in the Central Continent.
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At its peak, it was unmatched, a force to be reckoned with.
Although they later chose to withdraw from the public eye and live in seclusion, their inherent arrogance remained unshaken. Techniques and artifacts coveted by countless cultivators were regarded as mundane by them. Their centuries of accumulated resources ensured an incredibly smooth cultivation path for their descendants.
The Ye Family boasted over a dozen cultivators at the Tribulation Stage—a level considered the pinnacle of mortal cultivation.
In theory, if the Ye Family so wished, they could effortlessly dominate any faction in the Central Continent, including the so-called sacred lands.
This immense power was the foundation of their pride.
Yet none of the Ye family members could have anticipated that one day, someone would dare to strike at their clan’s protective formation.
The clan members looked up, their gazes fixated on the scene above them.
A translucent, umbrella-shaped blue shadow rotated slowly, suspended in the air.
This was the Skydome Umbrella, a top-grade spiritual artifact serving as the core of the Ye Family's protective array. As long as the Skydome Umbrella remained intact, the formation would remain unbreakable—a fortress no one could breach from the outside.
Or so they thought.
The next moment, a red sword light appeared.
At first dim, it quickly grew blindingly bright, slashing down upon the Ye Family's formation.
The umbrella-like shadow trembled violently before shattering into countless fragments of starlight that dispersed into the air.
The protective array that had shielded the Ye Family for tens of thousands of years was utterly destroyed.
The Ye family members were left in disbelief, their heads craned upwards.
Descending slowly from the sky was an incomparably beautiful woman, her presence radiating an overwhelming sense of authority.
Suspended behind her was a crimson spirit sword, emanating intense heat.
Ye Zhouhao, the Ye Family patriarch, narrowed his eyes, his expression grave. He muttered softly, “The Heaven-Splitting Blazing Sun Sword... You must be Lin Miaoxue.”
Thirty thousand years ago, when Ye Zhouhao was still a young boy, Lin Miaoxue had once visited the Ye Family. He had only glimpsed her from afar.
Yet even from that single glance, he had been struck speechless. He could scarcely believe that someone so stunningly beautiful could exist in the mortal realm.
Even after thirty thousand years, Ye Zhouhao could still recognize her in an instant. She was just as breathtaking as before, so beautiful it was suffocating.
But now, she exuded the sharpness of a peerless sword, her radiance impossible to look at directly.
Indeed, the Lin Miaoxue of today was vastly different. After being nourished by the Water Essence and fully expelling the fire poison within her body, her current strength surpassed even her peak from three millennia ago. She was on the cusp of reaching the late Ascension Stage, and it was only a matter of time before she advanced further.
With the Immaculate Sword Heart in her possession, there were few in the world who could match her power.
Lin Miaoxue surveyed her surroundings, her gaze cold and indifferent. Seeing no familiar faces, she spoke, her voice amplified by spiritual energy to echo across the Ye Family compound.
“Where is Ye Jiunian, the former Ye Family patriarch? Have him come out to see me!”
Ye Jiunian, patriarch of the Ye Family thirty thousand years ago, was revered as the clan’s great reviver. The plan to steal the Immaculate Sword Heart had been his creation.
However, he had long since abdicated his position as patriarch and disappeared. Some said he had ascended to the Celestial Realm, while others believed he had died at the hands of an old enemy. Regardless, no one could confirm his fate.
Ye Zhouhao gazed at the stunning figure before him and replied in a deep voice, “The ancestor is no longer with the Ye Family. I, Ye Zhouhao, am the current patriarch. If you have business with us, you may speak to me, including matters related to your agreement with the Ye Family thirty thousand years ago.”
As he spoke, Ye Zhouhao’s right hand, concealed behind his back, made a subtle gesture. Several black-robed figures immediately began to move, encircling Lin Miaoxue.
Lin Miaoxue paid them no heed. She simply raised her hand, her fingers forming a sword seal.
In an instant, the Heaven-Splitting Blazing Sun Sword behind her split into eight identical blades.
In the blink of an eye, the swords reappeared, each suspended above a black-robed figure, their edges poised at their throats.
Lin Miaoxue remarked coldly, “After all these years, has the Ye Family’s standard for celestial-level guardians fallen this low? Not a single late Ascension cultivator among you?”
Her words struck a nerve, leaving many Ye family members visibly uncomfortable.
Indeed, during Ye Jiunian’s tenure as patriarch, the Ye Family had been at its zenith.
However, as millennia passed, time had thinned their ranks. Talented cultivators either ascended or perished. The current celestial-level guardians were all relatively new.
While the Ye Family had ample resources to cultivate Tribulation Stage experts, reaching the Ascension Stage required not just resources but personal fortune and opportunity.
Late Ascension cultivators were no mere commonality.
Even early-stage Ascension experts were a rarity within the current Ye Family.
Ye Zhouhao exhaled deeply, his expression dark. “Lin Miaoxue, what do you want? Have you forgotten it was my Ye Family that saved you all those years ago? And now you come here to wreak havoc?”
Lin Miaoxue sneered and in an instant, appeared before Ye Zhouhao. The sudden movement startled him, and he instinctively clutched a high-grade talisman, ready to activate it at a moment’s notice.
Ignoring his reaction, Lin Miaoxue began recounting the events of thirty thousand years ago, her piercing gaze fixed on Ye Zhouhao’s eyes, attempting to discern any trace of guilt or deception.
But Lin Miaoxue underestimated Ye Zhouhao’s acting abilities.
His expression shifted seamlessly from shock to confusion, and finally to indignation.
“Lin Miaoxue, you underestimate the Forbidden Yin River Ye Family! Do you think we’d go to such lengths for something as trivial as the Immaculate Sword Heart? If we truly desired it, we could have taken it outright. Why wait five hundred years?”
His words left Lin Miaoxue momentarily speechless.
Around them, Ye family disciples straightened their backs and chimed in.
“Exactly! The Ye Family lacks nothing. Why would we stoop so low for a sword heart?”
“How ungrateful! To think you’d slander your benefactors. Truly, once a demon, always a demon!”
“Such audacity! How disappointing...”
The murmurs of the crowd grew louder, and Ye Zhouhao’s lips curled into a faint smile.
In truth, as the patriarch, he was fully aware of the real events of the past.
But with no evidence to prove otherwise, he would never admit to it.
The fewer people who knew the truth, the better—after all, the scheme had been underhanded, even disgraceful.
Ye Zhouhao was deeply curious as to how Lin Miaoxue had uncovered the truth. But regardless, he had resolved to deny everything and maintain the moral high ground.
Only by forcing Lin Miaoxue into self-doubt and guilt could he reclaim the Immaculate Sword Heart.
Lin Miaoxue frowned. She didn’t doubt Ye Yu’s account of events, but the Ye Family’s blatant denial was baffling.
Could it be that the truth was known only to a select few within the family?
As Lin Miaoxue pondered, a warm, melodious voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Let me hear what these dogs are barking about.”