Inside the Tianqiong Clan’s back mountain cellar.
“Yun-gege!”
Yu Ying clenched her delicate fists, her pretty face etched with worry as she noticed the commotion outside had ceased.
At that moment, the cellar door opened, and the Tianqiong Great Elder stepped in.
“Great Elder, where’s my Yun-gege? Did you hurt him?” Yu Ying stood up immediately, visibly tense.
“Miss Ying’er, what do you think? He’s just one man—could he cause any real trouble? We’ve already captured him,” the Great Elder said with a smile.
Hearing this, Yu Ying’s clear, beautiful eyes flashed with icy anger.
“If you dare harm him, I won’t forgive you. If he dies, I won’t live on either,” Yu Ying said resolutely.
The Great Elder smiled and said, “Miss Ying’er, I’ll be honest. After we captured him, he was terrified of being killed and begged for mercy, promising to forget you and never seek you again, just to be spared.”
He continued, “Miss Ying’er, you misjudged him. He’s only after your beauty. When true danger comes, he values his own life over you, abandoning you to save himself.”
The Great Elder said this with his own agenda, aiming to make Yu Ying give up on Lin Yun.
“You’re lying! Yun-gege would never do that!” Yu Ying retorted without hesitation.
“Miss Ying’er, it seems he’s deceived you deeply for you to trust him so much. I’m telling the truth—everyone in the Tianqiong Clan saw it and can testify,” the Great Elder said.
“You… you’re lying, slandering Yun-gege! Do you think you can fool me?” Yu Ying bit her lip, visibly furious.
In Yu Ying’s heart, Lin Yun was a steadfast hero, a man who would never sacrifice his dignity, even if it meant losing his head or shedding blood!
“Miss Ying’er, if you don’t believe me, I’ll swear on my soul right now. If I’ve spoken a single lie, may I die a horrible death!”
The Great Elder immediately made a soul oath, a faint light flashing in the void before merging into his body, sealing the vow.
Yu Ying, who had been utterly convinced of Lin Yun’s character, froze when she saw the Great Elder swear on his soul.
His oath was like a knife, stabbing deep into her heart.
Yu Ying knew what a soul oath meant. No matter how much she refused to believe, the Great Elder’s vow shook her convictions…
“Could it… could it be that Yun-gege really… really abandoned Ying’er? How could this be! How could this…”
Yu Ying’s body stiffened, then began to tremble slightly. Her gaze grew vacant, her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her flesh.
To Yu Ying, this news was like the sky falling, her beliefs crumbling, as if the world’s end had come.
Since leaving the city to pursue cultivation, Lin Yun had been the pillar of her heart. No matter how tough or exhausting cultivation was, thinking of Lin Yun made it all worthwhile!
In the next moment, Yu Ying collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks, as if all her spirit had been drained…
“Miss Ying’er, the truth is before you. Take some time to calm down and think. I’ll return in a few days. If you come to terms with it, cooperate with our Tianqiong Clan’s plans.”
After speaking, the Great Elder turned and left.
Outside the cellar.
“This time, Miss Ying’er will surely give up on that guy,” the Great Elder said, a broad smile on his face.
As for his soul oath? He had been in the Tribulation Realm for centuries, with little time left to live, so he didn’t care.
Tribulation Realm cultivators, with no future in cultivation and nearing the end of their lives, feared little.
…
Meanwhile.
Huoyun Empire, Dongyuan Prefecture.
In the City Lord’s Mansion, Huo Zhen, Yang Wan, Liang Yuan, Wei Qi, and Old Man Yan gathered in the council hall.
Lin Yun’s sudden departure had left them deeply worried.
“Big Brother left so abruptly this time. I can’t shake the feeling something major has happened,” Huo Zhen said with concern.
At that moment, the steward hurried in.
“Lords, the Mansion Lord has returned!” the steward said urgently.
“Big Brother’s back?”
Huo Zhen and the others stood up quickly.
Just then, Lin Yun strode in, his steps hurried.
“Big Brother!”
Huo Zhen and the others rushed to greet him, crowding around.
“Big Brother, what happened?” Huo Zhen asked urgently.
They noticed Lin Yun’s grim expression.
“Your sister-in-law, Yu Ying, sent me a distress signal. Her situation is unclear,” Lin Yun said, his eyes dark, his anger still burning.
“What? Sister-in-law’s in trouble!”
The group was shocked.
“Who’s bold enough to touch Sister-in-law? We’ll fight them to the death!” Huo Zhen’s voice boomed.
“It’s the Tianqiong Clan in the Tianqian Empire. I went there to see Ying’er but was driven back,” Lin Yun said through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing with cold light.
Huo Zhen exploded with rage. “Damn them! They dared to touch Sister-in-law and attack Big Brother? We’ll rally our forces, storm the Tianqiong Clan, take revenge, and rescue her!”
“Yes, storm the Tianqiong Clan!” Yang Wan, Wei Qi, and Liang Yuan shouted, their anger surging.
They knew how good Lin Yun had been to them, and they all remembered his kindness.
How could they not be furious when something like this happened to him?
Old Man Yan quickly said, “Lin Yun, the Tianqiong Clan is a force with immortals. Attacking them won’t be easy. Plus, they’re in the Tianqian Empire, not under your master’s jurisdiction. Rashly leading an assault requires careful consideration of many issues.”
Wei Qi immediately said, “Senior Yan, no need to overthink. No matter the danger, we must save Sister-in-law!”
“Exactly. No matter the risk, the Tianqiong Clan dared to provoke Big Brother and touch Sister-in-law—they must pay! Even if they have immortals, even if it’s the King of Heaven himself, I, Huo Zhen, won’t back down!” Huo Zhen roared.
“Yeah, we’ll crush them!” Wei Qi and Yang Wan echoed, the group seething with righteous fury.
Senior Yan looked at Lin Yun. “Lin Yun, I’m not afraid. As a Tribulation Realm cultivator with no future, death means nothing to me. I’m just saying you need to plan carefully. The Tianqiong Clan, as a family with immortals in the Tianqian Empire, surely has ties to the Tianqian Empire.”
He continued, “If we attack, beyond facing the Tianqiong Clan, we must consider whether the Tianqian Empire will intervene. After all, the Spirit Vault incident already caused friction with them. If we attack the Tianqiong Clan, the Tianqian Empire might use it as an excuse to cause trouble.”
Lin Yun nodded. “Senior Yan, I’ve thought about this on the way back. Before attacking the Tianqiong Clan, I’ll go to the Divine Capital to see my master and ask for his help.”
