The small tower was about to say more, but Ye Xuan laughed, “Enough!”
Showing off had to be done in moderation, or it would backfire.
The tower hesitated, not daring to continue.
Ye Xuan looked up at the sky, smiling, “Since you’re here, show yourself.”
As his voice fell, the spacetime above split open, and a black-robed elder slowly emerged.
A Heavenly Knowledge Realm expert.
The elder had white hair, his face covered in wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp and piercing.
Ye Xuan smiled, “From the Upper Clan?”
The elder stared at Ye Xuan, “Young Master Ye, my Upper Clan has no grudge against you, yet you’ve killed several of our people. What is your intent?”
Ye Xuan chuckled, “What, are you trying to reason with me now?”
The elder’s gaze was icy, “Answer my question, Young Master Ye.”
Ye Xuan laughed, “Old man, wasn’t it your people who came to kill me first? Are you selectively forgetting that?”
The elder said calmly, “Young Master Ye, as far as I know, you were the one who killed our Upper Clan’s Shang Yan first, correct?”
Ye Xuan countered, “And do you know she threatened me multiple times?”
The elder stared at Ye Xuan, “Regardless, you were the one who struck first and killed.”
Ye Xuan shook his head with a smile, “When I try to reason with you, you play dirty. When I play dirty, you want to reason. And when reason runs out, you resort to playing dirty again…”
He chuckled lightly, “Your Upper Clan is truly shameless.”
The elder was about to speak when Ye Xuan suddenly said, “Talk in your next life.”
With that, he pointed two fingers, “Sword, rise!”
Swoosh!
A streak of sword light shot into the sky.
Above, the elder’s eyes narrowed. He flipped his right hand and pressed downward, causing the clouds to churn and descend, as if the entire sky was collapsing, an awe-inspiring sight.
Boom!
The streak of sword light was forcefully halted.
But at that moment, the elder sensed something, his pupils contracting sharply. He dodged to the side, but it was too late. A sword light sliced through his left ear, instantly cutting his body in half, blood spraying into the air. Almost simultaneously, another streak pierced through his forehead.
Boom!
In everyone’s view, the elder was pinned in place.
The scene fell deathly silent.
Three sword strikes to kill a Heavenly Knowledge Realm expert.
In the air, the elder stared at Ye Xuan in disbelief, “Your flying sword…”
Ye Xuan flicked his fingers.
Swoosh!
In full view, the elder was erased by a burst of sword light.
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and a storage ring floated to him.
He examined the ring, then looked up at the sky, “Upper Heaven Realm, Upper Clan. This is the third time. You’ve come to kill me repeatedly. Do you think I, Ye Xuan, am easy to bully?”
Boom!
Above, spacetime twisted, forming a massive vortex. A shadowy figure appeared deep within it.
The figure looked down at Ye Xuan, “Are you declaring war on my Upper Clan?”
War!
At those words, the hidden powerhouses around them stirred.
At this level, people rarely fought to the death, as their strengths were comparable. A deadly conflict would only benefit others, so the top forces in the known universes avoided such battles.
The Upper Clan’s question was a direct challenge, showing no intent to resolve things peacefully.
Below, Ye Xuan smiled faintly, “Declare war? So be it.”
The figure said, “As you wish.”
His form began to fade, about to vanish.
But then, Ye Xuan suddenly laughed, “Wait.”
The figure turned to look at Ye Xuan, as did everyone else. Had he changed his mind?
Ye Xuan smiled, “I don’t like dragging things out. Since we’re declaring war today, let’s settle it today.”
Declare war today.
Settle it today.
The crowd stared at Ye Xuan in shock. What was he planning?
Ye Xuan glanced around, then said, “Can anyone tell me where the Upper Heaven Realm is?”
Silence from the shadows.
Who would dare speak?
To speak was to take a side.
In this situation, no one would choose a side. Though Ye Xuan’s backing was formidable, the Upper Clan was no pushover.
Seeing the silence, Ye Xuan frowned slightly. Just then, the Upper Clan’s figure suddenly said, “No need to ask others. I’ll tell you.”
With a wave of his sleeve, a beam of light shot down to Ye Xuan.
The light contained the location of the Upper Heaven Realm.
The figure looked at Ye Xuan, sneering, “With this boldness, you seem intent on wiping out my Upper Clan. Come, I’ll wait for you there. Oh, and they call you the Backer King. A suggestion: bring your backer. Without them, you’re nothing.”
Ye Xuan nodded, “As you wish.”
He opened his palm, and the Qingxuan Sword appeared, “Qing’er!”
Boom!
The Qingxuan Sword trembled violently, spacetime quaking. The next moment, the space beside Ye Xuan split open, and a woman stepped out.
She wore a plain dress.
Seeing her, Ye Xuan froze.
He hadn’t expected this Qing’er to come.
As the plain-dressed woman appeared, Taichu Zhen’s expression changed instantly.
Elsewhere, another woman’s face shifted dramatically.
Jiang Taiyou.
The former sect master had arrived earlier but stayed hidden. She hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to call his sister again.
In a corner of the city, Li Ban Zhi looked at the plain-dressed woman, frowning, “Ancestor, is she a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm?”
A voice responded, and an elder appeared beside Li Ban Zhi.
The elder studied the woman, then said gravely, “I can’t sense her aura, but she’s at least a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm.”
Li Ban Zhi’s eyes narrowed, “Is Young Master Ye playing his trump card right away?”
She paused, then added, “Can one Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm destroy the Upper Clan?”
The elder scoffed, “How could that be? If it were possible, our Li family would have dominated the universe long ago.”
He glanced at the woman, then said, “She’s strong, but destroying the entire Upper Clan single-handedly? That’s impossible.”
Li Ban Zhi stared at the woman, then said, “If she dies at the Upper Clan’s hands…”
The elder was startled, looking at Li Ban Zhi, “Girl, killing a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm isn’t easy. It would take at least five such experts, and even then, it’s not guaranteed.”
Li Ban Zhi’s eyes narrowed, “What about ten?”
Ten!
The elder said gravely, “Are you serious?”
Li Ban Zhi stared at the plain-dressed woman, “Guanxuan Academy represents a new rising force. Its rise means dividing the pie, which many factions won’t like. And the academy itself is a juicy prize. Many have coveted it for a long time but hesitated due to fear. If we take the lead…”
A cold glint flashed in her eyes, “Gathering ten Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm experts would be effortless.”
The elder said, “Girl, what if Ye Xuan has more than just her backing him?”
“Gamble!”
Li Ban Zhi closed her eyes slowly, “Ancestor, we must gamble. Among the many forces, only we have an irreconcilable conflict of interest with Guanxuan Academy. I’ve investigated. This man has great ambition and will keep expanding, as will Xianbao Pavilion. If we don’t crush him now, we’ll pay a much higher price later. We must act now.”
She opened her eyes, staring at the plain-dressed woman, “She’s his greatest asset. Kill her, and no matter how prodigious he is, he’ll be helpless. I believe other forces understand this too, but they’re selfish, unwilling to take the lead. This time, with Ye Xuan’s battle against the Upper Clan, it’s our best chance. If we rally, others will join to carve up Guanxuan Academy.”
The elder was silent for a moment, then said, “You’re really doing this?”
Li Ban Zhi nodded, “Even if we’re at peace with them now, a conflict is inevitable. Since we’ll have to fight sooner or later, why not fight now?”
The elder was silent for a moment, then said, “Fine. I support you.”
Li Ban Zhi nodded slightly, “I’ll make the arrangements.”
She turned and left.
The elder turned to look at the plain-dressed woman, chuckling, “Time to stretch these old bones.”
…
In the distance, Ye Xuan looked at Qing’er, smiling, “Why did you come in person?”
Qing’er took his hand, saying softly, “You called, so I came.”
Ye Xuan’s heart warmed, and he burst into laughter.
Being so favoured felt amazing.
Just then, the shadowy figure in the sky said, “Now it’s getting interesting.”
Ye Xuan looked up, “Qing’er, this time, let me handle it myself. You back me up, alright?”
Qing’er held his hand, “Whatever you say.”
Ye Xuan laughed, “Good. Let’s go, brother and sister, to the Upper Clan.”
With a wave of his sleeve, the spacetime ahead split open, revealing a tunnel.
In the sky, the figure looked down, “I’ll be waiting for you siblings at the Upper Clan.”
With that, he vanished, the vortex disappearing, and the scene returned to calm.
Ye Xuan chuckled, raising Qing’er’s hand, “Today, if I say I’m invincible, that’s not too much, right? Haha…”
With that, he pulled Qing’er along, and they vanished.
As the siblings disappeared, the hidden onlookers retreated.
Soon, in the Li family’s hall, a banquet was held, with guests from the world’s major forces.
The host was none other than Li Ban Zhi of the Li family.
