The Great Yan Emperor

Ye Qingshuang stared fixedly at Ye Yu.

Previously, she had been unable to determine how Ye Yu had cultivated to such a level in such a short time. It simply defied all reason. After all, the destruction of Ye Yu's spiritual roots was an indisputable fact.

But if Ye Yu had defected to the Devil Race and cultivated their techniques, then everything had an explanation.

Ye Xuan was overjoyed upon hearing this. Back in the imperial palace, he had drugged Ye Yu and caused the devilish energy throughout Ye Yu's body to boil, all to utterly cast him into the abyss.

But that foolish woman Ye Qingwan had suppressed the matter to preserve the reputation of the Great Yan Royal Family.

As for Ye Qingxuan afterward, no one knew what she had been thinking. She had not told anyone about what she discovered outside the imperial city that day either.

But things were different now. Leaving aside the many Great Flame factions gathered here, there were even people from several surrounding dynasties. As long as Ye Yu was firmly branded as a member of the Devil Race, he would never be able to rise again.

The next moment, Ye Xuan silently recited an incantation. Yan Ruyu immediately felt the blood poison that had lain dormant within her body for so long erupt into chaos. Within a few breaths, blood light blazed around Yan Ruyu, devilish energy surging to the heavens.

Blood poison could be controlled. It did not distinguish who had administered it or how it had entered someone's body. So long as one knew the method to activate it, the blood poison within anyone's body could be controlled.

Yan Ruyu's face turned pale, and she hurriedly circulated her spiritual power to suppress the blood poison.

Everyone was left frozen in shock by this sudden turn of events.

But at that moment, Ye Xuan pretended to be shocked as he said, "This aura is exactly the same as when Imperial Brother was in the palace!"

Ye Qingwan also came back to her senses then. When Ye Yu had gone berserk in the imperial palace that day, many had witnessed it with their own eyes. She had been one of them. It truly was exactly the same!

"So it really was you!" Ye Qingshuang's expression instantly turned ugly. Yet Ye Yu's current strength made her afraid to act on her own, so she quickly crushed the jade talisman in her robes and notified Cangyun.

Although Cangyun was only at the late Golden Core Stage, his connections were so vast that even the Devil Race had to fear him.

The Guardians from the various dynasties gradually turned cold. If Ye Yu was merely powerful, they could turn a blind eye. But if he was connected to the Devil Race, they would kill this fiend even at the cost of their own lives.

The situation in the courtyard reversed in an instant. Those who had been cowed by Ye Yu's strength earlier now began to stir restlessly.

Demonic Cultivators—there could be no peace until one side died!

"Tch, you people really have no brains. That great beauty from Qingyun Sect already said she came to ask Ye Yu to cure her poison. If Ye Yu had anything to do with the Devil Race, would that great beauty still come looking for him?" Qin Ruoxian's mocking voice rang out as she cast a disdainful glance at everyone.

As her words fell, the situation in the courtyard improved somewhat.

Yet the cold gleam still flickered in many people's eyes. To some, Ye Yu dying here would be the best possible outcome.

"Hehe, cure poison? Him? My master once told me that blood poison could only be cured by a seventh-grade alchemist. Do you think he is a seventh-grade alchemist?" Ye Qingshuang sneered.

After studying under Cangyun for so long, she could only barely refine fourth-grade pills.

And Ye Yu? Leaving aside that he had managed state affairs in his youth and later entered the Nine Nether Blood Spring, his cultivation talent and formation skills were already astonishing enough. But alchemy? Had Ye Yu ever even come into contact with alchemy?

Not to mention becoming a seventh-grade alchemist whom even her master Cangyun could not compare to.

"Since even Master Cangyun says so, then Ye Yu must be a Devil Race spy. Nothing else matters—kill him!" Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth, a flash of blue light appearing in her hand.

A longsword, ice-blue and translucent like water, appeared in her grasp. It was none other than Autumn Water!

The others hesitated no longer. One after another, they stepped forward, their chilling auras erupting. When it came to the Devil Race, they would rather kill wrongly than let one escape!

Ye Yu could not be bothered to explain. He took a deep breath, his expression gradually turning grave. Things had reached this point; there was likely no peaceful resolution. There was only battle!

With that thought, Ye Yu began mobilizing the nearly depleted spiritual power in his body. Dense Life Energy seeped from the White Light Pillar, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered toward Ye Yu like a surging spring, frantically replenishing his exhausted reserves.

One of the three great divine abilities bestowed by the Human Dao Sage—the Innate Breathing Technique. Its absorption speed rivaled that of a top-tier spirit-gathering formation!

Qin Ruoxian was just about to step forward when Spiritual Seals rose beneath her feet and enveloped her. A gentle force then swept over her and carried her out of Liu Manor.

At the same time, the sound of tearing wind rang beside Ye Yu's ear as Situ Guang resolutely took a stand at his side.

"Mr. Situ, you need not..." Ye Yu was briefly stunned as he spoke.

But before he could finish, Situ Guang took out the Attendant jade plaque of the Great Qin Dynasty from his robes and threw it to Qin Ruoxian outside the gates. This concerned the Devil Race; he could not drag the Great Qin Dynasty into it.

He then said to Ye Yu, "A drop of kindness must be repaid with a gushing spring. Even if I die today, I will protect you to the end!"

Ye Yu said nothing more upon hearing this. He took one step forward, and with a muffled peal of thunder, he was already before Liu Ruyan in the blink of an eye.

Liu Ruyan's expression changed drastically. Just as she raised her sword, Ye Yu sent her flying with a punch. Autumn Water flew from her hand and into Ye Yu's grasp.

Seeing this, the others immediately mobilized their spiritual power and charged forward.

Blood light erupted around Ye Yu once more. The Autumn Water Sword gave a long cry as he faced the Guardian of the Great Liang Dynasty rushing toward him. Without dodging or evading, he brought down his sword.

For a moment, sword light crisscrossed the air, though it was considerably weaker than before. Even with the Innate Breathing Technique absorbing spiritual energy, it could not replenish him fully in such a short time.

The Guardian's breath caught at the sight, and he hurriedly twisted aside to evade.

Though these Guardians were powerful and of lofty realms, they had never experienced Ye Yu's life-for-life fighting style.

But Ye Yu had long grown accustomed to it. Within the Nine Nether Blood Spring, either his enemy died, or he himself fell!

Situ Guang was the same. He formed seals with both hands, and the Nascent Soul within his dantian emerged before him. Immediately afterward, purple flames rose from the Nascent Soul.

"Burning your Nascent Soul? Have you gone mad? Are you really going this far?" Nangong Wushe stared at Situ Guang in shock.

Burning one's Nascent Soul could grant incomparably powerful strength for a short time, but for a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, it was no different from suicide.

Situ Guang could not be bothered with him. Spiritual light erupted from his body, forcing everyone back at once.

Seeing this, Ye Yu hurriedly summoned all his spiritual power, intending to tear open a gap and force his way out. But at that moment, a sudden change occurred.

A beam of spiritual light descended and shrouded the entirety of Liu Manor. The formidable aura of the Nascent Soul Late Stage also revealed itself in full.

Everyone could not help but stop and look up.

Within the spiritual light, a figure emerged. The instant Ye Yu saw that figure, his expression turned incomparably ugly.

Ye Qingwan and the others trembled all over and hurriedly fell to their knees. "Welcome, Father Emperor!"

The spiritual light dispersed, revealing a face Ye Yu knew all too well. It was the Great Yan Emperor, Ye Fan!