Should Have Killed Him Directly

At these words, Liu Ruyan's entire body trembled. The Autumn Water Sword, the foremost of Great Flame's famed blades, was Ye Yu's mother's heirloom.

A sword that had reached the rank of High-Grade Spirit Treasure was an exceedingly rare treasure across the entire Azure Prefecture.

It was precisely because of this sword that Liu Ruyan had earned the title of First Beauty Sword of Great Flame. She knew full well that if she lost the Autumn Water Sword, her Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation would truly amount to nothing.

"Imperial Brother, how could you do this? The Autumn Water Sword was a gift you gave to Sister Ruyan—how can you take back something you've already given away? Even if you wish to win Sister Ruyan back, you shouldn't resort to threats like this. You should reason with her and appeal to her emotions," Ye Xuan spoke up.

Hearing this, Liu Ruyan immediately snapped to attention. Ye Yu must know how important the Autumn Water Sword was to her, which was why he said such things. "You truly are disgusting!"

Feeling Liu Ruyan's gaze, Ye Yu made no move to explain. He simply looked up, meeting her eyes directly, and said, "I'll give you two days. Return the Autumn Water Sword to me. Otherwise, don't blame me for coming to retrieve it myself. I mean what I say."

Though his voice was soft, his tone brooked no argument.

Many of the ministers present changed expression, as if the once-dominant Crown Prince Ye Yu had returned.

Watching Ye Yu's retreating figure, Ye Qingwan's expression grew even uglier. She slammed the table and shouted loudly, "Ruyan, rest assured. The Autumn Water Sword is yours now. If anyone dares object, I'll personally teach them a lesson!"

Her voice was deliberately loud, as if meant for Ye Yu to hear.

But Ye Yu paid no heed, striding away with long steps. Whether it was an illusion or not, his footsteps seemed to grow lighter and lighter.

"Eldest Sister, please calm down. Imperial Brother merely made a mistake by practicing Demonic Arts in a moment of confusion. I beg you to give him another chance to reform," Ye Xuan quickly said.

These words appeared to plead for Ye Yu, but they subtly confirmed the fact that Ye Yu had cultivated Demonic Arts.

Upon hearing this, the ministers who had intended to speak up on Ye Yu's behalf all fell silent. When the Devil Race was involved, they could say nothing more.

Yet in their hearts, they marveled. Who would have thought that Second Prince Ye Xuan, who usually kept a low profile, harbored such deep schemes? This had completely cut off Ye Yu's retreat.

Seeing that Ye Qingxuan remained silent and Liu Ruyan was still furious, Ye Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Then he turned his gaze to Ye Yu's departing back, thinking to himself: I can't let him leave just like that. Though he's crippled now, as long as he lives, he's still a threat.

Ye Xuan recalled the Blood Demon Clan's report on Ye Yu's performance in the Nine Nether Blood Spring, and a flicker of fear rose in his heart.

The Blood Demon Clan's assessment of Ye Yu was extremely high.

This child can stand against a hundred thousand Demonic Cultivators.

Having left the palace, Ye Yu let out a long breath, as if finally shedding the countless shackles that bound him. Without further delay, he headed straight out of the imperial city.

He knew Ye Xuan's methods well. There was no way Ye Xuan would simply let him leave. Right now, recovering from his injuries was the top priority.

Arriving at a secluded forest outside the city, Ye Yu found a remote corner and took out a worn Bronze Cauldron from his Ring of Holding.

This small cauldron was something he had brought back from the Nine Nether Blood Spring.

Having lived a previous life, Ye Yu knew well the wonders of this Bronze Cauldron. In his past life, without it, he could never have held out so long against Ye Xuan, who had the support of both the Blood Demon Clan and all of Great Flame.

Seeing no one around, Ye Yu took a deep breath. His face paled as he spat out a mouthful of essence blood onto the Bronze Cauldron.

Upon contact with Ye Yu's essence blood, the small cauldron let out a resonant hum. It then floated up on its own, its layers of rust flaking away, before transforming into a streak of light that merged into Ye Yu's body, settling within his dantian.

Instantly, the surrounding spiritual energy surged in like a tidal wave, pouring endlessly into Ye Yu's body, nourishing it. His injuries gradually healed, and his aura began to swell dramatically.

Ye Yu's spirit root had been completely destroyed when he suppressed the Nine Nether Blood Spring, and his original cultivation had scattered.

Without a spirit root, even immortals would find it hard to save him. He would never be able to cultivate again in this life.

But in his previous life, by a stroke of fate, Ye Yu had discovered one of the small cauldron's functions: it could completely replace a spirit root.

Its other ability was even more heaven-defying, but Ye Yu couldn't activate it yet. He would need to recover to the Golden Core Stage first.

Gradually, the spiritual energy within Ye Yu's dantian grew denser and denser, until it began to condense at the center, slowly solidifying into a physical form—a Golden Core.

Meanwhile, Ye Xuan had just dispatched assassins. This time, he had sent helpers provided by the Blood Demon Clan—cultivators at the Golden Core Stage, whose Blood Escape technique left even ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivators helpless.

Logically, killing a crippled Ye Yu should have been more than enough. But Ye Xuan felt an inexplicable unease. After hesitating for a long time, he finally went to the door of his second sister, Ye Qingxuan, and called out, "Second Sister, something terrible has happened! Eldest Sister has driven Imperial Brother out!"

With a creak, the door opened, revealing Ye Qingxuan's impatient face. "What has that waste done now?" she said irritably.

The Second Princess of Great Flame, Ye Qingxuan, possessed extraordinary talent—only slightly inferior to Ye Yu in his prime. She carried a High-Grade Mutated Ice Spirit Root and, despite her youth, had already reached the late Golden Core Stage. She was truly a prodigy among prodigies.

Seeing Ye Qingxuan, Ye Xuan quickly recounted what had just happened.

The more she listened, the uglier Ye Qingxuan's expression became. She said coldly, "He actually dared to cultivate Demonic Arts? Why even bother driving him out? If you ask me, he should be killed outright."

"Second Sister, we can't do that. What if Imperial Brother is truly innocent? If he dies because of this, I'll never be able to sleep or eat in peace for the rest of my life. Please go bring him back!" Ye Xuan said, his eyes reddening.

If the assassination plan somehow failed, he would still bring Ye Yu back, keep him under watch, and find plenty of opportunities to slowly finish him off.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan sighed. Her little brother was good in every way, but his heart was too soft. Patting Ye Xuan's head, she lifted him into the air and followed Ye Yu's aura to track him down.

In the dense forest, Ye Yu sat cross-legged. Suddenly, his aura shot upward. Within his dantian, a perfectly round Golden Core floated quietly, spiritual energy seeping out from it in an endless stream, flowing through his limbs and bones. The familiar feeling had returned.

The next moment, Ye Yu channeled his spiritual energy into the small cauldron. Once it absorbed enough energy, it would open, spewing out a precious treasure. It could only be activated once per day.

To gather enough spiritual energy to open the cauldron, one needed at least the Golden Core Stage.

As spiritual energy poured in continuously, the light on the small cauldron grew brighter and brighter. Just as it was about to open, Ye Yu's expression changed abruptly. He slammed his palm against the ground, launching himself into the air.

Where he had been sitting, blood began to seep out. Then a head emerged from it, staring up at Ye Yu in shock.

"You've recovered?!"