He Really Was Colluding with the Devil Race

Xue Li watched Ye Yu in midair, a trace of gravity gradually surfacing in his eyes.

All these years, he had been assigned to stay by Ye Xuan's side and had personally watched Ye Yu become a true good-for-nothing. Yet how long had it been since Ye Yu left the imperial palace?

In less than half a day, his cultivation had actually recovered to the early Golden Core Stage. If he were given a little more time...

In an instant, Xue Li recalled the battle images of Great Flame's Nine Nether Blood Spring that had circulated within the Blood Demon Race, and an uncontrollable shiver ran through his body.

If Ye Yu were allowed to leave alive, then given time, he would become a grave threat to the Blood Demon Race—no, to the entire Devil Race!

With that thought, Xue Li hesitated no longer. Power burst from within him, transforming into a streak of bloody light that shot straight at Ye Yu's face.

Ye Yu sneered and stretched out his palm, crushing that streak of bloody light directly.

Xue Li was horrified. That strike of his had been enough to kill even a late Golden Core Stage cultivator, yet before Ye Yu, it had achieved nothing at all.

Just as Xue Li was reeling in shock, the sound of wind splitting the air rang out. Ye Yu's figure appeared before him like a ghost, seized Xue Li by the neck, and dragged his entire body out of the blood pool.

"I was originally planning to come find you. Who would have thought you'd deliver yourself right to my door!" Ye Yu said with a cold laugh, gripping Xue Li's throat.

The moment Xue Li showed himself, Ye Yu recognized him. After tangling with Ye Xuan for so long in his previous life, he had long known of Xue Li's existence.

Meeting Ye Yu's amused gaze, feeling the pressure around his neck, and seeing Ye Yu's calm, unruffled expression, Xue Li panicked. He steeled his heart at once. A sound like something bursting came from within his body, and the next moment, a layer of red light enveloped him completely.

"Blood Escape? Still the same old tricks. Your Blood Demon Race truly hasn't made any progress," Ye Yu said indifferently. Spiritual light gathered in his hand, and he drove a fist into Xue Li's dantian.

Xue Li let out a scream, and the red light around him instantly faded away.

"You! You! You—how did you know where the Blood Escape node was?" Xue Li collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath as he stared at Ye Yu in utter horror.

Ye Yu did not answer. Having fought against them for so long in his previous life, he had already thoroughly understood the Blood Demon Race. Then, Ye Yu formed hand seals with both hands, and a jet-black glow condensed in his palms.

"The Soul Devouring Curse! How do you know the Soul Devouring Curse?!" Xue Li cried out.

The Soul Devouring Curse was an exceptionally evil spell within the Devil Race. Once someone was branded with it, they would be driven by the caster for the rest of their life. Should even the slightest thought of resistance arise, their soul would be utterly destroyed.

This was also an extremely secretive art of the Devil Race. Leaving aside the other devil races, at the very least, no one in Xue Li's Blood Demon Race knew this spell.

"Will you do it yourself, or shall I force you?" Ye Yu looked calmly at Xue Li. A dark rune drifted slowly above his hand.

Xue Li looked at Ye Yu's composed face. The latter remained as calm as ever, as though he had no fear of resistance at all. Xue Li gave a bitter laugh, circulated the spiritual power within his body, and drew the dark rune into himself. The next instant, he felt as though his life and death were no longer his own.

Seeing this, Ye Yu grinned. Then his face went pale, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood. His aura immediately withered.

How could Xue Li fail to realize that Ye Yu had already been at the end of his tether just now? If only he had been a little tougher... But realizing it now was useless. The Soul Devouring Curse had already been planted. No matter what state Ye Yu was currently in, killing him was only a matter of a thought. Helplessly, he said, "Master, you truly have formidable methods."

Ye Yu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and curled his lip. It was true that his strength had recovered to the Golden Core Stage, and with the Small Cauldron, his spiritual power was indeed far denser than before.

But after all, he had only recovered for a few hours. If Xue Li had not feared death so much, Ye Yu would have been in grave danger today.

"I believe you're a smart man. Since I spared your life, you'd best fulfill your duties properly," Ye Yu said coldly, staring at Xue Li.

Xue Li froze at those words, then nodded. At Ye Yu's signal, he transformed into a streak of bloody light and sank into the ground, vanishing.

After Xue Li left, Ye Yu took a deep breath and glanced around. Once he had adjusted his aura, he headed deeper into the dense forest once more. Although the clash with Xue Li had not caused much of a disturbance, Xue Li was still of the Devil Race. Someone might follow the demonic aura here, and this place would no longer be peaceful.

Not long after Ye Yu departed, a streak of rainbow light flashed through the sky. A man and a woman appeared in midair—it was Ye Qingxuan and Ye Xuan, who had come out in search of Ye Yu.

Looking at the bloodstains below, Ye Qingxuan frowned. She had sensed demonic aura here earlier and followed it over, but she had still arrived a step too late. That Demonic Cultivator had already fled.

Ye Xuan looked at the blood pool beneath his feet and understood at once. That was a method of the Blood Demon Clan. The ones here just now must have been Xue Li and Ye Yu!

At this moment, Ye Xuan somewhat regretted being so cautious. Ye Yu's corpse was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps Xue Li had only gotten halfway through the job when he sensed Ye Qingxuan approaching and fled in haste.

"Hm? Why does the aura here seem somewhat like Imperial Brother's?" Regret was regret, but Ye Xuan quickly came up with a way to deal with it and immediately spoke as if he had said it casually.

At those words, Ye Qingxuan's brows drew tightly together. She raised a finger and tapped the air. Golden light emerged, and the nearly dried bloodstains slowly rose, eventually floating before her.

Feeling the aura emanating from those bloodstains, Ye Qingxuan's expression grew increasingly unsightly. She said coldly, "That good-for-nothing! He really did defect to the Devil Race!"

Seeing the icy look on Ye Qingxuan's face, Ye Xuan chuckled inwardly, knowing that his goal had been achieved. He then said, "Second Sister, don't be so quick to judge. Perhaps Imperial Brother was attacked by someone from the Devil Race."

"At a time like this, you're still making excuses for him! Xiao Xuan, valuing family ties is a good thing. Your second sister won't stop you, but before the greater good, you cannot be the slightest bit ambiguous!" Ye Qingxuan snorted coldly, then immediately turned and took Ye Xuan back to the imperial palace.

After dropping Ye Xuan off in the imperial palace, she rushed without pause toward the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace!

Since Ye Yu was colluding with the Devil Race, he would surely have left traces in his daily life. Ye Qingxuan intended to find proof of Ye Yu's allegiance to the Devil Race and teach her kindhearted younger brother a proper lesson: not to be deceived by Ye Yu's false appearance.

Bang!

A muffled crash rang out from the Eastern Palace. Ye Qingxuan kicked open its gates, but the instant she saw the scene inside, she froze where she stood.

As far as the eye could see was decay and ruin. A rotten stench rushed at her face. The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, which ought to have been grand and magnificent, did not even have a single intact table or chair. Dust lay everywhere, and cobwebs filled the corners.

Was this even the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace? It was worse than a refugee shack!