Li Shuwén and more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Star Bamboo Palace appeared in the sky above a small island, immediately unleashing a barrage of attacks on the protective array of the island's cave residence, attempting to blast it open outright. Many cultivators flying nearby witnessed this scene and were stunned into silence, stopping five or six miles away in the sky to observe, pointing and murmuring amongst themselves.

The gathering crowd of passing cultivators soon swelled to several dozen, drawn by the spectacle. Though they were all Foundation Establishment cultivators who dared not provoke Li Shuwén and the others from the Demonic Heaven Alliance, they weren't overly fearful.

"Aren't those cultivators from the Demonic Heaven Alliance? What are they trying to do, seek revenge or cause trouble?" "That island bears the mark of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. It looks like they're attacking a Heavenly Dao Alliance cave residence!" "Those Demonic Heaven Alliance cultivators are too rampant. Do they think the Heavenly Dao Alliance is a soft persimmon to be easily crushed?" "Tsk, tsk, who knows. If the Demonic Heaven Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators start fighting, it will likely be quite a show. If it gets really chaotic, who knows how many cultivators will be caught in the crossfire." The surrounding cultivators shook their heads in agreement.

It was understandable why these passersby were astonished. After all, this location was very close to Celestial Palace City, a zone strictly governed by both the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Demonic Heaven Alliance. The order here had always been excellent, unlike some of the more chaotic island clusters elsewhere.

Yet, this group of Demonic Heaven Alliance Foundation Establishment cultivators was openly assaulting the cultivation residence of a Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivator—a truly audacious act.

Such bold and reckless behavior was rare in the central island region of the East Sea Archipelago.

If handled poorly, it could easily stir up massive waves and ignite conflict between the two great immortal alliances.

Indeed, just as these Star Bamboo Palace cultivators were fiercely attacking the protective formation on the island, on the verge of breaking through, a new development occurred. Several dazzling beams of light appeared in the distance, and five or six Foundation Establishment cultivators clad in golden robes flew toward the island.

However, these golden-robed cultivators were clearly not there to watch the show. Their attire distinctly bore the mark of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. As soon as they arrived, they immediately moved to intervene.

"Stop right there, Li Shuwén, you are being far too presumptuous! Do you truly believe no one can control you?" The leading figure, a dashing young man, saw the group of Star Bamboo Palace Foundation Establishment cultivators assaulting the protective array of the small island. His gaze sharpened instantly, and he roared sharply.

Li Shuwén glanced toward the golden-robed cultivators, apparently recognizing them, and scoffed dismissively. "Oh, who is this? It's Brother Wu. This is a matter between my Star Bamboo Palace and the Water Cloud Palace; it has nothing to do with your Golden Armor Palace. You'd best not interfere." This golden-robed man resided on a larger island nearby and was a descendant of a Nascent Soul ancestor from the Golden Armor Palace within the Heavenly Dao Alliance, giving him a relatively high status. However, compared to a cultivator like Li Shuwén, who was the sole successor, his standing was slightly lower. Li Shuwén was the Young Master of the Star Bamboo Palace. This gentleman named Wu was certainly no Young Master.

Moreover, Li Shuwén had brought more than double the number of subordinates that the man named Wang had brought. He completely ignored the warning.

"This is the cave residence of Huangfu Shimo of the Water Cloud Palace, Heavenly Dao Alliance. How can this not concern me as a member of the Heavenly Dao Alliance?! If you do not cease immediately, do not blame me for taking action." The golden-robed man surnamed Wu immediately summoned a giant sword magical artifact, pointing it at Li Shuwén, his anger barely concealed.

Li Shuwén glared fiercely at the golden-robed man surnamed Wu, showing no fear.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators on both sides immediately drew their weapons, and the atmosphere grew tense. The surrounding crowd of onlookers erupted in an uproar upon hearing the exchange. Many informed Foundation Establishment cultivators showed expressions of surprise. "This is Huangfu Bing'er's cave residence of the Water Cloud Palace; no wonder the two groups of cultivators are fighting." "It's another mess caused by jealousy." Huangfu Bing'er was quite famous among the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Celestial Palace City area, and this incident was connected to events ten years prior.

Every few decades, large numbers of cultivators from the Central Lands arrive in the East Sea to join the Heavenly Dao Alliance or the Demonic Heaven Alliance. However, the vast majority only become the lowest ranks of the alliance, holding little status, and are liable to be sent out to expand territory and sacrifice themselves at any time. Very few manage to become Golden Core cultivators.

A small number of fortunate individuals are accepted as disciples by Golden Core cultivators, allowing them to continue their cultivation journey with a better chance of reaching the Golden Core stage.

Foundation Establishment cultivators directly accepted as personal disciples by Nascent Soul cultivators are as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns. This is because Nascent Soul cultivators usually only take Golden Core cultivators as disciples. Yet, there are always a tiny fraction of Foundation Establishment cultivators who receive this rare honor. These individuals have a high probability of becoming Golden Core cultivators in the future. Every Foundation Establishment cultivator accepted by a Nascent Soul cultivator inevitably draws the attention and secret envy of countless peers.

Huangfu Bing'er arrived in the Celestial Palace City area over ten years ago and became the immediate disciple of True Person Liu Yuzhen of the Water Cloud Palace. This caused quite a stir among the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Celestial Palace City region at the time.

She was one of only a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators accepted as direct disciples by a Nascent Soul cultivator in the last decade, and notably, she was a female.

After becoming a disciple of the Water Cloud Palace, Huangfu Bing'er lived reclusively, showing herself rarely, and always concealing her beautiful face behind a thin veil. Yet, even so, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators infatuated with her in both the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Demonic Heaven Alliance was far from small. However, cultivators of status generally valued decorum; once rejected, they would not pester her further. Few were as persistent and shameless as Li Shuwén, who repeatedly went to the Water Cloud Palace to harass her.

And this Wu Yuyue from the Golden Armor Palace was also one of her admirers.

For a cultivator like Wu Yuyue, who had long admired Huangfu Bing'er, the arrival of the Demonic Heaven Alliance members to cause trouble here was nothing less than a blatant provocation.

Therefore, as soon as Wu Yuyue heard that someone was attacking Huangfu Bing'er's residence, he immediately took several subordinates and flew over on his artifacts. He absolutely could not miss such an excellent opportunity to curry favor with the woman he admired.

However, he had not expected the aggressor to be Li Shuwén, the Young Master of the Star Bamboo Palace with deep backing, and that Li Shuwén had brought even more people.

Wu Yuyue suddenly found the situation extremely tricky. Just as they stood glaring at each other, hesitating whether to make a move...

The cave residence on the small island opened wide.

Two streams of light flew out from within the cave—a man and a woman, both high-level Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Unsurprisingly, they were Ye Qin, who had recently acquired a set of Colorful Wing materials, and Huangfu Bing'er. Ye Qin's expression was blank as his gaze swept over the dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators hovering in mid-air. A faint surge of anger ignited within him. He hadn't even had a chance to let Bing'er enjoy his new Colorful Wings before these cultivators ruined the atmosphere—truly detestable.

Huangfu Bing'er gazed at the cultivators in dark blue and black robes in the sky with icy eyes. Whether fighting alone or in a group, she had experienced countless battles in the Spirit Mist Realm of the Central Lands and naturally held no fear.

But there were simply too many Foundation Establishment cultivators here. Deep in her eyes, a hint of worry surfaced, concern for Ye Qin. She had witnessed Ye Qin's methods once in the Ten Thousand Withered Ridges, but she had not been entirely clear about his strength since then.

Seeing both Huangfu Bing'er and Ye Qin fly out of the cave together, the expressions of everyone—the dark blue and black robed cultivators on Li Shuwén's side, the golden-robed cultivators on Wu Yuyue's side, and the dozens of onlookers—changed dramatically.

The onlookers, in particular, displayed strange looks.

Li Shuwén's face grew extremely ugly, veins bulging, staring ferociously at Huangfu Bing'er and Ye Qin. "I knew something was going on! Refusing my kind offers time and again, looking down on me—it turns out she already had some pretty boy." He turned towards the golden-robed man. "Surname Wu, did you see that? She already has a kept man. Are you still planning to interfere and stop me?"

Wu Yuyue's face paled. He looked back and forth between Huangfu Bing'er and Ye Qin for a long time.

He remained silent, deep in thought, before finally retracting his giant sword magical artifact.

Judging by this attitude, he had decided to abandon any involvement in the matter.

Seeing Wu Yuyue was unwilling to intervene, Li Shuwén turned toward Ye Qin with simmering hatred.

He spat out a small spear, only a few inches long, which shot out and transformed into a five-zhang-long blood-red long spear, standing erect beside him. A dense, murderous, and strange bloody aura emanated from the spear shaft. Li Shuwén spoke in a sinister tone, "...Kid, I don't care who you are or why you're here. You now have only two choices: either self-detonate your primordial spirit, or be slowly skewered to death by my Demon Slaying Divine Spear. Choose one!" The Foundation Establishment cultivators accompanying Li Shuwén spread out, surrounding Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er, brandishing their respective magical artifacts. Most of the artifacts they used were mid-tier to high-tier.

They were not in a hurry to attack.

They certainly didn't believe that two cultivators, Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er, could escape the encirclement of their group of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even if the pair were high-level cultivators, they would undoubtedly perish.

"That's the Primordial Spirit Magical Artifact once used by Ancestor Li of the Star Bamboo Palace, Demonic Heaven Alliance. The Demon Slaying Divine Spear—it has actually slain demonic cultivators; it’s famous!" "They're actually descendants of Ancestor Li; no wonder they are so arrogant as to openly attack the cave residence of a Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivator."

By now, the crowd of onlookers had swelled to over a hundred. Upon seeing that blood-red Primordial Spirit Magical Artifact, a wave of hushed gasps rose among them. They might not have recognized Li Shuwén, but almost everyone had heard the great names of that divine artifact and Ancestor Li of the Star Bamboo Palace.

Li Shuwén himself was a cultivator at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment. With such a powerful Primordial Spirit Magical Artifact in hand, backed by more than ten subordinates who were mid-to-high-tier Foundation Establishment cultivators, they looked upon Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er with pity.

In their eyes, these two high-level Foundation Establishment cultivators were clearly about to suffer a terrible fate. Against a well-connected cultivator like Li Shuwén, possessing such a superior artifact, no one could stand a chance. The cultivators accompanying Wu Yuyue had also given up interfering and were watching coldly, waiting for a good show.

Wu Yuyue had also pursued Huangfu Bing'er, only to be coldly rejected. He was now seeing her with a completely unknown cultivator who lacked any apparent background.

Wu Yuyue felt a surge of annoyance and even hoped Li Shuwén would take care of that boy.

Ye Qin didn't spare the arrogant Li Shuwén a glance; instead, he turned slightly and calmly asked Huangfu Bing'er, "Bing'er, who are these cultivators?"

"They are cultivators from the Star Bamboo Palace, Demonic Heaven Alliance. The one leading is surnamed Li; he is the only direct blood relative of the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Star Bamboo Palace. The other side is cultivators from the Golden Armor Palace, Heavenly Dao Alliance, surnamed Wu; he is also a direct descendant of a Nascent Soul Ancestor. The rest should be their subordinates," Huangfu Bing'er replied in a low voice.

Ye Qin did not ask why these cultivators were attacking the residence.

Huangfu Bing'er did not say either.

To Ye Qin, this was unimportant. What mattered was that these cultivators had arrived and acted aggressively, seeking his life. Even if these people were related to Nascent Soul Ancestors, it was irrelevant. They were clearly targeting Bing'er, and daring to plot against Bing'er was something he absolutely could not tolerate.

"Junior Brother Ye, there are too many enemies. Should we...?" Huangfu Bing'er's tone was calm. She had contended with the top-tier enemies from the Sky Dome Plain and the Ten Thousand Moon Lake battlefields in the Central Lands Spirit Mist City, killing no small number of foes. Although the chance of defeating these current cultivators was extremely slim, there was still a possibility of leaving this place.

"It doesn't matter; there aren't actually that many," Ye Qin slowly shook his head, his eyes sweeping around the surroundings, letting out a faint, cold smile.

Li Shuwén was still waiting for Ye Qin to self-detonate, yet he received such a remark instead. The twenty-odd Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Star Bamboo Palace were momentarily stunned, then burst into wild laughter.

"'It doesn't matter'? 'Not that many'? Who does this kid think he is! So arrogant!"

"Does he think he's a Golden Core cultivator who can sweep us all away?!"