Then there was the unfathomable Xiao Shixuan, Taotie, and Ni Bo... These were all assets at his command, yet Ye Jingyu never counted Xiao Shixuan among his own forces. He always preferred to treat this well-behaved little girl as his younger sister...

Even knowing her formidable strength, he still regarded her as a delicate, frail little sibling... Doting on her, cherishing her... Musing over all this, a faint smile touched Ye Jingyu’s lips.

What would Qin Yan think if he knew the sheer power gathering around Ye Jingyu? Would he be terrified?

What would Luo Xiaofeng think if he knew of this strength at Ye Jingyu’s side?

Would he still tolerate his actions?

And what would Luo Ruofeng think upon learning of the massive support Ye Jingyu had summoned? Would he be happy, perhaps thrilled, or even excited?

Ye Jingyu smiled.

He knew that to survive in this world, and to thrive, one absolutely required sufficient power... Returning to Yun Jing this time, perhaps it was time to try a proactive offense. Qin Yan, how many trump cards do you still hold?

The smile on Ye Jingyu’s face grew broader, brighter, as his mind drifted to Luo Ling'er’s bright, blinking eyes. It had been a long time since he’d seen her smile; perhaps it was time he did something about that too. Yun Jing, I have returned. Will you remain tranquil?

“Kacha…”

Just as Ye Jingyu was contemplating his next move upon reaching the capital, the carriage wheels shrieked in a jarring sound—the noise of an emergency brake. Everyone inside lurched forward due to inertia, except for Xue Hengzhi, who remained utterly unmoved, a testament to his Grandmaster realm...

Even Hei Ming Shixuan awoke from the sudden jolt, rubbing her eyes and looking at Ye Jingyu with noticeable drowsiness...

“Reporting, sir. The mountain path ahead has collapsed, blocking our way. We might need to take a detour…”

Jiang Ming, the sole remaining Centurion among the Yun Guards, stepped forward and stated with profound respect...

He was filled with dread seeing how Ye Jingyu had subdued several individuals from the Hundred Burial Valley with absolute, overwhelming might.

Though he couldn't gauge Xue Hengzhi's exact realm, he knew he was a supreme expert. Had it not been for Ye Jingyu, they would all likely have been annihilated by now... Of course, he had no idea that Ye Jingyu had not only subdued Xue Hengzhi but also the even more powerful Bing Ming, nor that Gongsun Xiangyi possessed a Level Seven Desolate Beast at her side, nor that Ye Jingyu had acquired not only the White Lotus Sword Canon but also the ultimate skills of various major sects...

“A mountain path collapse? It isn’t the rainy season, why would it collapse?” Ye Jingyu frowned, yet his body effortlessly slipped out of the carriage... “Naturally, it was man-made…”

Xue Hengzhi, still inside the carriage, suddenly interjected... Hearing this, Ye Jingyu’s expression darkened dramatically. Just as he was about to issue an order, he saw hundreds of figures suddenly materialize atop the mountains flanking the path. They were all clad in pitch-black armor, each carrying large stones, which they began hurling down onto the road...

While the slopes on either side of the path weren’t exactly sheer, the road itself ran through a ravine—the perfect spot for an ambush. However, with Ye Jingyu’s current strength, he feared no ambush, nor did he believe anyone would truly dare to stage one with so many men here. Did Qin Yan possess such capability?

Especially considering how long he had been sequestered in the Hundred Burial Valley; most people likely assumed he and his entourage were dead. Who would expect an ambush? Unless there was a spy among his own ranks... The thought alone caused an icy murderous aura to flash in Ye Jingyu’s eyes, settling directly upon Jiang Ming...

These three hundred-plus men were the elites who followed him back from the Western Frontier battlefield; there was no way they could have betrayed him. The only potential source of leaks was Jiang Ming and those few dozen Yun Guards...

“Sir, it wasn’t me…”

As the Centurion of the Yun Guards, Jiang Ming understood Ye Jingyu’s implication the moment their eyes met and immediately dropped to his knees before him... He had witnessed Ye Jingyu’s power firsthand; in front of him, he couldn't even conceive of resistance... Seeing Jiang Ming’s terror-stricken face, Ye Jingyu said nothing more, nor did he draw his blade to sever his head.

He simply watched the stones tumble down from the peaks...

Ye Longyi and Ying Xiaoxiao, each leading fifty of the strongest Martial Masters, had already circled up the mountains on either side. These matters required no explicit command from Ye Jingyu... Hu Yanqi, leading the Hu Yan tribe's archers, found their own positions and began launching a counterattack against the soldiers atop the mountains. The summit wasn't particularly high, only one or two hundred meters. For ordinary archers, shooting that high might be impossible, and even if they could, the impact would be minimal.

But for the Hu Yan archers, it was nothing...

One arrow after another shot forth, snatching away a life with each flight... Yet the rolling stones still caused chaos. Although these were all experts at the Martial Master realm, they were struck by the endless barrage of rock. Stones rolling from such a height meant anyone hit was either killed or severely injured...

Even the horses were startled into furious neighing, only Ni Bo expertly dodged the falling stones with nimble steps, charging toward the summit... The remaining twenty-odd Chi Yi warriors formed a perimeter around the carriage, deploying the custom-made shields Ye Jingyu had crafted for them to block the falling debris...

Ding-ding-dang! Loud impacts echoed continuously. Only the robust Chi Yi race could withstand the impact of those stones... The rockfall was only the first wave.

Immediately following it came hundreds of arrows descending from the peaks.

Due to gravity, the enemy archers didn't need to aim; they just needed to release their arrows. The entire sky became a blur of flying projectiles, and countless men were pierced through the body by these shafts...

When Ye Longyi and Ying Xiaoxiao finally broke through to the summits with their respective teams, nearly half of the two hundred men left in the ravine had already fallen, dead or wounded... But the true fight had only just begun. With the fierce engagement of those dozens of elites, the enemy could no longer pose a significant threat.

The remaining hundred or so men, under Ye Jingyu’s command, charged toward the peaks together. Ye Jingyu even ordered Chi Yixiu to take the twenty-plus Chi Yi warriors with them.

For those who dared to set this trap, for those who killed over a hundred of his subordinates, he would show no mercy... Soon, the carriage was left without any immediate defense.

Ye Jingyu stood proudly atop the carriage, watching the gruesome, blood-splattered battle unfolding on the mountaintops... His heart felt icy cold... It was at this precise moment that seven or eight figures came speeding rapidly from the opposite end of the mountain path. Judging by their incredible speed, they were at least experts of the Xiantian realm, with the one in the lead undoubtedly being above the Zongshi level.

In the past, facing such an assault, Ye Jingyu would turn and flee without a second thought. But now, a cold sneer curled at the corner of his lips...