Ye Jingyu stood silently atop the half-ruined hill, gazing down at Xiao Geng lying in a pool of blood. His expression was perfectly calm, yet within him, a tidal wave of shock was surging.

The Heaven and Earth Star Spirit Arrow—that was something capable of killing a Martial Saint. Even if a Martial Saint managed to block the strike and survive, they would undoubtedly suffer unimaginable, grievous injuries. But Xiao Geng? He wasn't even a Martial Saint, at most a Grandmaster, and his personal strength certainly didn't match Ye Jingyu's. Yet, merely by wielding that sword and unleashing a beam of crimson light, he had completely neutralized the Heaven and Earth Star Spirit Arrow.

What manner of power resided within that sword?

The Xiao family, while a major lineage in the Southern Cloud Empire, originated from a mere vassal state like the Shu Cloud Kingdom. What significance could such families hold in a kingdom’s predecessor? Even the three great sects that once dominated the Shu Cloud Kingdom were considered second-rate compared to the Ten Great Sects…

By the same token, how could the Xiao family possibly possess such profound heritage?

The Life and Death Yin-Yang Mirror, the Profound Heaven Bell, and that unnamed Vajra Bracelet—all undoubtedly Soul Artifacts of the Profound Grade or higher. Such artifacts would incite massive conflict wherever they appeared. Even a Soul Immortal would be fortunate to possess just one, yet he had three.

Wasn't his own Heaven Shaking Seal also gifted to him by that mysterious figure?

When all these pieces of information were aggregated, it clearly pointed to some immensely powerful figure standing behind Xiao Geng.

It was an undeniable fact that Xiao Geng was no match for him. In fact, among his peers, Ye Jingyu could rightfully claim supremacy, but that was based on a comparison of true, measured strength.

Now, with so many Soul Artifacts manifesting around Xiao Geng, especially the Profound Heaven Bell—if Liang Xiaoke hadn't appeared, Ye Jingyu might have been burned alive—he finally grasped the terrifying might of these artifacts.

Up until now, Ye Jingyu had always used Soul Artifacts to bully others, never truly appreciating their power. But having now witnessed their true destructive force, he deeply understood just how heaven-defying they were. With a high-grade Soul Artifact in hand, the gap in cultivation realm became meaningless.

This, then, was the true source of a Soul Master's strength?

It was only at this precise moment that Ye Jingyu truly understood why Soul Masters were so highly favored by all the major powers.

Everyone held their breath, staring blankly at Ye Jingyu standing there and Xiao Geng crumpled on the ground. No one knew what would happen next.

Xiao Geng’s true strength had always been an unknown variable, but when he finally displayed it, the crowd profoundly understood his terror, his might.

Yet, precisely because of this terrifying power, he had still been defeated by Ye Jingyu. This realization instilled a deeper sense of dread toward Ye Jingyu, even in the Crown Prince himself.

At that moment, the prone Xiao Geng stirred. His blood-drenched body struggled to push itself up. His face was entirely coated in gore, and his garments were shredded, making him look more wretched than a beggar on the street.

But his expression was savage, and combined with the bloodstains, he resembled a fiend clawing its way up from the depths of hell.

Crimson droplets of blood trickled down his arm onto the Reversing Soul Sword, gradually absorbed by the translucent blade, which began to hum resonantly.

Like a demon, yet not a demon… like a ghost, yet not a ghost…

For some unknown reason, Ye Jingyu felt an intuition that this was a sword that should not exist in the mortal world…

“You have lost!” a cold voice cut through the silence, issuing from Ye Jingyu’s lips.

Xiao Geng did not reply immediately. He slowly raised his head, his pair of scarlet eyes gradually locking onto Ye Jingyu…

They were eyes brimming with resentment, eyes saturated with hatred, and more terrifyingly, eyes sharpened to an almost unbearable degree of coldness. These should not be human eyes; they were the eyes of a demon, the eyes of a vengeful spirit.

Even Ye Jingyu’s formidable state of mind wavered slightly upon meeting that gaze; one could only imagine how terrifying those eyes truly were.

A chilling aura of killing intent slowly radiated from Xiao Geng’s body. Within this oppressive stillness was woven an extreme savagery, thick with the scent of blood.

Not only Ye Jingyu, who stood close by, but even those watching from hundreds of meters away felt this violence, this bloodlust. Especially upon seeing Xiao Geng’s blood-red eyes, a primal fear blossomed deep within everyone’s hearts.

Luo Ling'er clamped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief, seemingly unable to accept that this was the "Brother Xiao" she had grown up alongside.

Indeed, at this moment, Xiao Geng looked as if he were possessed by a demonic entity.

Luo Haitian’s brow furrowed deeply. Xiao Geng had presented him with far too many surprises. As the Crown Prince of the Southern Cloud Empire, the future Emperor, he did not wish for anyone close to him to harbor too many secrets, especially secrets unknown to him.

He had always believed Xiao Geng was completely loyal, but now it seemed the matter was far from simple. Furthermore, the current Xiao Geng was utterly unlike the one he knew; in fact, this Xiao Geng possessed no semblance of human warmth, a fact that deeply displeased him, immensely so…

Luo Ruofeng was equally perplexed. Among the imperial princes, his relationship with Xiao Geng had always been relatively close. Before Ye Jingyu appeared, he had considered Xiao Geng the best match for his sister. Only after Ye Jingyu’s arrival had his bond with Xiao Geng gradually frayed. Yet, he knew Xiao Geng almost as well as he knew himself, but the man before him now felt utterly alien and terrifying.

It was a shiver originating from the depths of the soul.

The surrounding princesses and noble ladies all turned deathly pale as they gazed upon the terrifying figure of Xiao Geng. They genuinely struggled to reconcile this apparition with the gentle, scholarly man they knew.

Never mind them; even the fur on the Great Beast, Taotie, stood straight up. That inhuman aura startled it greatly, and it stared at Xiao Geng with its vivid green eyes, pondering something unseen.

“Today, you shall die!” After an indeterminate length of time—perhaps a second, perhaps an eon—the blood-eyed Xiao Geng finally uttered a few more words.

His voice was frigid, devoid of hatred, devoid of resentment, not even carrying a trace of emotion, as if stating an irrelevant fact.

“Is that so?” Ye Jingyu scoffed, but the moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Geng’s form was already before him, the Reversing Soul Sword aimed directly at Ye Jingyu’s heart.

Ye Jingyu was startled internally, but his body reacted instantly, retreating several hundred paces with blurring speed. Yet, the tip of Xiao Geng’s sword remained relentlessly close to his sternum. If he stopped for even an instant, or lagged even slightly, that crimson blade would pierce his heart…