Ye Jingyu stood silently suspended in the void, his long white hair moving without wind, the black robe clinging to him rustling loudly. His chiseled face was a mask of calm, his sharp gaze sweeping downward, taking in every living soul below…
Everyone felt a tremor deep in their hearts, as if the figure in the void was not a man, but a deity, an invincible God of War…
No one could resist, no one could withstand, no one could overcome…
With a sharp snap, someone fell to their knees—the sound of armor colliding with the ground. The first to yield was a soldier of the rebel army, utterly unable to bear the crushing pressure emanating from Ye Jingyu.
As he knelt, more and more people cast aside their weapons and dropped to the ground, gazing up at the exalted Ye Jingyu with eyes filled with sheer terror, as if in worship…
Before long, even the soldiers defending the city involuntarily fell to their knees. Faced with Ye Jingyu, who seemed a true War God, they knew nothing else to do but offer their obeisance…
Soon, the vast square surrounding the Imperial Palace was densely packed with kneeling figures—soldiers, generals, and even laborers brought in for menial tasks…
At this moment, high above the palace city, Nangong Shang permitted himself a faint smile. Because of Ye Jingyu’s return, this arduous battle had been won with surprising ease. It seemed Zhuge Yi Shi had been right: the deciding factor in any conflict was often the elite fighting strength.
Bie Li, Ye Longyi, and Ying Xiaoxiao stared with expressions of utter, profound reverence. They truly could not comprehend how one person could achieve such terrifying might…
Yet, amidst the awe, Ye Jingyu showed no joy. His dark, obsidian eyes were fixed toward the southwest, where a single figure was rapidly approaching.
It was a middle-aged man clad in a long robe. Even in his run, his movements retained a measured composure, suggesting nothing in this world could disturb his inner equilibrium.
The man drew closer, and the killing intent in Ye Jingyu’s eyes grew dense. The approaching figure was none other than his mortal, sworn enemy: Qin Yan…
The perpetrator responsible for the slaughter of hundreds in the Ye Family Village…
Qin Yan seemed to register the imposing figure of Ye Jingyu hanging in the air, the several craters scarring the plaza below, and the dark patches of spilled blood. Finally, his gaze settled directly upon the tattered, unrecognizable corpse of Qin Yunxiao…
Even though Qin Yunxiao was now little more than ruin, Qin Yan instantly knew that this was his own flesh and blood.
Upon seeing that pile of mangled tissue, the gray streaks in Qin Yan’s hair instantaneously turned stark white. His eyes seemed to split open, his eyeballs nearly popping from their sockets…
“Yun’er…” A sound of heart-wrenching agony tore from Qin Yan’s throat, and in that instant, he appeared to age hundreds of years…
He collapsed directly before the heap of shattered remains that had been Qin Yunxiao, cupping the fragments in his hands. Two streams of bloody tears streamed from his eyes…
Why? Why must this happen…?
Thirty years ago, his family was massacred. He had barely escaped through sheer tenacity. The near-dead man he was then encountered Yun’er’s mother. It was she who pulled him back from the brink of death. He found himself unknowingly falling in love with her. Later, through her introduction, he joined the White Cloud Villa. But given his background, how could a mere White Cloud Villa tolerate him?
Yet, for her sake, and to wait for the right moment to seek vengeance, he remained there…
Later, she married Qin Xuan and bore him a son, but she perished during childbirth. At that time, Qin Yan felt his heart shatter completely.
From that moment, Qin Yunxiao became his sole anchor. Over the years, he ceaselessly accumulated power, even betraying the White Cloud Villa, all so he could exact revenge. However, within the Shu Yun Kingdom, and now the Southern Cloud Empire, he was never given true authority. And without the might of a nation, Qin Yunxiao understood, he could never avenge himself…
Because only he knew how overwhelmingly powerful and terrifying his true enemy was…
As time passed, and as Qin Yunxiao grew, the relentless desire for revenge gradually softened. All he truly wanted was to forge the best possible environment for himself and his son.
Even if Qin Yunxiao wished to be emperor, Qin Yan felt that with his current strength, he could ensure that ambition came true…
But now, the only person he cared for in this world had been murdered, and he hadn't even been able to see him one last time. How could this not crush his heart? How could this not ignite his fury…?
A powerful surge of killing intent radiated outward, and a pervasive grief saturated the entire sky…
“It was you… you killed him?” Qin Yan slowly rose, his blood-red eyes fixed on Ye Jingyu, who still hovered in the air…
“I killed him. Not only him, but I will kill you too!” Ye Jingyu replied with equal coldness. How could such a blood feud go unavenged…?
Icy killing intent burst forth from both men simultaneously. Almost the instant Ye Jingyu finished speaking, Qin Yan’s body shot forward…
Without drawing any weapon, he threw a single punch toward Ye Jingyu…
Seeing Qin Yan’s rapidly approaching strike, Ye Jingyu made no move to dodge. The Ba Yuan Power inside him circulated at full speed, and he slammed his own fist directly against Qin Yan’s…
Rumble… Their fists collided heavily. Immediately afterward, Qin Yan’s arm looked as if it had been caught in a meat grinder; the flesh on the exterior instantly shredded apart. Ye Jingyu’s arm, however, remained completely unmarked, suffering only a slight, deep numbness…
Qin Yan, sent flying by the impact, wore an expression of shock. He had never imagined Ye Jingyu had grown so formidable…
Before he could fully process the blow, Ye Jingyu’s figure charged forward again. He snatched at the void with one hand, then suddenly clenched his fist, unleashing another strike…
In that instant, streams of golden light flared at the tip of his fist. This light transformed into golden war waves that violently smashed toward Qin Yan…
The Battle Skill of the Tyrant Yuan Art: Wave Fist…
This was a strike capable of wounding Ying Kongshi; its power was beyond comprehension. At least, as Ye Jingyu launched his blow, a look of sheer horror crossed Qin Yan’s face…
Facing a punch that threatened to shatter him into dust, Qin Yan suddenly pressed a hand to his lower abdomen. Immediately, a water-blue energy shield erupted outward, completely enveloping him…