"No, no, it's not time yet. Didn't that group of lab rats set up some kind of Soul Fighting Grand Tournament? We'll just see how far that little fellow manages to grow then... If he satisfies me, I won't mind making him an outer member of the Fang family. If he doesn't, we can just hand him over to those madmen in the Academy..." The smile on the man's lips grew increasingly cruel.

"Big Brother always plans things meticulously. Oh no, that little rascal Jiu You has left Yanhuang Island..." The voice from the void suddenly gasped in alarm again.

"Let him go. He's an adult now; it's time for him to temper himself. If he can't even handle those lab rats, what right does he have to inherit my position as the family head, let alone become the next Alliance Master? Our Fang family has no use for trash!"

"But Big Brother, he has only reached the initial stage of the Earthly Tier? That's equivalent to the first heaven of the Martial God realm. The Kyushu Continent is surging with change right now, he..."

"He carries a magic artifact personally bestowed by the Old Man. Even a Martial God of the Third Heaven wouldn't dare try to take him down. If he can't survive even under those circumstances, what use is a son like that to me!" the man on the seat stated coldly.

"I understand, Big Brother..."

In the void, there was silence once more.

At this moment, in Tianyuan City, outside the temple where the Origin Spirit Sect was located, the air shimmered violently. Immediately afterward, a figure burst forth.

The newcomer's attire was extremely peculiar. It wasn't in the style of any nation on the Soul Fighting Continent; instead, he wore a checkered shirt, jeans, and his hair, though not long, was meticulously countable, gleaming slightly as if styled with pomade.

If Ye Jingyu were here to see this sight, he would surely suspect he had time-traveled back again.

"Wacka-ha-ha! I'm finally out! I can't believe it, I can't believe it! Five years, a full five years! I'm about to go insane from being cooped up! The beauties of the Soul Fighting Continent, Young Master Fang is here! Wait for my admiration! Hahahaha..." The man in the checkered shirt burst into loud laughter. This person was none other than Little Jiu, whom the Origin Spirit Sect Master had mentioned—the youngest son of the Fang family, Fang Jiuyou.

"Ah, perhaps this outfit is too flashy. I should change first, shouldn't I?" After roaring with laughter, Fang Jiuyou realized his clothes were a bit too conspicuous. He then reached into the ring on his hand and pulled out a set of fine robes, donning them.

Once dressed, his figure dissolved into an ethereal shadow, vanishing without a trace.

Yuan Tian, having returned from the palace, had no idea a major figure had followed him to the Soul Fighting Continent. Looking at the expectant eyes of his seven companions, he immediately relayed the orders given by the Sect Master.

Upon hearing that the Sect Master’s command was to throw the Nine Provinces into chaos, the other seven were utterly shocked. However, seeing Yuan Tian's solemn expression, they knew this was an undeniable truth.

"Yuan Di, Yuan Xuan, Yuan Huang, you quickly go to Storm City. Isn't that old thief Xuanyuan Xiao Zhan guarding Tianyuan City? Then let Storm City fall; let's see how he can possibly remain calm. Yuan Yu, Yuan Zhou, you hurry to the Western Chu Empire. Isn't that Ximen Dao timid? You let him know that if he wants to be an emperor, he needs a bit of courage. As for the Southern Cloud Empire... hehe..." As he spoke, Yuan Tian revealed a faint smile, seemingly unconcerned by anything.

Hearing the Great Elder's instructions, the others nodded. The wars were gradually subsiding. Apart from the various nations focusing on self-cultivation, the main reason was the near-equal balance of power between the three great empires. The former allies, the Western Chu Empire and the Southern Cloud Empire, could no longer maintain the same intimate alliance as before. After all, an Ye Jingyu had emerged in the Southern Cloud Empire, and Huangfu Buyue of the Western Chu Empire clearly hadn't achieved the same feats as Ye Jingyu.

The national strength of the Southern Cloud Empire was slowly surpassing that of the Western Chu Empire. Even if Ximen Dao were truly an idiot, he couldn't keep cooperating with the Southern Cloud Empire indefinitely only to pave the way for others' success.

In such a balanced situation, a catalyst was necessary, and the fall of Storm City and the Tuoba family taking control of the Nine Provinces was the perfect catalyst.

Since the Tianyuan Empire dared to defy the orders of the Origin Spirit Sect, it was time to find a new spokesperson.

As Yuan Tian issued his orders, the entire Nine Provinces would once again plunge into strife.

At this moment, in Cloud Capital, at the residence of the State Protector Duke...

In Duke Ye's chambers, the atmosphere was hazy and filled with a soft light. Ye Jingyu, having just completed his wedding rites, was tumbling and wrestling with Luo Ling'er on the bed, engaged in an intense battle.

Occasionally, Luo Ling'er's gasps of pleasure could be heard. Under Ye Jingyu's myriad of techniques, even though Luo Ling'er had reached the Soul Immortal realm and the peak of the Grandmaster realm, she was utterly exhausted. After reaching an unknowable number of moments of blissful culmination, she finally fell into a deep slumber.

Gazing at the lovely figure in his arms, a happy smile curved the corner of Ye Jingyu's lips, yet his eyes held a look of firm resolve. He gently kissed her forehead, then quietly slipped out of bed, pulling on a loose coat, and walked out of the room.

He passed through layers of corridors, heading straight for the secret chamber. There, he saw Liang Xiaoke, Chi Yixiu, Hu Yanzhi, Gongsun Xiangyi, Hu Yanmeng, Bieli, Ye Longyi, Ying Xiaoxiao, and even Zhuge Yishi and Nangong Shang waiting there.

Seeing Ye Jingyu walk in, everyone wore expressions tinged with suggestive amusement. Liang Xiaoke, in particular, had a smile so brilliant, so flirtatious.

If it weren't for the concern that Ye Jingyu might have something crucial to say, they would have already started asking him about the sensations of his wedding night.

"Do you know about the existence of the Origin Spirit Sect?" Ye Jingyu ignored what everyone was thinking and got straight to the point.

At these words, Liang Xiaoke maintained his sly grin, while the others fell into deep thought. They knew Ye Jingyu wouldn't summon them at this time just for fun. Only Zhuge Yishi frowned slightly and stated calmly, "It is an ancient organization, perhaps even a sect that secretly controls the structure of the Nine Provinces. If I'm not mistaken, the sixteen Martial Saints who appeared in the Imperial Palace Square today are members of the Origin Spirit Sect!"

"Correct. Those sixteen people today are indeed from the Origin Spirit Sect, and Brother Zhuge's guess is also right. The entire structure of the Nine Provinces is almost controlled by this sect. However, this is merely the external work of this sect. In other words, those sixteen people today are nothing more than outer personnel of the Origin Spirit Sect," Ye Jingyu said with a grave expression.

Hearing this, everyone was momentarily stunned. The joy they felt from defeating the sixteen Martial Saints vanished instantly.

(Well, this is the future many years from now. The mysterious veil of the Soul Fighting Continent is starting to lift. The climax will keep rising, brothers, please show more support! There will be another update later!)