Under Ye Jingyu's phantom steps, a distance of tens of kilometers was covered in but a moment. By the time the two returned to Miao City, the hour was already past midnight...

The sight of Ye Jingyu’s rapid movement stunned Huangfu Buyue once again. What kind of cultivation technique did this fellow practice to possess such immense power?

"You... you don't doubt me at all?" Seeing Ye Jingyu walk straight into the city without once asking her about the ambush, Huangfu Buyue couldn't help but finally speak up...

"Heh, since I was willing to fight you fairly, I will trust you completely. You wouldn't involve yourself in such matters, much less cooperate with the Tianyuan Empire..." Ye Jingyu said without turning his head. He still needed to rush back and check on Luo Ling'er.

Although they had a master like Liang Xiaoke watching over them, things should be fine, but who could tell if the enemy would deploy supreme experts? The Yuanling Sect was far too mysterious, compelling him to be cautious...

Watching Ye Jingyu’s receding silhouette, hearing the unwavering tone in his voice, Huangfu Buyue felt an inexplicable surge of emotion...

"Ruohan, is that you? Did you leak my location?" Grief flickered across Huangfu Buyue's eyes. Only Xuanyuan Ruohan knew of this matter, and since she was royalty, such an action wasn't entirely unexpected. Realizing that the expectations they held for the New Year had resulted in today's betrayal, Huangfu Buyue felt a sharp, cutting pain in her heart...

"No... it can't be, you wouldn't betray me..." In a daze, Huangfu Buyue seemed to grasp something.

He could trust me so completely; why couldn't I trust you? You absolutely wouldn't do this. Thinking of Ye Jingyu's resolute gaze, thinking of her relationship with Xuanyuan Ruohan, Huangfu Buyue cast aside all suspicion. If she couldn't even trust her, what future could there be for them?

Setting aside whether the obsession in her heart was true or false, Huangfu Buyue took a brief moment to regulate her breathing before rushing toward the private courtyard where she resided. If Xuanyuan Ruohan wasn't responsible, then she must have already been taken hostage by Xuanyuan Ruoxing. He absolutely could not allow her to lose her freedom...

This was what Huangfu Buyue thought, though there was also a desire within him to confirm the thoughts consuming his mind.

When Ye Jingyu returned to the inn, he found it shattered, littered with bloodstains, and swarming with patrol officers investigating the scene...

What kind of fierce battle had taken place here to reduce the entire inn to rubble? Could the arriving enemies have forced Liang Xiaoke to unleash his full strength?

A figure lingered in the darkness. The moon emblem on his brow pulsed faintly, and gradually, a hazy path materialized in his mind—the direction Liang Xiaoke and the others had likely departed.

The figure paused no longer, vanishing instantly into the void...

Following the faint aura, Ye Jingyu quickly arrived at a secluded courtyard. Sensing the faint energy Ye Jingyu emitted, a figure instantly materialized in the air—pale-faced and gaunt. Who else could it be but Liang Xiaoke?

"Big Brother, Ling'er and the others..." Upon seeing Liang Xiaoke, Ye Jingyu asked immediately.

"Relax. It was just a few Martial Saints. With me here, they couldn't harm the sister-in-law. How about your end?" Before Ye Jingyu could finish, Liang Xiaoke replied.

Ye Jingyu quickly recounted his ambush by Fang Jiuyou and Xuanyuan Ruoxing. The two exchanged a look; they both knew that Fang Jiuyou must be a high-ranking figure in the Yuanling Sect, otherwise, how could so many experts appear by his side?

After a discussion, Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke decided to postpone their planned journey to Tianyuan City. They would focus on capturing Fang Jiuyou first. Their ultimate goal was to uncover the secrets of the Yuanling Sect, and now that they had encountered someone highly likely to be one of its leaders, they could not let him go.

However, given Fang Jiuyou’s formidable strength and the numerous Martial Saints accompanying him, Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke understood that killing such a figure would not be easy...

It was best to wait and see how things developed...

The continuous fighting had left Ye Jingyu utterly exhausted, his inner Bayuanchili nearly depleted. Taking advantage of the pre-dawn light, he returned to his room to begin regulating his breath...

On the other side, when Huangfu Buyue rushed to that private courtyard, he found Xuanyuan Ruohan already gone, causing him immense disappointment. Amidst the desolation came a strange wave of worry—what state was she in now?

Still, he was a genius among geniuses and naturally would not let this throw him into complete disarray. He did not leave Miao City, instead finding a secluded spot to recuperate. The immediate priority was to restore his strength as quickly as possible; only with power could he pursue his goals...

Meanwhile, when Fang Jiuyou and Xuanyuan Ruoxing returned to Miao City only to find that their subordinates had failed and nearly lost one of their own, they were furious. They had never expected Ye Jingyu to have such a powerful expert beside him; deploying four Martial Saints had still ended in failure...

Because of this, Fang Jiuyou’s resolve to eliminate Ye Jingyu only hardened. He absolutely would not allow these insignificant ants to challenge his authority...

The chaotic fight within Miao City only caused minor unrest in the city, but the battle between Ye Jingyu and Huangfu Buyue had unknowingly drawn the attention of countless powerful figures. Especially Ye Jingyu’s final strike, which had nearly shaken the entirety of Haizhou and Yunzhou, with energy fluctuations even reaching Baidi City at the mouth of Tianjiang Sea.

In Baidi City, within the City Lord's Manor, Bai Yunlan stood quietly atop the Star-Gazing Tower. His aged eyes fixed on the direction of Miao City, his brow deeply furrowed. Such powerful fluctuations—who could it be? Miao City, Miao City... was the time for upheaval finally beginning?

He glanced at the three Martial Saint sons standing behind him. A determined expression crossed Bai Yunlan’s face. As the largest martial arts lineage in the Nine Provinces, how could the Bai family not investigate such a battle? Moreover, having received a pigeon message from Prince Ruoxing confirming that Ye Jingyu of the Nanyun Empire was in Miao City, and with those old monsters currently absent from the Nine Provinces, this was the perfect opportunity to strike him down. Bai Yunlan certainly would not miss it.

"Tianyu, Tianhu, Tiankun, you three go to Miao City together. Remember, kill this child at any cost!" Bai Yunlan stated coldly, clearly harboring deep hatred for Ye Jingyu. After all, it was because of Ye Jingyu that their Bai family had almost been wiped out years ago...

"Yes!" The three standing behind Bai Yunlan respectfully saluted him, then soared into the sky, speeding toward Miao City at full tilt...