"Slap..." With a sharp crack, Xuanyuan Ruoxing's palm landed squarely on Fang Liu's cheek, leaving five distinct marks burned onto his face...

The crisp sound echoed jarringly in the otherwise tranquil night sky...

Fang Liu was a Martial Saint, a sworn protector of the Fang family, and certainly not a native of the Nine Provinces. In his eyes, everyone in the Nine Provinces was nothing more than an ant, even Xuanyuan Ruoxing was merely a pet his young master found amusing. Yet, who would have thought he would actually dare strike him?

He, a dignified Martial Saint, had just been slapped by a Grandmaster—this was an utter, profound humiliation...

"Are you tired of living?" Fang Liu roared, and with a sweep of his hand, he flung Xuanyuan Ruoxing away. Xuanyuan Ruoxing slammed heavily against the wall in the corner of the street, completely shattering the masonry...

After such a violent impact, the muddled fog in Xuanyuan Ruoxing's mind began to clear slightly. But when had he, a member of the Royal Family, ever been beaten so brutally? If it had been Fang Jiuyou beating him, that would have been one thing, but to be humiliated like this even by a mere retainer—this was an even greater shame...

In a fit of explosive rage, Xuanyuan Ruoxing completely suppressed the sliver of doubt in his heart. He leaped up, pointing fiercely at Fang Liu and shouting, "Kill them! Kill them all..."

Hearing their master's command, the retainers, who had finally snapped back to reality, immediately drew their sabers and charged toward the two Martial Saints. They didn't know these men were Martial Saints; they only knew that these two dared to strike their master, an unforgivable offense...

Facing the surging tide of retainers, Fang Wu and Fang Liu merely snorted. They didn't bother with weapons, unleashing a direct punch that sent intense waves of kinetic energy blasting outward...

Xuanyuan Ruoxing's retainers were also experts at the Grandmaster level. Suddenly sensing such ferocious power in the punches, their expressions shifted dramatically. However, their duty was to protect Xuanyuan Ruoxing, and they had long since made peace with their own mortality. Even knowing their opponents had reached the Martial Saint realm, they charged forward without hesitation to defend their charge...

"Smack, smack, smack..." With several sharp impacts, the retainers were all knocked to the ground by the two men. The most severely injured had a bloody hole blasted through his chest—life was clearly extinguished...

Having slain several retainers in quick succession, the killing intent radiating from Fang Wu and Fang Liu intensified, their focus immediately locking onto Xuanyuan Ruoxing huddled in the corner...

At this precise moment, three figures clad in white swiftly arrived beside Xuanyuan Ruoxing—it was Bai Tianyu and his two companions. They were utterly bewildered; things had been fine moments ago, so why had a fight suddenly erupted...

"Uncle Bai, you’ve arrived just in time! Deal with these two lackeys for me!" Seeing the arrival of the three Bai family members, Xuanyuan Ruoxing’s heart settled, and he roared the command.

His heart boiling with rage, he no longer cared about the consequences of offending Fang Jiuyou; he issued an irreversible kill order...

Bai Tianyu, Bai Tianhu, and Bai Tiankun exchanged glances, hesitation flickering in their eyes. After all, these two opponents were Martial Saints, and they were mere guards—anyone capable of employing Martial Saints as escorts must possess considerable status...

"Uncle Bai, are you afraid of them? Don't worry. Once they are dead, we can simply frame Ye Jingyu and his group..." Seeing the trio remain motionless, Xuanyuan Ruoxing spoke again...

The Xuanyuan and Bai families were long-standing allies; by seniority, he was indeed the junior to the three Bai men...

Bai Tianyu, however, failed to hear Xuanyuan Ruoxing’s words, instead frowning deeply before a flash of understanding sparked in his eyes...

"Forget it. When has our Bai family ever feared anyone!" Bai Tianyu seemed to make a momentous decision, speaking coldly. Meanwhile, Bai Tianhu and Bai Tiankun remained silent, their figures shifting instantly into a triangular formation, completely surrounding Fang Wu and Fang Liu in the center...

If they were going to kill, there could be no witnesses left alive. Just as Xuanyuan Ruoxing suggested, they could frame Ye Jingyu and the others...

In truth, Xuanyuan Ruoxing had become completely clear-headed by now, grasping that his previous actions had been trapped in someone's snare. But given what he had just done, and knowing Fang Jiuyou's temperament, even if he were proven framed, Fang Jiuyou would never forgive him. Therefore, the best solution was to eliminate these two here and shift the blame onto Ye Jingyu...

He was certain that with Fang Jiuyou's simple-minded nature, he would never suspect him...

Watching the three powerfully built men encircle them, Fang Wu and Fang Liu showed no sign of fear. They even cast glances of pity toward Xuanyuan Ruoxing and the three Bai men...

However, neither the guards nor Bai Tianyu’s group noticed that the enchanting figure who instigated this whole disaster had already vanished without a trace...

At this moment, on a distant corner tower not far away, Ye Jingyu and Huangfu Buyue, who had arrived shortly after, watched everything unfold in silence...

By their side stood the enchantress, clad in a flowing azure gauze dress...

Seeing how, in the span of mere moments, two factions that should have been cooperating closely had descended into open hostility, Huangfu Buyue’s face was etched with profound shock. She kept glancing back at the smiling enchantress; could such a delicate woman truly orchestrate a conflict between so many Martial Saints? This...

"Yao'er, you have worked hard!" Ye Jingyu remarked with a gentle smile, gazing out at the battlefield unfolding before them...

"It is Yao'er's blessing to be able to serve my Lord!" Yao'er replied softly, her beautiful eyes continuously tracing the contours of Ye Jingyu's face...

"Heh heh..." Seeing the gaze that flickered in Yao'er’s eyes, Ye Jingyu managed a dry chuckle, hesitant to say more. He truly couldn't fathom what thoughts churned in this woman's heart...

Yao'er didn't press the matter further, but her eyes remained fixed on Ye Jingyu, unwilling to look away...

Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers outside Li’miao City, in a desolate stretch of wilderness, Liang Xiaoke and Fang Jiuyou were locked in a fierce battle. After so much dedicated cultivation and absorbing the energy from numerous True Pills, Liang Xiaoke had subtly broken through to the fourth layer of the Corpse Emperor realm, capable of contending with an average Martial God based on her inherent strength. However, Fang Jiuyou was no ordinary Martial God; although his cultivation rested only at the first layer of the Martial God realm, his combat prowess was comparable to that of a third-layer Martial God...

Yet, perhaps because Liang Xiaoke was fully committed to defense, Fang Jiuyou, who held the upper hand, showed no inclination to deploy his full strength...

At that moment, Fang Jiuyou was forcing Liang Xiaoke into continuous retreats, but a sharp glint flashed deep within Liang Xiaoke's eyes...

(Bricks are being thrown! Bricks are being thrown~~~)