Not far from Pill Tower stood a massive city bathed in dark green hues.
It sprawled across a vast plain, surrounded by dense, lush forests. Wide avenues cut through the greenery, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
"Master Ye, we've arrived," Ye Xinlan said, standing beside the carriage. She bowed slightly with practiced respect.
This was Ye City, a city ruled by the Ye Family—once one of the most powerful families in the Pill Region. Though its former glory had long since faded, a lean camel was still larger than a horse. The Ye Family remained a dominant force here.
At the heart of Ye City, the Ye Family manor sprawled across a kilometer of prime land. Its gates were heavily guarded, and ordinary citizens were strictly forbidden entry. With the Ye Family's position as one of Pill Region five great family at risk, secret sentries from rival families lurked everywhere. In response, the family had tightened its defenses to the extreme.
---
"Xinlan, you're back."
As the carriage rolled into the Ye Family courtyard, a handsome young man approached with a smile.
"Cao Dan?"
Ye Xinlan's eyes hardened, disgust flashing across her face.
"Xinlan, I bring good news," Cao Dan said, clearly pleased with himself.
"What good news?" Ye Xinlan's tone was cold, almost biting.
"Heh… Forget it, let Uncle Ye explain." Cao Dan's lips curled into a smug smile as he glanced toward a middle-aged man standing nearby.
"Father…" Xinlan's face tensed.
The middle-aged man, clad in a fine blue robe, stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "Xinlan, the Ye Family has decided to form an alliance with the Cao Family. The marriage bond will be between you and Young Master Cao Dan."
"What?"
Ye Xinlan's eyes widened in outrage as she turned to glare at Cao Dan, who was already smirking triumphantly. Her pretty face flushed with anger. "I will never marry a despicable man like him!"
"Nonsense!"
Her father's face darkened. "Do you understand the situation we're in? The Cao Family is one of the five great families, a perfect match for us. Moreover, Cao Dan is a rare alchemy genius. This marriage will save our family from losing our seat among the five elders—and it will secure you a good husband."
"Even so," Xinlan snapped, "I will not marry Cao Dan. The Cao Family has long coveted our Ye Family. Agreeing to this will only hasten our downfall!"
"Xinlan, don't be naïve!" her father said sharply, though his tone softened into weary frustration. "For years, you've insisted on searching for someone to save us. I gave you eight years. Eight years! And what has it accomplished?"
Xinlan lifted her chin, her voice steady despite the storm in her heart. "Father… I've finally found someone who can save us."
"Who?"
Her father's eyes narrowed.
"Me," a calm voice answered.
---
A young man stepped out from the carriage.
Ye Feng.
Behind him, there was no sign of Ya Fei, Xiao Yixian, Zi Yan, or the two purple crystal-winged lion kings. They had remained behind with Feng Zun and Mu Qingluan at Xingyun Pavilion to prevent Yao Chen from seizing full control of its upper ranks.
---
"Him?"
The middle-aged man studied Ye Feng closely. At first glance, he seemed ordinary—his aura gave off no fluctuation of fighting spirit. But that, in itself, was terrifying. An ordinary man could not possibly stand before him so casually. His experience as the Ye Family patriarch told him this youth was far from simple.
"Who are you?" Cao Dan demanded, sneering.
"You're not qualified to know my name," Ye Feng said evenly.
Cao Dan's face twisted in anger. "So arrogant!"
"Leave," Ye Feng said coldly. His tone was calm, but it carried the weight of an unspoken command. "While I'm here, no one will harm the Ye Family."
Cao Dan barked a laugh. "Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm from the Cao Family of Pill Region! Xinlan, don't be fooled. Your family's crisis won't be solved by some stray cat or dog!"
Ye Feng's gaze sharpened. "I don't need to know who you are. But very soon… your Cao Family will know who I am."
Bang!
Before anyone could react, Cao Dan's body ruptured with a sickening pop, compressed instantly into a mist of blood under a terrifying spatial force.
The courtyard fell silent.
Xinlan froze, her eyes wide in shock. Her father, too, could only stare in disbelief.
Ye Feng casually lifted his hand. The blood mist condensed into a single crimson droplet, floating in the air.
"Blood as a guide, shadow to the sinner," Ye Feng murmured, his tone almost casual. A seal formed in his hand, sending ripples of energy into the droplet. The blood glowed ominously before shooting upward, blooming like a blood-red sun above the courtyard.
All across Ye City, people linked to Cao Dan suddenly flared with the same eerie crimson light.
"Xinlan," Ye Feng said, his voice calm, almost conversational, "this is my first visit to your home. I came without a gift. Allow me to offer one now."
Ten golden halos manifested beneath Ye Feng's feet, and behind him, ten radiant rings—the symbols of the Creation God from the Douluo Plane—shimmered into existence. A gray sword appeared, humming with destructive power.
Xinlan and her father felt their breath catch as an overwhelming pressure filled the air.
Ye Feng's fingers twitched.
A gray sword light swept across the city.
---
In that instant, more than a thousand people—the Cao Family's spies—were obliterated without a sound. Bodies fell like withered leaves, lifeless before they hit the ground.
The courtyard was still again when Ye Feng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade. He flicked his finger lightly, and forty-nine figures were suddenly dragged into the courtyard, pulled through spatial rifts.
"Patriarch?"
An old man looked around in confusion, utterly bewildered. "How… how am I here? I was just in my room…"
"Third Elder?"
Xinlan's father stiffened in shock. Among the captured were the Third Elder and forty-eight other Ye Family members.
Ye Feng put away the Xuanyuan Sword Spirit and said plainly, "All spies of the Cao Family infiltrating Ye City have been killed. As for these people—Cao Dan's traces linger on their bodies, fresh and undeniable. They had close contact with him. How you deal with them… is your choice."
"Close contact with Cao Dan?"
The Third Elder's expression shifted instantly, panic flashing in his eyes. "Ridiculous! Boy, don't spout nonsense!"
"Third Elder!"
Xinlan's father's face darkened with fury. "You've been the most vocal about this alliance with the Cao Family. Tell me, what did they offer you that made you betray your own bloodline?!"
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