A powerful aura erupted from his body.
This young man was none other than Hong Yu, returned from the Ten Thousand Borders Demon Realm.
His cultivation had advanced once more, reaching the Peak of the Earth Soul Realm. The unrestrained explosion of his aura instantly caught the attention of the two disciples guarding the Mountain Gate.
They were both shocked. "Is—is that Hong Yu?"
"What's he doing back?"
The two exchanged a look. The first disciple's eyes flickered. "He's the First True Disciple and incredibly strong. Besides, he looks like he's in a blind rage. We should just get out of his way and not provoke him!"
"You coward. Don't you know he offended the Heaven and Earth Alliance? Aside from Elder Bai, no one in the Sword Sect likes him."
But the other disciple sneered, stepping forward and swaggering. "Who goes there? Do you not know this is the Cyan Nether Sword Sect? You…"
"Get lost!"
Before he could finish, he was cut off by Hong Yu's sharp command.
"You—you…"
The disciple's face changed drastically. He raged, "How audacious! You dare force your way into the Cyan Nether Sword Sect? You're…"
However, what stopped him this ti wasn't a shout, but the sharp force of a fist. The gust of wind from the punch howled, sending the disciple—who was rely at the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm—flying backward to slam heavily against a rock wall, his head lolling as he hung there, half-dead.
Hong Yu turned to the remaining man.
The man's legs went weak, and he quickly forced a smile. "Se-Senior Brother Hong, I had no intention of stopping you!"
Hong Yu nodded. "Has Elder Luo of the Inner Sect returned?"
"Ye-yes, he has! He returned several days ago," the man stamred.
"Good!"
Hong Yu took two steps forward, then paused. With a flick of his finger, he tossed the man a bottle of First-Grade Pills. "Conditions in the Outer Sect are harsh, and cultivation is difficult. Take this bottle of Nourishing Essence Pills!"
"Huh?"
He stared blankly at the jade bottle in his hand, his face then filling with gratitude. "Thank you, thank you, Senior Brother Hong!"
Gazing at Hong Yu's retreating figure, he then looked at his unconscious companion and rubbed his head in a daze. "Wa-was I just dreaming?"
His face dark, Hong Yu strode with unwavering steps toward Elder Zhu's mansion.
It was noon, the busiest ti of day for disciples of the Sword Sect's Inner and Outer Sects.
As he walked, people continuously spotted Hong Yu and greeted him…
"Senior Brother Hong, greetings!"
"Huh? Senior Brother Hong, you don't look well. Did sothing happen?"
"Look at Senior Brother Hong! He seems to be headed for Elder Zhu's mansion. His expression is terrible. What in the world is going on?"
"Co on, let's follow him and see!"
The crowd following Hong Yu grew larger and larger.
This, in turn, alerted more and more experts.
Feng Xue Xin was having his ear pulled by Luoo Xiaoguai while roasting chicken wings, which he was carefully feeding to her, when Tie Shou suddenly burst in. But Tie Shou was already used to this sort of scene. He took a couple of breaths and said, "Sister Gua, Brother Xin, Hong Yu is back!"
"Oh? Younger Brother Hong is back? That kid has been gone for so long, I haven't seen him at all. Let's go…"
Feng Xue Xin quickly stuffed the chicken wing in his hand into Luoo Xiaoguai's, shooting frantic looks at Tie Shou as he prepared to slip away.
But before he could even get up, his ear was pinched again by two slender fingers. "Don't think I don't know about your little sches… That Hong Yu kid is a bad influence. You'd best stay away from him!"
"I—I… Sigh…"
Feng Xue Xin's face was a picture of misery.
But Tie Shou said gravely, "Sister Gua, I'm afraid it's not that simple this ti. According to our brothers, Younger Brother Hong looks furious and is heading toward Elder Zhu's mansion with murder in his eyes. I fear sothing big is about to happen."
"What?"
Feng Xue Xin and Luoo Xiaoguai exchanged a glance.
After a mont of silence, they both nodded at the sa ti. "Let's go take a look."
Feng Xue Xin grabbed a roasted chicken wing and gnawed on it, a grim look on his face. "That Elder Zhu, always acting high and mighty because she's the Sword Sect's chief Spiritual Craftsman. She's always up to so shady business. I'd like to see just what kind of heinous thing she's done to infuriate even a good-tempered person like Junior Brother Hong."
「Elsewhere…」
When Hong Renjie heard his subordinate's report, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "Didn't Lingtong say the kid fell off a ten-thousand-zhang cliff to his death? He really has the life of a cockroach; we just can't seem to kill him."
He waved a hand at Hong Gang. "Arrange for so n imdiately. Forbid anyone from going to the Martial Arts Hall to tip off Elder Bai."
After giving his orders, Hong Renjie slowly rose to his feet, a sinister expression on his face. "Hong Yu, oh, Hong Yu. I was planning to deal with you later. But since you dare to provoke an Elder, you're simply courting death. I'd like to see how you'll withstand Elder Zhu's wrath without Elder Bai's Shelter!"
...
"Brother Hong, what's going on? You can't be reckless! How can you just storm Elder Zhu's mansion?"
"That's right, Brother Hong! She's an Elder!"
"Brother Hong, calm down…"
Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie had rushed over as soon as they heard the news, continuously trying to talk Hong Yu down.
Hong Yu acted as if he hadn't heard them, continuing to walk straight ahead.
He was actually moving very fast; it was just that the distance from the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect was too great, so he still had so way to go.
In truth, Hong Yu had his own considerations. He was deliberately controlling his speed to attract a larger crowd. Otherwise, if he charged into Elder Zhu's mansion alone, he could be killed by her sches and no one would ever know. With so many Sword Sect disciples as witnesses, he could at least ward off the threat of any underhanded tactics.
He also hoped to use the pressure of the crowd—this Montum—to make Elder Zhu back down and hand over Yun ngyao.
By the ti Hong Yu arrived in front of Elder Zhu's mansion, the number of Sword Sect disciples who had followed him to watch the spectacle had reached ten thousand.
Hong Yu stood quietly before Elder Zhu's mansion.
He took a deep breath and thought, 'Little One, can you find where Yaoyao is?'
'Wait…'
Little One could feel the rage simring beneath Hong Yu's calm exterior. Without any hesitation, it spoke a mont later, its voice urgent, 'Hong Yu, they're about to start refining Yaoyao into a Pill! You have to charge in now! They're in the cellar beneath the mansion! The entrance is under the bed in the third wing!'
With Little One's imnse Spiritual Power, scouting an entire mansion was more than easy.
Hearing this, the last shred of Hong Yu's reason and composure finally shattered.
CRACK CRACK CRACK!
His fists clenched so tightly they made a sound like grating tal.
A blood-red film covered his eyes, and he gnashed his teeth.
All his mories of Yun ngyao flashed through his mind, one after another…
Crying together, laughing together, shouldering the burden of their fallen family together.
Every ti he returned from a trip, he would be greeted by Yaoyao's sweet voice calling out, "Brother, hurry and wash your hands! It's ti to eat!"
No matter how late, how hard, or how tiring it was, there was always soone at ho who would leave a light on and have a hot al waiting for him. There was always soone who would nag him for not taking care of his body, always soone to nd his old and new clothes, always soone worried about whether he was hurt…
In his mind's eye, Yun ngyao's smile, as brilliant as the sun, was crystal clear.
The mory of his solemn vow—that he would never let anyone hurt her—still rang in his ears.
But now…
Yun ngyao was about to be thrown into a Pill Furnace, to suffer the tornt of scorching flas, to be slted and refined into a Pill.
How could Hong Yu not be furious?
How could he not be consud by rage?
"Ha, haha, HAHAHAHA…"
A series of laughs suddenly burst from Hong Yu's lips, a sound both bleak and sorrowful. A powerful fluctuation of energy erupted from his body. With a BOOM, a fiery-red Qi Vortex enveloped him completely. The terrifying force violently knocked Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie, who were standing beside him, away.
Like a raging inferno, Hong Yu advanced toward Elder Zhu's mansion, one step at a ti.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Each step he took left a deep footprint behind him.
"Th-this Hong Yu has really gone mad!"
"He's actually going to storm an Elder's Mansion? He's courting death!"
"This is huge! Absolutely huge! In the several hundred years since the Cyan Nether Sword Sect was founded, no disciple has ever dared to attack an Elder's Mansion!"
"This Hong Yu is simply asking to be killed…"
The crowd of ten thousand behind him erupted in discussion, all eyes fixed on the resolute young man.
BANG!
Hong Yu slamd both hands against the heavy main gate. With a BOOM, the two massive, weighty doors exploded, sending splinters flying everywhere.
Just as Hong Yu was about to step inside,
A cold voice drifted out from within the mansion. "Hong Yu, breaking down the door instead of knocking… isn't that a bit ill-mannered? Is that what your parents taught you? Oh, my apologies. I forgot you're a bastard, raised without parents. My mistake!"
As the voice faded, Hong Lingtong, completely wrapped in a black cloak, stepped out from the doorway.
His eerie green eyes under the cloak stared intently at Hong Yu, holding an indescribable look, but what ca through most was chilling killing intent.
"Hiss… That's Hong Lingtong!"
"What? Hong Lingtong, ranked second among the Four Kings?"
"I heard he has a special constitution and is incredibly powerful. Not long after joining the sect, he was taken in by Elder Zhu as a Direct Disciple. Rumor has it his strength is no less than Hong Renjie's!"
"He's that strong? Doesn't that an Hong Yu has t a formidable foe?"
"Let put it this way: Hong Yu's victory over Hong Renjie was largely due to luck. Hong Renjie had just broken through and was greatly exhausted from his fight with Feng Xue Xin. He lost because he was careless. In terms of true strength, Hong Yu would just get crushed!"
"Then he's dood going up against Hong Lingtong now!"
Amidst the growing chatter,
Hong Yu slowly raised his head, looked at Hong Lingtong, and suddenly broke into a grin. But this smile was so cold it was bone-chilling. "So you finally show your face! Good. I knew you would try to stop from saving Yaoyao… but no one is stopping today!"
Hong Yu's aura changed abruptly, becoming utterly ferocious and revealing his crazed side.
His sharp brows slanted upward in fury as a piercing light shot from his eyes. A searing wave of fire condensed around his fist as he smashed it viciously toward Hong Lingtong…
"Anyone who stands in my way—dies!"
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