On this day, the Forbidden Yin River Ye Family faced utter destruction.
All of its mbers were wiped out. Under the relentless onslaught of sword energy, the family’s legacy of ten thousand years was reduced to rubble.
When Ye Yu and Lin Miaoxue left, nothing remained but ruins and deep trenches carved by the sword energy.
Unbeknownst to them, throughout the entire ordeal, an elder clad in a violet robe stood silently within the cliffside of the rear mountain, watching everything unfold.
He made no move to intervene.
This man was Ye Xuanji, the Ye Family’s Grand Elder and Supre Protector—a late-stage Ascension cultivator and the family’s guardian deity. He had resided in seclusion within the rear mountains for over twenty thousand years.
The number of people who knew of his existence could be counted on one hand.
Even Ye Zhouhao, in his final monts, cast his gaze to the north, silently pleading for this guardian to intervene just once.
But clearly, no aid ca.
Ye Zhouhao could not believe that Ye Xuanji, with his level of cultivation, would be unaware of the events unfolding before him.
His lack of response spoke volus.
Even as he watched his kin slaughtered, Ye Xuanji remained unmoved, as if none of it concerned him. He appeared more like an outsider, observing fleeting passersby.
Calm. Detached.
Ye Xuanji stood for a while, his expression unreadable, before his figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was inside a vast and frigid hall deep within the rear mountain.
The hall was desolate and dark, save for a single, blood-red pool at its center.
Approaching the pool, Ye Xuanji spoke in an even tone. “The Ye Family is gone. It was Lin Miaoxue and a male cultivator who did it. That man… he’s strange. I cannot read his fate.”
The blood pool began to bubble and churn, eventually forming the shape of a humanoid figure, its features becoming clear.
If Lin Miaoxue were present, she would instantly recognize the man—the Ye Family patriarch of thirty thousand years ago, Ye Jiunian, the very one she had been searching for.
“Ah, the world is vast, filled with countless mysteries. A fate that cannot be read is not so uncommon,” Ye Jiunian remarked. “The Ye Family has been in decline for generations. Their lives of comfort have rotted them to the core.
“But it’s not entirely over. There are still over thirty Ye family mbers out searching for Lin Miaoxue. As long as they live, so does the family line. Hatred will make them stronger.
“Besides, once I complete my technique, you and I will join forces. Wherever we go, we can rebuild the Ye Family anew.”
Ye Xuanji’s lips parted, as though he wanted to say sothing, but the words died before they could be spoken. He sighed heavily and turned to leave the hall.
Walking into the cold, dark chamber, he felt an unbearable chill seep into his very soul.
Ye Xuanji was not a heartless man.
Had he been more ruthless in the past, he might have already ascended to the Celestial Realm, rather than being here, watching his kin massacred.
To be honest, when he saw Ye Zhouhao being killed, he had been tempted to step in.
But Ye Jiunian’s telepathic voice had stopped him, reminding him of his duty.
Duty.
Yes, his mission was to protect the blood pool and Ye Jiunian within it.
He had carried out this duty for over twenty thousand years without faltering for even a day.
Yet, in the end, all it had brought was slaughter.
As the Grand Elder of the Ye Family, he had been powerless to act.
What a cruel joke.
For over twenty millennia, Ye Xuanji had never left the rear mountain.
He had watched countless generations of Ye Family children grow, from innocent toddlers to capable adults, quietly observing their lives.
But now, everything had changed.
Erging from the hall, he stood on the rear mountain, the tallic scent of blood heavy in the air.
For the first ti, Ye Xuanji questioned whether the decision he had made all those years ago was a mistake.
On the spirit boat.
Ye Yu gazed at the figure standing at the bow and let out a soft sigh.
During the annihilation of the Ye Family, Ye Yu had thought Lin Miaoxue would feel a sense of joy at avenging her great grudge.
But to his surprise, she had asked him a single question.
“If I didn’t have the Immaculate Sword Heart, would my brother still be alive?”
The answer was obvious.
Without the Immaculate Sword Heart, the Ye Family would never have sched against her. Lin Fengyuan wouldn’t have died by their hands.
But this world did not operate on “what ifs.”
Lin Fengyuan’s death was a result of fate. Even without the Immaculate Sword Heart, who could guarantee his long life?
In the cultivation world, even Tribulation Stage cultivators couldn’t be certain they would see the next sunrise.
Why, then, should Lin Miaoxue burden herself with guilt?
Ye Yu patiently comforted her for a long ti, then summoned the spirit boat, intending to give her a few days to cool off and think about her path forward.
It was crucial she not develop a heart demon—such a thing would be disastrous.
For this reason, Ye Yu had been observing Lin Miaoxue closely from the deck.
When he saw that her spiritual energy had gradually stabilized, he finally felt at ease.
Satisfied, he prepared to take this opportunity to return to his room and re-enter a dreamscape.
Turning to Lin Miaoxue, he said, “I’m feeling a bit tired. I’m going to rest for a while.”
Hearing this, Lin Miaoxue turned to look at him and nodded.
But as Ye Yu entered his room and closed the door, a peculiar feeling stirred within her.
Tired? Rest?
These words shouldn’t have anything to do with a mid-Tribulation cultivator, should they?
Cultivators didn’t need sleep—especially not after reaching the Golden Core stage. A few monts of ditation were all that was required to restore their energy.
Sleep was simply a waste of ti.
As for being tired?
Even less likely.
During the Ye Family massacre, Lin Miaoxue had done most of the fighting herself, venting her rage. Ye Yu had only intervened a handful of tis.
How could he possibly be tired?
What did he an by this?
Lin Miaoxue’s brows furrowed as a realization struck her.
Her cheeks flushed bright red.
She rembered the agreent she had made with Ye Yu just a few days prior.
Back then, she had personally promised that if everything he said was true, she owed him an imasurable debt of gratitude—one that could only be repaid by giving herself to him.
Now that everything was settled, it seed the ti had co to fulfill that promise.
Ye Yu’s words just now might have been a hint.
Before leaving the Qingyun Sect, Lin Miaoxue had already resolved to stay by Ye Yu’s side in the future.
But now that the mont had arrived, she found herself at a loss.
Standing in front of Ye Yu’s door, she hesitated.
Walking in unannounced felt inappropriate.
She was overco with shyness.
Yet, not entering left her feeling reluctant.
The truth was, she had already fallen deeply in love with Ye Yu. Giving herself to him wasn’t a repaynt but a reward for herself.
On the Five Peaks, Lin Miaoxue had witnessed the vast difference between people like Yun Roumu, outsiders, and the main companions like Li Ruowang or Tuoba Qiyue.
She didn’t want to be an outsider.
Today was her chance, and she couldn’t let it slip away.
Summoning every ounce of courage, Lin Miaoxue stepped to Ye Yu’s door.
After taking two deep breaths, she raised her hand, preparing to knock.
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