Seeing Ye Han's determined gaze, devoid of any worry, Kayren's father immediately felt a surge of unease. Not caring for his own dignity as a ninth-tier pinnacle powerhouse, he released his full aura, enveloping Ye Han. He signaled to the two ninth-tier mages beside him, who also stood up and positioned themselves on either side of Ye Han, focusing intently on him within their domain. Around them, several fireballs and ice arrows appeared.
High-tier mages can cast low-tier spells instantly without the need for incantations.
Ye Han looked at their actions and the corners of his mouth curved slightly, revealing a perplexing smile.
"Ye Han, you've hurt my son; it won't be so easy to let you go. Leave your life behind," Kayren stated his intentions without reservation, signaling to the Helian family that the person he intended to kill had no relation to them anymore. He also made it clear to the Ottofo Priest.
At that moment, Ye Han's father was in shock, unable to comprehend his son's actions, sitting slumped in his chair, his eyes twitching as he watched Ye Han's mother, whose fate was uncertain.
"I truly pity and feel sorry for your ignorance," Ye Han said with a cold laugh.
Bringing his hands together in front of his chest, he formed a hand seal. "Metal, wood, water, fire, earth, the art of the Five Elements Escape," Ye Han shouted, and his body slowly began to vanish. Before anyone could react, he disappeared from their sight. As soon as Ye Han vanished, all who were comfortably seated stood in shock, staring at the spot where he disappeared. "How is this possible, this," muttered Kayren's father, clearly unable to believe that Ye Han could disappear from his aura and the barrier set by the ninth-tier mages.
"I will return for this day. The Helian family, the Patrickley family, just wait for the endless retaliation. I will make you die slowly in panic and fear. Haha," Ye Han's voice resonated throughout the hall, echoing for a long time.
"I demand blood for blood."
"This can't be, it's impossible," Kayren's father roared in anger. A person, at most at the fourth tier, escaped from his lock and the barrier of the mages under the watchful eyes of so many. It was a slap to his face as a ninth-tier pinnacle powerhouse, a trampling on the dignity of the Patrickley family.
"Patrickley family head, are you satisfied now?" Helian Jing Lei asked coldly.
"This Helian family head has been justly fair. Then I shall take my leave. However, he must die," Kayren said as he walked out, the people of the Helian family looking at him with mocking eyes. To have failed to capture a boy of at most the fourth tier in the presence of a small second-rate family was a massive humiliation.
After the Patrickley family left, Helian Jing Lei turned to an elder beside him and asked, "Father, what was that just now?"
"I don't know. There was no energy fluctuation," the elder replied deeply.
"What should we do now?"
"Send out the Blood Guard. Bring him back at all costs," the elder said with determination.
"Is it appropriate? He has already—"
"Humph, what's inappropriate? As long as we haven't expelled him from the family, he is forever a member of our Helian family. Such a genius must be preserved; it's time for our Helian family to show its might."
"Just a year ago, he was a waste who couldn't even sense fighting spirit. No matter how well he hides, he can't escape the detection of the testing crystal."
"That means he started cultivating after the test. And in less than a year, he could defeat Kay, a third-tier swordsman, without using fighting spirit. What do you think the Patrickley family came for?"
"Do they have other motives?" Helian Jing Lei asked.
"I thought they came for Kay's matter. But when he escaped from Oswald's lock and the barrier of the two mages, I saw his expression. Considering everything that happened to Wuji, I'm sure of one thing."
"What is it?"
"When a scion of a family is in trouble, for a big family like the Patrickleys, it's already overkill for the family head to come forward. But for Oswald, a long-renowned ninth-tier pinnacle powerhouse to step in, it only means one thing: he wanted to verify if Ye Han truly had such abilities. If so, the Patrickleys would find a way to eliminate Wuji or seize his cultivation technique."
"I'm sure because, after Wuji disappeared, although Oswald pretended to be incredulous, his eyes betrayed him. They were greedy."
"So we need to find him before anyone else does. Whether our Helian family can return to its former
glory may well depend on him."
"Yes, I'll get on it right away." Helian Jing Lei stepped out of the hall but then turned back, "But we don't know where he's fled to, this—"
"Don't worry about it. When I tested him, I attached a trace of my spiritual fluctuation to him. Now he's moving towards the Hengduan Mountains. So we must act fast. The Patrickleys probably know his whereabouts too."
"Yes." After speaking, Helian Jing Lei walked out of the hall.
After Helian Jing Lei left, Helian Yun's expression changed immediately, smiling as he approached Ottofo Priest.
"Hehe, Priest Ottofo, you must be amused. It's due to the family's lack of discipline."
"It's okay. I'm quite optimistic about him," Ottofo Priest said with a smile, his status in Kelter City beyond comparison with the Helian family, necessitating Helian Yun's courteous treatment.
"Ah well, let's not talk about him. Priest Ottofo, I wonder about my daughter-in-law..." Helian Yun said while glancing at Ye Han's mother still lying in the hall.
"Oh, look at me, this is my duty." Ottofo Priest stood up, walked over to Ye Han's mother, and a bright holy light shone upon her, a magical incantation completed instantly, and a snow-white holy light fell on Ye Han's mother.
After everything was done, Ottofo Priest withdrew the holy light, looking at Ye Han's mother with an indecipherable gleam in his eyes.
"Elder Helian. This person is severely injured. I need some time to heal her, what do you think?" Ottofo Priest suddenly said to Helian Yun.
"Hehe, then thank you, Priest Ottofo, for your efforts."
The scorching sunlight from the doorway shone into the hall, illuminating the bloodstains left by Ye Han, strikingly noticeable.
"Ugh, I never expected this escape technique to consume so much energy. Now I can only use it once with my body's energy, and even then, only by expending all of it." Ye Han, having escaped from the Helian family, was now slumped against a tree, gasping heavily. His body trembled uncontrollably.
Ye Han had used an escape technique from the memories of the immortal king in his mind. Although he had no energy in his body before, he would study the memories during his spare time. Even if he couldn't use them, learning them laid a foundation for his future. Thus, he had learned almost all the escape techniques from the partial memories preserved by the immortal king and had repeatedly simulated them in his mind, leading to the scene in the hall. In truth, Ye Han was also grateful for Helian Yun's probing; otherwise, his bloodline would not have reached a semi-awakened state, the Fanzhi Decree would not have reached the first level, and he would not have been able to escape.
After resting for a while, Ye Han began to observe his surroundings, and to his alarm, he realized, "This is the Hengduan Mountains." He swallowed hard.
"I never thought that in my frantic underground running, I would end up here."
The Hengduan Mountains were where the most demon beasts congregated on the Qingming Continent, also a paradise for mercenaries. However, it was also very dangerous, rumored to have saint-tier demon beasts and even those at the divine tier.
Ye Han looked around and deduced from the traces and droppings left by demon beasts that this place should be near the central area of the Hengduan Mountains. He sighed in relief, "Fortunately, I haven't entered the central area, otherwise I really would be dead."