Qingcheng, Ye Family, Ancestral Hall.
"Before our esteemed ancestors, Ye Xuan is deemed incompetent and lacking in virtue. From this moment, Ye Xuan is stripped of his title as heir, and it will be passed to Ye Lang." The speaker was an elderly man clad in black robes, his voice resonant and authoritative.
A short distance behind the elder stood a young man, a faint smile playing on his lips. This was Ye Lang. On either side, the elders of the Ye Family stood, their expressions impassive.
"Why?!"
A timid voice suddenly broke the silence within the ancestral hall.
Everyone turned towards the entrance, where a young girl stood. She appeared to be about twelve or thirteen years old, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her dress. Her face was pallid, tinged with a sickly hue, her frail frame trembling, her eyes filled with a hint of apprehension.
The girl's name was Ye Ling, the younger sister of Ye Xuan. She had rushed here despite her illness when she heard that the family intended to strip her brother of his position.
The black-robed elder frowned, "Ye Ling, what are you doing here?!"
Ye Ling bowed slightly towards the gathered elders and spoke in a timid voice, "Great Elder, my brother Ye Xuan is the rightful heir. Why are you stripping him of his title without just cause?"
The elder's gaze turned cold, "This is a matter of the family. It is not for you to interfere. Leave at once!"
Ye Ling was clearly frightened, unable to meet the elder's eyes directly, but she did not leave. Instead, she summoned her courage and stepped further into the hall, bowing deeply to the elders lining either side. "Honorable elders, my brother is currently engaged in a struggle with the Li family over mining rights in Nanshan. He is risking his life for the family, his fate uncertain. Yet, at this very moment, you seek to strip him of his title based on unsubstantiated claims. This is grossly unfair."
"Impudent!"
The elder's voice roared through the hall, "Whether or not he retains his title is not for a mere child like you to decide! Guards, take her away!"
Ye Lang, the newly appointed heir, smiled faintly at that moment and said, "Thirty lashes to serve as a warning should be appropriate."
The elder nodded coldly, "Thirty lashes, it shall be."
Two Ye family guards swiftly entered the hall.
Ye Ling clenched her hands, her voice filled with indignation. "It's unfair! My brother has devoted himself to the family for years, risking his life even now. It's unjust to treat him this way..."
One of the guards glanced at Ye Lang, sensing an opportunity to prove his loyalty.
The guard sneered, "Young Master Ye Lang's ascension is the will of the people. What right do you have to argue?" As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped Ye Ling across the face.
A sharp slap echoed through the hall.
Ye Ling's right cheek reddened and swelled immediately, yet she did not cry. She merely covered her cheek with her hand, her eyes showing only resolve.
Ye Lang looked at the guard, a faint smile on his lips. "What is your name?"
The guard quickly bowed, "This subordinate is named Zhang Mu. Greetings to the heir."
Ye Lang nodded approvingly, "You are quite good. As the new heir, I require ten personal guards. From now on, you will be one of them."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mu was overjoyed. He immediately bowed deeply, "I am willing to serve the heir, come what may!"
Ye Lang nodded slightly, his eyes revealing a chilling intent. "Take her away. She disrupted the ancestral hall. Make sure to show no mercy. Understood?"
Zhang Mu glanced at Ye Lang and, seeing the murderous intent in his eyes, understood. He grabbed Ye Ling by the hair and began dragging her out of the hall.
Suddenly, Zhang Mu stopped, seemingly sensing something.
Everyone in the hall turned towards the entrance.
Outside the ancestral hall, a young man was striding towards them. His clothes were tattered, covered in blood.
The newcomer was none other than Ye Xuan, who had rushed back from Nanshan!
Upon seeing Ye Xuan, a cold smile appeared on Ye Lang's lips, while the elders in the ancestral hall frowned deeply.
The elder's eyes narrowed, his expression dark and gloomy, as if contemplating something.
From afar, Ye Xuan saw Zhang Mu dragging Ye Ling. His face contorted in fury. "Who gave you the audacity to touch my sister?!"
Seeing Ye Xuan, Zhang Mu's face turned pale. He looked towards Ye Lang, about to say something, but before he could react, Ye Xuan lunged at him like a fierce beast. Zhang Mu had no time to respond before Ye Xuan's fist crashed into his face.
Bang!
Zhang Mu's head spun, and he staggered backward.
Yet Ye Xuan did not stop. He rushed forward once again, and just as he moved, Ye Lang's voice echoed from within the ancestral hall, laced with anger, "Ye Xuan, he is my man, and you dare..."
Ye Xuan stomped on Zhang Mu's chest without hesitation.
Puff!
Zhang Mu spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing this, Ye Lang's expression darkened, while Ye Xuan looked up at him, his voice dripping with venom. "Your man?"
With that, Ye Xuan stomped fiercely on Zhang Mu's face.
Zhang Mu's face became a bloodied mess, and he wailed incessantly, "Heir, save me... please save me..."
Ye Xuan ignored the pleas and turned towards Ye Ling. Seeing her swollen face, his heart twisted painfully, and his body trembled with rage.
When Ye Ling saw her brother, tears welled in her eyes, "Brother, it hurts... it hurts so much..."
Hearing her words, Ye Xuan's face twisted even more fiercely. In the next moment, he rushed towards Zhang Mu, kicking his head with full force.
Bang!
Zhang Mu's head collided with the stone steps, bursting open instantly. Blood splattered in all directions.
The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
Ye Xuan, however, was not yet done. He suddenly turned his gaze towards Ye Lang, his voice filled with cold hatred, "You dare touch my sister?! Damn you!"
With those words, Ye Xuan charged at Ye Lang.
In the ancestral hall, the elder's face changed drastically. "How dare you!"
Before his voice had even faded, the elder's feet tapped the ground, propelling him in front of Ye Xuan. He thrust his palm forward, a fierce wind accompanying it, sharp and menacing.
Ye Xuan's lips curled into a sneer, his expression fearless. His right hand clenched into a fist, muscles taut as power gathered. The sheer force tore his sleeve apart. Without hesitation, he punched towards the elder's palm.
Bang!
Fist met palm, and a deep explosion reverberated like thunder, shaking the ancestral hall. The violent clash generated a powerful gust of wind, causing the lanterns to flicker erratically and the plaques on the walls to tremble, emitting a low hum.
Ye Xuan was forced back to the doorway, while the elder also retreated several steps, his expression grave. His eyes fixed on Ye Xuan, and waves of shock surged within him. The expressions of the surrounding elders mirrored his—astonishment and disbelief—how could a young man at the fifth level of the Tempering Body Realm contend against the Great Elder, who had reached the Genuine Qi Realm, with only a slight disadvantage?
The elder, too, was taken aback. He knew Ye Xuan's innate talent was exceptional. He was the heir the Ye Family had meticulously cultivated, always fighting for the family. Yet he had never imagined Ye Xuan's combat power had grown so formidable.
His wings have hardened!
The thought flickered in the elder's mind, and the killing intent in his eyes intensified.
The elder glared at Ye Xuan, "Ye Xuan, you dare attack the heir in front of everyone?!"
Ye Xuan frowned slightly, "Heir?"
The elder sneered, "Ye Xuan, I forgot to inform you. You have been stripped of your title as heir. From now on, Ye Lang is the rightful heir of the Ye Family!"
Ye Xuan's eyes narrowed, "I have been stripped of my title as heir?"
The elder said coldly, "This is the unanimous decision of all the elders."
Ye Xuan let out a grim laugh, "I've been risking my life for the family, and you strip me of my title while I'm away?!"
The elder sneered and pointed at Ye Lang, who stood not far away, "Do you know who he is?"
Without waiting for Ye Xuan's response, he continued, "Ye Lang is a chosen one, having just awakened!"
Ye Xuan was stunned.
What is a chosen one?
A chosen one is an individual favored by the heavens.
In the vast Qingcang Realm, there exist a select few individuals who seem ordinary during their youth but awaken one day to a remarkable destiny. Upon awakening, their cultivation speed skyrockets, and they encounter a plethora of fortuitous opportunities, as if blessed by the heavens themselves.
The Qingcang Realm is divided into three major continents. Ye Xuan resided in Qingzhou, which encompassed hundreds of smaller nations. Currently, he was in Jiang Country, and in the last few decades, fewer than ten chosen ones had appeared in Jiang Country. Each of them had grown to become formidable figures.
Ye Xuan's hands clenched slowly. He understood that the Ye Family intended to abandon him. Not only abandon, but potentially kill him!
At this moment, Ye Lang laughed, "Elders, Ye Xuan killed someone in public and even attacked the Great Elder. According to our family rules, what is the appropriate punishment?"
All eyes turned towards Ye Lang. He sneered, "According to the family rules, he should be executed, should he not?"
The elders nodded in agreement. Ye Lang was not only a chosen one but also the grandson of the Great Elder. Naturally, none dared to offend Ye Lang or the Great Elder.
The elder gave Ye Xuan a cold look, "Guards!"
Soon, dozens of Ye Family guards appeared outside the ancestral hall.
At that moment, Ye Xuan spoke suddenly, "In the Ye Family, there is a rule: the heir, to prove their worth, cannot refuse a challenge from any member of the younger generation."
He stared at Ye Lang, "I challenge you!"
Ye Lang's eyes narrowed, and he smiled, "A challenge? Very well. But let us fight on the Life and Death Stage. Do you dare?"
The Life and Death Stage!
The hall erupted in murmurs.
Within the Ye Family, irreconcilable disputes could be settled on the Life and Death Stage. Once on that stage, life and death were determined by fate.
Ye Xuan sneered, "To the Life and Death Stage then!"
Ye Lang shook his head, "In one month's time, you and I will meet on the Life and Death Stage. By then, the patriarch will have emerged from seclusion. We will settle our life-and-death struggle, and he will be our witness. This way, no one can accuse us of foul play."
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine!"
Without another word, he picked up Ye Ling and walked out of the ancestral hall.
Watching the siblings leave, the elder turned to Ye Lang, "He has fought many life-and-death battles outside. His strength should not be underestimated. Are you certain?"
Ye Lang's lips twisted into a sinister smile, his eyes brimming with malice. "I have only recently awakened, and my soul has not yet fully merged with this body. If it had, crushing him would be as effortless as crushing an ant. One month from now, no one in Qingcheng will be my match!"
Hearing this, the elder nodded slightly and smiled, "Good."
Turning to another elder nearby, he said softly, "The men I sent to Nanshan haven't returned, and I noticed Ye Xuan looked unusually pale. Ye Ku, go investigate what happened in Nanshan."
The elder nodded and left.
…
Ye Xuan carried Ye Ling back to his courtyard, placing her gently on the bed. He tenderly touched her swollen cheek and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
Ye Ling wiped her tears, "No... it doesn't hurt anymore. Brother, why did they strip you of your title? You've risked your life for the family. Why did they replace you with Ye Lang just because he's a chosen one? It's not fair!"
Ye Xuan shook his head, gently rubbing her swollen cheek. "There is no fairness. This time, it's my fault for not protecting you."
Ye Ling shook her head, tears flowing again. "It's because I'm useless. I can't help you at all... I'm just a burden."
Ye Xuan smiled slightly and pinched her nose gently, "Silly girl, I'm your brother. Protecting you is what I'm supposed to do. Understand?"
Ye Ling sat up and lightly kissed Ye Xuan's forehead. "Brother, once I'm well, I want to cultivate too. I want to protect you."
Ye Xuan chuckled, stroking her head gently. "Alright. I will definitely cure you. It's late, rest well."
Ye Ling nodded, "I want to hear a story."
Ye Xuan smiled, "Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and on that mountain, there was a temple..."
Ye Ling rolled her eyes, "You've told this story for so many years, but... I still like it."
Half an hour later, Ye Ling had fallen asleep.
Ye Xuan covered her with a blanket and sat down beside the bed. He lifted his robe slightly, revealing a long, still-bleeding scar on his abdomen.
During the fight over the mining rights, he had battled twelve men from the Li family. In a moment of carelessness, he had been ambushed by a mysterious figure. Though he killed his attacker, the enemy's blade had pierced his dantian, likely shattering it.
A shattered dantian.
Ye Xuan closed his eyes slowly. This meant he could only cultivate his physical body and could no longer reach the Genuine Qi Realm.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
Ye Xuan looked at Ye Ling, lying on the bed. Her face remained pale, and even with three blankets covering her, she still felt cold.
Frostbite Syndrome.
When she was young, Ye Ling had been invaded by a cold aura, leaving her body frail. If not for Ye Xuan becoming the heir and earning countless merits for the family, which ensured her monthly supply of medicinal food and elixirs, she would not have survived until now.
Ye Xuan clenched his right hand. Now that he was no longer the heir, would the Ye Family still provide medicine for Ye Ling every month?
Moreover, her condition was worsening. The only way to cure her was to bring her to the Cangmu Academy in Jiang Country's capital, where the best physicians resided. To enter the academy, one had to reach the Genuine Qi Realm before the age of eighteen!
Ye Xuan had a chance initially—he still had six months before turning nineteen. But with his dantian shattered, reaching the Genuine Qi Realm seemed impossible.
Looking at Ye Ling, who was now asleep, Ye Xuan muttered, "No matter what, I will cure you."
After a while, as if recalling something, he took out a pitch-black ring from his pocket—a ring his mother had left him.
His memory of his mother was faint, as she had left when he was ten.
He remembered her tightly hugging him at the back gate of the Ye Family, tears streaming down her face.
Behind her stood a middle-aged man in black robes—floating, not standing.
He remembered the man saying, "Miss, if we don't leave now, and the patriarch learns of the young master's existence, his fury will bring disaster upon this realm, and the young master will not survive."
Hearing this, his mother pushed Ye Xuan away and slipped the ring into his pocket, whispering, "Xuan'er, take care of Ling'er, take care of yourself, and do not hate your mother..."
She then turned and left with the man.
Ye Xuan had stood there, stunned, before chasing after them, but he couldn't catch up. They flew away.
He chased until he could no longer run, but she never looked back, disappearing into the distant sky.
After a while, Ye Xuan pulled himself back to the present. He gripped the ring tightly, his already injured hand reopening the wound. A drop of blood fell onto the black ring, causing it to tremble. Ye Xuan's heart raced, and he quickly looked down. At that moment, the ring transformed into a black light and shot into his forehead.
In an instant, Ye Xuan vanished from his original place and appeared in an endless starry sky.
Before him floated a black tower, twelve stories high, suspended in mid-air. Four enormous black chains bound the tower, and three swords were embedded at its top!
The entire tower exuded a dark, eerie aura.
Suppressing his shock, Ye Xuan looked up at the entrance to the first level. Above it were two blood-red characters: "Jie Yu" (Prison of Worlds).
On either side of the entrance were two lines of blood-red characters, like a couplet.
Left side: "Imprisoning Heaven, Imprisoning Earth, Imprisoning All Gods and Demons."
Right side: "Forbidding Dao, Forbidding Fate, Forbidding All Beings and Immortals."