!

Within the Ye Family's main hall.

Patriarch Ye Ding, Ye Xuan, Ye Ling'er, Ye Qingqing, and several others were gathered in the great hall.

The air was filled with laughter and joy, painting a lively scene.

The Ye family was currently discussing how to celebrate Ye Xuan's upcoming birthday in two days.

Ye Qingqing proposed that a group of Elders head to the Heavenly Demon Gorge to hunt a Saint-level Demon Beast, using its flesh to nourish Ye Xuan's body.

Ye Ling'er, however, argued that while the flesh and fur of a Saint-level Demon Beast were precious, they were unworthy of Ye Xuan. Instead, she suggested inviting Ancestor Ye Shanhe out of Secluded Cultivation. Together with the Elders, they could venture deep into the Heavenly Demon Gorge to slay a Saint King-level Demon Beast. Only that would befit the status of the Ye Family's Holy Son.

Ye Xuan was both shocked and delighted, yet he forced himself to maintain his hypocritically pure persona. He repeatedly waved his hands in adamant refusal, claiming he was worried about the Ancestor's safety, the Ye Family's well-being, and so on...

This hypocritical display moved the initially hesitant Ye Ding to tears. He immediately declared he would go see the Ancestor and vowed to slay a Saint King-level Demon Beast for Ye Xuan.

But before Ye Ding could take two steps, several spatial cracks tore open within the void of the main hall, startling everyone present.

Ye Ding bore the brunt of the pressure. His face filled with caution, as if facing a great enemy.

Only those who had broken through to the Saint Realm and grasped the Dao of Space truly understood the terrifying nature of spatial power.

This was the Ye Family's main hall, surrounded by hundreds of Saint-level killing formations hidden within the void. For someone to pierce through the void and forcibly arrive directly inside meant they possessed at least a Saint King-level cultivation...

The arrival of a Saint King-level powerhouse was no trivial matter!!

Bang!!

As Ye Ding watched in terror, the void before him exploded violently. Then, two disheveled figures stumbled out from the boundless expanse.

They were covered in dust and riddled with wounds.

If these two were not his own biological daughters, at first glance, he...

...might not have even recognized them!

"Father, sob..."

Having narrowly escaped death, Ye Han steadied her gaze. Seeing her father Ye Ding standing before her, she instantly lost her composure, threw herself into his arms, and burst into loud sobs.

Not only had she spent all her Spirit Stones on this trip, but even the treasures she had purchased at the auction had been snatched away.

What was even more terrifying was that the mysterious person with Great Saint cultivation still intended to kill them after taking the treasures. If not for the Protective Dao Seal she carried, she would probably...

...have already perished, her soul scattered to the winds.

That said, even with the Protective Dao Seal, Ye Han's low cultivation and weak strength meant that forcibly traversing the void had taken a toll. The assault of spatial turbulence, though not fatal, had left her severely injured. She would not recover without lying in bed for months.

Ye Lingyue stood to the side in silence. Her expression was sorrowful, and her beautiful large eyes lacked their usual brilliance.

However, possessing the cultivation of the Ninth Heaven of the Divine Flame Realm, she was only one step away from breaking through to the Saint Realm and comprehending the Dao of Space. Thus, compared to Ye Han, she had not suffered much injury.

But...

...the experiences of this journey left Ye Lingyue's heart entirely unable to calm down.

"Xiao Han, why are you crying? Don't cry! Don't cry!"

Ye Ding held Ye Han while offering words of comfort:

"If that beast Chu Chen is dead, then let him be dead. He was already crippled and couldn't cultivate anyway. Staying in our Ye Family would only be a burden."

Ye Ling'er, Ye Qingqing, and the others had initially been puzzled as to why Ye Han was crying upon her return. Hearing their father's words, they finally understood.

So Ye Han and Ye Lingyue had gone to find Chu Chen, discovered that the waste had died, and returned crying in grief.

Honestly, dead is dead. What was the big deal? Had she lost her mind?

"I say, Sixth Sister, that waste is dead, so what? What are you crying for?"

Ye Ling'er waved her hand dismissively, looking thoroughly disappointed in Ye Han's behavior.

Suddenly recalling a saying Ye Xuan had once used, she immediately brought it out to lecture her:

"Sixth Sister, have you forgotten what Xiao Xuan told you? Don't lower your head, your crown might fall. Don't cry, the fools will laugh?"

Fifth Sister Ye Qingqing was amused by Ye Ling'er, but then she remembered that Ye Han and Ye Lingyue had returned by shattering the void. Realizing they must have activated Ye Han's Protective Dao Seal, her expression instantly changed drastically!

"Big Sister, Ye Han! You... you two couldn't have..."

"Ah, I don't mean to scold you, but why did you activate the Protective Dao Seal? Don't you know that our Ye family members only get one in a lifetime?"

"Just... just to inform us of that waste's death, you... you actually used the Protective Dao Seal! I... I really don't know what to say to you!"

At these words, the Ye family members' expressions changed drastically. Even Ye Ding, as their father, felt the urge to shove Ye Han out of his arms.

What a wasteful wretch!

"No... it's not that!"

Ye Han, flustered, wiped her tears while sobbing softly:

"I... I didn't... I didn't..."

Clang!

Before Ye Han could finish, the longsword in Ye Xuan's hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Sixth Sister, you... what did you say?"

"Brother Chu Chen... he... he's really dead? Really dead?!"

Ye Xuan rushed in front of Ye Han, grabbing her hands and shaking them frantically. His face was red with anxiety, and his eyes were reddening as tears welled up.

"How could Brother Chu Chen die? How could he die? If he's dead..."

"I... I won't live either!"

Ye Xuan was truly panicked, genuinely on the verge of tears.

This scene startled the Ye family, and their admiration and affection for Ye Xuan rose to yet another level.

Even Big Sister Ye Lingyue, upon hearing Ye Xuan's words, looked at him with a shifting gaze.

She had originally suspected that Ye Xuan had used his charm on their father to steal Chu Chen's position as Holy Son.

But now it seemed otherwise. Ye Xuan had first gone to great lengths to refine the Divine Flame Breakthrough Pill to help her break through, which led them to Chu Chen's whereabouts. Now, upon hearing of Chu Chen's death, he broke down in tears. The sorrow and grief deep in his eyes simply could not be faked.

But in reality?

Only Ye Xuan himself knew the bitterness in his heart!

Damn it! If Chu Chen died, the soul entity Old Dan in the ring would surely flay him alive!

"Xiao Xuan, don't be sad. Chu Chen... he isn't dead!"

Ye Lingyue could not bear to see Ye Xuan so heartbroken, so she quickly stepped forward and revealed the truth:

"Not only is Chu Chen not dead, he... he has also joined the Divine Flame Emperor Palace and become a new disciple!"

Uproar-

At these words, the entire hall was shocked.

The Ye family members' eyes widened and their mouths fell half-open as they stared at Ye Lingyue in disbelief. They all wondered if they had misheard or if Ye Lingyue had misspoken.

"Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

After a brief moment of shock, Ye Ding snorted coldly and directly concluded:

"Lingyue, stop talking nonsense."

"I know it is hard for you to accept that waste's death, but do not tell such a huge lie!"

Ye Ling'er, Ye Qingqing, and the others chimed in:

"Exactly, Big Sister. This joke isn't funny at all!"

"Do you take us for fools? We're not that easy to trick."

"Even if that waste Chu Chen isn't dead, he'd only be hiding in some remote mountain forest, barely surviving. He wouldn't dare show his face, let alone go to the Divine Flame Emperor Palace!"

"Do you know what the Divine Flame Emperor Palace is? It's the territory of the Demon Race Empress Lin Shuwang. Don't forget, it was Chu Chen who defeated and suppressed Empress Lin Shuwang three years ago."

"If Chu Chen dares to go to the Divine Flame Emperor Palace, that's nothing short of courting death! I, Ye Ling'er, will say this now: If he truly dared to do so, I'd think highly of him and even fetch his foot-washing water!"

"And me! If it's true, I, Ye Qingqing, will twist my head off and let him kick it like a ball!"

...

Faced with the clamoring of her younger sisters, Ye Lingyue rubbed her forehead. She suddenly felt an immense sense of estrangement from them.

Regardless, Chu Chen was their own younger brother, a member of the Ye Family. Why... why were they like this?

On the other hand, Ye Xuan, upon hearing that Chu Chen wasn't dead, showed a genuine smile from the bottom of his heart.

"Big Sister isn't lying. It's... it's true!"

Ye Han sobbed softly as she spoke:

"Not only did Chu Chen successfully join the Divine Flame Emperor Palace, but he also..."

"...became a Pro-disciple! The number one person in the Red King Palace! A prodigy who awakened a Top Grade Five-Element Full Spiritual Root!"

"Not only does he have a Great Saint as his protector, but even the Saintess of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace follows his orders!"

"These are things Big Sister and I saw with our own eyes! With our own eyes!"

Pro-disciple?

Number one in the Red King Palace?

Top Grade Five-Element Full Spiritual Root?

Great Saint protector?

Ordering the Saintess around?!

...

This... this...

The Ye family members felt a breath of cold air stuck in their chests, unable to swallow or exhale.

It was extremely suffocating!

The Ye family's intense reaction wasn't for any other reason...

They simply could not bear to see Chu Chen prosper!