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"And the reason I came all the way back from the Black-Corner Region this time," the handsome young man said, his footsteps suddenly stopping as his face turned cold, "Was to ask Yun Yun and that old dog Yun Shan—why they dared to humiliate me like this?!"
As his voice fell, the black flame in his eyes flickered visibly.
A deadly silence instantly swept through the entire hall.
After a long pause—
"Y-you… you are—?" Yun Fan's face was now tinged with fear. He raised a trembling finger toward the other party, voice shaking.
At this very moment, a spark of recognition flashed in his mind.
That familiar face in front of him overlapped perfectly with the one buried deep in his memory—the face from three years ago.
"Y-you're… Wei—"
"Just a mere nobody, Wei Yang," the handsome young man sneered coldly. "Your Yun Lan Sect is either blind with arrogance or incredibly forgetful. Has it really only been three years and you've already forgotten me?"
"…" Yun Fan opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Wei Yang?" On the side, the kneeling Mu Tie also looked completely stunned upon hearing that name.
His gaze locked tightly onto that vaguely familiar face.
After a brief mental jolt, the memory finally returned—of the events from over three years ago in the imperial capital, and the image that had come with a letter from his family.
"You… you're Mr. Wei?" Mu Tie's voice was filled with disbelief, shock—and a hint of excitement.
The Yun Lan Sect's side was completely stunned.
Wei Yang. Master Wei.
A name that, over the past three years, had slowly faded from public memory—like a brief shooting star—was finally spoken aloud once more by Mu Tie.
That incident three years ago, which had shaken the imperial capital and even the entire empire, now surged back into their minds.
One dazed gaze after another landed on the handsome young man in the black-gold embroidered robe, standing with his hands behind his back.
In this moment, that face overlapped perfectly with the one many had either seen in person—or only in portraits from years past.
"Master… Master Wei…" Yun Fan swallowed hard. A hint of awkwardness appeared on his face.
Back then, during the Three-Year Agreement, Wei Yang had made a public agreement in front of Yun Yun and more than a dozen elders of the Yun Lan Sect.
After that, all past grudges were to be settled.
But now, the person himself had returned—and was demanding answers in public.
Yun Fan couldn't help but feel a little humiliated.
At that moment, another black-robed young man stepped forward, carrying an enormous black ruler on his back.
"Yun Lan Sect—do you still remember me, Xiao Yan?" the young man's voice was tinged with coldness as his gaze locked directly onto Yun Fan and the others.
"Xiao Yan?!" Everyone turned to look at once.
Their expressions changed again, staring in disbelief at the black-robed youth carrying the black great ruler.
"And me—Xiao Li!" Another cold-faced man stepped out, lips curled into a chilling smile that was as cold as midwinter.
"Xiao Yan… Xiao Li? Y-you two—!"
Yun Fan, who had been stunned silent earlier, suddenly jolted awake the moment he saw the Xiao brothers.
"What? Surprised to see us?" Xiao Yan sneered.
"When your Yun Lan Sect slaughtered the Xiao Clan and tried to wipe us out completely, did you ever imagine that a day like this would come?" Xiao Li's voice carried a hatred so deep it seemed to echo from his bones.
That bloody night… every scene, every scream, had haunted him for the past three years. Not a single day had gone by when it didn't replay in his mind.
Yun Fan's face twitched. His eyes were still full of disbelief.
Three years ago, Xiao Yan was just at the Da Dou Shi level, and Xiao Li was at best at the peak of Dou Shi.
But now—their strength had soared to a point that far exceeded his own?
Such a terrifying leap in power was simply unimaginable.
Yun Fan's heart couldn't help but pound violently in his chest.
"Kill the two of them!" His eyelids twitched fiercely, then he suddenly roared in fury.
Wei Yang could wait.
But these two brothers—must not be allowed to live!
If they were left alive, Yun Lan Sect would never know peace again.
As Yun Fan's order rang out, the dozen or so elite cultivators from Yun Lan Sect immediately let out a battle cry. Their longswords were raised, all pointed at Xiao Yan and Xiao Li.
However, just as the Dou Qi surged from their bodies—
"Impudent."
A cold, indifferent snort came from Wei Yang's lips.
He raised his hand and casually made a grasping motion toward the air in front of them.
And instantly—
Fwoosh—
The black flames suspended in the air suddenly surged violently.
The raging dark fire swept outward like a tide, instantly latching onto the dozen or so elite cultivators of Yun Lan Sect. In the very next instant, their entire bodies ignited, becoming human torches.
Aaaaah—!
Screams of agony rang out.
But almost in the blink of an eye, all of them were reduced to ashes, drifting down silently.
Wei Yang raised his hand with a light motion, and the surging black flames reversed direction, pouring back toward him before gathering into his palm.
Finally, the dark fire condensed into a palm-sized black flame, which flickered quietly in his hand.
Silence.The entire hall was deathly quiet—not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
The dozen piles of jet-black ash on the floor were glaring and terrifying, making everyone's scalp tingle.
In just a single breath's time, more than ten cultivators at the Da Dou Shi and Dou Ling level had vanished without a trace.
And in the center of those ashes, only Yun Fan stood alone like a solitary general. His eyelids twitched, his entire body stiff. The pale blue longsword in his hand drooped limply, the tip pointed at the ground—he dared not move a muscle.
Watching the elite disciples he had brought from the sect being burned into ash right before his eyes, Yun Fan's heart pounded wildly. His gaze swept discreetly across Wei Yang's calm face, and the deep sense of unease in his heart grew even more intense.
On the other side, Mu Tie—who had somehow managed to stand and quietly move off to the side—watched this horrific scene unfold with a violent twitch of his face.
To burn people into ash alive… such ruthless methods were utterly terrifying.
Swallowing hard, Mu Tie glanced fearfully, then quickly lowered his head and dared not look again at that calm and handsome youth.
Wei Yang's gaze shifted slightly, landing on Mu Tie. "You're the commander of Zhen Gui Pass?"
"Er… yes, Master Wei." Mu Tie quickly bowed respectfully. With his arms still bound behind him, he couldn't even properly salute.
Seeing this, Wei Yang waved a hand casually. A jet-black thread of flame shot from his fingertips and precisely severed the thick chains binding Mu Tie. Like a hot knife through butter, they were cut cleanly without resistance.
Clang—
As the chains clattered to the ground, Mu Tie finally regained full mobility. After rotating his limbs briefly, he immediately bowed and cupped his fists. "Many thanks, Mister Wei!"
"No need for that. I'm somewhat familiar with Jia Xingtian," Wei Yang said lightly, waving him off. He tossed over a jade bottle and said indifferently, "Go. Tend to your injuries, take control of the garrison, and don't let things get out of hand again."
"Yes!" Mu Tie accepted the jade bottle with gratitude and nodded. Just as he was about to turn and leave, his gaze suddenly stopped.
It had landed on Meng Li, who was standing quietly in a corner behind Yun Fan.
"Mister Wei, this man is Meng Li, once my deputy at Zhen Gui Pass. But he betrayed the empire and defected to Yun Lan Sect. I ask that you hand him over to me for punishment according to military law," Mu Tie said, bowing low.
Wei Yang naturally didn't care. Small fry like this weren't even worth his attention.
He cast a faint glance at Meng Li, who was pale and trembling like a leaf, then gave a slight nod. "Fine."
"Thank you, Mister Wei." Mu Tie bowed once more in gratitude.
Just then—
"Blade-Axe Battalion—move! Kill Mu Tie!"
Suddenly, a furious roar burst from Meng Li's mouth!
His face was twisted with ferocity as he stared at Mu Tie, his eyes filled with the desperation of a cornered animal.
"You bastard! You dare mobilize the army without permission?!" Mu Tie bellowed in rage at the sudden command.
Meng Li let out a twisted sneer. As the synchronized sound of footsteps echoed from the streets outside the City Lord's Mansion, his gaze grew even more vicious.
He had to use those troops to hold off Mu Tie—then take the chance to escape.
Once free of the Jia Ma Empire, with his peak Dou Ling cultivation, he could survive anywhere!
At this point, it was obvious—Yun Lan Sect's ship was sinking.
And if those mysterious powerhouses weren't interested in chasing down a nobody like him, he still had hope of slipping away.
With that desperate thought, Meng Li's body darted along the wall, trying to bolt toward the main hall's exit.
"Traitor! You deserve death!" Mu Tie roared, ignoring the blood still seeping from his wounds. He charged after him with full force.
However—
Crackle!A flash of lightning streaked across.
"Aaaargh!"
A miserable scream echoed through the air.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Li appeared with a cold expression, one hand gripping Meng Li by the neck. All of Meng Li's limbs had been broken—he hung there like a ragdoll.
Xiao Li carried him back into the hall like one would carry a dead chicken and tossed him in front of the stunned Mu Tie.
Thud!
"Pfft… Why? I've never wronged you…" Meng Li spat a mouthful of blood and looked up with difficulty, his eyes filled with disbelief as he asked Xiao Li.
"Being a dog of Yun Lan Sect—that's your crime," Xiao Li said coldly, a cruel and bloody smile on his lips as he looked down on Meng Li.
A dog of Yun Lan Sect… and he thought he could escape from right under my eyes?
Delusional.
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