Hierophant Jiuyou left very tactfully. This was a grand occasion, and he had shown his sincerity. Ye Futian had no intention of handing anyone over, so he left directly.
For a time, everyone who learned that Ye Futian of the Heavenly Mandate Academy was staying in that inn flocked to visit him. They wanted to see this legendary figure.
Everyone discussed this matter. It was said that the powerful dragon could not crush a snake in its old haunts, but when the powerful dragon brought its full strength to bear, the snake could only lie upon its belly and grovel. Ye Futian was not going to hand anyone over, and so there was nothing that Hierophant Jiuyou could do.
Jiuyou City was a violent place. Hierophant Jiuyou was not usually as friendly as he was that day; he usually dealt with things in a bloody manner, standing upon an increasingly large pile of corpses. There were no rules in this city, only power.
So, it was only natural that Hierophant Jiuyou would bow his head. The Heavenly Mandate Academy was stronger than him.
However, after he left, Ye Futian said, “We should all be a little bit more careful. Don’t go out alone.”
“Do you think Hierophant Jiuyou would dare attack us?” said Dou Zhao.
“Not necessarily, but in a violent city like this, the most powerful people are surely fierce and ambitious. Since he left so quietly, he has probably accepted us. But maybe…” Ye Futian said no more. Everyone knew what he meant.
Jiuyou City was Hierophant Jiuyou’s realm, after all. In such a lawless place, it was a good idea to be careful.
“Sister, have I brought trouble to your brother?” Qingyao did not understand the world of cultivation, nor did she understand who Ye Futian and Hierophant Jiuyou were. She only knew that someone wanted to take her away. But Ye Futian had still asked her opinion.
This was a feeling that she had never had before.
“It’s not a problem. Don’t worry too much, Qingyao. Your brother will take you somewhere safe,” said Yaya, patting Qingyao’s head. This action might have been learned from Ye Futian. After all, her own head was often patted.
“Alright.” Although Qingyao had an ordinary appearance, she gave people a simple and refreshing feeling.
Afterward, more people came to the inn to visit, all of them from Jiuyou City. Ye Futian left them all for others to deal with. He naturally had no time to meet with them; otherwise, he’d have no time for himself at all.
Ye Futian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he was told that some people had come simply to pay a visit, some had come asking to be his disciple, and some had come to offer their precious daughters up to him as concubines.
That was right, concubines. They did not even dare to imagine that he would take them as proper wives. As long as he accepted them, that was good enough.
This left him speechless. Were there really people who would sell their own daughters like that?
Of course, these women were all beautiful and talented. Otherwise, they would not have been brought. After all, Ye Futian was said to be the most brilliant figure in the Nine Realms at the moment.
But the others from the Heavenly Mandate Academy understood these methods. According to them, one could lose one’s life at any time in a city as chaotic as Jiuyou City. There was no sense of safety. Many of the people with descendants did not want them to stay here in such a dangerous place. Now that Ye Futian was here, even being able to stand behind him was far better than staying in Jiuyou City.
Moreover, Ye Futian was incomparably talented and very handsome, with his head full of silver hair and strong features.
It was said that Chang Xi, the Goddess of Youyue Divine Palace, desired him, so how much more would ordinary women?
Of course, no one knew what Chang Xi would think if she heard this news.
On that day, Ye Futian was cultivating quietly. He had sent people to observe the happenings in the outside world, particularly watching for news from Hell.
There was now no trace of Hell in the Nine Realms. They were difficult to find, but their target was the Gate of Hell. Once the gate appeared, the people of Hell would appear as well.
“Hm?”
At that moment, Ye Futian frowned while he was cultivating. He seemed to feel that something was not right.
A figure flashed over and descended beside him. It was Hua Jiangshan. “There is danger,” he said.
Ye Futian’s expression froze, and he said, “Remind everyone to stay safe.”
As he said this, Hua Jiangshan’s aura had already surged out. Suddenly, a group of figures appeared.
At that moment, it seemed like many divine consciousnesses were sweeping towards them, each one incredibly terrifying.
The sky suddenly dimmed and became shrouded in darkness. Incomparably terrifying will covered the sky, blocking all the light. Black light covered the land. In just a second, it seemed like the end of days had come.
Countless figures rose into the sky as they tried to fly away. Although they didn’t know what was happening, the people of Jiuyou City felt a powerful sense of alarm. Death was all too common in this violent land. The first thing they would do in a situation like this was try to leave and not get caught in the storm.
Whoosh!
At that moment, endless hellfire descended from the sky, crashing down upon an area hundreds of miles wide. Everywhere this fire rained, everything died. Many plaintive cries rose up as people were engulfed in flames and burned away into nothingness.
“Flee!” cried out many voices. This had become a place of death. The flames from Hell covered the entire area, trying to bury it.
A figure appeared in the fire, wearing a dark robe. He was powerful and overbearing. It was Hierophant Jiuyou.
He unleashed his terrifying power, that of an eighth-tier Divine Wheel. The destructive hellfire transformed into streams of the Great Path of destruction that swept out across the land.
Renhuang-level figures appeared all around him.
Ye Futian looked up into the sky. He had known that Hierophant Jiuyou would not give up easily but would resort to trickery. Thus, he had warned everyone to be careful.
But he had not thought that Hierophant Jiuyou would resort to such overpowering and direct means. He was cutting off his own road of retreat. After today, he would become a bitter enemy of the Heavenly Mandate Academy. As a great figure with an eighth-tier Divine Wheel, he naturally knew what he was doing. He knew what it meant.
But he was still getting directly involved.
The power of Jiuyou City was truly just as intense as the legends said.
Beams of brilliant celestial light bloomed, shooting towards the hellfire. At the same time, Hua Jiangshan stepped forward, the beams of light opening up a road of the Great Path for him. He suddenly rose up into the air and thrust a hand out towards Hierophant Jiuyou.
But Hierophant Jiuyou was not the least bit afraid. He thrust his dark hands down. They were filled with endless destructive, deadly energy.
Bang!
Their hands collided, and devastating light swept out, transforming into a fearsome wave that shot out in all directions.
At the same time, other cultivators were stepping out in other places. Their auras were terrible. Only a few of them were upper-level Renhuangs, but they had seventh or eighth-tier Divine Wheels. However, even such a formation was not that frightening, especially because they were only in Jiuyou City.
“Hierophant Jiuyou is not the only one getting involved.” The people who had fled far away still felt their hearts tremble.
Many of them were top figures of Jiuyou City. Now, they were all targeting the Heavenly Mandate Academy.
Did the old snake want to swallow up the dragon of the Heavenly Mandate Academy?
“The Blood Demon Emperor!” someone cried after seeing a terrifying figure emerge. Blood-colored light shone all around him, sweeping out towards Ye Futian below him. It was a horrifying sight.
“That’s the Sky Sword Emperor!” More figures from Jiuyou City appeared, shocking all the onlookers. Were they crazy?
So many of Jiuyou City’s greatest figures were coming out to attack the Heavenly Mandate Academy.
Below them, many of the great figures of the Heavenly Mandate Academy acted, blocking off the area all around them.
When war had broken out between the Heavenly Mandate Academy and the Shen Clan, they had flocked to the Hidden Land Realm, and several top figures had been dispatched to ensure their safety. Although the Shen Clan and the Golden Divine Nation would not necessarily attack them openly, who knew if they would attack them in secret?
As Ye Futian watched this apocalyptic battlefield, his expression suddenly turned cold.
Such a huge force had planned against him?
They were openly declaring war. They no longer cared about the consequences.
A young girl had been enough to make Hierophant Jiuyou and several other great figures act without regard for the consequences, even though the Heavenly Mandate Academy protected her. How much importance did they place upon her?
Ye Futian did not think that Hierophant Jiuyou was attacking because he had refused him earlier. Would he really go so far as to risk his life just to save face?
Obviously not.
There was only one reason.
Ye Qingyao had the same name as him.
Because he had some special power, he was able to see that Ye Qingyao was extraordinarily talented in both mind and body, but others always overlooked her. Yet his opponent clearly knew her secret as well.
However, even though he knew, why would he risk his life to get her?
What kind of secret could it be?
Ye Futian looked at Ye Qingyao, who just so happened to be looking back at him. She seemed very scared as she stood behind Yaya. When she saw the look in Ye Futian’s eyes, her face went white. She was thinking that she was imposing on her brother and sister too much.
She really was an unlucky person. Everywhere she went, disaster followed.
Someone like her did not deserve to have such wonderful friends.
But although she was scared, she let go of Yaya’s hand and strode forward. She looked up at the figure in the sky and called out, “I will go with you!”
She seemed so alone as she yelled this; it was as if she was no longer part of a group.
But she had been so happy these past few days. She was happy to have had such wonderful friends.
But even though she wanted to keep them, she did not want to keep using them.
“Emperor Ye, I will take her away, and we will end the matter here, yes?” said Hierophant Jiuyou up in the sky when he heard Ye Qingyao’s offer. If he was not forced to, he would not gamble the lives of his family on this. He knew that no matter what happened that day, there would no longer be a place for him in Jiuyou City after this.
But if he could take her away peacefully, the Heavenly Mandate Academy’s anger would not be as fierce. Thus, although it was only a narrow avenue of retreat, he was willing to take it.
Of course, if Ye Futian would not accept, he would use his most violent measures.
He had to have her!’
…
