Chapter 10: Retribution Came So Quickly:
Aside from the Ye Clan’s ancestral Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon, the Heaven-Penetrating Mirror, the true foundation of the Ye Clan lay in Ye Shanhe, the Ye Clan’s old ancestor.
In the Mythic Desolation Continent, righteousness and evil stood opposed, with sacred lands, noble families, and immortal sects engaging in both open conflict and secret struggles. Without formidable strength to deter enemies, even an immortal noble family like the Ye Clan would find it difficult to establish itself.
The Ye Clan’s standing on the Mythic Desolation Continent depended greatly on Ye Shanhe’s cultivation and combat strength.
For a family to ascend to the status of an immortal noble family and hold onto that position, two decisive conditions needed to be met: one, possession of an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon, and two, a Quasi-Emperor within the family.
Extreme Dao Imperial Weapons were legendary artifacts forged by Emperor-level powerhouses. Even after an emperor perished, the Imperial Weapon remained, safeguarding the family for generations. However, to truly unleash an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon’s full potential, only an Emperor-level cultivator could wield it. Even a Quasi-Emperor, having already set foot in the realm of emperors, could exert partial control.
The Ye Clan had originally been a declining second-rate family within the Mythic Desolation Continent. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken hundreds of years of effort to ascend to immortal noble family status. However, three years ago, Chu Chen, by himself, sacrificed his Divine Physique, shattered his cultivation, and successfully suppressed Empress Lin Shuwang, preventing a devastating war between righteousness and evil that would have left the world in ruins.
The enormous merit of this achievement was credited to the Ye Clan, instantly elevating them to the status of an immortal noble family, granting them control over ninety-nine spirit veins.
However, the Ye Clan had no Quasi-Emperor. Their immortal noble family status was entirely built upon Chu Chen’s achievements. Now that Chu Chen’s Divine Physique had been destroyed, his cultivation crippled, and he had become nothing more than a useless cripple, the Ye Clan had only an empty reputation, in name only.
No one understood this better than the Ye Clan themselves.
For the Ye Clan, producing an Emperor-level powerhouse, even just a Quasi-Emperor, was a matter of life and death. It was the clan’s highest priority, more important than anything else.
According to the predictions of the Heaven-Penetrating Mirror, the hope of reaching the Emperor Realm fell upon eight people: Chu Chen’s seven sisters, Ye Xuan, and the Ye Clan’s old ancestor, Ye Shanhe.
Eldest sister Ye Lingyue, third sister Ye Qingqing, fifth sister Ye Han, youngest sister Ye Ling’er—each of them possessed the potential to become a Quasi-Emperor and excelled in fields such as alchemy, artifact forging, and talisman crafting.
Ye Xuan, however, was on an entirely different level—he had the potential to become a Great Emperor.
As long as he was given enough time, even if he failed to become an unmatched Great Emperor, reaching the Quasi-Emperor realm was inevitable.
Meanwhile, Ye Shanhe had reached the tenth stage of the Holy King Realm, standing just one step away from the Quasi-Emperor Secret Realm. If all went smoothly, he could ascend to the Emperor Realm within just a few years, leading the Ye Clan to its greatest glory.
Simply put, everything in the Ye Clan was thriving—except for one person: Chu Chen.
To them, Chu Chen was nothing but a parasite, a waste of cultivation resources. Forcing him to give up his position as Holy Son to Ye Xuan was the most natural course of action.
If he obeyed, they would tolerate him like a dog, letting him beg for scraps for their amusement.
If he refused, they would cast him out, leaving him to fend for himself in the outside world, abandoned and helpless.
But no one ever expected that it wasn’t the Ye Clan’s fate protecting Chu Chen—but rather, Chu Chen alone had been holding up the Ye Clan’s fate all along.
The moment Chu Chen left, the Ye Clan’s fortune crumbled, half of it dissipating instantly. Dark ominous clouds gathered over the clan, forming a dense mass of black energy that lingered without dispersing.
Ye Shanhe was at a critical moment in seclusion, on the verge of breaking through to the Quasi-Emperor Secret Realm. However, due to the sudden loss of the Ye Clan’s fortune, his previously smooth cultivation was forcefully interrupted.
Worse still, the black aura of calamity enveloping the Ye Clan invaded his body, causing his mind to waver at the most crucial moment. He nearly fell into madness.
“Damn it! As expected, breaking through to the Quasi-Emperor Secret Realm isn’t easy!”
“That worthless trash, Ye Chuchen, must have disturbed my concentration over the past few days, filling my mind with distractions.”
“If I had known, I would have just killed that little bastard with a single palm...”
Ye Shanhe took a deep breath, forcefully steadying his mind. He continued cursing Chu Chen while expelling the ominous energy from his body to stabilize his realm.
But he didn’t realize that the truth was entirely different from what he imagined.
Eldest sister Ye Lingyue, having successfully completed her seclusion, was the first to notice the Ye Clan’s declining fate and the ominous energy plaguing them.
Without hesitation, she activated a series of star-powered Eight Trigram Formations over the Ye Clan’s territory, trying to find the cause of their misfortune.
This was no longer just about her own cultivation—this was a matter of life and death for the entire Ye Clan.
Inside the Ye Clan’s main hall, several of Chu Chen’s sisters surrounded Ye Xuan, chatting excitedly.
"Xiao Xuan, congratulations on becoming the Ye Clan’s Holy Son! This is a newly purchased Earth Core Fire Lotus Seed from Third Sister—it will benefit your cultivation."
"Xuan’er, this is a formation scroll I just refined—it will protect you."
"Xiao Xuanxuan, I just bought this flying sword, forged from Black Gold Profound Stone—a Divine Fire-grade artifact that can cut through hair with a breeze and is cold as water. It’s yours now."
Ye Xuan, only in his early teens, had been struggling to break through the Sea Expansion Secret Realm just days ago. Now, thanks to Ye Ling’er’s gift, he suddenly possessed a Divine Fire-grade artifact. Even he couldn’t help but feel emotional, his eyes moistening.
In the Mythic Desolation Continent, magic artifacts were categorized into ten levels corresponding to cultivation realms:
Qi Gathering, Energy Condensation, Sea Expansion, Heaven Opening, Spirit Communication, Divine Fire...
Artifacts at the Saint-level became Sacred Artifacts, at the Saint King-level became Saint King Artifacts, and at the Quasi-Emperor-level became Quasi-Emperor Weapons. Their power was unmatched.
At the Emperor-level, an artifact was powerful enough to suppress sacred lands, noble families, and immortal sects. These were known as...
Extreme Dao Imperial Weapons!
Ye Han, Ye Qingqing, and Ye Ling’er each took out treasures from their storage rings, showering Ye Xuan with gifts. Their enthusiasm and flattery were overwhelming.
Sitting at the head of the hall, Ye Ding, the clan patriarch, nodded in satisfaction. As a father, nothing made him happier than seeing his children getting along.
If only that waste had been as sensible as Ye Xuan...
Serves him right!
Just as Ye Ding was about to speak, Ye Xuan suddenly bowed to him. In the same moment, a powerful Sea Expansion Realm aura erupted from his body.
"Sea Expansion Realm!"
"When did Xiao Xuan break through?!"
"He reached this stage without that cripple’s Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Pill!"
"That fool actually thought he could use the Fire Spirit Pill to bargain with us! Laughable!"
Ye Ling’er, Ye Han, and Ye Qingqing showered Ye Xuan with praise while cursing Chu Chen out of habit.
Just then, Ye Xuan’s black ring flickered with a dark glow, and an old voice rang in his mind.
"Xiao Xuan, this is bad! We were all wrong!"
"What?!"
"Ye Chuchen must not leave! He alone was holding up your fate and the Ye Clan’s destiny! Without him, who will you steal fate from?"
"At all costs—bring him back! Bring him back!!"