# Chapter 497: Tianxia Xiongtu
"That's right, that's right!" Yun Xiao quickly nodded along. "My father is a very gentle person. He will definitely like Brother Yun."
Yun Che gave Yun Xiao a deep look, sighing inwardly... No matter how much the Yun Clan had declined, they were still one of the Demon Emperor's Twelve Guardian Clans, the highest level of clan power in the Illusion Demon Realm. And Yun Xiao was the only son of the Yun Clan's patriarch—his status could not be called anything but noble. Yet, there was not a trace of arrogance about Yun Xiao. His actions and words were extraordinarily humble and refined, even somewhat cautious and forbearing... Even when Tianxia Diyi spoke to him without any regard for his feelings, he never retaliated or talked back.
As for Yun Che agreeing to visit his home, he showed not just enthusiasm, but also joy... This overflowing happiness told Yun Che that this Yun Xiao, despite his noble status and excellent temperament and upbringing, seemed to have very few friends.
It was as if he was completely isolated.
"I also very much want to meet the respected Senior Yun, whom I have long admired. Since that's the case, let's go to the Demon Emperor City right now. As this is my first time arriving at the Demon Emperor City, and I may be staying for a while, I will have to rely on all of you for your care." Yun Che nodded.
"Heh heh, you're too polite. You saved my little sister's life. Our Wood Spirit Clan always repays kindness. If there's anything you need us for, just say the word. I, Tianxia Diyi, won't even frown." Tianxia Diyi said heartily. After speaking, he checked Tianxia Diqi's injuries again: "Diqi, can you fly back on your own? Don't push yourself with those injuries."
"I told you, I'm just slightly injured. I could fly back and forth a dozen times without issue." Tianxia Diqi looked worriedly at Yun Xiao as she supported his shoulder: "Brother Yun is the one seriously injured."
"Hmph! That brat got what he deserved. He'd be lucky to die! If he hadn't dragged you into this, he'd be dead anyway. Otherwise, I'd slap him to death myself!" Tianxia Diyi glared at Yun Xiao, still speaking harshly. It wasn't that his anger hadn't subsided—it had been simmering for a long time. Almost everyone in their entire clan opposed the matter between Tianxia Diqi and Yun Xiao.
Tianxia Diqi's brows shot up, and she was about to lash out at Tianxia Diyi, but Yun Xiao reached out to stop her. He was long accustomed to Tianxia Diyi's cold mockery. Shaking his head at Tianxia Diqi, he said, "Diqi, don't be angry at your big brother. This time, it really was my fault. If I hadn't secretly arranged to meet you, today's incident wouldn't have happened. And if I hadn't met Brother Yun, the consequences would have been unthinkable... Let big brother scold me. That way, I'll actually feel better."
Tianxia Diqi looked at him with concern, then turned to glare fiercely at Tianxia Diyi. Pouting, she ignored him and pulled Yun Xiao's arm: "Hmph, don't mind him. Brother Yun, let's go."
"Don't take him! Let him fly back on his own!" Tianxia Diyi's face was cold, showing no mercy.
"Big brother, you're going too far!" Tianxia Diqi's eyes blazed. "Brother Yun was severely injured protecting me! His injuries have just stabilized. Moving his profound energy recklessly would be extremely dangerous. How can you be so unreasonable!"
"Hmph! He himself admitted it was his fault." Tianxia Diyi turned his face away. "A minor injury, and he needs a woman to support him? What kind of man is that? If he's a man, even if he can't fly, he should crawl back on his own!"
"Let me handle it." Seeing the situation about to escalate, Yun Che had to intervene. Stepping forward to support Yun Xiao, he said, "Brother Tianxia, Yun Xiao is indeed seriously injured and shouldn't move his profound energy. Walking back would take too much time. Since I'm going to visit Senior Yun with him, I'll take him along."
Faced with Yun Che, Tianxia Diyi naturally couldn't say much. He nodded: "Brother Yun's words, I naturally have no objection... Diqi, let's go."
The four of them rose into the air. With their strength, the distance of less than a hundred li would be covered quickly. Watching the Demon Emperor City grow closer, Yun Che sighed inwardly... He had come to this world completely unprepared, and then, equally unprepared, he had met these people. Before this, the Primordial Mystic Ark incident had been a great calamity for him. It was a miracle he had survived. But now, he wasn't sure if he should feel fortunate.
Because without the Primordial Mystic Ark calamity, he wouldn't have known how many years it would take to reach this place.
The Demon Emperor City drew nearer. When they were still several li from the main city gate, three figures flew toward them from ahead, as fast as thunderbolts. Seeing the newcomers, Tianxia Diyi and Tianxia Diqi stopped. Tianxia Diqi said in surprise: "Third Brother! Sixth Brother! And... Ah! Dad!"
The three approaching figures also halted. They were three Wood Spirit men. The two on the sides were similar in build and age to Tianxia Diyi, and their profound energy auras, though not as strong as his, were still astonishingly dense. The one who caught Yun Che's attention was the Wood Spirit in the middle... He appeared to be in his thirties, but his brow carried an accumulation of years that was impossible to fathom. And his aura was as vast and unfathomable as the starry sky. No matter how Yun Che probed, he could not grasp its limits. Even the existence of his profound energy aura felt intangible.
Yun Che had only felt this sensation from Gu Cang before.
But back then, his own profound strength had been at the Earth Xuan Realm. Now, he was a different person... which meant that this middle-aged Wood Spirit's strength far surpassed Gu Cang's!!
Gu Cang was a true Emperor Lord powerhouse, the strongest of the Four Sacred Grounds in the Tian Xuan Continent, a peak Half-step Divine Tribulation Realm. So this person before him was... at least a genuine Divine Tribulation Realm powerhouse!
"Dad, how did you come?" Tianxia Diqi quickly flew up to the middle-aged Wood Spirit, took his arm, and acted coquettishly.
"Humph, how could I not come! Your third brother and sixth brother told me about the assassination attempt on you. I almost scared my soul out of my body!" The middle-aged Wood Spirit's face was full of concern as he carefully looked her over. "It's good that you're safe and sound. But no thanks to that bastard Yun Xiao!"
The last sentence carried obvious hostility, and his gaze toward Yun Xiao was even colder. This middle-aged Wood Spirit was naturally Tianxia Diyi's and Tianxia Diqi's father, the current patriarch of the Tianxia Clan—Tianxia Xiongtu.
"Junior Yun Xiao greets Senior Tianxia." Yun Xiao bowed, his voice somewhat hoarse and weak. Tianxia Xiongtu's appearance made him even more nervous and uneasy.
"What, you're still alive?" Tianxia Xiongtu's first words were harsh, showing not a trace of respect. "You almost got my daughter killed. If not for the Demon Emperor and your father's sake, I would cripple you today! Get lost immediately! If you ever approach my daughter again, I'll break your legs!"
"..." Yun Che's ears rang from the force of Tianxia Xiongtu's voice. Earlier, he had thought Tianxia Diyi's attitude toward Yun Xiao was terrible, but now, seeing Tianxia Xiongtu's demeanor... he began to think Tianxia Diyi was practically gentle!
"Dad!" Tianxia Diqi quickly stepped in front of Tianxia Xiongtu. "Why are you yelling at Brother Yun? It's not his fault at all! I was the one who came out on my own. Those three black-clothed men only wanted to kill me. They never intended to harm Brother Yun. If Brother Yun hadn't protected me desperately, I would have... I would never have seen you again, Dad."
"Hmph! Don't make excuses for him." Tianxia Xiongtu waved his hand. "Your sixth brother has already confessed. He heard with his own ears that it was this brat who sent you a message, asking to meet seventy li outside the city... Outrageous!!"
"Ah..." Tianxia Diqi was momentarily speechless. She turned to look at the young Wood Spirit man on the left—her sixth brother. Tianxia Diliu scratched his forehead, wearing an innocent expression.
"In any case, it has nothing to do with Brother Yun!" Tianxia Diqi said angrily.
"Shut up too!" Tianxia Xiongtu growled. He had six sons but only one daughter, so he always doted on her and never scolded her. His roar startled all four siblings... Clearly, Tianxia Xiongtu was genuinely furious. After all, this was a matter of life and death for Tianxia Diqi. How could he remain calm? He stared at Yun Xiao, who dared not speak, and said in a low voice: "I'll say it one more time: get lost immediately! Tomorrow, I'll go find Yun Qinghong. His son nearly cost my daughter her life. Let's see what explanation he gives me!"
"Dad..." Tianxia Diqi held onto Tianxia Xiongtu's arm tightly, afraid he would attack Yun Xiao. Faced with her enraged father, she was at a loss.
"Ahem ahem." At this moment, Yun Che, a complete outsider, walked to Yun Xiao's side and spoke up: "Senior Tianxia, you are enraged because you care deeply for your daughter. That is only natural and beyond reproach. However... Senior Tianxia, please calm your anger for a moment and allow this junior to say a few words, if you will."
Tianxia Xiongtu glanced at him sideways and said indifferently: "And who are you?"
Tianxia Diyi replied: "Father, this is young brother Yun Che. He comes from the Southern Border and is out for his first training experience. It was not I who saved Diqi—it was him. If not for him, Diqi would have truly..."
"Oh?" Hearing this, Tianxia Xiongtu, Tianxia Disan, and Tianxia Diliu's looks toward Yun Che naturally changed. But his profound energy aura made the three of them frown simultaneously. Tianxia Diyi knew what they were thinking and said in a very low voice: "Father, Third Brother, Sixth Brother, do not underestimate him. His aptitude is terrifyingly high. Although his profound strength is only at the Heavenly Xuan realm, he can kill a first-level Overlord with a single move! I also tested his strength before... It's comparable to a fourth-level Overlord. Perhaps even higher."
"What!?" Tianxia Diyi's words made even Tianxia Xiongtu, who was at the Emperor Lord realm, show an expression of shock. Heavenly Xuan peak, comparable to mid-stage Overlord?
If Tianxia Diyi hadn't personally said it, even with his vast experience, Tianxia Xiongtu would never have believed it.
"So it was Brother Yun who saved our little sister. How rude of us. I am Tianxia Disan. Thank you for your great kindness in saving her life." Tianxia Disan clasped his hands to Yun Che.
"I am Tianxia Diliu. You saved our little sister's life—that's the same as saving mine. I will definitely repay this great kindness." Tianxia Diliu also said gratefully.
Tianxia Xiongtu's expression softened. He nodded to Yun Che and said appreciatively: "So it was you who saved my daughter's life. Our Wood Spirit Clan always repays kindness, especially such a great favor. Say what you wish to say. If you have any requests, you may also state them."
"I wouldn't dare make requests, Senior. I only have some humble opinions." Yun Che smiled slightly and spoke slowly: "Before I saved Yun Xiao and Diqi, I personally heard those three black-clothed men say they wanted only Diqi's life and would not kill Yun Xiao. In fact, when one of them attacked Yun Xiao, he quickly pulled back his strength, as if afraid of taking his life... Can Senior and the several brothers Tianxia guess the reason?"
"That's right, they did say that." Tianxia Diqi immediately nodded. "From the very beginning, they said they only wanted my life and told Brother Yun to leave immediately... But Brother Yun didn't leave. He protected me desperately. Afraid of accidentally killing Brother Yun, they were always restrained when attacking me."
The four of them frowned. Tianxia Disan said in a low voice: "Could it be that the three black-clothed men were from the Yun Clan... No! They should have no reason to do such a thing."
"Of course it couldn't be the Yun Clan's doing." Yun Che said unhurriedly: "Although this is my first time training outside and I am quite unfamiliar with the Twelve Guardian Clans, if I am not mistaken, your Wood Spirit Clan and the Yun Clan are at least not enemies, are they? Perhaps you even have friendly relations?"
"That's correct." Tianxia Diyi nodded. "Senior Yun Canghai, the former Demon Emperor, once did a great favor for our father, so our clan has always been on good terms with the Yun Clan. A hundred years ago, when the Demon Emperor's fate became unknown and the Yun Clan fell into chaos, our relationship with them cooled year by year, but we have never been hostile."
"Then," Yun Che's expression turned serious, "if Diqi had truly been murdered this time, while Yun Xiao came out unscathed, what would have happened to the relationship between your two clans?"
Yun Che's words struck like a thunderclap in everyone's ears. After brief consideration, their expressions all changed dramatically.
Yun Che nodded and continued: "Exactly! If both Diqi and Yun Xiao had been murdered, then your clans would have shared a common hatred and joined forces to find the murderer. But with only Diqi dead and Yun Xiao unharmed, coupled with the fact that Diqi was lured out by Yun Xiao, then before finding the murderer, given how much Senior Tianxia and the brothers Tianxia dote on Diqi, you would inevitably take out your anger completely on the Yun Clan. This could even lead to a deep grudge. Hatred would bring conflict, and conflict would spread hatred. In the end, your two families might even become irreconcilable sworn enemies!"
"If the three black-clothed men's goal was merely to take Diqi's life, sparing Yun Xiao would have no benefit—it would only risk him catching clues on the spot and exposing their identities afterward. But they risked exposure just to kill Diqi and leave Yun Xiao alive... The purpose is obvious!"
Yun Che's gaze swept over them: "Diqi is safe and sound, and Senior Tianxia is already this furious. If something had actually happened, it would be unimaginable. If Senior Tianxia's anger still hasn't subsided and tomorrow you personally go to the Yun Clan to confront Senior Yun, once things escalate, wouldn't that be playing right into the hands of the hidden malefactors?"
"Of course, these are just some humble opinions and guesses from this junior. I believe that Senior Tianxia's heart is clear as a mirror."
Tianxia Xiongtu was no fool. His anger had clouded his judgment earlier, preventing him from thinking too deeply. Yun Che's words were like a basin of cold water, making him suddenly sober. His gaze darkened, and he slowly nodded: "What you said is correct."