# Chapter 498: Yao Huang City
"But in the end, my daughter's danger this time was still because of this brat!" Although Tianxia Xiong Tu had restrained his anger, his tone had not softened at all: "If my daughter had really met with any mishap, even if I knew someone was deliberately provoking me, I would still make the Yun family's life a living hell! Fortunately, my daughter is fine. I can let this matter go and not go after Yun Qinghong... but you, Yun boy, I will not take back what I said to you before. From now on, you are not allowed to see my daughter again. Otherwise, I will personally break your legs! Get lost now!"
"Father!" Tianxia Diqi became anxious: "You already know that Brother Yun and I were ambushed, so how can you still say such things to him! That's too much! If you keep this up, I'm really going to get angry."
"Too much? Qi Bao, setting aside today's events, you are at least the princess of our Elf Clan. There are so many outstanding young talents in Yao Huang City for you to choose from. Why must you fixate on such a..." Tianxia Xiong Tu pointed at Yun Xiao, paused for a moment, and ultimately held back the harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he waved his hand: "I used to indulge your willfulness, but after something like this, I will never allow you to see him again! Yun boy, give up completely! My daughter is not someone you are worthy of."
Tianxia Diyi, Tianxia Disan, and Tianxia Diliu also wore expressions of deep agreement.
"Father!!" Tianxia Diqi pushed Tianxia Xiong Tu away, took a step back, and her face flushed red with anger: "I'll say it again: in this life, I will only love Brother Yun. Other than Brother Yun, I will never marry anyone else... and this is my own business. You don't need to interfere!"
"Qi Mei..." Yun Xiao looked at her, softly murmuring, his hands clenched tightly, his face turning pale.
But Tianxia Xiong Tu showed no sign of relenting: "Qi Bao, normally whatever you want to do, Father will satisfy you. But this matter is absolutely out of the question. This is not just a personal emotional issue; it concerns your future and prospects... and to a certain extent, it even concerns the reputation and future of our entire Tianxia clan!" Tianxia Xiong Tu heaved a heavy sigh and softened his posture: "Qi Bao, Father usually goes along with whatever you want. Can't you indulge Father just this once?"
Tianxia Diqi bit her lip. She looked at Yun Xiao, and Yun Xiao looked back at her. Their gazes met tenderly... the distance between them was only a few steps, yet it felt as helpless as if separated by a vast chasm. After a long time, this stubborn elf maiden slowly but firmly shook her head: "Father, Big Brother, Third Brother, Sixth Brother, I know you look down on Brother Yun, that you have even held him in contempt... because of his background! But is his background his fault? Is background and status really that important?"
"My feelings for Brother Yun have nothing to do with his background. In my eyes, he is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than those arrogant and domineering sons from the main family branches. You all should know that because the Demon Emperor's life-or-death status is unknown, the Yun family's patriarch was deposed, and they successively lost the Demon Emperor Seal and the Demon Emperor's Supreme Treasure. Not only has their prestige plummeted, but they are burdened with grave crimes. Not only have their annual resource allocations been reduced several times compared to before, but they are no longer even permitted to enter the 'Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley'—the best opportunity for serendipity and training. The clan's internal affairs have also become increasingly chaotic, causing the Yun family's strength to decline significantly over the past hundred years... But under such circumstances, with the most meager resources, Brother Yun has already reached Half-step Overlord Emperor! He is not inferior to many direct family disciples. This strength, which in your eyes barely qualifies as worthy of the 'patriarch's son'—do you know how much effort Brother Yun had to put in to achieve it!!"
"The resources Brother Yun has obtained over the past decade or so are less than one-tenth of what the children of other family patriarchs receive, and even far less than what other disciples of his own clan receive! But Brother Yun has never complained. Instead, he has put in ten times the effort of others. Other Yun family disciples can use Xuan Gang; Brother Yun cannot... so he puts in several times more effort to compensate for that disparity... With pitifully few resources and lacking even the Yun clan's bloodline talent, Brother Yun is now a Half-step Overlord Xuan at less than twenty-two years old, about to enter the Overlord Emperor realm... If he had the same resources, I believe his achievements now would surely not be inferior to Sixth Brother's!"
Tianxia Diliu: "..."
"Brother Yun has a very soft heart and is always so gentle. At least nominally, he is the young master of the Yun family, but he never becomes arrogant because of it, never bullies others, and whenever he encounters injustice, he always takes the initiative to help... I know that all his goodness only earns your disdain. But there is one thing... When I was in danger, Brother Yun was willing to risk his life to protect me. All the injuries Brother Yun has now were sustained while protecting me. He could have escaped unscathed, yet he chose to risk death just to buy me a chance to escape... Even so, he is still being scolded and humiliated by you!" Tianxia Diqi's chest heaved violently: "Father, among those outstanding young talents you speak of, which one of them could do that? In a woman's life, to encounter such a person, especially when there is mutual affection, is the greatest fortune. Are you so heartless as to destroy my life's greatest happiness?"
Faced with Tianxia Xiong Tu's harshness, Tianxia Diqi could no longer control herself and shouted out the words in her heart without reservation. But her heartfelt words still failed to move Tianxia Xiong Tu. He glanced indifferently at Yun Xiao and slowly shook his head: "Qi Bao, what you say, Father naturally understands. I was young once too, and I know what you're thinking. But... after all, you are the only princess of the Tianxia clan. You possess innate conditions that others could not attain in a hundred lifetimes, yet precisely because of this, some things are destined not to be entirely up to you. Come back with Father for now."
"I won't go back!" Tianxia Diqi stepped backward: "If you truly forbid me from seeing Brother Yun ever again, I would rather never return home."
"You..." Tianxia Xiong Tu's barely suppressed anger flared up again.
"Ahem... Qi Mei, may I say a few words?" Yun Che quickly spoke up before Tianxia Xiong Tu could erupt. He pulled Tianxia Diqi aside and said in a low voice: "Qi Mei, go back with your father for now, and don't argue anymore. As for Yun Xiao, I will go back to the Yun family with him. I won't leave until his injuries are healed, so you don't need to worry."
"But..." Tianxia Diqi looked at Yun Xiao, her voice aggrieved and indignant: "They spoke about Brother Yun like that and won't let me see him anymore. I..."
"But what use is quarreling like this?" Yun Che shook his head: "You just encountered danger; your father and brothers are still furious and full of resentment toward Yun Xiao. It's clear they truly care about you deeply. To argue so fiercely with them over Yun Xiao, even threatening not to return home... that only makes them both angry and hurt, and at the same time, it makes them dislike Yun Xiao even more. It's purely counterproductive, only making the possibility between you and Yun Xiao even more remote."
"Ah?" Tianxia Diqi was startled: "Then... what should I do?"
"Go back with them for now. Once this matter has passed, take it slowly. Your father says now that you can't see Yun Xiao anymore, but you're both in Yao Huang City, both living people. If you really want to see each other, can they completely prevent it? Arguing with your father is completely useless. Instead, you should gently persuade him, or act a bit more spoiled, and use various ways to let him know how good Yun Xiao is to you... Over time, he might unconsciously come to accept it."
Tianxia Diqi's eyes gradually brightened, and she nodded firmly: "Mm, Brother Yun, I'll listen to you. Brother Yun... you need to take good care of your injuries. I will definitely convince Father."
"Qi Mei..."
"Yun Xiao, let's go."
Yun Che took his leave of Tianxia Xiong Tu and the others, then without further delay, he lifted Yun Xiao and flew directly toward Yao Huang City.
"Third Brother, take Qi Bao back first. She also suffered some internal injuries, so it's best for her to rest and recuperate for a few days."
After Tianxia Disan and Tianxia Diqi left, Tianxia Xiong Tu's face slowly darkened: "First Brother, do you have any leads on the identities of those three men in black?"
Tianxia Diyi shook his head: "When I arrived, one of the three men in black was already dead, and the other two had fled. I didn't even catch a glimpse of them."
"Since one died, what about the body?" Tianxia Xiong Tu asked.
"The body was taken away by the two who escaped. However, Yun Che, who scared them off, did not stop them. Perhaps he simply couldn't be bothered."
Tianxia Xiong Tu pondered for a moment, then said slowly: "First Brother, go back to that place now. Look for any traces left behind. Also, since someone died, even if the body was taken, the blood can't be cleaned completely. Bring back some blood samples. I might have a way to identify them... Hmph! I want to see who is so audacious as to dare ambush my Tianxia clan!"
"Very well!" Tianxia Diyi nodded. Just as he was about to take off, he suddenly stopped and said to Tianxia Diliu: "Sixth Brother, when you return, immediately investigate Yun Che's background. The more detailed, the better. His origin is by no means ordinary! Note that he is not an enemy, so when investigating, do not disturb him."
"Understood." Tianxia Diliu nodded.
---
Yun Che carried Yun Xiao as they flew toward Yao Huang City at a moderate pace. Both of them watched the city gates growing closer, their thoughts extremely complex.
"Brother Yun, are you really only twenty-two years old?" Yun Xiao suddenly looked at him.
"Would never lie to you," Yun Che said. "Why do you ask?"
Yun Xiao sighed, envious: "We're both twenty-two, yet you are so formidable, and you always get right to the point with your words. You naturally make people trust you... If I were like you, Qi Mei's father and brothers wouldn't dislike me so much, would they..."
Yun Che shook his head: "I'm not nearly as sharp as you think. It's just that you were the ones ambushed, you're the ones being interfered with, while I'm merely an outsider. So I can stay calm at all times... 'The onlooker sees the chess game better than the players' — that's roughly what it means."
"Haha!" Yun Xiao laughed: "Brother Yun, you're not only formidable in every aspect, but also very humble. It's really hard not to admire you... And strangely enough, I'm usually wary of others, but somehow, seeing you, Brother Yun, I feel a very inexplicable sense of warmth. I mean it! Hehe, maybe your charisma is just too strong."
Yun Che looked at him, smiled, and said seriously: "Actually... I feel the same way."
"Ah?" Yun Xiao was startled, then said blankly: "So... does that make us good friends now?"
"It should count... as long as you don't mind."
"Mind? Of course not!" Yun Xiao waved his hands hurriedly: "A person as remarkable as Brother Yun — if anyone should mind, it would be you minding me."
As they spoke, they had already flown above Yao Huang City.
"My clan is in the eastern part of the city," Yun Xiao pointed northeast: "That place with the purple aura rising to the sky. I heard that a hundred years ago, the Yun family's purple light lit up half the sky over Yao Huang City. But now... sigh."
...
# Chapter 499: The State of the Yun Family
Yun Che looked up. In the northeastern part of the city, he indeed saw a surge of purple light shooting into the sky. However, this burst of purple light was rather faint. If one wasn't paying close attention, it could easily be overlooked entirely.
"What is that purple light?" Yun Che asked.
Yun Xiao's expression dimmed slightly as he replied: "It's the glow from our Yun family's Ancestral Stele. Our Yun family cultivates Thunder-type profound arts. When our profound energy is released, it manifests as purple. The stronger the profound force, the deeper the purple. Also... Brother Yun, have you heard of Xuan Gang?"
Yun Che nodded: "I know. It's the unique bloodline ability of the Yun family, right?"
"Yes." When mentioning Xuan Gang, a clear shadow of melancholy passed over Yun Xiao's face. He continued: "The most extreme state of Xuan Gang is purple. Thus, purple has always been the most sacred color for the Yun family. In the Yun family, every disciple must, on their birthday each year, release their profound force fully toward the Ancestral Stele, thereby maintaining the stele's perpetual release of purple profound light. I heard from my father that a hundred years ago, when the Yun family was at its peak, the stele's light illuminated half the sky over Yao Huang City. But now... as you can see, it's so faint it's almost imperceptible. And the weakening of the purple light on the Ancestral Stele most directly reflects the drastic decline in the Yun family's overall strength..."
"For the Demon Emperor to be missing, with life or death unknown — can its impact on the Yun family really be that severe?" Yun Che asked in surprise.
"If it were just my grandfather alone whose life-or-death status was unknown, it naturally wouldn't be like this. There are many, many other factors involved..." Yun Xiao's expression darkened.
Yun Che was silent for a moment, then slowed his flying speed and said: "Yun Xiao, could you tell me in detail the reasons for the Yun family's decline? I also bear the surname Yun, so I'm quite curious... Of course, if it's inconvenient, then forget it."
Yun Xiao shook his head: "There's nothing inconvenient about it. In the Demon Emperor Realm, this is hardly a secret. Anyone can easily find out. If Brother Yun wants to know, I naturally have no reason to hide it."
Yun Xiao lifted his head slightly, his expression tinged with melancholy: "A hundred years ago, the Yun family was indeed at its peak. Because of their ability to use Xuan Gang, their position as the foremost of the Twelve Guardian Clans was never challenged. It can be said that aside from the Demon Emperor Royal Clan — that is, the Demon Emperor clan which the Twelve Clans guard — the Yun family was the most prominent. Generation after generation, the Yun family was supremely loyal to the Demon Emperor Royal Clan, and in turn, the Royal Clan always valued and trusted the Yun family the most. Even the most important treasure of the Royal Clan, the Reincarnation Mirror, was entrusted to the Yun family for safekeeping... By the time of my grandfather's generation, my grandfather and the Demon Emperor were not only lord and subject but also grew up together, trained together, and were the closest of friends — allies through life and death, no exaggeration. Our Yun family is human, but the Demon Emperor conferred on my grandfather the title 'Demon Emperor' — the hidden implication being that he could stand as an equal to the Demon Emperor. This was the greatest honor for the entire Yun family, a distinction that the other eleven Guardian Clans could only envy."
"But more than two hundred years ago, a force from a different continent suddenly intruded. Those people came from a place called Tian Xuan Continent. They seemed to have used some method to construct a teleportation array capable of crossing millions of miles of ocean, thus reaching the Demon Emperor Realm. Their arrival was not a simple visit but a naked invasion. Somehow, they had learned that our Demon Emperor Royal Clan possessed an ultimate profound treasure of overwhelming power, enough to defy the heavens, and they wanted to seize it. Every single one of them was extremely powerful, and each time they came, they brought powerful escape artifacts, making it impossible to stop them despite repeated invasions of Yao Huang City. Over a century, they invaded more than twenty times. A hundred years ago, the Demon Emperor could no longer tolerate it. After another invasion, he personally gave chase in a rage, pursuing them all the way to the teleportation array they had used. In his impatience, he charged into the array before they could deactivate it and was teleported along with them to Tian Xuan Continent. Soon after, news arrived that the Demon Emperor had died on Tian Xuan Continent... Since then, no further word."
Yun Che: "..."
"Those invaders were all terrifyingly powerful. The Demon Emperor, though mighty, would face certain death on foreign soil. The Demon Emperor Royal Clan accepted this fact. However, my grandfather refused to believe that the Demon Emperor had died. Later, he mobilized a secret artifact of the Yun family, forcibly tore open a spatial passage to Tian Xuan Continent, and despite everyone's protests, took the ten most powerful Grand Elders of the clan and went to Tian Xuan Continent to search for the Demon Emperor."
"The ten most powerful Grand Elders?" Yun Che was slightly startled.
"Yes," Yun Xiao nodded. "Counting my grandfather, they were the eleven most powerful forebears of the Yun family at that time. But after that, they never returned. Months later, news came from Tian Xuan Continent that my grandfather had been captured and imprisoned, and they demanded that our Yun family exchange the Demon Emperor's Supreme Treasure, which we had guarded for generations, for his life. However, most people believed my grandfather was already dead. The claim from Tian Xuan Continent that he was imprisoned was merely a trick to lure the Yun family into a trap."
Yun Che: "..."
"The Yun family lost its eleven strongest core experts, and its top-level strength plummeted to the weakest among the Twelve Clans. The most serious blow was that when my grandfather went to Tian Xuan Continent, he was carrying the Demon Emperor Royal Clan's Demon Emperor Seal. To the Royal Clan, the Demon Emperor Seal was even more important than the Supreme Treasure, the Reincarnation Mirror — it was essential for the inheritance ceremony before a new Demon Emperor's ascension. Afterward, everyone said my grandfather, in his impulsiveness, not only destroyed himself but also lost the Royal Clan's most important possession... This enormous crime had to be borne by the entire Yun family. The Yun family was punished: their annual resource allocation was reduced by fifty percent, and they were barred from entering the 'Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley' for a hundred years."
"With reduced resources and being cut off from the best training and fortuitous opportunities, the impact on the older generation might have been limited, but for the younger generation, it was enormous. This caused the strength of the new Yun family disciples to lag far behind those of the other Guardian Clans. Even the power of Xuan Gang could hardly compensate."
"Soon after the Demon Emperor and my grandfather met their fates, the Demon Emperor Royal Clan was forced to establish a new Demon Emperor. Thus, the Demon Emperor's only son ascended the throne... However, without the Demon Emperor Seal, the inheritance ceremony could not be performed, and thus there was no 'Golden Crow Divine Seal', making it impossible for him to become the true Demon Emperor. He could only be called the 'Lesser Demon Emperor'... The day after the Lesser Demon Emperor ascended, he was wedded to the Lesser Demon Empress. But no one expected that on the wedding night, the Lesser Demon Emperor did not return to the bridal chamber... He left a note saying that until he avenged his father, he had no face to consummate the marriage, and that if he did not return within three years, the Lesser Demon Empress should become the Demon Emperor of the Demon Emperor Realm... However, in less than ten days, news came from Tian Xuan Continent that the Lesser Demon Emperor had died."
Yun Che: "..."
In Tian Xuan Continent, the Four Sacred Grounds were considered supremely sacred. According to legend, they guarded the entire Tian Xuan Continent, fending off crises from foreign continents, especially against the "covetous" and "ambitious" Demon Emperor Realm. In the tales of Tian Xuan Continent, the Demon Emperor Realm was depicted as an extremely fearsome and evil place, always wanting to annex Tian Xuan Continent... The people of the Demon Emperor Realm were called evil "demon folk."
But what Yun Che heard now was the exact opposite of those legends from Tian Xuan Continent.
The evil was not the constantly vilified Demon Emperor Realm, but rather those who called themselves sacred and protective holy grounds...
"What happened next?" Yun Che asked somberly.
Yun Xiao continued: "Later, the Lesser Demon Empress ascended and became the new ruler of the Demon Emperor Realm. Then... Our Yun family suffered another massive blow. Because news from Tian Xuan Continent kept coming that my grandfather was not dead but imprisoned, twenty-five years ago, my father could no longer bear it. Together with my mother, he once again activated the secret artifact and secretly went to Tian Xuan Continent to search for my grandfather. At that time, I had not yet been born... Three years later, my parents finally returned. Though they came back alive, both were severely injured. Because of the prolonged escape, they had no time to tend to their wounds, resulting in the complete destruction of their meridians and the near-total loss of their profound strength. And I was unfortunately born on Tian Xuan Continent, burdening my parents as they fled, carrying me all the way... until they safely brought me back to the Demon Emperor Realm."
Speaking until here, Yun Xiao lowered his head, not letting Yun Che see the strangeness in his eyes, then continued in a low voice: "The Yun family's strong were already few. After my parents were crippled, it dealt another heavy blow to the clan's strength. The most serious part was that when my parents went to Tian Xuan Continent, they carried with them the treasure they guarded for the Demon Emperor Royal Clan — the Reincarnation Mirror. Although they returned to the Demon Emperor Realm... they lost the Reincarnation Mirror. The Yun family, already burdened with the crime of losing the Demon Emperor Seal, now had added guilt. They received even harsher punishment: their annual resource allocation was reduced by ninety percent, and they were permanently barred from entering the 'Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley.' The Demon Emperor Royal Clan was furious, even threatening to expel our Yun family from the ranks of the Twelve Guardian Clans."
"Since it was such an important item, when they went to Tian Xuan Continent, they must have known the dangers they might face. Why did they carry it with them?" Yun Che asked in confusion. This was also a question that had long puzzled him.
Yun Xiao fell silent. After hesitating for a long while, he said quietly: "I once heard my mother whisper secretly that it was actually at the behest of the Lesser Demon Empress."
"The will of the Lesser Demon Empress?"
"Yes. That thing called the Reincarnation Mirror had been passed down in the Demon Emperor Royal Clan for countless generations. Though it was called a supreme treasure capable of defying heaven, it is said that no Demon Emperor had ever seen it display any function, and no one ever knew how to use it or what use it had. The Lesser Demon Empress said to my father back then that if such a useless treasure could be used to exchange for the Demon Emperor's life, it would be well worth it for the Demon Emperor Realm... When my father returned, he had not brought back my grandfather and had lost the Reincarnation Mirror. He did not say that bringing the Reincarnation Mirror was the Lesser Demon Empress's idea, but instead took all the blame upon himself... Because after the Lesser Demon Empress ascended, there were many dissenters in the Royal Clan, and my father did not want her to face even greater pressure because of this. After that, the Yun family's influence plummeted again, and my father's reputation was even more... even more..."
Yun Xiao let out a long sigh. Thinking of his father, his heart tightened with pain.
Yun Che slowly digested Yun Xiao's words. Some of the things he said overlapped with what Yun Che had heard from Yun Canghai, confirming that Yun Xiao was speaking earnestly and not lying. After a moment of silence, Yun Che suddenly asked softly: "Yun Xiao, is your father still the patriarch of the Yun family now? With his profound strength crippled and him taking all the blame upon himself, hasn't your clan forced him to step down?"
"...Because of my maternal grandfather," Yun Xiao said quietly. "My maternal grandfather is the patriarch of the Mu family. I also have an uncle who is the young master of the Mu family. They both hold considerable prestige and status in Yao Huang City. Both my grandfather and my uncle are especially good to my mother. My grandfather backing my father is one reason. Additionally, as the Yun family grows weaker and its status sinks, if they want to remain among the Twelve Guardian Clans, they cannot afford to lose the Mu family's support... However, although my father still holds the position of patriarch, the number of people who listen to him has been dwindling. Sometimes, his authority is even less than that of an elder of slightly higher standing. The Grand Elders have never obeyed him... The reason they are willing to let him remain as patriarch is solely because of the Mu family's deterrence and their reluctance to lose the Mu family's assistance."