# Chapter 583: Grand Ceremony Suspended
"..." Huai Wang's lips turned a ghastly purple, his hands trembling slightly, his chest nearly bursting. This was the most vicious humiliation he had suffered in his entire life. And what made it even more piercing than the insult itself was that he couldn't even retort.
This speech, which appeared to be a "reminder" on the surface but was actually a direct slap in the face to Huai Wang and the various princely estates seated on the eastern side, left the princely estates and clans on the western side utterly dumbfounded. Meanwhile, the faces of the princes on the eastern side turned uglier one after another... and some princely estates, under such circumstances, even began to regret aligning themselves with Huai Wang.
Yun Che's words were not just a scolding—they had placed an incredibly heavy shackle around these commandery princes who already harbored disloyal thoughts, making them feel utterly miserable to the point of death.
"Huai Wang, and all you princes present, is there anything wrong with what I, Yun Che, have just said? If there is any error, please do not hesitate to correct me." Yun Che swept his gaze across the eastern seats and spoke slowly.
Huai Wang, Zhong Wang, and all the princes on the eastern side who had initially been so aggressive were now completely silent. Not a single one dared to refute or reprimand. Their state of mind at this moment was like being forced to swallow excrement—unable to spit it out, unable to resist, and having to unanimously nod and acknowledge that they had been fed correctly...
Xiao Yaohou had been watching Yun Che in silence, her gaze holding a complexity that others could not understand. She had prepared herself to deal with everything she had anticipated in this grand ceremony, yet everything she had expected to happen did not occur. This grand ceremony had become a one-man show for Yun Che. Even Huai Wang, whom she herself would describe as "terrifying" and who had made even the guardian clans powerless to resist, had suffered a devastating defeat because of this Yun Che who had "fallen from the sky," turning the seven mighty guardian clan masters into little more than clowns.
Under her gaze, Yun Che suddenly turned around to face her and retrieved the Demon Emperor Seal from his hand: "Xiao Yaohou, please forgive my earlier willfulness. I, Yun Che, will now return the Demon Emperor Seal to you."
With that, he walked forward slowly and held out the Demon Emperor Seal with both hands before Xiao Yaohou.
Their eyes met at close range, and Yun Che's mind uncontrollably recalled that night's misty vision of a young maiden's naked body. A strange color flashed deep in his eyes, and even the corners of his mouth twitched. That hint of something close to lechery in his gaze was clearly captured by Xiao Yaohou's sharp, knife-like eyes, and her gaze turned icy for a moment, almost making Yun Che shiver. She did not immediately take the Demon Emperor Seal but instead said calmly: "Do you no longer need to continue with the demands you raised earlier?"
"No, I don't." Yun Che shook his head. "The Demon Emperor Seal has always belonged to the Demon Emperor Clan. Returning it to its rightful owner is only natural. However, this seal carries my grandfather's loyalty and life, and the way he was treated over these years, along with his sacrifices, makes it hard for me to let go. That's why I used the Demon Emperor Seal to demand that the seven clan masters apologize to my grandfather, and at the same time remind certain people not to forget their duties or abandon their conscience. As a descendant of the Demon King, I don't want to see what my grandfather guarded with his life fall into the schemes of evil people."
"Having given that reminder, it should be enough. Otherwise, if I were to see reluctant, resentful, and pained faces when they swear their oaths of loyalty later, wouldn't that make Xiao Yaohou—and everyone loyal to her—feel sick?" Yun Che's unhurried words were undoubtedly several more knives stabbing into "certain people."
Xiao Yaohou reached out her hand, gently taking the Demon Emperor Seal. Her movements were careful and slow as she held it in her hands, her expression calm. But Yun Che, standing right next to her, could still see the slight tremor in her pupils.
As the only surviving member of the Demon Emperor bloodline, no one truly understood what the recovery of the Demon Emperor Seal meant to her, and no one knew what kind of turbulence was stirring within her heart at this moment. Feeling the scorching warmth of the seal and the pure aura of the Golden Crow, she closed her eyes gently, then turned and walked toward the throne.
Before the throne, Xiao Yaohou turned around, holding the Demon Emperor Seal. Her fair hands and wrists, illuminated by the clear, fiery glow of the seal, looked as pure and flawless as the most immaculate jade in the world... but in the entire Demon Emperor Hall, probably only Yun Che still had the mind to admire Xiao Yaohou's arms.
"The Demon Emperor Seal, lost for a hundred years, has returned. This is a tremendous blessing, and the Yun Clan's merit is undeniable! I will heavily reward the Yun Clan for this great contribution, and I will also provide redress for the injustices the Yun Clan has suffered over the past century. As for the rights and wrongs buried in all of this... I will thoroughly investigate them!"
Xiao Yaohou's gaze swept across the hall, and everyone who met her eyes froze, even holding their breath. She swept her arm, and the Demon Emperor Seal disappeared from her hand: "I once swore before my father's spirit tablet that I would spare no effort to recover the Demon Emperor Seal and would go to pay tribute to the former emperor on the day it was found. I cannot break my oath to my father. As such, this grand ceremony will be suspended for today. Everyone, please return to your lodgings. Three days from now, the ceremony will continue!"
"Ah? This..." Xiao Yaohou's sudden announcement that the grand ceremony would be temporarily suspended caught everyone off guard, though it also seemed somewhat reasonable. With the return of such an important item as the Demon Emperor Seal, it made sense that Xiao Yaohou would want to go immediately to inform the former Demon Emperor and the young Demon Emperor at their tombs. Moreover, after everything that had happened today, Xiao Yaohou would also need enough time to digest and consider how to respond.
"The remains of the Demon King will be temporarily placed at the Yun Clan residence. A burial will be arranged on a chosen day at the highest royal rites. Additionally, fifteen days from now, the Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley will open again. At that time, the Yun Clan may select thirty people to enter. The other clans and princely estates should already be prepared, so the Yun Clan must also make preparations within these fifteen days. For these three days, I need to focus on mourning my father. No one is to disturb me, no matter how great the matter!"
"Everyone, disperse. Three days from now, we will discuss the great matters again!"
Before anyone could speak, Xiao Yaohou waved her dark sleeves, and her body was enveloped in flames. When the flames dissipated, her figure had completely vanished.
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Xiao Yaohou's clean and decisive departure left everyone staring at each other in confusion, not knowing what to do. Even Yun Che was momentarily stunned. He had set the stage perfectly, and with the Demon Emperor Seal in hand, Xiao Yaohou could have used it to easily suppress Huai Wang and others with public opinion, at least preventing them from daring to act rashly in the short term. But after obtaining the seal, she chose to suspend the grand ceremony and leave directly—just to go and pay tribute to the former Demon Emperor.
Given Xiao Yaohou's personality, this shouldn't have been her move.
As soon as Xiao Yaohou left, the hall erupted in discussion. Yun Qinghong stood up, looking at his father's remains in the center of the hall, his heart filled with indescribable melancholy: "Everyone, let's go... It's time to bring my father's remains home."
Yun Qinghong's soft words caused the Yun Clan elders to lose all control over their emotions. They charged madly toward the center of the hall, throwing themselves before Yun Canghai's remains.
"Clan Master!!"
"Clan Master ah!!"
In their boundless agitation, they no longer cared about their image or dignity. They wailed, cried out, and then broke into uncontrollable sobs. Today, they had experienced the most intense joy and sorrow in their entire lives. Thinking back on the century-old tragedy and everything the Yun Clan had endured in that hundred years, even with the strongest will, they could not suppress the loss of emotional control at this moment.
"Yun Duanshui... pays respects to the Young Clan Master!" Second Elder Yun Duanshui bowed deeply to Yun Che, his face filled with excitement and a respect that he usually only showed when facing Yun Qinghong or Yun Canghai: "I have been unaware of the Young Clan Master's return this whole time. I have been negligent and disrespectful, and I deserve death for my crimes."
"Second Elder, please don't say that..."
As Yun Che moved forward to help Yun Duanshui up, a large group of Yun Clan elders and disciples knelt down all at once: "Paying respects to the Young Clan Master!"
Yun Che had completely reversed the dark fate that should have befallen the Yun Clan today, and had defused an impending storm before it could fall. Everyone present in the Demon Emperor Hall today already regarded him with awe, let alone the members of the Yun Clan. Although he was only in his twenties and had returned to the Yun Clan for just three short months, they kneeled willingly and sincerely. Some elders and young disciples who had been rude to him in the past were filled with terror.
"As expected of the grandson of the Demon King and the descendant of the Yun Clan Master. This old man has lived over a thousand years, but only today do I truly know what a true hero is." Qin Zheng stood beside Yun Qinghong, looking at Yun Che with a face full of admiration.
"Lord Qin overpraises me." Yun Qinghong bowed solemnly to him: "I thank Lord Qin for his righteous words earlier. Rest assured, Lord Qin, if those seven clans dare to retaliate against you, I will not stand idly by."
"Heh, this old man is merely atoning for his own sins. I am already grateful that the Yun Clan Master does not hold it against me; I cannot bear the words 'thank you.'" Qin Zheng waved his hand and smiled calmly: "As for the Yun Clan Master's concerns, there is no need. At my age, I have only a few decades left before I enter the grave. They wouldn't bother to make a move against me in secret."
"Congratulations to the Yun Clan Master for recovering his beloved son... With such a descendant, the Yun Clan's restoration to its former glory is surely just around the corner." A city lord pushed forward to congratulate Yun Qinghong.
"Lord Yue, I must disagree with your words! The Yun Clan's Young Master is only twenty-two years old and has already made us all feel ashamed and awed. With the Yun Clan Master and Yun Che, along with Xiao Yaohou's favor and promises, the Yun Clan's revival will far exceed a mere return to past glory, hahaha!"
"Brother Lin speaks the truth! Congratulations to the Yun Clan Master!"
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Heroes and dignitaries from all sides came forward to congratulate Yun Qinghong and curry favor, because anyone could see that the Yun Clan was about to rise with unparalleled momentum. Yun Xiao had been granted the title of Prince, the Yun Clan had received public promises from Xiao Yaohou, Yun Qinghong's severely injured body had miraculously recovered, and the prestige they had lost would soon be restored, even greatly amplified... and more importantly, the Yun Clan now had a young master who had amazed and moved everyone.
It would be nearly impossible for the Yun Clan not to rise.
Although the Yun Clan's overall power was currently the weakest among the Twelve Guardian Clans, at this moment, no one dared to imagine what heights the Yun Clan would reach in just a few short years.
The Yun Clan was surrounded by heroes from all over the world, with crowds pushing desperately to get closer, hoping to exchange a word with Yun Qinghong or Yun Che. Huai Wang watched coldly, his dark expression seemingly frozen onto his face, impossible to relax.
"Yun... Che..." Between his clenched, grinding teeth, he barely managed to squeeze out two syllables filled with endless hatred and icy fury.
He had prepared and endured for so many years, all for this day!
And in an instant, he had suffered a complete defeat.
His plan had only reached the first step—and that one step had backfired on him, not only allowing the Yun Clan to show off their might but also costing him a great deal of face and a large amount of Purple Vein Divine Crystal.
"Huai Wang, what... should we do now?" Zhong Wang walked over and asked in a low voice, looking in Yun Che's direction, also grinding his teeth. They all knew that today's defeat was entirely because of Yun Che—just one person.
"Hiss..." Huai Wang clenched his teeth, and with the heaving of his chest, a cold breath leaked through the gaps: "Let's go!"
Huai Wang turned his dark face, ignoring everyone, and walked stiffly toward the exit. Seeing his move, the seven clan masters who were at a loss, along with the princely estates on the eastern side, also rose and followed, looking rather dejected.
"Farewell to His Highness Huai Wang and the seven clan masters!"
As Huai Wang had only taken a few steps, Yun Che's resonant voice came from behind him. Yun Che stared at Huai Wang's back, glancing sideways at the seven clan masters, and said with a grin: "But there is one thing I, Yun Che, need to remind you of. The Purple Vein Divine Crystal you lost to my Yun Clan—you'd better remember to deliver it to our residence on time. This matter will soon be known throughout the entire Illusion Demon Realm. I think that with your status as princes and guardian clans, you wouldn't want to lose basic integrity and face over a few pounds of Purple Vein Divine Crystal, letting the whole world look down on you, would you?"
Huai Wang stopped in his tracks. His body stood rigidly still for a full three breaths before he managed to suppress the overwhelming urge to instantly strike down Yun Che. He then resumed walking, leaving the Demon Emperor Hall without a single word.
"Hmph!" Watching Huai Wang leave with a cold snort, Yun Che could clearly sense the murderous intent that had emanated from him.
"In a single day, you've managed to offend so many enemies! And these are all the top figures of this Illusion Demon Realm." Mo Li let out a cold laugh: "Truly fitting for your personality of seeking death wherever you go."
"When it concerns my clan, my grandfather's honor and will, even if I'm digging my own grave, I have no choice but to do it." Yun Che sighed, then relaxed with a grin: "But compared to those two years in the Primordial Mystic Ark, this crisis is nothing."
With that, Yun Che frowned slightly and murmured: "Why did Xiao Yaohou suddenly suspend the grand ceremony and leave after obtaining the Demon Emperor Seal..."
(The chapter ends)
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