However, with Wen Qingye’s current strength, he was not yet capable of cleaving open the Great Wilderness Ancient Stele. Only when his power was great enough could he perhaps accomplish it, or he would have to refine the stele to learn all of its secrets.
Suddenly, Wen Qingye’s Heart Spirit focused, and his eyes shot open.
Several figures appeared ahead. They were men, women, and a few children, all with panicked expressions. Their clothes were tattered and stained with blood, putting them in a sorry state. It seemed as though some great disaster had befallen them.
When they saw Wen Qingye emerge from the woods—his clothes immaculate and his expression serene—their hearts jolted in alarm.
Without so much as a glance in their direction, Wen Qingye continued on his way.
"Young man! Young man!" a frantic voice called out from behind him.
Wen Qingye stopped and slowly turned his head. He looked at the middle-aged man who had spoken and asked with a frown, "What is it? Do you need something?"
This man had the highest cultivation in the group, being at the Second Heaven of the Destruction Realm.
The middle-aged man rubbed his hands together awkwardly and chuckled drily. "Young man, I saw you emerge from the Jade Book Forest alone. Your abilities must be extraordinary."
At this, the man gritted his teeth and continued, "I have a small favor to ask, though I don’t know if you’d be willing to help us. My name is Ke Yuan, and I would be sure to repay you handsomely in the future."
"I have no interest whatsoever in what you’re offering."
Wen Qingye’s eyes narrowed, and he started walking away again.
’Wen Qingye was no naive young man. I can tell the ’favor’ this man mentioned is far from simple,’ he thought. ’The dangers are unknown. Why should I risk my own skin?’
Seeing Wen Qingye’s swift and decisive rejection, the faces of the group behind him turned ashen with despair.
A man beside Ke Yuan spoke with a look of grim resolve. "Brother, why don’t we just try to cross the Jade Book Forest? The worst that can happen is death! Otherwise, we, the Ke Family, will fight back! There’s nothing to be afraid of."
"Younger Brother, don’t be foolish!" Ke Yuan barked, then hurried to catch up with Wen Qingye.
Wen Qingyepaid them no mind, taking out a map. The Jinchuan Ancient Country was in the northwest and, surprisingly, turned out to be one of the hundreds of smaller nations under the Celestial Profound Sect’s jurisdiction, albeit in its most remote territory. The realization brought Wen Qingye a small measure of relief.
"Young man, if you help me, I’m willing to tell you a great secret!" Ke Yuan said, catching up to him again.
Wen Qingye shook his head. "A secret? I don’t want to know. You can keep it."
Seeing Wen Qingye’s indifference, Ke Yuan’s heart sank. He steeled himself and asked, "Young man, are you telling me you’re not even interested in becoming a Life and Death Realm expert?"
"Not interested."
This time, Wen Qingye didn’t even turn his head as he walked away.
Watching Wen Qingye’s retreating figure, Ke Yuan couldn’t help but sigh. "Is it Heaven’s will that my Ke Family must perish?" he lamented. "Why has it come to this?"
"Brother, it’s alright. You all go on ahead. I’ll hold them off," said Ke Yuan’s younger brother, Ke Hai, as he stepped forward, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth with determination.
Ke Yuan waved his hand dismissively, then glanced around and said with resignation, "Let’s go. We have to protect the family’s bloodline."
With that, Ke Yuan and the rest of the Ke Family prepared to enter the same forest Wen Qingye had just emerged from.
Suddenly, a sharp, cold glint shot toward them, radiating a fierce killing intent as it aimed straight for Ke Yuan’s throat. Ke Yuan reacted in a flash, rolling backward and creating a dozen feet of distance between them.
A huge crater now marked the spot where he had just been standing, sending dust and debris flying into the air.
"Ke Yuan, you’re courting death! If you want to betray our sect, you must be prepared for the extermination of your entire clan!" Two figures slowly approached from a distance. The one who had spoken and attacked was the man on the left, who was holding a long spear.
"Lin Feng, you know why I quit. I can no longer bring myself to commit those heinous acts. I will not be an accomplice to evil any longer! I am at the end of my rope today, and I blame neither heaven nor earth for it. I only hope that, for the sake of the many years we worked together, you can spare the women, children, and elderly of the Ke Family behind me..."
"In your dreams, Ke Yuan!" the young man on the right interrupted with a sneer, his cold gaze sweeping over the members of the Ke Family. "Today, not a single one of you is leaving. You will all return to face the sect’s punishment!"
"You!" Hearing the young man’s words, Ke Yuan pointed a trembling finger, his face flushing red with rage.
Lin Feng leveled his long spear, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying. "Enough nonsense, Ke Yuan!" he shouted. "If it weren’t for our many years together, your Ke Family would have been completely wiped out by now! Young Master Ou is right. None of you are leaving today. You either become souls claimed by my spear or return with me to the Royal Capital."
A pang of despair struck Ke Yuan’s heart upon hearing Lin Feng’s words. He turned to the others behind him and said, "Head for the Jade Book Forest! I’ll hold them off!"
"Brother!" Ke Hai cried out, hesitating.
"Go, now!"
Ke Yuan roared and charged at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng flicked his long spear, and a streak of cold light rode the wind, stabbing forward three times, swift as a gale.
A long saber suddenly materialized in Ke Yuan’s hand. Sword Aura erupted from it, surging forward. The sky above blossomed with a brilliant, beautiful explosion from the collision of Primordial Qi.
Meanwhile, Young Master Ou watched with a look of cruel amusement on his face. In a single bound, he appeared before the Ke Family, blocking their escape.
"Hah!"
Seeing this, Ke Hai glanced back at his family, and a surge of desperate courage filled him. He launched a fist at Young Master Ou.
"Hmph. Truly insolent. You think you’re worthy of fighting me?" Young Master Ou snorted, meeting the punch with his own palm. A deafening BOOM shook the very earth.
Ke Hai’s body shot backward like a kite with a severed string, crashing through dozens of trees before finally coming to a stop.
Young Master Ou sneered at the sight, then began walking step by step toward the women, children, and elderly of the Ke Family.
The Ke Family members fell back in terror, huddling together. They formed a circle around the children in a desperate attempt to protect the last of their bloodline.
"For those who betray our sect, I shall teach you a little lesson. You will learn of our sect’s supreme authority."
As Young Master Ou spoke, Primordial Qi condensed in his palm. The vigorous energy surged, forming a Primordial Qi Ball that looked powerful enough to blast the entire Ke Family to pieces.
"Ou Zeming, how dare you!"
Ke Yuan, who was struggling desperately against his own opponent, roared, his eyes turning bloodshot.
"Just watch me!"
With that, Ou Zeming thrust his palm forward. The Primordial Qi Ball shot toward the Ke Family with a WHOOSH.
"No!"
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