"Big... Big Brother..."
Changsun Ji looked at Changsun Yuan, who had suffered the same fate as him, beside him. He could not have imagined this outcome.
The sharp aura that once emanated from Changsun Yuan was long gone. Ye Kunlun had crippled his dantian, turning him into a complete invalid from this day forward.
"Ye Kunlun!"
Changsun Yuan, dragging his broken body, stared fixedly at Ye Kunlun, gritting his teeth. "Do you think by killing a few of us, the Changsun family is truly finished..."
Ye Kunlun regarded him with cold eyes, his killing intent undiminished. He said coldly, "Then I will keep killing, until I eradicate your Changsun family from this world!"
"Cough cough... Heh heh..." A desolate smile appeared on Changsun Yuan's rugged face. "A family with a thousand years of heritage, you underestimate us, Ye Kunlun. You will soon regret your... cough cough... actions!"
*Swish—*
Ye Kunlun unleashed a sword qi, directly severing Changsun Yuan's tongue.
"I'll be waiting!"
The killing intent in Ye Kunlun's eyes was unyielding.
Changsun Yuan was the foremost expert of the Changsun family, a revered elder. Even in defeat, one could earn the respect of an opponent. But in Ye Kunlun's eyes, he couldn't even attain the most basic respect or dignity. He stared intensely at Ye Kunlun. If looks could kill, he would have killed Ye Kunlun a thousand, ten thousand times over.
Ye Kunlun spoke with chilling calmness, "I want to keep these eyes of yours, to watch your Changsun family disappear from the capital."
With that, Ye Kunlun left the mourning hall. The soul of Blood Hand had not fully coalesced. He had to hurry, otherwise, finding his residual soul again would be even more difficult!
However—
An hour passed, then another. By the time the sun was high in the sky, he still hadn't found Blood Hand's final residual soul.
"How is this possible?"
Ye Kunlun knitted his brows, a hint of doubt in his eyes. With the power of the Soul Gathering Formation, Blood Hand's soul should have been gathered. But now, the most opportune time had passed. A small portion of Blood Hand's residual soul was still missing!
Ye Kunlun's expression turned extremely grim. Unless someone had hidden Blood Hand's residual soul. But after searching with his divine sense, he found no trace of it.
"One day, I will make you reborn!" Ye Kunlun murmured towards the direction of the mourning hall, as if making a vow.
At this moment.
The Changsun family, long consumed by Yin Sha energy, now had a vast ravine, impossibly deep, stretching across its center – the result of Ye Kunlun's sword strike. The once grand Changsun family was everywhere permeated with Yin Sha energy, devoid of any living creatures. Under the erosion of the Yin Sha energy, vegetation withered, and buildings were riddled with holes, resembling a hellscape. Although the Yin Sha here could not escape, external entities could enter.
A residual soul, as if summoned by some power, drifted to the outside of the Changsun family. If Ye Kunlun were present, he would have recognized it as Blood Hand's residual soul at a glance. The Blood Hand residual soul, seemingly without consciousness, passed directly through the formation and entered the Changsun family, which was filled with Yin Sha energy!
*Whoosh—*
As Blood Hand's residual soul entered, countless streams of Yin Sha energy surged forward, attempting to devour its soul power. Just as the Blood Hand residual soul was about to be swallowed by the Yin Sha energy, a terrifying force erupted from the ancestral land's seal.
With the emergence of that force, the Yin Sha energy abandoned its attempt to feast on Blood Hand's residual soul and retreated to both sides! The next second, that force merged into Blood Hand's residual soul. Subsequently, the Blood Hand residual soul drifted towards the Changsun family's rear mountain ancestral land seal, until it burrowed back into its original resting place within the seal.
—
After a night, the entire capital fell silent. The voices that had intended to challenge Ye Kunlun vanished, and the Netherworld Prison became a taboo in the hearts of some.
In an ancient-style tea house, three old men had extremely pale complexions. They were not others, but the three younger brothers of Changsun Changkong, the three vice-heads of the Changsun family.
"That damned Ye Kunlun, to have brought our Changsun family to such a predicament!"
"Now that even Ancestor Yuan has been defeated by Ye Kunlun, is our Changsun family truly destined for complete annihilation?"
The ones speaking were the second and third elders, who had vehemently supported Changsun Qingwan's annulment of the engagement with Ye Kunlun.
"Grandfather, I will go and plead with Ye Kunlun again." Changsun Qingwan's face was pale, her voice laced with sorrow. The Changsun family should not have endured such a calamity. Changsun Qingwan looked at the elder who had remained silent, her eyes reddening. "Ye Kunlun is not someone who kills indiscriminately. I will go and beg him again."
"Beg him? Qingwan, have you lost your mind!" Elder Changsun the second exclaimed angrily. "We are irreconcilably opposed to him. He kills any member of our Changsun family he sees. Are you still going to plead?"
"My second brother is right. Qingwan, Ye Kunlun didn't kill you. Is there something unspeakable between you two?" Elder Changsun the third, in his anger, looked at Changsun Qingwan suspiciously.
Upon hearing this, Changsun Qingwan's expression turned extremely displeased, and she showed disappointment. "Second Grand-uncle, Third Grand-uncle, please speak with respect. There is nothing between Ye Kunlun and me!" Changsun Qingwan's pretty face turned cold.
"Hmph, who knows if there is or isn't. We heard he's involved with that Tang family girl, and you're prettier than her..."
"Enough!"
Changsun Qingwan's grandfather, the fourth in line, named Changsun Baili, reprimanded them sternly. "Second brother, third brother, what time is it? You're still here making wild speculations!"
"Fourth, how are you speaking to us?" Elder Changsun the second was displeased. "With Big Brother absent, I am the acting head!"
"Second brother is right, fourth, what's wrong with you?" Elder Changsun the third sided with the second.
Changsun Baili's expression turned a bit colder. "If it weren't for Big Brother's insistence back then, would the Changsun family have brought such a disaster upon itself?"
"What's the use of your gloating now? The most important thing now is to find a way to deal with Ye Kunlun. Only by defeating him can our Changsun family rise again!" Elder Changsun the second glared at Changsun Baili, dissatisfied. "If you have the ability, go and kill Ye Kunlun!"
Changsun Baili frowned. "I agree with Qingwan's words. Let's seek peace with Ye Kunlun!"
"Impossible!" Elder Changsun the second and Elder Changsun the third said in unison.
"Second Ancestor and Third Ancestor have not returned yet, nor have the other clan elders." Elder Changsun the second coldly regarded Changsun Baili. "Don't forget, the power behind Ancestor Yuan, that is the strongest."
"Now that Ancestor Yuan has been crippled by Ye Kunlun, his backing power cannot possibly remain idle. You should be well aware of how terrifying that woman is!" Elder Changsun the second's face turned somewhat ferocious.
Changsun Baili's brow furrowed deeper. He naturally knew what his second brother was referring to. Both Changsun Yuan and Changsun Ji had joined ancient sects after leaving the Changsun family. Ancient sects kept to themselves, their halls filled with countless powerful individuals. If the ancient sects were to emerge into the world, it might bring about a greater catastrophe!
"Second brother, this is, after all, a matter of the Changsun family. If outsiders were to..."
"Fourth, you don't get the final say in this!" Elder Changsun the second interrupted Changsun Baili.
Changsun Qingwan said nothing, stood up, and walked out of the tea house…