An old servant brought the armless Changsun Che out of a secret passage, just as Ye Kunlun and Changsun Qingwan headed for the ancestral land behind the mountain.
"Patriarch, this old servant failed to protect the young master!"
Tears streamed down the old servant's face. Ye Kunlun's strike from the void was too powerful. He had forcibly intervened and was also heavily injured, nearly perishing in the secret passage.
Fortunately, Ye Kunlun had spared Changsun Che's life, only crippling his arm!
Looking at the blood-soaked Changsun Che, Changsun Changkong's eyes instantly turned red. "Ye Kun!"
Changsun Changkong trembled with immense fury.
Ye Kunlun had been right under his nose, yet he had still managed to injure Changsun Che!
"Grandfather, you must avenge your grandson! Changsun Che and Ye Kunlun are sworn enemies!!"
Changsun Che, pale from blood loss, was fortunate the old servant had managed to staunch the bleeding, or he would have surely fainted from excessive hemorrhage.
Changsun Che's voice was filled with boundless hatred.
The Changsun family had already apologized and made concessions, yet Ye Kunlun remained relentless, crippling his arm.
"How is the arm? Can it be reattached?" Changsun Changkong calmed himself and looked at the old servant beside him.
"This old servant acted promptly. It should be reattachable. With proper care afterwards, it will not affect his daily activities," the old servant quickly explained to Changsun Changkong.
Changsun Changkong breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't rendered a cripple, it was acceptable.
He looked at his pained grandson, his heart bleeding.
After a moment's thought, a resolute look entered Changsun Changkong's aged eyes. He called out to the old steward, "Old Fu!"
"This old servant is here!" Old Fu responded.
"Relay my command as Patriarch: summon the clan elders!"
Changsun Changkong's voice was unusually calm, but beneath that calmness lay a deep killing intent towards Ye Kunlun.
Upon hearing Changsun Changkong, Old Fu's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Patriarch, according to the ancestral teachings of the Changsun family, clan elders are not to be summoned unless there is a threat of clan annihilation..."
"To kill Ye Kunlun, the clan elders must be summoned. If we engage Ye Kunlun in direct conflict, it will indeed pose an existential threat to the Changsun family!"
Changsun Changkong had made his decision.
Ye Kunlun's words about collusion with the Easterners and destiny had struck a sensitive chord within him.
The nameless book was merely a temporary measure to appease Ye Kunlun for now.
Once the clan elders returned, they would undoubtedly retrieve the nameless book from Ye Kunlun.
Old Fu fell silent, saying nothing.
If the Changsun family truly entered into a life-or-death struggle with Ye Kunlun, given Ye Kunlun's strength, it might indeed lead to the annihilation of the Changsun family.
"Old Fu, do you stand a chance against Ye Kunlun with your abilities?"
Changsun Changkong looked at the old steward he had grown up with and asked in a deep voice.
Old Fu sighed, shook his head, and revealed a look of shame.
He replied to Changsun Changkong, "Although this person is young, his cultivation is profound, having reached the realm of returning to simplicity.
I am no match for him, otherwise, the young master would not have suffered this calamity!"
Changsun Changkong sighed, "As things stand, we can only summon the clan elders. Relay my command!"
"Yes!"
Old Fu no longer had any objections.
***
Behind the mountain, the ancestral land.
Changsun Qingwan and Ye Kunlun were naturally unaware of the decision Changsun Changkong had made.
Had Changsun Qingwan known, she would have done everything in her power to stop Changsun Changkong.
From any perspective, making an enemy of Ye Kunlun was an extremely unwise choice.
Ye Kunlun, however, was unfazed. With no rival in this world, no matter how many people came, they would merely be cannon fodder.
Ye Kunlun's Pure Yang power merged with his divine consciousness, directly penetrating the sealed area.
Instantly, Ye Kunlun's divine consciousness collided with that terrifying Yin Sha energy!
A chill spread through his divine consciousness, instantly engulfing Ye Kunlun.
A terrifying frost formed between his brows.
Seeing this, Changsun Qingwan's expression became grave. She wanted to speak but feared disturbing Ye Kunlun.
At this moment, the Pure Yang power was battling the Yin Sha energy.
Ye Kunlun wanted to see whether his Pure Yang power was superior or if the Yin Sha energy was stronger.
As time passed, the chill on Ye Kunlun grew more intense, and his hair was already covered in a thick layer of frost.
Changsun Qingwan stood beside him, able to clearly feel the chilling aura emanating from him, capable of freezing the very souls of ordinary people.
Within the seal, amidst the dense Yin Sha energy, Ye Kunlun's Pure Yang flame was like a rootless duckweed floating in an ocean, flickering and seemingly on the verge of extinguishing at any moment.
"Hee hee hee..."
"Heh heh heh..."
"Pure Yang power, mmm... it hurts so much... woo woo woo... Pure Yang power..."
"Hee hee... heh heh... we're coming out, we're coming out..."
A cacophony of noises reached Ye Kunlun's ears from a great distance, not entirely clear.
But upon closer listening, he caught a few key words.
Suddenly, a force several times more terrifying than the Yin Sha energy surged from the depths of the seal, directly engulfing the strand of Ye Kunlun's divine consciousness imbued with Pure Yang power!
Whoosh—
A surge of extreme cold erupted from Ye Kunlun, startling Changsun Qingwan into taking several steps back!
Simultaneously, Ye Kunlun's body ignited with a scorching Pure Yang flame, directly dispelling the previous chill!
Ye Kunlun furrowed his brows. The terrifying power he had just encountered was immense, the strongest he had encountered since descending the mountain!
Perhaps that power, like himself, had already reached the pinnacle of this world.
Of course, this was merely Ye Kunlun's speculation.
"Ye Kunlun, are you alright?"
Changsun Qingwan, startled, quickly asked.
Ye Kunlun withdrew his thoughts, adjusted his breathing, and shook his head, replying faintly, "I'm fine. This Yin Sha energy is extraordinary. It's no wonder it couldn't be eliminated for centuries and could only be sealed!"
"Furthermore, I must remind you that what is sealed within is definitely not mere Yin Sha energy; there are other terrifying existences."
Ye Kunlun thought for a moment and decided to warn Changsun Qingwan.
That terrifying power and the chaotic sounds made him realize that what was sealed here was far from simple Yin Sha.
Yin Sha was likely just a facade; the truly terrifying entity was probably lurking at the deepest point of the seal.
Changsun Qingwan sighed, "As you know, Great Uncle has already made the decision. The Phoenix Blood Stone is at the top. Take it!"
Ye Kunlun no longer hesitated. He reached out towards the top of the stone pagoda.
At the very apex of the stone pagoda, the pigeon-egg-sized, blood-red Phoenix Blood Stone, with what seemed like flowing blood within, transformed into a red streak of light and fell into Ye Kunlun's palm.
The moment the Phoenix Blood Stone left, the stone pagoda trembled slightly, and the vast ancestral land behind the mountain also quaked.
Ye Kunlun clearly detected a trace of the Yin Sha energy leaking from the sealed area, quickly moving towards the Changsun family's ancestral shrine.