Chapter 22

~~

The night passed without incident.

That morning, at the Ye family training ground.

People gradually gathered, and the Ye family, being one of the older established families in Qingyue City, faced a rising Du family, which had emerged in the past century but had now entered the ranks of the top three families in Qingyue City.

News of the Ye family's various businesses being frequently suppressed and the family's decline had long been spread among the established families. Some families that had past grievances with the Ye family were now restless and eager to act, while those with better relations with the Ye family were deeply worried.

The news of the confrontation between the younger generations of the Ye and Du families had spread throughout the established families, attracting many to come and watch the duel.

The crowd gathered around the training ground, whispering among themselves.

"This time, the Ye family is in grave danger! The Du family is not here with good intentions, it's said they are after the land in the Beishan Bay of the Ye family!"

"The land in Beishan Bay is where the Ye family's ancestral graves are located; they can't possibly give it up easily! If they really retreat, the Ye family will never be able to hold their heads high in Qingyue City again!"

"But the Ye family has already declined, with only two Condensation Realm experts, one at the third rank and one at the first rank! The Du family, although only rising in the past century, already has six Condensation Realm experts, and the family head Du Yuanming is at the sixth rank of the Condensation Realm!"

"The younger generation of the Ye family is far inferior to that of the Du family; the Ye family is bound to lose this time!"

The crowd looked toward the front of the training ground, where Ye Zhengqing sat at the head, his presence imposing and a powerful aura surrounding him.

Uncle Ye Hai, Uncle Ye Han, Father Ye Yi, Uncle Ye Yu, Aunt Ye Jingjing, and others stood behind Ye Zhengqing. Ye Zhong, Ye Xuan, Ye Qiu, and other outstanding young members of the Ye family stood on either side. Ye Wei, who did not have the qualifications to participate in this duel, could only stand in a corner that no one paid attention to.

This duel was crucial for the Ye family's land in Beishan Bay, and no one dared to take it lightly. The faces of the outstanding young members of the Ye family, such as Ye Zhong and Ye Xuan, were filled with unhidden tension.

Ye Wei clenched his fists tightly. This battle was of great importance, and he hoped that his cousin Ye Zhong could withstand the pressure and not lose. Otherwise, the Ye family would be in grave danger. Once they fell from their position as an established family, it would be very difficult to rise again. Ye Wei could sense that many people from other established families were there to watch the show, and if the Ye family fell, they would surely kick them while they were down!

The Du family had not yet arrived, but the atmosphere was already very tense.

"Family head Du Yuanming, General Zhou Wu, and President Dong He of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce have arrived!" With the report of a family member, the atmosphere on the training ground immediately changed.

The crowd, who had been whispering, all fell silent, their expressions varying as they looked toward the entrance of the training ground.

"Let them in!" Ye Zhengqing snorted coldly, his veins bulging, and he said in a deep voice, "The Du family has really gone to great lengths, actually inviting General Zhou Wu and President Dong He!" It had long been rumored that these two were in cahoots with the Du family, and it turned out to be true!

The Du family had invited General Zhou Wu and President Dong He to put pressure on the Ye family. If the Ye family lost but still refused to hand over the land in Beishan Bay, they would likely face a devastating blow!

At the entrance of the Ye family, a group of people surged in, a red carpet laid out, and the sound of drums and gongs filled the air. These people wore the uniform of the Du family, with a crimson blood sword depicted on their chests, exuding a solemn and deadly aura.

In comparison, the aura of the Ye family was much weaker.

In the midst of the crowd, Du Yuanming, the head of the Du family, walked gracefully, chatting and laughing with the two people beside him, completely disregarding the Ye family.

One of the two people was a middle-aged, muscular man in a black battle robe, with a crew cut and a fierce scar on his face. He walked steadily, exuding a terrifying and bloody aura, and was the city lord's General Zhou Wu, at the seventh rank of the Condensation Realm!

It was said that General Zhou Wu had once led troops to suppress rebels, killing countless people, and his reputation was fearsome.

The other person wore a valuable silk robe, was slightly overweight, and had a relaxed smile on his face, exuding a natural aura of authority.

This person was President Dong He of the Linghe Chamber of Commerce in Qingyue City, at the fifth rank of the Condensation Realm!

Behind the three of them followed a dozen young men, their faces filled with arrogance and disdain as they commented on the Ye family. The Du family's younger generation was full of talent, and these dozen young men were the best among them, especially Du Han Yue, a sixth-rank warrior, who could rank among the top five in the entire Qingyue City's younger generation!

The Ye family's members looked at them from a distance, their eyes filled with hatred. In the past two months, due to the Du family's suppression, the Ye family's business had plummeted, causing them great suffering.

Being poor was not the issue, but the Du family's target was the Ye family's ancestral land in Beishan Bay!

Even if they were to die, they could not lose the land that had been passed down through generations of the Ye family!

"Brother Yuanming, it seems your Du family has offended the Ye family quite deeply!" President Dong He, who was slightly overweight and exuded wealth, scanned the Ye family members with a casual glance and chuckled.

"Those who don't provoke envy are mediocre!" Du Yuanming's lips curled slightly, and he said with a hint of disdain, "Business is like war; if you lose, it's your own fault, not the fault of others!"

"That's true, with Master Lü Feng overseeing the Du family, and your family's channels, who can compete with you in the divine scroll and barbarian bone daoist artifact businesses?" Dong He laughed heartily, as the Linghe Chamber of Commerce had many collaborations with the Du family.

The Lü Feng mentioned by Dong He was the chief disciple of Master Mu, and the reason the Ye family's divine scroll and barbarian bone daoist artifact businesses were struggling was because of this person!

There were three divine pattern masters in all of Qingyue City: Master Yi, Master Ning, and Master Mu. There were rumors outside that Lü Feng was Master Mu's illegitimate child, but it was unknown if this was true.

"Lü Feng's cooperation with our Du family is a mutually beneficial arrangement. I hope the Ye family can be sensible; whatever Lü Feng wants, the Ye family should willingly hand over!" Du Yuanming said with a slight cold laugh, his eyes flashing with a determined light. Lü Feng wanted the land in Beishan Bay, and if the Du family helped Lü Feng obtain it, Lü Feng would sign a thirty-year cooperation contract with the Du family!

As for why Lü Feng was only interested in the land in Beishan Bay, Du Yuanming had some doubts.

"The Ye family has no choice; they will definitely lose this battle. The talented young members of the Du family are far superior to those of the Ye family!" General Zhou Wu, with a sinister face, said in a deep voice. He had some dealings with Lü Feng and was determined to help Lü Feng with this matter.

"Brother Ye, it's been two or three months since we last met; you seem to have aged a lot! As the head of the Ye family, you should take care of your health. If you accidentally pass away, this large family will have to wander and beg!" Du Yuanming looked at Ye Zhengqing at the head of the training ground and laughed loudly, his voice like rolling thunder, making the crowd around the training ground feel their blood churn.

Is this the power of a seventh-rank Condensation Realm expert?

The faces of the people from the various established families around the training ground turned pale, and they stepped back. They were ordinary disciples of their respective families, rarely even seeing their family heads, let alone a seventh-rank Condensation Realm expert!

In all of Qingyue City, there were only a handful of people who had reached the seventh-rank Condensation Realm!

The crowd of Ye family members behind Ye Zhengqing felt the powerful aura pressing down on them, their faces turning pale. That was the aura of a seventh-rank Condensation Realm expert!

A powerful aura surged from around Ye Zhengqing, protecting his body and resisting the overwhelming aura from Du Yuanming. He said in a deep voice, "There's no need for you to worry, old man I am still in good health and can live for at least fifty more years! I have seen many people more tyrannical and domineering than you, but they all met tragic ends, while I am still alive and well!"

Ye Zhengqing was not intimidated, and although his aura was not as strong as Du Yuanming's, it had a piercing power.

Although his grandfather had helped block part of the aura, Ye Wei, standing in the corner behind, still felt his breath quicken under the pressure. Under this force, Ye Wei felt as if his mind was about to be crushed.

His strength was too weak; even a tiny bit of the seventh-rank Condensation Realm expert's aura could crush him to pieces!

"No! My clan members have not been intimidated by Du Yuanming's aura, and neither will I!" Sweat trickled down Ye Wei's forehead as he struggled to resist the pressure.

Under the pressure of the seventh-rank Condensation Realm expert's aura, Ye Wei's mind contracted intensely, the pain so severe it felt like his brain was being shattered.

"I can't lose!" Ye Wei roared in his heart. He had always been the weakest in the clan, and he was not content; he wanted to become stronger!

What Ye Wei did not see was that the firm resolve in his heart was transforming into an invisible force, surging toward the sky.

Faintly, Ye Wei saw the majestic divine mountain again, and a deep golden light flashed in his mind.

Boom!

It felt like something exploded in his mind, the pain making Ye Wei's face pale, but at that moment, his mind rapidly expanded, and his body's sensitivity to essence energy seemed to increase, his cultivation suddenly surging.

Peng!

Essence energy surged, and under its nourishment, Ye Wei's physical body became exceptionally strong.

Under the pressure of the seventh-rank Condensation Realm expert's aura, Ye Wei's cultivation broke through from the second-rank apprentice to the third-rank apprentice realm, taking another step forward!

Ye Wei's heart swelled with emotion, never expecting to turn a disaster into a blessing and advance to the third-rank apprentice!

If it were in the past, he would have had to endure years of hard cultivation to reach the third-rank apprentice realm. Unlike others, Ye Wei, who had self-learned divine patterns and had the talent to become a divine pattern master, found that the more he cultivated, the easier it became. Once he reached the seventh-rank apprentice realm, he could begin to perfect or create divine techniques, gaining the power of the heavens, and at that time, his cultivation would advance even faster!

However, reaching the seventh-rank apprentice realm was extremely difficult for Ye Wei, who had only a red-level mind. The closer he got to the seventh-rank apprentice realm, the more excited he became.

With the family's situation in grave danger, he must reach the seventh-rank apprentice realm as soon as possible!

Only by reaching the seventh-rank apprentice realm could he gain the ability to change the family's fate!

~~

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends