Chapter 25

"Daydreaming!" Zhu Hongxue shouted coldly, leaping into the air and delivering a powerful palm strike towards the falling Yang Dingtian.

The first palm strike was not lethal due to Dongfang Bingling's words. But this time, he was determined to kill Yang Dingtian.

A blue flame saber suddenly shot out into the air, aiming at the falling Yang Dingtian, slicing him down.

Instantly, Yang Dingtian's body bent like a leaf in the wind, blood spraying from his mouth, nose, ears, and every part of his body, forming a cloud of blood mist.

In an instant, Yang Dingtian's entire body was covered in blood, and he plummeted rapidly towards the bottom of the cliff.

Dongfang Bingling took a step forward, her expression complex as she looked at the blood-covered Yang Dingtian. She bit her lip and said, "I didn't want to kill him."

"A pig or a dog, it doesn't matter if he dies," Zhu Hongxue said indifferently.

Then, Zhu Hongxue added casually, "The ring on his body is the Flame Ring, which won't break. However, this cliff is a forbidden area for mystic energy. We just need to go down and find his body to retrieve the Flame Ring."

Hearing Zhu Hongxue's words, Dongfang Bingling's expression changed slightly.

Zhu Hongxue, with a rare gentle look on her proud face, said, "I already guessed that the head of the Eastern Sect was no longer in this world. Your father is gone, but I am here, and so is the Xuantian Sect. I won't let you suffer in the slightest."

Dongfang Bingling's beautiful face showed a complex mix of emotions, her teeth tightly clenched. She liked hearing such words, but she didn't want to rely on anyone, nor did she want to be controlled by anyone.

...

*****

Yang Dingtian seemed to enter an incredibly dark world, feeling no pain, only endless emptiness. His body and soul seemed to be falling endlessly into a deep abyss...

The bottom of the dark abyss seemed to have no end, and with the continuous fall, his life force seemed to be gradually drained from his body!

"Awake!"

"Awake!"

"Awake!"

...

This deep voice seemed to echo from the heavens, a warm and fiery force suddenly supporting his falling soul, slowing his descent more and more, and the surroundings gradually becoming brighter and brighter.

Finally, Yang Dingtian opened his eyes to see a familiar face, but seeing this face now, a flood of emotions surged within him.

It was Ximen Wuyuan, and once again, Ximen Wuyuan had saved Yang Dingtian. His palm was still supporting Yang Dingtian's back, continuously inputting mystic energy to sustain his life, and even the great master was sweating profusely.

"Fortunately, I finally managed to bring you back from the brink of death," Ximen Wuyuan said with a smile, his face showing a hint of fatigue.

A great master like him would never tire, indicating how much mystic energy he had expended to save Yang Dingtian's life.

"We were about to set sail when we saw a blood-covered figure drifting in the sea. We thought he was dead, but out of duty, we decided to retrieve and bury him. To our surprise, it turned out to be you," Ximen Wuyuan said.

"Even someone with cultivation dozens of times higher than yours would have died from such a severe blow, but your incredibly strong meridians managed to withstand the impact. Despite the ruptures in your blood vessels, you still retained a spark of life, and your qi sea did not explode. I can't even imagine what kind of mystic meridians you have," Ximen Wuyuan said.

"City Lord Ximen, where am I now? How long have I been unconscious?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"We are on a ship, on our way back to Yunxiao City. You have been unconscious for three hours," Ximen Wuyuan replied.

Then, Ximen Wuyuan, suppressing his anger, said, "What exactly happened? Who injured you? You are just past the启蒙期 (Enlightenment Stage) and not even an apprentice warrior. Who would be so ruthless to you?"

After a long silence, Yang Dingtian said, "City Lord Ximen, do you remember the flame pendant?"

Ximen Wuyuan nodded.

"If it were anything else, I would have given it to Miss Ximen, but this item is too special. It is the token of affection between my master and his wife. I need to take this flame pendant to the Yin-Yang Sect to be recognized by my master's wife," Yang Dingtian said. "I was originally an ordinary person. In a very rare moment, I fell into a cave and found an old man who was nearly dead. I saved him."

"The cave was very deep, and we couldn't get out. We relied on each other for survival, treating each other like family. Two years later, he told me his name was Dongfang Niemie, the head of the Yin-Yang Sect, and asked if I wanted to be his disciple. I considered him my closest family, so I naturally agreed."

"Not only did he take me as his disciple, but he also promised his only daughter, Dongfang Bingling, to me. My master said I was his only direct disciple and the future head of the Yin-Yang Sect, so he gave me the Flame Ring. To prove my identity, he also gave me the flame pendant, telling me to take it to the Yin-Yang Sect and give it to my master's wife. It is their token of affection, with my master's last words to his wife. Once she sees it, she will know who I am and what to do."

"The rest, City Lord Ximen, you can probably imagine," Yang Dingtian said.

"Of course, I can imagine," Ximen Wuyuan said. "Master Dongfang hasn't seen his daughter in ten years and doesn't know how she has changed. Even if she looked down on you or considered you unworthy, she could have just canceled the engagement. I don't believe you would have clung to her. Why did she try to kill you?"

"She wanted me to hand over the Flame Ring, but it was given to me by my master, so I couldn't give it to her," Yang Dingtian said. "I tried to escape the Yin-Yang Sect, but she and Zhu Hongxue cornered me. I would rather die than hand over the Flame Ring, so I jumped off the cliff..."

"I understand, I understand..." Ximen Wuyuan clenched his fists, suppressing his anger.

Then, Ximen Wuyuan grabbed Yang Dingtian's right hand, inputting a stream of mystic energy, and a flame appeared. Instantly, the exquisite Flame Ring appeared on Yang Dingtian's right ring finger.

"Is this it?" Ximen Wuyuan asked, then released Yang Dingtian's right hand, and the Flame Ring slowly disappeared.

"Disobeying your parents is filial impiety. Disrespecting your future husband is a grave offense. Associating with other men is unchaste. Chasing and trying to kill your future husband is a capital crime. How could Master Dongfang and his wife, who are both virtuous, have such a disobedient, disrespectful, unchaste, and shameless daughter?" Ximen Wuyuan said coldly. "Moreover, does she not know the ambitions of Zhu Qingzhu of the Xuantian Sect? Does she not know that her father's disappearance ten years ago and his tragic end were suspiciously linked to Zhu Qingzhu?"

"The Yin-Yang Sect will eventually be destroyed by this ambitious and self-proclaimed clever woman," Ximen Wuyuan said.

"Child, the Yin-Yang Sect is your master's, and it is yours. You cannot stand by and watch," Ximen Wuyuan said. "I am also a member of the Yin-Yang Sect. We cannot let the thousand-year legacy of the Yin-Yang Sect be destroyed by Dongfang Bingling."

"You can't stay in the Yin-Yang Sect for now. Will you come back to Yunxiao City with me?" Ximen Wuyuan said. "I have always said that what the Yin-Yang Sect can give you, Yunxiao City can also provide."

"I have a master, and I will never change my allegiance," Yang Dingtian said.

Ximen Wuyuan said, "Yunxiao City is also part of the Yin-Yang Sect. Do you consider Yunxiao City a traitor to the Yin-Yang Sect? Who was the real traitor, Yang Yunxiao or Leng Wuyan, from hundreds of years ago?"

"That's true. I did once want you to be my successor and the new City Lord of Yunxiao City," Ximen Wuyuan said. "But since you are Master Dongfang's disciple, the person I respect the most, I have given up that idea."

"I won't make you change your master. Your master will still be Master Dongfang Niemie, and I will be your uncle," Ximen Wuyuan said. "Yunxiao City will do everything to cultivate you, without asking you to do anything in return, not even to join Yunxiao City. When you are strong enough, you can return to the Yin-Yang Sect and reclaim your rightful position as the head of the sect."

"Of course, I have one request. When you become the head of the Yin-Yang Sect..." Ximen Wuyuan sighed deeply. "When you become the head of the Yin-Yang Sect, order the pardon of Yunxiao City's traitor status and allow Yunxiao City to return to its roots."

Yang Dingtian hesitated for a while and said, "City Lord Ximen, isn't it better for Yunxiao City to be dominant in its region? Why be subordinate to others?"

Ximen Wuyuan shook his head and said, "Child, if you were my successor and the next City Lord of Yunxiao City, I would certainly want Yunxiao City to be dominant or to defeat the Yin-Yang Sect and reclaim its rightful place. Or to become an independent power, the supreme martial authority in the world. But now, you are Master Dongfang's disciple, and I cannot take that from you."

"Yunxiao City has been weak for a hundred years, and I am the only master-level figure. I can't find an especially outstanding successor for the next generation. If we don't clear the traitor status and return to our roots, Yunxiao City will face a catastrophic disaster," Ximen Wuyuan said helplessly. "In recent years, due to my influence, Yunxiao City has offended many people, almost stepping on the heads of many sects. Once I am gone, it will be the end of Yunxiao City."

"Child, come with me to Yunxiao City," Ximen Wuyuan said, his eyes filled with sincerity and expectation. "I will treat you as Master Dongfang Niemie would, helping you become the most powerful person in this world."

"Alright, alright..." Yang Dingtian said. "Thank you, Uncle Ximen, but please don't force Yan Yan to marry me. She doesn't like me. And after this incident, I realize that to get what I want, I must rely on my own strength, not on others."

"Very well said..." Ximen Wuyuan said. "Uncle promises that within ten years, I will help you avenge today's humiliation. Within ten years, I will make Dongfang Bingling taste the shame she inflicted on you, and she will live the rest of her life in regret!"

"As for Yan Yan, I won't force her to marry you. But perhaps after you two get to know each other, you might really like each other," Ximen Wuyuan smiled. "So I can't say for sure now."

Then, Ximen Wuyuan suddenly stood up and said, "No, we must speed up and return to Yunxiao City as quickly as possible. The Yin-Yang Sect will search the sea for your body if they can't find it. They might catch up soon."