Chapter 61: A Just Cause

Ye Qiubai was able to kill Tian Pin due to several factors.

First, Tian Pin was overly confident.

Second, the strike was completely unexpected.

Third, the sword principle contained within the Azure Cloud Sword does not exist in this world where the heavenly laws have collapsed.

These factors led to Tian Pin's defeat and subsequent demise.

However, in the eyes of many, Ye Qiubai was merely a novice in the Qi Sea Realm. Even if he was a rare genius, he was still an unripe talent.

And Tian Pin? He was in the mid-stage of the Qianyuan Realm, ranked 29th on the martial rankings of the Four Domains. He was a renowned powerhouse in the Northern Region and even across the Four Domains.

The disparity between them was like a chasm. Yet, Tian Pin was slain by someone in the Qi Sea Realm?

What would happen when Ye Qiubai reached the Qianyuan Realm? How powerful would he become?

No one could imagine. No one dared to imagine!

Now, after drawing the Azure Cloud Sword, Ye Qiubai suffered severe backlash. His spiritual energy was utterly exhausted. He slowly descended from midair.

Seeing this, the Sixth Prince and Fan Jingrao did not hesitate to strike, intending to kill Ye Qiubai with lightning speed, to nip this prodigy in the bud. If they didn't, they would suffer once Ye Qiubai grew stronger.

The Ye family's patriarch watched, unable to intervene. The power of the ancestral lineage had dissipated, and he too was suffering from the backlash. He couldn't stop Fan Jingrao, only watch as the palace guards and Fan Jingrao rushed toward Ye Qiubai.

Was this the end? Was such a prodigy going to fall like this? What a pity...

The Ye family would likely be erased from Tianyuan City.

Just as the patriarch thought this, a silver flash occurred, and Ye Qiubai's body suddenly disappeared.

Everyone was stunned. The Sixth Prince was especially panicked. Did Ye Qiubai escape? If so, it would be hard to kill him later. Given the strength of the Tianyuan Dynasty, demanding him from the Cangdao Academy would be a fool's errand. But if Ye Qiubai grew stronger, it would be a slow death for them.

Thinking this, the Sixth Prince panicked. Fan Jingrao was also caught off guard. Who could silently rescue someone right under his nose? Only those ranked in the top ten of the martial rankings could do such a thing. But who among the top ten had a connection with Ye Qiubai? Fan Jingrao thought for a moment. Only one person came to mind—the Northern Region's number one sword cultivator, Yun Jing. Only he could save Ye Qiubai without Fan Jingrao noticing.

"Fan Enforcer, what do we do now?" The Sixth Prince asked anxiously.

Fan Jingrao, showing undisguised contempt in his eyes, replied calmly, "Don't worry, let's return to the palace first."

The Sixth Prince saw Fan Jingrao's attitude but could say nothing against a martial rankings powerhouse. They returned to the palace. If Ye Qiubai were present, he would recognize Crown Prince Huang Tianming in the palace hall. Huang Tianming sipped his tea lightly, seeing their disheveled return, and said, "Failed?"

His tone carried no surprise, as if it was expected. Fan Jingrao nodded, "Yes, Tian Pin is dead."

"Oh?"

This surprised Huang Tianming. He hadn't expected Tian Pin, a powerful warrior on the martial rankings, to be killed.

"Well, that's fine."

Huang Tianming put down his teacup, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. He looked at Fan Jingrao and said, "What do you think? Ye Qiubai killed an enforcer of our dynasty. Shouldn't we hold him accountable?"

Fan Jingrao was taken aback but nodded.

Huang Tianming stood up and continued, "Cangdao Academy has always upheld justice. It shouldn't be unreasonable for me to ask them to hand over Ye Qiubai, right?"

Fan Jingrao suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He had figured out Huang Tianming's intention. Previously, Huang Tianming only sent him and Tian Pin to the Ye family to ambush Ye Qiubai, without deploying all available forces. Clearly, this was planned!

After all, Ye Qiubai was a student of Cangdao Academy. Furthermore, he had the support of the Northern Region's Cangdao Academy. Killing Ye Qiubai without a valid reason would provoke trouble from Cangdao Academy, possibly attracting attention from the Central Academy. This could result in significant losses for the Sunset Dynasty.

But now, with Ye Qiubai killing a dynasty enforcer, they had a justified reason! They had a legitimate cause!

Huang Tianming planned to use Tian Pin's death to his advantage. Clapping his hands, he said, "Alright, let's set off. Everyone, head to the Southern Region's Cangdao Academy."

After speaking, he bowed slightly to the ruler of Tianyuan Kingdom, "Sorry to trouble you, Your Majesty."

The ruler of Tianyuan Kingdom watched Huang Tianming and sighed inwardly. This young man was so calculating and ruthless, treating all beings as mere pawns. With him, the Sunset Dynasty would likely continue to flourish. Thinking this, the ruler said, "Take the palace guards with you."

At this moment, the ruler had decided to fully ally with the Sunset Dynasty.

Huang Tianming was pleased by this, smiling, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

...

Meanwhile, Yun Ming brought Ye Qiubai back to the Cottage. Indeed, it was Yun Ming who had saved Ye Qiubai earlier. He had been lurking in the shadows all along. As for why he hadn't intervened sooner, it was to push Ye Qiubai to his limits in a life-and-death situation.

The potential Ye Qiubai unleashed shocked Yun Ming. Killing a Qianyuan Realm warrior while in the Qi Sea Realm, even with a bit of luck, was still a testament to his strength.

Lu Changsheng approached, his face no longer relaxed and carefree but instead filled with anger. He asked sternly, "What happened?"

At this moment, Hong Ying's aura erupted as she broke through to the Qianyuan Realm. She awoke from her trance and, seeing Ye Qiubai's condition, also approached with killing intent in her eyes, "Who did this?"

Hearing this, Yun Ming immediately recounted the events. Lu Changsheng glanced at Ye Qiubai and understood his condition.

"The backlash from forcefully drawing the Azure Cloud Sword has exhausted his spiritual energy, causing him to fall unconscious. It's not a major issue." He retrieved two pills from his storage ring and fed them to Ye Qiubai. Then, he extended his finger, enveloping Ye Qiubai in a life-giving force that began to heal his body.

Hong Ying was astonished by this sight. Yun Ming also exclaimed, "The power of life?"

More precisely, it was the Dao of Life!

Soon, Ye Qiubai's body was fully restored, and he now just needed to wake up.

Holding her spear, Hong Ying said coldly, "I'll go to the Tianyuan Dynasty first."

"Wait, there's no need to go." Lu Changsheng looked toward the horizon and said calmly, "They're already here."

In the distant sky, a dark mass of armored palace guards approached. Behind them were warships pulled by two dragons.

Qin Tiannan and several elders appeared in the sky.

"May I ask what brings the Crown Prince to our Cangdao Academy?"