Chapter 12

"You!" The Grand Elder pointed angrily at Ye Fan, his face livid with rage. Ye Fan cast a cold glance at the Grand Elder and the others, then sneered, "Grand Elder, we agreed that this was a life-and-death duel between me and him. Yet, you suddenly intervened? Tsk tsk, Grand Elder, you’ve thrown away even the last bit of your dignity! The whole world is watching—aren’t you afraid of turning the Ye family into a laughingstock?" Hearing Ye Fan’s words, the crowd turned to look at the Ye family. Many of them had rather odd expressions. A duel, they said? But the Ye family had attacked together—how was that a duel? That was a gang assault! Whispers had already begun spreading through the crowd below. Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Yu and his two companions exchanged glances, all of them wearing amused smiles. What a surprise! A massive surprise! They hadn’t expected that even after reaching the Qi Transformation Realm, Ye Lang was still no match for Ye Fan! For their three families, this was undoubtedly fantastic news! Li Yu stood up, looked at the Ye family's Grand Elder, and said, "Grand Elder, you invited us here to witness a duel. What, are we here to watch the Ye family gang up on a single young man instead?" Beside him, Zhang Lie sneered, "So this is the so-called life-and-death duel of the legendary Ye family? The moment the fight starts, it turns into a gang beating? This is absolutely ridiculous—hahaha!" City Lord Jiang Nian glanced at the Grand Elder and said calmly, "Grand Elder, the whole world is still watching." The Grand Elder's face turned grim. He looked at Ye Lang beside him—Ye Lang's armour had been shattered into pieces! Not only that, but blood was continuously dripping from the corners of Ye Lang’s mouth. He had clearly suffered severe internal injuries! If they continued fighting, Ye Lang would undoubtedly be killed by Ye Fan! At this thought, the Grand Elder's fists slowly clenched. Just then, Ye Fan suddenly chuckled and said, "So, the Grand Elder has no intention of letting me fight him one-on-one? I wonder what excuse you’ll come up with to get rid of me! Go on, speak! I’m listening! We’re all listening!" The Grand Elder lifted his head and stared at Ye Fan. "Ye Fan, I suspect this duel was unfair. You must have cheated, you—" Before he could finish, Ye Fan suddenly pointed at him furiously. "Cheated? You old dog, have you no shame? I fought him one-on-one, and because I won, that means I cheated? Your face is thicker than my backside!" The Grand Elder roared, "All Ye family disciples, listen up! Ye Fan has rebelled—kill him immediately!" Clearly, he no longer cared about appearances! The crowd erupted into chaos! "The Ye family is utterly shameless! They can't accept defeat!" "Not just sore losers—this is downright despicable! The Grand Elder actually calls it cheating just because Ye Fan won?" "What choice does he have? The so-called Chosen One is his own grandson! How could he possibly let him die? But to handle things like this—it’s truly disgraceful!" "..." On the viewing platform, a middle-aged man from Yan City and a noblewoman from Luo City exchanged glances and shook their heads, undisguised contempt in their eyes. Around the life-and-death platform, the Ye family's elite crossbow guards hesitated, looking at each other. The Grand Elder bellowed, "What are you waiting for? Kill him!" The guards hesitated again, preparing to make a move—when suddenly, a voice rang out across the arena. "The Patriarch has left seclusion!" The Grand Elder’s body trembled slightly. He turned towards the entrance of the Ye family estate, where a middle-aged man was slowly walking forward. It was Ye Cang, the current head of the Ye family—the strongest among them! "Greetings, Patriarch!" Everyone in the arena immediately bowed. Ye Fan glanced at Ye Cang but remained silent. Ye Cang stepped onto the life-and-death platform, then cast a cold look at the Grand Elder. "Look at the mess you've made!" The Grand Elder’s expression darkened. He gave a slight bow. "Patriarch." Ignoring him, Ye Cang cupped his fists and addressed the surrounding guests. "I apologise for making a spectacle of our Ye family." Then, he turned to the Grand Elder. "From this moment on, you are stripped of your title as Grand Elder and demoted to an ordinary elder. You are never again to hold power!" The Grand Elder’s expression shifted. He was about to speak when Ye Cang looked at Ye Fan and said, "Let this matter end here, alright?" Ye Fan shook his head and pointed at Ye Lang in the distance. "My life-and-death duel with him isn’t over yet!" Ye Cang frowned slightly. At that moment, the Grand Elder and several other elders moved closer to Ye Cang. The Grand Elder said gravely, "Patriarch, Ye Lang is the Chosen One. He even triggered a celestial phenomenon—his future is boundless. Although he lost to Ye Fan, Ye Fan's dantian is already crippled—he is nothing but a broken man now. His future potential is limited to that of an ordinary martial artist. He will never be able to leave Qing City." Ye Cang cast a cold look at the Grand Elder. "His dantian—was that your doing?" The Grand Elder clenched his fists. "It was me! Patriarch, he no longer has a future, while Ye Lang has limitless potential. If we spare him today, he will surely bring glory to our Ye family in the future!" The surrounding elders all nodded in agreement. Ye Lang could not be killed! The future of the Ye family was at stake! Ye Cang remained silent. Every great family needed geniuses. Ye Fan’s crippled dantian meant he could never carry the Ye family’s future. On the other hand, Ye Lang was the Chosen One—one who had even triggered a celestial phenomenon! The Ye family needed someone like him. After a moment of thought, Ye Cang looked at Ye Fan and said, "From now on, your title as heir is revoked, but all your previous benefits will be restored. Let this matter rest. Do you understand?" Ye Fan laughed. His laughter was tinged with sorrow. He looked at Ye Cang. "Patriarch, you must have known about everything happening in the estate for a long time. But you never stepped in. Instead, you let the Grand Elder and the others do whatever they pleased. I suppose it wasn’t just because you feared them—you feared me as well. You were afraid I’d grow too strong and threaten you. Am I right?" Ye Cang’s eyes narrowed. "You are overstepping your bounds." "Overstepping?" Ye Fan sneered. "The Grand Elder and Ye Lang have oppressed me for so long, even crippling my dantian in secret. And you won’t punish them at all? Or is it because I’m already a cripple, destined never to go far, so I’m no longer worth your trouble? Is that it?" Ye Cang stared at Ye Fan in silence, but there was now a trace of killing intent in his gaze. Ye Fan had once been a Ye family prodigy—but he was neither the Grand Elder’s grandson nor Ye Cang’s direct bloodline. Just as Ye Fan had said, Ye Cang had indeed feared him. And this time, he had deliberately stayed in seclusion, hoping that Ye Fan and the Grand Elder would fight to the death, allowing him to weaken both sides. It was a tactic of balance. As the patriarch, he did not think he was wrong. But now, Ye Fan had exposed everything for all to see. There was no going back! Silence fell over the arena. But everyone was staring at Ye Fan! Even Li Yu and the others felt pity for him. No matter how ruthless noble families could be, treating their own talents this way was truly disgraceful. At this moment, Ye Fan laughed—a laugh filled with utter desolation. He turned to glance at the Ye family estate, his eyes flickering with emotion, as if recalling past memories. "At the age of twelve, I became the heir of the Ye family. I have fought countless battles to the death for them. And yet, all my efforts have led to this outcome." As he spoke, he removed the Ye family emblem from his chest and tossed it onto the ground. "Today, before everyone present, I, Ye Fan, swear that from this moment on, my sister Ye Ling and I are no longer members of the Ye family. In life, we have nothing to do with the Ye family. In death, we shall not be buried in the ancestral shrine!" Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the crowd changed dramatically—especially the members of the Ye family! Leaving one’s family? This was something unheard of in Qingcheng! Even Li Yu and the others found it hard to believe. Was Ye Fan truly severing all ties with the Ye family? Ye Cang fixed his gaze on Ye Fan. "Is this your decision?" Ye Fan said nothing. He simply turned and walked away. Just then, the Grand Elder suddenly spoke. "Hold it!" Ye Fan stopped in his tracks. The Grand Elder cast a cold glance at him before turning to Ye Cang. "Patriarch, though this man's dantian is ruined, leaving him with no future prospects, his current combat ability is still formidable. Now that he harbours resentment towards the Ye family, if we do not eliminate him today, he will become a grave threat to us in the future!" Beside him, a black-robed elder spoke in a deep voice. "Patriarch, Ye Fan has openly betrayed the family. If we do not kill him now, others may follow his example. Moreover, his strength is not to be underestimated. If he is recruited by one of the other great families, it will spell disaster for us!" Hearing this, the elders of the Ye family all voiced their agreement. Ye Cang stared intently at Ye Fan. Suddenly, he raised his right hand. Instantly, all the elite crossbowmen of the Ye family took aim at Ye Fan with their powerful crossbows. Then, in an ice-cold voice, Ye Cang declared, "Ye Fan has openly betrayed the family. According to the clan’s laws, he must be executed immediately. Kill him!" Just as the crossbowmen were about to fire, a voice suddenly rang out— "Wait!" Everyone turned towards the sound. Not far away, a woman holding a long spear approached slowly. Upon seeing her, the Grand Elder and the others' expressions changed dramatically! It wasn’t just the Grand Elder—even Jiang Nian and the others were visibly shaken. Jiang Nian, in particular, hurried forward, bowing deeply before the woman. "Your humble servant, Qingcheng’s City Lord, greets the Guoshi!" Guoshi! The newcomer was none other than An Lanxiu—Jiang Nation’s youngest Guoshi! In Jiang Nation, a Guoshi held authority above all officials. Even the monarch had no power to restrain them. Any official beneath the sovereign was required to bow before them! At that moment, a middle-aged man from Flame City and a noblewoman from Luo City also stepped forward and offered respectful bows. The man spoke first, "I am Mo Xing, representing the Mo family of Flame City. Greetings, Guoshi!" The noblewoman immediately followed, "I am from the Yu family, representing Luo City’s Yu family. Greetings, Guoshi!" As individuals, they were not qualified to speak directly with her, but by invoking their family names, they barely qualified to acknowledge her presence. An Lanxiu nodded slightly. "I have matters to attend to." The three of them quickly stepped aside. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, An Lanxiu tapped the tip of her foot lightly on the ground, her figure soaring gracefully like a breeze before landing elegantly on the Life-and-Death Platform! Sky-Realm Cultivator! A collective gasp filled the air. Jiang Nation’s youngest Sky-Realm expert! An Lanxiu took slow steps towards Ye Fan. "Our duel is due today." The entire crowd was dumbfounded, especially the Grand Elder and the others, who seemed utterly lost. "She’s challenging Ye Fan?" Someone in the crowd snapped out of their daze and exclaimed in shock. "Heavens! She really is challenging Ye Fan! This... how is this possible?" Not far away, the Grand Elder murmured blankly, "How… How could this be? How could she possibly challenge Ye Fan, whose dantian has been shattered? This is impossible!" Ye Cang clenched his fists tightly, his gaze locked onto Ye Fan. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ye Fan looked at An Lanxiu and said calmly, "Very well." As his words fell, he spread open his palm. In an instant, a sword materialised in his grasp! A Spirit Sword! At that moment, the entire crowd was stunned. "He’s a sword cultivator..." A voice rang out in the crowd. As soon as the words were spoken, silence fell over the gathering—so silent that one could hear a pin drop.