I was just making up techniques... how did all of you become Emperors?

"Ye Beixuan, what are you doing here?"

In the spirit herb section, Ye Beixuan was browsing a stall with Feng Qiongyu, selecting medicinal herbs, when a questioning voice came from behind them.

Ye Beixuan turned his head and saw a woman in green robes staring at him arrogantly. He studied her with some confusion, rummaging through his memories for her name. After a while, he finally remembered—she was a friend of his cousin.

"Lu Yuejuan, do you need something?"

"Well, well, Ye Beixuan. You've been to Wendao Academy once, and now you've forgotten your manners? You don't even call me 'sister' anymore," Lu Yuejuan said sharply, her tone aggressive.

Feng Qiongyu frowned slightly and was about to speak up for Senior Brother Beixuan, but Ye Beixuan spoke first.

"What makes you my elder? If you have nothing else to say, step aside."

He had no fondness for Lu Yuejuan. In his previous life, she always looked down on him. Every time she visited Xuantie Valley and saw him, she would act like a senior, lecturing him with the excuse that it was for his own good.

"You... You dare talk back to me? Believe it or not, I'll go tell your cousin!"

"Suit yourself."

Ye Beixuan ignored her and directly led Feng Qiongyu away. Dealing with someone like her was a waste of words.

"Hmph!"

Lu Yuejuan snorted coldly. "You really think you're someone important now, huh? Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you—your father and your sister Qingwu are in big trouble. If you hurry now, maybe you'll make it in time to collect their corpses!"

Ye Beixuan froze in place at her words. He turned around and stared at Lu Yuejuan with rage in his eyes, an aura of killing intent pouring off him. His tone dropped to a chilling coldness.

"What did you say?"

Lu Yuejuan was frightened by the aura he exuded and instinctively stepped back. She stammered, "Why are you taking it out on me? If you've got guts, go clash head-on with the big shots of Lieyang Sect. What kind of man bullies a woman?"

Lieyang Sect!

Hearing those three words, Ye Beixuan's memories from his past life surged up like a tidal wave.

If he remembered correctly, his sister Qingwu had married Yang Wei of the Lieyang Sect in his past life—one year from now.

He hadn't known about it at the time. It wasn't until five years later that he learned she had died.

Qingwu was his family's adopted daughter, named Nangong Qingwu. They had grown up together and shared a deep bond.

In his past life, after becoming a Nirvana-level cultivator, he had gone alone to Lieyang Sect and challenged Yang Wei to a duel, ultimately killing him.

But Qingwu had never returned.

In this life, I will never let Qingwu fall into Yang Wei's hands.

"Where are my father and Qingwu?"

Lu Yuejuan, already scared out of her wits, stammered, "Th-They're in the refined ore section... Your Ye family accidentally discovered a Xuan Iron vein. That's how you qualified to attend the exchange conference."

"Junior Sister Feng, let's go!"

Ye Beixuan ignored the terrified Lu Yuejuan and quickly pulled Feng Qiongyu along toward the refined ore section.

The disturbance they caused just now had drawn the attention of many bystanders.

Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er were among them. They exchanged glances and silently followed Ye Beixuan.

Soon after, they encountered Nie Xiuyuan and Xu Caichen, who were also buying medicinal herbs.

"Uncle-Master Nie, once you're done, catch up quickly."

Xiao Chen left that remark and continued trailing Ye Beixuan.

Nie Xiuyuan and Xu Caichen were momentarily stunned. When they turned and saw it was Xiao Chen, they stopped haggling and immediately bought the Drunken Heart Spirit Flower they were eyeing.

Ye Beixuan didn't notice the group trailing behind him. Holding Feng Qiongyu's hand, he pushed through the crowd.

Before long, he finally spotted his father and Qingwu among the people.

Though it had been centuries, his father looked nearly identical to his memory. But now, his face radiated resolve and defiance.

Around their stall, a crowd had gathered. At the center stood a lavishly dressed young man, exuding nobility, looking down at his father and Qingwu with condescension.

"Young Master Yang, if you wish to purchase this Xuan Iron mine, we would gladly sell it. But your other requests, I—Ye Nantian—cannot agree to."

Even when faced with someone like Yang Wei from a major sect, Ye Nantian showed no intention of backing down.

Yang Wei curled his lips into a sneer. "Ye Nantian, you still haven't understood your position. My interest in your adopted daughter is an honor for you. If you let her become my concubine, your branch of the Ye family could rise in status.

But if you refuse, I won't even need to act myself. The Ye family will deliver her to Lieyang Sect anyway. Why make things hard on yourself?

I won't waste more words. I'll give you three days. Before the exchange conference ends, give me a clear answer.

Of course, you could try to flee with your adopted daughter, but you know the consequences better than anyone. There's nothing I've ever wanted that I didn't get!"

Just as his words trailed off, a firm voice echoed from nearby.

"Yang Wei, you'd better give up now. As long as I, Ye Beixuan, am alive, I will never let Qingwu marry into your Lieyang Sect!"

Everyone fell silent at once, turning to look at the source of the voice.

A commanding young man emerged from the crowd, holding the hand of a beautiful woman.

"Xuan'er!"

"Beixuan!"

Ye Nantian and Nangong Qingwu cried out instinctively. Their voices carried a mix of joy and deep worry.

Yang Wei, already frustrated by Nangong Qingwu's rejection, now had someone challenging him publicly.

Naturally, he planned to use this boy to make a point and teach Ye Nantian and his daughter a lesson.

But what surprised him was that the boy completely ignored his oppressive aura and calmly walked toward Ye Nantian and Qingwu.

Ye Beixuan looked at his father and Qingwu. Thousands of words filled his heart, but in the end, they condensed into a single sentence.

"Father, Qingwu—leave this to me. You don't need to worry."

Ye Nantian looked at his son with a complicated expression. He didn't want Beixuan involved in this matter.

In his eyes, even if Beixuan had joined Wendao Academy, he was still only at the Dao Foundation stage. How could he face someone like Yang Wei, who had reached the Heaven Origin Realm?

But seeing the confident gleam in his son's eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, "Xuan'er, be careful."

"What a touching scene of fatherly love and filial devotion," Yang Wei mocked. "I'm almost moved. But do you even know the price of offending me?"

As he spoke, an oppressive pressure burst out from Yang Wei's body—it was the aura of a Heaven Origin cultivator.

The surrounding crowd felt the crushing weight and immediately backed away like a receding tide, leaving no one standing near Ye Beixuan and the others.

The powerful pressure made it hard for Ye Beixuan to breathe, but he sneered.

"Do you really dare make a move against me? This isn't your Lieyang Sect. We're in Baiyun City—Ye family territory."

"Hahaha..."

Yang Wei couldn't hold back his laughter. "That's hilarious. Just because your surname is Ye, you think you represent the Ye family of Baiyun City?

Let me see who gave you the courage to defy me!"

At these words, everyone around looked at Ye Beixuan with a mix of pity and disdain.

They weren't fools. They all knew Ye Nantian's background—merely a distant branch of the Ye family. Unless he had some treasure that would tempt the family's main line, the Ye family wouldn't object to the marriage proposal.

As for Ye Beixuan, getting beaten today was inevitable. At best, he'd be bedridden for months; at worst, crippled. As long as he didn't die, the Ye family wouldn't care.

Just as Ye Beixuan was about to respond, a solitary, haughty voice echoed from the crowd.

"I am the one who gave him that confidence!"

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