Ye Xuan began searching for the dungeon. Half an hour later, guided by a member of the side branches, he finally reached it. There, he laid eyes on Gongsun Xin.
Gongsun Xin’s collarbones had been pierced, locking his cultivation. His eyes were closed, his fate unknown as he hovered between life and death. Ye Xuan probed his eldest uncle’s aura and let out a sigh of relief. He was merely unconscious, not dead. However, he had clearly suffered immense abuse, his entire frame visibly emaciated.
"They deserve death! Every single one of them!" Ye Xuan spat.
Even though the Sun family’s direct lineage had already fled, Ye Xuan had no intention of sparing these side branches. He slaughtered everyone left in the Sun family estate.
That night, a Golden Dragon soared above the City Lord’s Mansion. A raging inferno blazed, reducing the entire Sun family estate to ashes.
As the morning sun rose, Ye Xuan rode a rank-six beast back toward Ye Family Town. Gongsun Xin did not wake once during the journey, a testament to the agonizing torture he had endured these past few days. His body had actively forced him into a deep slumber to protect his failing vital functions.
The next day, Ye Xuan arrived back at Ye Family Town.
"It’s the Long-beaked Eagle! The Patriarch has returned!"
Up on the town walls, members of the Ye family waved from afar. They had been waiting on the ramparts these past few days; the moment Ye Xuan returned, they would be ready to evacuate. Down below, rows of beast vehicles had long been prepared.
"Xuan’Er... you’re back. Oh, you! How could you be so reckless!" Before Ye Xuan could even dismount from the beast, Gongsun Yanran’s reproachful yet relieved voice rang out.
She had already heard about what Ye Xuan had done. Her heart was torn between pleasant surprise and utter terror. She was thrilled that Ye Xuan had actually awakened a Divine Beast Soul. A Divine Beast Soul! Across the entire Beast Soul Continent, those who had awakened one numbered absolutely no more than ten thousand. And the one Ye Xuan awakened was the Divine Dragon Soul, ranked number one among all Divine Beasts.
Yet, she was terrified because Ye Xuan had killed Sun Zhenwu—in front of a million cultivators, no less. This was tantamount to throwing himself into a bottomless abyss. From now on, he would face the relentless pursuit of all City Lords. First, the One-Star Cities would join forces to hunt him down. If they failed, there would be the Two-Star Cities. And if they fell as well, there were still the lofty Three-Star Cities.
How powerful were the Three-Star Cities? Even if they couldn’t handle Ye Xuan, there were still the Eight Great Main Cities! The Main City Lords were all peerless experts. A single one of them could sweep across the world! Of course, that was excluding the royal family.
"Mother, given the situation back then, I had to kill him. Oh, right—look who this is." Ye Xuan landed on the town wall, holding Gongsun Xin in his arms.
"This is... Big Brother!"
"Father!"
"Uncle!"
At this moment, Gongsun Yanran, Gongsun Po, Gongsun Hao, and the others all grew red-eyed. Gongsun Yanran was the first to rush to Ye Xuan’s side, gently stroking her brother’s face. Thankfully, he was still warm. Her brother wasn’t dead.
"Xuan’Er, did you find your uncle at the Sun family estate?" she asked.
Whether he sensed the warmth of Gongsun Yanran’s hand or not, Gongsun Xin, who had been in a deep coma, finally opened his eyes.
"Where am I? Ah, Little Sister... Ye Xuan..."
"Father, I’m here too... Father, it’s so good that you’re alright." Gongsun Po, who had always appeared steady and composed, let large teardrops roll down his cheeks. Over the past few days, he had silently accepted that his father was already dead. He truly never expected to see him again. Having a father around was wonderful. In an instant, he felt the heavy burden on his shoulders lighten a thousandfold.
"Po’Er, am I dead?"
Gongsun Xin thought he hadn’t managed to hold on and had passed on to the Western Heaven Paradise. But that wasn’t right. Even if this was paradise, why would his little sister and the others be here? Could it be that they had failed to escape that day? Were they all dead?
A sudden wave of anguish washed over Gongsun Xin. So many elders had fought to the death to buy them time. In the end, had they still failed to preserve even a single trace of their bloodline? It hurt so much. He wondered why his heart ached so intensely, and whether one still felt pain after death.
"Big Brother, you’re not dead. You’re still alive," Gongsun Yanran’s voice sounded once more.
"I’m not dead?" A glimmer of light finally returned to Gongsun Xin’s eyes. She was right. If he could still feel pain, how could he be dead? "You rescued me from the Sun family? But how is that possible? None of you are in the Earth Spirit Realm."
"Big Brother, it was Ye Xuan who rescued you."
"Ye Xuan..." Gongsun Xin glanced at his nephew, his eyes filled with astonishment. Where did Ye Xuan get the strength to save him?
"Father, it’s so good that you’re still alive. With you here, all of us can finally feel at ease."
Gongsun Xin merely sighed and said, "I am nothing but a cripple now. I cannot protect you."
"Father, what happened?"
"All of my meridians were shattered by the Sun family’s experts!"
"What?!"
Gongsun Yanran and the others clenched their fists so tightly that their nails dug into their flesh, yet they felt nothing. They all understood exactly what shattered meridians meant. Despite possessing cultivation, Gongsun Xin couldn’t circulate even a shred of Spiritual Qi. Didn’t that make him entirely crippled?
"Father, don’t lose heart. There must be Spirit Medicines and Elixirs in this world capable of restoring meridians," Gongsun Po offered in comfort.
"There are, but how could I ever stumble across them so easily? I’m afraid my life is ruined," Gongsun Xin said, his face etched with despair. The Gongsun family had controlled a city for so many years, yet he had never even heard of the whereabouts of such Spirit Medicine. How could he possibly obtain it now?
Right at that moment, Ye Xuan’s voice spoke up. "Uncle, take this Elixir."
"An Elixir? What kind of Elixir is this?"
"A Vessel Continuation Pill," Ye Xuan replied calmly.
"What did you just say? A Vessel Continuation Pill?!" Gongsun Xin’s eyes instantly went wide.
Even Gongsun Yanran wore a look of utter shock. The Vessel Continuation Pill had long been lost to history. Ye Xuan actually had one? Unable to hold back, she asked, "Xuan’Er, is this really a Vessel Continuation Pill?"
"Yes," Ye Xuan nodded.
Overjoyed, Gongsun Yanran urged, "Big Brother, take it and see."
"Alright." Gongsun Xin swallowed the Vessel Continuation Pill.
Not long after, a rare smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Gongsun Xin was usually a man of few smiles, but at this moment, he was genuinely beaming. He could clearly feel the meridians within his body slowly being repaired. It really was a Vessel Continuation Pill! This was wonderful—there was hope for his cultivation to be fully restored!
In truth, when the Sun family shattered all his meridians, Gongsun Xin had wanted nothing more than to die. With his meridians completely destroyed, he was no different from a cripple. This was because Vessel Continuation Pills, which could restore meridians, were exceptionally rare. Not a single Pill Master alive knew the Elixir Recipe for it. He never in his wildest dreams imagined that Ye Xuan would actually possess one.
"Uncle, your meridians were completely shattered. One pill might not be enough, but I still have a few more here." Ye Xuan took out several more Vessel Continuation Pills.
"You have more?!" Gongsun Xin’s eyes practically bulged out of his head. Soon after, he quickly accepted the Elixirs. With these Elixirs, the complete recovery of his meridians was just around the corner. After storing them away safely, he finally calmed down. "Ye Xuan, was it really you who saved me? Did the Sun family not send anyone after you?"
"Father, let me explain..." Gongsun Po chimed in. He recounted everything that had happened, detailing the Sun family’s siege on the city.
As Gongsun Xin listened, his breathing grew heavy and rapid. Ye Xuan had actually killed the City Lord. This matter was far too massive! He had practically pierced a hole through the very sky of the Moyue Kingdom.
Meanwhile, in Chasing Moon City.
"Sister, what did you just say?! Ye Xuan killed Sun Zhenwu? That... that’s impossible!" Liu Ruoxi’s voice was shrill, her entire body trembling violently.