“The inheritance within the Empress’s Mausoleum may have been switched out long ago.”
Liu Ruyan was struck as though by a bolt from the blue. For a long time, she remained unable to recover from the shock.
Dragging her seriously wounded body along with her, Liu Ruyan had nowhere to go. In the end, she concealed her identity and settled in a dilapidated courtyard on the outskirts of Qinghe City.
Her master had expended a great deal of soul power helping her force out the demonic flood dragon’s blood essence and had fallen into a deep sleep.
Liu Ruyan could only begin cultivating again. However, the resentment in her heart made it impossible for her to calm down.
Whenever she thought of that disgusting black liquid, her hatred intensified.
Ever since she had encountered Ye Wushuang at the Lin family estate, misfortune had followed her again and again.
She hated the mastermind who had plotted against her, and she hated Ye Wushuang as well.
Her instincts told her that there might be some connection between the two attacks against her.
Meanwhile, after Ye Wushuang returned to the Ye family, she used the perfected realm of the Divine Concealment Art to flawlessly conceal her cultivation as being at the early Qi Condensation stage.
She kept a low profile every day, devoting herself to cultivating the Supreme Yin Profound Qi Breathing Art.
The rear compound of the Ye family was divided into four courtyards—east, west, south, and north—and only members of the Ye family’s direct bloodline were allowed to live there.
Late at night, Ye Wushuang sat cross-legged, while the illusory figures of nine flaming phoenixes appeared around her.
Every time she circulated the Supreme Yin Profound Qi Breathing Art, the support of her Nine-Phoenix Flame Sovereign Physique caused the spiritual energy of the world to surge toward her madly. Above her head, it formed a spiritual-energy vortex a hundred yards in diameter.
The vortex spun wildly, stirring the wind and clouds.
The spiritual energy within a ten-mile radius of the Ye family estate was almost completely drained, forming a tide of spiritual energy that surged toward the rear compound of the Ye family.
Immersed in cultivation, Ye Wushuang remained completely unaware.
Such a disturbance, however, alarmed the entire Famous Sword Manor.
“What a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy!”
Ye Qingtian, the Ye family’s First Elder, awoke from seclusion. With a single flash, he appeared on the roof and looked toward the direction where the spiritual energy was gathering.
“That’s the direction of the rear compound… Could that girl Wuxin have broken through?”
Ye Qingtian stroked his beard, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Ye Wuxin, the eldest direct-line daughter of the Ye family, had reached the peak of Qi Condensation at the age of eighteen. With a Sword Heart Clear and Bright, she was hailed as the most outstanding genius the Ye family had produced in a century.
At this moment, she was in the eastern courtyard, secluded as she attempted to break through to the True Essence Realm.
“No, wait. It feels as though the spiritual energy is gathering in the western courtyard!” Second Elder Ye Qingshan exclaimed.
The western courtyard was home to the Ye family’s Third Young Master, Ye Wuming. At sixteen, he had reached the late Qi Condensation stage. Although his sword talent was not as astonishing as Ye Wuxin’s Sword Heart Clear and Bright, he had already comprehended a trace of sword intent at such a young age.
“Perhaps the Eldest Miss and the Third Young Master are breaking through at the same time!”
“The two of them have simultaneously triggered a tide of spiritual energy. This is truly a blessing for the Ye family!”
“As expected of the Ye family’s twin prodigies!”
The disciples discussed excitedly, their faces filled with pride.
As for the southern courtyard where Ye Wushuang lived, almost no one paid it any attention.
In the original story, Ye Wushuang’s relationship with Ye Wuxin and Ye Wuming had been extremely poor.
As the eldest daughter of the Ye family’s direct line, Ye Wuxin devoted herself entirely to cultivation and had not shown the slightest sympathy for Ye Wushuang’s plight.
In her eyes, weakness was the original sin, and the weak deserved to endure everything.
Ye Wuming was even worse. He often took Ye Wushuang’s pills for himself.
On top of that, the talents of both siblings had crushed Ye Wushuang’s since childhood, while the family elders turned a blind eye.
What was even more excessive was that people constantly compared Ye Wushuang with the two of them, and all the cultivation resources that had originally belonged to her were given to Ye Wuxin and Ye Wuming instead.
Over time, the original Ye Wushuang had given up on herself and become completely resigned to her fate.
At this moment, even if someone happened to glimpse the fluctuations of spiritual energy above the southern courtyard, they merely assumed that it was residual energy affected by the tides gathering in the eastern and western courtyards.
“The southern courtyard? Isn’t that where the Second Miss lives?”
“The Second Miss? She can trigger a tide of spiritual energy? What a joke!”
“She’s probably just benefiting from the Eldest Miss and the Third Young Master.”
The disciples snickered and paid it no further attention.
At this moment, Ye Wuxin and Ye Wuming both wore puzzled and solemn expressions.
They had always been rivals, especially Ye Wuming. He constantly compared himself with Ye Wuxin, both openly and secretly, always hoping to surpass her.
Because of this, he worked extremely hard at cultivation, yet things never went as he wished.
Inside the room, Ye Wushuang finished circulating her cultivation technique, and the nine phoenix phantoms slowly sank into her body.
No one saw that the instant Ye Wushuang opened her eyes, a flicker of flame passed through her pupils before vanishing.
“As expected of the Empress bloodline. Its cultivation speed is truly terrifying. In just a few days, not only have I stabilized my early Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivation, but I’ve even made some progress.”
It had to be known that Ye Wuxin, the most talented member of the Ye family, had only reached the peak of Qi Condensation.
If word got out that Ye Wushuang was at the early Grotto-Heaven Realm, it would be enough to frighten anyone to death.
It might even attract the attention of some ancient monsters, and she could possibly be captured and turned into a cultivation furnace.
“The disturbance was a little too great. Fortunately, the Divine Concealment Art is masking my true cultivation.”
Three days later.
The Ye family’s Sword Canon Tournament, held once every three years, officially began.
The Sword Canon Tournament was a grand event for Famous Sword Manor.
On this day, all the young people of Famous Sword Manor would participate in the Sword Canon trials. Those who passed the trials would obtain a fine sword from Famous Sword Manor.
For those who were not members of the Ye family, the Sword Canon event also released a limited number of trial slots to the public. As a result, many talented young cultivators from Qinghe City came to Famous Sword Manor, drawn by its reputation.
The Famous Sword Manor’s martial arena was packed with people, and the atmosphere was deafening.
Hundreds of Ye family disciples gathered there, arranged in formation according to seniority and cultivation level.
On the elevated platform, Ye Qingtian, the Ye family’s First Elder, sat in the central seat. On either side of him sat Second Elder Ye Qingshan, Third Elder Ye Canghai, and the other senior members of the family.
On the spectator platform were talented young cultivators from other realms and from Qinghe City who had come to Famous Sword Manor to observe the ceremony.
Ye Qingtian’s gaze was as sharp as lightning, and the faint pressure emanating from his body kept the entire arena in awe.
“Silence!”
Ye Qingtian’s voice rang out like a great bell, spreading throughout the arena. “Today is the Sword Canon Tournament held once every three years at Famous Sword Manor. Its purpose is to assess the disciples’ cultivation and select the Ye family’s outstanding talents. The tournament consists of three rounds. The first round tests strength, the second round is the sword selection, and the third round is actual combat. Now, begin the first round—the Strength-Testing Steles!”
At the center of the martial arena stood three black steles, each roughly thirty feet tall. They were forged from refined black iron and gold and were virtually indestructible.
Arrays were engraved across the surfaces of the steles. They could accurately measure the force of an attack, displaying the result through the height of a pillar of light.
“Step forward and test yourselves in order!” the steward announced loudly.
The disciples came forward one after another, circulating their spiritual power before striking the steles.
“Ye Ming, mid-stage Body Tempering, strength of eight hundred pounds!”
“Ye Yu, early-stage Qi Condensation, strength of twelve hundred pounds!”
“Ye Feng, mid-stage Qi Condensation, strength of eighteen hundred pounds!”
The pillars of light lit up one after another, leaving the disciples either delighted or dejected.
Those capable of reaching fifteen hundred pounds or more were generally elite disciples at the mid-stage Qi Condensation level or above.
Soon, it was time for the focal point of the Ye family’s younger generation.
Ye Wuxin, dressed in white, slowly stepped forward.
There was no denying that the Ye family possessed excellent looks.
Ye Wuxin was stunningly beautiful, with a cool, aloof air about her. She resembled a snow lotus blooming atop an icy mountain.
She gently raised her slender hand and struck the stele with her palm.
Boom!
The stele trembled, and the pillar of light shot into the sky, reaching a height of thirty feet!
“Ye Wuxin, early-stage True Essence Realm, strength of five thousand pounds!” the steward announced excitedly.
The entire arena erupted.
“The Eldest Miss has broken through to the True Essence Realm!”
“An eighteen-year-old in the True Essence Realm! As expected of the Ye family’s number-one genius!”
“Five thousand pounds of strength—far stronger than an ordinary early-stage True Essence cultivator!”
Ye Qingtian stroked his beard with a pleased smile, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Just then, a young man in blue robes stepped forward.
With sharp brows and bright, star-like eyes, he exuded an impressive heroic air. He was none other than the Ye family's third young master, Ye Wuming.
Without any unnecessary movement, Ye Wuming formed a sword finger and tapped it against the stone stele.
Sizzle!
Sword qi burst forth, and the pillar of light rose once more, reaching a height of three zhang!
“Ye Wuming, consummate Qi Condensation, with a force of two thousand eight hundred jin!” the steward announced loudly.
The crowd was stunned once again.
“Two thousand eight hundred jin with consummate Qi Condensation? That’s already close to the True Essence Realm!”
“With the enhancement of the Third Young Master’s sword intent, his power is indeed terrifying!”
“The Ye family's twin prodigies truly live up to their reputation!”
“Looks like the spiritual energy vortex from two days ago really was caused by the Eldest Young Miss and the Third Young Master breaking through!”
Ye Wuming remained calm as he returned to the line.
He exchanged a glance with Ye Wuxin and gave her a slight nod.
The test continued, and soon it was time for Ye Wushuang, the most infamous among the direct descendants of the Ye family's third generation.
As Ye Wushuang stepped out of the line, whispers spread throughout the entire hall.
“It’s the Second Young Miss’s turn.”
“How much strength could she possibly have? At the early stage of Qi Condensation, five hundred jin at most, I’d say.”
“I heard that the Second Young Miss went to the Lin family to force a marriage a few days ago, only to make a complete fool of herself.”
“Exactly. If she hears this, she’ll start crying, throwing a tantrum, and threatening to hang herself again.”
“Shh, keep your voice down. Do you have a death wish?”
