Chapter 312 - 284: Going to the Ye Family to Claim a Reward

Chapter 312: Chapter 284: Going to the Ye Family to Claim a Reward

’Is he finally dead?’

Everyone gasped for air, their hearts still pounding like drums as they stared at Ye Jiuming’s bisected body, at the gray Divine Soul dissipating in the sky, and at the Soul-Calling Banner, which was gradually calming down.

The battle had been far more perilous than they had anticipated.

Before coming here, they had all prepared for an easy kill, thinking they were just going through the motions...

But who could have predicted that Ye Jiuming’s strength would be so far beyond their imagination? Even when they gave it their all to surround and kill him, they were twice nearly sent to their deaths. Especially with that final Ten Thousand Souls Array—if they hadn’t been able to break it, they might have truly been invited into the Soul-Calling Banner.

’A Fake Pill?’

’Are they really this terrifying?’

The thought couldn’t help but surface in everyone’s mind.

"A True Master Fake Pill... truly terrifying!"

It wasn’t just them; Chen Che himself couldn’t help but let out a long, turbid breath.

Originally, he had planned to come alone. But if he had done that, even if he had managed to kill Ye Jiuming, he would have been severely injured himself. He’d have needed at least a few years to recover, and if that caused him to fail his "advancement exam," the loss would have far outweighed the gain.

"Seventy percent of his power came from this Soul-Calling Banner. An ordinary Fake Pill doesn’t have this kind of strength."

Before he could speak, Xiao Chan had already spoken up. Since his identity was exposed, he saw no reason to hide it any longer.

"I don’t want any of the other items. I only want his Soul-Calling Banner! If you give it to me, I will owe everyone present a favor. In the future, you need only call, and I will come no matter where I am!"

"Are you serious?"

Chen Yin, who had also wanted the Soul-Calling Banner, felt his heart stir at these words.

"I am serious."

Xiao Chan cupped his hands in a fist.

At that, Chen Yin said no more.

Meng Qianxun and Meng Changtu naturally had no desire for such an item; they were both Beast Masters, and it was far too malevolent. Lu Qinglian, who had also wanted the Soul-Calling Banner, saw that even Chen Yin was deferring to him and chose to give up on it as well.

Seeing no objections, Xiao Chan simply clenched his right fist.

The Great Banner, still planted in the ground like a standard, rolled itself up, transforming into a Long Spear and flying into his hand.

"I want Ye Jiuming’s Divine Soul and his Fake Pill fragments!"

Seeing no one oppose him, Chen Yin took out a White Bone Pottery Jar. He opened the lid and with a wave, a transparent, illusory figure flew out from Ye Jiuming’s mangled corpse and into the jar. Next, he produced a Bone Vessel. The tiny, glass-like crystal shards that the shattered Fake Pill had become were carefully collected by him as well.

"As for the rest, if it’s not enough to cover your rewards, I’ll make up the difference..."

They had, after all, been called in for reinforcements.

The reward they had been promised was the items on their target’s person.

"Deal!"

Chen Che raised a hand and beckoned, and a ring flew off the corpse.

The group’s Divine Sense smashed into it together, breaking the seal in an instant. With another wave of a hand, the Pills, Magical Artifacts, Cultivation Talismans, and Spirit Stones within the ring all spilled out. The group’s gazes immediately skipped over the large pile of Spirit Stones, searching for what they needed.

Chen Che, meanwhile, was mentally taking stock of Ye Jiuming’s collection.

The man didn’t have many Magical Artifacts, only twenty or thirty pieces, but their quality was superb. The vast majority were Tier Two High Grade, and seven were Tier Three Low Grade Magical Artifacts.

However, the most valuable item was the Soul-Calling Banner in his possession.

That Soul Banner was either Tier Three Middle Grade or High Grade. ’I wonder if Xiao Chan plans to replace his original one with it.’

As for the rest, it was mostly Materials and a small number of Pills.

Amidst a pile of Materials, Chen Che found the Black Stonecutter Flower that had been stolen from him.

In addition, there was a Demon Beast Golden Core, a bottle of Flowing Cloud Water, two Golden Flower Jade Dew Fruits, and three Golden Toad Flowers...

They were all Materials for refining the Qingxu Guiyuan Pill.

’It seems the Ye Family is also preparing for Alchemy!’

Meng Qianxun thought to himself. Seeing Chen Che look his way, he simply waved his hand. "Let the others choose first. The three of us don’t need to be too picky."

Meng Changtu nodded in agreement.

Finally.

Chen Xi took two skeletons of a Golden Core Yin Dragon from Ye Jiuming’s pile of items as a little extra.

Lu Qinglian took a zhang-tall Tier Three Low Grade White Jade Bone Staff and a string of jingling Tier Three Low Grade White Bone Demon Bells. Both items radiated a grim, ghostly aura. It was obvious she had picked them for Lu Ping’an, while for herself, she only chose a bottle of Realm-breaking Elixirs.

As for Meng Qianxun and Meng Changtu, they didn’t choose anything. They stated directly that the Materials should go to Chen Che, which happened to be just enough to complete three full sets of Materials for the Qingxu Guiyuan Pill.

The group finished dividing the spoils in an instant.

Chen Che was also quite satisfied.

With Ye Jiuming eliminated, the snake lurking in the shadows had finally been dealt with, and he had acquired a great deal of Materials in the process.

"Thank you all for your assistance."

Chen Che cupped his hands toward the group.

"I will remember this favor as well. If any of you are in need, just let me know. As long as it is not beyond my ability, I will do my best to help. Besides, perhaps we’ll have another chance to cooperate in the future!"

The corner of Chen Yin’s mouth twitched slightly.

’That phrase, "as long as it’s not beyond my ability," he’s reminding me.’

But that was to be expected.

After all, no matter how strong Ye Jiuming was, he was only a Fake Pill.

The favor of helping to kill him wasn’t enough to make Chen Che go up against a Golden Core True Master. Still, while this trip had been perilous, his own gains were not small. As long as Chen Che owed him enough favors, sooner or later, he would help him deal with Thousand Eyes.

"Of course. I’ll head back to Hunzhou first. If you need anything, Tributor Chen, just ask."

Chen Yin cupped his hands in response, then rose into the air and flew away from the Marsh Forest.

"Valley Master, I need to make a trip to Shuzhou."

Lu Qinglian also spoke up, gesturing with the Magical Artifacts in her hand. After speaking, she left along with Chen Yin.

"I’ll stay in the Marsh Forest for now. I’ll return to Jinyun Valley after I’ve dealt with the Soul-Calling Banner."

Xiao Chan put away both Soul-Calling Banners, slinging them onto his back, and walked directly into the depths of the Marsh Forest.

In an instant.

The crowd on the scene had mostly scattered.

"Che’er, are you planning to head back to the Valley?"

Seeing the others leave, Meng Changtu swung himself onto his Black Tiger and turned his head to ask.

"I’m going to the Ye Family estate."

With a wave of his hand, Chen Che stored away Ye Jiuming’s corpse, then leaped onto the back of the Little Chick and soared into the air on the wind.

"The Ye Family?"

Meng Qianxun and Meng Changtu couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows.

’Is Chen Che really going to take Ye Jiuming’s head to the Ye Family to claim a reward?’

...

「At the same moment Ye Jiuming died, tens of thousands of miles away in the Ye Family estate.」

In the heart of the Ye Family estate.

There stood a Jade Wall Pavilion around four hundred and fifty-six zhang high.

The pavilion resembled a pagoda, with bells hanging from its seven flying eaves that chimed in the gentle breeze. Looking up, the top of the pavilion was shrouded in mist and clouds, as if it pierced the very heavens.

This was a forbidden area within the clan.

Ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators didn’t even have the right to enter the pavilion.

But at this moment.

On the top floor of the pavilion, five white-haired, rosy-cheeked Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivators in long robes sat on pumpons, meditating with their eyes closed.

In the niches on the walls around them rested rows of exquisite Bronze Lamps. These bronze lamps were all identical in design. They had no oil or wick, yet they were currently burning with an eerie light. The only difference between them was their brightness.

Because each one represented the life of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

This was the "Soul Lamp."

As the name implied, it was a lamp-shaped Magical Artifact made from a sliver of a clan cultivator’s Divine Soul.

The two hundred-plus Soul Lamps placed here meant that the Ye Family had over two hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators, their strength even greater than what they showed to the public.

Suddenly.

One of the bronze flames in a niche began to tremble violently. Then, with a soft flicker, it extinguished without any warning. The five who were cultivating all opened their eyes at once, their expressions changing. This was because the Bronze Lamp was placed on the second-highest level of the pavilion.

Above more than two hundred other Bronze Lamps.

The position of the lamp alone was enough to determine the status of its owner within the Ye Family.

’Not good.’

’This is Ancestor Jiuming’s Soul Lamp! He’s fallen!?’

The five of them shot to their feet, their eyes filled with disbelief.

That existence was the Ye Family’s "Night Emperor," a mighty True Master Fake Pill.

It had to be known.

All the named Golden Core True Masters in the Sixteen States had gone to the Black Tortoise Calm Sea with the Primordial Sect.

Who could possibly kill him?

"Didn’t Ancestor Jiuming go to Jinyun Valley? Did he fall inside Jinyun Valley?"

"Impossible! Ancestor Jiuming is a True Master Fake Pill. Even if he lost his mind and launched a full-scale attack on Jinyun Valley, he should have been able to escape if things went south. Who could kill him?"

The lower-ranking clan members didn’t know, but they, the higher-ups, were well aware that this ancestor was waiting for an opportunity to strike at Jinyun Valley.

That young Valley Master was rising too quickly. It had only been a few years, and he was already preparing for Core Formation.

Once he succeeded.

The Meng Family, which they had suppressed for decades, would likely break free of its chains. Suppressing one Golden Core True Master was manageable, but suppressing two or three might require the full strength of the entire clan.

Everyone had thought it was a sure thing for him, a Fake Pill, to make a move against Jinyun Valley. Yet now, he had inexplicably fallen?

"This matter is definitely related to Jinyun Valley!"

"That’s right. Ye Hu’an sent a message back yesterday saying that Ancestor Jiuming had left the valley with Chen Che... Perhaps he fell into an ambush!"

"What should we do?"

The men looked at each other, all feeling that this was a thorny issue.

On paper, Ye Jiuming had already severed ties with the Ye Family. Even if they knew who killed him, they had no reason or excuse to show up at their door seeking revenge.

"This enmity cannot go unavenged..."

The one-eyed elder in the lead spoke in a low voice. His name was Ye Juming, the Grand Elder of the Ye Family. With the two great ancestors of the Ye Family away, everyone deferred to him.

"First, recall Ye Hu’an and the others from Jinyun Valley. As for Ancestor Jiuming’s death, we can only pretend we know nothing for now. Whether it’s retaliation or stopping the other party’s Core Formation, it must be put on the agenda as soon as possible."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Their other ancestor was still in the Black Tortoise Calm Sea, and it was unknown how many years it would be before he returned. It wasn’t just Jinyun Valley; perhaps even the Meng Family might choose to attempt Core Formation at this critical juncture... They had to strike first to gain the upper hand.

However, just then.

A booming shout suddenly came from outside the estate’s borders:

"Jinyun Valley’s Chen Che has come to pay a visit!"

The voice was like a tidal wave, blowing away the surrounding clouds and filling their ears with the howling of the wind.

The five men quickly looked toward the sound, only to see a figure in green robes standing atop a Spiritual Bird outside the Ye Family estate, his hands clasped behind his back.

He had clearly sensed their attention and was now looking their way.