144: Chapter 144 Mysterious Pills and Artifacts

The next morning.

Ye Xuan had just finished washing up when the eunuch bearing the imperial decree arrived in the courtyard.

Hearing that he was to attend the Imperial Study day and night, Ye Xuan’s brows furrowed slightly as the irritation in his heart surged once more.

The matter of the Xuanyou Sect coveting the Ye Family weighed on his heart like a giant boulder. He was already anxious to leave, and now the old Emperor’s arrangement was clearly intended to trap him completely within the palace.

However, constrained by the status of ruler and subject as well as the reputation of the Qingyun Sect, he ultimately had no choice but to accept the decree.

Inside the Imperial Study, the old Emperor still looked as decrepit as ever, leaning against the Dragon chair and coughing incessantly. Seeing Ye Xuan enter, he waved tremulously. "Beloved Minister Ye, come... talk with me."

Ye Xuan stepped forward as told, but his gaze inadvertently swept over the old Emperor’s hand.

A faint black Qi was actually emanating from his arm.

Though it was concealed by the sleeves of the Dragon robe, it could not escape the sharp perception of a Cultivator.

Ye Xuan’s heart stirred. He quietly circulated his spiritual power to investigate, only to find a strange barrier surrounding the old Emperor, isolating his aura. Only a faint scent of blood and evil Qi drifted into his nose with the wind.

"Your Majesty's complexion seems better than yesterday."

Ye Xuan deliberately spoke to test him, his eyes fixed on the old Emperor’s expression.

A flash of panic crossed the old Emperor’s eyes, quickly replaced by a sickly calm. He coughed twice to hide it, saying, "Thanks to the Immortal Master, I rested reasonably well last night."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, seemingly to grab Ye Xuan’s sleeve, but the soul-devouring pill quietly appeared in his palm.

The face-like patterns on the surface of the Medicinal Pill were now clear, and black Qi coiled around it like a living creature, waiting only for him to activate his spiritual power to pounce on Ye Xuan’s Divine Soul.

Ye Xuan had long been on guard. The moment the old Emperor raised his hand, his figure suddenly retreated three feet. Spiritual power instantly condensed in his palm, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. "Your Majesty, that thing in your palm is no ordinary item, is it?"

He had already sensed the violent soul-devouring power contained within that pill. Although the old Emperor had deliberately suppressed it, it still made his Divine Soul tremble slightly.

The old Emperor’s disguise was completely shattered. His aged appearance faded at a visible rate, replaced by ferocity and fanaticism.

He suddenly clenched his palm, and the soul-devouring pill instantly erupted with thick black Qi, enveloping the entire Imperial Study. A dull roar came from the pill, as if countless vengeful souls were struggling within.

"Since you have noticed, then I shall stop pretending!"

The old Emperor roared, "Ye Xuan, surrender your body and help me step onto the path of immortality, and I shall spare your Family!"

"Wishful thinking!"

Ye Xuan laughed in extreme anger, his spiritual power turning into a sharp blade that shattered the oncoming black Qi. "Your Majesty is obsessed with evil arts and harms Cultivators, even daring to attempt Possession on me. Are you not afraid that the Qingyun Sect will raze the Yan State to the ground?"

"The Qingyun Sect?"

The old Emperor laughed maniacally, driving his spiritual power to control the soul-devouring pill. The pill turned into a black shadow and lunged straight for Ye Xuan’s face.

"Once I have taken your shell and mastered your cultivation, even if that old fellow Jian Yun comes, I shall not fear him! Besides... this soul-devouring pill has consumed thousands of souls; your Divine Soul will only become my nourishment!"

Ye Xuan’s expression grew solemn. He could feel that the power of the soul-devouring pill far exceeded that of an ordinary Demonic Weapon; that soul-devouring force was almost pulling his Divine Sense out.

He immediately used his spiritual power to manifest a barrier to resist the soul-devouring force.

The spiritual power and the black pill Qi collided, producing a piercing shriek. The tables and chairs in the Imperial Study were instantly shattered by the aftershocks of the two forces.

Seeing this, a look of urgency flashed in the old Emperor’s eyes. Although he controlled the soul-devouring pill, he was only a Mortal with meager spiritual power, making it difficult to sustain the activation.

He gritted his teeth and suddenly struck his own chest, spitting a mouthful of essence blood onto the soul-devouring pill. The pill instantly expanded several times over, the black Qi became even more intense, and the roars of the vengeful souls within grew even more piercing.

"Today, you will surely die!"

Ye Xuan felt a sharp pain in his Divine Soul, and his vision began to darken.

This pill was actually so powerful. Even though the one using it was just a Mortal who hadn't even reached Qi Refining, it could actually make him feel flustered and hard to handle.

He knew he couldn't let the battle drag on; he had to finish it quickly.

He suddenly opened his eyes and silently recited a Sword Formula. The sword at his waist instantly unsheathed, turning into a streak of green light that pierced directly toward the old Emperor.

The old Emperor was shocked and hastily retreated, but he was still grazed on the shoulder by the Sword Qi, causing blood to gush out.

His control over the soul-devouring pill faltered, and the black Qi of the pill immediately weakened.

Ye Xuan seized the opportunity. His spiritual power surged as golden light enveloped him. He lunged at the soul-devouring pill, his palm spiritual power transforming into a giant hand that firmly grasped the eerie pill.

"No!" The old Emperor let out a desperate roar, trying to regain control of the pill, only to find that Ye Xuan’s spiritual power had already invaded its interior and was dismantling his Blood Contract.

The soul-devouring pill trembled violently. The black Qi on its surface gradually faded, revealing its turbid, flesh-colored core.

Ye Xuan felt waves of sharp pain in his palm as the remaining soul-devouring power in the pill counterattacked frantically. He gritted his teeth and continuously poured his own spiritual power into the pill, completely suppressing it.

A moment later, the soul-devouring pill stopped trembling. The black Qi dissipated, and it turned into an ordinary-looking pill that fell into Ye Xuan’s palm, stripped of all its evil power.

Seeing this, the old Emperor’s body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground. The color drained from his face as he reverted to his decrepit, aged state.

Ye Xuan stepped forward, and the sword in his hand flew out.

Seeing this, the old Emperor immediately cried out in terror, "No! No! You cannot kill me, I am the Emperor... Ah!"

Ignoring his pleas, Ye Xuan’s sword went straight for his throat.

The high-and-mighty Emperor’s blood splashed four feet on the spot. The eunuch standing beside the Emperor was about to shout that the general was committing regicide, but his head fell to the ground in the next second.

Ye Xuan looked at the mess inside the Imperial Study with some helplessness. He immediately collected the eerie pill and also killed the guards who had rushed in.

Looking at the corpses littering the floor, he thought to himself, "This is a bit troublesome now. Killing the Emperor is a small matter, but cleaning up the mess is a hassle. I’d better go home and discuss this with my father first."

With that thought, Ye Xuan summoned his spirit sword and flew directly out of the imperial palace, ignoring the shouts and panic of the guards.

Ye Xuan’s sword-flying speed was very fast, and he reached home in less than an hour.

At this time, the members of the Ye Family saw that Ye Xuan was covered in blood and rushed out. Wu Guiyun asked in alarm, "Brother Xuan, are you alright?"

Ye Xuan casually wiped the blood from his face and said calmly, "I'm fine, this is someone else's blood. Gui Yun, is Father at home?"

Wu Guiyun nodded. "He is! I'll take you to see him. Brother Xuan, what happened? Why did you come home covered in blood?"

Seeing his wife’s nervous expression, Ye Xuan smiled and reassured her, "Gui Yun, it’s nothing. I just killed the Emperor and got splashed with some blood. Help me clean up before I see Father."

"Killed the Emperor?!" Wu Guiyun was struck with shock, then led Ye Xuan to see Ye Jing.

At this time, Ye Jing was sitting cross-legged in Cultivation. He had sensed the scent of blood outside long ago and walked out of his room.

Seeing Ye Xuan standing in the courtyard, Ye Xuan stepped forward and bowed when he saw Ye Jing come out. "Father!"

He hadn't seen his father for nearly a year since entering the imperial palace.

Ye Jing’s gaze narrowed as it landed on Ye Xuan. He simply raised his hand to gesture for him to rise. "Get up. Let’s talk inside."