310: Chapter 310 Things Don't Go As Planned

Patriarch Wang sat among the seats with somewhat disheveled hair, trembling and not daring to say another word.

Ye Jing sat in the main seat, holding a wine cup, and gave a slight bow to the heads of the aristocratic families below: "Everyone, thank you for your cooperation."

As soon as these words were spoken, the people below all showed flattering smiles and respectfully drank the wine offered by Ye Jing.

This banquet ended in a scene filled with extreme fear.

The Family heads stood up one after another, bowed in salute, and cautiously exited the main hall; no one dared to say a single word.

Once everyone had left, only Ye Jing, Ye Tianyao, Ye Tianxue, and Hei Feng, who was still standing guard on the side, remained in the hall.

Ye Tianyao took a step forward and asked, "Grandfather, these families should be completely submissive now, but as for the Wang and Li families..."

"There is no need to worry about the Wang Family," Ye Jing interrupted him, his gaze fixed outside the hall, his eyes deep.

"That Wang Family seems ambitious, but in reality, they are nothing more than cowardly and weak. Having crushed their spirit today, they won't dare to cause trouble again."

At this point, Ye Jing's voice lowered slightly: "On the other hand, Patriarch Li Xiuhe remained silent throughout, looking like he was hiding some ulterior motives. Send more people to keep an eye on the Li Family to prevent any mishaps."

"Your grandson understands!" Ye Tianyao hurriedly replied.

Ye Jing nodded, then looked at Ye Tianxue: "Tianxue, you go and arrange the matters regarding the coronation offerings and the list of families. Things should be a bit more stable these next few days."

"Grandfather, are you going into secluded cultivation?" Ye Tianxue asked in a crisp voice.

Ye Jing smiled faintly: "I've been busy for so many years; it's time to do other things. If anything happens, just call for me!"

With that, Ye Jing left the main hall.

Seeing Ye Jing leave, Ye Tianyao felt a bit helpless: "Grandfather is really busy. I wanted to wait until the matters of the Lingxiao Sect were resolved to find Grandfather for a spar!"

These past few days, he had watched those Family heads come to provoke them, only to be blocked by his grandfather. He hadn't had a single battle, and being battle-hungry, he felt a restless itch.

"Enough, Tianyao. It's better to follow Grandfather's instructions and do our work first. You are only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer; you can't beat those people."

Seeing this, Ye Tianxue covered her mouth and chuckled.

Ye Tianyao looked indignant: "Sister Tianxue, you're looking down on me!"

Looking at her mischievous younger brother, Ye Tianxue couldn't help but think: He was like a little adult when he came back from the martial arts hall before, so why has he become so reckless after starting his cultivation?

With helplessness in her eyes, she stopped teasing him and said softly, "I didn't mean to look down on you, but Grandfather's instructions are more important. However..."

At this point, her tone shifted, and a hint of cunning flashed in her eyes: "If you can Breakthrough to Qi Refining Level 5 in a month, I will spar with you. The loser has to tend to the Spiritual Plants in the back mountain's spirit fields for a month, how about it?"

"Really?"

Ye Tianyao's eyes instantly lit up, the indignation on his face swept away and replaced by full excitement.

"It's a deal! Sister Tianxue, I will definitely Breakthrough in one month!"

He had been stuck at the Peak of Qi Refining Fourth Layer for many days, lacking only a spark of opportunity. Being provoked by Ye Tianxue just now actually gave him a desperate determination.

Without saying more, Ye Tianyao turned and ran toward the cultivation room next to the hall, with Hei Feng following closely behind, wagging his tail happily.

Ye Tianxue watched his hurried back and shook her head helplessly, her eyes filled with doting affection.

She then suppressed her smile, took out the Jade Token at her waist, injected spiritual power with her fingertips, and began sending messages to arrange the matters of the Family offerings and lists.

Although she had a gentle personality, she was extremely efficient and never procrastinated.

Meanwhile, inside the Immortal Cave on the back mountain of the Lingxiao Sect, Ye Jing was not in seclusion but sitting on a green stone.

He took out the golden core breaking pill formula that he hadn't examined closely yet. This was a Pill Formula that could allow one to Breakthrough to Golden Core, and the Spirit Medicine listed on it were all extremely rare treasures.

However, Ye Jing was somewhat surprised to see Cold Marrow Spirit Spring on it. When he was helping Yun Ling look for the Pill-Nourishing Spirit Ganoderma before, he couldn't help but think of cold spring dew, an ingredient used in refining foundation establishment pills.

He didn't expect this to be an unexpected pleasant surprise.

And above it was also written a herb, the Ice Condensing Flower, which was entirely fluorescent blue and carried a cold, yin aura.

Ye Jing was startled. He hurriedly took out that strange herb from his Storage Pouch; it was exactly as described in the Pill Formula.

As expected, his previous suspicion was correct; the head of the Chen Family was already at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage and wanted to Breakthrough to Golden Core, and had already been privately searching for the spiritual materials for the golden core breaking pill.

Thinking of this, Ye Jing sighed in pity again. If he had succeeded, the Chen Family would have had a Golden Core Cultivator and could have stood on equal footing with other Sects.

But things didn't go as planned, and they ended up being exterminated.

Ye Jing knew the Chen Family had previously entrusted him to kill Xuan Yin for revenge, but that Xuan Yin had been taken away by that Nascent Soul monk. Since the mark placed on him by the Chen Family was still there, it meant Xuan Yin was not yet dead.

A flash of annoyance appeared in Ye Jing's eyes. This Xuanyou Sect was like an unkillable cockroach, always leaving one behind to annoy people.

Fortunately, the Xuanyou Sect people in this Luoxia Land had been completely wiped out, and they could no longer cause any trouble.

He thought of what Elder Yuan Chen of the Chen Family had said: if Ye Jing couldn't avenge them, the thousand void ethereal map leading to the Minghai Realm would self-destruct.

Ye Jing sighed helplessly: "This is a bit difficult. It's hard enough to Breakthrough to Golden Core in a hundred years, let alone going to a Nascent Soul's territory to kill that Xuan Yin without any warning."

But rather than thinking about these ethereal things, he might as well strengthen himself first. Even if he really lost the thousand void ethereal map and couldn't go deep into the Minghai Realm, so what?

There are plenty of Secret Realms in the world; why worry over just one Minghai Realm?

Thinking of this, Ye Jing put away the Pill Formula and, after a simple breath adjustment, continued to Cultivate.

Now that the Family's internal and external affairs had stabilized, he, as the Old Ancestor, could temporarily retreat behind the scenes and let these juniors develop well.

A Body Cultivator technique like the "Thunderbolt Flame Art" was very tough, and coupled with the fact that his spiritual power often surged during battle, it gave him a tendency to grow stronger as he fought. Ye Jing truly felt that this Cultivation Technique was perfect for combat.

Following this trend, perhaps with a few more years of secluded cultivation, he could Breakthrough to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

Half a year later.

Inside the Shuangyue Sect.

Ye Tianhao accompanied Gu Xi with a cold face. Gu Xi had been with him for nearly a year and missed the people of the Shuangyue Sect, occasionally hinting that she wanted Ye Tianhao to accompany her back for a visit.

After all, his wife wanted to return to her maternal home, so he, as her husband, said nothing and brought her back to the Shuangyue Sect.

Gui Suer, as Gu Xi's master, came forward to meet them, followed by several female cultivators who were looking at Ye Tianhao with curiosity.

The Shuangyue Sect was mostly composed of female cultivators and was hidden year-round on the Cold Peak of the western foothills of the Luoxia Wasteland. They rarely saw outside men, let alone a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Ye Tianhao with such a tall stature and condensed aura.

He was now at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and although his spiritual power was condensed and not released, it couldn't hide the sharp aura brought by being a Sword Cultivator, which was completely different from the cold and feminine aura of the Shuangyue Sect's female cultivators.

Being watched by so many women, Ye Tianhao felt slightly uncomfortable for a moment.

Gui Suer wore a moon-white Daoist robe with dark ice flower patterns embroidered on the hem. Her face was elegant, and her temperament was even more majestic than Yue Xi's, but a trace of inquiry was hidden in her eyes.

Her gaze swept over Ye Tianhao, her tone neither cold nor warm, but carrying the poise of a Sect Master: "Little Friend Ye, thank you for sending Xi'er back.

After a year's absence, Xi'er hasn't suffered any grievances in the Ye Family."

These words sounded like polite small talk, but were actually a probe—originally, the marriage alliance between the Shuangyue Sect and the Ye Family was for the sake of forming an alliance against enemies, and also to allow Yue Xi to use the Ye Family's resources to Cultivate the "Ice Soul Art."

Gui Suer was always worried that her personal Disciple would be mistreated in the Ye Family, and even more afraid that Yue Xi would neglect her cultivation for the sake of Family harmony.