67: Chapter 67 Black Cloud Stronghold Attacks at the Door

Sure enough, before long, "Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A series of urgent alarm bells suddenly rang out!

Ye Tian's expression changed, and he immediately pushed open his door.

Outside, everything was already in chaos. Many Ye Family Disciples and servants were running about in panic, their faces filled with fear.

"What happened?" Ye Tian grabbed a young Disciple who was running blindly and asked in a heavy voice.

The Disciple was about to snap at being stopped, but upon seeing it was Ye Tian, he immediately shouted anxiously, "Young Master Ye Tian!

This is bad!

It's the Black Cloud Stronghold!

A massive force from the Black Cloud Stronghold has attacked our gates!

So many... so many people!

They've already surrounded our Ye Family!"

"Black Cloud Stronghold! They really did come!"

Ye Tian felt a chill in his heart; his greatest worry had come to pass!

And they had come so quickly!

Directly besieging the Family residence meant this was a fight to the death!

"Where are the Clan Chief and the Elders?" Ye Tian quickly pressed.

"They're all in the Council Hall! They're urgently discussing a strategy!"

The Disciple answered flusteredly, then broke free from Ye Tian and continued running deeper into the Family compound, clearly headed to notify others to go to the shelters.

Ye Tian didn't delay any further. With a flash of his body, he sped toward the Family Council Hall at his maximum speed.

Along the way, he saw the Ye Family guards rushing to their respective defensive positions under the command of various leaders. Swords were drawn and crossbows were nocked; it was a scene of facing a powerful enemy.

Every person's face was filled with gravity. They knew that today's trial was a matter of life and death.

Soon, Ye Tian arrived at the Council Hall, where the atmosphere was at its most tense.

Clan Chief Ye Qingtian sat in the main seat, his expression solemn.

Below him, Second Elder Ye Wenshan, the Third Elder, Discipline Hall Elder Ye Zhengfeng, and all the other core high-level members of the Ye Family were present. Even Grand Elder Great Elder Ye Zhengyuan, who had previously suffered a backlash while suppressing the cold Qi in Ye Ruyi's body, was forcing himself to sit to the side.

Everyone's faces were exceptionally grim, their brows locked in deep frowns.

Ye Tian's arrival immediately drew everyone's gaze.

"Ye Tian, you've come."

Ye Qingtian nodded slightly upon seeing Ye Tian, a flash of complexity in his eyes.

He could naturally sense the increasingly powerful aura on Ye Tian's body; he felt both gratified and heavy-hearted.

He was gratified that the Family had a successor, but heavy-hearted that such a Genius had to face such a perilous situation.

"Clan Chief, Elders."

Ye Tian stepped forward quickly and bowed, then asked urgently, "What is the situation? How many people did the Black Cloud Stronghold bring? Who is leading them?"

Second Elder Ye Wenshan took a deep breath and spoke with a heavy tone, "The situation is very bad!"

"According to reports from our scouts, the Black Cloud Stronghold has come out in full force!"

"Second Chief Yan She is personally leading the team, with dozens of leaders under him and nearly a thousand elite lackeys!"

"They have completely surrounded the outskirts of our Ye Family!"

"They claim that we must hand over the murderer of Yan Sha, or they will trample the Ye Family and leave no one alive!"

"Yan She? Nearly a thousand people?" Ye Tian's pupils constricted.

The Black Cloud Stronghold's Second Chief, Yan She, was a powerful expert at the Peak of the First Level Ningyuan Realm, and his ferocious reputation exceeded even that of Yan Sha!

And by mobilizing nearly a thousand men, this was clearly intended to be a war of extermination!

"Hand over the murderer? They are asking despite knowing the answer!"

Discipline Hall Elder Ye Zhengfeng snorted in anger. "Yan Sha clearly set a trap to harm Ye Tian but was killed instead; he got what he deserved!"

"Now they're making false accusations. It's the height of shamelessness!"

"There is no point in saying these things now."

Ye Qingtian waved his hand, his voice weary. "The Black Cloud Stronghold has come with aggressive momentum this time; they will not let this go easily."

"Handing over Ye Tian is absolutely impossible; that would be equivalent to severing our own Foundation!"

"There is only one choice: battle!"

His gaze swept over every Elder present, finally landing on Ye Tian. He said solemnly, "Everyone, the survival of the Ye Family depends on this battle!"

"I have activated the Clan Protection Array, but whether it can withstand the onslaught of Yan She and nearly a thousand bandits is still unknown."

"You all must perform your duties, lead the clansmen, and defend our home to the death!"

"Defend our home to the death!" the Elders shouted in unison, the flames of a desperate resolve igniting in their eyes.

Even Ye Zhengfeng, who previously had friction with Ye Tian, was now united against the common enemy.

In the face of the Family's survival, personal grudges were no longer worth mentioning.

Grand Elder Great Elder Ye Zhengyuan struggled to stand up. Though weak, his eyes were firm. "Clan Chief, although my injuries haven't healed, I still have the strength to fight!"

"I am willing to live or die with the Family!"

Ye Qingtian looked at him and nodded heavily. "Good!"

"Grand Elder, the eastern defensive line is entrusted to you!"

Great Elder Ye Zhengyuan cupped his fists. "I accept the command!"

Ye Qingtian looked at Ye Tian again, his tone grave. "Ye Tian, you are the future hope of our Ye Family!"

"This battle is dangerous. You... for now, stay in the inner courtyard and protect the women and children."

"Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not easily take action."

Hearing this, Ye Tian's brow furrowed slightly.

He understood that the Clan Chief wanted to protect him, but now that his strength had increased greatly, how could he cower in the rear?

Just as he was about to speak, the panicked shout of a guard suddenly came from outside the hall: "Report!"

"Clan Chief! Elders!"

"The people from Black Cloud Stronghold have started attacking the mountain gate!"

"The Clan Protection Array... the Clan Protection Array is fluctuating violently!"

Everyone's faces changed drastically!

"They came so fast!"

Ye Qingtian stood up abruptly, a cold light exploding in his eyes. "Everyone, act according to the plan!"

"Engage the enemy!"

In an instant, the figures of all the Elders blurred as they rushed out of the hall toward their respective defensive zones.

Ye Tian looked at the Clan Chief and the Second Elder and said in a deep voice, "Clan Chief, Second Elder, I..."

Ye Qingtian interrupted him, his tone brook no argument. "Ye Tian, follow the arrangements!"

"Your safety concerns the future of the Ye Family!"

"Go!" After saying that, he and Second Elder Ye Wenshan exchanged a glance, and both rushed toward the direction of the mountain gate where the sounds of slaughter were most intense!

In an instant, only Ye Tian was left in the hall.

He clenched his fists, listening to the earth-shaking battle cries from outside and the violent fluctuations of the Clan Protection Array; his gaze became incredibly sharp.

"Hide in the back? Absolutely impossible!"

Ye Tian rushed out of the Council Hall, and the scene before him made his heart sink.

The Ye Family residence was built against a mountain, making it easy to defend but hard to attack.

A massive semi-transparent light shield enveloped the entire core area of the Family; this was the Ye Family's Clan Protection Array, which was currently fluctuating violently, with ripples constantly appearing on the surface of the shield.

Outside the shield, a dense mass of Black Cloud Stronghold bandits were attacking the Formation fearlessly under the leadership of their respective heads.

The flash of blades and shadows of swords, arrows falling like rain, all accompanied by earth-shaking battle cries.

And at the forefront of the attack, one figure was particularly eye-catching.

It was a tall, thin middle-aged man with a sinister expression, holding a pair of oddly shaped scimitars.

It was precisely the Black Cloud Stronghold's Second Chief, Yan She!

He didn't personally attack the ordinary nodes of the Formation but was instead searching for its weak points.

He exuded the powerful aura of the Peak of the First Level Ningyuan Realm. Every time his scimitars struck out, they hacked heavily against the light shield, causing the Formation to shake violently and its light to dim significantly.

Clan Chief Ye Qingtian and Second Elder Ye Wenshan had already arrived at the mountain gate, personally presiding over the core Formation eye, injecting True Qi into the Formation to barely maintain it.

Ye Qingtian's face was pale, and a trace of blood even leaked from the corner of his mouth; he was clearly under immense pressure.

Ye Wenshan was also covered in sweat, his clothes already soaked through.

"Ye Qingtian! If you're smart, you'll obediently withdraw the Formation and hand over the murderer of my third brother!"

"Otherwise, once the Formation is broken, I will surely make your Ye Family's blood flow like a river, leaving no one alive!"

Yan She's cold voice transmitted through the Formation.

"Yan She! Your Black Cloud Stronghold plunders, burns, and kills, committing every evil imaginable. Yan Sha deserved his death!"

"If you want to destroy my Ye Family, then use your skills to break the Formation!"

"The sons of my Ye Family would rather die than surrender!"

Ye Qingtian responded angrily.

"Stubborn! Attack with all your might!"

"After the Formation is broken, slaughter the entire Ye Family and take whatever riches you want!"

Yan She ordered sharply, and the attacks became even more frenzied.

The light of the Formation grew dim at a rate visible to the naked eye; it looked like it wouldn't hold for much longer!

Ye Tian saw this and felt anxious.

He knew that once the Formation was broken, facing the Ningyuan Realm Yan She and nearly a thousand fierce bandits, the Ye Family would surely suffer devastating losses!