Chapter Thirty-Five: Ye Tian [Bonus Chapter for the Phoenix Helm Master]

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The main hall of the Ye family was filled with lively discussion and noise.

With a creak, the doors to the council chamber slowly swung open. Instantly, every gaze in the hall turned to the entrance.

Ye Wuyá entered, flanked on either side by two women, each holding his arm.

“Hey, look! It’s the eldest and second young ladies!” a young Ye clan member standing near the door shook his companion excitedly as he spoke.

“Alright, alright, stop shaking me! But who’s that man? I’ve never seen him before, and they look awfully close.”

The crowd parted on both sides, forming a path. Ye Wuyá walked forward, curiosity flickering in his eyes as he observed the council chamber.

The room was rectangular, about twelve meters long at its furthest. Looking through the passage cleared by the crowd, one could see a set of steps at the far end. Four or five stairs led up to a small platform, on which sat several figures Ye Wuyá recognized: his father-in-law, Ye Yunlong, two uncles, and his rather unfriendly aunt, Ye Yunque.

The two women, one on each side, led Ye Wuyá up to the platform. Along the way, onlookers whispered and pointed, but Ye Wuyá paid them no heed, his focus fixed on Ye Yunlong seated above.

Ye Yunlong’s expression remained as cold as ever, his gaze fixed icily on Ye Wuyá as he entered arm-in-arm with the two women.

Feeling the weight of both Ye Yunlong’s chilly stare and the scrutiny of the entire Ye family, Ye Wuyá grew somewhat uneasy; it was clear that his father-in-law harbored deep prejudice against him.

“Father, we’re here!” Ruyue called out sweetly to Ye Yunlong above.

Ye Wuyá, following the two women, stood at the foot of the steps and, gathering his courage, greeted, “Father-in-law!”

His crisp salutation echoed through the hall, stunning the Ye family members into silence. The previously boisterous hall fell instantly quiet. From the moment Ye Wuyá entered with the two women, suspicion had crept into their hearts; most of them were unaware of his existence.

The entire hall grew tense and subdued. Given what they knew of Ye Yunlong, he would never allow both his daughters to marry the same man. Perplexed, all eyes turned to Ye Yunlong, waiting for him to speak.

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Ye Yunlong gestured at the seats below with a calm, detached air. “Sit.”

What? The patriarch actually responded? Did this mean he acknowledged this white-haired young man as his son-in-law? Once again, the crowd was dumbfounded.

Seeing his father-in-law speak, Ye Wuyá nodded and took the empty seat on the platform, politely greeting the three uncles already seated. The two women took their places behind him.

Some among the Ye family were immediately displeased: today, that seat had clearly been prepared for this white-haired youth. The men on the platform were all key decision-makers of the Ye clan—even the eldest and second young ladies had no right to sit there. What had this outsider done to deserve it?

At that moment, a black-haired youth of about seventeen or eighteen, with sharp, hawk-like eyes, stood up in protest. Bowing to Ye Yunlong above, he said, “Uncle, what right does he have to sit in that seat?”

Ye Wuyá, who had just sat down, glanced at the young man, sensing from his aura that he was at the seventh level of Spirit-Gathering Body Refinement—a full major realm below his own. Ye Wuyá looked at him with mild interest.

“Ye Qing, shut your mouth! Stand down—you have no place to speak here!” Ye Yunwu shot to his feet, scolding furiously, wishing he could march over and slap Ye Qing across the face.

Though Ye Qing was unaware of Ye Wuyá’s origins and power, the four brothers understood all too well.

Even the master of Xueqing Pavilion from Immortal Moon Tower had personally come to the Ye family to escort Ye Ruyue and Ye Ruxue to marry Ye Wuyá, presenting sky-grade martial techniques as a betrothal gift. Such generosity suggested Ye Wuyá was likely—if not certainly—a member of Immortal Moon Tower itself, the most powerful force in the region, coveted by all. Yet this foolish boy dared offend Ye Wuyá with such insolent words!

Moreover, by the strength Ye Wuyá had revealed, even Ling Cheng’s number one expert, the city’s lord Ling Feng at the ninth stage of Spirit-Gathering, had been defeated by him. Except for Immortal Moon Tower, there was no one in Ling City who could challenge Ye Wuyá—especially after yesterday, when he had unleashed a power far surpassing the Spirit-Gathering Realm.

Ye Wuyá had spoken softly at the time; only the two women knew he’d used a secret technique. The others simply assumed his power had grown even further.

The Ye clan still needed to rely on Ye Wuyá to deal with the troublesome Lu and Mu families.

“Father, I’m only telling the truth! Even if he is our clan’s son-in-law, he has no right to sit there, let alone as an equal to our uncles!” Ye Qing replied, unrepentant.

“You—unfilial child!” Ye Yunwu trembled with anger.

With a sigh, Ye Yunwu turned to Ye Wuyá and forced a smile. “Please, son-in-law, don’t take offense. The boy has been spoiled since childhood, but his nature isn’t bad.”

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“Third Uncle, there’s no need for that. I wouldn’t hold a grudge against a child,” Ye Wuyá replied with a wave of his hand and a smile.

“Who are you calling a child?” Ye Qing retorted indignantly.

“Silence!” Ye Yunwu’s anger boiled over. He shot Ye Qing a fierce glare, then returned to his seat without another word.

“Oh? Ye Qing, then who do you think deserves to sit here?” Ye Yunlong, who had remained silent until now, spoke with a voice that commanded respect.

Ye Qing cupped his hands and replied, “I believe Big Brother Ye Tian is the one most worthy of sitting there.”

He pointed to the youth beside him—a proud, broad-shouldered young man of about twenty, with short black hair and striking, chiseled features. His eyes shone darkly with confidence, his bearing handsome and debonair, clad in the distinctive white robes of the Ye clan. Exuding a masculine vitality, he would have been a heartthrob on Earth, adored by countless women.

At that moment, Ye Tian gazed up at Ye Wuyá with a proud, faintly provocative look, the tension in the air palpable.

“Oh? Ye Tian, is that what you think as well?” Ye Yunlong asked with interest. He knew Ye Tian well; the young man was never arrogant, but rather extremely intelligent, hardworking and diligent in cultivation, and rarely spoke out of turn. In just twenty years, he had reached the eighth level of Spirit-Gathering Body Refinement, the undisputed genius of the Ye clan.

He was ranked, along with Mu Lan of the Mu family and Lu Wen of the Lu family, as one of the three prodigies of Ling City.

“Yes, Uncle,” Ye Tian replied calmly, cupping his fists respectfully to the eight elders above. “This time, I slew three experts from the Lu and Mu families, all at the eighth stage of Body Refinement. I have also successfully advanced to the ninth stage, making me the foremost among the Ye clan beneath the four elders and four uncles.”

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