Chapter 44: Trouble Comes Unbidden

Upon hearing this, Ye Jiuyao smiled and waved at the bartender behind him, continuing on his way as if nothing had happened. This favor, Ye Jiuyao would remember.

“Haha… look, even the inner disciples of the Fallen Leaf Sect are nothing special—”
“Exactly, exactly. They’ve overshadowed the other two major sects these past years, but they hardly seem the part. Could it be…”
“…”

One after another, murmurs drifted into Ye Qi’s ears. Earlier, he’d been scolded harshly for his cultivation, and had come to the Xuantian Tavern to drown his sorrows. Upon entering, he saw Ye Jiuyao and conceived a plot to disgrace him, but instead, he ended up losing face himself.

He recalled how, in the Fallen Leaf Sect, he was the idol of many junior brothers and sisters, his cultivation already at the seventh stage of Awakening—just a step away from becoming a core disciple. Who could have foreseen that today he’d suffer repeated setbacks, and worse still, at the hands of a penniless youth? He could not endure this.

For the moment, constrained by the prestige of the Xuantian Tavern, Ye Qi didn’t dare make a move. Only as Ye Jiuyao’s silhouette faded did he finally give chase.

Many others followed as well, their faces lit with anticipation. After all, a youth with no background and a disciple from a great sect—such a scenario promised excitement. The crowd was abuzz, eager to watch the drama unfold, and half the tavern quickly emptied.

The bartender’s face darkened, but he was just a humble worker. In his heart, he quietly wished Ye Jiuyao well, sighed, and returned to his duties.

Ye Jiuyao had not given the matter a second thought, strolling leisurely outside. His destination was an abandoned trial ground—a place where he’d trained for three days, ever since arriving in the Thousand Emperor Realm. Here, he constantly honed his cultivation, his movement techniques, and his understanding of the art of forging.

He moved as if wandering through his own backyard, stepping into the deserted area when the sound of footsteps rustling through fallen leaves reached him from behind.

“Hey, useless, your tracking skills are pathetic. Did your elders never teach you how to conceal yourself?”

“Hmph, the dead don’t need to know so much.”

Ye Qi’s angry voice rang out, and Ye Jiuyao slowly turned, regarding Ye Qi’s arrogant demeanor with utter disdain.

“Useless,” Ye Jiuyao repeated, then added, “But perhaps there’s some merit; trash pushed to the extreme becomes treasure.”

“You—!”

Ye Qi’s fury ignited at Ye Jiuyao’s words. That morning, he’d been insulted similarly by someone he looked down upon—and now, once again, the same sentiment, the same expression, though the gap in their strength was worlds apart.

“You’re courting death!” Ye Qi roared, striding forward as the air boomed with sonic bursts. In an instant, he unleashed his power. Ye Jiuyao’s eyes narrowed, killing intent flashing within.

“You’re the one courting death!”

The onlookers who had followed to watch were stunned by Ye Jiuyao’s murderous aura, their faces filled with disbelief. It was hard to fathom how a youth could radiate such terrifying intent, like a demon god incarnate.

Qi surged violently within Ye Jiuyao. Ever since awakening, he’d never truly understood his own cultivation, and now, for the first time, he revealed it.

Ye Qi was shaken—Ye Jiuyao’s pressure rivaled even his grandfather’s. Panic flickered in his eyes.

Forcing himself to muster courage, Ye Qi shouted, “Die!”

Behind Ye Jiuyao, boundless black mist billowed forth. A figure opened its eyes in the void, bursting forth with a beam of light like the Nine Nether illuminating the world.

“Nine Nether Desolate Heaven Palm!”

A palm coalesced in midair, brimming with demonic power. The witnesses trembled, their bodies quivering at the sight of that palm.

“Die!”
“No—!”

Two explosive cries rang out as Ye Jiuyao’s giant palm descended. Despair filled Ye Qi’s eyes, yet his momentum remained fierce, determined to resist the Nine Nether Desolate Heaven Palm.

But the gap was simply too vast.

It was like an ant confronting an elephant—utterly incomparable.

With a thunderous crash, the ground bore a massive palm-shaped crater; Ye Qi’s body sprawled in the shape of a “大,” now a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

The spectators felt their scalps tingle. Looking at the supposedly harmless youth, their legs began to shake.

“Is it entertaining?” Ye Jiuyao flashed a devilish smile, his voice warped with eerie cadence.

The crowd, terror etched on their faces, their eyes wide with horror, turned and fled at full speed.

“Cowards.”

Ye Jiuyao watched them bolt, grinning brilliantly. He approached Ye Qi’s side, picking up the ring from his hand.

Probing it with spiritual sense, he wiped away the mark on the spatial ring and examined his spoils.

“Killing and looting brings wealth, but it doesn’t fit my core values. Harmony and democracy…”

“But if trouble comes knocking, I won’t mind growing rich.”

Inside the spatial ring were some essence stones and pills—not many, but all of high quality, and life-saving in nature.

Meanwhile, in the Fallen Leaf Sect—

“Who?! Who killed my grandson?!”

An elder on the brink of death, hair disheveled, clutched a shattered jade token, eyes bloodshot and roaring in fury.

This was Elder Ye Qing of the Fallen Leaf Sect.

“I will find you and avenge my grandson!”

His cry startled the entire sect, countless disciples bewildered as they gazed toward Ye Qing’s residence, confused.

Those who had watched the fight scattered back to Xuantian Town, darting into the tavern as if it alone offered safety.

Soon, as calm returned, the news of Ye Jiuyao slaying Ye Qi spread like wildfire.

The bartender, upon hearing it, first sighed in relief, then grew worried for Ye Jiuyao. While serving drinks, he discreetly gathered information.

When he learned Ye Jiuyao’s whereabouts, resolve flashed in his eyes. After serving the last table, he removed his robe and hurried out.

Meanwhile, Ye Jiuyao seemed oblivious to the trouble he’d caused. Killing Ye Qi was no different from squashing an ant—utterly insignificant.

“Bring me my staff!”

Ye Jiuyao shouted, swinging his long staff with a ferocious wind. Shadows of the staff danced in the air, each blow packed with immense power, as if capable of shattering the void.

“Brother, brother…”

“Hmm?!”

The calls interrupted Ye Jiuyao’s cultivation, forcing him to halt his staff movements.