Swish!
Cold light flared as the Crushing Star Blade cleared the stone, and the nearby tiles split cleanly in two from the Sword Qi alone.
Yue Qingshan's breath caught. The longsword had merely been drawn—he hadn't channeled even a thread of spiritual power—yet it wielded this much force.
The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, a sensation of absolute supremacy flooded through him.
As though with this blade in hand he could stride across continents and carve his name into the annals of the Immortal Realm itself.
He steadied himself. This was the intoxicating confidence a Samsara Artifact bestowed, nothing more.
His current cultivation remained far too shallow to truly refine the Crushing Star Blade, but even wielding it unbound, he was certain that if he faced Ye Qian now, he would not be without the power to contest him.
Pride kindled in his chest. He was qualified to challenge Ye Qian.
Yet he overlooked one glaring truth: as the dignified Young Master of the Ye Family, would Ye Qian not possess a weapon of his own?
Impatience seized him.
Yue Qingshan burst from his cultivation chamber and sprinted toward the main family compound, eager to tell Yue Ming that he could bring her back now, that she need not submit to anyone.
But when he arrived, the servant's words struck like a hammer blow.
Yue Ming had already been sent to Ye Qian.
The Yue Family, fearing the Young Master's impatience, had dispatched her days earlier than planned.
Yue Qingshan's world collapsed.
Why didn't they wait? The question tore through him, raw and desperate.
Why did they send her away so soon?
Rage boiling in his veins, he stormed into the Family Head's hall and confronted Yue Bo directly.
"Family Head! Why were you in such a hurry to send Yue Ming to Ye Qian?
Why didn't you wait for me to return? Explain this!"
Betrayal burned in every syllable. He felt cast aside, his worth discarded like refuse.
Yue Bo glanced up from his seat, expression carved from ice.
"Wait for you? For what purpose? Can you protect Yue Ming?
Do you believe yourself capable of contending with the Ye Family?"
His tone sharpened.
"Don't be absurd, Yue Qingshan. Know your place.
Your talent is exceptional—I once held high hopes for you—but that does not make you worthy of Yue Ming.
Stop reaching for something beyond your grasp.
She belongs to Young Master Ye Qian's household now. She is not for you to covet."
Yue Bo had indeed entertained thoughts of supporting a union between them once, but those considerations vanished the moment Yue Ming entered Ye Qian's orbit.
She would become Ye Qian's concubine, and through her, the Yue Family would secure a lifeline to the mightiest power in the region.
Even scraps from the Ye Family's table could sustain them for generations. With direct backing from such a colossus, the Yue Family's future prosperity was assured.
Yue Qingshan, genius though he was, remained just that—a genius. Nothing more.
What worth did talent hold when measured against Ye Qian?
The entire Immortal Realm knew the Young Master possessed the Supreme Immortal Body. He carried the potential of a Great Emperor.
No matter how formidable Yue Qingshan became, could he rival a future Great Emperor?
Impossible.
Since resistance was futile, accommodating Ye Qian would yield the greatest benefit for the Yue Family. The choice was obvious.
"Family Head, you...!" Yue Qingshan's eyes flooded crimson.
He had never imagined the man he once revered would speak such words. To stake the family's strength and prosperity on a woman's sacrifice—it was vile.
"What about me? Am I not speaking the truth?"
Yue Bo's voice remained maddeningly calm.
"Qingshan, your future achievements will undoubtedly be significant, but compared to Young Master Ye Qian, you lag far behind.
Cultivate diligently. That is what you should focus on.
As for Yue Ming, forget her. She will never be yours. You two are fated to be apart."
The words broke something fundamental inside Yue Qingshan.
His face twisted into something feral. He gasped for air, glaring at Yue Bo with naked hatred.
He had believed his displayed talent and rapid cultivation advancement would earn Yue Bo's respect, that the Family Head who once spoke of bringing him and Yue Ming together would honor that promise.
Now the man discarded him like a broken tool, belittling everything he had accomplished.
This was the first time Yue Qingshan had witnessed such hypocrisy.
Once was enough. Fury consumed him.
"Family Head! I will not give up. I have my own methods.
We'll see who stands victorious in the end!"
He whipped his sleeve through the air and stalked from the hall, rage radiating from every step.
Yue Bo watched him go, shaking his head with open disdain.
His willingness to support Yue Qingshan before meant nothing now. His daughter possessed a far superior option.
Why should he waste effort on a boy with delusions of grandeur?
"Arrogant brat. Does he truly believe he can contend with Young Master Ye Qian?
Hmph. A self-important fool courting death."
In Yue Bo's estimation, Yue Qingshan was nothing more than a reckless child stumbling toward his own ruin.
As Yue Qingshan strode from the compound, memories of his time with Yue Ming flooded back—her laughter, the quiet moments they had shared, the unspoken promises.
The anger swelled until it drowned all reason.
He returned to his quarters only long enough to gather his belongings, then set off directly for the Ye Family Territory.
He would challenge Ye Qian today. He would defeat him personally and reclaim Yue Ming.
With the Crushing Star Blade at his side, victory was certain. There was no possibility of failure.
Ye Qian would fall before him—of this, Yue Qingshan was absolutely convinced.
…
Meanwhile, within Ye Qian's palace, the Young Master floated midair in the lotus position, his figure serene as he sank into quiet meditation.
Cultivation demanded unwavering diligence.
Strength was earned through relentless effort, through the accumulation of insight and power over countless hours of silent discipline.
[Ding! Master, it has been detected that the current Child of Destiny, Yue Qingshan, harbors deep resentment toward Master and is currently en route to this location. His objective: to defeat Master and retrieve Yue Ming.]
The System's announcement rippled through his consciousness.
Ye Qian's eyes opened.
So Yue Qingshan had chosen to come of his own volition. Interesting.
Did the boy truly believe himself capable of victory, or was he simply too ignorant to comprehend the gap between them?
Is this the confidence of a Child of Destiny?
Amusement flickered across Ye Qian's features.
Indeed, among the so-called Children of Destiny, quite a few possessed this particular brand of naivety—viewing the world through a lens so distorted they mistook arrogance for strength.
How entertaining.