In Li Luo's eyes, the throne eclipsed everything else—ambition, dignity, even survival itself.
Failing to secure his claim would condemn him to one of two fates: a gilded cage as an exiled prince, mocked and irrelevant, or outright elimination.
There was no middle ground for those who fell.
Ambition burned too fiercely in his chest for him to accept the former. Terror of the latter drove him forward.
Only one path remained—seize the throne or die trying.
With the Young Master backing him, strategy and resources flowing like rivers of gold, failure seemed impossible.
The heavens themselves orchestrated this, Li Luo mused.
What other explanation existed?
Fate had placed Ye Qian directly in his path, and granted him the charisma—the sheer magnetism—to convince such a towering figure to accept him as a subordinate.
…
Inside Ye Qian's palace, the banquet hall glittered with opulence that stole breath.
Yun Xi's gaze swept across gemstone-studded pillars and jade-inlaid ceilings, wonder flooding her expression.
As expected of the Young Master's residence. This luxury...
Even her father, Yun Feng—head of the entire Yun Family—possessed no palace approaching this magnificence. The Ye Family's foundations ran deeper than ocean trenches, their wealth beyond mortal comprehension.
More staggering still: Ye Qian wasn't even the Patriarch. He remained merely the Young Master. His father, Ye Changkong, surely commanded chambers that made this splendor look modest.
Comparison breeds only bitterness, she thought, though awe still colored her features.
Ye Qian reclined in a chair encrusted with precious gems, treasures worth kingdoms embedded casually in its frame.
His tone carried playful warmth.
"Sister Xi, come sit with me. You don't object to that address, do you?
'Cousin' feels rather distant—we've always been closer than mere family titles suggest."
He gestured at the lavish spread before them.
"These ingredients cost millions in spirit stones. I rarely indulge like this."
His smile turned roguish. "But for you, Sister, I'll happily be extravagant."
Crimson bloomed across Yun Xi's cheeks. She shot him a look—half glare, half delight—and her voice emerged as a soft whisper.
"You're such a flatterer, Brother Qian. I don't believe a word."
Yet sweetness flooded her heart despite the protest. Being valued, pampered, treasured by someone like Ye Qian—it lifted her spirit into realms of pure contentment.
Xia He and Qiu Lan attended them, familiar with Yun Xi from childhood visits. Their service flowed seamlessly, anticipating needs before words formed.
Yue Ming stood nearby, silent, jealousy gnawing at her composure like acid.
She longed to occupy Yun Xi's place—sitting beside Ye Qian, basking in his attention, sharing delicacies and laughter.
But that position remained beyond her grasp now.
Yesterday's revelation still echoed in her mind.
At dinner with his parents following the duel with Yue Qingshan, Ye Qian had casually mentioned his breakthrough—conquering his Heart Demon had catapulted him into the Holy Induction Realm.
At eighteen. A genius among geniuses, shattering every precedent, rewriting history itself.
I was so blind.
The thought carved through her like a blade. Once, she could have been his concubine directly. Now her status didn't qualify her to even share his table.
A personal maid. That's what she'd become.
Envy and regret twisted together, a poison she swallowed silently.
If only I'd accepted back then...
But regret changed nothing. The past remained immutable, her foolish choice carved in stone.
Now she could only serve, hope, strive—perhaps through dedication and loyalty, she might alter his perception, secure her position at his side.
The laughter and joy filling the palace felt like mockery.
…
While celebration rang through the Young Master's palace, another figure endured harsh elements and unrelenting travel.
Yue Qingshan.
After yesterday's humiliating duel, he'd gathered his belongings and fled under cover of darkness.
Instinct screamed warnings—if word of his challenge reached the Yue Family elders, punishment would be swift and merciless.
And if Ye Qian decided to take further action...
His fears proved unnecessary. Ye Qian couldn't be bothered reporting such a trivial matter. The Yue Family remained ignorant of both the challenge and Yue Qingshan's departure.
Within the vast Yue Family, Yue Qingshan ranked among the younger generation's talents, but not prominently enough to warrant constant surveillance.
His sudden absence raised no alarms. People assumed he'd secluded himself for cultivation—nothing unusual.
After a night and day of relentless travel, Yue Qingshan had finally distanced himself from family territory.
To reach the Ancient Ruins quickly, he'd purchased a Cloud-Swallowing Roc—an Immortal Beast renowned for velocity. The acquisition had drained nearly all his savings, leaving his purse devastatingly light.
But if the Ancient Ruins contain even a fraction of the treasures I suspect they hold…
A single artifact would repay his investment a thousandfold. The gamble was worth every spirit stone.
The Cloud-Swallowing Roc's extraordinary speed brought him to Ashen Orchid City after more than ten hours of continuous flight.
Exhaustion should have claimed him, yet adrenaline and desperation kept him sharp, alert.
The beast beneath him, however, trembled with fatigue. Even an Immortal Beast needed rest after such punishment.
Ashen Orchid City sprawled before him, the closest settlement to the Ancient Ruins. Its streets churned with activity—cultivators, merchants, adventurers, all drawn by rumors of forgotten treasures.
Preparation is survival, his master had taught him.
Rushing into the ruins unprepared meant death. He needed supplies, information, strategy.
If his master had been at full strength, the old man's wisdom would have guided him now.
But the Great Saint's remnant soul was still weak, slowly recovering from the brink of dissipation. Disturbing it risked causing permanent damage.
Yue Qingshan was alone in this.
What he failed to notice—what his limited perception couldn't detect—was the shadow tracking him from vast distances, maintaining pursuit with cold precision.
When he entered Ashen Orchid City, that shadow followed.
Yun Lan.
Her cultivation surpassed his by realms, her stealth techniques honed through decades of covert operations. Yue Qingshan suspected nothing, moved through the city oblivious to watching eyes.
She observed him enter an inn, her brow furrowing with concentration.
Ashen Orchid City... why here?
The pieces didn't connect yet.
What drove him to this remote location with such urgency? What secret demanded this desperate flight?
Questions multiplied, but answers remained elusive.
She would continue surveillance—but first, the Young Master required a report.
Finding an inn across the street, Yun Lan secured a room with clear sightlines to Yue Qingshan's lodging.
Privacy secured, she withdrew a crystal-clear stone from her robes, channels of spiritual power carved into its flawless surface.
She poured energy into it. Fluorescent light bloomed, coalescing into an image—Ye Qian's figure materialized within the crystal's depths.
"Young Master." Yun Lan bowed respectfully despite the distance.
"Sister Lan, report your position. Has Yue Qingshan made any significant moves?"
She relayed everything—the overnight flight, the Cloud-Swallowing Roc purchase, the exhausting journey, their current location.
"Young Master, after gathering his belongings, Yue Qingshan acquired a Cloud-Swallowing Roc and flew non-stop to Ashen Orchid City.
I've established surveillance here. He's taken a room at an inn but hasn't emerged.
His intentions remain unclear."
Ye Qian absorbed the information, his expression thoughtful, calculating.
With a Great Saint as his master... perhaps the old ghost provided something valuable.
A treasure map? Inheritance location?
The possibilities intrigued him. This would bear watching closely.