Dragon Blood Saint Emperor

"That is the Patriarch’s seat. You... seem to be in the wrong place." Ye Xuan’s sharp gaze locked onto Ye Xiong, who was seated before the crowd.

Ye Xiong’s brow furrowed, and he sneered, "I am the Patriarch now. This seat is mine by right. How could I be in the wrong place?"

"Yours!"

Ye Xuan let out a mocking laugh. "Did you really think you could usurp my position as Patriarch just by conspiring with them to rebel?"

"Conspiring to rebel!" Hearing this, the faces of the assembled Elders turned ugly. The Seventh Elder, in particular, frowned and said, "Ye Xuan, don’t you dare make baseless accusations! As Patriarch, you were incapable of leading the Ye Family to glory. It’s only natural for someone more capable to take your place!"

"Only natural!" Ye Xuan suddenly spun around to face the Seventh Elder, his voice cold. "An Elder, addressing the Patriarch by his given name. Do you even see me as your Patriarch anymore?!"

With that, he took a thunderous step toward the Seventh Elder. A chilling aura emanated from him, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.

"Ye Xuan, you’re no longer the Patriarch! So what if I call you by your name? Are you going to kill me for it?" the Seventh Elder roared, his expression changing drastically. He knew Ye Xuan had suffered internal injuries, but the power of a True Essence Third Layer cultivator was still far beyond what he could handle.

"Hmph. And why shouldn’t I kill you?"

A cold glint flashed in Ye Xuan’s eyes. With a surge of his aura, he appeared directly in front of the Seventh Elder.

BOOM!

Ye Xuan shot out a hand, his five fingers curling like the talons of a goshawk, sharp and menacing, as he lunged for the Seventh Elder’s throat.

Terrified, the Seventh Elder immediately dodged to the side.

"Ye Xuan, you have no right to kill him!"

The other Elders could no longer sit still. Preparing their own attacks, they moved to block the path to the Seventh Elder.

"Get out of my way!"

Ye Xuan barked a cold command, unleashing an incomparably powerful force that crashed into the Elders like a relentless torrent.

The Elders’ pupils shrank, their hearts trembling in shock. They felt a violent wave crash against them. THUD! THUD! THUD! Their bodies toppled to the sides like scarecrows, clearing a direct path to the Seventh Elder.

WHOOSH!

Following the path, Ye Xuan strode before the Seventh Elder in a single step. His hand moved like a blur of light, instantly clamping around his throat.

Everything happened in the span of a single spark. Even Ye Xiong didn’t have time to react, completely stunned by Ye Xuan’s power.

The Seventh Elder struggled, roaring in terror, "Ye Xuan, you’re not the Patriarch anymore! You have no right to kill me!"

"Not the Patriarch?" Ye Xuan said coldly. "You’ve been in the Ye Family for so many years. Don’t you know that the family has a Patriarch’s Order? The one who holds the Patriarch’s Order is the true Patriarch."

"The Patriarch’s Order?"

At Ye Xuan’s words, everyone was shaken, their gazes turning toward Ye Xiong.

Ye Xiong’s expression was grim. The Ye Family had an ancient rule: only the one who held the Patriarch’s Order was the true Patriarch. Although he had deposed Ye Xuan, he had not obtained the Patriarch’s Order.

In that instant, the Seventh Elder also remembered the Patriarch’s Order. His face grew even more terrified, and he prepared to beg for mercy.

But.

CRACK!

A murderous glint flashed in Ye Xuan’s eyes. With a sudden clench of his five fingers, he instantly snapped the Seventh Elder’s neck. The expressions of the other Elders changed, a chill piercing their hearts. Ye Xuan had killed the Seventh Elder in front of everyone.

"The Seventh Elder disrespected the Patriarch and committed insurrection. The sentence is death!"

The domineering declaration came from Ye Xuan’s lips. With a THUD, he tossed the Seventh Elder’s corpse in front of Ye Xiong, striking fear into the hearts of geniuses like Ye Ba who stood nearby.

Immediately after, Ye Xuan whipped his head around, stared at Ye Xiong, and questioned him with immense force, "Now do you still think you’re qualified to sit in that seat?"

"You..."

Ye Xiong was furious, his face turning shades of black and blue, looking utterly ghastly.

Because he truly did not have the Patriarch’s Order.

"Hmph. Depose me as Patriarch? You think you’re qualified? Get out of my way!" Ye Xuan snorted coldly, glancing at Ye Xiong before sweeping his gaze over the other Elders.

The Elders’ eyes narrowed. Ye Xuan’s power filled them with dread.

The crowd nearby shook their heads, murmuring amongst themselves, "He really is the Patriarch. That kind of dominance isn’t something an ordinary person possesses."

Ye Wushuang watched quietly, saying nothing. ’He knows his father is making an example of one to warn the others, to intimidate them.’

"Fine!" After a long moment, Ye Xiong spat out the single word through gritted teeth. He stared at Ye Xuan and said coldly, "Today, I’d like to see just how you, the Patriarch, will lead everyone to compete for the position of City Lord."

"You don’t need to worry about that," Ye Xuan said flatly.

He then turned to Ye Wushuang, who was off to the side, and said, "Shuang’er, when the competition starts, you will join the others and do your part for the Ye Family."

"Father, I understand."

Ye Wushuang nodded. ’He understood that his father, Ye Xuan, had fought to reclaim his position as Patriarch for one reason: that last sentence, to get his eligibility to compete back for him.’

DONG!

A resonant bell toll echoed across the grand plaza, putting a halt to the conflict. At the same time, the once noisy and chaotic plaza fell silent in an instant.

BOOM!

A tall figure strode onto a high platform below the Void Saber Tower.

This figure had a stern face and an imposing air without being angry. His pair of somber eyes glinted with a cold light, giving off a sense of cold indifference and dominance.

This man was none other than the Patriarch of the Ouyang Family, Ouyang Badao, the City Lord of Blood Jade City!

"Today is the triennial competition for the title of City Lord. I’m sure none of you are strangers to it, so I won’t waste any more words. I declare the competition open!"

Ouyang Badao announced, his voice booming like a great bell and echoing across the grand plaza.

Immediately, the eyes of the members of the three families lit up with excitement and anticipation.

Seeing this, a strange glint appeared in Ouyang Badao’s eyes. He immediately spoke again, "Now, I will announce the rules."

"The competition will take place inside the Void Saber Tower. The disciples of the three families will enter the tower. The objective is to retrieve the City Lord Token from the eighth floor of the Void Saber Tower. The competition will end as soon as someone obtains the Token and leaves the tower alive. The family of the one who obtains the Token will become the next City Lord."

Ouyang Badao announced loudly. The rules were short, but their hidden meaning made the faces of the Ye Family members change.

Leave the tower alive!

’Doesn’t that imply that killing is permitted inside the tower?’

’What is Ouyang Badao planning?’ Ye Xuan’s brow furrowed, his sharp gaze fixed on Ouyang Badao.

On the other side, Luo Xun also frowned, but then his brow relaxed as if he’d thought of something. He turned to the people beside him and said, "Later, if you encounter anyone from the Ye Family, kill them if you can. Especially Ye Wushuang. If you see him, kill him without hesitation."

"Yes, Patriarch!" The members of the Luo Family turned to look at Ye Wushuang among the Ye Family crowd, a strange excitement glinting in their eyes. The meaning was obvious.

Ye Xuan noticed this as well, and his heart grew heavy. He turned to Ye Wushuang and warned, "Shuang’er, you must be careful later!"

"I will!" Ye Wushuang felt the killing intent from the Luo Family members. He glanced over, a cold smirk playing on his lips. ’Who will be killing whom? We’ll find out soon enough.’

Pulling his gaze back, Ye Wushuang suddenly asked, "By the way, Father, doesn’t the Void Saber Tower have nine floors? Why is the City Lord Token being placed on the eighth?"

"I’m not entirely sure about that." Ye Xuan was taken aback, not expecting Ye Wushuang to ask such a question. He quickly explained, "The Void Saber Tower was left behind by the Void Saber Monarch long ago. It has remained to this day, but no one has ever been able to break into the ninth floor, nor does anyone know what secrets it holds. That’s why the City Lord Token can only be placed on the eighth floor."

"The ninth floor?"

Hearing this, Ye Wushuang looked up at the ninth floor, a flicker in his eyes.