Xu Family Head's voice was low, yet it exploded like muffled thunder, rousing everyone in the hall.
"It's no coincidence!"
"If it were just one, you could call it youthful arrogance, but for two in a row to speak so recklessly in specific situations, someone is clearly manipulating them in secret!"
"Is it Demonic Possession? Or have their Divine Souls been tampered with?"
"Someone is deliberately targeting my Xu Family!"
The Elders began to whisper among themselves, but every word carried a heavy sense of unease and anger.
But then someone spoke softly, their voice tinged with hesitation: "Although Xu Qing's words were arrogant, for the Divine Son of the Jiang Clan to publicly kill my Xu Family's second-ranked Disciple, isn't that a bit too ruthless?"
When the words fell, the hall was silent.
No one agreed, and no one refuted.
The second-ranked Disciple, one of the Xu Family's key Disciples to cultivate in this generation, just fell like that?
But then again, Xu Qing's words were indeed out of line.
The Xu Family Head's brows were tightly furrowed. He picked up the reply sent by the Jiang Clan, his tone low: "This was personally written by Divine Son Jiang. The general idea is that the first time Xu Yang provoked, it could be tolerated, but the second time, someone must pay the price for it."
He sighed softly, gently placing the letter in his hand down, his gaze as deep as an abyss:
"He also demanded that my Xu Family quickly investigate the person behind this matter, or he would not let it go."
At this point, he paused slightly, his expression complex, his tone slowing:
"Frankly speaking..."
"Although this child's actions are forceful, he hasn't crossed the line."
"Compared to Empress Hongye's domineering and ruthless methods, this Divine Son of the Jiang Clan actually seems more restrained."
The Xu Family Head's gaze swept over the Elders in the hall, a hint of solemnity in his voice: "Both emotionally and logically, he has given us a way out. He may not be as arrogant and overbearing as the rumors suggest."
All the Elders nodded slightly upon hearing this, their expressions relaxing somewhat.
"Indeed so."
An Elder spoke in agreement: "Xu Qing is merely second-ranked. If we talk about the true hope of my Xu Family in this Golden Great Era, only Xu Mang is the most crucial; there must be no more problems."
The Xu Family Head's gaze swept over everyone, his tone enunciating each word: "Immediately send more people to protect Xu Mang. Any Soul fluctuation must be reported to me!"
"And, Xu Yongchun."
"You are skilled in Divine Soul detection and tracking techniques. If someone is truly manipulating Xu Yang in secret, trying to ignite a war through my Xu Family, you must root them out."
"But this time, when you go, you must remember not to have any more conflicts with the Jiang Clan."
"Although Jiang Ye killed Xu Qing, he never actively provoked. If Xu Qing's words hadn't been too extreme, he might not have acted."
"Our Xu Family... cannot fall into the same situation as before."
Xu Yongchun slowly rose and bowed.
"This old man understands."
"If this person is truly found, this old man will refine their Soul and torment them until nothing is left, restoring my Xu Family's reputation!"
...Jiang Clan.
Inside the Divine Son Palace, it was silent.
Upon the jade platform, Jiang Ye sat cross-legged, his robes dancing without wind, his aura as deep as an abyss, as if his Soul had sunk into some profound and unfathomable state.
In front of him.
A vaguely blooming flower quietly appeared, its entire form semi-real, semi-illusory, woven from countless ethereal mist threads.
Having nothing to do today, he was comprehending the Dream Concealment Great Path.
Jiang Ye consumed five thousand Villain Points, directly raising the Dream Concealment Great Path to the 10%入門 stage.
But subsequent upgrades required too many Villain Points.
There was no need for it for now.
Misty Hidden Flowers.
Each petal was like a stack of dreams, scattering at a touch, empty when probed, its true form impossible to pinpoint.
At the heart of the flower, ripples emerged, like the flow of Great Path Qi, or the subtle stirrings of thoughts in a dream.
Jiang Ye's Divine Soul seemed to merge into a sea of flowers illusion, his consciousness ethereal.
At this moment, what he perceived was no longer the myriad phenomena of the mortal world, but a vast star map paved with dreams.
A single flower reflected nine layers of illusory worlds, stacked one upon another, all virtual images, all truths.
Dreams hold nothing, reality glimpsed in illusion; all phenomena are dreams, yet dreams are not void.
A bright light emerged from Jiang Ye's glabella, like an ancient sleeping bell gently rung, his spiritual platform clear.
His eyes slowly opened, golden light flickering, the Misty Hidden Flowers reflected in his pupils, like stars mirrored within, ethereal and unpredictable, yet captivating.
"Dream Exploration..."
"It's like some kind of ultimate illusion technique, and also like a deduction of reality."
Jiang Ye murmured softly, his voice carrying unconcealed excitement.
"If cultivated to Major Achievement, it could not only draw people into dreams and disturb their minds, but also affect the Divine Soul Origin?"
"Even ultimately... falsify reality?"
He looked at the flower again, his gaze profound.
This Great Path was hard to describe.
It was completely different from traditional Divine Abilities and secret techniques.
It didn't rely on brute force, but rather enticed the mind, disturbed the Soul, and wove illusions, using dreams as a blade to kill invisibly.
What was even more terrifying was that...
If this Dao was cultivated to its Peak, even the rules of heaven and earth could be "fictionalized," forcibly altered!
Jiang Ye slowly opened his eyes, his long hair falling, his robes fluttering. He seemed to have walked out of a dream, yet also returned with traces of it.
"Very interesting!"
Jiang Ye smiled gently, the corners of his eyes curving.
This Great Path was extremely unpredictable and mysterious, and he had developed a very strong interest in it.
Outside the Divine Son Palace, clouds steamed, and jade steps descended.
An old man entered.
Xu Yongchun.
The Xu Family's Second Elder, a Cultivator of the Saint King Realm, who mastered the Dao of Divine Soul.
He was skilled in Soul searching, mystery probing, and tracing Origins. His Divine Sense Retrospection technique once made him a renowned figure in the Central Domain.
At this moment, he leaned on a crimson-gold staff, his steps not fast.
The Disciples guarding the palace, seeing this, were about to step forward to block him, but were deterred by his deep, aged voice.
"The Xu Family's Second Elder, Xu Yongchun, has specially come to pay respects to Divine Son Jiang."
His voice was like a grand bell, echoing before the hall. The sound waves spread out, but as they reached the Divine Son Palace doors, they were quietly neutralized by an invisible force, vanishing into nothingness.
The palace doors slowly opened, auspicious light streamed out, mist was hazy, and amidst the dreamy etherealness, Jiang Ye's lazy voice drifted out:
"Since you're here, come in."
Xu Yongchun said nothing, only raised his head slightly, a divine light flashing in his eyes.
He saw the scene inside the hall.
Green jade paved the floor, golden pillars reached the sky, Misty Hidden Flowers floated in the air, half illusory and half real, each petal like a dream image, containing endless changes, appearing both real and illusory.
Inside the hall, Jiang Ye leaned casually on an ancient wooden soft couch.
His golden eyes were languid, a scroll of ancient texts in his hand, as if he was casually flipping through it, yet his brows were clear as the wind.
Xu Yongchun slowly walked in, his gaze slightly condensed.
The moment he stepped into the Divine Son Palace, he felt his Sea of Consciousness tremble slightly. Some invisible force was quietly probing him.
This was an extremely subtle dream-Soul power.
It traversed his Sea of Consciousness, as gentle as a spring breeze, yet silently probing. Had he not specialized in the Dao of Divine Soul, he might not even have noticed it.
"Dream Concealment Great Path?"
"This Divine Son of the Jiang Clan... his cultivation has actually reached the True King Realm!?"
His heart trembled, but he didn't show it on his face.
Such a Great Path was profound and abstruse; few Cultivators in the world could even glimpse its entrance.
And this Jiang Ye could already use dream-Soul power to probe the Sea of Consciousness of an incoming person?
Coupled with the Void Great Path he displayed in the battle at Cloud Top Academy, Xu Yongchun's heart was filled with bitterness.
"True King Realm, comprehended two Great Paths... he's still days away from reaching adulthood!?"
Xu Yongchun thought of the Xu Family's first-ranked Disciple, Xu Mang, who, after a hundred years of arduous cultivation, had only just stepped into the Peak of the King Conferring Realm.
He hadn't even comprehended a single Great Path.
Perhaps among the Prodigies outside, he was already considered top-tier.
But compared to Jiang Ye?
The difference was like heaven and earth.
