Chapter 110: Return

Cold sweat soaked his clothes. Looking at Yin Tianfang, who stood inches away, the old man trembled slightly, his eyes filled with terror.

"You—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of red light shot from Yin Tianfang’s eyes and pierced into the center of the old man’s forehead. The old man’s eyes widened, and he collapsed to the ground, the look of fear still frozen on his face.

"Thank you, sir, for saving my life." The second prince of the Qingshui Kingdom finally regained his composure. He bowed deeply to Yin Tianfang and said, "I am Xia Rensheng, the second son of the King of Qingshui. May I ask for your name, sir?"

"My surname is Yin," Yin Tianfang replied.

"I will surely repay this life-saving grace in the future," Xia Rensheng said. He looked at the corpses of the soldiers scattered across the ground, his heart heavy. After cupping his hands to Yin Tianfang, he proceeded to bury all the fallen soldiers.

Beneath a new mound, hundreds of soldiers were laid to rest.

Xia Rensheng stood in silence, then slowly knelt before the fresh grave. Yin Tianfang stood to the side, watching quietly. Once Xia Rensheng had finished his tasks, Yin Tianfang spoke, "You should leave this place as soon as possible."

With that, Yin Tianfang turned to depart.

"Wait, sir!" Xia Rensheng called out. Yin Tianfang paused. Xia Rensheng hurried over, stood before him, and removed the jade pendant he carried. He offered it respectfully, saying, "Please accept this pendant, sir. Should you ever have need of anything in the future, just send someone to the royal capital with this, and I will do everything in my power to help you overcome any difficulties."

Yin Tianfang pondered for a moment, cast a glance at Xia Rensheng, and accepted the pendant. With a flicker of movement, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distance.

Several days later, Yin Tianfang arrived at the outskirts of a small village. It was a humble place, consisting of only a dozen households, nestled by the mountains and water with beautiful scenery.

Yin Tianfang walked straight toward the outermost courtyard. With a slight shift of his thoughts, a streak of light flew out from within the house and landed in his hand. A moment later, two figures emerged from the room.

"Senior Brother Yin!"

Ge Bin and Qing Luo were filled with surprise at the sight of Yin Tianfang. They had parted ways with him three years ago.

After leaving, they had come here to live in seclusion. They had been waiting for Yin Tianfang, and that wait had lasted three years. They had assumed something had happened to him, never expecting him to come looking for them today.

"I thought something had happened to you," Qing Luo said.

"Indeed. Where have you been all these years?" Ge Bin asked.

"For the past three years, I have been in closed-door cultivation, only emerging recently," Yin Tianfang explained. "The Qingshui Kingdom is about to descend into chaos; it is no longer safe for the two of you here."

After a brief pause, Yin Tianfang took out Xia Rensheng’s jade pendant and handed it to them. "Take this pendant and head to the royal capital of Qingshui. Although the royal family is currently experiencing some unrest, it is far safer there than anywhere else."

"What about you?" Ge Bin asked as he took the pendant.

"I have some matters to attend to," Yin Tianfang said calmly, though his calm tone was laced with a chilling, unsettling intensity.

Ge Bin and Qing Luo exchanged glances, sensing that whatever Yin Tianfang intended to do was no simple matter. Their faces betrayed their concern.

"Don't worry, I will be fine," Yin Tianfang said with a smile. "You must leave immediately—the sooner, the better."

"Take care of yourself," Ge Bin said after a moment of hesitation. Without further delay, they took Qing Luo and left quickly. Once they were gone, Yin Tianfang took a deep breath and looked toward a certain direction: the location of the Xuandao Sect.

Having spent three years in seclusion, his cultivation was now incomparable to what it had been. With a sudden movement, he transformed into a streak of light and disappeared from the courtyard.

The Xuandao Sect remained as tranquil as ever. After all, it had become the territory of the Qingyun Sect. The Qingyun Sect was now at the height of its power, and even forces that were once its equals were now a step behind it—who would dare to offend them?

A streak of light descended not far from the Xuandao Sect. Yin Tianfang stood upon the water, slowly walking toward the sect. Three tall peaks stood against the horizon.

On the main peak, the former home of Elder Xuanyin, figures could be seen moving about—some were former Xuandao Sect disciples, others were from the Qingyun Sect.

A powerful divine sense swept outward. Instantly, figures within the Xuandao Sect leaped into the sky, their gazes fixed on Yin Tianfang as he stood upon the Qingshui River.

"Who goes there?" a thunderous shout echoed through the air. The figures radiated powerful auras, glaring at Yin Tianfang with hostility. To scan the entire Xuandao Sect with such unrestrained divine sense was clearly an act of provocation.

In the current Qingshui Kingdom, everyone knew that the former Xuandao Sect was now the territory of the Qingyun Sect. To dare to scan it with divine sense so brazenly was undoubtedly a challenge.

Gazing at the figures hovering in the air, Yin Tianfang’s expression remained icy. Except for one person he did not recognize, he knew all of them—they were former elders of the Xuandao Sect.

"You betrayed the sect, yet you have the audacity to continue living in this world!" His cold words caused the faces of those in the air to flicker.

"Who exactly are you?" an old man asked, his voice trembling slightly as he looked at Yin Tianfang’s snow-white hair.

"Why ask so many questions? Let's just kill him and be done with it!" another said, his face twisting into a hideous grimace, his eyes brimming with cold, murderous intent.

"We cultivators seek only the Dao. What does it matter which sect we belong to?"

"You don't even know how to be human, yet you dream of becoming an immortal? Delusional!" Yin Tianfang retorted coldly. He stepped forward, walking upward into the sky step by step, hovering in the air to face the elders.

An immensely powerful aura radiated from Yin Tianfang. In an instant, a fierce wind whipped up, his white hair dancing in the gale, and his youthful features were revealed to all.

"It’s you?!" A look of shock appeared in their eyes. None of them had expected it to be Yin Tianfang.

"I wondered who it was. So, it’s that boy who betrayed his master and destroyed his sect, ha!" The leader, a middle-aged man, was an elder of the Qingyun Sect; he naturally recognized Yin Tianfang.

"Since when does a traitorous disciple who killed his own master care about justice? It is true that they betrayed the sect, but you—you not only betrayed the sect but also murdered your own master. That is truly heinous!"

"What right do you have to judge them now?" the middle-aged man shouted. Every word felt like a sharp blade piercing Yin Tianfang’s heart.

*Whoosh!*

In the very moment that Yin Tianfang’s mind was momentarily clouded, a streak of light surged forward, a sharp sword beam aimed directly at the center of his forehead.