Facing the suddenly attacking Tian Family Ancestor, Yun Man unhesitatingly stepped in front of Qin Xiao and activated her protective treasure.
Seeing that Yun Man actually possessed such a Protective Dharma Treasure, the Tian Family Ancestor no longer held back.
Previously, he had been worried that seriously injuring Yun Man would be difficult to explain to the City Lord, but now it mattered little. However, his true target was not Yun Man. Although she had such a treasure for defense, how could she possibly block him?
With a single palm strike, he batted Yun Man away from Qin Xiao's front. The Tian Family Ancestor did not stop, lunging directly at Qin Xiao behind her. Once Qin Xiao was dead and the three women were captured, the Tian Family would rise to prominence.
Everything happened too quickly. Qin Xiao had not expected Yun Man to shield him without a second thought. By the time he wanted to act, it was already too late; Yun Man had been sent flying. Fortunately, her protective treasure kept her from injury.
Yet, this bought Qin Xiao a precious moment. To completely evade a Soul Formation stage attack was entirely unrealistic; Qin Xiao could only hope to avoid his vital organs.
Without drawing a weapon-for Ye Tianyi was already wounded, and killing a youth required nothing more than a single palm-the Tian Family Ancestor closed in. Were it not for having to brush Yun Man aside, he would not even have needed to close the distance.
Seeing the incoming palm aimed straight for his chest, Qin Xiao twisted sideways in a desperate attempt to dodge.
Yet, lacking experience against Soul Formation stage cultivators, his movement appeared to the ancestor as nothing more than a dying struggle. The ancestor swiftly altered his trajectory, his palm striking true against Qin Xiao's chest.
Unable to escape the lethal blow, Qin Xiao was sent flying dozens of meters away, his fate unknown.
Just as the Tian Family Ancestor was about to savor the completion of his task, a sudden chill bit into his spine. A sword blade burst through his chest.
"This is impossible! I severely damaged your Primordial Spirit-how can you still strike?"
Staring down at the tip of the sword protruding from his chest, the Tian Family Ancestor found it impossible to believe.
"Nothing is impossible."
Without a shred of hesitation, Ye Tianyi twisted the hilt, sweeping her blade horizontally. The sword that pierced his chest instantly sliced the Tian Family Ancestor clean in half.
"I have cultivated for centuries; the strength of my Primordial Spirit vastly surpasses yours. Even I suffered the backlash-how did you recover?"
Though his upper body was nearly severed, cultivators at this realm did not perish so easily. The Tian Family Ancestor channeled his remaining Spiritual Qi to seal the wound, staring at her in utter bewilderment.
"That is something you needn't know. Now, go die."
Pointed straight at him, Ye Tianyi's sword prepared to deliver the final blow.
"Wait! This matter truly was the fault of the Tian Family. So long as the Pavilion Head spares me, I am willing to surrender all of the Tian Family's wealth as compensation. I can even stand as witness and expose the City Lord. I have cultivated to this day and do not wish to perish here; I still have use!"
Discarding his title of senior, the Tian Family Ancestor used a humble pronoun, recognizing the grim reality. If he did not beg for his life, death was certain.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiao hovered near unconsciousness. Though the Heart-Protecting Turtle Shell had activated at the very last instant to blunt the brunt of the assault, a vast surge of residual force had struck his body directly.
His skin was cracked from head to toe, blood seeping continuously through the fissures, and even his bones had fractured. He had been pushed to the absolute precipice of death-far surpassing the injuries inflicted by the Crimson Flame Bison on the second level.
"Master! Master, what's wrong?"
Yun Man and Lin Shimeng rushed to his side, crying out in terror as they beheld his battered form.
"Quick, fetch life-saving Pills! Save Master first!"
Lin Shimeng was the first to regain her composure. Brief panic had given way to her naturally older and steadier judgment.
"Right, right! Life-saving pills, save him!"
Possessing a vast store of healing and life-saving pills purchased from Ling Ruoxue, Yun Man hurriedly produced a pile and began feeding them to Qin Xiao one by one.
"Enough... enough. If I swallow any more, I'll burst apart."
Having just returned from the System Space, Qin Xiao saw Yun Man relentlessly shoving pills down his throat and hastily stopped her.
In truth, he had not simply fainted; he had been dragged directly into the System Space.
[Detected that the Host has suffered fatal damage. Initiate treatment?]
"Treat, you must treat! Wasn't it just ten thousand drops of Spirit Liquid last time? Treat him, use however much it takes!"
Qin Xiao shouted internally. Now he finally understood why Soul Formation experts were the ultimate yardstick of power; no number of Nascent Soul cultivators could ever rival one.
He could now comprehend why even Ling Wushuang of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association-possessing Late Nascent Soul cultivation and a full array of Dharma Treasures-had been treated like a toy by a single human and beast in the second level of the secret realm.
[Confirm using all resources for treatment?]
"What? All resources?!"
Qin Xiao thought his ears were playing tricks on him. Last time it cost merely ten thousand drops of Spirit Liquid, and now it wanted everything?
[Initiate treatment?]
"Confirm treatment!"
With no other options left, Qin Xiao cared little for the cost. Resources could always be gathered anew; preserving his life came first.
[Consuming all resources. Treatment commencing.]
In an instant, every single item within Qin Xiao's System Space plummeted to zero. Not only were his Spirit Stones, Spirit Liquid, and the Saint Origin Spirit Fruit wiped out, but even his stored provisions and the unprocessed Demon Beast carcasses vanished entirely.
Only as the treatment took effect did Qin Xiao regain consciousness, immediately stopping Yun Man from forcing more pills into his mouth.
The System was already mending his body; further pills were unnecessary. With his skin cracked all over, any extra supplements would simply leak out and go to waste.
"Master, you're awake! Thank the heavens, you scared me half to death."
Seeing him open his eyes, Yun Man threw her arms around him, unshed tears shimmering in the corners of her eyes.
The embrace instantly jarred his wounds, prompting Qin Xiao to gently push her back.
"I'm sorry, I was just too excited. Senior Ye has already settled things over there. Master, focus on your recovery; I shall stand guard for you."
Relenting at his gesture, Yun Man wiped her eyes and glanced toward Ye Tianyi with reassurance.
Ye Tianyi had also noted his awakening. Though she had wished to strike sooner, damage to the Primordial Spirit could not be mended overnight; even with the Saint Origin Spirit Fruit, time was required.
Seeing that Qin Xiao's life was no longer in danger, she dragged the mutilated frame of the Tian Family Ancestor over to him.
"Junior Brother, how shall we deal with this person?"
Retaining some regard for the ancestor's final plea, Ye Tianyi had refrained from executing him outright, preferring to consult Qin Xiao.
"Young Master Qin, I was wrong! I am willing to offer any compensation you desire! I can testify that the City Lord instigated this entire plot! Our Tian Family was merely deceived-please spare me, I still have value!"
With his upper body nearly severed and eighty to ninety percent of his meridians shattered, the Tian Family Ancestor could not even muster a Self-Destruction to drag them down with him. Deprived of normal Spiritual Qi circulation, he clung to the last thread of his life, reduced to groveling before Qin Xiao.
"Junior Brother, what are your thoughts?"
Hesitating slightly, Ye Tianyi sought his decision.
"Kill him."
Qin Xiao gave the order without hesitation. Whatever value the old man claimed to possess was useless to him.
Of what use was a witness? Could he truly march up to Chen Lou for a confrontation? Leaving aside whether Chen Lou would admit guilt or deploy further schemes, even with hard evidence, the Tianyuan Sect could at best retaliate against the Tian Family-they could not directly strike down an official of the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty without an arduous legal process, and Qin Xiao had no desire to trouble Ling Wushuang further.
As for compensation, once the Tian Family lost both their Nascent Soul and Soul Formation pillars, the Ye Family would swallow them whole before long. To Qin Xiao, the old man was worthless. Furthermore, a man who broke his word and lacked all martial virtue could never be trusted.
Realizing his doom was sealed, the Tian Family Ancestor opened his mouth to scream, but before the sound could leave his throat, his head parted from his shoulders. Ye Tianyi's strike was swift, decisive, and entirely without pity.
"Senior Sister, there is still one more healing yonder. Leave him to you."
With the ancestor dead, Qin Xiao nodded toward the Tian Family Head, who remained engrossed in meditation. To absorb the Tian Family's assets swiftly, the head of the house might still prove useful, and Qin Xiao handed him over to Ye Tianyi.
"Rest assured, Junior Brother. I will ensure the Tian Family pays dearly. As for Chen Lou, once I gather concrete evidence, I shall report him. You suffered this calamity entirely because of the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion; Senior Sister is truly ashamed before you."
Ye Tianyi spoke with profound regret.
"Senior Sister, absorbing the Tian Family is enough. As for Chen Lou, leave him be for now. Act as though nothing occurred, and do not mention a word to Mistress-you know her temper. I will handle this matter personally when the time comes."
Fearing that Ye Tianyi might act rashly, and terrified of stirring up Ye Qiuyue's explosive wrath, Qin Xiao reined her in.
"Since Junior Brother commands it, I shall listen. You are severely injured; shall I escort you back to the Tianyuan Sect?"
Mindful of her aunt, Ye Tianyi offered her assistance with lingering concern.
"There is no need. Senior Sister rushed here in haste and undoubtedly has countless loose ends to tie up. You must move quickly to seize the Tian Family's assets before others catch wind of this. With the ancestor gone, the rest should pose no threat. Moreover, I require solitude to heal. Return first; once my injuries are tended to, we shall make our own way back."
Qin Xiao declined. Chen Lou had surely expended considerable effort to persuade the Tian Family; as the lord of a middle-tier city, his available chips must have been stretched to their absolute limit to enlist a major clan.
"Take care of yourself, then. I shall return first."
Knowing his reasoning was sound, Ye Tianyi pressed no further.
With a single bound, she reached the side of the Tian Family Head. Still meditating with eyes closed, the man remained entirely ignorant of the ancestor's demise, assuming the approaching presence was their guardian.
Surprise flickered across his face the moment he opened his eyes to find Ye Tianyi standing before him.
"Noisy."
With a casual sweep of her palm, Ye Tianyi knocked the Tian Family Head unconscious, hoisted him by the collar, and vanished into the distance.