Chapter 22: Sparks of WarInside the Ye Clan household, the grand meeting hall stood as a silent testament to generations of accumulated wealth. The hall was vast enough to house hundreds of people comfortably, featuring soaring vaulted ceilings carved from dark, polished mahogany and reinforced with shimmering silver spirit-steels. Hanging from above were massive, multi-tiered crystal chandeliers that cast a warm, golden radiance across the marble floor below. Heavy silk tapestries depicting ancient battles lined the walls, intermingled with high-grade defensive talisman arrays embedded directly into the stone. At the far end of the hall, resting atop an elevated crimson platform, sat the Patriarch's throne—a commanding seat carved from a single block of Obsidian Dragon-Wood, its armrests shaped like roaring beasts.Seated atop that throne, Ye Tian looked down at the gathered elders of the clan."Yesterday," Ye Tian announced, his voice booming effortlessly through the hall, "our wes

Chapter 24: Desperate Alchemy "Beautiful, so this is the gap," Ye Feng laughed as he hung impaled against the wall. The lady sneered. "Now you're convinced?" "Oh, I'm convinced," Ye Feng replied. "Now that you're convinced, you can die. Wood Technique—Spiral Wood!" Her spiritual energy formed several pointed wooden drills, spinning at insane speeds before launching straight at Ye Feng. Ye Feng smiled. "Thanks for the lesson. Guess it's time to end the class." He violently broke free, dodging one of the spinning drills. The broken wooden shafts remained stuck in his body where he had been impaled. Grunting in pain, Ye Feng yanked them out one by one. "You're a tough one, aren't you?" the lady muttered. She sent a barrage of spiral woods rushing toward him. Ye Feng dodged them all with insane speed, constantly calculating her reach. He lunged forward to attack, but she blocked it easily. Ye Feng altered his footwork. Step by step, his body vanished from her sight. All

Chapter 26: The Flames of WarInside the meeting hall of the Lin Clan residence—a modest, practical complex built from gray stone and lacking the lavish opulence of the Ye Clan—a loud, sickening thud echoed through the air."Useless! Useless! Useless!" Lin Ao screamed, his face red with rage as he repeatedly kicked a bleeding guard lying on the floor.Lin Ze, the second brother and middle child of the family, stepped into the hall. "Hey! What are you doing?"Lin Ao didn't stop. "Brother, don't try to stop me! I want to cripple this bastard!""What did he do?" Lin Ze asked, frowning."He's one of the guards who let those damn criminals destroy our mining site!" Lin Ao spat, giving the man another kick.Lin Ze stepped closer, looking down at the trembling sentry. "Tell me, who attacked our clan's mine?"The guard stammered, his body shaking violently. "It... it was a member of the Ye Clan!""Which one of them?" Lin Ze asked, surprised."I... I don't know," the guard whimpered. "I barely

Chapter 28: Ashes of Wealth"What the hell is this?" Ye Feng muttered, holding up a dusty, ancient leather-bound book. He blew a heavy breath across the cover, coughing as a thick cloud of dust billowed into his face."Uhh, what's that?" Mo Qingxue asked, walking over to him."That's what I'm trying to confirm," Ye Feng said, wiping the grime from the cover. "Myriad Faces Art."He flipped open the yellowed pages, scanning the dense text written inside. A dark smile slowly spread across his face. "Yes... perfect.""What is it?" Mo Qingxue asked."It's exactly what we needed," Ye Feng said, handing the book to her. "Guess the next phase of my plan will be much easier than I expected. See for yourself."Mo Qingxue opened the manual, reading the introductory lines in her mind: ‘With this technique, anyone can become anybody. If one masters this art, they become more authentic than the original. Altering facial features, shifting bone structure, and mimicking spiritual aura are limited onl

Chapter 31: Shadows in the HallMinutes later, Ye Feng snuck into line with the passing sentinels. They entered the main residence of the Ye Clan, splitting into two orderly rows facing each other down the grand entryway.A grand carriage drew to a halt in front of the estate gates.Could it be the person the guard was talking about? Ye Feng wondered behind his altered face.The door swung open, and stepping down from the carriage were Ye Yue and a white-robed woman, Elder Bai Ruoshi.The moment they crossed the threshold, the guards bowed in unison, their voices echoing through the courtyard: "Welcome home, Lady Ye Yue!"Ye Feng scoffed in his mind. Guess this is the special treatment you get when you're born with exceptional talent.A group of maids bowed deeply before Ye Yue. "This way, Lady Ye Yue." She was quickly escorted down the main hall.Now that everyone's attention is focused on Ye Yue, I'd better scout the area while I have the opportunity, Ye Feng thought, attempting to