Instead of searching for the Dragon Pearl, Lin Xuan decided to return to the Ye Family first.

Upon his return, he asked the Ye Family Elders if they had any clues.

The Ye Family Elders shook their heads and sighed. "We only know that they went to the Mist Rain Pavilion and never came out again."

It must have been the Fang Family. They must have made their move inside the Mist Rain Pavilion.

The mention of the Mist Rain Pavilion made Lin Xuan’s face darken. "Don’t worry," he declared. "I will rescue Qing Wu and the others."

Lin Xuan planned to ask Chen Changsheng, the Young Master of the Mist Rain Pavilion, for help. At the same time, he prepared to activate the power of the Dragon-Seeking Pavilion. Whatever it took, he would save Ye Qingwu.

Lin Xuan soared into the sky and flew toward the Mist Rain Pavilion, with the members of the Ye Family trailing behind him.

"It’s no use, Young Master Lin!" they called out. "We tried going before, but we were stopped halfway."

"We can’t defeat the Fang Family."

"Don’t worry. I can," Lin Xuan replied coldly.

If worse comes to worst, I’ll release the Blackwater Xuan Snake and let the Snake King sweep them all away.

How could he possibly defeat them? The Ye Family Elders didn’t believe him at all. In their minds, Lin Xuan would undoubtedly return empty-handed.

Just as they had predicted, their group was blocked on the way.

A member of the Ye Family said, "It’s them, the ones who are blocking the path. We’re no match for them."

Lin Xuan looked ahead and announced icily, "Anyone who blocks my path dies!"

"Who does this person think he is? So arrogant?" The Fang Family experts were all furious.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "It’s Lin Xuan!"

"What? It’s really him?"

Soon, a powerful figure walked over. "You must be Lin Xuan. Come with me. The Fairy of our family wishes to see you."

"See me? Alright, lead the way," Lin Xuan said, readying himself to go. He was protected by the Snake King, so he feared nothing. Even if the Fang Family had set an inescapable trap, he was confident he could fight his way out.

Behind them, the Ye Family Elders were not about to stand idly by. They followed, declaring, "We’re coming too."

However, the Fang Family expert leading the way shook his head. "Our Fairy said to only invite Lin Xuan. Alone."

Alone? Wouldn’t that be suicide?

The Ye Family Elders grew extremely anxious. After a brief discussion, they decided to send two of their young disciples along.

The Fang Family expert glanced at the two, saw that they were merely young Grandmasters, and nodded. "Very well."

And so, the two Ye Family disciples, Ye Tian and Ye Fei, accompanied Lin Xuan.

After walking for some time, Lin Xuan asked, "Aren’t we going to the Mist Rain Pavilion? This isn’t the right way."

The Fang Family expert up ahead replied, "Our Fairy left the Mist Rain Pavilion long ago. She is elsewhere." He then taunted, "What, are you afraid to come?"

"Hmph! What is there to be afraid of?" Lin Xuan snorted.

Soon, they arrived in a mountain range. The environment was beautiful but sparsely populated. Nestled within the mountains was a manor, surrounded on all sides by peaks shrouded in mist and clouds, giving it the appearance of an immortal’s realm. A stream, so clear you could see its bottom, flowed in front of the estate.

"We’re here. Follow me inside," the Fang Family expert said as he descended from the sky, landing before the manor. He then pushed open the gates and walked in.

Lin Xuan followed close behind.

Inside was a spacious courtyard with a pond in the center. Its water was just as clear, and goldfish could be seen swimming within. Beside the pond was a grassy lawn, where a woman was playing a zither. The music was melodious, graceful, and captivating.

For a moment, Ye Fei and Ye Tian were completely dazed.

Lin Xuan squinted, his eyes fixed on the zither player, but he did not interrupt her. Only after the piece was finished did he ask in a cold voice, "Are you the one who wanted to see me?"

The woman playing the zither was, of course, Fang Qingyu.

She smiled. "You must be Lin Xuan. I’ve finally found you."

"Cut the chatter. Where are Ye Qingwu and the others?"

Beside him, Ye Tian and the other disciple also asked nervously, "How are Ru Xue and the others?"

"They are in my hands," Fang Qingyu said calmly. "They’re merely trapped for now. Rest assured, they are safe. Now, I have a few questions for you." She stared at Lin Xuan. "Is Fang Zimo’s Storage Ring in your possession?"

So, she really is after the clue to the Wood Spirit Pearl. Lin Xuan’s eyebrow twitched as he snorted internally. With a wave of his hand, a delicate ring appeared in his palm.

"Is this the ring you’re talking about?" he asked.

Seeing the ring, Fang Qingyu stood up excitedly, her eyes lighting up. "So, the item really was in your hands all along," she said with a smile. "Give me the ring."

Lin Xuan did not hand it over. Instead, he countered, "Where are Ye Qingwu and the others?"

Hearing this, Fang Qingyu waved her hand, and a Treasure Umbrella appeared in midair. It slowly opened, casting down thousands of radiant beams. Within the umbrella, there seemed to exist another dimension, and within that dimension were two figures: Ye Qingwu and Ye Ruxue.

"It’s them!" Ye Tian exclaimed.

Ye Fei tried to rush forward to save them, but it was impossible.

Fang Qingyu explained, "This is the Qiankun Treasure Umbrella, a fourth-grade spiritual device. Even Great Grandmasters cannot break it, let alone you. Don’t waste your energy. If you want to save them, you’ll do exactly as I say."

Lin Xuan visibly relaxed upon seeing that Ye Qingwu was not in any danger. Thank goodness, they’re just trapped.

He then looked around and found that although there were many people present, they were only Grandmasters. Not a single Great Grandmaster was among them. In fact, the strongest warrior was merely a five-star Grandmaster. This lineup is far too weak.

Lin Xuan frowned. "You only brought these people to deal with me? Isn’t your Fang Family underestimating me a little?"

"Aren’t these people enough to handle you?" Fang Qingyu said confidently. "We’ve already investigated. It was Yunxi who defeated Fang Zimo, not you. You’re just a nine-star Martial General. Any Grandmaster here could easily suppress you. I really don’t know what gives you the right to be so arrogant!"

Lin Xuan sneered. "That just goes to show that your Fang Family has eyes but can’t see, completely unaware of my true strength." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Hearing his words, the members of the Fang Family were instantly enraged.

"Kid, are you courting death?" they snarled, their killing intent surging.

Beside Lin Xuan, Ye Tian and Ye Fei tensed up, looking as if they were facing a great enemy, ready to fight at any moment.

Fang Qingyu, however, showed no intention of making a move. In her view, Lin Xuan was too weak to be worthy of her attention.

A Grandmaster from the Fang Family stepped forward. "Fairy, allow me to teach him a lesson."

This was a four-star Grandmaster of immense power.

Fang Qingyu nodded. "You may, but be careful not to kill him. I still need to take him back to Grandfather."

"Don’t worry, Fairy. I won’t kill him, but I will cripple him."

The man’s name was Fang Changkong. As a four-star Grandmaster, he believed he could disable Lin Xuan with a single move. With a wave of his hand, a storm manifested before him, tearing at the void like a tornado. Gripping the destructive tempest, Fang Changkong looked down on Lin Xuan.

"Kid," he said coldly, "if you kneel and surrender now, there’s still time."

Lin Xuan said nothing, but his face was filled with disdain, as if he wasn’t taking Fang Changkong seriously at all.

This attitude enraged Fang Changkong. What right does this kid have to be so arrogant?

"Young Master Lin, step back! Let me handle this," Ye Tian said as he stepped forward. In his eyes, Lin Xuan was just a nine-star Martial General and certainly no match for their opponent. He probably couldn’t even block a single one of the man’s attacks.