Chapter 88: Both Sides Wounded

On the way back, the golden‑armored guards were all deeply impressed by Ye Liuyun.

Song Yi said, "I'm afraid this isn't over yet!"

Ye Liuyun replied, "Tell the Prince about today's events right away. We definitely can't handle the Ninth Prince and the North King! Also, the Royal Mansion needs to strengthen its guards."

Songtao gave a quick assent and went to make the arrangements immediately.

Near midnight, Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense detected that someone had slipped in—and there were many of them.

To be precise, it wasn't a slip‑in; it should be considered a massive assault.

The golden‑armored guards quickly organized a counterattack, but the opponent's strength was overwhelming; there was even a Sea Transformation realm martial cultivator, and even Songtao was no match.

At that moment, a powerful aura also appeared within the Royal Mansion, though it was slightly weaker than that of the Sea Transformation realm strongman.

Suddenly that person transmitted a voice to Ye Liuyun: "I am a First Hall Guard. I'm no match for the enemy, but I can hold them off for a while. You hurry and escape. After the Prince returns, you can come back."

Ye Liuyun immediately scaled the wall and slipped into the adjacent alley.

Outside the mansion, there were also ambushers. Fortunately, Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense had already spotted them, so he eliminated them all and then released the Bald Vulture, sending it flying toward the city outskirts.

Inside the Royal Mansion, casualties on both sides were heavy, and nearby golden‑armored guards rushed in to reinforce.

The Sea Transformation realm strongman, though of a higher level than the First Hall Guard, couldn't gain much advantage against the combined effort of Songtao and the others.

That Sea Transformation realm martial cultivator wasn't targeting Ye Liuyun; his focus was on those Holy Sons. He simply hadn't anticipated the First Hall Guard's appearance. Without the Guard, they would all have been dealt with here tonight.

At that point, he received word that Ye Liuyun had fled. Seeing little chance left, he abandoned the others and pursued in the direction Ye Liuyun had taken.

He could kill one at a time, especially Ye Liuyun—he had to be killed!

But just as that Sea Transformation realm martial cultivator chased out of the city, a battle broke out in another part of the city.

It was at the residence of the Ninth Prince and the North King. Likewise, a group of Black‑clothed Persons, led by a Sea Transformation realm strongman, stormed in.

Because the Ninth Prince's strongest Sea Transformation realm Martial Cultivator was absent, the North King was killed on the spot.

The Ninth Prince used a life‑saving Void‑Escape Talisman to evade disaster, while his accompanying elite guard was almost entirely slaughtered.

The two battles—the one at the Royal Mansion and the one at the North King's Side Courtyard—ended almost simultaneously.

Having fled the city, Ye Liuyun didn't travel far before landing on a mountaintop, gazing back at the city. His Illusion Pupil could see at long range even at night, and he wanted to check the city's condition.

At that moment he realized that someone was simultaneously ambushing the Ninth Prince and his party. The Ninth Prince used the Void‑Escape Talisman to flee the county town, landing not far outside the city—both events observed by Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun immediately took decisive action, having the Bald Vulture carry him straight toward the Ninth Prince.

Before reaching the Ninth Prince, he shot an arrow from afar.

The Ninth Prince was scanning the county town, using a Transmission Talisman to contact the Sea Transformation elder, when Ye Liuyun's arrow struck his shoulder, blasting his entire arm away.

Then Ye Liuyun leapt off the Bald Vulture and rushed toward the Ninth Prince!

"Ye Liuyun? How bold of you, daring to attack me with men!" the Ninth Prince shouted, mistaking Ye Liuyun for the one who had led men to assault the North King's Side Courtyard.

Hearing him say that, Ye Liuyun became even more determined not to let him go.

He then struck swiftly, each slash lethal. After a few exchanges, the severely wounded Ninth Prince could no longer hold on and was cut again by Ye Liuyun, falling to the ground.

Ye Liuyun stepped forward, raised his blade, and swung at the Ninth Prince.

At that moment, the Sea Transformation elder arrived, shouting from a distance, "Ye Liuyun! Stop immediately, that's the Ninth Prince!"

"He's the one I'm killing!" Ye Liuyun kept his blade moving, slashing even faster.

With the Ninth Prince gravely wounded, he could no longer resist and was cleaved open by Ye Liuyun's blade.

"Ah! You killed the Ninth Prince! I will annihilate your entire clan!" the elder charged at Ye Liuyun, punching him and sending him flying.

Ye Liuyun fell to the ground, spitting blood, and struggled even to stand.

The Bald Vulture swooped in, shielding Ye Liuyun. Lei Ming was also gathering momentum, ready to strike the elder.

"Useless! You can't stop him! Don't waste yourselves dying! Let me handle it," Ye Liuyun said, forcing himself to stand.

At that moment, he felt his internal organs being shaken out of place.

Fortunately, he had worn protective clothing beforehand; otherwise, a single angry strike from the Sea Transformation strongman would have been unbearable.

"You ant, how dare you kill His Highness! Today you all will be buried as companions for the Ninth Highness!" the elder roared, lunging again.

Ye Liuyun held his fire, waiting until the elder came close, then employed his Soul Sword to strike, simultaneously cleaving the elder's both arms with a single slash.

He thought the elder's True Essence was too strong, so cutting his body might not work. Better to sever the arms first.

Sure enough, the elder's Soul let out a howl when attacked, but his experience caused his True Essence to surge instantly, protecting his vital points.

Seizing the chance, Ye Liuyun sliced off both of the elder's arms at the roots, destroying his offensive capability.

Now Ye Liuyun, also bloodied and unable to crawl, lay on the ground. This mutually destructive tactic was truly a helpless move!

The elder, now armless, possessed little offensive ability.

The Bald Vulture and Lei Ming seized the opportunity, pouncing fiercely, clawing and biting, and tore the elder to shreds.

The elder was strong, but suddenly armless, he couldn't attack them, and Lei Ming's realm wasn't very low, so in the end he still couldn't escape being devoured by the Bald Vulture.

Ye Liuyun lay where he fell, resting for half a day, and after taking two Healing Elixirs, he gradually recovered a bit.

He rummaged through the Ninth Prince's and the elder's Storage Rings. Just the medium‑grade Crystal Stones amounted to over five million, and besides that he only took some medicinal herbs and ores.

"No wonder they're royal; their wealth is indeed abundant."

Ye Liuyun ordered the Bald Vulture to devour the Ninth Prince's corpse and the elder's arms, as well as the pills on their bodies, giving them all to the Vulture.

However, he kept none of their Storage Rings or other items, lest anyone discover he was the killer; instead he had the Bald Vulture toss the rings into a distant river.

Afterwards, he didn't return to the Royal Mansion; he concealed the battle traces on the spot, then hid in distant mountains, digging a cave to reside in and heal.

He released the Bald Vulture and removed its Divine Sense seal.

"You are free! I don't want you to meet the same fate as the Black Python! Go find a secluded place to cultivate!"

Ye Liuyun felt it was too risky to have it follow him, not wanting the Bald Vulture to die as early as the Black Python.

The Bald Vulture glanced at him, didn't fly away, and instead perched at the cave entrance as a guard.

"Anywhere is the same. This world is the law of the jungle! Dying early or late makes little difference."

Ye Liuyun hadn't expected that this bald vulture would be so open-minded, giving him a lesson!

So he stopped talking nonsense and got busy. He first refined all the medicinal herbs and ores he had gathered from the Ninth Prince and that old man into liquid, storing them in his gourd.

Then he took out the Five Elements Spiritual Marrow to begin body refinement, aiming to break through to the fifth stage of the Immortal Overlord Body.

Although the pain of body refinement was hard to bear, he had to endure it in order to become stronger.

If he had already cultivated the Immortal Overlord Body to the fifth stage, his injuries this time wouldn't have been so severe.