Nine Astra Skies

"None in the House of Ye has ever chosen greed over death so you should forget about your plans." Ye Changxuan remarked harshly, consolidating the Celestial Chi in his body. He had been concealing his power the entire time. If the fight ever broke out, perhaps he could kill Liu Xun while he was not paying attention. Maybe then, things would look up for his people.

"I don't believe the Ye Clan is that fearless. Fellow members of the House of Ye, if you take the pills in my hands, I guarantee that you'll live and that you shall prosper in the future if you submit to me. If you don't take the pills, you'll meet your end. The moment the Dark Troopers move, none in the Ye Castle will be spared." Liu Xun looked to the rest of the clansmen with his right hand held out still.

"If anyone decides to be a traitor and surrenders to Liu Xun, I will not stop you. However, know that once you've taken the pill, you'll be exiled from the Ye Clan. Regardless of your identity, the Ye Clan doesn't need weaklings like you!" Ye Changxuan raised his voice to counter Liu Xun's bribe to his men.

One, two, three seconds…

The clansmen's faces reflected on the cold, hard gleam of the Dark Trooper's armored spear. Although some faltered slightly at the mention of death, all had chosen to prevail by the side of their clan. They had their families here - wives, sons, and daughters. If they took a step back today and were ostracized by their kin, they would never be able to rest in peace either.

The clan had witnessed tragedies and catastrophes in the past. Some had expressed doubts about their prospects in the place and chose to depart with the elder chief's permission, relocating to a new place instead. Those who remained were the ones who were loyal and ready to die in the Ye Castle!

There were so many people in the Ye Clan yet none stepped forward. Liu Xun was turning angrier by the second.

Ye Zhantian was moved by his clansmen's unwavering loyalty. He laughed with pride. "Even I, Ye Zhantian, died on the grounds of Ye Castle today, I'd gladly do so!" With such loyal clansmen, all the blood, sweat, and tears that he put forth into growing his clan was worth it. What more could he possibly ask for?

Liu Xun clenched his fist at Ye Zhantian's words. "Bunch of ungrateful b*astards! Dark Troopers, destroy the Ye Clan!"

The Dark Troopers roared and charged ahead, their pitch-black armor gave off a menacing presence.

"Die!" The members of the Ye Clan roared and charged toward the Dark Troopers.

This was the clan's final battle and they would gladly nourish their lands with their corpses!

No regrets, even in death!

A battle broke out. Ping, ping, ping. Weapons clashed. The sounds of people dying could be heard.

Their powers were too great. There were many proficient combatants in the Ye Clan but they were going up against a group of well-equipped Dark Troopers!

Ye Meng cried out loudly and lunged at a Dark Trooper. Bam. The soldier's armor took a hit but the soldier had only stumbled a few feet backward and was barely harmed. A couple of Dark Troopers surrounded Ye Meng in the blink of an eye.

"What a sturdy armor!" Ye Meng's expression changed. He was an Eighth Level combatant but even a hit from him could barely dent the armor that was made from Xuan-iron.

Like Ye Meng, the rest of the clansmen were equally taken by surprise.

Bam. Ye Ping was struck in the mid-abdominal area. He coughed up blood and fell to the floor. A Dark Trooper stepped on his head as he struggled in a pool of blood. He took another beating from a stick and fainted.

"Ye Ping!" Ye Meng was furious. He ran toward Ye Ping, drawing a large crowd of Dark Troopers behind him.

Bam. A Dark Trooper struck Ye Meng from the back. The impact was so hard that it felt like Ye Meng's head was about to split. He tried to return the blow to the Dark Trooper but took a jab in the knee from the handle of a spear. He nearly fell on his knee as his right leg gave way.

"No one in the Ye Clan… Will ever bow to you, not even in death!" Ye Meng's eyes widened. Like a furious beast, he gritted his teeth and got on his feet. He shoved a Thunder Palm at his attacker, sending the soldier flying away.

Bam. The Dark Trooper's spear was lodged in Ye Meng's stomach. He, too, began coughing blood and then fell to the ground.

The Dark Trooper's spears were made of Xuan-iron. Even an Eighth Level combatant like Ye Meng could not sustain a stab from the spear.

Ye Peng was struck in the stomach by a powerful combatant of the Second-rank Prince's Palace. His dantian was de-synchronized and he felt the organs in his body dislocated.

One by one, the Ye Clan members fell.

Ye Zhanlong, Ye Zhanxiong, and the rest who saw the younger generation fall one by one grew even furious. Like a vicious lion, they struck the Dark Troopers away one by one but more Dark Troopers awaited them. These soldiers were experts in warfare. Countless Ninth Level combatants had died by their hands in the war.

The circle was getting smaller.

On the other side, the Scarlet Sky Tiger and Skyphantom Panther were roaring in fury too. While they possessed peak Ninth Level powers, they were outnumbered by the Dark Troopers. There were at least hundreds of them who assumed a battle formation and attempted to attack the felines with the sharp tips from the spear.

Stab, stab, stab. Sharp painful stabs from the spear struck the tiger and the panther. The two felines finally fell after ten or so stabs from the Xuan-iron spears. Blood oozed from their bodies and they let out a soft groan.

"Don't kill the beasts, lock them up in the cage!" Liu Xun ordered. He wanted to see how the Ye Clan managed to tame two beasts on their own and to understand how they were so obedient.

The Dark Troopers advanced and retreated in a coordinated manner. They were swift and decisive when they attacked with no hesitation. They were particularly adept in large scale battles and quickly took out the weaker members of the clan before surrounding the rest of the Ninth Level combatants. A back and forth battle ensued. The enemies were attempting to whittle down the Ninth Level combatants slowly.

"Liu Xun, even if I'm the last one standing in the castle, I'll kill you!" Ye Changxuan was hoping to wear Liu Xun down through the help of his peak Ninth Level subordinates before delivering a Tenth Level Celestial Chi strike to take him out. Alas, his men fell one by one and he could not shake loose of the Dark Troopers. Eventually, he could not wait and channeled his Tenth Level Celestial Chi.

"Go ahead and try!" Liu Xun twitched his eyebrows. He was shocked as he saw Ye Changxuan lunged for him. Just a few days apart and Ye Changxuan had advanced to the Tenth Level. Then again, there was a degree of differences in power between two beginner Tenth Levels. Liu Xun had advanced to beginner Tenth Level earlier and had much solid cultivation. When he saw Ye Changxuan reached for him, he responded, "Good timing!" He threw out an Iron Fist.

Bam, they clashed.

The horse that Liu Xun rode on could not take the impact and fell to the ground as did Liu Xun pitifully. Meanwhile, Ye Changxuan fell with his head backward.

Who would have thought that the Ye Clan's Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation was a force to be reckoned?

Liu Kan looked at the scene. The Ye Clan was resisting them heavily, especially Ye Zhantian and Ye Zhanlong. The combatants that the Second-rank Prince's Palace had groomed were no match for them. It was not surprising that Liu Xun could not sit idly when it came to this weak, meager clan as they were powerful!

Liu Xun launched himself forward, leaping off his Nightwind with one leg, aiming at Ye Changxuan.

Ye Changxuan felt someone directing a lethal kick at him so he quickly used his hands to block the attack. As he felt the impact, he was shocked. A beginner Tenth Level!

Bam. Ye Changxuan's Chi Construct Barrier was destroyed. He was sent flying through three brick walls. He coughed up blood. That one kick had completely stripped him of his Chi Construct Barrier. His body could no longer consolidate any Celestial Chi further. His vision was dimming.

Liu Kan threw out a few Wind Palms. Bam, bam, bam. Ye Zhantian, Ye Zhanlong, and a few others were sent flying away.

Ye Zhantian struggled to stand on his feet. The Celestial Chi in him had been broken and the organs in his body were severely dislocated. A beginner Tenth Level's strike was super devastating, even if it was just a Wind Palm.

Just as Ye Zhantian got back on his feet, a few Dark Troopers held him at the stomach with their sharp, pointy spears.

It was a messy scene in the Ye Castle.

In the Sunken jade Tower, Ye Chen kept an eye out for any members of the Three Major Sects with his Astral Body while allowing the Raven Hawk and Vermillion Spirit Condor to lead the way. After spending two days on the second level, the group had finally found the cavern that led to the first level of the Sunken Jade Tower. Once Ye Chen had gotten to the first level, he began searching for the exit.

People flocked to the Sunken Jade Tower every fifty years. Ye Chen, on the other hand, had Senior Tian Yuan's permission to set foot anytime he pleased. Therefore, there was no need for him to rush.

Ye Chen had been away from home for days. Grandpa, father, and the rest would surely miss him.

Now that Ye Chen had advanced to the Tenth Level and enslaved many mystical beasts, he would not go easy on Qiu Ying if he ever saw him again. He would surely give him a good beating!