After leaving the corridor, Ye Wushuang returned to his room. He sat cross-legged on his bed and entered a state of cultivation once more.

This time, he didn’t rush to advance his cultivation. Instead, he focused on cultivating the Barbaric Tyrant Dragon Fist from the Chaos Dragon Tomb.

It was the Companion Combat Skill of the Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique. Now that his Dragon Body was reforged, he could finally cultivate it!

According to the information he had, this fist technique was incredibly fierce and powerful, containing the very essence of the Power Path. If he could fully comprehend it, he would be able to unearth all the power in his body and channel it into his attacks, reaching a state where a single force could shatter all techniques.

After briefly calming his mind, Ye Wushuang quickly entered a state of comprehension, focusing on the method for the Barbaric Tyrant Dragon Fist.

「Half a month passed in a flash.」

He finally pushed open the door to his room and looked up at the red sun hanging in the sky. Within his eyes, two ferocious and domineering draconic phantoms flickered.

"Shuang’er!"

Just then, Ye Xuan also emerged from his seclusion and walked over.

Ye Wushuang turned his head, a smile blooming on his face. His father, Ye Xuan, now walked with the powerful stride of a dragon and the prowl of a tiger. His aura was exceptionally imposing, and his eyes flashed with a sharp, intimidating light!

"Father, you broke through?" Ye Wushuang asked with a smile.

"Yes! It’s all thanks to the Earth-Fire Spirit Milk you gave me. Not only have my injuries fully healed, but I was also fortunate enough to break through to the True Essence Seventh Layer!" Ye Xuan laughed heartily, overjoyed by his newfound strength.

"Father, you broke through four layers in a row!" Ye Wushuang exclaimed, shocked at such a rapid advancement.

"Hahaha, Shuang’er, you’ve grown so much in just one year. As your father, how could I fall behind and hold you back?" Ye Xuan roared with laughter, feeling an indescribable sense of exhilaration!

Ye Xuan’s eight-vortex Qi Vortex Talent was famous in Blood Jade City. It was only because he had been distracted by his duties as Patriarch over the years, on top of being afflicted with the Cold Ice Poison, that his cultivation had stagnated.

Otherwise, he would have reached the True Essence Ninth Layer long ago!

’From now on, Father will probably be the strongest person in Blood Jade City.’ Ye Wushuang was also incredibly happy, because he hadn’t seen his father laugh so freely in a long time.

"And this is all thanks to you, Shuang’er," Ye Xuan said with a smile.

Immediately after, his sharp gaze turned to the sky, and he murmured with profound meaning, "The competition for the City Lord is about to begin. Let me do this one last thing for the Ye Family."

A brilliant light erupted from Ye Xuan’s eyes.

Sensing the sharp intensity emanating from his father, Ye Wushuang’s gaze hardened for a moment before he relaxed. "By the way, where’s my sister?" he asked.

"She’s already gone ahead. We should get going too," Ye Xuan said, striding toward the main gate.

The competition for the City Lord was held in the Void Saber Tower at the center of Blood Jade City.

The Void Saber Tower stood in the middle of a large plaza. It was divided into nine floors, each nine meters tall, and was itself a Middle-Grade Spirit-Connected Treasure.

In the Grand Emperor Domain, the known weapon hierarchy, aside from ordinary weapons, began with Spiritual Artifacts. These were divided into nine grades, distinguished by the number of Inscriptions engraved upon them. One Inscription signified a First-Grade artifact.

Above Spiritual Artifacts were Spirit Communication Treasures, which were also divided into four grades: Low, Middle, Top, and Absolute. A Low-Grade one had eighteen Inscriptions, a Middle-Grade had thirty-six, and a Top-Grade had seventy-two. As for an Absolute-Grade Spirit-Connected Treasure, it had even more, and its power was immense.

For example, Ye Wushuang’s Evil Moon Thunder Order was a Middle-Grade Spirit-Connected Treasure, while the one in Ye Rou’s hands was a Top-Grade Spirit-Connected Treasure, possessing unparalleled destructive power.

Rumor had it that above Absolute-Grade Spirit-Connected Treasures, there existed a taboo class of weapons: Holy Dao Soldiers!

These were the legendary Dao Formation Artifacts of Great Saints, capable of destroying heaven and earth in a single strike—terrifying beyond measure!

And the Void Saber Tower was left behind by the very first City Lord, the Void Saber Monarch.

The Void Saber Monarch had been a mighty expert of the Yin Yang Realm who cultivated the Saber Dao. He followed the way of the saber, carving a path of slaughter across the world with his terrifying Combat Power.

Legend says that five Demon Kings, each comparable in strength to the Yin Yang Realm, once charged out from the depths of the Blood Jade Mountain Range. They arrived aggressively, planning to slaughter the people of Blood Jade City, and no one could stop them. In a rage, the Void Saber Monarch immediately grabbed his Battle Saber, charged into the Blood Jade Mountain Range, and single-handedly slaughtered every last one of them.

Only after that did the people of Blood Jade City elect him as their City Lord.

However, after serving as City Lord for three years, he left Blood Jade City.

Out of respect for this great expert, subsequent City Lords established a tradition of changing the City Lord every three years, which eventually evolved into the current competition.

The competition for City Lord was a grand event held once every three years. Many people from Blood Jade City came to watch, so even before it began, the grand plaza was already a sea of people.

"The City Lord competition is starting! I wonder who will win this time?"

"I think the Ouyang Family has a better shot, don’t you?"

"No way."

"Why not? The last City Lord was from the Ouyang Family. They’ve controlled Blood Jade City for three years, so they must have acquired plenty of resources to help their family’s geniuses improve. They’re bound to put on a dazzling show this time."

"That’s true, but the Luo Family has been eyeing this position for a long time, too. They’re no pushovers."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, their gazes fixed on the Ouyang Family’s and the Luo Family’s camps in the southeast.

Then, their eyes shifted to the Ye Family’s camp, and some looked surprised. One person asked in confusion, "Isn’t the Ye Family Master Ye Xuan? Why isn’t he here?"

Someone in the know explained, "Haven’t you heard? At the Ye Family meeting, Ye Xuan was deposed from his position as Patriarch. The current Patriarch is Ye Xiong."

"That’s right!" another person nodded, then added with a look of disbelief, as if recalling something, "And I also heard that... that trash... I mean, Ye Wushuang, crippled Ye Feng and killed the Fourth Elder at the family meeting."

"What?!" The statement caused an uproar. It was hard to believe. Someone said skeptically, "Are you sure that’s true? I’ve seen the Ye Family’s Fourth Elder before. He was at the Qi Vortex Ninth Layer. And everyone knows what Ye Wushuang’s strength is like. How could he kill... the Fourth Elder?"

"It’s absolutely true. I didn’t believe it either when I first heard, but I later confirmed it with someone from the Ye Family, and they said the same thing. However, I heard he was disqualified from the competition, which is probably why he isn’t here," a young man said.

"Disqualified?"

"No way! If Ye Wushuang can really kill someone at the Qi Vortex Ninth Layer, then his Combat Power must be incredible. If Ye Xiong did that, he’s basically digging the Ye Family’s grave. Without Ye Wushuang, the only one the Ye Family can count on is Ye Cheng. He’ll probably meet an early end in the Void Saber Tower. They can forget about fighting for the City Lord’s position!"

Some people discussed this with unconcealed glee.

Although their voices were low, their words reached the ears of the Ye Family members, and every one of them had an extremely ugly expression.

At that very moment, the figures of Ye Wushuang and Ye Xuan appeared in the grand plaza.

"Father!"

"Xiaoshuang!"

Ye Rou called out.

Hearing her voice, Ye Wushuang and Ye Xuan walked straight toward Ye Rou.

Seeing Ye Wushuang and Ye Xuan approach, Ye Xiong frowned, and the group of Elders also wore strange expressions.

"Big Brother, you’re here," Ye Xiao called out. As if sensing something, his eyes suddenly began to scrutinize Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan nodded, then turned his head to stare at Ye Xiong and walked over.

Seeing Ye Xuan’s actions, the Elders seemed to realize something, and their expressions shifted slightly.