"Thank you for your concern, Seventh Prince. I, Yun Tong, am just a Loose Cultivator, unaffiliated with any sect or clan," Nie Yun said quickly, feigning flattered astonishment.

"Unaffiliated? A Loose Cultivator? Excellent, excellent! Qii Yang, I see you don’t value this man, so I’ll take him!" the Seventh Prince said, looking at Qii Yang.

"Ordinarily, if the Seventh Prince were to ask for one of my men, I would hand him over without a second thought. However, this man is not my subordinate. For one, I cannot command him. For two, he has offended me and must be killed! Only then can I quell the hatred in my heart. Surely the Seventh Prince has no use for a dead man!"

Qii Yang snorted coldly. His face, once pale and exhausted from his grave injuries, had already regained its color. He must have used some special means to recover.

Of course, it might also be because he was a Healer. As long as a Healer had sufficient True Qi, they could completely mend any injury. He must have used the time they were speaking to restore his True Qi.

"Kill him? I’d save your breath. I’m claiming this man today, and that’s final!"

The Seventh Prince rose to his feet as well. With an ancestor who was a Heaven-Seizing Creation Secret Realm Powerhouse backing him, he had even more tricks up his sleeve. While Qii Yang had recovered from his injuries, the prince was completely unscathed.

"Your name is Yun Tong, correct? Are you willing to become my subordinate? Just nod, and no one here will dare to lay a finger on you." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The Seventh Prince’s regal authority was on full display as he looked at Nie Yun and extended an olive branch.

"It would be my pleasure!" Nie Yun said, quickly clasping his fist. Inwardly, however, he couldn’t help but sigh.

’I originally thought my scheme would have the Seventh Prince and Qii Yang fighting each other to a near-death state, or close to it. It seems I was too naive.’

’To possess such strength at their age, neither of them is a simple character. Even if they’re furious, they wouldn’t fight to the death and let an outsider reap the benefits.’

’In that case, I might as well play along and pin everything on Ouyang Cheng!’

"Haha, excellent!" The Seventh Prince laughed, a smug look on his face. "Qii Yang, did you hear that? Yun Tong is my man now. If you dare to touch him, don’t blame me for getting rough!"

"Fine, fine! Yun Tong, you’ve got some nerve! Even if you’ve sworn allegiance to the Seventh Prince, I’ll kill you today!" Qii Yang’s expression was grim. With a cold snort, he swung his hammer.

BOOM!

The True Qi surging from the giant hammer erupted into a thousand rosy streams, blanketing Nie Yun like a massive canopy.

"How dare you!"

The Seventh Prince’s eyebrows shot up. His saber cleaved through all techniques, its blade tearing a massive channel through the seawater. A single sweep of its edge and Qii Yang’s canopy of energy completely dissipated.

Qii Yang staggered back several steps, clenching his fists.

The two had clearly clashed again, and this time, it seemed he had gotten the worst of it.

"Young Master Qii Yang, why are you so insistent on killing me? If you must kill someone, it should be Ouyang Cheng. I know you’re a Healer and can treat your wounds, but the Mad Demon Heart Refining Pill is too potent. Without the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit to help you recover, your body is already overdrawn. Forcing yourself to fight will only worsen your condition, and you’re no match for the Seventh Prince! You’d be better off killing Ouyang Cheng and taking back the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit he stole. Restoring your body should be your top priority!"

Nie Yun had already anticipated the Seventh Prince would intervene, so he hadn’t bothered with the attack, speaking calmly.

"He’s right. Ouyang Cheng, hand over the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit! We had an agreement before we started working together. This is going too far!" Knowing he couldn’t kill the young man while he was under the Seventh Prince’s protection, Qii Yang turned to Ouyang Cheng, his eyes blazing with fury.

In truth, someone as smart as Qii Yang shouldn’t have been so easily duped. But his anger toward Ouyang Cheng had been building for some time. First, the man had been arrogant and condescending. Then, he had fled at the sight of the Demon Wing Cloud Armor Beast. But the most infuriating part was that he clearly knew Yun Tong had left Seeking Red Powder by the trap and said nothing, deliberately letting Qii Yang suffer a loss!

"Fine, fine! I can’t believe even you don’t trust me, Young Master Qii Yang. Hmph! I came all this way, gained nothing, and ended up being treated like a common thief. It seems there’s no reason for us to continue working together. Farewell!"

Seeing both Qii Yang and the Seventh Prince glaring at him, Ouyang Cheng knew any further explanation would be useless. He shot Nie Yun a cold glance. "You’re vicious, kid. Just you wait. I don’t believe you’ll stick with them forever. The moment you’re alone, I’ll kill you!"

With that, a pair of wings sprouted from his back. He activated his Soaring Water Master ability and with a WHOOSH, shot upward, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

"You’re not getting away!"

Seeing him flee, the Seventh Prince and Qii Yang attacked simultaneously, unleashing a floral rain of power toward the sky. But a Soaring Water Master was a Soaring Water Master. In the water, he was as fast as a shooting star. Despite the ferocity of their attacks, they struck nothing but empty water.

"Seventh Prince, one of Qii Yang’s men has stolen the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit that should have been yours. We can’t just let this go!"

Seeing Ouyang Cheng escape, Nie Yun made no move to pursue him. Instead, he looked to the Seventh Prince and continued to stir up trouble.

"Indeed. Qii Yang, what do you propose we do now?" The Seventh Prince and his followers surrounded Qii Yang’s party of three.

Now, only Muu Shengxue and Mu Xia still stood with Qii Yang. The situation was dire for him.

When Ouyang Cheng was present, everyone had been somewhat wary. Now, Qii Yang was no different from a plucked chicken.

"Fine, fine. Yun Tong, you are truly vicious! You made me destroy my own defenses!" Seeing how the situation had developed, Qii Yang finally understood.

If he hadn’t forced Ouyang Cheng away, the Seventh Prince wouldn’t have dared to do anything to him, given Ouyang Cheng’s status as a Soaring Water Master. But now, things were completely different. If they all ganged up on him, even if he didn’t die, he would be severely wounded!

"Seventh Prince, since you were able to make it here, you must already know that the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit isn’t my ultimate goal. Without me to guide you, I’m afraid you’ll have a very hard time finding the precise location of the Demon Saint Ancient Corpse. I can lead you there... but on three conditions."

Qii Yang was truly a formidable character. Understanding his predicament, he didn’t panic. Instead, he just smiled faintly.

"Three conditions? You think you’re in any position to negotiate with me?" The Seventh Prince’s eyes narrowed.

"And why not? I’ve already sent word to the Eldest Prince and my grandfather that I am with you. If I were to meet with a... mishap, my grandfather, while not as powerful as your ancestor, is certainly not one to be trifled with! We’ll see then whether your ancestor chooses to help you or risk offending mine!"

Qii Yang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, the picture of confidence.

"You dare!"

The Seventh Prince’s fists clenched involuntarily.

Qii Yang’s words were indeed a potent threat. He was currently vying with the Eldest Prince for the throne, and they were evenly matched. Any slip-up would result in him being completely crushed by his brother. Furthermore, while Qii Yang’s grandfather wasn’t a Heaven-Seizing Creation Secret Realm Powerhouse, he was an old monster who had survived his failed attempt to break into that realm. He had so many tricks up his sleeve that even the prince’s own ancestor was wary of him.

’If a supreme expert like that really went to have a word with my ancestor, my ancestor might actually cast me aside like a sacrificial pawn just to save face!’ (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit qidian.com to vote for it. Your support is my greatest motivation.)