Yi Tianyun now had a general grasp of the situation. He understood why they had mobilized so swiftly—it was because they happened to have disciples in the vicinity. There was nothing to be done about that. These factors allowed them to launch their assault in just one short month, and now they were all gathered before the Celestial Sinking Ruins!

This meant they had already begun destroying the Celestial Sinking Ruins. How else could they vent their anger?

"Very good. I’m satisfied with your answers. You can go." Yi Tianyun tossed him aside, gesturing for him to leave.

After being set down, the disciple stumbled forward a few steps, his body trembling. He glanced back once before hastily fleeing. His companions nodded and quickly began to retreat as well.

But they had barely taken a few steps before the Black Dragon brought its foot down in their direction. It then spewed searing flames, incinerating them all! Agonized screams rang out, then there was only silence.

"Th-this..." The disciple who had been allowed to leave stared in terror as he watched his companions get burned to a crisp.

"Don’t worry. You can go, but they can’t," Yi Tianyun said, his expression placid. He then turned to the other Merak Palace disciples. "Ladies, if you want to deal with him, now’s your chance. He’s about to slip away."

As if waking from a dream, they immediately drew their swords and gave chase. Yi Tianyun had promised not to kill the man, but that didn’t mean *they* couldn’t!

"You... you went back on your word..." The disciple screamed, but he was still cut down by the disciples of Merak Palace.

After killing the disciple, their faces flushed red—not from excitement, but from the satisfaction of vengeance. It wasn’t that they were merciless, but that these men had been utterly vicious. Every move they made had been a killing blow, and their gazes had been filled with lecherous filth. The disciples knew exactly what would have happened to them had they been captured.

"You keep promises to people, not to beasts."

Yi Tianyun’s gaze was ice-cold. He walked over to the Great Elder, took out an Elixir Pill, and put it in her mouth to help her recover.

"Great Elder, you’ve been through a lot," Yi Tianyun said in a low voice. "Where are the Palace Master and the others?"

"You’re finally back... The Palace Master and the others are safe. They are all inside the Celestial Sinking Ruins. We’ve been out here for several days, and I’m sure it’s just as that disciple said—they’re under constant siege. If this keeps up, I’m afraid the Celestial Sinking Ruins won’t be able to hold out for much longer." The Great Elder coughed a few times, and some color returned to her face.

"Yes, don’t worry. Leave it to me." Yi Tianyun’s eyes glinted with a cold light. "As long as there are no Core Formation Stage experts, I can suppress them all! ’With eight-times Madness Mode, I’m more than ready to go wild!’"

"Is that really possible...?" The Great Elder’s eyes widened in shock. ’He can suppress anyone below the Core Formation Stage? Can he really do that?’

"It’s no problem." Yi Tianyun smiled, then walked over to Zhu Yuwei. "Your sister asked me to give you a message. She said you shouldn’t go back, and that the Zhu Family has wronged you..."

Tears instantly welled up in Zhu Yuwei’s eyes. She grabbed Yi Tianyun’s arm, her voice trembling as she asked, "Is that really what my sister said?"

"Yes... She also mentioned that she was the one who helped you escape, is that right?" Yi Tianyun inquired.

"Yes, my sister told me to escape... I didn’t want to go at the time. I was willing to sacrifice myself, just like her, to give Star Pavilion a powerful ally... My sister lied to me. She said that... that everything would be okay in the future, and that I shouldn’t subject myself to that. And now... now she’s telling me not to go back..." Her tears streamed down her face, her voice choked with sobs.

’So that’s the real story...’ Yi Tianyun was stunned. He had thought Zhu Yuwei was simply audacious. It turned out she had already been prepared to sacrifice herself to strengthen her family. The truth was that Zhu Yuxuan had tricked her into escaping, telling her things would be fine. Otherwise, Zhu Yuwei truly wouldn’t have run.

"Don’t worry. Once this is all over, we’ll go back together and check on the situation," Yi Tianyun said calmly. "They wanted to marry you off to the Cyan Profound Mansion, right? Well, if I annihilate the Cyan Profound Mansion, we’ll see who they dare to pressure then!" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

’In his heart, he already considered Zhu Yuwei one of his own people. Her willingness to fight to the death just now had earned his complete trust. Zhu Yuwei was a person of strong principles; she would go through hell and high water for anyone who helped her.’

Zhu Yuwei nodded, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "My sister... she has it so hard. She carries every burden on her own shoulders..."

"I can tell. She really gives her all for you." Yi Tianyun sighed deeply. He had misunderstood the situation before, but now he realized just how wrong he had been.

After a few more words, Yi Tianyun gave his instructions. "All of you, find a place to hide. I’m heading to the Celestial Sinking Ruins. Leave the rest to me."

They knew they would be of no help. If they went along, they would only be a burden, so their only option was to find a place to hide.

"Then you must be extremely careful... Prioritize your own safety above all else. I believe that even if Merak Palace falls today, as long as you are alive, we will undoubtedly rise again!" The Great Elder’s eyes shone with conviction; she believed Yi Tianyun could lead Merak Palace to a glorious future.

It wasn’t just her; every disciple of Merak Palace felt the same. They believed that Yi Tianyun could lead them to a brighter future, which was why they would never surrender and would never give up.

"Merak Palace will not fall. Not today, not ever!" Yi Tianyun flashed a faint smile, mounted the Black Dragon, and soared into the sky.

As they watched his figure vanish over the horizon, their hearts swelled with hope. They hadn’t seen him in some time, yet his cultivation had grown tremendously, and he had even acquired a Black Dragon. With him leading them, how could Merak Palace possibly fail?

"Young Master Yi, please be careful..." Zhu Yuwei murmured as she watched his retreating figure, tightly clutching the Jade Pendant in her hand. She never imagined that Yi Tianyun would have met her sister.

After leaving, Yi Tianyun flew swiftly toward the Celestial Sinking Ruins. The ruins weren’t far, and with the Black Dragon’s speed, he would arrive in no time.

As he neared his destination, he swiftly descended from the sky and disappeared into the forest below. He wasn’t in a rush to charge in blindly. His plan was to observe the situation from the shadows first, then launch a surprise attack. He had to proceed with caution. After all, the enemy had come in full force; charging in alone would be foolish.

He needed to get a clear picture of what was happening before finalizing his plan. The element of surprise was a powerful asset.

Thus, the moment he landed, he activated his Stealth skill. His figure melted into the surrounding forest, and his eyes glinted sharply.

The slaughter was just beginning.