Chapter 503: Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots

"Can one normally enter the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley?" Yun Che asked.

"Of course not," Yun Xiao emphatically shook his head. "Every time someone enters, the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley is sealed off by the Illusory Demon Royal Family and then takes five years to regenerate its resources. Although five years is a short time, due to the incredibly dense flame and lightning cloud energy within the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, various spiritual entities and treasures are nurtured very quickly. Under normal circumstances, entry to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley is absolutely forbidden, even for the Illusory Demon Royal Family themselves."

"Flames... lightning clouds... Since there's a Golden Crow legacy there, flames are normal, but why is there also lightning?" Yun Che asked, puzzled.

"I don't know that either. It seems to have always been a mystery of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. My father said it might be that somewhere within the valley, there's a powerful lightning-element profound beast or a supreme lightning-element treasure, but that's just a guess."

Yun Che nodded, then looked up towards the north of Demon Imperial City. Although he didn't know the exact location of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, possessing the power of the Phoenix gave him an extraordinary sensitivity to fire profound energy. Somewhere north of Demon Imperial City, he vaguely sensed the presence of a flame aura, perhaps indicating the valley's direction.

The Profound Sky Continent was divided into seven nations, with the Four Sacred Grounds transcending them, claiming to be guardians but existing more like transcendent enforcers. The Illusory Demon Realm, on the other hand, was larger than the Profound Sky Continent but not geographically divided, centered instead around the Illusory Demon Royal Family. In terms of strength, Demon Imperial City, where Yun Che currently was, was comparable to the Four Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent.

Undoubtedly, upon entering Demon Imperial City, the profound energy aura became incredibly dense. Profound Thrones, extremely rare in the Seven Nations of the Profound Sky Continent, were abundant here, and even the exceedingly scarce Tyrant Profound Emperors were present in large numbers. As Yun Che flew towards the Yun Family's residence, he sensed the auras of at least twenty Tyrant Profound Emperors along the way.

The immense power of Demon Imperial City was evident.

However, the Illusory Demon Royal Family's confrontations with the Profound Sky Continent ultimately ended with the Royal Family suffering significant losses, and they never took action for revenge... It seemed that in terms of overall strength, the Illusory Demon Royal Family was still somewhat inferior to the Four Sacred Grounds.

"We're almost there. That large gate glowing with purple light ahead is it," Yun Xiao pointed downwards and forwards.

The Yun Family was not as large as he had imagined. Their family residence was not only incomparable to the Phoenix God Sect but even smaller than the Burning Heaven Clan, which he had destroyed. This surprised Yun Che. However, remembering that his biological grandfather and father seemed to have only one son each, he instinctively wondered if the existence of Profound Cores somehow invited Heaven's jealousy, limiting their reproductive capabilities.

Arriving above the Yun Family's main gate, Yun Che slowly descended with Yun Xiao. Looking at the incredibly familiar gate just ahead, Yun Che noticed a fleeting hint of hesitation in Yun Xiao's eyes.

"Brother Yun Che, about that..." Yun Xiao said hesitantly, "Although I'm nominally the Yun Family's Young Patriarch, most people don't seem to like me very much. So, if anyone is impolite, Brother Yun Che doesn't need to pay them any mind."

Yun Che's heart stirred slightly. He nodded, "Understood. Don't worry, my main purpose in coming here is to meet the Yun Family Patriarch; everything else is irrelevant."

Yun Che followed Yun Xiao through the Yun Family's main gate. The moment he stepped inside, Yun Che's heart still pulsed intensely and uncontrollably. The ground beneath his feet, the air he breathed, everything before his eyes felt so foreign. This was the first time he had set foot in this place in his life, yet it was also the true home of his family, the source of the blood flowing in his veins. His biological father, his biological mother... they were all here...

I... I've truly... returned to this place...

Yun Xiao was severely injured, but he clearly didn't want his family members to discover it. As he entered the gate, he tried to compose his expression and straighten his posture. However, just inside, a young man appearing to be in his twenties or early thirties walked towards them. The moment he saw Yun Xiao, an obnoxious smile immediately spread across his face: "Oh dear! Isn't this Young Patriarch Yun Xiao? Why are you back so early today? Couldn't find any fun outside, or what... oh?"

The young man immediately noticed Yun Xiao's injuries, his eyes narrowing, then he burst into schadenfreude-filled laughter: "Hahahaha! I knew it, you're injured! Which young master were you sparring with? Tsk tsk, you're supposedly the Yun Family's Young Patriarch, yet you lost a spar and ended up looking so pathetic. How disgraceful for our Yun Family."

The man's words to Yun Xiao were exceptionally malicious and grating. While calling him "Young Patriarch," he showed no respect whatsoever, his eyes filled with mockery and sarcasm. Yun Xiao clenched his hands but forcibly endured, ignoring him, and simply said to Yun Che, "Brother Yun Che, don't mind him. I'll take you to see my father."

With that, Yun Xiao pulled Yun Che and bypassed the young man. He had endured similar encounters so many times that he had almost become accustomed and numb to them. Over the years, what he had practiced most was endurance... Even if not for himself, it was for his father and mother.

As Yun Xiao walked away, the young man persisted, turning sideways with a sneering, contemptuous laugh: "Oh! Young Patriarch, where did you find this lover? So fair-skinned and tender, even I want to have a feel. It seems the Young Patriarch finally realized he couldn't have that 'swan meat' from the Elven clan and switched to playing with pretty boys... Anyway, instead of dreaming of swan meat, keeping a pretty boy is much more practical, hahahaha!"

Yun Che's footsteps abruptly halted... This was no longer just mockery; it was utterly vicious humiliation. From Yun Xiao's account and the attitude of the clan members towards him, Yun Che knew that although Yun Xiao held the title of Young Patriarch, his life within the clan was far from easy. But he hadn't expected it to be this bad.

Yun Xiao might endure, but that didn't mean Yun Che would! If he could just endure this, he wouldn't be Yun Che!

Just as Yun Che was about to turn around, a clear reprimand came from behind: "Yun Hao! How can you be so rude to the Young Patriarch! Apologize to him at once!"

Yun Che's attention shifted, and he looked towards the source of the voice. A young man, dressed in white like clouds, walked towards them. He appeared to be around twenty-five, with a heroic spirit in his brows. Though young, the profound energy aura around him was incredibly dense, at least ten to twenty times stronger than Yun Xiao, who was a half-step Tyrant Profound Emperor.

"Ah... Brother Xinyue!"

Upon seeing this person, Yun Hao immediately dropped his ugly demeanor towards Yun Xiao and greeted him like a fawning dog: "Brother Xinyue, are you going out? Your junior rarely sees you leave at this time."

"Hmph!" The young man gave him a cold stare and reprimanded, "Didn't you hear what I just said? Apologize to the Young Patriarch at once!"

Yun Hao shrank his neck, not daring to disobey. He turned towards Yun Xiao, gritted his teeth, and was about to lower his head. Yun Xiao quickly waved his hand, saying, "Brother Xinyue, it's fine. Yun Hao was just joking; it's no big deal."

"Yes, yes, yes, I was just joking," Yun Hao quickly nodded with a grin, then secretly glanced at Yun Xiao with an expression that implied, "You know what's good for you."

Yun Che: "..."

"Hmph!" The young man snorted again. "The Young Patriarch is gentle and generous, yet you blind fools take advantage of it to bully him every day... If I see it again, I will not let you off lightly!"

"Brother Xinyue's lesson is well taken. I definitely won't dare next time," Yun Hao replied with a fawning smile, then retreated behind the man, but shot Yun Xiao a cold, teeth-baring sneer.

The young man's expression softened, and he smiled gently at Yun Xiao, saying, "Brother Yun Xiao, next time someone bullies you, there's no need to suffer in silence... Oh? Looking at you... are you injured? What happened?"

Yun Xiao quickly shook his head and replied, "It's nothing serious, just a minor injury. I'll be fine in ten days to half a month, Brother Xinyue, please don't worry about it."

The young man didn't press further, but said with concern, "You don't look like you have a minor injury at all. You should go heal right away... By the way," he turned his gaze to Yun Che, "who is this?"

"This is my new friend, Yun Che," Yun Xiao introduced, his expression noticeably relaxed when addressing the man before him. "Brother Yun Che, this is my clan brother, Yun Xinyue."

Yun Che nodded, acknowledging the introduction.

"Oh? This brother also has the surname Yun? What a coincidence," Yun Xinyue cupped his fist towards Yun Che. "It's rare to see Brother Yun Xiao bring a friend home. Brother Yun Che must be an extraordinary person. If you have time someday, I look forward to getting to know you better."

"He certainly is, Brother Yun Che is very powerful!" Yun Xiao said with a proud expression. He then noticed several people approaching from a distance and quickly added, "Brother Xinyue, I have to go see my father, so please excuse us for a moment. Thank you, Brother Xinyue, for helping me out again."

"Go on," Yun Xinyue smiled faintly.

Yun Che gave Yun Xinyue a brief, indifferent glance, then turned and followed Yun Xiao directly to his father's location. A few steps after he walked away, a fleeting, icy gleam swept over from behind him.

Yun Che's brow twitched slightly, but his footsteps didn't falter.

Killing intent!!

This was something Yun Che could never mistake!

And this trace of killing intent wasn't directed at Yun Xiao... but at himself!

He was clearly entering the Yun Family for the first time. Before this, he hadn't met any Yun Family members apart from Yun Xiao, nor had he ever even entered Demon Imperial City. The total number of people he knew wouldn't fill two hands, so why would someone have killing intent towards him?

He had only just arrived near Demon Imperial City today, and the only thing he had done... seemed to be just one particular action...

In that case, there was only one possibility!

"Yun Xiao, who is that Yun Xinyue? His prestige seems much higher than yours as Young Patriarch," Yun Che suddenly asked.

Yun Xiao scratched his head, smiling with a mix of helplessness and embarrassment. "Of course, Brother Xinyue's prestige is much higher than mine. His father is Yun Waitian, the strongest of the Yun Family's thirty-six elders, the Seventh Elder. And he himself is the strongest among the current generation of the Yun Family. He's only twenty-seven this year, but he's already at the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm and has awakened the only azure profound core of this generation. With his profound core, he's never met an opponent of the same rank and can even fight against those at the fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm. He's called the hope for the Yun Family's resurgence, and everyone in the clan says he's the most qualified to become the next..."

At this point, Yun Xiao's voice abruptly trailed off, but Yun Che could easily guess what he hadn't said.

"You seem to have a very good impression of him?" Yun Che asked a seemingly irrelevant question.

"Yes," Yun Xiao nodded. "Brother Xinyue is not only incredibly talented but also very gentle. Because of some issues with my bloodline, I often face criticism, ridicule, and bullying, but Brother Xinyue never mocks me. Instead, he often helps me out of difficult situations and even intervenes to teach those who bully me a lesson. I've always been very grateful to him."

"Because of some bloodline issues? What do you mean?" Yun Che asked, glancing sideways.

A hint of panic appeared on Yun Xiao's face, having inadvertently let something slip. "No... nothing, just some minor matters."

Yun Che didn't press for details. Instead, he changed the subject: "Do you also think he's very suitable to be the next Yun Family Patriarch?"

Yun Xiao was completely taken aback by Yun Che's blunt question. He paused, then gave a wry smile. "Although I hold the title of Young Patriarch, as you've seen, that title is a joke on me. In terms of strength, convincing power, and most importantly... In short, I know I can't become the Patriarch in the future. If it were Brother Xinyue, I think I'd be very supportive. Perhaps Brother Xinyue truly is the hope for our Yun Family's resurgence."

Yun Che looked at him deeply, then said with a half-smile, "This Yun Xinyue is truly not simple."

"Of course he's not simple! He's undeniably the foremost talent of our Yun Family's generation, and even members of the Illusory Demon Royal Family think highly of him," Yun Xiao said with a touch of pride.

Little did he know, Yun Che's "not simple" and his own "not simple" referred to two entirely different concepts.