Chapter 544: Conflict Begins

Prince Zhong, standing beside Prince Huai, noticed the change in his expression and smiled faintly. “It’s clear that you genuinely fear Yun Qinghong. Frankly, I truly can’t understand why.”

“I don’t deny it,” Prince Huai said with a cold face. “The years he was crippled were when I felt most at ease. But he recovered without any warning, as if a thorn had suddenly plunged into my heart. I feel that Yun Qinghong has seen through what I’m planning for this grand ceremony. When the time comes, he will certainly act.”

“Since you fear Yun Qinghong so much, you must know his character very well. So, based on your understanding of him, do you think he might side with us?” Prince Zhong asked slowly.

Prince Huai’s breath hitched. Then he shook his head. “Absolutely impossible.”

“Since you already know it’s impossible, why waste your feelings, clinging to this non-existent hope to try and win him over?”

Prince Huai remained silent.

“If His Highness Prince Huai is truly afraid Yun Qinghong will ruin things, it’s quite simple,” Prince Zhong’s lips curved into a cold smile as he said, “Just make sure he doesn’t even have the right to speak later, wouldn’t that solve it?”

As soon as Prince Zhong said this, Prince Huai immediately knew what he intended to do. After a brief silence, he slowly nodded.

Prince Zhong smiled. He glanced sideways, his lips moving slightly as he sent a profound sound transmission to someone at the edge of the seating area, then gave him a signal.

Yun Che was completely uninterested in the reports from these lords. After much thought, he suddenly asked Yun Qinghong, “Father, back then, the seven Guardian Families opposite, who jointly pushed public opinion and pressured the Little Demon Empress to severely punish our Yun Family… they all had a hand in it, didn’t they?”

Yun Qinghong didn’t speak. He slowly nodded.

Yun Che frowned and said, “During the Centennial Grand Ceremony, it’s traditional for Guardian Families and various princely estates to showcase their skills, and even compete. This time will be no exception. If I’m not mistaken, the princes opposite will definitely seize an opportunity to bring this up themselves. And the method of competition will very likely be East Section versus West Section.”

“Prince Huai will do this,” Yun Qinghong said calmly. “How could he not do something that could severely undermine the Little Demon Empress and blunt the momentum of factions like ours who refuse to side with him? Otherwise, it would be a waste of the seating arrangement he deliberately planned.”

“It just depends on what reason he’ll use.”

Amidst calm and quiet, an hour of the grand ceremony had passed. According to the original plan, this ceremony would last at least three days and three nights. It was still just getting started.

At this moment, the Zhennan Prince, who guarded the Southern Frontier, had just finished reporting on the century’s major events and sat down. In a corner of the East Section, a young prince with relatively low status suddenly stood up.

The Little Demon Empress glanced at him. She said coolly, “Prince Chu, do you have something to report?”

“Yes!” The person called “Prince Chu” quickly left his seat and stepped forward. His voice was noticeably trembling as he spoke. “There is something that has been weighing on my mind for a long time. However, this matter is of great importance and might displease some esteemed individuals. Therefore, I am unsure whether I should speak of it or not.”

The Little Demon Empress’s ink-black pupils narrowed. Her voice was cold and stern as she said, “If you don’t know whether you should speak, then don’t speak. Withdraw!”

Prince Chu felt as if his throat had been suddenly stabbed. He had prepared for most of the day, but not a single word of what he was about to say could come out. His face turned beet red. His “unsure whether to speak” was merely a buffer and preamble for his subsequent words. He hadn’t expected the Little Demon Empress not to let him speak as intended. Instead, she shut him down with a single sentence.

His face twitched. He could only utter a “Yes,” and retreated in extreme embarrassment.

“This fool!” In the center of the East Section, Prince Huai let out a cold snort.

At this moment, someone not far to the right of Prince Chu’s seat stood up. Judging by his attire, he was also one of the princes. He cupped his hands and said in a loud voice, “Your Majesty the Little Demon Empress, I also have something to say! This matter has also been buried in my heart for a long time. Speaking of it might displease, or even cause resentment among, some esteemed individuals. However, this matter concerns the reputation of our Illusory Demon Royal Family. It even concerns the future of our Illusory Demon Realm. Even if it means I will be resented, I must speak.”

“Oh, really?” The Little Demon Empress’s eyes were like a night sky studded with stars. “Then this Empress would like to hear what important matter Prince Xiang speaks of!”

Prince Xiang slightly gritted his teeth. His expression serious, he said, “I humbly request Your Majesty the Little Demon Empress to remove the Yun Family from the ranks of the Twelve Guardian Families! Let more capable and qualified forces take their place!”

An uproar erupted—

As soon as Prince Xiang uttered these words, the entire hall immediately erupted in an uproar. No one had expected that this “important matter” Prince Xiang spoke of would be so earth-shattering!

The Twelve Guardian Families were the twelve families who followed the Ancestor Demon Emperor in unifying the Illusory Demon Realm. They were the absolute pinnacle of the entire Illusory Demon Realm, supreme existences akin to sacred grounds. And for the past ten millennia, the Yun Family had been the head of the Twelve Families. They were also the most esteemed by the Demon Emperor’s lineage. They had only rapidly declined in the past century after suffering the Sky Profound calamity a hundred years ago. Although this Prince Xiang was also a prince, his status within the royal clan was low. His princely estate’s power was utterly incomparable to any of the Twelve Families. Yet now, in front of the Little Demon Empress, the Twelve Families, and all the heroes of the realm, he demanded that the Yun Family withdraw from the Twelve Guardian Families!

This was simply like dropping a thunderbolt out of nowhere.

The Little Demon Empress’s eyes suddenly narrowed. The Yun Family members, from top to bottom, were even more enraged. Yun Qinghong, however, showed little reaction. But the others lacked Yun Qinghong’s composure. Grand Elder Yun Waitian suddenly stood up. Completely disregarding that this was the grand ceremony, he immediately cursed loudly, “Audacious maniac! What are you? How dare you utter such arrogant words!”

Prince Xiang, however, was unexpectedly composed. He said faintly, “Grand Elder Yun, please mind your words. Don’t let everyone in the world know that all Yun Family members possess such poor etiquette.”

Yun Waitian sneered, “My etiquette is only for those I respect. A dog that forgets its loyalty for profit, abandons its ancestors, and runs to do others’ bidding is not worthy of my etiquette.”

Yun Waitian’s words were truly venomous. Prince Xiang’s previously composed face immediately turned a liverish red. His lips trembled with anger. “Yun Waitian… you… you… you’re going too far!”

“You are the one going too far!”

“Enough, both of you. There’s no need for this war of words.” Prince Huai stood up at this moment. The Yun, Mu, Tianxia, Yan, and Su families had already strongly suspected that Prince Xiang’s sudden emergence with such astonishing words must have been instigated by Prince Huai. His standing up now made it absolutely certain.

Prince Huai didn’t wait for the Little Demon Empress to speak. He said with a chuckle, “Prince Xiang, the Yun Family has been one of the Twelve Guardian Families of successive Demon Emperors for ten millennia; their contributions and sacrifices are immense. Yet you suddenly report to the Little Demon Empress, requesting the Yun Family’s removal from the Guardian Families. You should at least provide sufficient reasons, shouldn’t you?”

Prince Xiang quickly said, “If I did not have sufficient reasons, how would I dare to speak recklessly on such an important matter? Furthermore, the removal of the Yun Family from the Twelve Families is not just my personal idea. Eight or nine out of ten people I know also agree! The reasons are naturally more than abundant, and each of them is known throughout the realm.”

With Prince Huai standing up to support him, Prince Xiang’s confidence clearly surged several times over. He spoke eloquently, “As one of the Demon Emperor’s Twelve Guardian Families, the very least one should possess is sufficiently powerful strength! At minimum, they should have a High Profound Emperor invincible throughout the realm! Back then, the Yun Family had the most High Profound Emperors among the Twelve Guardian Families; no other family could compare. However, a hundred years ago, all eleven of the Yun Family’s High Profound Emperors perished on the Sky Profound Continent! Now, the Yun Family doesn’t even have a single High Profound Emperor! The strongest individual in the entire family, Grand Supreme Elder Yun Jiang, is merely at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm.”

“It is widely known throughout the realm that the mark of the Illusory Demon Realm’s top forces is the possession of a High Profound Emperor. But the Yun Family no longer has even one! Such a Yun Family can no longer even be considered a top-tier force. What right do they have to remain among the Twelve Guardian Families directly subordinate to the Little Demon Empress? What ability do they have to protect the Demon Emperor’s lineage?”

“That’s not quite right,” Prince Huai shook his head. “The Yun Family’s great calamity a hundred years ago was merely the consequence of Demon King Yun Canghai’s impulsive actions. Although the Yun Family currently lacks High Profound Emperors, with their profound heritage, given enough time, perhaps they will have them in the future.”

“No! Absolutely impossible!” Prince Xiang vehemently shook his head. “What determines a family’s future is the strength of its younger generation! But in Demon Imperial City, who doesn’t know that the Yun Family’s current younger generation is simply unbelievably weak! There are fewer than five Overlords under thirty, combined. And the strongest among them is only at the mid-second level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… Oh, I heard there was a passable Yun Xinyue, but unfortunately, she already died suddenly.”

“What future does such a Yun Family have? What right do they have to occupy a guardian position? If such a family can guard the Demon Emperor, wouldn’t that cause the Demon Emperor’s lineage to lose all face and become a laughingstock for the entire realm!”

“Silence!!” At the mention of “Yun Xinyue,” Yun Waitian felt as if his heart had been stabbed. He trembled with rage. “The reason our Yun Family’s younger generation is weak is because they were framed by villains and forced to bear heavy blame! Otherwise, with our Yun Family’s heritage and our Profound Strength, we would never be weaker than anyone!”

Prince Xiang sneered. “Grand Elder Yun’s words actually remind me of something. Indeed, Grand Elder Yun’s words are the second reason! And that is the Yun Family’s guilt!”

Prince Xiang pointed at the Yun Family’s seats and loudly reprimanded, “The Little Demon Empress has reigned for a full century, yet she is still unable to receive the Golden Crow inheritance in the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley… Why is this?! Don’t you Yun Family members know?!”

“You!!” Yun Waitian’s body swayed violently. This was his Yun Family’s greatest weakness. Even in his extreme rage, he was speechless. Because the Demon Emperor Seal was lost due to the Yun Family a century ago, and the Samsara Mirror was also lost because of the Yun Family… These were undeniable facts.

“Your Yun Family lost the Demon Emperor Seal, preventing the Little Demon Empress from awakening the Golden Crow bloodline and obtaining supreme divine power… All thanks to your Yun Family! The Samsara Mirror is even more so a supreme treasure of heaven and earth passed down by the Ancestor Demon Emperor. The late Demon Emperor placed immense trust in your Yun Family, entrusting it to your protection, yet you lost it… And it was lost on the Sky Profound Continent, the land of our mortal enemy! You not only let down the late Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Empress… but you also let down the ancestors of the Demon Emperor’s lineage!”

“With such strength, and such a monstrous crime that provokes the wrath of heaven and earth, the Little Demon Empress allowing you to retain the title of Guardian Family for a full century has already been the utmost benevolence and righteousness! But does your Yun Family truly believe you still possess the ability, the qualification, or the face to remain in this guardian position?!”

Prince Xiang’s rhetoric was extremely sharp. His tone was indignant and impassioned. Every sentence hit its mark. This caused all the heroes in the grand hall to feel an increasing sense of agreement with his words. It was no wonder Prince Huai had him step forward.

Clap, clap, clap, clap…

A round of applause rang out. Prince Zhong clapped as he stood, his face solemn, and said, “Prince Xiang, what you said is excellent! The Yun Family’s deep sins and severe decline in power are known throughout the realm. Initially, I didn’t think much of their continued presence among the Guardian Families. But hearing Prince Xiang’s words, I feel as if a warning bell has rung. Indeed, with the Yun Family’s current strength and the grave crimes they’ve committed, they absolutely cannot continue to bear the responsibility of guardianship. Otherwise, it would truly cause the Royal Family to lose all face and dignity, leading to ridicule from the entire realm! Considering the Yun Family’s crimes, the Little Demon Empress merely cutting off their resources for a century was truly too lenient; expelling them from Demon Imperial City altogether would not be excessive!”