Chapter 573: Greatly Cursing the Seven Clans (Part 1)

"Yun Qinghong, where did this so-called son of yours come from?" Prince Huai demanded with a deep voice.

Yun Qinghong scoffed softly, "This is my family matter, and there's no need to explain it to you, Prince Huai. It's your freedom if you don't believe he is my son. However, my son Yun Che has clearly demonstrated his Profound Strength, proving he is a genuine member of the Yun Family! Therefore, he naturally has the absolute right to represent my Yun Family in battle!"

"Your reason for not accepting the outcome of the battle, Prince Huai, no longer exists!"

"In this fight, all twelve of your participants were defeated, and my Yun Che stood until the end. In this decisive duel for the fate of my Yun Family, we have emerged victorious! It was a perilous victory, but it was well-deserved and honorable!"

Yun Qinghong's expression was calm, but his gaze was like an eagle's, and his words resonated deeply. With every word he didn't say, the faces of the opposing families and royal residences darkened further. Yun Qinghong swept his gaze over them and calmly stated, "As agreed before the competition, since we have won, our Yun Family will continue to retain its title as a Guardian Family. You, the seven major families and sixty royal residences, shall never again mention expelling my Yun Family! Furthermore, the seven major families—the Helian, Jiufang, Chiyang, Nangong, Xiao, Bai, and Lin families—must each deliver five catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals to our Yun Family within one month."

"And you, Prince Huai, must deliver twenty catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals to my Yun Family within one month!"

"This was agreed upon by both sides before the competition, and you personally assented to it!"

"The Little Demon Empress can bear witness, and all the heroes under heaven can bear witness!"

"Do any of you have any objections to this result... of course, a legitimate objection?"

Yun Qinghong's words made the faces of the seven major families extremely grim. Even now, they could not accept the enormous disparity between being the absolutely dominant side and suddenly being trampled underfoot. Prince Huai's face was ashen, and he remained silent for a long time. Covertly, he was transmitting sound to a dozen people simultaneously using condensed profound energy.

The Little Demon Empress surveyed the hall and slowly said, "The Demon Emperor Grand Ceremony occurs once every century, and each one features a dragon-and-tiger struggle, but never before has there been one so spectacularly brilliant."

The Little Demon Empress's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of coldness entered her voice. "The matter of stripping the Yun Family of its Guardian title should never have been considered by me! This outcome is a joy for the Yun Family and aligns with my wishes. Yun Che is still young, but his talent is extraordinary, his strength astonishing, and his courage exceptional. His performance today was truly unparalleled! The reasons for his background are not important; as he is the Yun Family Head's son, it is a joy for the Yun Family and a fortune for my Illusory Demon Royal Family! He will surely be a pillar of my Illusory Demon Realm in the future!"

"Where is King Baoqing!"

From the side of the western seats, a person with a calm demeanor and simple attire stepped forward slowly, respectfully saying, "Please give your command, Little Demon Empress."

Although King Baoqing was also a prince, there was no air of nobility in his attire or bearing. As he walked, a strong medicinal fragrance wafted from him. The Baoqing Royal Residence was a unique existence among the various royal residences because its capability and duty lay in refining elixirs and medicines. Historically, it had only obeyed the Demon Emperor, and most of the renowned miraculous elixirs and medicines in the Illusory Demon Realm originated from the Baoqing Royal Residence. The core components of the resources distributed annually to the major Guardian Families and royal residences also mostly came from the Baoqing Royal Residence.

The people of the Baoqing Royal Residence had always dedicated themselves to refining medicine, with profound energy only as a secondary cultivation. Thus, they were pure-hearted and composed, devoid of greed or ambition. Therefore, even though Prince Huai dreamed of bringing the Baoqing Royal Residence under his sway, he had never rashly attempted to win them over.

"Has this batch of Overlord Pellet been successfully refined?" the Little Demon Empress asked coolly.

As the three words "Overlord Pellet" were uttered, the faces of even the major Guardian Families and royal residences changed instantly. Those from outside Demon Emperor City immediately stared with wide eyes, their expressions as if they had heard the name of a divine elixir from beyond the heavens.

King Baoqing bowed his head and replied, "To the Little Demon Empress, this batch of Overlord Pellet was refined three months ago, with 90% purity. Fortunately, I did not fail in my task."

"Very good." The Little Demon Empress nodded. "This Overlord Pellet shall be bestowed upon Yun Che of the Yun Family. I presume none of you will have any objections."

"Yes. Yun Che's talent is exceedingly rare, seen once in a millennium. He is also the son of the Yun Family Head, and the future head of the Yun Family. Although he has just returned to the Yun Family, his performance has been exceptionally brilliant, earning the admiration of us elders. He is destined to become a pillar of the Illusory Demon Realm. Bestowing this Overlord Pellet upon Yun Che is most fitting," King Baoqing replied respectfully. Clearly, his thoughts perfectly aligned with the Little Demon Empress's.

Given Yun Che's performance today and Yun Qinghong's personal acknowledgment of his identity, the destination of this Overlord Pellet was truly well-deserved. Everyone in the hall felt immense envy but also knew that Yun Che was absolutely the most qualified person to receive it.

The Little Demon Empress's words made the faces of the seven families from the eastern seats and the various royal residences extremely grim... The preciousness of the Overlord Pellet was known throughout the world. Its refinement was exceedingly difficult; the Baoqing Royal Residence could only produce one on average every fifty years. Its efficacy, naturally, was incredibly powerful... If a profound practitioner reached the peak of the Monarch Profound Realm, taking one Overlord Pellet could directly break through the bottleneck to the Overlord Profound Realm, easily achieving the title of Overlord!

This was why it was called the "Overlord Pellet."

For profound practitioners at or above the Overlord Profound Realm, the effect of the Overlord Pellet was not significant, merely a slight increase in profound energy. But for those below the Overlord Profound Realm, it was truly no less than a "divine elixir." Whether in the Azure Cloud Continent or the Illusory Demon Realm, there were many Emperor-level experts, but 99% of these Emperors could only remain at the peak of the Monarch Profound Realm their entire lives, unable to break through to the Overlord Profound Realm. With an Overlord Pellet, one could instantly ascend and undergo a complete transformation.

The profound energy level in Demon Emperor City was extremely high, with countless powerful individuals, especially within the seven major Guardian Families and various royal residences, where Overlords were not uncommon. However, this absolutely did not mean that they could all successfully break through to the Overlord Profound Realm after reaching the peak of the Monarch Profound Realm. With the assistance of multiple powerful Emperors, the bottlenecks of the Sky Profound and Monarch Profound realms could be easily overcome, but even Emperors were powerless against the bottleneck from Monarch Profound to Overlord Profound. Those with exceptionally high talent might be stuck for several years, some for over a decade, decades... or even their entire lives, unable to break through.

The Guardian Families and royal residences all had their internal struggles and rankings. If one acquired an Overlord Pellet, a carefully cultivated next-generation talent could directly break through to the Overlord Profound Realm after reaching the peak of the Monarch Profound Realm, directly leading by one entire realm compared to peers of similar talent... Prince Huirun of the Prince Huai's Residence possessed such terrifying strength due to his extremely high talent, but another crucial reason was that he took an Overlord Pellet when his profound energy reached the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. He was also the only person among the current younger generation of all Guardian Families and royal residences to have taken an Overlord Pellet... which is why, to this day, no one in his generation can match him.

Therefore, even in the eyes of the Guardian Families and royal residences, the Overlord Pellet was an equally priceless treasure.

At each Demon Emperor Grand Ceremony, one—and only one—Overlord Pellet would be bestowed. Whichever power received it would guarantee the emergence of a figure in their next generation who would surpass most, or even all, of their peers.

With merely the profound energy of the Sky Profound Realm peak, Yun Che's strength was already astounding. If he obtained the Overlord Pellet, and in the future broke through to the Overlord Profound Realm without any hindrance, it was simply unimaginable how powerful he would become.

The entire Yun Family was overjoyed. Mu Feiyan immediately burst into laughter, and Mu Yurou said delightedly, "Che'er, quickly thank the Little Demon Empress for her grace."

"Yes." Yun Che nodded with a smile. Just as he was about to turn, a thunderous roar suddenly resounded: "Wait! This Overlord Pellet absolutely cannot be bestowed upon Yun Che! He has no right to receive this reward."

Everyone's gaze immediately turned to the source of the voice. The speaker had already stood up, his face stern, and it was the head of the Jiufang Family... Jiufang Kui!

"Jiufang Kui, what do you mean!" Yun Duanshui, who had been happily anticipating Yun Che receiving the Overlord Pellet, instantly flew into a rage. Disregarding Jiufang Kui's status as a family head, he glared and shouted directly.

"Hmph!" Jiufang Kui snorted coldly, "I said... that Yun Family brat of yours has no right to receive this reward."

"Nonsense!" Yun Duanshui retorted furiously, "My Young Master of the Yun Family has no right... so, does your Young Master of the Jiufang Family have the right?"

Yun Duanshui's address for Yun Che had directly upgraded to "Young Master." As for the Young Master of the Jiufang Family he referred to, it was naturally Jiufang Yu. Jiufang Yu had been sent sprawling, bleeding from all seven orifices, by Yun Che's punch, a sight witnessed by everyone present. Yun Duanshui's remark was undoubtedly an unsparing sarcasm.

Indeed, Jiufang Kui's face twitched slightly. He ignored Yun Duanshui and cupped his hands towards the Little Demon Empress, saying, "An Overlord Pellet is produced only once every fifty years, allowing one to instantly become an Overlord. How can such a treasure be bestowed upon the Yun Family...? I implore the Little Demon Empress to revoke this order!"

The Little Demon Empress's cold gaze fixed on him. "Reason."

Before Jiufang Kui could answer, Xiao Xifeng, the head of the Xiao Family, stood up and declared loudly, "My thoughts are exactly the same as Jiufang Kui's! The reason is even simpler. Yun Che's talent is indeed astonishing, and I have little doubt about his identity as Yun Qinghong's son. However, Yun Che only appeared in Demon Emperor City three months ago. We know absolutely nothing about where he came from, where he has been for the past twenty-plus years, or why Yun Qinghong hid him for so long! Ultimately, even if he possesses the Yun Family's bloodline, he is still someone whose origins are completely unknown. How can we ignore the young geniuses and princes who have always been by the Little Demon Empress's side, simply because of the talent he displayed today?"

"And that's merely secondary..." Xiao Xifeng continued, his face filled with indignation. "Little Demon Empress, have you completely forgotten the Yun Family's monstrous crime?!"

"The Yun Family's crime, always the Yun Family's crime!" The Little Demon Empress's crescent brows furrowed tightly. "In this past century, I have heard these four words from your mouths countless times. Now, a hundred years have passed, and you still insist on clinging to it?!"

"Little Demon Empress, it's not that we cling to it; it's that the Yun Family's crime is too grave... truly unforgivable!" Bai Yi, the head of the Bai Family, also jumped in, shouting loudly, "Our defeat in this battle means we ultimately cannot expel the unforgivable Yun Family from the Guardian Families. This is our incompetence, and we have nothing to say. But, allowing the Yun Family to remain is already extremely unreasonable and an immense divine grace from the Little Demon Empress. But to bestow an Overlord Pellet upon a family with such a grave crime... this truly cannot be! Not only can we not accept it, but even the people under heaven will surely find it unacceptable."

"Master Bai is truly impressive, being able to represent all people under heaven alone!" Yun Waitian sneered, his smile masking deep anger. "After enduring for so many years, your true colors have finally been completely revealed today! Since the start of today's ceremony, your every word has been aimed at my Yun Family, step by step trying to push my Yun Family to its demise! Now that my Young Master has received the Little Demon Empress's grace, you are clearly envious, yet you shamelessly express yourselves so righteously! Hmph... A century ago, rumors spread throughout the Illusory Demon Realm that our Yun Family had committed a colossal error, and that severe punishment was necessary to appease the world. We already suspected someone was maliciously spreading and fueling these rumors... Now it seems certain that it was your seven families responsible... Do you dare to admit it?!"

"What is there to not admit?!" Chiyang Bailie stepped forward, his brows furrowed and his face cold. "That's right! A century ago, it was indeed our seven families who collectively informed the world of the Yun Family's crime. Because at that time, the Little Demon Empress had just ascended the throne; though stern in appearance, she was kind-hearted and reluctant to heavily punish the Yun Family. However, with such a grave crime committed by the Yun Family, if severe punishment wasn't meted out, all those loyal to the Demon Emperor in the Illusory Demon Realm would surely be indignant, leading to eventual unrest! Even the Little Demon Empress herself would be drawn into a whirlwind of public opinion. As Guardian Families, for the Little Demon Empress's prestige and to solidify her imperial throne, after our earnest pleas to her proved fruitless, we had no choice but to resort to this strategy."

"Our actions were entirely for the sake of the Little Demon Empress and the stability of the entire Demon Emperor Realm! Even if some people denounce us as vile, we have clear consciences and no regrets! What is there to not admit?!" Nangong Zhi, the head of the Nangong Family, stated with a solemn expression.

"What 'clear consciences,' what 'no regrets,' what 'all for the Little Demon Empress and the Illusory Demon Realm!'" Yun Duanshui's voice trembled with rage. "When you say such things, do you feel no shame?!"

"Shame? Why should we feel shame?" Helian Kuang stepped forward and said coldly, "Are you truly unaware in your hearts why our seven families and numerous royal residences target your Yun Family? Our twelve families have been united for tens of thousands of years, with minor grievances but never major feuds. If the Yun Family's crime wasn't truly monstrous, why would we be willing to waste so much breath and effort?!"

Lin Guiyan, the head of the Lin Family, immediately roared, "Your Yun Family lost the most important Demon Emperor Seal of the Demon Emperor clan, preventing the Young Demon Emperor from truly inheriting the throne! Had it not been for that, why would he, in his grief and madness, venture alone to the Azure Cloud Continent and perish there, causing the Demon Emperor lineage to be severed forever! Although the Little Demon Empress has now succeeded to the throne, without the Demon Emperor Seal, her bloodline power cannot truly awaken, and she must constantly endure the suffering of Golden Crow Flame power riots... and after the Little Demon Empress, there will be no more Demon Emperors! All of this is thanks to your Yun Family!!"

"The Demon Emperor lineage has existed for ten thousand years, yet it was completely destroyed by your Yun Family! That you can still retain the title of Guardian is entirely due to the Little Demon Empress's divine grace! How can you have the audacity to accuse others of shame, and how can you have the audacity to accept a reward like the 'Overlord Pellet'!"