Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

"What?" Shock flashed across Xiao Wuji's face as a sliver of killing intent radiated from him.

"I knew it. In all of Celestial Capital Prefecture, who but the Yuchi family would dare kill one of my own?"

Xiao Wuji's face twisted into a ferocious scowl, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot. A boundless killing intent surged forth like a vast ocean.

Ye Xuan had no doubt that if Yu Chi Bugong hadn't already left, Xiao Wuji would have sought him out for a fight to the death.

"Patriarch Xiao, what do you think you're doing?"

Standing to the side, Zuo Yuan sensed Xiao Wuji's imposing aura and immediately moved to block Ye Xuan. "Hmph," he snorted coldly. Ye Xuan and Xiao Wuji had been speaking via voice transmission, so Zuo Yuan assumed the killing intent was directed at Ye Xuan.

But even if it wasn't directed at Ye Xuan, the unintentionally released killing intent still slammed into him, making it hard to breathe.

This was only because Ye Xuan was so familiar with the power of a Martial Emperor. A regular Martial King would have likely coughed up blood under such pressure.

"Master Xuan Ye, Master Zuo Yuan, I was too agitated just now. My sincerest apologies." Xiao Wuji finally snapped out of his shock and retracted his aura, but the killing intent in his eyes still flickered uncontrollably.

Ye Xuan waved his hand. "Patriarch Xiao, from what I overheard of the conversation between Yuchi Jie and Xiao Ping, it seems that Xiao Ping, from your esteemed family, learned of a change in some secret location. That is why Yuchi Jie killed him. As for the specific details, I am not entirely clear; you can investigate that yourself. However, I hope you can promise me one thing. Aside from yourself, I don't want anyone else to know that you learned the cause of Xiao Ping's death from me."

'It wasn't that I fear the Yuchi family. My primary goal is to properly develop my own faction and increase my strength; I don't want to get involved in too many conflicts between the major powers.'

'If the Yuchi family finds out I'm the one who told Xiao Wuji, they'll surely harbor a grudge against the Profound Light Pavilion. Besides, I already killed their Guest Minister, Mo Qianshan, outside Celestial Capital Prefecture. If they ever trace that back to me, they'll definitely move against the Pavilion, and that's not something I want.'

Xiao Wuji immediately understood Ye Xuan's concerns. "Master Xuan Ye, you can rest assured," he said quickly. "I, Xiao Wuji, am not the kind of person who betrays a friend. I thank you for what you've done today. I will be sure to repay this favor when I have the chance in the future."

Xiao Wuji clasped his hands in a salute. Without another word, he turned and left, clearly unable to wait to investigate the true cause of Xiao Ping's death.

After such a tumultuous series of events, the Profound Light Pavilion finally grew quiet.

Su Xiuyi and the others began cleaning up the damaged Pavilion. Though they had suffered some losses in the battle, their reputation had been thoroughly established. From now on, it was unlikely anyone would dare to cause trouble at the Profound Light Pavilion again.

Ye Xuan, however, had different thoughts. He sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of dissatisfaction with his own level of cultivation.

'If Zuo Yuan hadn't shown up today—and if he hadn't been Gongyang Yu's disciple—the fate of the Profound Light Pavilion would have been difficult to predict.'

'Right now, the Profound Light Pavilion's strength is only at the Tier Eight Second Layer. There's still a huge gap between us and the true overlords. Forget confronting Infinite Mountain; we can't even be considered a top power here in a second-rate place like Celestial Capital Prefecture.'

'And I know perfectly well that the only reason Zuo Yuan can act so arrogantly in Celestial Capital Prefecture is because of his status as a Soul Refiner from the Divine Capital. Otherwise, Yu Chi Bugong and Xiao Wuji would never have let him run wild like that.'

'In the end, it all comes down to my own weakness.'

Ye Xuan was desperate to improve his strength, but he knew that a Martial Artist's cultivation must be taken one step at a time. Trying to rush things would be like pulling on seedlings to help them grow—it would only end up destroying his foundation.

"Hmm? Hawkeye Emperor, is there something else you need?"

After helping Xiao Wuji resolve the issue with his martial soul, Ye Xuan went outside the Profound Light Pavilion and was surprised to see that the Hawkeye Emperor, Qiu Wushuang, still hadn't left.

Seeing Ye Xuan, Qiu Wushuang immediately approached and bowed. "Young Master Ye, I wish to join the Profound Light Pavilion. I humbly request that you take me in."

After witnessing Ye Xuan's mastery of Soul Refining, he had been completely won over.

For all these years, Qiu Wushuang had been a Loose Cultivator. On the surface, it seemed like a carefree life, but deep down, he was lonely and in pain. The path of a Loose Cultivator was simply too arduous; he had to acquire every single resource on his own.

Of course, he was better off than most. His strength, methods, and fame allowed him to obtain treasures far beyond the reach of an ordinary Loose Cultivator.

But what good did any of that do?

He thought back to when his cultivation went awry. Even though he had Bitter Heart Grass in his possession, he couldn't get a single Bitter Heart Pill and had to resort to begging others for help.

Yet Ye Xuan had refined a Bitter Heart Pill for him in a matter of moments, achieving what had been impossible for him.

This made Qiu Wushuang feel all the more resigned to the helplessness of being a Loose Cultivator.

Of course, if Qiu Wushuang had been willing to become a retainer or a Guest Minister, many families in Celestial Capital Prefecture would have gladly accepted him; even the Yuchi and Xiao families would likely not have refused.

But Qiu Wushuang was a proud man, unwilling to demean himself by groveling. When a Loose Cultivator like him joined a major family, he was usually given the lowest status. That was why, unlike other Loose Cultivators, he hadn't joined a family as soon as he achieved some success in his cultivation.

But after witnessing the events at the Profound Light Pavilion, Qiu Wushuang, for the first time, had the desire to join a faction.

What frustrated Qiu Wushuang now was that he hadn't seized the opportunity to ask to join when Ye Xuan was refining the Bitter Heart Pill for him. He worried that by asking now, Ye Xuan would see him as an opportunist trying to ride their coattails.

Ye Xuan had no idea what Qiu Wushuang was about to say. He was momentarily stunned when the man asked to join his Profound Light Pavilion.

Seeing Ye Xuan's hesitation, Qiu Wushuang smiled bitterly. "Young Master Ye, I was too impulsive. Of course, one cannot simply join the Profound Light Pavilion so easily. Please, carry on with your business. I shall take my leave."

With that, Qiu Wushuang turned to leave, a look of resignation on his face.

Ye Xuan immediately realized what Qiu Wushuang was thinking and said cheerfully, "Hawkeye Emperor, you've misunderstood! I was just taken by surprise. Of course, the Profound Light Pavilion welcomes an expert like you. If you're willing, you can be a Protector of our Pavilion and help guard this place."

Ye Xuan was naturally delighted to have the Hawkeye Emperor join. Not only was the man a more powerful expert than Su Xiuyi, but he had also stood up for the Profound Light Pavilion during a crisis. Based on that character alone, Ye Xuan would never have refused him.

"Qiu Wushuang greets the Pavilion Master."

Qiu Wushuang was overjoyed to hear Ye Xuan agree and even appoint him as a Protector. He immediately bowed in salute.

"Hawkeye Emperor, there's no need for such formalities," Ye Xuan said quickly. "Here at the Profound Light Pavilion, we don't worry too much about rank. We are all members of the Pavilion."

"Understood," Qiu Wushuang said respectfully. "Pavilion Master, you don't need to use my title. You can just call me by my name."

Su Xiuyi and the others were overjoyed when they heard the news that Qiu Wushuang had joined the Profound Light Pavilion.

Qiu Wushuang's reputation among Loose Cultivators was immense, and his strength was second to none. With him on their side, they wouldn't have to worry about minor troubles.

Of course, after today's events, the Profound Light Pavilion was unlikely to encounter any "minor" troubles in the future anyway.

However, Qiu Wushuang joining also served as a reminder for Ye Xuan and his people.

As the Profound Light Pavilion expanded, their manpower was becoming stretched thin. There was a great deal of talent among the Loose Cultivators; if they were willing, they could unite them and form a formidable force.

The moment Ye Xuan voiced this idea, it immediately garnered the full attention of Su Xiuyi and the others, their faces alight with excitement.

If they could really pull it off, the Profound Light Pavilion's power could grow exponentially.

Of course, many factors were involved, and it was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

Although many in Celestial Capital Prefecture were aware of the day's events at the Profound Light Pavilion, the news had not yet reached everyone. But soon enough, word of what had transpired spread to every corner of the prefecture.

When word got out that Ye Xuan, a young man of only twenty, had defeated Vice President Rongyang of the Soul Master Tower in a Soul Refining competition, the entire Celestial Capital Prefecture was left speechless.

The subsequent news of the Li family's complete annihilation then sent an even greater shockwave through the Celestial Capital Prefecture.

More than a dozen experts from the Soul Master Tower had fought a cataclysmic battle with the Li family's experts at their estate. At least half of the Li family's direct descendants had fallen, and the remaining experts were imprisoned by the Soul Master Tower.

The great Li family, one of the six major powers, had been all but wiped out overnight.

The numerous assets controlled by the Li family were immediately coveted by various other powers.

After a period of open and covert struggles, nearly thirty percent of the Li family's assets were swallowed up by the Yuchi and Xiao families. Another twenty percent was seized by the other three major powers: the Lin, Xu, and Zhou families. Of the remaining fifty percent, twenty was taken by the Soul Master Tower, while the last thirty percent was, surprisingly, handed over to the Profound Light Pavilion.

In Zuo Yuan's words, his branch of the Soul Master Tower was subordinate to the Divine Capital, and a large portion of any assets acquired would have to be turned over. He figured it was better to leave it for his own people.

Thus, the Profound Light Pavilion, once a mere mid-tier power, instantly became the foremost faction beneath the five remaining great families of Celestial Capital Prefecture. It was now poised to replace the Li family as the sixth major power.

Of course, to truly become the sixth major power, wealth alone was not enough. They would need a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor watching over them, and in this, the Profound Light Pavilion was still lacking.

「One month later.」

Celestial Capital Prefecture settled down once more. The Profound Light Pavilion completely absorbed its thirty percent share of the Li family's assets, and Ye Xuan and his group opened three new branches in three other districts of the prefecture.