Yang Ye had given Situ Tingyun that painting which the Sword Sect’s Founding Ancestor had left behind, and 3 strands of his sword intent, Void Rank sword intent!

The painting was of no use to him now, so it was a waste for it to remain in his possession. He’d intended to give it to Lu Wan’er, but Lu Wan’er had refused. Because the inheritance that the Sword Spirit’s 2nd Master gave her contained techniques to comprehend Void Rank sword intent. So, it was only a matter of time for her.

As for the 3 strands of sword intent he left her. She could observe and comprehend them, and she could even use them against her enemies at a critical moment.

It could be said that if she used them well, then those 3 strands of sword intent could kill a high rank Half-Saint with ease. If she could execute a Divine Rank technique and attach those strands of sword intent to the technique, then she could even injure a Saint!

Why did Yang Ye do that?

Yang Ye didn’t bother to think about that. He just felt that she was pleasing to the eye, so he did that. Just like the little girl had said, there was no need for a reason!

Yang Ye walked into the grand hall, and only a very old man was there. The old man’s hair was completely white while wrinkles covered his face, and he emanated a dense aura of age and experience.

The old man stood up and bowed slightly to Yang Ye when he saw Yang Ye walk into the hall. Yang Ye frowned a little, and there was bewilderment in his eyes.

The old man gazed at Yang Ye for a long time before he explained, “No matter what the reason was, I still have to represent Tingyun and my Situ Clan to thank you for what you’ve given Tingyun. That little girl loves the sword, and she treats the sword as something very close to her. I’d intended to send her to the Ancient Sword School once she grows up a little, but now it would seem like she can’t go there, and there’s no need for her to as well. Because she has what the Ancient Sword School doesn’t!”

Yang Ye came to an understanding at this moment. The old man had discerned what he’d given the little girl, and that little girl understood it as well. That was why the little girl had acted in that way.

Simply speaking, the painting and those 3 strands of Void Rank sword intent would change Situ Tingyun’s fate.

Yang Ye looked the old man in the eyes and said, “You should know why I’m here.”

“I do!” The old man nodded.

Yang Ye continued, “But I can sense that he has left the city.”

“He left through the teleportation formations of my city!” The old man continued, “He’s already in the north now.”

Yang Ye said, “Can I take it as Orbit City siding with Sky Divine Hall?”

The old man’s eyes narrowed slowly, “When Sky Divine Hall interfered in the south, I knew that my city wouldn’t be able to avoid being implicated. However, I never imagined that it would come so quick. If I didn’t let Li Yun go, then my city would become enemies with Sky Divine Hall; if I let him go, then my city would become enemies with the Ocean of Clouds Academy and Ancient Sword School. Only death awaits no matter what!”

Yang Ye said, “But you chose to side with Sky Divine Hall!”

“Li Yun promised me that Sky Divine Hall wouldn’t act against my city if I let him leave.” The old man continued, “Now, I wish to ask Instructor Yang if you can spare my city? I know that you can make such a decision. So long as you don’t pursue the matter, then Ocean of Clouds Academy and the Ancient Sword School won’t act against my Situ Clan!”

Yang Ye replied, “Senior, your actions were equivalent to declaring war with the Ancient Sword School, Ocean of Clouds Academy, and the Dao Order as well. I can’t do anything to Orbit City, but trust me, they won’t spare Orbit City. Good luck!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Ye turned around and walked away.

The old man suddenly spoke, “Wait!”

Yang Ye stopped, turned around, and looked at the old man.

The old man said, “I know that you’re displeased that we let Li Yun go. Why don’t I do this? Is it enough to alleviate your anger?”

As soon as he finished speaking, countless strands of profound energy suddenly seeped out from within the old man.

He’d taken his own life!

Yang Ye’s pupils constricted as he’d never expected the old man to actually take his own life.

“Grandpa!” Suddenly, a sharp cry resounded from outside, and then Situ Tingyun ran into the hall. She ran over to the old man and wrapped her arms around his leg while she cried and shouted, “Grandpa! Stop! Quickly stop!”

The old man rubbed her little head, and his eyes were filled with tender affection. He said, “Tingyun, remember that this was your grandpa’s own choice. You’re not allowed to resent Sky Divine Hall, nor are you allowed to resent Ocean of Clouds Academy or the Ancient Sword School. You’re our Situ Clan’s future hope, so your mission isn’t to take revenge but to make our Situ Clan prosper. Understand?”

“But you don’t have to die. Grandpa, stop quickly! I’m begging you! Quickly stop! I promise not to make you angry from now on. I’ll definitely listen to everything you say! So please stop right now!” Situ Tingyun held tightly onto the old man’s leg, and she cried and shouted incessantly.

When she saw that the old man showed no signs of stopping, she turned around and ran over to Yang Ye, and then she wrapped her hands around Yang Ye’s leg as she cried and pleaded, “Big Brother, ask… ask grandpa to stop, alright? I’m begging you! Tingyun will kowtow to you!” As she spoke, she knelt down right before him and started kowtowing without end, and it didn’t take long for her forehead to turn red.

Yang Ye pulled Situ Tingyun up and said, “Senior, you actually can choose a side. Can’t you?”

The old man shook his head slightly, “Chaos is coming to Pine Prefecture. Our strength is too weak, and we’ll only be cannon fodder no matter which side we take. Once I die, Orbit City wouldn’t be a threat to Sky Divine Hall or Ocean of Clouds Academy, and Orbit City would be useless to them as well. In that way, perhaps the residents of the city would be able to survive. Moreover, Ocean of Clouds Academy would definitely not spare Orbit City if I’m still alive. Once the academy dispatches its experts here, then I wouldn’t be the only person to die, the entire city will!”

Yang Ye finally understood why the old man had acted like this. It hadn’t been solely for the Situ Clan, it was for the entire city as well. If Orbit City which resided on the border between the north and the south had a Saint, then both Sky Divine Hall and Ocean of Clouds Academy would be unable to rest at ease while it still existed. Especially when the old man had let Li Yun pass through the city. The old man’s actions were actually equivalent to declaring war against Ocean of Clouds Academy.

Actually, it wasn’t just the academy that would want to kill the old man. Even he had the intent to kill the old man just now.

Ocean of Clouds Academy and Sky Divine Hall were clearly enemies now, and the old man’s actions were equivalent to choosing to become enemies with the academy. Since the old man was his enemy, the old man naturally had to die!

As he watched as the vitality within the old man practically fully transformed into Death Energy, there was a slightly complicated expression in Yang Ye’s eyes, “Orbit City, good luck!” As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Ye turned around and left.

As soon as Yang Ye left, the old man swiftly said, “Lin Yun and Leng Tong, come in!”

Lin Yu and another black robed middle aged man appeared within the hall once the old man finished speaking.

“City governor, you… you really didn’t have to do this!” Lin Yun spoke solemnly, “Couldn’t we have just abandoned the city and went into hiding? Was this even necessary?”

The old man shook his head and said, “It’s a little too late now. If we did that before Li Yun came to us, then perhaps I would have been able to avoid such calamity. Unfortunately…. Alas, I was too indecisive. I don’t have much time left, so I’ll get to the point. Once I die, lead the Situ Clan into hiding. Remember, the Situ Clan should never show itself to the world unless it has a Saint!”

“City Governor!” Both Lin Yun and the other middle aged man were crying. Conversely, Situ Tingyun stopped crying after she heard the old man, and her face was unusually calm.

The old man suddenly said, “Tingyun, come here!”

Situ Tingyun’s figure trembled slightly, and then she walked over to the old man while keeping her head lowered.

The old man took her little hand and said, “Tingyun, while you’re still young, grandpa knows that you understand things well. I also know that your heart is definitely filled with resentment. You resent Sky Divine Hall, and you resent Ocean of Clouds Academy. Because they forced grandpa to die, right?”

Situ Tingyun raised her head to look at the old man, and she said, “I’ll definitely avenge grandpa!”

The old man took a deep breath and said, “Tingyun, listen well. You’re not allowed to think about that. It isn’t just you, everyone in the Situ Clan is prohibited from thinking about that. Understand?”

“It was they who caused grandpa’s death. I’ll definitely avenge you!” Situ Tingyun continued. Even though her voice was tender and young, it carried an indisputable tone.

The old man gazed at her for a long time, and then he said, “You insist on avenging grandpa, right?”

Situ Tingyun nodded solemnly.

“Alright!” The old man said, “But you have to promise grandpa something. You have to wait until you can defeat that big brother from before, and then you can avenge grandpa. Otherwise, you should never think about revenge. If you don’t agree to grandpa’s request, then grandpa won’t be able to die in peace!”

Situ Tingyun fell silent for a long time, and then she said, “I promise you, grandpa!”

The old man revealed a slight smile, but it didn’t take long for his smile to stiffen. After that, his body started to turn ethereal, and then he vanished completely.

A Saint had fallen!

It didn’t take long for the news of the death of the Situ Clan’s only Saint to spread throughout the city, and all the powers throughout the north and south received news of it in just a few hours.

…

Late at night.

A group snuck out from the city, and it was Situ Tingyun and the others from the Situ Clan.

Situ Tingyun stopped, turned around to look at the city, and she stayed silently like that for a long time.

Lin Yu walked over to her side and spoke softly, “Young Miss, we have to leave!”

Situ Tingyun’s young face was covered in determination, “10 years. Big Brother, wait 10 years for me. I’ll be able to defeat you in 10 years from now!”

Lin Yun nodded slightly. There was no doubt in his eyes, and there was only absolute confidence.

Because Situ Tingyun was an Innate Saint!

The one and only Innate Saint in the history of Pine Prefecture!

It didn’t take long for their group to vanish beneath the veil of night.

…

The first glimmer of dawn had just descended when a woman arrived at the entrance to Orbit City. She glanced at its entrance, and then she looked down at the fox in her arms. She spoke softly, “Be good, A’Li. I’ve sensed his aura. We’ll be able to find him very soon. We can head back once we’ve found and killed him.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she walked into the city and headed to the City Governor’s Estate.

At this moment, the city still belonged to the Situ Clan. Once the old man died, some of the members of the Situ Clan weren’t willing to abandon everything they had, so they didn’t choose to go into hiding with Situ Tingyun and the others. These people included Situ Yuan. At this moment, he was the patriarch of the Situ Clan. Of course, he’d given himself that title!

“Patriarch, Elder Lin and the others took everything that was valuable. They didn’t leave behind a single technique or treasure!” An old man spoke solemnly to Situ Yuan within the grand hall.

Situ Yuan’s face instantly turned gloomy when he heard this, and he said, “That damnable fellow, Yang Ye! If it wasn’t for him, how could my Situ Clan have fallen to such a state!?”

“Yang Ye?” May I know if u know where he is?” Suddenly, a voice resounded from outside the hall.

Situ Yuan looked towards the source of the voice, and he saw a woman standing at the entrance to the hall.

Both Situ Yuan and the other man weren’t surprised that the woman was able to arrive here. Because no one was guarding the place anymore.

The woman spoke again, “Do you know where he is? I’ve been looking for him for a very long time!”

Situ Yuan asked, “Are you a friend of his?”

The woman hesitated for a moment before she nodded, “I have some business with him.” The reason she nodded was because she felt that doing that would make Situ Yuan tell her where Yang Ye was.

A wisp of ferocity surged onto Situ Yuan’s face when he saw her admit to being Yang Ye’s friend, and he said, “Elder Mo, I want her. Yang Ye caused my Situ Clan to fall to such a state. I can’t do anything to him, so I’ll make his friend take his place!”

“Understood!” The old man nodded, and then he stretched out his hand to grab her.