Ye Fan brought Sang Yuan and Ling to a place twenty miles away from the Diyuan Sect's gate.

Ye Fan personally used the Jade Talisman to send a message up the mountain to Yuan, the new false Sect Master who had betrayed Ling and taken his place.

Yuan arrived with his favored female disciple and was accompanied by dozens of Diyuan Sect disciples. Ye Fan's sudden visit made Yuan feel threatened; he feared Ye Fan had come to destroy the Diyuan Sect.

When Yuan arrived, Ye Fan had already had Ling hide. With Sang Yuan's help, Ling's Spiritual Energy was almost completely concealed, undetectable by the Diyuan Sect members.

"Alliance Hierarch Ye, I didn't know you would honor us with your presence. I'm sorry for not greeting you sooner. I personally led the Diyuan Sect disciples to welcome you," Yuan said, while cautiously eyeing the cultivators behind Ye Fan. He brought Diyuan Sect disciples, thinking they would not be outdone in momentum, but it seemed Ye Fan brought people with higher cultivation, including Sang Yuan, who was beyond ascension level, and four or five others in the late stage of the Great Vehicle that Yuan couldn't detect.

Secretly, Yuan thought, "Could it be that Ye Fan has many experts in the Transcendance Tribulation Stage under his command?"

Ye Fan waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities; I'm here today to discuss something with you."

"If Alliance Hierarch Ye has business, you could just send someone with the message. How can I ask you to come personally? Someone, prepare to welcome Alliance Hierarch Ye up the mountain and treat him well!" Yuan was deeply wary of Ye Fan. He thought that once at Diyuan Sect, with the gate's prohibitions, Ye Fan would no longer have an advantage, and he might even use the sect's prohibitions to kill or capture Ye Fan.

But he dared not be so reckless yet.

"I have no intention of going up to the Diyuan Sect gate." Ye Fan waved his hand, and Sang Yuan brought Ling out from behind him, which startled Yuan. He was about to act when he remembered Ye Fan was present; he would have to get past Ye Fan to kill Ling.

"Alliance Hierarch Ye, what do you mean by this?" Yuan was somewhat flustered. He seemed to see that Ye Fan intended to help Ling but could not understand why, since Ling's mission was to kill Ye Fan for his own sake; why would Ye Fan help Ling?

Ye Fan spoke earnestly, "The purpose of the entire Seven Great Sects is to join forces against the heavenly tribulations, so I greatly dislike internal conflict and disputes. When Sect Master Ling disappeared, I let you temporarily lead the Diyuan Sect; now that Sect Master Ling has returned, you will no longer serve as the interim Sect Master."

"You!" Yuan glared at Ye Fan and said, "So Alliance Hierarch Ye intends to help this scum oppose our Diyuan Sect?"

"I am not opposing the Diyuan Sect; I wish to see harmony within the sect. I will not become personally involved in this conflict." Ye Fan stood with his arms crossed off to the side.

Yuan's expression improved slightly as he thought, "Could Ye Fan mean he does not want to kill Ling personally and wants me to do it instead while he watches from the sidelines?"

"Alliance Hierarch Ye truly won't interfere in the Diyuan Sect's internal disputes?" Yuan showed a slight smile. As long as Ye Fan's people didn't help, killing Ling would be easy, although it served to solidify his ambition of killing the sect master and establishing himself among his peers. However, in the Diyuan Sect, the highest cultivation always became the Alliance Hierarch.

Ye Fan smiled and made a "please" gesture, while Yuan slowly approached Ling, still on guard against Ling's potential recovery from his injuries.

"Sect Master, you have betrayed and violated the Alliance Hierarch Ye's goodwill. Now it's my turn to clear the house!" Yuan said, as he unleashed his sword toward Ling's face, worried Ye Fan might act contrary to his words.

Having a cultivation level in the late stage of the Great Vehicle, Yuan was only half a level different from Ling. With Ling heavily injured, Yuan's strike seemed assured. However, things unfolded unexpectedly as Ling suddenly caught Yuan's sword with his hands, making Yuan feel something was wrong.

The Spiritual Energy emanating from Ling was higher than that of Yuan's late stage Great Vehicle level, causing Yuan to quickly withdraw his sword force to avoid Ling's strike and counter-attack, only to find himself enveloped in Ling's Spiritual Energy. Yuan was astonished to discover that Ling's cultivation seemed even higher than before, and the gap between them was widening.

"This is impossible!" was the only thought in Yuan's mind as his body was hurled away with immense force. Ling chased after him to kill the traitor.

"Yuan!" cried the female cultivator, Yuan's lover and fellow traitor. When Yuan was struck by Ling, she immediately tried to assist but was stopped by Ye Fan.

Ye Fan looked at her coldly, as if to say that should she interfere in this one-on-one engagement, she would be left without a resting place.

The female cultivator dared not act rashly before Ye Fan and Sang Yuan, so she could only watch as Ling hunted Yuan with bare hands.

After four or five exchanges, Yuan was again enveloped by Ling. This time, Yuan had no chance to escape. Ling's hands struck directly at Yuan's acupoints, shattering his Nascent Soul as his body turned crimson, blood-backflowing from his Nascent Soul into his extraordinary meridians.

"Wow!"

Yuan fell to the ground, spitting a mouthful of blood. Only the female cultivator approached to check on his injuries while the other Diyuan Sect disciples stood coldly by, wary, afraid the enraged Sect Master Ling might kill them all in anger.

"Alliance Hierarch Ye, we loyally served you. Why help the Sect Master kill us?" the female cultivator demanded of Ye Fan, although she already knew it was futile to fight against him.

Ye Fan replied, "This is all according to the rules. As I didn't break the rules, and this was his own chosen path, I am not in the wrong. What do you say, Diyuan Sect disciples?"

Diyuan Sect members eyed Ye Fan with trepidation, yet unaware of the relationship between him and Sect Master Ling. They only had one thought now: return to Diyuan Sect to organize defenses and prevent Ye Fan from seizing the opportunity to exterminate their sect.

"You cowards! You pledged loyalty to the new Sect Master then, and now with Ling's return, are you so powerless? Fight against her, as Alliance Hierarch Ye said this is an internal affair of Diyuan Sect, and he won't interfere!" the female cultivator incited.

The Diyuan Sect members, however, retreated in fear. They didn't want to risk their lives against Sect Master Ling, especially with Ye Fan watching intently.

"You need not worry," Ye Fan smiled, "I have an agreement with Sect Master Ling. If she can solve the sect's traitors, she will align with the alliance and remain by my side to provide support. For the next three years, I will not act against Diyuan Sect. But after three years, it will depend on Sect Master Ling's attitude. Rest assured."

Sect Master Ling, using the borrowed power from Ye Fan and Sang Yuan, killed Yuan and addressed her traitorous disciples. However, Ye Fan and Sang Yuan's borrowed power was temporary. Now, she couldn't even handle the female cultivator before her.

Ling shouted, "What are you waiting for? Kill this traitor! Your Sect Master will overlook past grievances!"

"Sect Master, we were forced. We will now handle the traitor for you!" Surprisingly, the Diyuan Sect disciples had no integrity. With Yuan dead and their own powers unmatched to his, they decided to kill Yuan's fellow traitor, the female cultivator, to gain Ling's favor. Twenty or so people quickly surrounded her to kill her.

But Ye Fan exchanged a glance with Sang Yuan, signaling not to kill the female cultivator. Yuan could die, and Ling could be subdued, but this female cultivator was an important piece in Ye Fan's future plans to deal with Ling.

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