Chapter Sixty-Eight: The First Foundations of Power

“Big Brother!” Mo You cried out in alarm, beating his wings as he hurriedly descended to check Ye Zihan’s injuries. Only after sensing that Ye Zihan’s breath, though chaotic, was still steady and rhythmic, did he breathe a sigh of relief. He then turned his dragon head with fury toward Song Tielin on the other side. “You bastard! How dare you hurt my big brother—prepare to die!”

As he spoke, he vibrated his wings, ready to pounce, but a hand caught hold of him. At the same time, a weak voice spoke: “Mo You, don’t be rash. I’m fine…”

“Big Brother, are you truly all right?” Hearing Ye Zihan’s voice, Mo You hurriedly turned back.

“I’m fine.” Ye Zihan managed a faint smile and struggled to sit up, with Mo You hastily supporting him.

“Brother Song, thank you for letting me win.” After sitting up and calming his churning breath, Ye Zihan looked at Song Tielin, who had come over, and clasped his fist in salute.

“Heroes emerge in every generation. Brother Ye, among the new generation of cultivators, you are truly a young prodigy!” Song Tielin, seeing that Ye Zihan, who had withstood his full-force blow, was only wounded and not fatally so, could not help but exclaim in admiration, mingled with astonishment.

“Brother Song, you flatter me,” Ye Zihan replied with a chuckle.

“This is no mere flattery. Brother Ye, you’re young, but your cultivation has already reached the early stage of the Four Symbols—truly impressive.”

At this, the crowd finally reacted, erupting into cheers for Ye Zihan’s prowess; thunderous applause swept through the gathering.

Especially Mo You, whose cries were the loudest. Even those in the stronghold who had previously held doubts about Ye Zihan now cheered for him, full of heartfelt admiration.

After a while, Song Tielin raised a hand to signal for silence, then proclaimed in a loud voice, “Brothers, listen well. From this moment on, Ye Zihan is our chief! From now on, whatever he commands, we must obey unto death!”

Every person in the stronghold cheered, chanting, “Ye Zihan! Ye Zihan!”

In joy, Mo You lifted Ye Zihan high, tossing him up again and again, while Yan Chen smiled at Ye Zihan, his heart filled with genuine happiness for him.

Ye Zihan had Mo You set him down, then addressed the people in a clear voice: “Brothers, from today, I will lead this stronghold. From now on, we are all brothers—your concerns are my concerns! We are all one; to be frank, my ultimate goal is vengeance, to take revenge against the Illusory Divine Hall. I know that only with everyone’s strength can I succeed! So I hope you will all lend me your aid. Our aim is to establish a force capable of standing against the Illusory Divine Hall. I believe we can defeat them!”

As Ye Zihan raised his arm and shouted, the entire stronghold was ablaze with passion; everyone raised their arms and echoed, “Defeat the Illusory Divine Hall! Defeat the Illusory Divine Hall!”

Ye Zihan and Yan Chen exchanged a smile; though neither spoke, their mutual understanding was clear.

Song Tielin said to Ye Zihan, “Zihan, from now on, I, Song, will follow you. Whether through blades or fire, just say the word—I won’t frown, no matter what!”

Ye Zihan, moved, embraced Song Tielin’s shoulders. “Thank you, Brother Song!”

Song Tielin laughed heartily, mouth wide open.

Mo You, seeing the two embrace, shouted, “I want in too!” Then he dragged his heavy form toward them, joining the camaraderie. The few of them joked and laughed, infusing the entire stronghold with a joyous, festive atmosphere.

Night fell silently. A few sparse stars hung in the distant sky, twinkling. A crescent moon, sharp as a blade, curved above. Within the stronghold, lanterns and banners adorned the grounds; the shouts of those drinking echoed one after another.

“Zihan, what are your plans next?” Song Tielin tore off a piece of meat and asked Ye Zihan.

Ye Zihan drained his cup of wine in one gulp, his eyes flickering as if pondering deeply. After a long pause, he finally spoke: “To be honest, I don’t have a concrete plan yet. But our strength is still too weak. The most urgent task is to grow our power; only by gradually becoming stronger can we stand against the Illusory Divine Hall.”

Mo You, meanwhile, tore at the meat, his mouth slick with grease, paying no attention to the conversation.

Yan Chen considered Ye Zihan’s words, then said after a moment’s thought, “Zihan, for now, we shouldn’t make a fuss—better to recruit and prepare in secret. If we draw too much attention, we may invite unnecessary trouble.”

Ye Zihan’s eyes shone with approval. “You’ve spoken my thoughts exactly. With our current strength, we must keep a low profile,” he agreed. Then, a fierce determination flashed in his eyes. “For now, we’ll focus on consolidating our territory and building our strength. When we are strong enough, we’ll challenge the Illusory Divine Hall head-on!”

Song Tielin raised his cup. “Well said, brother! Let’s drink together—for our future!” Everyone raised their cups and drank deeply.

The celebrations lasted all night. Not until dawn approached did Ye Zihan stagger into his room and collapse into deep sleep. That night, nearly everyone drank themselves into a stupor, swaying and stumbling about. Luckily, no enemies attacked; if any had, fewer than ten would have been able to stand and fight.

No one knew how long he slept. When Ye Zihan finally awoke, his head was pounding. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he vaguely saw a familiar figure standing by the window. Startled, he got up quickly, disturbing the person at the window, who turned toward him. It was none other than Yan Chen.

“Yan Chen, why aren’t you resting?” Ye Zihan asked.

“I woke up long ago,” Yan Chen replied with a smile.

Ye Zihan glanced at the dark window and smiled sheepishly. “It’s night again—it seems I slept the whole day.”

Yan Chen also smiled, then his face turned serious. “Zihan, last night I noticed you didn’t look well. Is something troubling you?” he asked with concern.

Ye Zihan suddenly bowed his head, as if lost in thought. Yan Chen said nothing further, simply watching him with quiet concern.

After a long silence, Ye Zihan finally spoke: “I don’t know why, but these days I’ve been uneasy, always thinking of Xiaoxue. I fear something might happen to her.” He sighed quietly.

Yan Chen looked at him without speaking. Before he could respond, Ye Zihan continued, “I want to go back and check on her.”

Yan Chen remained tranquil, as if he had anticipated this. No one understood Ye Zihan better than he did. He looked at Ye Zihan and said, “Zihan, I know you worry about Xiaoxue. But if I may speak frankly, right now is when we’re just beginning—everything is still unstable, and much depends on you to organize and lead. This isn’t the time for you to leave.” His words carried a gentle sigh.

Ye Zihan gave a wry smile. “Brother, I know our situation. But I can’t ignore Xiaoxue. Back then, she was the only one in the family who never despised my talent and cared for me wholeheartedly. No matter how big our current problems, I must put them aside for her.” He paused and smiled bitterly. “Brother, I hope you’ll understand.”

Yan Chen reached out and gripped Ye Zihan’s hand tightly. “Zihan, whatever you decide, I will always follow!”

Ye Zihan grasped Yan Chen’s hand in return, moved. “Brother!” The two gazed at each other, deep brotherhood shining in their eyes.

Just then, Song Tielin’s voice came from outside the door. “Brother, are you awake yet?”

Ye Zihan composed himself. “Brother Song, please, come in.” Song Tielin pushed open the door, greeted Yan Chen, and sat down at Ye Zihan’s invitation.

“Brother Song, you’ve come at the right time. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Oh? What is it?” Song Tielin asked.

Ye Zihan glanced at Yan Chen. “I’m afraid I’ll have to leave for a while in the coming days.”

Song Tielin’s expression changed. “Where are you going? For how long?” He fired off questions like arrows.

Ye Zihan made no attempt to hide his intentions, sharing everything with Song Tielin. As soon as he finished, Song Tielin slapped his thigh. “Brother, don’t worry. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine—let alone your sister! Go with peace of mind; you have my full support!”

Ye Zihan exchanged a knowing smile with Song Tielin. Then Song Tielin added, “But brother, your journey back won’t be easy. The Illusory Divine Hall’s influence has already extended into the mortal realm. Their agents are sure to try to stop you. I do have an idea, if you’d care to hear it?”

His words piqued Ye Zihan and Yan Chen’s curiosity; both looked at him expectantly. Song Tielin, seeing their impatience, smiled and continued, “We can send a few trustworthy and skilled brothers to secretly check on your sister. If all is well, so much the better. If anything happens, our men will inform us, and we can act then. This way, the Illusory Divine Hall won’t be able to gauge our strength or intentions. What do you think?”

Ye Zihan closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. “Let’s do as you say. Send a few brothers to investigate in secret, while we stay here and build our strength.”

Song Tielin and Yan Chen both smiled knowingly.

As if suddenly thinking of something, Ye Zihan said, “Brother Song, I want to give our stronghold a new name.”

Song Tielin and Yan Chen grew interested. “What name?” they asked in unison.

Ye Zihan’s gaze turned cold. “Since the Illusory Divine Hall calls itself ‘Heaven’s Will,’ then we shall defy the heavens. From now on, our stronghold shall be called the Defiant Heaven Pavilion!” The three words rang out with force, carrying a domineering spirit that both Song Tielin and Yan Chen could feel. They exchanged a glance and said together, “A great name!”

Looking at his two brothers, Ye Zihan thought to himself, “Heaven has been kind to me, granting me such good brothers.” Perhaps it was a shared bond, for the three of them reached out at the same time and clasped hands tightly together.