Chapter 476: An Unexpected Invitation

"Was it really you who injured Qin Yan?" Guo Taoqun asked bluntly.

Ye Yuan frowned slightly. "What if it was, and what if it wasn't?"

"Ahem, well... if it was, I'd say... well done!" Guo Taoqun suddenly changed his tune, catching even Ye Yuan off guard.

Hearing this, Qin Yan was so enraged that a sweetness rose in his throat, and his injury flared up again.

He glared at Guo Taoqun, wishing he could eat him alive.

"This Qin Yan, I've long found him insufferable, but I never had the chance. Now, little brother, you've fulfilled my wish—I feel a deep kinship with you!" Guo Taoqun said with a grin, leaving everyone stunned.

As he spoke, Guo Taoqun familiarly draped his arm over Ye Yuan's shoulder, looking like they were brothers who had known each other for years.

Ye Yuan was initially wary, but when he realized Guo Taoqun meant him no harm, he let it be.

Guo Taoqun pulled Ye Yuan aside and rambled on, mostly slandering Qin Yan. Ye Yuan couldn't tell truth from fiction.

Qin Yan listened nearby, his face as black as a pot bottom.

But now he was at their mercy and dared not make a move.

This Ye Yuan was a madman who dared to provoke the Ten Thousand Swords Sect; if pushed too far, there was no telling what he might do.

"By the way, I overheard you were going to keep Qin Yan as a hostage?"

Ye Yuan glanced at Guo Taoqun and nodded.

"Haha, brother, you've got guts! There aren't many people I, Guo Taoqun, admire in this life, and you're one of them!"

Judging by his expression, being admired by him was supposed to be a great honor.

Ye Yuan couldn't be bothered with him and retorted, "Who exactly are you? Barging into the main hall of Nethercloud Sect uninvited seems rather improper, don't you think?"

Unfazed, Guo Taoqun said proudly, "I am Guo Taoqun, senior disciple of the Heavenly Martial Sect. And this great beauty is none other than the famous Ice Cloud Fairy, Yin Yanhua of the Profound Ice Sect!"

When introducing Yin Yanhua, Guo Taoqun's gaze was full of fawning, almost sycophantic.

But Yin Yanhua paid him no heed, remaining icy cold as if she hadn't heard a word.

Hearing this, Ye Yuan suddenly realized that the senior disciples of the three great sects of the Northern Domain had all gathered at Nethercloud Sect!

It seemed Mei Zhen's trip hadn't been entirely fruitless; at least he had gotten the three sects to send people to investigate.

Ye Yuan looked at the three of them and sighed. "You senior disciples of the great sects sure are carefree. Even with death looming, you're still infighting! It seems the Boundless Realm has been at peace too long, and you've lost your fighting spirit!"

This left Guo Taoqun puzzled. "Little brother, what do you mean? Isn't that a bit alarmist?"

Hearing this, even the cold Yin Yanhua showed curiosity, wondering what Ye Yuan meant.

Seeing their expressions, Ye Yuan knew that Mei Zhen had first gone to the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and been detained, leaving no time to notify the other two sects.

He shot a fierce glare at Qin Yan and the others, saying coldly, "Hmph! The Ten Thousand Swords Sect is nothing but a bunch of incompetents who ruin everything!"

Ever since learning that the Gale Realm had a Boundless Realm expert, Qin Yan and his companions knew how dire the situation was.

Now, under Ye Yuan's glare, they dared not retort.

If detaining Mei Zhen led to the complete collapse of the Boundless Realm, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect would be sinners against the entire realm.

Seeing Qin Yan's expression, Guo Taoqun and Yin Yanhua grew even more suspicious.

Could something major really have happened in the Southern Domain?

The Purple Firmament Sect unifying the Southern Domain didn't seem like a big deal, did it?

Then, Ye Yuan briefly explained the invasion of the Gale Realm to the two of them, and their faces turned grim.

They never imagined such a thing could happen in the Boundless Realm!

But faced with the ironclad facts, they had no choice but to believe.

Now they finally understood why Ye Yuan had cursed the Ten Thousand Swords Sect as incompetents who ruin everything.

"Little brother, if things are as you say, isn't the Boundless Realm in imminent danger?" Guo Taoqun's face had lost all its frivolity, replaced by unspeakable gravity.

"Imminent danger, not quite. Even if the passage between realms is opened, it can't withstand a Boundless Realm expert. For the Wind Emperor to pass through, a royal-grade array master must continuously reinforce the passage's barriers until it stabilizes. At least in the short term, the Gale Realm and the Boundless Realm are evenly matched. But if the Boundless Realm remains divided, its destruction is only a matter of time," Ye Yuan said calmly.

Guo Taoqun showed a look of understanding. Ye Yuan's point was simple: the Boundless Realm needed to unite against the enemy.

But Guo Taoqun, being from the Northern Domain, knew all too well that this was nearly impossible!

The Northern Domain was filled with numerous sects, besides these three major ones, there were many others of varying sizes.

These sects had different agendas, and without a leader who could rally them all, it was impossible to get them to work together.

If they fought separately, the Boundless Realm's destruction would indeed be near.

"Whew... Good thing our Heavenly Martial Sect and Profound Ice Sect got some news and sent us to follow Qin Yan here. Otherwise, we'd never have known such earth-shattering events were happening in the Boundless Realm! This is too important—I must return immediately to report to the Sect Master and make plans!"

With that, Guo Taoqun turned to leave. As he passed Yin Yanhua, he put on a smile and asked, "Ice Cloud sister, how about... we go back together?"

Yin Yanhua didn't even glance at him. Instead, she walked gracefully toward Ye Yuan.

"May I ask your name, junior brother?" Yin Yanhua inquired.

"Ye Yuan."

"So it's Junior Brother Ye. If what you say is true, the Southern Domain has no defensible positions left, and Nethercloud Sect is an isolated island. Has your sect considered moving north?"

Ye Yuan was somewhat surprised. This Ice Cloud Fairy was clearly sharp-minded. Seeing no reason to hide it, he nodded. "Yes, we are planning to move north."

Yin Yanhua nodded slightly upon hearing this. "Junior Brother Ye is holding Qin Yan hostage, so the Ten Thousand Swords Sect will surely not let this go. How about our Profound Ice Sect provide you with a place to settle? What do you think?"

At these words, Qin Yan's face turned extremely ugly.

"Fairy, our Ten Thousand Swords Sect and Profound Ice Sect have always been on good terms. How can you make such a move without authorization!" Qin Yan nearly spat blood again.

Just then, Guo Taoqun slapped his forehead and butted in, draping his arm over Ye Yuan's shoulder again. "Haha, I hit it off with Junior Brother Ye at first sight. How about... you come to our Heavenly Martial Sect!"

Hearing this, Qin Yan finally rolled his eyes and fainted.