Chapter 25: Laid to Rest, The Supreme Clarity Cloud-Covering Art!

"Young Sect Master Yun Che is so kind to me! Worried that I might get hurt, he even stepped in personally to resolve my crisis!" Ye Changsheng chuckled.

Yun Che pulled a long face and snorted coldly, "Stop your nonsense. I just didn't want to damage the Ancestor."

"Are you all tired after such a long chase? Since you wouldn't dare strike me anyway, why not sit down and take a rest?"

"Fine! Let's do as you say." Yun Che didn't stand on ceremony and found a spot to sit down.

Ye Changsheng feigned composure while mentally calling out for help. "System, hurry! Give me a good way to escape..." Having run for so long, Ye Changsheng was exhausted. Being constantly pursued was no way to live; he just wanted to shake them off.

【Host may choose the 'Cicada Sheds Its Skin' tactic!】

"Cicada sheds its skin? I've got it!" Ye Changsheng's lips curled up, and a mischievous idea immediately surfaced.

Meanwhile, Yun Che wasn't idle. He commanded his followers, "This brat is extremely cunning. Keep a close eye on him; do not let him escape!"

"Yes, Young Sect Master!"

Ye Changsheng stood up slowly and cleared his throat. "Young Sect Master Yun Che, after being chased by you for so long, I am completely convinced. Take the corpse back!"

With that, Ye Changsheng swung his arm and tossed the body away. Seeing this, Yun Che shouted, "What are you waiting for? Protect the Ancestor's remains!"

Forgetting everything Yun Che had just said, the group swarmed forward. They caught the body, and everyone let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness the Ancestor's body is unharmed..."

By the time they regained their senses, Ye Changsheng had vanished without a trace. "Young Sect Master, Ye Changsheng has escaped!"

Yun Che snorted, "Let him run! As long as the Ancestor's body is safe, we can strike him down whenever we please!"

Suddenly, a disciple cried out, "Young Sect Master, why is the Ancestor's body so burning hot?"

"What are you babbling about? The Ancestor is dead; how could his body be hot?"

Yun Che looked down and saw long cracks appearing on the corpse, as if something were about to burst out from within. "This is..."

Before he could finish, the corpse exploded. A terrifying force swept through the area, and a dazzling glare of fire engulfed everyone instantly.

"Boom!"

Hearing the explosion, Ye Changsheng glanced back. "Does that feel good? That's a little parting gift from your Ancestor!" The corpse he had thrown was a fake—a mere time bomb.

"Brother Changsheng, where are we going now?" Su Qiqin asked, clinging to his arm.

"Those guys will catch up again. We need to get further away." Ye Changsheng didn't hesitate and sped off with Su Qiqin.

When the dust settled, the surrounding mountains had been razed to the ground. Though the explosion was powerful, it wasn't enough to kill Yun Che.

"Cough, cough." Yun Che flew out, covered in dirt and soot. His clothes were mostly shredded, and blood stained his robes. He had survived, but his followers were not as lucky. The disciples had all perished, and most of the elders were dead or severely wounded. Ye Changsheng remained unscathed, while they had suffered heavy losses.

Yun Che’s eyes turned blood-red as he let out a sky-piercing roar, "Ye Changsheng!"

To ensure he had shaken them off, Ye Changsheng flew for three full days before stopping. "This is the place." They landed in a forest.

"I'm exhausted!" Ye Changsheng collapsed to the ground, feeling completely drained. Su Qiqin quickly pulled a spirit fruit from her pocket and handed it to him.

"Brother Changsheng, eat this to recover."

"Thanks!" With one bite, vast spiritual energy flooded his body, bringing a healthy flush back to his pale cheeks.

"Alright, that's enough." Ye Changsheng stood up and summoned the body of Bai Tianyuan.

"Brother Changsheng, what are you doing?" Su Qiqin asked curiously.

"Giving him a final send-off."

Su Qiqin nodded in agreement. "True, the old man is pitiful. He hasn't been laid to rest for five years. Those fellows at the Qingyun Sect are truly worse than pigs and dogs, treating their own Ancestor like this..."

Ye Changsheng dug a pit, took out a coffin, and placed the body inside. "Friend Tianyuan, circumstances are limited, so I must trouble you to settle for this."

Bai Tianyuan’s soul drifted out and gave a self-deprecating smile. "Sir, you jest. To be buried in peace is already a great fortune." Indeed, rather than being tormented by Yun Shan at the Qingyun Sect, he would prefer to die in this wilderness. "As for the quality of the coffin, that is merely for the living to see. As a dead man, I do not mind."

"With those words from you, I am at ease."

Ye Changsheng closed the coffin, applied several paper talismans, and lowered it into the earth. After covering it with soil, he picked up a suona and played a mournful tune.

"Deaf to the world outside the coffin, I journey to the Yellow Springs. Drifting toward the Yama Palace, I leave the mortal world behind."

After reciting the words, Ye Changsheng flicked his fingers, and a ball of flame erupted, consuming the talismans. "Rites completed!"

Bai Tianyuan’s soul stood before the grave and nodded in satisfaction. "Many thanks, Sir!" He bowed with clasped hands and smiled faintly. "Now, I can depart in peace..." He paused, then whispered, "Friend, if you ever seek to settle accounts with the Qingyun Sect, do not hesitate to strike! I would rather see the sect destroyed than watch the efforts of generations of Ancestors be ruined by that bastard Yun Shan."

Ye Changsheng smiled and nodded. "I will!"

"Friend, farewell!" With those words, Bai Tianyuan’s soul dissipated into the wind, turning into dust that drifted away.

As soon as he left, the system's voice rang out.

【Congratulations to the Host for successfully conducting the funeral for the Qingyun Sect Ancestor, Bai Tianyuan.】

【Congratulations to the Host for breaking through to the fifth level of the Spirit Pellet Realm!】

"As expected of the Qingyun Sect Ancestor, my cultivation jumped four levels after the funeral!" Ye Changsheng was pleasantly surprised.

【Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Qingyun Sect's supreme treasure technique: The Shangqing Cloud-Covering Art.】

【Shangqing Cloud-Covering Art: Tier 7 technique. It uses Qi to form shapes, overcomes hardness with softness, and can move heaven and earth with drifting clouds.】

"A Tier 7 technique? No wonder that old dog Yun Shan was so desperate to master it!" Ye Changsheng was luckier than Yun Shan, who knew the moves but could never master them. Ye Changsheng didn't need to practice; the system provided it, allowing him to grasp it thoroughly and use it at will.

"If that old dog Yun Shan knew that the Shangqing Cloud-Covering Art he craved so much had fallen into my hands, I wonder what his expression would be!" At the thought, Ye Changsheng’s lips curled into a smile.

"Gurgle, gurgle!" Ye Changsheng turned to see Su Qiqin rubbing her belly with a giggle. "I'm a bit hungry."

"Let's go! After running for so long, let's find somewhere to eat!"

"Yay! Long live Brother Changsheng!"