The young man in front of him was nothing and had no backing whatsoever, but he was still favored by the young mistress of the clan.

Although he restrained his might and only attacked with power equivalent to the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, it was more than enough to kill this trash easily!

If he died, wouldn't he also be buried together? Nevermind together, everyone knew the miss was cold on the surface but extremely stubborn and valued friends.h.i.+p highly. Before, when the Silver Clan attacked the Bright Clan and were determined to wipe them out, the miss disobeyed the Patriarch and rushed to the scene, forcing the Cloud Clan to take a stand.

When the cultivators of the Silver Clan found this boy in a slumber and wanted to kill him, the young miss crazily attacked them, almost dragging everyone into the war and being guilty of treason against the overlord. Were not for the fact that the White Clan and their prodigy also came over, the matter wouldn't have ended so easily.

When the Elders objected to bringing this boy here, their miss proclaimed she would leave the family and the Patriarch almost died on the spot. The greatest prodigy of the Cloud Clan, leaving the family over a trash at the 4th layer that would probably never wake up?

Over their dead bodies!

If their ancestors knew, they would be killed without burial.

The Elder tried to soften his attack, but another palm came meeting his attack halfway.

Ming Ren was furious. He could only think about his family and his clan. It was the second time the Bright Clan was expelled from their rightful home. The shame of the past and the present together already reached his limit, but now this old man came out of nowhere and attacked him.

The battles at the Bright Scripture hardened his resolve and tempered his abilities. Right now he was not that young man of fourteen years but a cultivator that went through h.e.l.l and beyond. Seeing as he was in the fourth layer, the elder didn't use any Spirit Energy outside of his attack. The Elder was also only a common cultivator without any True Element or Rare Energy.

Ming Ren revolved the Qi inside his body and activated his Dragon Light Divine Body physique, meeting the attack of the Elder with his own palm instantly.

Cras.h.!.+

The elder was slightly pushed back but Ming Ren crashed into the wall, breaking to the other side and flying a few meters. His body flew like a ragdoll before he landed on the ground. As soon as he landed, Ming Ren spurted a mouthful of blood.

The Elder was as pale as a clean white sheet, 'Ended, my life has ended…'

Yun Shuqing also trembled in fear. She was afraid Ming Ren died, but feared, even more, the wrath of her sister. Others might not know how much she liked Ming Ren, but she was the exception.

All the servants around froze on the spot. What the h.e.l.l just happened? Was that a person… flying?

The other Elder at the peak of the spirit realm quickly rushed over and checked an unconscious Ming Ren's pulse, breathing a sigh of relief soon. The other Elder, seeing this, also relaxed.

"Uncle, you… you're so brave…" After she saw that Ming Ren only fainted, Yun Shuqing quickly poked his sore spot.

"Y-young mistress...p-please, d-don't tell your sister…" A solemn cultivator at the peak of the spirit realm trembled and almost fell on his knees begging.

Yun Shuqing could only look away. She was also mad at this uncle.

"He is not in danger. Let's bring him to the Patriarch," the other Elder said.

Not in danger?

A boy at the fourth layer just withstood an attack at the peak of the body tempering realm?

What kind of luck was that?!

**

An unconscious Ming Ren escaped to the dreamland. He stood alone in a sea of blood, wearing a solemn white robe.

"Hehehehehe… Solemn Divine Monarch, all feeble and weak. How about giving me control of your body? I'll slaughter everyone that dares to cross our path."

That figure was shrouded in a transient veil, and Ming Ren could not see who or what it was. Somehow, his voice was also the same, whether it belonged to a man or a woman unknown.

Divine Monarch? Was he talking about him?

"Don't look at me with those eyes… we're already one. Your enemies are my enemies, right? So, let your anger out. Burn this world. Burn them all and eat their souls. If you do, you will avenge your mother!"

"My mother isn't dead!" Ming Ren screamed at the top of his lungs.

"HaHaHaHaHa… that is it! This anger! This is what you need! RELEASE ME!"

But he knew. He knew that thing wasn't something that could be trusted.

"Fool! Death would be a good dream for your mother! In the world of cultivation, many things are much worse than death!"

Ming Ren's eyes exploded with Fury but he managed to restrain himself. His mother was still alive and well. Somehow, he knew it.

He would not give in to that demon!

As he closed his Eyes, the figure twisted his face in disgust.

"Someday, you will certainly need me," he grinned before disappearing.

**

*Splash*

A bucket of cold water landed on Ming Ren's face, waking him up. Both his hands were suspended in the air with metal shackles and chains that connected to the ceiling.

A middle-aged looking man stood in front of him, both hands behind his back. His gaze pierced the boy fiercely and an air of superiority filled the room. Spirit Energy formed a thin layer around his body, a method commonly used by cultivators to protect themselves from sudden harm or poisons that entered through the skin.

Only those that were a half-step into the Spirit Gate Realm would be able to maintain such precise control and not run out of Qi.

Ming Ren recognized the man in front of him as the Cloud Clan's current Patriarch, Yun Shufeng's and Shuqing's father, Yun Jie. He didn't belong to the same generation as the Bright Clan's patriarch, but the same as his father's. A talented man worthy of leading the clan.

"Good strong body," the man praised. Ming Ren stood a powerful attack after all, "What a pity your talent is so poor."

He never expected this boy to wake up. Although he knew his body seemed to have been frozen in time, they had information that it was related to a treasure of the Bright Clan and that it was impossible for him to wake up again. Eventually, he would die.

"Heh. At least I've kept my dignity, could you say the same, Uncle?" A calm person like Ming Ren also had limits. It only took him a second to understand his current predicament. The Cloud Clan had no intention to treat him well. Hanged by the wrists and in some kind of interrogation room, their att.i.tude was as clear as the sky, so there was no reason for him to be amicable.

But Yun Jie didn't show any unhappiness at the commentary. He knew perfectly well what he was doing.

However, from the side, a man in his twenties approached Ming Ren and hit him strongly in the face.

"Be careful of what you say, tras.h.!.+" Looking closely, this man resembled both Shufen and Shuqing.

"Lin Xue, restrain yourself," Yun Jie reprehended him without much vigor.

Ming Ren spat some blood and laughed sarcastically at both of them, "Solemn Cloud Clan, your ancestor's face was lost by you."

Yun Lin Xue wanted to hit him again but his father raised the hand to stop him, "As long as you promise to disappear and take an oath not to talk to Shufen again, I will let you leave."

Ming Ren already knew the only reason the Cloud Clan had to treat him like that was his relation with Yun Shufen. He had no backing, no talent, and no future, but she still showed a lot of care for him. In this world, it was enough for people to gossip and slander her name or for the Clan to worry about her state of mind.

The crazy mistress of the Cloud Clan took liberties with some trash, people said.

No matter how pure their relations.h.i.+p was in the past, people would find a way to tarnish it.

Yun Jie knew this well and it bothered him enough to do anything in his power to stop it. His daughter was a dragon, fated to soar through the skies. She cared so much about this boy, enough to throw everything away. How could he bear the thought?

Ming Ren shook his head, "I owe her too much to do so. No matter what, as long as she wants to see me, I, Ming Ren, will always be her friend."

He also knew they would not let him leave. Even if he managed to be free, someone would find a reason to kill him and get rid of the problem at its root.

Yun Shufen and Bai Xun were his best friends. When almost everyone else gave up on him, they were there. When the Bright Clan was attacked, Shufen was there. Although he didn't know the entirety of what she did, and that Bai Xun was also there, he already owed them too much.

Yun Lin Xue lost his temper and spat at his face, displeasing even his father, but this time the Patriarch didn't say anything, "You b.a.s.t.a.r.d from the Bright Clan! Do you even match to be her friend? Trash like you? Do you have any idea what we can do to you?"

"Do whatever you want with me, but spare me your ugly mutt. That's true torture."

"...You!" Yun Lin Xue roared in anger but stopped since his father didn't make a move.

Yun Jie sighed deeply before getting up to leave, "At least your mouth is truly talented. I take no pleasure in this. I consider myself your father's friend, but my daughter comes first. Lin Xue, do it cleanly. Do not underestimate him. I'll deal with Shuqing."

As if still hesitating, Yun Jie stood by the door for a bit, but he never turned back.

Yun Lin Xue grinned before circulating Spirit Energy outside his body. The fourth layer of the Spirit Realm. At the same time, an almost invisible purple energy could be felt within his body and leaking outside. Mental Energy, a form of rare energy linked to perception and intelligence.

The Cloud Clan didn't carry the same name as the province by mere coincidence. Although only a fourth-ranked power now, its history began with the country itself. One of their ancestors was highly esteemed by the Royal Family and thus they named the province after them. Once upon a time, they were the Overlords of the Cloud Province.

In Bluecloud City, the White Clan specialized in hunting beasts and warfare, the Silver Clan in pills and weaponsmithing, and the Bright Clan didn't have any special characteristics aside from its spirit garden. The Cloud Clan, however, specialized in illusions, Mind Attacks, and Formations.

Yun Lin Xue started several hand seals, taking advantage of a formation set up around the room. It amplified his Mental Power. His eyes turned pure white, and soon Ming Ren found himself immersed in an illusion.

Yun Lin Xue's goal was to destroy Ming Ren's mind and turn him into a vegetable. The reason the Patriarch didn't do it personally was that, in this regard, Lin Xue's means were especially suited to the task. He was also vicious and unforgiving.

Ming Ren found himself still bound to floating shackles, this time full of blades and twisted nails. No matter how hard he pulled it didn't budge.

"Welcome to my dimension," Yun Lin Xue was quite pleased with himself, "You offended me before, so I will make sure to treat you very nicely, you trash."

Soon the nails and blades started to travel through Ming Ren's body, hacking his flesh and digging deep into his skin.

Yun Lin Xue waited for the satisfaction of his screaming victim…

...But it didn't come.

He frowned and made a thousand needles appear in the air, piercing through Ming Ren's eyes!

...But it still didn't come.

'Is his mind already broken…?' Just as he pondered about whether his victim was gone or not, an extreme and piercing laughter echoed through this fake world.

"HahAHHhaAHAhahAHAhAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," Ming Ren couldn't contain himself anymore.

The fool challenged him to a Mind Battle!