Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO-Chapter 674: The Pinnacle

Ye Feng approached from a distance, dressed in a black shirt and trousers with a shaved head. Burn marks were still visible on his neck, and the more severely wounded parts of his body were wrapped in bandages. The pungent smell of medicinal ointment caused everyone present to wrinkle their brows involuntarily.

But neither Xu Ke nor Ye Taiqing reacted.

Xu Ke watched Ye Taiqing's reaction with a placid expression.

At that moment, Ye Taiqing's face changed dramatically. Despite his physical weakness, he couldn't stop himself from standing up.

He... he's actually not dead?

"Yes, Great-Uncle. I'm still alive," Ye Feng said calmly.

Seeing the Ye Family members again, Ye Feng had thought he would be filled with rage, but strangely, his heart felt more tranquil than ever.

Ye Taiqing stared at Ye Feng, his expression shifting rapidly. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but in the end, he turned to Xu Ke. "What do you mean by letting me see him?"

"He's here to help you get your revenge," Xu Ke said flatly.

Ye Taiqing's expression changed instantly. He frowned and said, "What are you talking about? What revenge do I need?"

He was so taken aback by Xu Ke's reply that he almost thought his ears were failing him.

Heh. Me, a cultivator at the peak of Innate Great Perfection, needing help from a mere nobody like Ye Feng to get my revenge?

If it weren't for the fact that he was under another's roof and had to bow his head, Ye Taiqing would have already unleashed a torrent of curses upon Xu Ke.

Seeing Ye Taiqing's utter disdain, Xu Ke smiled. "Ye Deming kicked you out of Tianhai, stripped you of the 'De' character from your name, and made you lose your position as Ye Family Patriarch. You're telling me you don't bear a grudge?"

"Don't tell me you came all the way to Tianhai just to kill me."

Xu Ke's words struck a nerve, and Ye Taiqing was left speechless. He did indeed have many complicated reasons for coming to Tianhai. But he had no desire to discuss such matters with Xu Ke. With a cold expression, he tried to change the subject. "Regardless of why I came to Tianhai, I don't need you people. Can you stop acting like you're doing me a favor?"

The last thing he wanted was to be at Xu Ke's mercy and still somehow end up owing him a favor.

"No, you do," Xu Ke stated calmly.

"I..." Ye Taiqing started to deny it.

But when he met Xu Ke's icy gaze, and then looked at the sneering faces of Han Wang, Ye Lang, Tang Yingchang, and Hu Deyao, he shuddered. He suddenly realized he had absolutely no right to refuse.

He finally choked out, "I... I do."

"Then why haven't you thanked me yet?" Xu Ke pressed.

Seeing Xu Ke blatantly toying with him, Ye Taiqing gritted his teeth but still obediently replied, "Thank you."

"Alright. I've spared your life and even brought Ye Feng here to help you get revenge. You owe me two favors," Xu Ke said calmly. "For two favors, I don't ask for much. Just give me all your money and rare treasures. Antiques from the old dynasties would be best."

As soon as he finished, even Ye Feng, who knew Xu Ke wouldn't let Ye Taiqing off easily, couldn't help but tense up.

Well, I'll be. So Xu Ke was here to rob him blind!

"You... you... You've gone too far!" Ye Taiqing exploded with rage. What kind of favors required him to hand over his money?

"Are you going to give it or not?" Xu Ke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm?" the four men behind him echoed in unison.

Ye Taiqing fell silent.

「A few moments later」

Looking at the four million transferred to his account and a small cloth pouch of medicinal powder, Xu Ke frowned. "How are you this broke?"

In truth, what Xu Ke really wanted were Dragon Essence Items. Unfortunately, Ye Taiqing had no interest in collecting such things, so all he managed to squeeze out of him was a bit of cash. It was a major disappointment.

"That's all the cash I have. For years, all the money I've earned has gone into buying property," Ye Taiqing said with a stony face.

Xu Ke immediately latched on. "Fine. You can hand over the property deeds later."

"You son of a..." Ye Taiqing was once again on the verge of erupting.

"What's this medicinal powder?" Xu Ke shook the pouch, then held it at a distance, wafting the scent toward himself with his hand. He could only detect a bitter aroma. It wasn't a refreshing medicinal herb, nor was it a dizzying poison.

Seeing Xu Ke holding the pouch, a look of anguish crossed Ye Taiqing's eyes. He hadn't wanted to surrender this item, but Tang Yingchang and the others had thoroughly searched him. He had no choice.

"Can't you tell for yourself?" Ye Taiqing, utterly heartbroken, was in no mood to explain, his face dark.

"Elder Tang, he's not cooperating. Bury him," Xu Ke said with a wave of his hand.

Tang Yingchang immediately made a move, True Qi churning within him.

"Wait!" Ye Taiqing shouted. "It's Peak Elixir."

"Peak Elixir?" Xu Ke was taken aback by the ridiculously simple name. "What does it do?"

"When taken by someone at Innate Great Perfection, it grants a minuscule chance to grasp an opportunity to glimpse the peak of power," Ye Taiqing said in a deep voice.

His words stunned everyone. A second later, a collective, sharp intake of breath filled the air. HISS!

"Is that true?"

"You must be joking. How could something like that exist?"

"Why have I never heard of it?"

Even Hu Deyao and the others, who had been silent until now, cried out in shock.

"Don't believe me if you don't want to. Since ancient times, countless talented individuals have searched for a path to the peak. Is it so strange that something like this exists?" Ye Taiqing retorted irritably.

"Have you taken it?" Xu Ke asked with a frown.

"No."

"Then how can you be so sure it works?"

"Because a friend of mine did," Ye Taiqing said gravely. "He took it and truly found the path to the peak. He attempted to break through right in front of me... and he almost succeeded."

"What happened then?" Xu Ke asked curiously.

"He died. His foundational strength wasn't enough. He forced his way toward the peak and died from qi deviation," Ye Taiqing explained. "That's why I've never dared to take this Peak Elixir. I don't know what level of strength is sufficient to survive the attempt."

So that's how it is...

Everyone finally understood, and they all grimaced. It seemed the risks associated with this Peak Elixir were incredibly high. After all, how could you know when your strength was sufficient to guarantee a successful breakthrough?

Xu Ke, however, smiled. "Not bad. This is good stuff."

"Where did you get it?"

"I went tomb raiding with some people. This pouch of Peak Elixir was inside one of the tombs," Ye Taiqing answered cooperatively.

"Fine, I'll take it back and study it. You still owe me one more favor," Xu Ke said.

Ye Taiqing was livid. "You..."

This man is shameless to the core!

Having finished his plunder, Xu Ke couldn't be bothered with Ye Taiqing any longer. He turned to Ye Feng. "Alright, Ye Feng, go ahead and explain the situation to your Great-Uncle."

If not for Ye Feng, Xu Ke would have simply killed Ye Taiqing from the start. But since Ye Feng had saved his life, another idea had taken shape.

Ye Feng wanted revenge—the most thorough revenge possible. This meant not just killing Ye Yunfeng, but also seizing control of the Ye Family, tearing away the authority that Ye Yunfeng cherished above all else. However, with Ye Feng's current strength, taking control of the family was still a risky endeavor. Only with a powerful expert assisting him could he truly establish control.

Xu Ke, of course, had no intention of dispatching his own men to babysit Ye Feng. Therefore, he needed Ye Taiqing to help.

Whether the plan would succeed, however, all depended on whether Ye Feng himself could persuade Ye Taiqing to help willingly. To that end, Xu Ke had told Ye Feng everything he needed to know—and some things he probably shouldn't have.

Of course, beyond appealing to reason and emotion, Xu Ke wasn't one to leave things to chance. A little bit of poison as insurance is always a good idea...

"Okay!" Ye Feng nodded.

Xu Ke patted Ye Feng's shoulder and turned to leave. As Xu Ke walked over to Hu Deyao and the others, Ye Taiqing looked at Ye Feng, his face cold. "Speak. What do you want me to do?"

"Great-Uncle," Ye Feng said in a deep voice, "the Ye Family has reached a point where it needs you to step in and guide it back to the right path."