Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

"Are you really just going to let this boy run rampant? Wouldn't that be a huge blow to the province's reputation?"

At these words, the Provincial Lord laughed.

'These old foxes.'

'Every last one of them values their own petty life more than anything. None of them are willing to be the first to move and test Ye Chen's strength.'

In truth, they were already wary of Ye Chen's capabilities.

Ye Chen's strength was far from being as simple as it seemed.

After all, four Primordial Mansion Realm experts had attacked him in Luoyun City.

But in the end, Ye Chen had emerged unscathed, while not a single one of those four Primordial Mansion Realm experts survived!

Well, no, there was one survivor: Li Yunxiao, who had led the Li family to pledge allegiance to Ye Chen!

"This boy must possess some world-shaking secret!"

"How else could he be so formidable at such a young age? I even heard he's an Alchemist?"

The Provincial Lord's smile faded, his expression turning grave.

"Enough talk!"

Just then, the Abbot suddenly spoke. "Since all of you are holding back, still unwilling to show your true strength, then let me go."

"You've decided to come down from the mountain?" The Provincial Lord's eyes glinted.

Lei Wanjun, who was at his side, looked over as well.

"I'm not like some old tortoise who, even when bullied to his doorstep, still frets about this and that."

The Abbot said calmly, "However, once the Ancient God Order is back in my hands, I hope you won't have any regrets, my Lord."

The Provincial Lord wasn't angered by this. He simply smiled faintly. "The Ancient God Order has always belonged to the fated."

"Finding it in the Dragon Prison Cave was your great fortune. Why would I covet it?"

"I wish you really meant that." The Abbot couldn't be bothered to expose the Provincial Lord's true intentions.

'Back when the Provincial Lord descended upon Vajra Temple to fight him, wasn't it all for the Ancient God Order?'

'And now that he knew the Ancient God Order was in Ye Chen's possession, the Provincial Lord had rushed over to discuss a strategy.'

'He'd assumed the Provincial Lord planned to take the Ancient God Order back from Ye Chen, but it seemed he had no such intention?'

For a moment, even the Abbot of Vajra Temple couldn't fathom the Provincial Lord's true intentions.

"If you're going to act personally, Fellow Daoist, then it seems Ye Chen won't be around for much longer."

Lei Wanjun, at his side, couldn't help but remark, "The Magic Sect has gained immense power by stepping on our four great families to rise. It's a shame they got greedy and didn't know when to stop."

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have provoked you into action, Fellow Daoist."

At these words, the Abbot surprisingly nodded in agreement. "The opening of the Dragon Prison Cave is imminent. If that boy hadn't insisted on breaking the seal and taking the Ancient God Order, I truly couldn't have been bothered to leave the mountain."

"In any case, we'll soon find out whatever secrets that boy is hiding."

Hearing this, both the Provincial Lord and Lei Wanjun clasped their hands in a slight bow toward the Abbot. "Then we will await your good news, Fellow Daoist."

"Farewell. I won't see you out."

The Abbot gave a slight nod. He slowly turned, and his withered body suddenly transformed into a brilliant streak of light, vanishing before their eyes.

Soon, only the Provincial Lord and the Patriarch of the Lei family remained in the bamboo forest.

"My Lord, do you think the Abbot can take down Ye Chen?" Lei Wanjun suddenly asked.

"Patriarch Lei, you're underestimating him."

The Provincial Lord's expression was calm as he spoke slowly. "Decades ago, after emerging from the Dragon Prison Cave, that man had already reached the Primordial Mansion Realm."

"He seemed to have obtained a great fortune in the Dragon Prison Cave. Though he had only just broken through, he already had few rivals in the Primordial Mansion Realm."

"It was after that he founded Vajra Temple, which became the number one sect in our Lei Province in just a few short years."

Lei Wanjun's expression grew solemn. "I heard you once fought the Abbot, my Lord?"

"That's right." The Provincial Lord made no attempt to hide it, which immediately piqued the Lei family Patriarch's curiosity.

"Then, between you and him, my Lord, who…"

The Provincial Lord fell silent for a moment. But his next words made Lei Wanjun gasp.

"In that battle… I was slightly outmatched!"

...

While the outside world was in an uproar over Ye Chen.

Ye Chen and Nine-Fingered Demon Slaughter had just returned to the foot of the Magic Sect's mountain.

Before they had even started up the mountain, Ye Chen could already sense a chaotic and terrifying power from a distance.

The power was raging on the mountain like a violent hurricane, causing the great Array to ripple and churn.

"Sect Leader, do you feel it?"

"That's the disturbance from the dungeon!"

The terrifying fluctuations of power made Nine-Fingered Demon Slaughter's expression shift. He felt immense pressure.

"Follow me up the mountain. Quickly."

Ye Chen frowned. The situation seemed to be developing more seriously than he had imagined.

'I hope everything within the sect is all right.'

The two of them passed through the great Array and returned to the Magic Sect's territory.

Countless members of the Magic Sect were gathered on a nearby summit.

They were all crowded outside the Elder Pavilion, their faces filled with terror, as if seeking its protection.

At the entrance to the Elder Pavilion, Wushan Old Ghost was saying with a helpless look, "Rest assured. The Sect Leader laid down a profound Array to protect the sect. The disturbance from the dungeon can't possibly break through the seal."

"How can we rest assured, Elder?"

Many members of the Magic Sect replied with grim expressions, "The seal's power is clearly weakening. If we let the terrifying force from the dungeon keep battering the Array's seal, it's only a matter of time before it shatters!"

They weren't fools.

How could Wushan Old Ghost's obviously dismissive words possibly calm their panicked hearts?

After all, not long after Ye Chen had left, a shocking disturbance had erupted from the dungeon.

A terrifying energy had been unleashed. Faintly, a ghostly shadow could even be seen circling within the dungeon, an utterly horrifying sight.

If not for the Grand Array of Myriad Sects' Return gathering immense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to suppress this force, the entire Magic Sect would likely have been annihilated in an instant!

"Elder, where on earth is the Sect Leader?"

"Didn't an Elder already go down the mountain to look for him? Why is there still no word?"

"That's right! The power from the dungeon is clearly beyond our control! The Sect Leader must be the one to act if we have any hope of resolving this crisis!"

The crowd clamored, their faces etched with anxiety.

They all wanted Ye Chen to come back immediately.

Otherwise, who knew how long the Grand Array of Myriad Sects' Return could hold out?

If the Array were to break, wouldn't they all be finished?

'This is no good. If we still can't find the Sect Leader, our only choice is to leave the mountain!'

'It's just too dangerous to stay here!'

This thought began to sprout in the minds of many.