Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

"Fairy Luoxia?" Ye Chen's pupils constricted.

He hadn't expected to hear that name again after so long.

He had always known her background was extraordinary, but he never imagined that Fairy Luoxia's origins were even more powerful than he thought.

And she had visited Lei Province seven or eight years ago.

'I wonder how Tongtong is doing now.'

Ye Chen gazed at the sky, a hint of melancholy suddenly filling his eyes.

'Now that the Dragon Prison Cave is opening, will she appear again?'

As if reading his mind, Venerable Ming Lei glanced at Ye Chen and said, "Fairy Luoxia's origins are mysterious and powerful, far beyond what the likes of us can fathom."

"She obtained the most precious True Dragon Treasure Skill from inside the Dragon Prison Cave the last time it opened. She most likely won't be back this time."

"Judging by your expression, young friend Ye Chen, you seem to know her?"

"You could say that." Ye Chen shook his head, his expression complex.

'I've already reached the peak of power in Lei Province.'

'Across all of Lei Province, only Venerable Ming Lei is stronger than me.'

'But even with all this power, seeing Tongtong still feels like an impossible dream.'

"I had hoped to speak more with you, young friend Ye Chen, but I never imagined the Dragon Prison Cave would open now!"

Venerable Ming Lei sighed. "It seems I have much to attend to, so I won't linger."

The Governor, who was standing nearby, heard this and added, "Venerable One, I will return with you."

Watching the two of them depart, Ye Chen shook his head, a sense of urgency rising within him.

'Could the opening of the Dragon Prison Cave be a great opportunity for me as well?'

But even with his extraordinary combat strength, he had never dealt with factions from outside the province.

'What are my chances against these experts from beyond our borders?'

Ye Chen pondered for a moment. Then, with a flick of his arm, a powerful suction force emanated from his hand.

A Storage Ring flew into his grasp.

It was the abbot's Storage Ring!

When Venerable Ming Lei had crushed the abbot, the man's Storage Ring had been left behind in the ruins of Vajra Temple.

Ye Chen gathered the Storage Rings scattered across the scene. After his long and arduous battle with the abbot, these were his rightful spoils of war.

'And this...'

Ye Chen's gaze fell upon the Vajra artifact he had cleaved in two with his sword.

It had been a spirit weapon on the verge of breaking through to the High Grade.

Even though it was ruined now, its materials were exceedingly rare.

Unwilling to let it go to waste, Ye Chen collected the pieces of the Vajra artifact as well.

'This abbot's resources... were truly substantial!'

'As expected of someone who's been inside the Dragon Prison Cave!'

A look of amazement lit up Ye Chen's eyes as he inspected his loot.

The abbot's Storage Ring actually contained ten Spirit Crystals!

To put that in perspective, he had only found three Spirit Crystals in total after plundering the entire treasuries of the two great clans, the Li family and the Yan family.

A single Spirit Crystal was comparable to a thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones!

That meant this Storage Ring held the equivalent of ten thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones!

Moreover, Spirit Crystals possessed all sorts of profound uses that Top Grade Spirit Stones simply couldn't match.

In terms of true value, Spirit Crystals were worth countless times more than Spirit Stones!

'And what's this Cultivation Technique?'

Ye Chen picked up a thin booklet.

A line of large, flamboyant script was written across the cover.

Indestructible Vajra Body!

'Indestructible Vajra...'

A thoughtful look appeared in Ye Chen's eyes.

This Body Refining Technique was far from simple. The abbot and his War Buddhas had all cultivated it.

If it weren't for his Cangming Sword, he might not have been able to break through the abbot's defenses so easily.

Besides these items, the Storage Ring also contained a variety of miscellaneous treasures.

But before Ye Chen could inspect them further...

A crowd of people gathered around him, calling out, "Sect Leader!"

Ye Chen looked up. Seeing the familiar faces before him, he couldn't help but ask, "What are you all doing here?"

He had noticed people from the Demon Sect arriving earlier during his great battle with the abbot.

He had been a little surprised at the time, but he'd been too preoccupied to pay them any mind.

"Sect Leader, your battle with the abbot at Vajra Temple was earth-shattering! The commotion could be seen across almost the entirety of Lei Province!"

"As members of the Demon Sect, how could we not come to cheer you on?"

Old Man Wushan chuckled.

"Exactly! The Sect Leader's combat prowess is unrivaled. You're now one of the supreme experts of Lei Province!"

"From now on, I'd like to see who dares to look down on our Demon Sect!"

The others chimed in with their agreement.

Hearing this, Ye Chen couldn't help but let out a wry laugh.

"You all need to work harder, too. Don't fall too far behind."

Everyone nodded, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Of course! Sect Leader, we will cultivate diligently and never bring shame upon the Demon Sect!"

Not far away, the Lei family and the other factions watched this scene before silently retreating.

With the abbot's fall, Ye Chen's prestige in Lei Province had reached its absolute peak.

No one would dare to cause trouble for the Demon Sect ever again!

But just then, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed through the sky.

Immediately following was a blinding flash of lightning, and Venerable Ming Lei's figure reappeared before everyone's eyes!

The moment he appeared, he landed beside Ye Chen, his expression alarmingly grim.

"Venerable?" Ye Chen was taken aback, not understanding why Venerable Ming Lei had returned.

"Someone's coming."

Venerable Ming Lei said flatly, "They're headed this way."

Before anyone could ask what he meant...

A colossal giant of golden light appeared in the distance, its head touching the sky. It strode toward them with heavy, rapid steps.

The giant was majestic, its head nearly disappearing into the clouds. It was countless times larger than the one the abbot had manifested.

The giant reached the foot of Vajra Temple's mountain before dissolving into a streak of golden light that vanished into the air.

The people who had been carried in the giant's palm descended, landing before the mountain gates of Vajra Temple.

Every single one of them exuded a powerful aura. They were all draped in kasaya robes, their faces stern and solemn.

The man in the lead was exceptionally handsome, with fair skin and red lips. But like everyone else behind him, his head was completely shaven, having long since severed all ties to worldly vexations.

The handsome young man glanced impassively at the ruins before him. His brow furrowed slightly as he asked, "Who did this?"

"Vajra Temple may be a minor power, hardly worth mentioning in the eastern region of the dynasty... but within the borders of Lei Province, it could be considered a powerhouse."

"Which one of you destroyed it?"

He swept a cold gaze over the crowd. A Buddhist light seemed to flicker in his eyes, and an invisible pressure descended, making every Cultivator present feel as if they were suffocating.

'People from the Holy Temple are here?'

A terrifying aura, like a great mountain, bore down on the Cultivators of Lei Province.