Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

"This boy cannot die yet."

Xu Qianqiu declared coldly.

He feared the power gap between Ye Chen and the Lin family's Elder was so vast that the Elder would simply obliterate him.

"You..." The Lin family Elder's expression shifted, a flicker of anger crossing his face.

"If you must blame someone, blame your young master. His skills were inferior, yet he still rushed to his own death."

Xu Qianqiu shot a casual glance toward the Lin family, completely ignoring the Elder's livid expression.

He looked over at Ye Chen, who wasn't far off, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"I must admit, you've given me quite a surprise."

"Your strength only proves you gained more from this place!"

"It seems you really do know this place's secrets! I don't know why the Dragon Prison Cave ended up in this state, but I imagine that once we capture you, you'll tell us everything... won't you?"

Xu Qianqiu's face was indifferent, but his tone held a trace of impatience.

He was clearly getting impatient!

"You're welcome to try."

With a casual flick of his hand, Ye Chen retrieved Lin Ze's Storage Ring.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he faced the crowd of foreign powers, his expression serene. In his fluttering white robes, he looked like a banished immortal who had descended into the mortal realm.

SWISH!

Xu Qianqiu wasted no more words. He swung his sword at Ye Chen, unleashing a sharp beam of Sword Qi. It streaked across the void like a meteor chasing the moon, striking Ye Chen in an instant.

BOOM!

Sensing the danger, azure dragon scales automatically materialized on his skin.

Ye Chen crossed his arms in front of him, taking the full brunt of Xu Qianqiu's attack.

A few scattered dragon scales fell to the ground. Upon closer inspection, his crossed arms only bore a faint white mark.

"H-How is that possible?!"

In that moment, a series of sharp gasps echoed through the crowd.

No one had expected Ye Chen to withstand Xu Qianqiu's Sword Qi with nothing but his physical body!

The Xu family of Yuan Province held a considerable reputation throughout the eastern dynasty. Xu Qianqiu, in particular, was famous far and wide—the number one prodigy of his generation from this esteemed family of Sword Cultivators.

'Yet his attack couldn't even break Ye Chen's skin? How could anyone not be shocked by this?'

"Hm?"

Xu Qianqiu's composure finally broke.

He could no longer maintain his indifferent facade. A flicker of shocked disbelief flashed through his eyes.

He held himself in extremely high regard and was quite confident in his own strength.

He had never imagined that his attack would be blocked so effortlessly by Ye Chen.

Even if he hadn't used his full power, Ye Chen's strength was still astonishing.

"How interesting."

Once her shock subsided, Saint Mother Jinglian sneered. "I've heard that the Ancient Dragon clan has a specialized Body Refining Technique!"

"When I last saw you, you didn't fight with your physical body. Now, it's incredibly powerful—you're like a completely different person. Am I to assume you obtained the Ancient Dragon clan's Body Refining Technique in the Dragon Prison Cave?"

At her words,

the breathing of the crowd instantly grew heavy.

'So, besides the True Dragon Treasure Skill that was already taken, the Dragon Prison Cave also held an Ancient Dragon Body Refining Technique?'

Fiery gazes fell upon Ye Chen, one after another, as if everyone wished they could strip him bare and lay all his secrets out for them to see!

"So that's it. I didn't realize."

Ling Qianxiao smiled faintly and stepped forward, his aura powerful and his expression confident. "There's no need for Master Jinglian to trouble herself. I will handle this boy."

"I'll make him spill all his secrets."

Saint Mother Jinglian giggled charmingly. "Then I'll leave it to you."

The other disciples from Feihong Academy chimed in, "Go, Eldest Brother! Take down that fiend!"

"I hear my junior brother died by your hand?"

Ling Qianxiao's features were devilishly handsome. His almond-shaped eyes glowed with a faint purple light, daring anyone to meet his gaze.

"What if I did?"

Ye Chen gave him an indifferent look.

"As the Eldest Disciple of Feihong Academy, it is my duty to seek justice for my junior brother."

Ling Qianxiao smiled.

"Ling Qianxiao, he's my target," Xu Qianqiu said from nearby, his brow furrowed.

"Brother Xu, he killed my junior brother. I can't just stand by and watch," Ling Qianxiao said, looking troubled.

The other experts nearby were also itching for a fight.

Hearing this, Ye Chen scanned the crowd and said indifferently, "A waste of time."

"Just come at me together. Why are you wasting time with all this useless talk?"

"I can't be bothered to kill you one by one. If you're going to attack, then get on with it!"

His words brought looks of fury to the faces of many experts.

They were all powerful Cultivators from major factions outside the province!

To be disdained by some young upstart from a place like Lei Province... it was unthinkable!

"You're courting death!"

Enraged by Ye Chen's taunt, Xu Qianqiu's expression turned frigid.

He struck again. His longsword left its sheath, and a myriad of sword-shadows materialized before him. A dense storm of sword light, like a torrential downpour, instantly engulfed Ye Chen.

But a dense azure light suddenly burst through the blockade of sword light. A figure transformed into a streak of light, tanking the onslaught of Sword Qi as he shot straight toward Xu Qianqiu!

"What?"

Xu Qianqiu froze. In the next instant, a fist glowing with azure light shot straight toward his face.

BOOM!

At the critical moment, Xu Qianqiu barely had time to raise his longsword to block. He unleashed the full force of his Spiritual Power, revealing his cultivation at the Sixth Layer of the Primordial Mansion Realm!

Behind him, the phantom of his Spiritual Sea churned with monstrous waves.

Everyone stared in shock at the Primordial Mansion standing tall within the phantom Spiritual Sea.

'As expected of the strongest young Sword Cultivator of the Xu family's generation! He actually condensed a Six-Star Primordial Mansion! Truly extraordinary!'

Ye Chen's fist slammed into Xu Qianqiu's longsword. A violent force, like a flash flood, instantly surged through the blade and into Xu Qianqiu's body.

"Urgh..."

Xu Qianqiu let out a muffled grunt. He was horrified to find that when he tried to use his Sword Qi to stop Ye Chen, it simply dissolved into nothingness upon getting close to him.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back, nearly collapsing to the ground!

Wiping the blood from his lips, Xu Qianqiu's face was a mask of horror. "You... Is that Sword Intent?!"

'He was a prodigy from a family dedicated to the Sword Dao. He never imagined that someone in the eastern dynasty could possess greater talent in the Sword Dao than him!'

'And to top it off, this person was a Cultivator from a barren backwater like Lei Province!'

The surrounding experts also wore expressions of utter disbelief. Ye Chen's performance had completely shattered their expectations!