Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

The moment Ye Chen appeared at the entrance of the Dragon Prison Cave, all eyes were on him!

This included the Buddha's Son from the Holy Temple, Ling Qianxiao and Saint Mother Jinglian from Feihong Academy, and the Divinity Transformation Realm cultivators from the Xu and Lin families.

Only the Undying Demon Lord was nowhere to be seen, having apparently already left.

He hadn't reached the Divinity Transformation Realm, after all. Outside the Dragon Prison Cave, no matter how strong he was, he couldn't cause much of a stir, so he didn't linger.

"Ye Chen?"

Venerable Thunderclap and the other cultivators from the Lei Province faction were also waiting outside, their gazes filled with urgency.

After the major powers had entered the Dragon Prison Cave, they too had sent people inside.

However, the desolate and ruined scene within didn't resemble a blessed paradise in the slightest.

The Lei Province cultivators quickly withdrew. They lacked the strength to get involved, but they had managed to piece together a rough understanding of the situation inside from various scraps of information.

"Sect Leader!"

Seeing Ye Chen emerge from the Dragon Prison Cave unharmed, the experts of the Demon Sect let out a collective sigh of relief.

'This smell is…'

The thick stench of blood wafted through the air. Ye Chen's brow furrowed. His gaze swept across the scene, and he was instantly met with a sight that made his eyes burn with fury.

Luo Sandao's face was covered in blood, his aura was faint, and his body hung limply, held in a man's grasp as easily as if he were a chick.

And the one holding Luo Sandao was none other than Zhong Lao of Cyan Rainbow Hall!

"Brat, so you finally decided to show yourself?"

Upon seeing Ye Chen, a cruel smile spread across Zhong Lao's face.

Ye Chen had steeled himself for a confrontation, but he never imagined that the Holy Temple, Feihong Academy, and the other major powers had yet to make a move against him.

Instead, it was Cyan Rainbow Hall—a sect with which he had no prior quarrel—that had struck first!

"What is the meaning of this?"

Ye Chen's gaze was glacial. It was obvious that Zhong Lao had attacked the Demon Sect.

As the Demon Sect's strongest expert, Luo Sandao would have naturally been on the front lines, fighting back with all his might. But how could he possibly have been a match for Zhong Lao?

Zhong Lao was Song Yubing's Guardian, and his cultivation had long since reached the Divinity Transformation First Layer. He was, without a doubt, a top-tier expert!

Watching the scene unfold, Venerable Thunderclap couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. "I wanted to intervene, but I was stopped as well."

Cyan Rainbow Hall's contingent had more than one Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator.

Even Venerable Thunderclap had been powerless to do anything.

Meeting Ye Chen's icy gaze, Zhong Lao just smiled faintly. "Brat, you're not actually thinking of fighting me, are you?"

"I've heard all about what you did in there. Word is you went on a killing spree, acted quite ferociously, eh?"

"My lady was still inside. To ensure her safety, it was only natural for me to take one of your subordinates hostage to keep you from acting rashly."

As he spoke, Zhong Lao tightened his grip slightly.

Luo Sandao, who was already on his last breath, felt his throat tighten. His eyes bulged, and tears of blood streamed down his face. The intense humiliation and pain made him wish he could die right then and there!

Ye Chen's expression turned frigid, his entire being radiating intense killing intent.

In the next instant, he appeared before Zhong Lao and threw a sudden punch!

"Ye Chen, no!"

Venerable Thunderclap and the others cried out in alarm. That was a Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator; how could Ye Chen be so reckless?

"You're courting death!"

Zhong Lao countered with a palm strike, meeting Ye Chen's attack head-on!

BANG!

A muffled explosion echoed as an invisible shockwave radiated outward. Ye Chen was knocked back several steps, while Zhong Lao merely staggered for a moment before regaining his footing.

But his face was still a mask of profound shock.

'This brat's power… has actually reached this level?'

Zhong Lao's eyes glinted, his shock turning into indignant rage.

After all, back when Song Yubing had taken an interest in Ye Chen and wanted him to join Cyan Rainbow Hall, it was Zhong Lao himself who had repeatedly advised against it, looking down on Ye Chen and deeming him unworthy.

He never expected that in just a few short days, Ye Chen's strength would grow to the point where he could clash head-on with a Divinity Transformation cultivator like himself.

Of course, he wasn't about to admit his mistake. 'So what if Ye Chen is powerful? I won't take back what I said!'

Just then, Song Yubing emerged from the Dragon Prison Cave, right behind Ye Chen.

Her expression changed the moment she saw Ye Chen and Zhong Lao locked in combat.

"Zhong Lao, stop this at once!" she shouted.

"My Lady, so you're unharmed."

Only upon seeing Song Yubing did Zhong Lao's expression soften.

He then tossed Luo Sandao in front of Ye Chen like a dead dog and sneered, "Just as I thought. A brat like you would never have the guts to harm My Lady."

"If anything had truly happened to her, I wouldn't just have annihilated your sect, I would have flayed you alive!"

"Fortunately for you, you made a wise choice."

Zhong Lao's tone was filled with contempt, as if Ye Chen was completely beneath his notice.

He was long accustomed to his superior status, and in a barren backwater like Lei Province, he had always enjoyed acting high and mighty.

"This…"

Looking at the blood-soaked Luo Sandao and Ye Chen's utterly frigid expression, Song Yubing was momentarily stunned.

She hadn't expected things to escalate to this point.

"My Lady, our business here is concluded. It's time for us to return."

Zhong Lao walked slowly toward Song Yubing, preparing to leave.

"Did I say you could leave?"

But a bone-chillingly cold voice rang out as Ye Chen's aura exploded, his eyes brimming with killing intent!

"Sect Leader… don't be rash!" Luo Sandao had taken the Healing Elixir from Ye Chen and recovered slightly. Fearing Ye Chen would do something foolish, he quickly tried to talk him down.

"Brat, I've already let you off the hook. Don't push your luck."

Zhong Lao turned around nonchalantly, his expression indifferent and his tone flippant.

"Is that so?"

"But I have no intention of letting *you* off the hook!"

Ye Chen's figure flashed, and he reappeared in front of Zhong Lao.

"Cangming Nether Emperor Hand!"

A powerful offensive was instantly unleashed. In that moment, a vast aura from the Primordial Chaos descended from the heavens, and even Zhong Lao's expression couldn't help but shift.

'What an astonishing aura!'

'This brat really is hiding some incredible secret!'

Zhong Lao hastily moved to block, but he ended up coughing up blood as Ye Chen's single strike sent him reeling back!

'The world's martial arts are divided into nine grades. This brat's technique is so powerful… could it be a Celestial Grade art, something above the Ninth Grade?'

All the experts present were stunned by this scene.

"Brat, I was going to let you off the hook, but I see you're determined to die!"

"In that case, don't blame me for what happens next!"

Wounded in a single blow by some young punk who hadn't even reached the Primordial Mansion Realm, Zhong Lao was livid. His white hair whipped about wildly as fury consumed him.

He unleashed the full might of his Divinity Transformation Realm aura without reservation, and everyone present suddenly found it hard to breathe!

This was a top-tier expert from the eastern part of the dynasty. How terrifying could the aura he unleashed in a fit of rage possibly be?