Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

According to him, when the Dragon Prison Cave previously opened, his head disciple, Ji Yuanshan, had also gone to check things out, claiming he wanted to travel and see the world.

However, some time had passed since the Dragon Prison Cave closed, yet they still hadn't seen any sign of Ji Yuanshan.

They had traveled from Xu Province, making their way to Kunlun City on the border of the Great Hong Dynasty.

Along the way, they had diverted into Lei Province to try to contact Ji Yuanshan, planning to regroup with him before continuing their journey together.

However, they had actually managed to contact Ji Yuanshan.

But the pair of young sisters sent to rendezvous with him had waited for the better part of a day before returning, saying they hadn't seen him.

What they hadn't expected at all was that the Chuxue and Chuyu who returned were actually phantoms in disguise. If they hadn't run into Ye Chen, they would have been kept in the dark indefinitely.

They had no idea where the real Chuxue and Chuyu were, and now they couldn't even get in touch with their head disciple, Ji Yuanshan.

The bizarre circumstances made even Song Yubing, who was standing to the side, click her tongue in amazement.

Still, she offered a gentle consolation, "Even though the sisters Chuyu and Chuxue are missing and their fate is uncertain, you shouldn't be too pessimistic."

"If you can find Ji Yuanshan, you might be able to find out what happened to them."

"Sigh..." Yu Xiaoran let out a long sigh, a bitter look on his face. "I can only hope so. It would be for the best if they are still safe and sound."

"By the way, why are you all headed to Kunlun City?"

Ye Chen asked.

"To compete for a spot at the Peach Blossom Banquet," Yu Xiaoran answered honestly, not hiding anything.

"A spot?" Ye Chen paused, surprised.

"That's right. With your abilities, young friend, I imagine you've already secured a spot?"

Yu Xiaoran sighed. "Kunlun City lies on the border of the Great Hong Dynasty, adjacent to Lei Province, Xu Province, and Song Province."

"Between them, Xu Province and Song Province were allocated a single spot to compete in the Peach Blossom Banquet. However, who that spot will ultimately go to is still being decided."

"To fight for this spot, the various factions from the two provinces mobilized. After some discussion, they unanimously decided to hold a martial arts tournament in the border city of Kunlun City!"

"Geniuses from both provinces can participate. Whoever takes first place will win the spot."

At this point, Yu Xiaoran couldn't help but ask, "If I recall correctly, Lei Province doesn't have any spots. But given the prowess you've displayed, young friend, you must not be from Lei Province, are you?"

Lei Province, Xu Province, and Song Province were all located in the remote eastern borderlands of the dynasty.

And among them, Lei Province was considered a tier weaker than both Xu Province and Song Province.

This made Ye Chen sigh internally.

'If Song Yubing hadn't handed her spot over to me, I, being from Lei Province, probably would have never even heard a whisper about the Peach Blossom Banquet.'

"I am from Lei Province," Ye Chen said.

"That..." Yu Xiaoran and his group stared at Ye Chen in astonishment. "What a shame. With your strength, young friend, you could have certainly made a brilliant showing even at the legendary Peach Blossom Banquet."

Ye Chen didn't explain further. Instead, he asked, "So, the genius your Songyin Sword Mansion planned to send to compete for this spot was your head disciple, Ji Yuanshan?"

"That's right." Yu Xiaoran smiled bitterly. "But ever since he went to the Dragon Prison Cave, we haven't seen him. We have no idea what condition he's in."

"If we can't find Senior Brother, I will fight in his place at the tournament."

Lu Fanyan's eyes flashed. Though a female cultivator, her resolute expression and unwavering will perfectly embodied the saying that a woman can be the equal of any man.

"That's our only option," Yu Xiaoran nodded.

After all, how could the Songyin Sword Mansion simply give away such a prime opportunity without a fight?

No matter what, they had to at least try to win it.

As for the whereabouts of Ji Yuanshan and the two young sisters, he planned to formulate a proper plan after they entered the city.

Right now, he didn't have a single clue, so he had no idea where to even begin his search.

Soon, the long, agonizing night of waiting finally passed.

Dawn broke on the horizon as the sun rose, bringing the stormy, perilous night to a thankfully uneventful close.

...

In the Kunlun Mountain range, inside a rocky cave hidden deep within a dense forest, a figure cloaked entirely in black sat cross-legged upon an altar.

Great cauldrons surrounded the altar, emitting a thick, overwhelming stench of blood. A closer look revealed that the cauldrons were filled with writhing flesh, a truly gruesome sight.

Just then, the black-robed figure's eyes snapped open. Illusions of mountains of corpses and seas of blood seemed to churn within his blood-red pupils. A savage expression twisted his pale, androgynous face.

'Even the Cyan-faced Demon Monarch has fallen?'

He slowly lowered his head. An evil aura pulsed from his body, yet a string of Buddha Beads was wrapped around his wrist, a stark contrast to the bizarre, horrifying scene around him.

At that moment, three beads on the long strand had cracked. Faint, shrill screams could be heard emanating from the fissures, enough to make one's blood run cold.

'Heart-Stealing Old Demon, the Three Corpses Reverend, the Cyan-faced Demon Monarch...'

'That brat clearly isn't at the Divinity Transformation Realm, so why is his combat prowess so astounding?'

The black-robed figure's eyes glinted. He pondered for a long moment, then suddenly barked, "Men!"

Two masked figures, their bodies surging with powerful auras, shot out from the shadows. They bowed in unison before the black-robed figure and said, "Lord Nether Venerable, what are your commands?"

The black-robed figure, the Celestial Slaughter Nether Venerable, slowly held out a scroll.

"Use the image on this scroll to find out this brat's identity for me."

He had once stored a portion of his power within the Cyan-faced Demon Monarch, and through it, he had come face-to-face with Ye Chen before the monarch's demise.

And the scroll, of course, contained an image of Ye Chen.

"As you command!"

The two respectfully accepted the scroll, then once again melted into the shadows and vanished from the cave.

The thick scent of blood hung in the air. An ordinary person would have long since been overwhelmed by the fumes, growing faint and dizzy.

The Celestial Slaughter Nether Venerable, however, looked as if he were in his element, completely at ease.

He seemed to relish the atmosphere, for he could draw immense power from it.

'I don't know who you are, but you dared to ruin my plans. I will make you pay.'

The Celestial Slaughter Nether Venerable took a deep breath, and a blood-red mist seeped from his mouth and nose. The dark red in his pupils grew even more vibrant.

And at that very moment, Ye Chen and his party finally arrived at the gates of Kunlun City.