Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

Seeing the newcomer, Ye Chen couldn't help but be a little surprised. "Hongyu Pill Venerable? What are you doing here?"

He never expected to see her here.

Especially on an occasion like this.

After all, if Hongyu Pill Venerable were to speak up for him now, she would undoubtedly offend the Saint Temple.

No matter how you looked at it, this was the greatest power in Yan Province. Once you made an enemy of them, you would inevitably face constraints.

This was a grudge between Ye Chen and the Saint Temple; he didn't want to drag others into it.

"I saw you storming over here, and I knew some clueless fool must have provoked you."

"I just didn't expect those clueless fools to be these bald-headed asses."

Hongyu Pill Venerable let out a charming laugh, winking at Ye Chen. She was completely unconcerned that her words had already deeply enraged the Saint Temple's Cultivators.

Ye Chen was taken aback for a moment, then he smiled too.

He knew that Hongyu Pill Venerable was determined to side with him. To do so, she didn't even care about the Saint Temple's reaction!

For one, as the number one Alchemist in the eastern part of the dynasty, Hongyu Pill Venerable had the confidence to back it up.

For another, it showed that Ye Chen's place in her heart was far more important than a major power like the Saint Temple!

Since that was the case, Ye Chen was naturally happy to accept Hongyu Pill Venerable's goodwill.

Upon hearing Hongyu Pill Venerable's words, even Lord Shakyamuni's expression changed, his gaze turning grave.

"Hongyu Pill Venerable, am I to understand that you are intentionally making an enemy of my Saint Temple?" he asked, his deep voice booming like thunder.

"Hongyu Pill Venerable?"

"So this woman is actually that legendary top-tier Alchemist?"

There were also many ordinary Cultivators in the Saint Temple who would normally never have a chance to meet Hongyu Pill Venerable.

It was only after hearing Lord Shakyamuni's words that they were shocked to realize the young woman before them had such an astonishing identity.

"So what if I am?"

"Your Saint Temple bullies the weak, even resorting to despicable tactics to threaten a young man?"

"So why can't we return the favor, an eye for an eye? Are you the only ones allowed to take hostages, while we can't do the same?"

Hongyu Pill Venerable sneered.

The commotion at the Saint Temple was so great that countless powers, large and small, from all over Flame City had sent Cultivators to investigate.

In an instant, the figures of countless experts swarmed the vicinity. From a distance, they saw the scene of Ye Chen's party in a standoff with the Saint Temple.

At first, they were amazed that a young man like Ye Chen dared to oppose the Saint Temple.

Then, when they discovered that even a great personage like Hongyu Pill Venerable was willing to side with the young man, a monstrous wave crashed through their hearts, and they found it utterly unbelievable.

'Just what is this young man's background?'

'No wonder he dared to confront the Saint Temple and even capture a Saint Monk! From the looks of it, his origins are anything but simple!'

And with Hongyu Pill Venerable's appearance, the Saint Temple's arrogant momentum had been suppressed quite a bit.

Given Hongyu Pill Venerable's status and connections, they would absolutely be unwilling to make an enemy of such a figure.

Lord Shakyamuni's chest heaved. He stared intently at Ye Chen and struggled to ask, "What will it take for you to release him?"

Hearing this, Ye Chen instead turned his gaze to Hongyu Pill Venerable at his side.

Hongyu Pill Venerable understood immediately. She gave a dazzling smile and said, "Didn't I say it before? For a Saint Monk of his stature, you ought to offer something worthy of his status in exchange, right?"

"In my opinion, the Buddha's Radiance Five-Mystic Stones are quite nice. Just hand over three of them, and we'll release the man."

Apparently, Ye Chen didn't know the full details of the Saint Temple's assets. Even with a Saint Monk as a hostage, he didn't know how to extract the maximum benefit.

But Hongyu Pill Venerable was different.

That was why Ye Chen had directly handed the negotiation over to Hongyu Pill Venerable, letting her handle it.

Watching Hongyu Pill Venerable speak so eloquently, he simply stood to the side, smiling without a word.

"Buddha's Radiance Five-Mystic Stones?"

A Saint Monk from the temple cried out in alarm, "Do you have any idea what kind of treasure that is? Demanding three at once—are you trying to clean out our entire vault?"

The Buddha's Radiance Five-Mystic Stone was a supreme divine object for cultivation at the Divinity Transformation stage. It allowed a Cultivator's Divine Soul to be immersed in and tempered by the power of the Great Dao, solidifying their foundation and consolidating their realm.

The Saint Monks of the temple had all used the Buddha's Radiance Five-Mystic Stones to cultivate during their Divinity Transformation stage. This was how they had laid an exceptionally solid foundation, granting them combat power far surpassing that of ordinary Divinity Transformation Cultivators.

How else could the Saint Monks be considered the pillars of the Saint Temple?

However, because the Buddha's Radiance Five-Mystic Stones were so precious, even those with the status of a Saint Monk usually had to share one stone among three people.

Therefore, they were utterly stunned when they heard Hongyu Pill Venerable demand three Buddha's Radiance Five-Mystic Stones at once.

Even they, the Saint Monks, didn't receive such good treatment! No wonder they were both shocked and furious!

"I know the Buddha's Radiance Five-Mystic Stones are not easy to come by. They only form when a Great Power of the Divine Might Realm, one who has mastered the way of the Buddhist Sect, passes away. Over a long period, their Divine Soul combines with their lifetime's foundation in the Buddhist Dao, condensing under the effect of their divine might."

"Therefore, I'm *only* asking for three."

"You can't even agree to this small condition? Or are you saying that you don't think a Saint Monk is worth this price?"

Hongyu Pill Venerable feigned surprise. Her attitude was firm, and she refused to back down even an inch.

"That's impossible!"

"No one could possibly accept such a price!"

That Saint Monk rejected it outright, with almost no hesitation.

Lord Shakyamuni spoke up as well. He said coolly, "Hongyu Pill Venerable, my Saint Temple has never had any quarrel with you. Are you certain you want to get involved in this?"

His gaze was icy, and his entire being radiated a terrifying aura.

"What? Are you trying to threaten me?"

Hongyu Pill Venerable laughed. She was a Peak Divinity Transformation Cultivator; how could she possibly be intimidated by the aura coming from Lord Shakyamuni?

"We have no wish to be your enemy, either, but such a price is truly asking the impossible."

Lord Shakyamuni sighed. "I'm afraid that even for you, Hongyu Pill Venerable, we cannot afford you this courtesy."

With that, his eyes flashed. The entire Saint Temple seemed to tremble as a colossal golden halo of light emerged, filling the air with a majestic and vast aura that seemed powerful enough to crush the heavens and the earth.

"Lord Shakyamuni... he actually activated the Saint Temple's ultimate killing formation?"

"He's forcing a fight? He's just going to ignore the fact that they have a Saint Monk hostage?"

The spectating experts from the city were all stunned. Their eyes widened, and they couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

For countless ages, the Saint Temple had reigned supreme over Yan Province, a truly unshakable hegemon.

This was the first time they had ever seen someone dare to cause trouble on the Saint Temple's own territory and declare war on them!