Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

Seeing the displeasure on Ye Chen's face, the Buddha's Son panicked, terrified that what he offered wasn't enough and Ye Chen would kill him to tie up loose ends. He quickly said, "If you're not satisfied, sir, you can hold me hostage!"

"I'm sure that for my sake, the Saint Temple will be willing to offer treasures that will satisfy you."

"..."

Ye Chen was stunned into silence, momentarily unsure of what to say.

'He'd even suggest that?'

'Was this Buddha's Son just incredibly savvy, or was he a complete coward?'

'I hadn't even thought that far ahead, but he's already planned out the next step?'

"I'm surprised you're so cooperative... Now I'd almost feel bad hurting you,"

Ye Chen said calmly.

"As long as I can satisfy you, sir, I'm willing to do anything." The Buddha's Son tried to squeeze out a smile, but the expression was more painful than tears.

Just then, the Jade Pendant at the Buddha's Son's waist suddenly lit up.

It was the magical artifact he used to contact Master Jialan, the abbot of the Saint Temple.

The Jade Pendant glowed with a faint halo, and Master Jialan's divine sense transmission came from within.

The Buddha's Son didn't dare to hide it, so Ye Chen naturally heard it as well.

Master Jialan's anxious voice was heard saying, "Something's wrong!"

"We received a message from your Grand-Uncle Minghui. Master Jingde led Lord Shakyamuni and his group to besiege Ye Chen. They were joined by a Celestial Tier assassin from the Valley of Death and a Supreme Elder from the Xu family of Yuan Province, but in the end, we lost contact with all of them on the tower ship!"

"Now the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce has also spoken out. They say a large number of powerful experts died on the tower ship at the hands of a young man named Ye Chen, including two at the Divine Might Realm! Even the many treasures being transported were plundered by Ye Chen!"

"Based on all this, it's highly likely that Jingde and the others fell victim to Ye Chen. It's suspected that Ye Chen possesses power sufficient to threaten even those in the Divine Might Realm!"

"Most importantly, he has likely already reached Dongxuan Province! He might be here for the Peach Blossom Banquet!"

"We misjudged his strength. He's extremely dangerous now. If you run into him, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"You'd better not wander around outside. If he finds you, I might not even have time to save you..."

CLATTER!

The Jade Pendant slipped from the Buddha's Son's hand and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

The Buddha's Son's eyes were vacant and lifeless, Master Jialan's anxious words still echoing in his mind.

'Even a Great Saint Monk like Lord Shakyamuni and Master Jingde died at Ye Chen's hands?'

"...Reply as soon as you get this!" Master Jialan's voice rang out from the Jade Pendant again.

"What are you spacing out for?" Ye Chen looked at the Buddha's Son. "Reply to him. Just say you're fine, tell him not to worry, and that you'll be back later."

How could the Buddha's Son dare to delay? He stiffly picked up the Jade Pendant and, on the verge of tears, said, "I'm fine. I'll be careful. I'll be back later."

「Dongxuan City, inside a spacious residence.」

Master Jialan slowly put down the Jade Pendant in his hand, a trace of doubt flashing across his old face.

'Why was the Buddha's Son's reaction so calm?'

'He knew that the Buddha's Son had long since come to see his defeat back in the Dragon Prison Cave in Lei Province as his Heart Demon.'

'After breaking through to the Divinity Transformation Realm, he had been full of confidence, eager to fight Ye Chen again and shatter his Heart Demon.'

'Hearing this news now, he should have been shocked and found it hard to accept.'

'But the Buddha's Son seemed perfectly calm. His attitude was truly unusual.'

'Could it be that something happened to him?'

Master Jialan pondered for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled lightly.

'I must be overthinking things.'

'This is Dongxuan City. Who would dare cause trouble here?'

'If they anger the provincial government of Dongxuan Province, no matter what their background is, they'll face dire consequences!'

...

Outside Dongxuan City, the Buddha's Son put away the Jade Pendant and looked nervously at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen thought for a moment and said, "To participate in the Peach Blossom Banquet, you have to register in advance. Have you already registered?"

"I have." The Buddha's Son was taken aback. "Don't tell me you haven't registered yet, sir? If you go now, I'm afraid it might be too late."

"It's fine. I wasn't planning on attending the Peach Blossom Banquet anyway." Ye Chen shook his head.

The Buddha's Son was puzzled, but he didn't dare ask any more questions.

'With Ye Chen's strength, he could easily sweep away all the Cultivators of his generation in Dongxuan Province. Taking first place should be a sure thing.'

'The grand prize—a Peach Spirit Fruit—was rumored to take several hundred years to grow in a Tier Seven or higher Spirit-Gathering Array, nurtured by a Great Power at or above the Divinity Transformation level. It would have certainly fallen into Ye Chen's hands.'

'But he was giving up the chance to participate in the Peach Blossom Banquet?'

'Why would he do that?'

"Let's go. Come with me to Dongxuan City." Ye Chen took the lead and started walking toward the city.

"Sir, if I may ask, what is your intention for keeping me with you?" the Buddha's Son asked, hurrying to follow his every step.

"What, you want me to let you go?" Ye Chen turned around, looking at the Buddha's Son with a half-smile.

"With my meager abilities, I can't help you with anything, sir. Keeping me around would only make me a burden." The Buddha's Son was sweating profusely as he chose his words carefully.

"I have my uses for you. No need for more questions," Ye Chen said faintly.

The Buddha's Son's heart went cold upon hearing this.

'Did the subtext of those words mean that once he was no longer useful, Ye Chen would kill him to tie up loose ends?'

"Alright, don't overthink it. Whether I let you go or not will depend on your performance."

"Just do as you're told."

Ye Chen saw through the Buddha's Son's thoughts at a glance. He shook his head wearily, not bothering to say more, and immediately strode toward Dongxuan City.

"I will naturally obey your orders, sir!" The Buddha's Son gritted his teeth and hurried after him.

'He was filled with anxiety, not daring to imagine how Ye Chen would treat him.'

'He could only pray silently that Ye Chen would ultimately spare his life.'

...

"This is the place to register for the Peach Blossom Banquet."

In Dongxuan City, a kilometer away from the City Lord's Mansion, there was a courtyard.

Chi Ming and his group were currently standing not far from it.

After asking around, Chi Ming and the others had finally found their way here.

Right now, there was less than half an hour until the registration deadline!

They didn't delay and quickly walked into the courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, a pot-bellied middle-aged man was in charge.

He was sitting lazily on a rocking chair, looking sleepy-eyed.

"What are you here for?"

At the gate of the residence within the courtyard stood two guards. Their expressions were solemn, their eyes like cold lightning, and they exuded a sharp aura.

They were actually two Primordial Mansion Realm Cultivators!

If Ye Chen were here, he would surely have been amazed.

In Lei Province, Primordial Mansion Realm Cultivators were strong enough to dominate an entire region, yet in Dongxuan Province, they could only serve as mere guards!