Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

At his words, everyone's curiosity was piqued. All eyes turned to Li Jianyin.

The white-robed man's gaze flickered, but he remained silent.

'But he knew in his heart that Li Jianyin wasn't talking about him!'

Earlier, when facing that invisible sword strike from Li Jianyin, he had felt an unimaginable pressure.

It had caused him to lose his composure entirely!

Of course, Li Jianyin had seen it too!

"Even I and Young Master Bai wouldn't dare claim to be able to receive that strike. Who else could possibly earn such high praise from fellow Daoist Li?" Xiao Yunpo was very surprised.

But then he suddenly realized something and his gaze shifted to Ye Chen. "Could it be..."

"That's right."

Li Jianyin also looked toward Ye Chen, his expression calm, a peculiar light glinting in the depths of his eyes. "With that fellow Daoist here, Lingtian Pavilion might not have fallen into chaos, even if Steward Xiao hadn't appeared."

"Oh?" Xiao Yunpo frowned and looked at Ye Chen.

Yet, he discovered he couldn't see through him at all!

For a Cultivator of his level, a mere bamboo hat should have been like nothing at all, incapable of blocking his senses.

But when he extended his perception, he found himself seemingly adrift in a vast, empty darkness. He could see nothing, find no exit or direction, and nearly became lost within it.

This made Xiao Yunpo's heart tighten, and his expression grew several shades more solemn.

The others in the hall exchanged glances, their feelings growing complicated.

Earlier, when Xiao Yunpo had channeled the Power of the Forbidden Array, the entire Lingtian Pavilion had shaken. A terrifying power and aura had spread through the hall, sending everyone stumbling and struggling to stay upright. They had been a pathetic sight!

And yet, the figure standing before the Buddha's Son was like a reef in the ocean. No matter how the waves crashed, he stood firm, as immovable as a mountain!

In such a contrast, the disparity in their strengths was instantly obvious.

No wonder Li Jianyin regarded that mysterious person with such importance!

"To have earned your esteem, fellow Daoist Li, means that fellow Daoist is truly no simple character," Xiao Yunpo said with a meaningful smile.

"If you have the time, fellow Daoist, might we find a place to speak?"

Li Jianyin's gaze fell upon Ye Chen from across the room as he spoke with a smile.

It was as if he had finally found a peer worthy of his friendship, and a genuine smile spread across his face.

This was the first time during the entire banquet that anyone had seen Li Jianyin wear such an expression!

While Li Jianyin hadn't been entirely stone-faced before, anyone could tell he was merely being polite, his cordiality not coming from the heart.

The expressions on the faces of Song Tianxing, Song Jun, Jin Shengquan, and the others flickered with uncertainty.

At a time like this, how could they dare say another word?

Their original plan was to pressure Song Yubing and force Ye Chen to reveal himself.

But no one could have predicted that the situation would evolve like this.

"Li. Jian. Yin!"

"I will remember you!!!"

The white-robed man took a deep breath. He spoke, enunciating every single word, his voice dripping with killing intent.

"And to think I was foolish enough to consider you a friend."

"You have disappointed me greatly!" he said coldly, his face dark. "When I return, I will report everything to my master, exactly as it happened."

"Do as you will," Li Jianyin said coolly.

Although his sword strike hadn't landed on the white-robed man, he couldn't press the matter further now that Xiao Yunpo himself had been drawn out.

Besides, he had said he would only use a single strike!

The one strike had been made. He would not break his promise and attack the white-robed man again.

"And as for you, just you wait!"

The white-robed man shot Ye Chen a cold glance, then immediately turned, flicked his sleeve, and departed.

The crowd was silent as the grave, watching from a distance.

But then Ye Chen suddenly spoke. "Did I say you could leave?"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone was thunderstruck. They all stared at Ye Chen in utter disbelief!

Even the Buddha's Son, Chi Ming, and Song Yubing were stunned. It seemed they never imagined that even after Xiao Yunpo had stepped in to mediate, Ye Chen still had no intention of letting the matter drop!

Li Jianyin paused, momentarily startled. Then, a look of keen interest crossed his face as he sat back down, clearly settling in for a good show.

Xiao Yunpo, on the other hand, frowned slightly but said nothing.

"What do you mean by that?" The white-robed man stopped in his tracks, barely able to believe his ears.

"Why don't you try taking a strike from my sword as well."

Ye Chen said, his hands clasped behind his back, his tone indifferent.

"You still intend to fight?" the white-robed man demanded, a mixture of shock and rage on his face.

Ye Chen couldn't be bothered to say more. With a casual wave of his hand, a razor-sharp beam of Sword Qi shot out from his sleeve, hurtling toward the white-robed man with unstoppable momentum!

Although Li Jianyin had already acted on his behalf to punish the white-robed man, that strike had been blocked by Xiao Yunpo.

More importantly, Ye Chen himself had never agreed to let the matter end there!

Everyone had assumed that with Li Jianyin personally stepping in, Ye Chen would not pursue the matter further.

But Ye Chen had never thought that way for a second!

'Not good!'

An intense sense of crisis welled up in the white-robed man's heart. His expression changed drastically as he scrambled to flee toward the main gate of Lingtian Pavilion.

But the Sword Qi was like a phantom clinging to his bones, its presence locked firmly onto him.

Li Jianyin's eyes lit up, and he nearly jumped out of his seat!

This strike made him feel as if he'd found a kindred spirit!

To the crowd, this strike might have seemed far less grandiose than his own.

But only Li Jianyin knew that this was merely a facade!

This strike may have lacked ostentation, but in truth, all of its power was contained within the Sword Qi itself, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

It appeared calm on the surface, but once the power within was fully unleashed, its might would be enough to shatter everyone's expectations!

As everyone watched, the white-robed man had just reached the entrance of Lingtian Pavilion when the Sword Qi exploded against his body!

BOOM!

A violent roar echoed throughout Lingtian Pavilion as terrifying shockwaves ravaged the hall. The crowd felt their Divine Souls tremble, and they stumbled back repeatedly, faces filled with terror.

'A single, casual strike possessed such terrifying power?'

'Could this be a terrifying Sword Cultivator on par with Li Jianyin?'

Xiao Yunpo's brow furrowed, and he let out a "Tsk."

Immediately after, his aura flared as he channeled the Power of the Forbidden Array to suppress the spreading shockwaves.

Li Jianyin also acted in that moment, unleashing his own cultivation to protect Lingtian Pavilion.

From within the raging storm of Sword Qi, only the white-robed man's bloodcurdling scream could be heard echoing from a distance.

"BASTARD—"

"THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, I WILL KILL YOU!!!"

The voice was so full of pain and resentment that it was chilling to the bone. No one dared to imagine just how grievous his injuries were.

As the storm of energy subsided, Ye Chen turned and walked toward the entrance of Lingtian Pavilion.

"Let's go."

The Buddha's Son paused for a moment, then hurried to follow.