“Long Chen, even now, I don’t understand how you defeated Luo Tianji,” said Ye Lingshan as she looked at Long Chen carefully picking a precious medicine at the edge of a barrier.

She was truly puzzled. Long Chen had defeated Luo Tianji far too easily. It was unbelievably easy.

It had to be known that she had been driven almost insane by Luo Tianji’s ability to predict her moves. That feeling made her want to cough up blood. She felt powerless.

Long Chen plucked a small hairy grass. However, its hair was actually tiny thorns. He continued searching as he said, “Originally, I thought that you had experienced about as much as me and wouldn’t be so easily conned. It seems I’ve overestimated you.”

“Stop spouting nonsense and tell me,” said Ye Lingshan.

“A magic trick depends on the cover. Have you not seen any magicians performing tricks on the street?” asked Long Chen.

“Of course I have, but what does that have to do with Luo Tianji?” demanded Ye Lingshan.

“I already said, ninety percent of Heavenly Fate Island’s abilities are used for conning people. When he fought with you, he relied on mental warfare, making you befuddled and unable to fight effectively. In truth, all of his abilities were worthless. That ruler of his had memorized the techniques, fighting style, attack angles, and counterattacks used on the continent. The one fighting you was actually the ruler, and the reason he could make you feel powerless is because of this special location that does not permit you to unleash your full power. If you could, he wouldn’t have necessarily been a match for you. His trick relies entirely on his divine item. Do you understand?” asked Long Chen.

“No.”

Long Chen looked at her. “I say, you look smart, but you still don’t understand?”

“Fine, I’ll call you smart. Now stop keeping me in suspense,” said Ye Lingshan, rolling her eyes. Long Chen had tiptoed around the answer this whole time, refusing to answer directly, making her teeth itch.

“Heavenly Fate Island gathered the techniques of all the sects and schools of the Martial Heaven Continent and came up with the most efficient way to counter them. This kind of method is useless for most people because a person can’t react that quickly. However, the divine items of Heavenly Fate Island are able to precisely calculate what technique to use. When they see the beginnings of your move, they can see through your technique, and the divine item will come up with the most effective way to counter it instantly. The reason I could break it so easily was because I have two peerless divine abilities that I’ve perfected, unique to me. His divine item was unable to calculate how to counter my divine abilities. As for Luo Tianji himself, having relied on his ruler for so long, his own reactions are slower than normal people. After spitting at him, he instinctively dodged and then I slapped him, adding a kick to break his third leg. Then, he collapsed. Life is just that simple.” Long Chen shrugged.

“Just that simple?”

“Just that simple.”

Ye Lingshan was surprised, but she also found it funny. Based on what he said, that Luo Tianji was nothing. Her fear for Heavenly Fate Island vanished.

“Long Chen, you’re really smart,” praised Ye Lingshan.

“What did you say?”

“I said you’re really smart-” Ye Lingshan instantly understood he was playing her based on his smile, and she angrily said, “If you want to hear fawning, I’m sure there’ll be an endless line of people who will sing your praise. So why bother?”

“That’s different. The praise and worship of a beauty, well, that feeling of accomplishment is completely different,” chortled Long Chen.

“No wonder master told me to be careful of you, saying that your strongest point wasn’t your combat power but your pick up arts. I don’t know how many beauties you’ve tricked with this mouth of yours.” Ye Lingshan turned her head toward Long Chen.

“What, the alliance head… she actually gave me such a high evaluation?” exclaimed Long Chen.

“How shameless.” Ye Lingshan shook her head. Despite knowing he was doing it on purpose, she still couldn’t hold back some laughter.

“Tch, who needs shame?” said Long Chen righteously. Long Chen suddenly bowed ever so slightly while looking solemnly into the distance.

“What? Are you bowing to your master?” asked Ye Lingshan with surprise.

“No. I’m paying my respects to the me that had shame and integrity. The day I stepped into the cultivation world, they were buried. After all these years, I don’t know how they’re doing,” sighed Long Chen.

Ye Lingshan laughed, never having encountered someone like this in her life. He talked about serious things like they were jokes and jokes like they were serious things.

“Have you ever been serious in this lifetime? Are you trying to make me laugh my guts out?” demanded Ye Lingshan.

“Of course I’ve been serious. When I kill people, I’m always very serious,” said Long Chen, suddenly squatting down to pluck another precious medicine.

Ye Lingshan put away her smile. “I came here because I heard someone say there were countless medicines here.”

“You want to see if there’s something that can extend one’s longevity?” asked Long Chen, carefully digging out the medicine.

“Yes. That’s my main goal. If the Martial Heaven Alliance can have the four Grand Elders supporting it, even if the times become chaotic, the Martial Heaven Alliance won’t collapse. But without them, the Martial Heaven Alliance really will have lost its support. Just master alone can’t hold it up,” sighed Ye Lingshan.

“Why are you thinking about your master first, and not you? You are the future alliance head. This kind of thinking is unacceptable,” said Long Chen.

“Me? That’s impossible. I’m a far cry from master.” Ye Lingshan shook her head.

“What are you lacking? You both have a head on your shoulder, so why is she capable of it, but not you? It wasn’t as if the alliance head was born the alliance head. She also never expected to become the alliance head. If you are constantly thinking of hiding beneath a big tree’s cover, you are looking down on the sword that your master gave you. She has entrusted everything to you. That means she trusts that if she one day disappears from this world, you will pick up her burden.”

Long Chen’s words struck Ye Lingshan deeply. She suddenly understood.

“The great era has come. In truth, this great era refers to our generation and most likely only our generation. The Martial Heaven Continent’s qi flow has concentrated on our generation. Have you not seen how many Empyreans have appeared in our generation? Even the four Grand Elders were just ordinary Empyreans who didn’t manage to awaken their manifestations. Even with the great era, they are unable to awaken their manifestations. Why? Because this era does not belong to them. They have entrusted all their hopes to us. Why can our generation fight across realms so easily? It isn’t because we are so talented but because we were born at the right time. The great era’s qi flow has descended into our bodies. In other words, the stage will belong to us. You were actually hoping for the alliance head and the Grand Elders to hold up the sky? How foolish is that? Even if the Grand Elders were in perfect health, they would only be able to support us for a while. When our generation starts to break through to the Life Star realm, their superiority will instantly vanish. So don’t place your hopes on others. Think more about how to raise your own power. You’ve made your choice, so don’t abandon it,” said Long Chen.

The great era’s descent concentrated its power on only one generation. People who had missed their golden cultivation time were not affected as much.

Even if people were unwilling, there was nothing they could do. An ordinary expert who encountered a Celestial would have to lower their head. A Celestial, no matter what rank they were, would be suppressed by an Empyrean. What would the weak bring out to fight against the strong?

People who had missed this era, who were already old, and whose life accomplishments had already been mostly set in stone, were unable to soar like them. As for the junior generation, each day they grew stronger. The world would belong to them in the future. Even if their seniors wanted to push themselves, they were powerless.

Seeing Ye Lingshan seem to grow solemn, it seemed she realized just how much pressure she was under. Long Chen stood and patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Being a leader isn’t as difficult as you imagine. Furthermore, you will definitely be stronger than the alliance head and more suited for the position. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given you her sword on the very first day. And don’t you also have me? I’m also a member of the Martial Heaven Alliance. Whether the leader is the alliance head or you, no matter what difficulties you encounter, my Dragonblood Legion and I will stand beside you.”

“Thank you. However, I’ll work hard to stand by myself. I’ll prove to my master that she wasn’t wrong.” Ye Lingshan took a deep breath. She patted her chest confidently.

“Good. But next time, don’t pat your chest, or the huge waves will make criminals of others,” warned Long Chen kindly.

“Bastard, where do you think you're looking?!”

“Shh, there’s something ahead.” Long Chen suddenly shushed her.

Ye Lingshan thought that Long Chen was once more messing around and trying to change the subject, but she quickly heard strange sounds ahead.

“Let’s go.”

Long Chen and Ye Lingshan carefully went in the direction of the sound. They didn’t even know how many mountains they passed. Suddenly, they saw a giant gate, and seeing the situation in front of him, Ye Lingshan almost let out a startled cry.