Yang Ye sheathed his intent sword and said, “It doesn’t matter who you are. You’re blocking my path right now.”

“You really intend to destroy the Exalted Han Empire?” The grey robed middle aged man spoke in a deep voice.

“Do you think that I’m joking?” Yang Ye held the ancient sheath as he walked slowly towards the entrance.

The grey robed man said, “The Exalted Han Empire really is weak now, but it has a history of over 10,000 years. Do you really think it doesn’t have any trump cards?”

“So, what you mean is that I should bury the hatchet with the Exalted Han Empire?” Yang Ye didn’t stop moving, and he continued forward towards them.

The grey robed man replied, “The Exalted Han Empire has lost numerous experts and cities throughout the southern territory’s advance, but so has the southern territory. I can tell you with certainty that if you insist on eliminating the Exalted Han Empire, then your southern territory might lose even more experts even if you succeed. Moreover, if the Exalted Han Empire’s royal family really stops at nothing to take you down with it, then your southern territory might not lose just a few of its experts!”

Yang Ye stopped moving and said, “I know that it’s very likely for what you said to be true, but the losses my southern territory suffers in the future might be even more terrifying if I don’t annihilate them now. Not pulling weeds out by the root is a recipe for endless trouble in the future!” Yang Ye started advancing again once he finished speaking.

“Are you willing to spare them if the royal family surrenders?” said the grey robed man in a deep voice.

“No!” Yang Ye replied decisively, “I intend to wipe out all of my enemies from the face of this world when I can so that they have no chance of becoming an enemy of mine again.”

The grey robed man suddenly said, “What if my northern territory were to join forces with the Exalted Han Empire?”

Yang Ye replied, “Then I’ll just crush all of you!”

“You would be dead now if it wasn’t for the Undertaker!” The grey robed man said, “But he won’t be able to protect you forever!”

Yang Ye nodded and said, “I understand your northern territory’s stand now. We’ll meet on the battlefield. Now, are you going to move aside, or should I make you? Based on what you just said, I presume you dare not attack me. Since it’s like that, then move aside?”

“Yang Ye!” Meanwhile, Yin Xuan’er spoke abruptly, “I know that you want to destroy the Exalted Han Empire, but you have to think it through. The Hallowed Grounds and the defiant profounders are our true enemies. Regardless of whether it’s the defiant profounders or the Hallowed Grounds, they aren’t existences that just the southern territory and demon territory can resist. We’ll only be able to resist them if the entire continent joins forces.”

Yang Ye said, “But you seem to have forgotten that the Exalted Han Empire has been constantly assisting the Hallowed Grounds.”

“So long as you’re willing to bury the hatchet, then they’ll stand on your side from today onward!” said the grey robed man.

Yang Ye stopped moving, and then he smiled, “So that they can stab me in the back and return to the arms of the Hallowed Grounds when its experts arrive and weaken my southern territory?”

When he spoke up to this point, Yang Ye glanced at them and said, “Actually, I’m quite confused. You were mortal enemies with the Exalted Han Empire just a while ago. Yet now, you’re helping them. Why?”

“The Exalted Han Empire was our enemy as well while they stood on the Hallowed Grounds’ side. But they can become our ally once they aren’t.” The grey robed man continued, “Yang Ye, you are irreconcilable enemies with the Hallowed Grounds and friends with us. We shouldn’t be fighting and killing each other.”

“Why didn’t you tell that to the Exalted Han Empire when my southern territory was weaker?” Yang Ye started advancing again and said, “Don’t you think that it’s too late now? I’ll say it one last time out of consideration for our relationship in the past. Miss Yin, move aside!”

Yin Xuan’er gazed at the grey robed man, and he waved his right hand. 2 soldiers in golden armor appeared before Yang Ye. Yin Xuan’er sighed softly when she saw this, “The Exalted Han Empire can’t be allowed to be destroyed, and my northern territory can’t become a vassal of another. Young Master Yang, we’ll have no choice but to fight if you refuse to make a compromise!”

Yang Ye stopped and frowned. He felt that there was something quite off about all of this. Logically speaking, he had 2 Half-Saints on his side, so it was impossible for the northern territory to make an enemy of him for the sake of the Exalted Han Empire. However, the northern territory just happened to have acted in that way. So, it made him feel that it was quite unusual….

But he was like a knocked arrow on a fully drawn bowstring, and it had to be released….

Yang Ye drew his intent sword swiftly, and a beam of sword energy flashed forward and instantly struck against the 2 Gold Guards which stood over 30m away.

Bang!

Both of them took over a dozen steps back!

Yang Ye’s expression changed slightly because his sword energy had merely left 2 faint marks on their golden armor…. After all, he’d executed Heavenrend that was enhanced by the 1st stage of the Critical Strike Technique just now!

“These Gold Guards aren’t the same 12 that Yin Xuan’er had in the past!” Yang Ye noticed this when he sized them up carefully. Meanwhile, the Gold Guards suddenly advanced swiftly. Yang Ye felt like 2 rays of golden light had flashed in front of his eyes before they appeared in front of him. At the same time, 2 golden swords were stabbing towards his throat and stomach!

Bang!

An ear piercing sound of metal colliding resounded. Yang Ye was pushed back by the enormous force that those 2 swords carried. Meanwhile, the swords didn’t move away from his throat and stomach, and they were following him closely, causing him to retreat incessantly.

Bang!

Yang Ye stomped his right foot on the ground and relied on the counterforce to stop on the spot. At the same time, he exchanged his intent sword for the Sword Ruler and swiftly swept it towards the abdomens of the Gold Guards.

Bang!

Both of them took a few dozen steps back.

At this moment, Yang Ye had a serious expression on his face. Because their attacks actually made him feel pain. He’d actually felt pain with the physical defenses he possessed right now! Moreover, their speed and defenses truly surprised him, and it was especially so for their defenses. It wasn’t much inferior to his own before he draconified himself!

Yang Ye glanced at the grey robed man and Yin Xuan’er before he said, “You’ve really surprised me a little!”

“You surprised me as well!” The grey robed man replied, “I have to admit that your future accomplishments will definitely not be inferior to the Sword Sect’s Founding Ancestor. As I said before, we’re not enemies, and I don’t want to become enemies with you. It’s even to the extent that my northern territory wants to become friends with you. However, the precondition to that is that you must cooperate!”

Yang Ye laughed with ridicule and stopped wasting his breath. He suddenly stomped his right foot on the ground, and then he transformed into a black ray of light that appeared before those 2 Gold Guards. Meanwhile, the Sword Ruler rumbled through the air as it smashed forcefully against one of them.

Clang!

The tips of 2 swords struck Yang Ye’s Sword Ruler, and both of them curved like a bow. After that, a powerful wave of air swept out from beneath both the Gold Guards’ feet.

Suddenly, one of their swords changed direction and slid along Yang Ye’s Sword Ruler as it descended towards Yang Ye’s stomach. Moreover, it was actually swift to the point Yang Ye hadn’t even been able to react before it struck him.

Bang!

A muffled bang resounded as Yang Ye flew over 6m away. But he instantly appeared before that Gold Guard just a moment later, and then 2 muffled bangs resounded as both the Gold Guards were blasted flying. They flew for over 300m before they crashed against the city walls, and the entire wall shook violently!

Yin Xuan’er’s pupils constricted when she witnessed this scene, and there was extreme shock in the depths of her eyes.

“Draconification? Horizon Warp?” The grey robed man’s voice carried a trace of surprise as he said, “You really are not bad. Especially that physical strength and defense of yours. It’s simply like cheating in your realm of cultivation!”

Meanwhile, the 2 Gold Guards that smashed against the wall earlier had suddenly stood up. Yang Ye’s eyes narrowed a little when he witnessed that because he noticed that his attack had merely caused their abdomens to become slightly deformed!

“They are puppets without any sense of pain. Moreover, the armor they are wearing can even endure the attacks of a ninth rank Monarch Realm expert. Most importantly, their armor has self-healing capabilities!” The grey robed man continued, “As I said before, we can instantly become friends if you agree. Moreover, I guarantee that my northern territory and the Exalted Han Empire will definitely dispatch experts to assist you when the Hallowed Grounds and defiant profounders attack in the future!”

“The armor of these puppets have talismans inscribed on them!” Yang Ye spoke abruptly.

“How discerning of you!” The grey robed man said, “I almost forgot that you’re a talisman master as well. Unfortunately, the true inheritances in the Dao of Talismans within the southern territory have been lost, and only some superficial knowledge of the Dao of Talismans remains. It isn’t just the southern territory, even the Hallowed Grounds’ Dao of Talismans isn’t complete!”

Yang Ye gazed at the grey robed man and said, “I have to say that you really surprised me. I’d thought that the northern territory’s strength was weaker than my southern territory and the Exalted Han Empire. But now it would seem like I was wrong!”

The grey clothed man replied, “Even though the Profounder Continent is small, all sorts of formidable beings are hidden within it. For example, the Sword Sect’s Founding Ancestor, your master the Undertaker, and the Exalted Han Empire. The Exalted Han Empire’s current strength is weak indeed, but if it’s determined to drag you down with it, then I guarantee that you’ll regret your decision!”

Peace? Or continue fighting? Yang Ye’s eyes closed slightly, and he fell silent.

“If you’re willing to let the Exalted Han Empire go and agree to cease any future attacks against the Exalted Han Empire and my northern territory, then Xuan’er and the princess of the Exalted Han Empire can be married to you. In that way, our forces will truly be bound together!” said the grey clothed man.

Yin Xuan’er’s expression changed slightly when she heard him, but she didn’t say anything.

“Hahaha….” Yang Ye suddenly opened his eyes and said, “I’ve never bowed my head to anyone throughout my lifetime, even if I was facing the experts of the Hallowed Grounds. My sword would rather break than bend. So, I choose to fight!”

A strand of extremely terrifying Sword Intent surged out from within Yang Ye….

The grey robed man was stunned, and then he nodded and waved his right hand. In an instant, 100 Gold Guards appeared in front of Yang Ye, and he said, “If you want to fight, then let’s fight!”

“Bring it on!”

Om!

A sword howl shot into the sky!