Jiang Bianyan knew what Ye Xiaotian met, but he still asked in return, without making it obvious that he knew, "Yes, is there anything wrong?"

If they hadn't requested assistance from the spirit palace, and if they hadn't witnessed the rise of the Tiansang Spirit Palace over the last several decades, Jiang Bianyan might not have decided to show up personally.

​​

No matter how well-written the letter for assistance, having several elders show up to help was quite the turnout.

Wasn't it enough for him to come to her personally to keep things in check?

Ye Xiaotian narrowed his eyes. He was really getting somewhat angry.

Holy Servant!

It was the Holy Servant they were talking about here!

Did the people at the Holy Divine Palace lose their minds? Was this situation something they could afford to take lightly?

He'd made it very, very clear in the letter that it might very possibly be the leader of the "Holy Servant" that they were dealing with here, and that more than one of them might possibly show up the next time.

But those people weren't idiots. They most likely wouldn't expect to just walk right in without running into a trap. They would definitely come prepared.

But…

Just a hall master of a side hall had come? And two kids who knew nothing?

"You people really think that those people are here to play?" he thought. "You people really think that this is all fun and games, huh?"

Ye Xiaotian clenched his fists. This would've been a great opportunity to apprehend those people once and for all, which was something the Holy Divine Palace had been looking forward to as well, as that letter wouldn't have reached them otherwise.

But now...

Ye Xiaotian's heart sank to rock bottom, and, as he recalled what Elder Sang had said, he wondered if the Holy Divine Palace had really been leaving the "Holy Servant" to their devices.

He wondered if what Elder Sang said had been true all along.

He fell silent for a while and, as he hardly bothered to conceal his feelings, everyone could see that he was in a bad mood.

That young man standing behind the hall master was so furious that his eyes were ablaze with anger. He had never seen anyone dare to treat those from the Holy Divine Palace like that, even if that someone was the silver-haired young man before him who was palace lord of a spirit palace.

"Palace Lord Ye, looks like you're thinking that the Holy Divine Palace isn't sending people important enough, then?" His voice sounded rather cold.

Jiang Bianyan's heart sank quite a bit.

"Is this brat really getting too comfortable in the Holy Divine Palace? How dare he say something like that here?

That guy isn't just some ordinary person at the Sovereign level here. Even if he truly is at the Sovereign level, do you really think that you, someone at Innate level, could talk back to someone so formidable and who had truly touched the Great Path?"

After what the young man said, the situation became tense.

Jiang Bianyan was about to say something when Ye Xiaotian raised his hand to stop the hall master. He then looked at him interestedly.

"What's your name?"

A terrifying pressure washed all over the young man, causing him to shudder and almost fall off of the cloud. He felt himself break out in a cold sweat.

However, he managed to steady himself and realized that it might be some kind of trial from a senior. After all, he had experienced such situations quite a lot of times back in the Holy Divine Palace.

"Cheng Xingchu." There was a determined look in the young man's eyes.

"Cheng Xingchu…"

Ye Xiaotian titled his head as he mulled over the name. He then looked at the young man again and focused.

Booom!

The space around them collapsed, and the cloud dispersed.

Cheng XIngchu's body went limp, and he immediately lost mobility and fell from the sky, flailing like a dog.

Arrgghhh!

His terrified shouts could be heard throughout the heavens.

"No!" Shocked, Jiang Bianyan made his move right away. It was only when he extended his hand that he found himself someplace hundreds of meters away.

The power of space…

His pupils contracted, as he seemed to have realized something.

Ye Xiaotian's power was an elemental power that could almost make him invincible among his peers of the same level, and Ye Xiaotian already had a record of killing enemies at a higher level than him.

That young man with silver hair wasn't at Sovereign level for nothing. He had truly built up a reputation for himself through his winning track record in combat.

Cheng Xingchu felt as if there was a black hole sucking at him from below. He was utterly unable to control his movements.

He lowered his head.

He found that there was really a black hole underneath him…

"Sh**!" he thought. "What kind of f**king test is this? You're out to kill me!"

"Are you nuts? You dare to kill me? Do you know who I am?" Cheng Xingchu shouted in panic, yet to his despair, he discovered that he just kept falling.

Voom!

Darkness swallowed everything before his eyes.

I'm dead?

His eyelids twitched as opened his eyes.

Everything was light again, and the sky remained yellowish, but there was a beauty to it all.

His vision came into focus, he saw that Jiang Bianyan was right before him. That young woman with a deadpan look was still standing beside him. Ye Xiaotian, who looked like he was about to kill someone, remained looking at him.

"…"

Is this a dream?

Cheng Xingchu wanted nothing more at the moment than for everything to be nothing more than a dream. However, the jeers and laughter beneath him reminded him that his image was ruined…

"Hahahaha, look at that, you guys. He's about to pee himself, eh?"

"Oh please, he's still a guest and someone at Innate… Hahahahaha, d*mn it, I can't hold it any longer. That guy is at Innate level?"

"Where did that young master come from? Has he got to his weaning stage already? Oh gosh, he was scary!"

"Hey, you dare to kill me? Do you know who I am?"

"…"

Cheng Xingchu looked down and saw faint marks on his pants. It was too bad he didn't have a blade in his hand. If he did, he would have rushed below and killed all those ants at Acquired Level.

His spiritual source dried up the liquids without making it obvious. He then took a deep breath. "I…"

"The grown-ups are talking here, so you kids better just keep to yourselves," Ye Xiaotian said causally.

He saw that the eyes that seemed to have harbored a blackhole focused again, and he almost passed out. He felt that he might have nightmares from here on out.

"D*mn you, Tiansang Spirit Palace," he thought. "Just you wait!

"When I got more powerful, I shall…"

"What an embarrassment."

A dismissive, cold female voice rang out, and Cheng Xingchu's mouth twitched. His throat quivered, and yet he found that he was still unable to say anything.

Ye Xiaotian turned his attention to the young woman.

Her veil covered her face, and her eyes were mesmerizing. Her powers… were nothing to shout about.

He then smiled at Jiang Bianyan and commented, "The disciples of the Holy Divine Palace really are something else indeed, daring to shout out loud even when caught in a pinch and even remaining calm and collected when facing something out of their league. Disciples like that are indeed hard to come by."

"The way I see it, Cheng Xingchu has what it takes to become the holy emperor. Best to foster him to the best of your ability, Hallmaster Jiang."

The corner of Jiang Bianyan's mouth twitched.

Ye Xiaotian then extended his hand and then uttered a single word:

"Please."

Even though Ye Xiatian was simply pointing with his finger, judging by his words, he was clearly telling Jiang Bianyan to get lost. Jiang Bianyan was able to tell that much.

He was indeed fuming deep down as well.

"Ye Xiaotian really is too much," he thought. "I'm still a hall master of a side hall of the Holy Divine Palace. Couldn't he just give me face for a bit?

"Scaring Cheng Xingchu until he peed in front of everyone. That's an insult to me, Jiang Bianyan, all the same. I was the one who brought the kid out, after all!"

He really wanted to just ignore the request for help and leave the spirit palace to their devices.

However, Jiang Bianyan hesitated when he realized that he still had an important job to do…

"Please."

He wore a pleasant expression on his face as he moved in the direction in which Ye Xiaotian was pointing.

Ye Xiaotian was dumbfounded. He wondered if he hadn't been going far enough, or that the other party was just so good at putting up pretenses.

Please?

"Well then, let's go…" He shot a glance at the young man and woman behind Jiang Bianyan before heading off to the front to lead the way.

Cheng Xingchu was dumbfounded. He didn't understand why they were heading inside despite the fact that the host was almost literally telling them to get lost.

He wondered if the hall master has lost his mind.

The young woman at his side flew past him. He then looked at the noisy crowd below and felt disgusted.

He didn't want to stay in such a disgusting place for a moment longer.

"Ms. Zhiwen, wait for me!"

…

The Outer Yard was quiet again. The arrival of the three guests dressed in white became gossip material, and it also boosted the morale of those who had just joined the spirit palace.

It was the veterans who had been in the spirit palace for some time who ended up spacing out while looking at the sky.

"The Holy Divine Palace, eh?"

"What are those people doing here in the spirit palace? Is something serious about to happen?"

…

Duk duk!

The broken willow next to Goose Lake grew anew, and a young man in plain clothes walked under its shadows. The man was holding a stick, and his eyes were closed, making him look like a blind man.

His head was slightly lowered. A goose in the lake flapped its wings and struck the water with its beak.

The fish glided about, evading the fatal strike.

The blind young man reached out his hand, seemingly wanting to touch the water, yet he only managed to touch the white jade fence… If he'd managed to touch the water, he would have dropped into the lake altogether.

The last sliver of the setting sun was gone, and the night wind came.

"Summer has ended, and the breeze of early autumn is here… Yu Zhiwen…"

"You're here, eh?..."

"Yo!" A woman dressed in skimpy clothing walked over to him from not too far away and immediately rested her hand on his shoulder.

"So, you're from the same batch as us, then? How come I've never seen you before?"

The blind young man turned his eyes to the side, seemingly looking at the hand on his shoulder.

He then turned his head around. A face full of ugly scars appeared right before the young woman who had walked over to talk to him.

Thump!

The young woman was frightened enough to drop to the ground. Her eyes were filled with terror.

"Y-Y-You…"

"Excuse me!"

She then bolted.