Terrifying Beyond Measure

"Better than nothing."

Ye Cheng put away the nine soul bones. Even if he did not absorb them himself, they would still make excellent resources to give away or use to cultivate subordinates in the future.

Meanwhile.

After the video ended, numerous forces across the continent—the imperial families, Spirit Hall, the Upper Three Sects, and other major powers—immediately sprang into action.

They began ordering investigations into everything about Ye Cheng.

One should never underestimate these long-established forces that had occupied the continent for years and boasted ancient legacies. Their intelligence networks were terrifyingly extensive. Once they truly set out to investigate someone, they could find out even the color of your underwear in minutes.

Naturally, the information these many forces uncovered was almost identical to the fragments revealed in the video.

Traces of a person named "Ye Cheng" could be found in many places across the continent. Combined with the information revealed in the video, the comparisons showed a perfect match.

In other words, everything in the video was real. It was not fabricated.

There truly was a Limit Douluo with Twin Martial Souls in this world. It was simply that this Ye Cheng had been too low-key in the past and had never displayed his strength in public, leaving him largely unknown in the Soul Master World. He had silently grown powerful right beneath their noses.

Had the Q&A not exposed his background, everyone would have remained completely in the dark.

This boy was terrifying beyond measure!

Naturally, everything the various forces had uncovered about Ye Cheng was not real. It was the power of his Persona, which had affected and distorted reality, creating traces in certain places that proved "he" had indeed existed. Even some people's memories had been silently altered to conform to the Persona's setup.

This power had forcibly rewritten history, turning Twin Martial Soul - Ye Cheng's experiences into part of history itself. It made false things become real.

That was what was truly terrifying beyond measure!

Tyrant Dragon City!

This city, rebuilt atop the ruins of the original White Cloud City, had been transformed in just half a month from its former bustling prosperity into the ghostly empty city it was now, following the broadcast of that future video showing its destruction.

At this moment, the Wang Family members who served as the city lord had naturally fled long ago. They had gathered up their valuables and scattered in all directions.

On a distant mountaintop.

From here, one could observe the entire city.

Twenty years ago, after fleeing, Ye Cheng had stood right here, gazing at White Cloud City reduced to ruins in the distance and silently swearing vengeance!

Twenty years later.

Ye Cheng set foot in this place once more.

He looked down at the deserted Tyrant Dragon City below. His powerful senses allowed him to clearly perceive that there was not even half a person left inside. However, in every direction around the city, the auras of numerous soul masters were concealed in the shadows. Ye Cheng had some guesses about their origins. Most of them had probably been sent by his bargain-bin father.

Now that Ning Fengzhi knew he had such a powerful son—especially one who possessed the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda the sect had long dreamed of—he would naturally be eager to mend their relationship.

As for the rest, they were probably people sent by other factions. After all, a person this powerful had returned to the continent and come here. It was like someone carrying a nuclear warhead into another country. Naturally, people would be wary. That was only human nature.

"They ran rather quickly... but do you think you can escape?"

Ye Cheng was not surprised that the Wang Family had fled in advance. He had anticipated it back when he created the video. Still, he was not worried that they would hide somewhere he could not find them. With his current status and position, countless people would be eager to curry favor with him.

Knowing that he and the Wang Family shared an irreconcilable blood feud, countless people would surely be willing to help him keep an eye out for where they were hiding. If he wished, he could even have those people bind up every member of the Wang Family and drag them before him.

That was the use of strength.

The favor of a peerless Limit Douluo was something no faction could ignore. Countless people would rush to offer him benefits, curry favor with him, and ingratiate themselves with him...

Just as he was thinking.

Ye Cheng's expression suddenly shifted. Then he called out loudly, "Since you are here, why not show yourself and meet me?"

As soon as his words fell.

"...As expected, a hero truly rises in his youth."

Not far behind him, a white-haired figure suddenly flashed into view and stepped out from concealment.

He was an elderly man who appeared to be around sixty or seventy years old. He wore a white robe, and both his beard and hair were snow-white. His long hair was neatly combed behind his back, and his features were ancient and unadorned. Though he was an old man, his skin was not wrinkled like that of ordinary elders. Instead, it was as smooth and delicate as a young man's, perfectly embodying the phrase "white-haired yet youthful-faced."

"A Level 96 Titled Douluo. With strength like that, coupled with the sharpness in your aura... if I am not mistaken, you must be the Sword Douluo renowned throughout the Soul Master World, Sword Dao Chen Xin." As he spoke, Ye Cheng slowly turned around and examined the man who had suddenly appeared behind him.

Likewise, Sword Douluo Chen Xin was examining him.

Tall and elegant, with exceptional bearing.

With just one look, he became utterly certain that the man before him was Ning Fengzhi's son. The two looked far too alike. Anyone who saw them would be convinced they were father and son, not to mention that the earlier video had already laid bare their relationship.

In truth, Sword Douluo had arrived here several days ago. He had waited like a hunter by the stump, expecting Ye Cheng to come.

As for why he had waited here for Ye Cheng, it was naturally to build a good relationship with the only living owner of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul. Of course, it would be even better if he could persuade him to return to his ancestral roots.

After all, if Ye Cheng could return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the sect would not only gain the peerless combat power of a Limit Douluo. More importantly, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could thereafter be renamed the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

For all these years, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had been plagued by the flaw in its martial soul. What they had always yearned for was to remedy that flaw and allow Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda soul masters to break through the lifelong shackles that prevented them from ever advancing beyond Soul Douluo. Unfortunately, they had never succeeded.

But now, a soul master who truly possessed the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul had suddenly appeared.

To the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, this was practically a gift from heaven!

It could be said that as long as Ye Cheng was willing to return to his ancestral roots, even if Ning Fengzhi stepped down and yielded his position the moment they returned, allowing Ye Cheng to directly take the seat of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master, there would be no issue at all.

But regrettably, Sword Douluo's plan was doomed to fail.

Ye Cheng could never join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

First, it did not fit his Persona.

Second, once he joined a sect and formed attachments, it would become harder to stir up trouble or pull off something major in the future.

Third, and most importantly.

Joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would not bring him much benefit. This was a world where strength reigned supreme, and with his current power, he could already roam the continent without restraint and do whatever he pleased.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's resources and influence were merely icing on the cake to him—useful, but not necessary.

If he truly joined, he would gain little while suddenly acquiring a father over his head, along with a whole pile of uncles and elders. Ye Cheng would never do something so thankless.