The Jiang Family's Humiliating Defeat

Two days later, in the Ji Family's council hall.

"Someone, take the two elders to the treasure vault. Let each of them choose one treasure as compensation!" The Ji Family Patriarch spoke mildly, making others feel as though bathed in a spring breeze.

The two elders from Shaking Light and Jade Lake hurriedly rose to offer their thanks. Though it was only one treasure each, treasures taken from the Ji Family's vault were naturally incomparable to the "junk" they had lost before!

The resentment in their hearts had completely vanished, and they even felt somewhat embarrassed.

After all, they might be important figures outside, but once back in their own sects, even meeting their own Holy Masters was not easy. For the Ji Family Patriarch to personally step forward truly left them flattered beyond measure!

Once the two had departed, the elders in the council hall suddenly erupted.

"Two nameless juniors dare strut about atop the heads of our Ji Family? They've truly turned the heavens upside down!"

"This trend must never be allowed to grow! Their blood and bones must be used to wash away this humiliation!"

"Have we not lost enough face already? The others did not pursue the matter and let our people return, yet we turn around and use our power to bully them. If word gets out, will our Ji Family have any face left?"

"Damn it, who exactly spread this news?"

"I heard it was spread by a lewd Fat Daoist!"

"Despicable! We must skin him and pull out his bones!"

The Ji Family Patriarch lightly tapped the tabletop twice with his fingers, and the room swiftly quieted. "How much longer until Haoyue's divine body reaches initial completion?"

One elder estimated, "Around two or three years!"

Several elders guessed his intentions and asked excitedly, "Could it be that Patriarch intends to have Haoyue...?"

The Ji Family Patriarch smiled. "Let him be smug for a few more years. Once Haoyue emerges from seclusion, we shall let the world learn the might of our Ji Family's Kirin Son. That will spare others from saying our Ji Family bullies the young with the old, and let them know that, in the end, it is we Ancient Desolate Families who rule this world!"

Northern Region, Jiang Family.

During the Demon Emperor's Tomb incident, one of the two great figures who had remained uninvolved came from the Jiang Family.

At this moment, this great figure looked reverently at the man before him. "It is merely a matter involving two juniors, yet it has troubled the Patriarch to concern himself with it!"

The Jiang Family Patriarch smiled and waved a hand. "No matter. Your speculation is quite interesting. If they truly come from a declining force among the stars, their value may even surpass the three treasures from the Demon Emperor's Tomb!"

The "great" figure found it hard to believe. "How is that possible? Those are the supreme treasures of the Human Race and the Demon Race!"

The Jiang Family Patriarch smiled. "Divine objects possess spirits. If the destined opportunity has not arrived, forcing the matter is meaningless. On the contrary, the stellar force you mentioned holds greater value for our Jiang Family!"

"Only Ancient Saints can cross the starry skies, yet saints have long vanished from the world. If they truly came from the stars, then they very likely possess an Interstellar Domain Gate. That is the true great treasure!"

The subordinate was utterly convinced. As expected of the Patriarch—his vision and insight surpassed his own by countless times!

After pondering for a moment, the Jiang Family Patriarch said, "Have someone send word and invite those two young friends to visit our Jiang Family. Even if our guess ultimately proves wrong, there is no harm in befriending such outstanding young talents!"

"To ascend to the heavens in a single step is not something just anyone can accomplish. Inviting them to visit the Jiang Family will also let the younger generation of our clan see how vast the world is, and temper their arrogant hearts!"

Southern Region, Peacock King's secluded residence.

"It's that little brother. I never expected him to be so formidable!" Yan Ruyu covered her red lips lightly, her beautiful eyes full of surprise.

After obtaining the Demon Emperor's Sacred Heart and the Extreme Dao Emperor Armament, she had not allowed the immense benefits before her to cloud her mind. Instead, she keenly sensed the danger hidden beneath those benefits and immediately sought out the Peacock King for protection.

"Forcing the Ji Family and the two great sacred lands to lower their heads truly takes courage. Even in my day, I never provoked three great powers at once!" The Peacock King had a slender figure and eyes as clear as water, like a youth untouched by worldly affairs, yet his words overflowed with domineering majesty!

A beautiful middle-aged woman asked doubtfully, "But according to the rumors, didn't he spare the three great powers?"

The Peacock King shook his head. "Strength determines status. If he were a peerless great power, then sparing those three would naturally earn the gratitude of the three great powers. Unfortunately, he is only a youth in the Sea of Wheels Realm, so all he can draw is resentment!"

The gorgeously dressed demon enchantresses sighed repeatedly. "Such a handsome young gentleman, yet he has offended three great powers. I fear he will find it difficult to walk beneath the sunlight from now on!"

Though they had met only once, Shen Ye's bearing when he ascended to the heavens in a single step that day had still utterly captivated the demons.

Yet the Peacock King smiled. "Do not underestimate him too much. Even a maidservant can slaughter Four Extremities cultivators like chickens and dogs. There may truly be a force behind him no weaker than an Ancient Desolate Family. If the two great forces clash, that will be even more interesting!"

Yan Ruyu gently gathered her hair. "Though I feel somewhat sorry for that little brother, to divert everyone else's attention from the Emperor Armament and Sacred Heart, we can only add more fuel to the flames and elevate his legend another level!"

This humiliating defeat of the Ji Family had become the greatest topic in the Southern Region over the past two days. The ever-blunt Peacock King openly declared that the Ji Family was so useless that they were likely ready to throw even their faces away!

For a time, all manner of rumors surged like a raging tide!

Yet Shen Ye and his companion had absolutely no awareness of being at the center of the storm. They traveled through mountains and rivers at leisure, finally arriving at the Fire Domain two days later.

"In merely two days, it has spread across more than half the Southern Region. Is this the power of a passerby in the Covering the Heavens world?" Sensing the fortune absorbed by the Destiny Orb rising rapidly, Shen Ye nodded inwardly. His great effort in playing games with those fellows had not gone to waste.

The Fire Domain held no grass or trees above, no magma below—only flames that had never been extinguished since ancient times, enduring eternally in the world.

Before them stretched a scorched expanse of land. The ground was cracked, and waves of heat rushed at them!

Shen Ye lightly touched the Life Palace between his brows with his right index finger, activating the Yan Emperor's Essence Blood and transforming it into the Immortal Fire Azure Lotus. A fire-lotus mark appeared between his brows.

The next instant, as though welcoming the sovereign of flames, the Lord of Ten Thousand Fires, the flames of the Fire Domain voluntarily retreated to either side, opening a path from thin air!

Shen Ye and his companion stepped forward, traveling straight from the first layer at the Fire Domain's outskirts to its seventh layer!

At the same time, inside a flaming cave in the Fire Domain's eighth layer.

"Caw! Caw! Caw!" Irritable crow cries rang from within the cave. "Why did it fail again? Could it be that I truly have no talent for artifact refinement... No, it must be because the true fire's temperature has dropped!"

Upon noticing the abnormality in the Fire Domain, an old Daoist rushed furiously out of the cave. Clad in a feathered robe woven from black crow feathers, he looked exactly like an irritable old black crow that had shed half its plumage.

"Who is it? Who is ruining my great undertaking?" Crow Daoist roared, only to witness a strange sight.

The originally violent flames of the eighth layer of the Fire Domain had actually docilely parted to form a path, allowing a golden boy and jade maiden to walk over them.

One had to know that even he found it difficult to move freely through the Fire Domain's eighth layer. What was going on with these two little dolls? Could they be divine flames taking human form?