"Yang, you really are something."
Ye Wudi stood outside, watching everything unfold through the treasure, and was overcome with excitement.
When he had handed the Sword of Ultimate Path to Yang, he had already had an idea: let him obtain the Supreme Nine Swords. Only then could the Supreme Body, the Sword of Ultimate Path, and the Supreme Nine Swords merge as one and unleash peerless might, suppressing the ages and creating a new miracle.
After wearing out iron shoes in a fruitless search, he had found what he sought without any effort at all. He had thought this would be a process that had to be completed step by step, but reality had given him a huge surprise.
Heaven's timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony—none of the three could be missing. Others would need years, or even a hundred years, to reach this level, yet he had achieved perfect, effortless control in just a few short days. His progress could only be described as astonishingly swift.
Ye Wudi's heart surged with boundless pride. With a flash, he arrived at the outskirts of the restricted area. Just as he was about to step inside, an invisible barrier stopped him.
"Old Ancestor, what do you mean by this?"
He had been too excited to pay attention and had nearly slammed his head into a massive bump.
"Little Ye, don't worry. You and your son will meet again very soon, but before that, we still need to confirm a few things."
"That's right. Don't worry about it. Just wait outside obediently."
The two Old Ancestors did not conceal anything. Given the current situation, they would certainly need some time to digest it all.
"Withdraw for now." One of them waved a hand, and white mist suddenly appeared throughout the forbidden grounds, draping them in a mysterious veil.
"Old Ancestor, don't worry. I was only asking!" Ye Wudi was not worried about that. He simply had some things he needed to tell his son. After all, this journey of fighting through thorns and brambles had not been simple.
"Boy, you've finally arrived!"
Ye Yang's peerless sword strike from moments ago had directly shattered the entire special barrier. After breaking through layer upon layer of dense mist, he had finally seen the true forms of the two Old Ancestors!
"Two Old Ancestors, I've said everything I needed to say and explained everything I needed to explain. Can you let me leave now?"
A sonorous voice rang out. Even when facing the two Old Ancestors, he showed not the slightest trace of nervousness, as though he were speaking to old friends of many years.
The moment he had entered this mysterious place in the forbidden grounds, he had noticed that the two men were unusual.
They sat cross-legged without moving, like two stone statues. If not for the voices coming from within, one might truly have mistaken them for lifeless puppets.
"Hehe, boy of the Ye Household, don't worry. We won't harm you, and you don't need to be afraid. We summoned you here because there is something we need you to do."
"That's right. We never expected you to grow so quickly, so rapidly. You have far exceeded our expectations and judgment!"
The two exchanged a glance, then dispensed with the small talk and explained everything to him in detail.
"What? Two Old Ancestors, are you joking? What virtue or ability do I possess to be called the Heaven-Chosen you speak of? I'm only an ordinary person. How could I possibly have the strength to rescue that person?"
Ye Yang was utterly shocked by their words, yet a trace of anticipation also rose within him. What shocked him was that the Ye Household had once produced someone so astonishingly brilliant.
"Enough. We won't force you. Take this. There will naturally be benefits for you later."
"Two Old Ancestors, one should not accept rewards without rendering service. Aren't you treating me a little too well?"
Ye Yang had intended to refuse, but the other party gave him no opportunity to do so!
"Boy, what is meant to come will always come. What belongs to you is yours, and you cannot escape it. This is your opportunity, and even more so, your destiny."
A ball of light suddenly sank into his mind. Immediately afterward, an unfamiliar memory appeared in his consciousness!
"I see. It seems they were right after all. In this life, I have indeed formed a karmic bond with that person."
That person and that sword had once suppressed the ages. Once again, he saw that familiar scene.
"Enough. We're tired as well, so hurry and withdraw. Remember, don't disgrace our Ye Household at the Heaven's Pride Arena. We have high hopes for you. This is a small token of our goodwill."
After finishing all this, the two Old Ancestors seemed to have burned through the last of their strength, and they directly became exhausted.
"Boy of the Ye Household, I hope you conduct yourself wisely. Withdraw."
"Old Ancestor, wait. You still haven't told me where to find that person or how to rescue them."
"Don't worry. Someone will naturally tell you when the time comes. Every cause bears its effect. It is not that retribution does not come—it is only that the time has not yet arrived!"
Ye Yang had just been about to ask more questions when, before he could react, he was directly teleported out.
"Good boy, you really are something. You truly haven't disappointed your father. Seeing your bearing now, you have taken a solid step onto the path of the Supreme. In the world of the future, you will certainly have a place!"
Ye Wudi had just been preparing to observe the situation when the image was disrupted. He discovered that the entire forbidden area had been shrouded in mist.
"Ah, Old Ancestor, be gentler!"
Just as he stood there, his face full of worry and disbelief, a somewhat disheveled figure appeared before him.
"Boy, it's you? You cleared it like this?" Ye Wudi had still been thinking about how to explain everything to him, how to tell him about it, when Ye Yang appeared before him in such an unbelievable state.
He had descended outside the forbidden grounds in an utterly astonishing manner. The two stared wide-eyed at each other before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"You always catch people off guard, always giving them a huge surprise. You're impossible to figure out. I don't even know how many things you're still hiding from me!"
"Father, you can't just say things like that. If anything, you should count this as you tricking me. I never expected to pick up such a huge bargain for nothing."
"Oh? Looks like this trip was worthwhile for you. Let your father take a look. Just what kind of gains did you make?"
The two prepared to discuss how they should hurry directly to White Cloud City of Central Province to receive the challenge from Qin Hao, Paragon of Central Province.
"Sect Master, the Grand Elder of Law Enforcement has urged us again. He asked when Ye Yang would set out. The other side has already sent another demand: if he doesn't reach the Heaven's Pride Arena and accept the challenge within seven days, they'll have no choice but to slaughter our Ye Household and wipe out our sect."
The man was drenched in sweat, clearly coerced by the other party and left with no choice but to make this decision. Yet he was still clinging to his original resolve, though he did not know how much longer he could hold out!
Hearing this, Ye Wudi's expression instantly darkened.
"Enough. I understand. When did it become their turn to call the shots? They clearly don't know the rules. I'll give him a harsh lesson."
He had not wanted to make things difficult for them, but the father and son had gone too far, acting as though they were second to one and above countless others, still nursing their grudge over what had happened back then.
"Enough. Stop talking about this. Let the matter end here. Continue keeping an eye on them. Understood?"
"Sect Master, rest assured. Your subordinate will certainly fulfill his mission!"
After giving a brief instruction, the man vanished to attend to his duties. The two sides each held their own trump cards; it would come down to who had the upper hand at the crucial moment.
The father and son had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the sect's development, yet these people harbored ill intentions, seeking to seize the magpie's nest and occupy it for themselves. They truly did not take the two of them seriously at all.
"As expected of an old fox. I'll deal with this matter first. When the time comes, I'll make them pay."
Ye Yang clenched his fists tightly. He understood perfectly that all of this was the other party's doing.
"Yang, don't worry. Your father has his arrangements. These pests must be cleared out, or they will become a great scourge to the sect."
Ye Wudi understood part of the situation already. All that was missing now was an opportunity, because he had already obtained sufficient evidence.
The Sect Tournament a month from now would be the perfect opportunity. He would let them jump around for a while. They were merely grasshoppers in autumn—how much longer could they keep leaping?
"No, I have to tell my lord about this and have them prepare in advance."
Just as Ye Yang was preparing to set out under cover of night, when no one would notice, a hidden figure spotted him.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Ye Yang did not waste words. He simply extended one finger and flicked it lightly. A sharp sound tore through the air, shooting toward the place he suspected.
"Withdraw!"
The man had intended to monitor Ye Yang, but had unexpectedly suffered instead, sustaining an injury before fleeing in disarray with a muffled groan.
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