"What—why are their things in your hands!?"
A moment later, Shangguan Hong came to his senses. His gaze swept over Ye Xuan before finally landing on Nangong Fei.
He had never thought this matter had anything to do with Ye Xuan.
But Nangong Fei was just as bewildered. How could she possibly know where Ye Xuan had gotten the keys!?
"Could it be that, during the few days you were missing, you..." Nangong Fei suddenly realized, and her expression shifted.
Xuan Ye had not appeared since that canyon. In that time, he must have encountered the Western Region and Southern Region teams!
"Heh. I merely ran into a few useless fools with itchy hands and mouths!"
Ye Xuan only gave a cold snort, clearly unwilling to explain further.
"Oh!?"
"You've got some ability!"
Ji Che suddenly raised his eyes, his narrow gaze fixing on Xuan Ye as he said coldly, "Since that's the case, it saves us a lot of trouble!"
"Hand me the keys, then get out of the secret realm!"
Ji Che's voice was calm, but his tone was icy to the extreme, leaving no room for argument!
"What do you mean!?"
Nangong Fei raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, Miss Nangong, do you need me to spell it out more clearly?"
Ji Che gave a cold snort. His shoulders shook, and the Dharma Idol unique to the Heavenly Gang Realm suddenly rose behind him!
That Dharma Idol was like a mighty river, its radiance stretching dozens of yards. Ji Che's Heavenly Gang pressure climbed without restraint to its peak!
Under that overwhelming pressure, even Nangong Fei and the others, despite being at the Half-step Heavenly Gang stage, were forced back in alarm.
A true Heavenly Gang Realm cultivator had the support of a Dharma Idol. The stronger their innate physique, the stronger their Dharma Idol!
"I'm already in the Heavenly Gang Realm. Even if I've only just survived the tribulation, you still can't withstand me!"
"In the struggle over this secret realm, you've already lost to Young Master Shangguan. Hand over the keys, and I'll let you leave."
"Otherwise..."
Although Ji Che did not finish, the threat in his words was already plain as day.
Nangong Fei's expression tightened to the extreme. She had always been fiery and willful, and hated being threatened most of all.
But with a Heavenly Gang Realm cultivator before her, she truly was no match.
"Otherwise what?"
But at that moment, Ye Xuan's voice rang out again.
"Why stop halfway through your sentence?"
Huh!?
At that moment, even Shangguan Hong and the others looked at Ye Xuan in astonishment.
Is this guy an idiot or something!?
"Still, your proposal just now wasn't bad!"
"With this ancient hall of the secret realm before us, and only one opportunity, naturally it can't be shared!"
"So, hand over the keys in your possession, and I'll let you leave as well!"
"Otherwise, die!"
Ye Xuan had no scruples whatsoever.
He would never share the secrets inside this ancient hall with anyone else!
But Ye Xuan's arrogance left Shangguan Hong and Ji Che utterly dumbfounded.
"Heh, what stray cat or dog dares to come out and yap!?"
Shangguan Hong came to his senses, a ferocious expression surging across his face as he immediately prepared to step forward.
"Why trouble Young Master Shangguan?"
But Ji Che stepped forward first, his pressure collapsing like a mountain.
"Since this man is determined to die, I'll grant his wish!"
The moment his voice fell, Ji Che's Dharma Idol surged. He raised his hand, spread his five fingers, and abruptly slapped it down toward Ye Xuan!
"Killing you will be like slaughtering a dog. One palm is enough!"
"I'll show you what the Heavenly Gang is!"
Buzz!
In an instant, a palm print dozens of yards wide plummeted like a raging wave, intent on blasting Ye Xuan to death on the spot.
"Heh!"
Ye Xuan merely let out a mocking laugh. He put away the three small swords, then suddenly raised his other hand, bent his arm, and punched out as violent thunder exploded!
Six Treasury Thunder Fist!
Fourth Form—Exploding Thunder!
Buzz!
Sizzle!
In an instant, boundless essence converged upon Ye Xuan's striking fist, transforming into dazzling, overbearing deep-blue arcs of lightning. The air was compressed to the extreme before explosively bursting apart!
Boom!
The instant Ji Che's palm print touched the thunderous fist, it suddenly shattered!
The violent explosion was deafening.
Fragments of the palm print and arcs of lightning burst through the air, causing Ji Che and the others' expressions to change drastically in an instant!
Buzz!
Although the palm print shattered, the fist's might did not diminish. Coming back to himself, Ji Che thrust out both hands. His Dharma Idol shook violently, and only then did he block the aftershock of the thunder fist!
Even so, he was still shaken backward by the blast of dust and energy.
His robes fluttered, his temples disheveled, and he looked utterly bedraggled.
At that moment, the lightning on Ye Xuan's hand faded, and the cold smile at the corner of his mouth rose with it.
"Heavenly Gang?"
"Nothing special!"
Those six mocking words pierced the heart like a sharp sword.
By then, everyone present had finally recovered their senses, and every one of them stared wide-eyed.
Especially Shangguan Hong and the others.
What was going on!?
Not only had this man caught Ji Che's punch, he had actually forced Ji Che back!?
His cultivation clearly wasn't high!?
Yet Liu Yunxi and the others remained relatively calm.
An elite of the Xuan Clan—did he look like someone they could trifle with!?
"Damn it!"
"I did underestimate you, but you've at least made me take you seriously for once!"
"Die!"
At that moment, Ji Che, who had just steadied himself, was humiliated and enraged to the extreme. His face flushed blood-red as he suddenly drew the long sword at his waist, pouring all his Heavenly Gang Realm aura into it!
Sword Qi surged like a massive flood tide, and in an instant its might swept across all directions!
"Xuan Ye, watch out!"
Nangong Fei's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly threw the high-grade Earth Tier sword at her waist over to him.
She had indeed seen Xuan Ye's swordsmanship inside the Battle Tower. She had simply never seen Ye Xuan draw his sword.
Ji Che not only possessed Heavenly Gang cultivation, but the weapon in his hand was also the high-grade Earth Tier Clear Cold Sword!
If they truly clashed, Ye Xuan would probably suffer!
"Sword Dao!?"
"You think you're worthy!?"
Ye Xuan raised his hand to catch the sword and swept it horizontally in the same motion!
Sizzle!
In an instant, lightning suddenly erupted across Ye Xuan's arm, surging and gathering before finally flooding into the sword!
Nangong Fei's long sword was crimson and wreathed in fire. Now, wrapped in arcs of lightning, it shone even more brilliantly!
What made Ji Che suddenly recoil in fear was that, the instant Ye Xuan raised his sword, he sensed an incomparably domineering sword intent!
"Sword intent!?"
"You actually comprehended sword intent!"
Even Shangguan Hong's expression changed drastically at this moment.
Sword intent was the threshold for a Sword Cultivator to step into the ranks of the strong. Before this, he had only heard that no one below the Heavenly Gang Realm possessed sword intent!
Even if someone could comprehend sword intent before reaching the Heavenly Gang Realm, they would be as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns—an unparalleled prodigy!
Aside from those monsters from the great clans of the Central Region, who could comprehend it!?
Yet this Rogue Cultivator from the Northern Region was only at the Early Spirit Sea Stage, wasn't he!?
To possess sword intent at the Early Spirit Sea Stage—such monstrous talent could probably only be achieved by a member of the Xuan Clan, aside from the imperial family!
But Ye Xuan's sword was too fast.
With the support of Lightning Dao Sword Intent, a ten-yard bolt of sword lightning cleaved through the void and instantly descended upon Ji Che's huge tide-like Sword Qi!
Boom!
Yet at the instant they touched, that enormous tide-like Sword Qi was cleaved into mist that filled the sky, exploding wildly amid the lightning!
The sword pierced through the thunder and swallowed Ji Che's body before continuing its rampage.
The other three disciples of the Lin Tian Sword Sect had not even recovered their senses before they were blasted apart!
Shangguan Hong was even more terrified. He hurriedly activated the ancient stone fragment in his hand and teleported out of the secret realm the instant the Sword Qi reached him!
He knew he had encountered a monster!
Only after the thunder's rumble fell silent and the Sword Qi dispersed did Liu Yunxi and the others finally realize that Ji Che of the Lin Tian Sword Sect had been left without a complete corpse!
A Spirit Sea cultivator had slain a Heavenly Gang cultivator!?
And with just one sword!?
What kind of terrifying swordsmanship talent was this?
At that moment, Liu Yunxi was utterly certain that this Xuan Ye was a member of the Xuan Clan, and definitely a direct-line prodigy out gaining experience!
By then, Ye Xuan had already taken Ji Che's storage ring. It was just a pity that another spoiled heir had escaped.
"Nice sword. Here."
Ye Xuan turned around and handed the sword back to Nangong Fei.
"Keep it for now. We'll still need it later!"
Nangong Fei shook her head and did not take it.
She actually had no use for this sword anymore.
Ye Xuan nodded, then brought the four small swords to the ancient hall's entrance and placed them into the restriction.
Buzz!
In an instant, the formation activated smoothly, and a crack appeared in the hall doors.
An ancient, deathly sword aura suddenly burst from the crack.
Even with Ye Xuan standing before them to block it, the aura still left the three women behind him deathly pale, their bodies trembling violently.
"Perhaps it would be safer for you not to go inside."
Before the hall doors, Ye Xuan's pupils narrowed slightly as he withdrew his gaze.
"We're already here. Wouldn't it be a waste not to take a look?"
But Nangong Fei raised an eyebrow, unwilling to leave just like that.
"That's right. Besides, don't we still have Big Brother Ye protecting us?" Liu Yunxi chimed in.
Ye Xuan pressed his lips together and did not try to persuade them again. He then pushed open the hall doors and entered the ancient hall with the three women.
The hall was dim and filled with a deathly chill that seemed capable of seeping into the marrow.
Ancient sword intent pervaded the space. Without Ye Xuan's protection, this aura alone could have suppressed Nangong Fei and the other two women to death on the spot.
The ancient hall was vast and empty. Nangong Fei and the other two hugged their shoulders and shivered as they looked toward the center of the hall. They could only vaguely make out a huge pillar, with what seemed to be a Coiling Dragon wrapped around it.
Beneath the huge pillar was another object, square, black, and indistinct.
"Th-that's a coffin!?"
But when the three women drew a little closer, Liu Yunxi suddenly cried out.
By then, she could clearly see that beneath the huge pillar was indeed a coffin. Made of bronze and carved without a single decorative pattern, it looked especially terrifying in this deathly silent ancient hall!
Aside from that, there was nothing else in the entire ancient hall.
"Could it be that this secret realm isn't some sword abode, but a tomb?"
Nangong Fei frowned.
"A tomb!?"
Upon hearing that, Liu Yunxi hurriedly retreated to the very back, her eyes filled with terror.
"No!"
Lin Churan, who had not spoken all this time, suddenly spoke.
"Living creatures!?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Are you trying to scare someone to death?"
Liu Yunxi glared at her, but in the next moment, her eyes suddenly widened to round disks!
Because she abruptly discovered that something was moving atop the huge pillar in the darkness!
"Th-that thing came alive!?"
Everyone followed Liu Yunxi's finger and looked over. Sure enough, the Coiling Dragon atop the giant pillar was actually writhing!
Buzz!
The next moment, beneath the ancient hall's domed ceiling, a pair of scarlet eyes suddenly opened.
Blood-colored light flickered, and a fearsome might burst forth in an instant!
"That's a dragon!"
"This is bad!"
Nangong Fei's expression changed drastically. The dragon race had already gone extinct, and the size and aura of this creature were terrifying beyond compare!
"Run!"
At that moment, Ye Xuan abruptly turned around, his expression grim!
In truth, he had known all along that there was something alive here, but Nangong Fei and the others would never leave unless they saw it with their own eyes.
At this moment, Nangong Fei did not hesitate either. She immediately activated the ancient stone fragment in her hand.
Let alone a member of the dragon race—even a fourth-rank great demon was beyond what they could deal with right now.
If they didn't run, death was their only path!
In an instant, the radiance of the formation enveloped the three women, but Ye Xuan did not move closer.
Nangong Fei frowned. This Xuan Ye wasn't leaving!?
"Brother Xuan Ye..."
Liu Yunxi called out, but before her voice had even faded, she was teleported out of the secret realm.
"Heh heh, you're not leaving? Aren't you afraid of me!?"
At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out from the giant pillar in the empty ancient hall.
A massive head, several zhang in size, slowly emerged from the darkness.
"Afraid?"
"Heh heh, you're nothing but a little insect that has transformed into a flood dragon!"
Yet Ye Xuan's face showed no trace of fear. Instead, he sneered and raised the scarlet sword in his hand.
"Let alone a flood dragon—even if you were a true dragon!"
"I could still cut you down!"
Before you continue