"No wonder I'm me—I shattered the Talent Crystal Pillar outright. The difference between me and all those heavenly geniuses is as plain as black and white."
Seeing the Talent Crystal Pillar shatter, Ye Xinran wore a confident look as she said delightedly.
She then glanced around at the people nearby, only to see their jaws practically dropping one after another.
"Um... Holy Master?"
Seeing Xuanyuan Chen standing there in a daze, Ye Xinran called out tentatively.
That voice finally pulled everyone back to their senses.
"Hehehe, I never expected this time to bring me three decent ingredients—and one of such supreme quality!"
Just as Xuanyuan Chen was about to speak, a hoarse, grating voice rang out, echoing throughout the entire plaza.
At the same time, a man clad in black robes and shrouded in demonic aura abruptly appeared above the plaza.
Seeing the black-robed man appear, Xuanyuan Chen and the four Elders immediately darkened.
"What a powerful aura! This is... a Great Saint!"
Xuanyuan Chen guessed the other party's cultivation realm. Clearly, he was far stronger than himself.
"Hall Master, this fellow is quite bold. He actually dared to make a move here. I thought he'd hidden for so long because he didn't dare show himself."
Seeing this, Shangguan Shi smiled.
"Xuanyuan Chen and the others can't defeat him, so they can only invite out those old fellows sleeping in the forbidden grounds. He was originally hesitating, but after seeing Xinran's talent, he probably couldn't hold himself back any longer."
Ye Chang'an sneered as well.
Clearly, the two of them had noticed the black-robed man's existence long ago.
But since this fellow was offering himself up on a silver platter, Ye Chang'an did not mind seeing him off.
He had set his sights on Ye Xinran. Wasn't that simply thinking his life was too long?
Watching the suddenly appearing black-robed man, Ye Xinran's gaze immediately sharpened.
She had a feeling that he seemed to be here for her.
"Are you here to cause trouble, sir?"
Xuanyuan Chen looked at the black-robed man with icy eyes and spoke coldly.
This was his territory. Was he supposed to cower?
"After devouring them, I can become an Emperor too! Hehehe!"
Even now, he believed victory was already in his grasp.
After saying that, he glanced at Lin Tianci and Jin Xiaoya, a glint flashing through his eyes. "Hm? A girl from the Jin Family of the Myriad Treasures Building, and someone from the Lin Clan... I didn't notice them just now."
After seeing Jin Xiaoya and Lin Tianci, the black-robed man seemed somewhat hesitant.
"Forget it. Consider yourselves lucky."
Clearly, he believed that he could not afford to offend the Myriad Treasures Building or the Lin Clan.
He then shifted his gaze back to Ye Xinran in the plaza, greed spilling from his eyes.
"You seem to have no one backing you. Then accept the unfairness of fate, little girl."
With that, the black-robed man moved to attack Ye Xinran.
Just then, Xuanyuan Chen instantly appeared between the black-robed man and Ye Xinran, receiving the black-robed man's palm strike.
A powerful wave of spiritual energy swept outward. Xuanyuan Chen was sent flying back, only managing to stabilize himself when he reached Ye Xinran.
But he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
Meanwhile, the black-robed man did not retreat even half a step.
Seeing this, several Elders were about to step forward to help, but the gap between them was too great. The black-robed man directly imprisoned them where they stood.
From beginning to end, the black-robed man had not even spared the Elders a glance.
The black-robed man fixed Xuanyuan Chen with a cold gaze. "Is your Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land going to make an enemy of me for a genius who has yet to mature?"
"She is a member of my Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land."
Hearing this, Xuanyuan Chen wiped the blood from his mouth and answered resolutely.
Looking at the figure shielding her behind him, Ye Xinran's heart warmed, and she was deeply moved.
"Holy Master..."
Ye Chang'an continued watching everything unfold.
He also wanted to see just how far Xuanyuan Chen would go to protect Ye Xinran.
Hearing Ye Xinran's voice, Xuanyuan Chen turned his head and smiled. "Child, don't worry. He cannot touch you."
The instant he finished speaking, a black shadow flashed past, and Xuanyuan Chen immediately met it head-on.
Unfortunately, the outcome did not change. After only a few exchanges, Xuanyuan Chen was severely injured.
Looking at the powerful black-robed man, Xuanyuan Chen's face showed a trace of hesitation.
He wanted to invite out the Old Ancestors sleeping in the forbidden grounds, but doing so would affect the future of the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land.
Every sleeping old ancestor could only make one move. This was no small matter.
Yet a peerless genius like Ye Xinran, one seen only once in ten thousand ages, could also lead the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land to the very pinnacle.
Just as Xuanyuan Chen was about to make up his mind, Ye Xinran spoke.
"Holy Master, I appreciate your kindness, but since he came for me, I cannot drag all of you down with me."
As she spoke, she looked again at the black-robed man. "You can only attack me while I have yet to grow up. If we were in the same realm, killing you would be as easy as killing a chicken."
"If I had a little more time, even looking up at me would be a luxury for you. Bullying the young with your age and oppressing the weak with your strength—you are simply despised by all under heaven."
"If you want to kill or torture me, then hurry up. Stop dragging your feet."
After venting her anger, Ye Xinran felt much better.
The next moment, a figure appeared in her mind.
"Father, it seems I'm going to break my promise. I can't find Mother, and I can't go back to see you either..."
At that thought, Ye Xinran's eyes could not help reddening.
Above them, after hearing Ye Xinran's string of mockery, the black-robed man did not care, because he was about to harvest the fruit.
Seeing through the black-robed man's intentions, Jin Xiaoya grew anxious and was just about to call for Jin Chuan to intervene.
Even if Jin Chuan might not be the black-robed man's match, he still had to give the Myriad Treasures Building some face.
But at that moment, a cold laugh came from the void.
"Heh, bullying the young with your age? You provoked my daughter, so you are... dead for certain."
The moment those words were spoken, everyone froze.
At the same time, a white-robed figure appeared in the void, looking down upon all living beings like an immortal king descending upon the Nine Heavens.
Seeing the man in white appear, both Xuanyuan Chen and the black-robed man were stunned.
That unprecedentedly powerful aura left both of them deeply shocked.
The black-robed man, in particular, felt a trace of fear.
He could sense dense killing intent from the man in white, and in the unseen currents of fate, he felt that he had no ability to resist at all.
Looking at Ye Chang'an in the void, Ye Xinran was stunned as well. But after recovering her senses, she felt both puzzled and excited.
"Father? What is this...?"
Hearing this, Ye Chang'an looked at Ye Xinran gently and smiled. "Xinran, who said you have no one backing you? Let Father tell you—your background is tremendous."
After speaking, Ye Chang'an turned his gaze toward the black-robed man. His expression changed, and killing intent surged in all directions.
"Die."
That single word rolled forth like the thunderous voice of heaven.
Before everyone's eyes, the black-robed man instantly exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
Everyone, including Xuanyuan Chen, felt stormy waves rise in their hearts. Fear even showed in many of their eyes.
Their mouths hung wide open, and the entire scene fell deathly silent.
With one word, he had annihilated a Great Sage Realm expert.
Not even someone in the Emperor Realm could do that, could they?
Ye Xinran was no different. She stood rooted to the spot in utter disbelief.
Before you continue