Xuanyuan Hao

"Yang Yi? Mm, from now on, I'll be called Yang Yi."

At his words, the youth nodded.

Meanwhile, in an unknown place.

There was a Jade Stone here, identical in shape to the Yang Extreme Stone but pale blue in color.

Likewise, there was a young girl within the Jade Stone, who appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old.

The girl inside the Jade Stone twitched her closed eyes slightly. At the same time, a burst of light suddenly flared from the Jade Stone, only slowly fading away after quite some time.

After that, everything returned to its former calm.

Heavenly Desolation Continent.

Eastern Domain, Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land.

Inside a lavish great hall.

Two young girls were chatting away with great interest.

"Xinran, I never expected that not only are you absurdly talented, you also have such an incredible father."

Recalling everything that had happened during the Recruitment Ceremony, Jin Xiaoya could not help but marvel.

"I only found out about my father's strength today too. Hmph, he actually hid it from me for twelve whole years."

Ye Xinran pretended to be angry.

Though she was indeed somewhat dissatisfied, what filled her heart even more was curiosity and admiration for Ye Chang'an's strength.

With a single word, he annihilated a Great Saint; with one strike, he severed a Lightning Tribulation.

Who wouldn't be left dazed after seeing that?

It was simply too dazzling.

At least, that was what Ye Xinran thought right now.

Perhaps she would not make such a fuss once she could do the same herself.

But she believed that even then, Ye Chang'an would still be someone she admired.

"Why do you think your father hid it from you?"

Jin Xiaoya grew curious.

"I don't know." Even Ye Xinran herself had no idea. Then she changed the subject. "Sister Xiao Xiaoya, you're no ordinary person either."

"That man said before that you're from the Myriad Treasures Building. What is the Myriad Treasures Building? Judging by how wary he was, it must be incredibly formidable, right?"

"The Myriad Treasures Building is a top-tier power in the Central Domain. Across the entire Heavenly Desolation Continent, if we're talking about wealth, our Myriad Treasures Building stands at the forefront."

Jin Xiaoya raised her head and puffed out her chest, speaking with a confident smile.

"So rich? Then the Myriad Treasures Building must have a lot of powerful experts, right? Otherwise, how could it possibly protect all those resources?"

Ye Xinran asked the question with an innocent expression.

Jin Xiaoya froze on the spot.

Wasn't that obvious? It was a top-tier power, okay? And besides, who asked so directly about combat strength? Was that something one could just say outright?

Still, Jin Xiaoya replied, "Of course. The top powers of the Central Domain all have many powerful experts. As one of the Central Domain's leading powers, our Myriad Treasures Building is no exception."

"However, based on what I know about the major factions, your father is undoubtedly the strongest person on the continent at present."

"Hehe, I think my father is the strongest too."

"Exactly, so I'll follow you from now on."

Jin Xiaoya said it jokingly, yet a trace of melancholy flickered through her eyes.

Ye Xinran happened not to notice it.

"Sister Xiaoya, I heard that after every Recruitment Ceremony, there's a Secret Realm Trial?"

"That's right. It'll be in three days. All newly accepted disciples have to enter it then."

In the void.

"A Secret Realm Trial... Xinran can use this opportunity to improve her strength properly."

Listening to their conversation, Ye Chang'an was also looking forward to this trial.

After all, Ye Xinran's advancement meant a direct advancement for Ye Chang'an.

"Hall Master, why is Yang Yi coming along with us too?"

Shangguan Shi, standing to the side, watched Yang Yi constantly gnawing on resources behind them, and the corner of his eye twitched.

This fellow followed them all the way without saying a word. All he knew was eat, eat, eat.

Though he was eating, the resources actually turned into energy and were absorbed the instant they entered his mouth.

"He's so... innocent. We should take him around outside more..."

That was right. Ye Chang'an feared that if Yang Yi stayed in the Primordial Divine Hall to cultivate, this innocent streak of his would never be corrected, so he chose to keep him by his side as well.

"Hall Master, Tenth Senior Brother, do you want some too? Here."

Seeing Ye Chang'an and Shangguan Shi looking at him, Yang Yi spread out the unfinished resources in his hand before them and asked with a smile.

"No need. You eat them yourself."

Ye Chang'an replied with a smile.

Shangguan Shi merely smiled and shook his head.

Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land, Sacred Peak.

This was the cultivation grounds of the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land's Holy Son and Saintess.

After Jin Xiaoya and Lin Tianci were accepted as Personal Disciples by Holy Master Xuanyuan Chen, they became the Saintess and Holy Son as well.

At this moment, inside a great hall on Sacred Peak.

Two young men sat facing each other across a table, battle intent churning in both their eyes.

Lin Tianci studied the youth opposite him for a long time. The youth had sword-like brows and starry eyes, an elegant and handsome bearing, and though his aura was restrained, it carried an invisible pressure.

"Xuanyuan Hao, the Eastern Domain Prodigy Ranking placed you ahead of me. I don't really agree with that."

Hearing this, Xuanyuan Hao replied in a steady voice, with the faintest hint of a smile. "I'm curious too. Is it merely because I'm slightly older than you and one minor realm above you that I was ranked ahead of you?"

"We'll know once we compare ourselves."

Lin Tianci spoke confidently.

In his view, the gap of one minor realm was nothing.

Because he possessed not only the Supreme Divine Bone, but also... Imperial Clan Bloodline.

"I don't like taking advantage of others, much less winning by unfair means. When our cultivation realms are equal, it won't be too late for us to decide who is superior."

Faint battle intent emerged around Xuanyuan Hao, but he did not wish to win unfairly.

For geniuses at their level, the gap of one minor realm was far from as negligible as Lin Tianci claimed.

He knew that Lin Tianci believed his Imperial Clan Bloodline gave him sufficient confidence.

But did Xuanyuan Hao not have trump cards of his own?

So he could not take advantage of this, nor did he disdain to.

If he was going to win, he would win openly and honorably, leaving no one any excuse to find fault.

"The Sacred Land Grand Competition will take place a year from now. That will be our opportunity. I hope your cultivation can catch up to mine by then, even if we are only separated by a small minor realm right now."

"One year? Fine. A year from now will be the time for us to determine who is superior."

Lin Tianci agreed upon hearing this.

He was not worried at all about catching up to the other's cultivation realm within a year.

In fact, in his eyes, defeating the other by fighting above his realm would be even more glorious.

"You're very confident. But this generation does not seem simple."

Remembering the pillar of light that had shot into the heavens from the plaza earlier, undisguised disbelief appeared in Xuanyuan Hao's eyes.

At that reminder, Lin Tianci also recalled what he had seen before.

The suddenly emerging Jin Xiaoya, and the mysterious Ye Xinran.

Ye Xinran in particular—her talent was so extraordinary that she had actually shattered the Talent Crystal Pillar.

He had to admit that scene had shaken his Invincible Dao Heart.

A sense of powerlessness had even risen within him.

In this generation, could anyone truly stand shoulder to shoulder with Ye Xinran in terms of talent?

But he quickly steadied himself.

Because talent could not represent everything.

So he still had a chance.

However, Lin Tianci did not know that this belief of his would soon be completely overturned.

Not only Ye Xinran—even Ye Xinran's father had left Lin Tianci utterly stunned.

That level of strength was truly terrifying.

In truth, what Lin Tianci felt even more was admiration.

At the time, so many people had been shocked until their scalps went numb. Soon afterward, what had happened at the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land's Recruitment Ceremony spread like wildfire throughout the Eastern Domain, even reaching the Central Domain.

Ye Xinran also became the top-ranked name on the newly released Eastern Domain Prodigy Ranking.