Qin Tianlong looked in the direction Ye Wudao was watching and asked softly, "Then did you see Ye Zhenshan?"
Ye Wudao shook his head. "No!"
Hu Lianfeng, standing nearby, cut in. "Ye Zhenshan has terrible talent in the Martial Path. Ye Haipeng poured a ton of resources into him, and that was the only way he reached the Body Tempering Realm's minor stage."
"So Ye Zhenshan usually handles the Ye Family's business. He basically doesn't cultivate in the Martial Path."
"He certainly doesn't get involved in things like the Rift World."
He paused and glanced toward the front of the Ye Family's group. "But I did see Ye Haipeng!"
Then he turned to Ye Wudao and asked softly, "Wudao, what do you think? Want to settle the score today?"
Ye Wudao hadn't answered before Qin Tianlong snapped, "Don't give him bad ideas. A Grandmaster Realm expert is leading the group today. It's not the time to settle personal grudges."
"Otherwise, Zhang Jianye will be the first to come after you!"
Hu Lianfeng chuckled. "Heh! I know! I'm just teasing Wudao!"
"But seriously, with Wudao's strength now, Ye Haipeng probably wouldn't stand a chance."
"Elder Qin, what do you think Ye Haipeng's face would look like if he found out that his useless son had driven a Martial Path prodigy like Wudao out of the Ye Family?"
Qin Tianlong smiled but said nothing.
If Ye Zhenshan hadn't sent Ye Wudao to prison, they might never have witnessed the rise of such a freak of the Martial Path.
As for Ye Wudao's combat strength, Qin Tianlong had already tested it. An ordinary Xiantian Entry Level fighter was no match for him.
That afternoon, when Ye Wudao had reached Houtian Peak, Qin Tianlong had fought him in the First Prison's activity yard.
The result had been a draw.
Without weapons, Ye Wudao had relied on the coordination of more than twenty martial arts techniques to exchange over a hundred blows with him.
If Qin Tianlong hadn't relied on his Xiantian True Qi to force Ye Wudao back at crucial moments, he might not have been able to keep him in check.
More than twenty perfected martial arts techniques had magnified Ye Wudao's ability to spot weaknesses to an incredible degree. Ye Wudao could constantly see Qin Tianlong's openings, while leaving none of his own.
That had been the most frustrating part of fighting Ye Wudao.
Although his cultivation suppressed Ye Wudao, he had no way to make a move.
Ye Wudao had felt like an iron wall. Qin Tianlong couldn't afford to strike first.
The moment he moved, Ye Wudao would attack the weakness he exposed.
So when it came to landing the first blow, Qin Tianlong was always one step behind Ye Wudao.
And once he fell a step behind, he kept falling further behind. He simply couldn't land a truly effective counterattack.
Remembering their fight that afternoon, Qin Tianlong looked at Ye Wudao.
He didn't know whether Ye Wudao, wielding a spear, could defeat an opponent at the minor stage of the Xiantian Realm.
But he was certainly strong enough to take on someone at Xiantian Entry Level.
The four of them stayed back near the parking lot entrance, keeping out of the crowd.
The main reason was that Hu Lianfeng didn't dare get too close to the Zhang Family.
Although today was a special event and Zhang Jianye wouldn't dare act recklessly, what if he lost his mind?
The Sea City Demon Slayer Guard commander hadn't arrived yet. If Zhang Jianye really tried to make a move, Qin Tianlong might not be able to hold him off.
So all four of them agreed it would be better to keep their distance from the great families.
Ye Wudao also didn't want to reveal his strength prematurely in the Rift World. After leaving prison, he would bring the Ye and Li Families down one step at a time.
Time ticked by. At seven twenty, a black figure shot over everyone's heads with a roar.
Ye Wudao looked up at the figure, his eyes full of curiosity.
Flying through the air on qi was the hallmark of the Grandmaster Realm.
The black figure finally stopped in midair above the parking lot entrance, then slowly turned around.
He had black hair, white eyebrows, ruddy, glossy skin, and a sturdy build. In his hand, he held a black longsword.
For some reason, Ye Wudao had a strange feeling when he looked at the Grandmaster Realm expert.
In the man, he saw the rise and fall of the world.
Yet there was also a vibrant energy about him.
The heavy air of twilight and vibrant vitality existing in the same person felt a little strange!
"I never expected him to be the Sea City Demon Slayer Guard commander this year!"
Qin Tianlong let out a sigh beside him.
Ye Wudao looked at Qin Tianlong curiously. "Great Master, you know him?"
Qin Tianlong nodded. "His name is Wang Pengwen. His nickname is the White-Browed Immortal."
"Fifteen years ago, before my father passed away, he had some dealings with him."
"Back then, when he came to see my father, he was still at Houtian Peak."
"If I remember right, he reached the Grandmaster Realm ten years ago. Not long after he broke through, I went to prison."
"Don't be fooled by his ruddy complexion. He looks young, but he's actually older than my father by seven or eight years. He should be over a hundred and forty by now."
Ye Wudao pursed his lips and asked quietly, "So he's rejuvenated?"
Qin Tianlong nodded. "I've heard people say that after reaching the Grandmaster Realm, a person can live for more than three hundred years."
"The moment someone breaks through to the Grandmaster Realm, their body undergoes an unbelievable transformation and grows younger."
"But he already had black hair and white eyebrows when he was at the Xiantian Realm. Compared to fifteen years ago, his skin has simply improved, and he has gained a vibrant air."
"He got the nickname the White-Browed Immortal back when he was at the Xiantian Realm. It refers to his black hair and white eyebrows: he looks like an old man, yet somehow not like one."
Ye Wudao nodded. From Qin Tianlong's tone, it sounded as though his father had been on good terms with Wang Pengwen.
If so, then at least when they went to gather Spirit Rhino Grass later, Wang Pengwen wouldn't take Zhang Jianye's side if Zhang Jianye came looking for trouble.
"Move out!"
Wang Pengwen suddenly spoke. His voice was quiet, but it reached everyone present.
Ye Wudao paused, then looked at Qin Tianlong beside him and asked softly, "What does that mean? There's no cultivation restriction? Everyone can go?"
Qin Tianlong shook his head. "I don't know! I guess there's no restriction. Look at the people behind us—they're all itching to get moving."
"Stay close in a moment. You can't drive across the desert. The sand there is very soft, and it'll be a real hassle if your wheels get stuck."
"I'm guessing we'll have to run."
Ye Wudao nodded and looked at Wang Pengwen's figure in the air.
Wang Pengwen slowly turned around and flew toward the canyon.
Just as Qin Tianlong had guessed, everyone went on foot. No one drove.
The next moment, a vast crowd of more than ten thousand surged forward like a rolling tide.
At the very front were people from Sea City's great families.
Behind them came Rogue Cultivators with relatively high cultivation, while those with weaker cultivation followed at the very back.
As they ran, Ye Wudao realized something was wrong.
Wang Pengwen was flying faster and faster. Ye Wudao could still keep up, but some Body Forging Realm fighters at the back of the group were already falling behind.
He looked at Qin Tianlong beside him and whispered, "Great Master, it looks like cultivation isn't unrestricted. They're using this to eliminate anyone who isn't strong enough."
Qin Tianlong nodded and replied softly, "At this pace, even those at Body Tempering Peak won't keep up before we reach the desert."
"Even those at Body Tempering Great Accomplishment might not be able to keep up now, and we're still speeding up."
"Not just the Rogue Cultivators—even disciples from the great families are starting to fall behind."
"Looks like the great families haven't been given any special privileges this time!"
Ye Wudao said quietly, "Great Master, do you think it's possible that Wang Pengwen is deliberately putting them through this because the great families wanted special privileges?"
"Their disciples can go gather Spirit Rhino Grass before reaching the Houtian Realm, so those Rogue Cultivators at the Body Forging Realm would definitely resent it."
"But the great families still have a lot of influence in the Blue Star Federation."
"So Wang Pengwen decided to cut through the knot by treating everyone the same."
"If you can keep up, then keep up. If you can't, you've got no one to blame!"
Qin Tianlong nodded. "That's quite possible!"
As the two of them talked, the crowd of more than ten thousand dwindled to just a few thousand, and people were still falling behind.
By the time they passed the outskirts of the canyon, only a little over a thousand people remained in the advancing group.
Most of the thousand or so left were at the Houtian Realm.
A few important disciples from the great families had also fallen behind, but their elders had grabbed them and were hauling them along.
Ye Wudao understood now. This was also a kind of privilege for the great families; it just wasn't obvious.
At least it left Rogue Cultivators like him with nothing to complain about.
The others had family elders who could help them along. That was their right.
In the end, the great families still had a few privileges.
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