White-Browed Immortal, the Privilege of Noble Families

Qin Tianlong looked in the direction Ye Wudao was watching and asked in a low voice, "Then did you see Ye Zhenshan?"

Ye Wudao shook his head. "I did not."

At this, Hu Lianfeng, who was standing to the side, interjected, "Ye Zhenshan has abysmal martial arts talent. Even with Ye Haipeng piling resources onto him, he only managed to reach the minor completion stage of Body Tempering."

"That is why Ye Zhenshan usually just manages the Ye Family's businesses; he basically doesn't practice martial arts at all."

"He is even less likely to get involved in something like this Rift World."

He paused, looked toward the front of the Ye Family's formation, and added softly, "However, I did see Ye Haipeng!"

Having said that, he looked at Ye Wudao and whispered, "Wudao, what do you think? Do you want to settle the score today?"

Ye Wudao had yet to speak when Qin Tianlong barked, "Don't come up with such reckless ideas. With a Grandmaster Realm expert leading the team today, it is not the time to handle personal grudges."

"Otherwise, Zhang Jianye would be the first one to come after you!"

Hu Lianfeng chuckled. "Heh! I know! I was just teasing Wudao!"

"But then again, with Wudao's current combat strength, I'm afraid Ye Haipeng wouldn't even be a match for him!"

"Elder Qin, what kind of expression do you think Ye Haipeng would have if he knew that his own trash of a son had pushed a martial arts genius like Wudao out of the Ye Family?"

Qin Tianlong smiled but remained silent.

If Ye Zhenshan hadn't sent Ye Wudao to prison, they never would have witnessed the rise of such a martial arts freak.

As for Ye Wudao's combat strength, he had already tested it; an ordinary entry-level Xiantian was simply no match for him.

This afternoon, the moment Ye Wudao advanced to the peak of the Houtian Realm, he and Ye Wudao had sparred in the activity plaza of the First Prison.

The result was a draw.

Without using weapons, Ye Wudao relied on the coordination of over twenty martial arts techniques to hold his own for over a hundred exchanges.

If he hadn't relied on his own Xiantian True Qi to force Ye Wudao back at critical moments, he feared he wouldn't have been able to suppress him at all.

Twenty-plus perfected martial arts techniques allowed Ye Wudao's ability to observe weaknesses to expand infinitely; Ye Wudao could spot his flaws at any moment while leaving none of his own.

This was the most frustrating part of sparring with Ye Wudao.

Although his cultivation level suppressed Ye Wudao, he found no opening to exploit.

Ye Wudao felt like a solid slab of iron; he couldn't afford to move first.

The moment he moved, Ye Wudao would inevitably strike at the flaw he revealed.

Because of this, he was always one step behind Ye Wudao in terms of initiative.

Being one step behind meant falling behind in every subsequent move, making it impossible for him to land a truly effective counterattack.

Recalling the spar from this afternoon, Qin Tianlong looked at Ye Wudao.

He didn't know if Ye Wudao, armed with a long spear, could defeat an opponent at the minor completion stage of the Xiantian Realm.

Regardless, it would certainly be enough to handle an entry-level Xiantian.

At the entrance of the parking lot, the four of them hid in the back, choosing not to join the crowd at the front.

Mainly, it was because Hu Lianfeng didn't dare to get too close to the Zhang Family.

Even though this was a special operation and Zhang Jianye wouldn't dare to act recklessly, what if he went insane?

The Sea City Demon Slayer Guard commander hadn't arrived yet; if Zhang Jianye really decided to strike, Qin Tianlong wasn't certain he could hold him off.

Therefore, the four of them unanimously agreed that it was better to stay away from these aristocratic families.

Ye Wudao also didn't want to expose his strength prematurely in the Rift World; he intended to dismantle the Ye and Li families bit by bit after his release.

Time ticked by, and at 7:20, a black figure whistled over the heads of the crowd.

Ye Wudao looked up at the figure, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Flying by manipulating Qi—this was the hallmark of the Grandmaster Realm.

Finally, the black figure hovered above the parking lot entrance and slowly turned around.

He had black hair and white brows, a ruddy, glowing complexion, a sturdy build, and held a long black sword in his hand.

For some reason, when Ye Wudao saw this Grandmaster Realm expert, he had an illusion.

From this expert, he saw the passage of time and the changing of the world.

Yet, there was also a sense of youthful vigor about him.

The gloom of twilight and the vitality of dawn appearing on the same person was rather strange!

"I didn't expect the Sea City Demon Slayer Guard commander this year to be him!"

At this moment, Qin Tianlong let out a sigh of exclamation.

Ye Wudao looked at Qin Tianlong curiously and asked, "Master, do you know him?"

Qin Tianlong nodded and replied, "His name is Wang Pengwen, nicknamed 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 already at the peak of the Xiantian Realm."

"If I remember correctly, he advanced to the Grandmaster Realm ten years ago. Not long after he reached that level, I was imprisoned."

"Don't let his rosy complexion fool you; he looks quite young."

"In reality, he is seven or eight years older than my father. He should be over one hundred and forty years old this year."

Ye Wudao pursed his lips and whispered, "So, has he achieved rejuvenation?"

Qin Tianlong nodded. "I have heard from others that after advancing to the Grandmaster Realm, one's lifespan can reach over three hundred years."

"At the very moment of breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm, the body undergoes an incredible transformation toward youth."

"However, he has had those black hair and white brows since he reached the Xiantian Realm. Compared to fifteen years ago, his skin has simply improved, and he carries a more vibrant, vital aura."

"His moniker, the White-Browed Immortal, also dates back to his Xiantian days. It refers to his black hair and white brows—he looks like an old man, yet not quite."

Ye Wudao nodded. Judging by Qin Tianlong's tone, his father and this Wang Pengwen must have had a decent relationship.

If that was the case, it would at least ensure that when they went to harvest the Spirit Rhino Grass later, Wang Pengwen would not side with Zhang Jianye should the latter come looking for trouble.

"Move out!"

Just then, Wang Pengwen spoke suddenly. His voice was soft, yet it reached the ears of everyone present.

Ye Wudao was stunned. He looked at Qin Tianlong beside him and asked in a low voice, "What does that mean? No restrictions on cultivation? Everyone can go?"

Qin Tianlong shook his head. "I don't know! I suppose there are no restrictions on cultivation. Look, those people in the back are already getting restless."

"Stay close later. You can't drive across the desert; the sand there is very soft, and it's a hassle if the wheels get stuck."

"I suspect we are meant to run."

Ye Wudao nodded and looked at Wang Pengwen's figure in the sky.

He watched as Wang Pengwen turned slowly in the air and flew toward the canyon.

Just as Qin Tianlong had guessed, everyone proceeded on foot; no one drove.

The next second, a crowd of over ten thousand people surged forward like a tidal wave.

At the very front were the members of the major families from Sea City.

Behind them followed the stronger independent cultivators, and at the very back were the weaker ones.

As they walked, Ye Wudao noticed something was wrong.

Wang Pengwen was flying faster and faster. Although Ye Wudao could still keep up, some Body Forging Realm martial artists at the back of the pack were already falling behind.

He looked at Qin Tianlong beside him and whispered, "Master, it seems it's not that there are no restrictions on cultivation, but rather that this method is being used to directly eliminate those whose cultivation is insufficient."

Qin Tianlong nodded and replied softly, "At the current pace, those at the peak of the Body Forging Realm won't be able to keep up before we even reach the desert."

"At this speed, even those at the Great Perfection of Body Forging might struggle, and the pace is still increasing."

"It's not just the independent cultivators; even the disciples of those major families are starting to fall behind."

"It seems these major families didn't get any special privileges this time!"

Ye Wudao whispered, "Master, do you think it's possible that Wang Pengwen is intentionally messing with them because these families wanted special treatment?"

"Because the disciples of these great families can go to harvest the Spirit Rhino Grass without having reached the Houtian Realm, the independent cultivators at the Body Forging Realm are surely dissatisfied."

"But the current situation in the Blue Star Federation is that the major families still hold a lot of sway."

"So, Wang Pengwen simply decided to go all the way and treat everyone equally."

"If you can keep up, you keep up; if you can't, you have no one to blame but yourself!"

Qin Tianlong nodded. "That is certainly a possibility!"

While the two were talking, the crowd of over ten thousand had dwindled to only a few thousand, and people were still falling behind.

By the time they crossed the outer perimeter of the canyon, only about a thousand people remained in the entire procession.

The remaining thousand or so were basically all at the Houtian Realm.

However, there were still some important disciples from major families who couldn't keep up with the rhythm and were being dragged along by their elders.

Ye Wudao finally understood; this was actually a form of privilege for the families, just not an obvious one.

At the very least, it left independent cultivators like him with nothing to say.

Others had family elders to carry them along—that was their right.

In the end, the major families still held some privileges.