The Ninth Elder!

Just then, Wang Pan, who had always been at odds with Ye Xingchen, folded his arms across his chest. Looking at Ye Xingchen's frozen expression, he curled his lips into a smug smile and said mockingly, "Ye Xingchen, I told you long ago that you were a bootlicker. Keep licking, and in the end, you'll be left with nothing!"

"Do you really think everyone will show you respect just because you're a prodigy of the Nanyang Ye Family?"

At this point, Wang Pan saw that Ye Xingchen's face had darkened, his eyes brimming with fury. Still, he had not had his fill.

Wang Pan continued, "Ye Xingchen, there's something you don't know yet!"

"The Su Family wanted our beauty Su to break off her engagement with the Xu Family. But not only did she refuse, she even gave him precious pills!"

At these words, Ye Xingchen gritted his teeth, unable to contain his anger any longer. He turned to Su Zilian and snarled, "Su Zilian, you bitch! I humbled myself to confess my feelings to you time and again, yet you rejected me every time!"

"But you're so eager to curry favor with that good-for-nothing from the Xu Family. It's disgusting!"

"You!"

Su Zilian's face flushed red with anger at his words.

Luo Yu glared at Ye Xingchen and said coldly, "Ye Xingchen, that's enough!"

"Not nearly enough!"

Ye Xingchen roared, "Su Zilian has utterly humiliated me today! Unless she gives me an explanation, this isn't over!"

"What suicidal cur demands an explanation from someone just because she rejected his confession? You really have some nerve."

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out.

Everyone turned toward the voice. A young man in blue emerged from the verdant bamboo grove, his expression calm. Every movement exuded a mysterious, noble air, as though he were a prodigy nurtured by some great power.

"Brat, where did you crawl out from? How dare you speak to me like that! Do you have a death wish?"

Ye Xingchen fixed his icy gaze on the young man in blue and roared.

The humiliation he had just suffered at the hands of Su Zilian and Wang Pan had already sent his fury soaring to the heavens.

Now another brat had appeared to humiliate him. How could he not explode?

If he failed to regain his footing today, not only would his own reputation be dragged through the dirt, but the prestige of the Nanyang Ye Family would suffer as well.

The young man in blue ignored Ye Xingchen and looked at Su Zilian instead. She said excitedly, "Brother Qingyang, what brings you to the Boundless Mountains?"

Brother Qingyang?

This girl changed how she addressed me awfully quickly!

Just yesterday, it was Young Master Xu this, Young Master Xu that...

Xu Qingyang smiled as these thoughts crossed his mind.

"Damn it, this brat dares to ignore me!"

Suddenly, something occurred to Ye Xingchen. His eyes widened as he stared at Xu Qingyang and said through gritted teeth, "He's actually..."

Wang Pan, Luo Yu, and the others studied Xu Qingyang, astonishment filling their hearts. This mysterious, noble young master was actually Su Zilian's fiancé, Xu Qingyang of the Xu Family.

"Wasn't Xu Qingyang supposed to be a good-for-nothing? Even the Sword Martial Soul he finally awakened disappeared, didn't it?"

"But where's even a trace of a good-for-nothing in Xu Qingyang now? He's clearly a prodigy!"

"..."

Everyone exchanged glances and began discussing him, their faces full of shock.

Hearing Su Zilian's question, Xu Qingyang smiled. "I heard something unusual had happened in the Boundless Mountains, so I came to take a look!"

"Mm!"

Su Zilian nodded.

The next moment.

Ye Xingchen stared at Xu Qingyang and said coldly, "Xu Qingyang, so it really is you!"

"Today, I'll show that bitch Su Zilian how you kneel at my feet!"

Xu Qingyang immediately turned to face Ye Xingchen. Su Zilian whispered into his ear, "Brother Qingyang, he's a prodigy of the Nanyang Ye Family named Ye Xingchen. He's very powerful. You mustn't clash with him!"

Xu Qingyang smiled at once. This fellow named Ye Xingchen might indeed be powerful, but before Xu Qingyang, he certainly could not overturn the heavens.

"Is that so?"

Under everyone's gaze, Xu Qingyang looked straight at Ye Xingchen, shrugged, and spoke teasingly.

"You're courting death!"

Ye Xingchen bellowed and was about to attack when he suddenly received a transmission rune. He opened it and scanned its contents, and a rather strange expression appeared on his face.

"Xu Qingyang, oh, Xu Qingyang. I never imagined you'd obtain a fortuitous opportunity and rise again after losing your Sword Martial Soul!"

"To be honest, I'm a little jealous of you!" Ye Xingchen said with an ambiguous smile.

At these words, shock appeared on the faces of Su Zilian, Wang Pan, Luo Yu, and the others. Xu Qingyang could actually cultivate now!

Su Zilian's heart filled with excitement, while Wang Pan and Luo Yu each harbored different thoughts.

Boom!

Brilliant light surged from Ye Xingchen's body. He shot forward and hurled a punch at Xu Qingyang.

Yet just as Xu Qingyang prepared to act, Su Zilian stepped in front of him with a blood-red spear in hand, thwarting Ye Xingchen's attack.

"Su Zilian!"

Ye Xingchen snarled.

Su Zilian said coldly, "As long as I'm here today, I won't let you hurt my Brother Qingyang!"

"Hmph!"

At this, Su Zilian snorted, then looked at Xu Qingyang and said angrily, "I'll spare you for now. Once we enter the Boundless Mountains, I'll make sure you die!"

Xu Qingyang smiled coldly. He had originally intended to kill Ye Xingchen right then.

But there were too many people here, with too many loose tongues. It was not a suitable place to act.

Thus, he decided to kill Xu Qingyang inside the Boundless Mountains.

Afterward, Xu Qingyang mounted Su Zilian's horse and entered the Boundless Mountains with her, Wang Pan, Luo Yu, and the others.

Just as Ye Xingchen was about to enter the Boundless Mountains, more than a dozen figures suddenly appeared on his hand.

"Greetings, Ninth Elder!"

Seeing the middle-aged man at their head, Ye Xingchen cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.

The middle-aged man was Ye Qing, the Ninth Elder of the Nanyang Ye Family.

"No need for formalities!"

Ye Qing glanced at Ye Xingchen, then waved his hand and said, "The patriarch ordered me to come assist you in capturing Xu Qingyang and obtaining his fortuitous opportunity!"

"Mm!"

Ye Xingchen nodded.

Then Ye Qing said, "Ye Xingchen, there's a piece of news you haven't heard yet!"

"Just yesterday, Xu Qingyang killed Qi Tai'a, patriarch of the Qi Family in Heavenly Martial City, and crippled Qi Taicang!"

"They say Xu Qingyang possessed peak Nascent Soul combat strength at the time, so we must proceed cautiously!"

Ye Xingchen froze upon hearing this.