News of Jin Wu and Xue Li's disgraceful flight seemed to sprout wings, spreading across the Blood-Baleful Wasteland faster than the two men could flee, then swiftly reaching far wider regions.
The envoys of the Sacred Emperor Palace and the Blood Demon Sect, two supreme powers of the Primordial World, had been blasted away like swatted flies before the Heavenly Star Pavilion's Mountain Gate, without daring to leave so much as a defiant word behind!
The shock this news caused far surpassed that of Black Wind Mountain changing hands or the Heavenly Star Pavilion's founding. It meant that this mysterious Pavilion Master Ye possessed enough strength to force even the Sacred Emperor Palace and the Blood Demon Sect to tread carefully—and even swallow their anger for the time being!
For a time, every faction in the wasteland and even the surrounding regions regarded the Heavenly Star Pavilion and Ye Chen with awe and curiosity. Those that had been itching to act or harboring other designs instantly lowered their banners and stilled their drums, no longer daring to make a move. In an utterly overbearing fashion, the Heavenly Star Pavilion had begun to establish its fearsome reputation.
Within the Heavenly Star Pavilion, morale soared even higher. Whether veterans who had submitted from the former Blood Skull Stronghold or newly joined rogue cultivators, everyone shared in its glory and worshipped their elusive pavilion master, a divine dragon whose head appeared but whose tail was never seen. The pavilion's unity reached unprecedented heights.
Inside Chen Hall, Ye Chen listened to Ye Yun's report with an indifferent expression, as though he had done something utterly trivial.
"...That is roughly the situation. After this incident, no one should dare provoke our Heavenly Star Pavilion lightly in the near future," Ye Yun concluded.
Ye Chen nodded. "The tree longs for stillness, but the wind will not cease. The Sacred Emperor Palace and the Blood Demon Sect have only backed down because they cannot gauge my strength and are unwilling to pay the price recklessly. They will never let this rest."
Changing the subject, he asked, "How is the intelligence gathering on the Profound Ice Plains of the Northern Border coming along?"
Ye Yun took out a jade slip and presented it. "According to the illustrated records provided by True Person Yunhe and the information we gathered ourselves, the Profound Ice Plains lie in the northern reaches of the Primordial World. Bitterly cold year-round and covered in glaciers stretching ten thousand miles, the environment is exceptionally harsh. Two major powers hold sway there. One is the Mystic Maiden Palace, with which we have had a brief encounter. Its mistress, the Ice Soul Immortal, is a righteous-path leader whose fame equals that of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion's Lingyun Sword Emperor. Her cultivation is unfathomable. The other is the Ice Soul Demon Sect. Its sect master, Venerable Hantian, is likewise a titan of the demonic path and has close ties to the Blood Demon Sect."
"The Mystic Maiden Palace... the Ice Soul Demon Sect..." Ye Chen swept his divine sense over the jade slip. Its information on the Profound Ice Plains' geography, dangerous regions, resource sites, the territories of the two major powers, and their experts was quite detailed. True Person Yunhe had indeed done him a considerable favor.
"According to the latest resonance from the remnant page and the iron fragment, the next fragment is most likely near the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cavern deep within the Profound Ice Plains. It lies on the border between the Mystic Maiden Palace's and the Ice Soul Demon Sect's territories and is one of the deadliest forbidden grounds on the plains. It is said that even Void Insight cultivators risk death if they venture deep inside," Ye Yun added, a trace of gravity in his voice.
Ye Chen set down the jade slip, a flicker of interest crossing his eyes. "The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cavern? It certainly picked its spot. Make the preparations. In three days, I will leave for the Northern Border."
"Young Master, you intend to go yourself? Should we accompany you?" Ye Yun asked. The Northern Border was distant, its environment unfamiliar, and its experts as numerous as trees in a forest. He truly could not feel at ease letting Ye Chen go alone.
Ye Chen shook his head. "This journey is primarily an exploration. More people would only make things inconvenient. Uncle Xuan must remain at the Heavenly Star Pavilion to guard against unforeseen trouble. The rest of you will stay and continue developing and strengthening the pavilion. This is our foundation."
He looked at Ye Yun, his tone carrying both trust and responsibility. "Ye Yun, you are steady in your actions, and your sword heart is clear. You must devote more care to the pavilion's affairs. Shi Meng is courageous, Mo Yu is elusive, Ye Ling is compassionate, and Xiao Shan is focused. Each has their strengths, and you must coordinate them well. If you cannot decide something, consult Uncle Xuan."
"Yes! Rest assured, Young Master. I will not betray your trust!" Ye Yun dropped to one knee and made his solemn pledge.
Ye Chen helped him up and patted his shoulder. "There is no need for that. The Heavenly Star Pavilion is our starting point, but it will never be our destination. Manage it well. One day, it may become a lever capable of moving this world."
After arranging the pavilion's affairs, Ye Chen went to see the valley Ye Ling had purified. In just a short time, the greenery had spread several more yards, and the flow from the Spirit Spring had grown a little stronger, gathering into a small stream that nourished the valley. Compared with the Ye Clan's Ancestral Grounds, it was still a firefly beside the radiant moon, yet amid this deathly wasteland, it seemed so precious and full of hope.
Under Ye Ling's guidance, several newly recruited disciples skilled in planting were carefully cultivating seedlings of spirit plants native to this world that could help purify the environment. Their faces were filled with concentration and anticipation.
At the sight of Ye Chen, everyone respectfully bowed.
"Young Master." Ye Ling wiped the fine sweat from her brow and smiled, like a secluded orchid blooming in an empty valley. "Look, this dust-cleansing grass and these dew-gathering flowers are growing well. Given time, they will surely speed up the purification of the killing intent here."
Looking at the land before him, where life was only just beginning to stir, and the light shining in the disciples' eyes, Ye Chen felt something touch his heart. Destruction and creation often lay only a thought apart. The Ye Clan possessed the power to destroy stars, yet watching these tiny traces of life being created and protected gave him a different kind of insight.
"Very well done." Ye Chen nodded approvingly. "Life's resilience far exceeds imagination. Even in the harshest environment, given the slightest chance, it will stubbornly bloom. Protecting this life is no less meaningful than destroying a world."
Ye Ling only half understood, but she could feel the approval and deeper meaning in Ye Chen's words, and she nodded firmly.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Ye Chen completed the handover of all pavilion affairs and imparted the core incantations for controlling the mountain-protecting formation to Emperor Xuanwu. With an Immortal Emperor like Emperor Xuanwu presiding over it, the Heavenly Star Pavilion would stand as firm as Mount Tai unless those few old monsters acted in person.
That night, the moon was dark and the wind ran high.
Without alerting anyone, Ye Chen's figure quietly melted into the night. Like a phantom, he left Black Wind Mountain and sped north. Rather than flying through the air at full speed, he moved as casually as if strolling through a courtyard, yet each step carried him dozens of miles, making his pace astonishingly fast.
However, after leaving Black Wind Mountain's territory and entering an even more desolate region known as Ghost-Crying Ridge, his steps paused briefly.
Within his Dual Pupils, chaotic light flowed silently, piercing the veils of night and the obstructing mountains. He saw dozens of presences lurking in a hidden valley several dozen miles ahead.
These presences were extraordinarily well concealed, carrying a thick sense of bloodshed and deathly stillness that blended almost perfectly with their surroundings. Without the wondrous power of his Dual Pupils, even an ordinary Void Insight cultivator would have struggled to detect them.
"The Blood Demon Sect's Bone-Eroding Shadows? And... the presence of the Sacred Emperor Palace's Shadow Guards?" A cold curve formed at the corner of Ye Chen's lips. "It seems some people still refuse to give up."
He had long expected the Sacred Emperor Palace and the Blood Demon Sect not to let matters rest. He simply had not anticipated that they would act so quickly, or choose the same ambush site with such "perfect coordination."
The valley ahead lay on one of the routes that had to be traversed to reach the Northern Border. Its treacherous terrain made it ideal for an ambush.
"Do they want to test my strength? Or do they want... to keep me here?" A cold gleam flashed through Ye Chen's eyes.
He neither changed direction nor accelerated or concealed himself. Maintaining his original pace, he walked unhurriedly toward the valley where murderous intent lurked on every side.
It was as though what lay ahead was not a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, but an open road.
The night wind blew, carrying the wasteland's distinctive chill and killing air as it lifted the hem of his robes.
From this moment onward, the roles of hunter and prey might be about to reverse.
He would see just what methods these supreme powers of the Primordial World could produce to entertain an "uninvited guest" like him.
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