"The Emperor's son... Tian Ye, can he handle it?"
Standing behind Lin Fan, Ji Kun watched Tian Ye's slender figure walk towards the center of the square and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "That's the prodigy of the Golden Sand Clan. I heard he's slain many famous ancient monsters in the Emperor Pass area."
"Rest assured."
"Just a few small fry, Tian Ye can handle them."
Lin Fan leaned against a stone pillar, arms crossed, his gaze casually sweeping across the center of the square.
Tian Ye's arrival was timely; it wouldn't be fitting for his villainous role if even a few henchmen needed his presence.
Ji Kun wanted to say something, but seeing Lin Fan's calm and collected demeanor, he swallowed his words.
In the center of the square, the golden-robed youth's golden spear was already hurtling towards them!
Tian Ye remained silent.
He raised his right arm, and the pale golden ancient god patterns on it suddenly lit up as he activated the Ancient God Body Refining Art to its fullest extent.
"Buzz!"
A faint halo of chaotic light emanated from his right fist. This was not Immortal Qi, but rather carried an ancient and solid power of a god.
The ancient god is hailed as the ultimate in Body Refining!
He threw a punch.
It was an ordinary punch, without even any extra power-building movements, yet the force of the punch was like an ancient mountain from the Archaic era crashing down from the void and into that golden sandstorm.
"Boom!"
The void exploded, countless dark golden fragments scattered and flew everywhere, and a storm of laws stirred up a visible shockwave.
"Boom!"
The golden spear was shattered from the front.
The young man in the golden robe's expression changed completely at that moment.
He felt a force far more ancient and profound than he had imagined, flowing from his fist into his right arm, like molten iron poured into an ice crevice.
His right arm bones made a series of cracking sounds.
The force of the impact sent him flying backward, crashing into a stone pillar at the edge of the square and snapping it in half.
"Puff!"
He spat out a mouthful of golden blood.
His right arm hung at an unnatural angle, and the pale golden fist mark on his chest was still throbbing, gnawing at his laws like a branding iron.
He fell into the pile of rubble, struggled for a moment, but couldn't get up.
The scene was deathly silent.
Immediately afterward, the group of spectators perked up and exclaimed, "Heavens... when did Tian Ye become so strong?"
"That's no ordinary genius from the Emperor Pass! A peak Peak Sage King Realm, and he was blasted away with a single punch!"
"Do you all remember that Tian Ye was only at the Middle Stage of the Great Sage Realm a few years ago? How come he's like this now...?"
" The Legendary Ancient Road... He also obtained a great fortune within the Legendary Ancient Road! Is this the fortune of the Legendary Ancient Road?! Tian Ye is too strong!"
" Tian Ye is only under the Emperor's command... the Emperor himself hasn't even made a move yet!"
How strong must the Imperial Prince be?
Everyone hoped that Lin Fan's people would teach the people of Emperor Pass a good lesson and curb their arrogance, finally venting their anger.
Tian Ye withdrew his fist.
He glanced down at the surface of his fist; the ancient divine patterns were slowly fading, as if he had merely brushed aside a fallen leaf.
He looked up at the remaining man and woman, his tone as calm as if asking for directions, "Are you still going to fight?"
Jin Buhuan's two companions behind him changed their expressions drastically and exchanged a glance.
At the same time, they activated the laws and soared into the sky. A streak of azure light and a shadow, one from the left and one from the right, attacked Tian Ye from both sides, trying to catch him off guard.
Tian Ye did not dodge.
Several fine cracks appeared on the bluestone ground beneath his feet, and his figure suddenly blurred, turning into a gray-white afterimage. The next moment, he appeared to the side of the blue light and pressed a palm against the other's chest.
"Puff!"
The azure light was scattered by a single palm strike, and the man fell to the ground like a meteorite, creating a large crater.
He turned around again, his right arm sweeping horizontally, the ancient god patterns like a burning brand, slamming into the protective Gang Qi of that dark figure.
"Bang!"
The shadow shattered, and the third person was also sent flying, crashing into the steps at the edge of the square, unable to get up for a long time.
The three prodigies of the Emperor Pass fell to the ground in less than ten breaths.
A deathly silence fell over the arena. The cultivators from the Three Thousand Provinces were all dumbfounded. "Holy crap... Tian Ye single-handedly defeated three geniuses from the Emperor Pass?"
"Is he even human?!"
"I remember he was only at the Mid Great Saint Sage realm when he first entered the Immortal Ancient Ruins..."
"Just how much benefit did that Legendary Ancient Road actually give him...?"
Tian Ye withdrew his fist and stood still, the ancient divine patterns on his old robe slowly fading. He glanced down at his right arm, seemingly satisfied with his performance, then turned and walked back to Lin Fan's side, cupping his hands in greeting, "Your Highness, I have not disappointed you."
Lin Fan nodded. "Not bad, much more efficient than before."
At this moment, a system notification sounded: [Ding! The host's subordinate Tian Ye has suppressed three great prodigies of the Golden Sand Clan in Emperor Pass, which is consistent with villainous behavior. 80,000 Villain Points have been awarded!]
Lin Fan glanced at the panel, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
The system is alright; he didn't do anything himself, but his subordinates did, so it's still considered his responsibility.
In the square, Jin Buhuan struggled to get up from the pile of rubble, his right arm still hanging down, and the pale golden fist mark on his chest made it difficult for him to even activate the laws.
"You have an Ancient God Physique?"
"Who... who are you?"
"How could there possibly be such a prodigy in the Three Thousand Provinces?"
He looked up at the figure in the old robe, his eyes filled with resentment and disbelief.
They were finding it hard to accept the fact that they had been defeated. They were from the Emperor Pass, yet they had been seriously injured by people from a small place.
"You're so condescending!"
Tian Ye smiled dismissively and stood quietly beside Lin Fan.
Jin Buhuan gritted his teeth, said nothing more, and led his two companions away dejectedly toward the void rift.
He turned back and glanced at Lin Fan before leaving.
His eyes were filled with resentment and humiliation, but in the end he dared not utter another harsh word.
The onlookers, watching their retreating figures, erupted in jubilation. "Did you see that?! The people of Emperor Pass are not invincible!"
"The people around the imperial prince can easily crush even their most outstanding talents!"
"If the Emperor himself were to make a move, they'd be crawling on their knees!"
"Let's see if they dare to be so arrogant in the Three Thousand Provinces again!"
The murmurs were still spreading when Lin Fan turned around, ready to leave.
Ji Kun, standing beside him, couldn't contain his excitement. "Your Highness! Tian Ye is too powerful! Those three from Emperor Pass combined couldn't even last ten breaths against him!"
"Hmm, it's alright."
Lin Fan said casually, "He benefited from the Legendary Ancient Road, and his Ancient God Body Refining Art has improved considerably. However, those are just a few small fry; the real trouble is yet to come."
"Buzz!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a loud bang suddenly came from the distant sky, like a heavy hammer striking a drum, making everyone's eardrums ring.