"Nothing else!"
Qingxuan shook his head. "That is all I know!"
"Are there any traces of the Ye Lineage now?"
Ye Chen asked calmly.
"No. They say many major powers have been searching in secret, but there has been no word of them!"
Qingxuan shook his head, his gaze grave. "Rumor has it that most of these powers have connections to Central Province, while some have blood feuds with the Ye Lineage!"
"Of course, some are after the Ye Lineage's legendary treasury!"
"Then isn't the Ye Lineage a choice morsel everyone wants a bite of?"
Ye Chen said with a smile.
"Not quite. Many powers are grateful for the Ye Lineage's contributions to Heavenly Profound and are protecting them in secret. But there are too many hostile powers, with the other races pressing down from above as well, so both sides have been fighting in the shadows!"
Ye Chen nodded at this.
With so many powerful cultivators secretly investigating the Ye Lineage, they could not possibly have remained hidden in the world without other powerful cultivators covering their tracks.
"Alas, how flourishing the human race was back then! Now we cower in the tiny Eastern Domain, and the other races even call us sinners!"
Whenever he thought of this, Qingxuan hated those human traitors to his very bones.
Seeing Qingxuan's expression, Ye Chen smiled and asked, "What did you come here for?"
Only then did Qingxuan come to his senses. He slapped his forehead. "I forgot the important business."
He then presented a storage ring to Ye Chen. "Senior, this is a small gift, hardly worthy of expressing my respect. I hope it can be of use to you!"
Ye Chen glanced at the storage ring. "No need. Take it back. I have already obtained what I wanted in exchange!"
Qingxuan grew anxious at this. "Senior, you saved Chen'er, saved me, and saved the entire Azure Province Academy. If you refuse it, my heart will know no peace!"
"Then give it to Ye Yan!"
Qingxuan breathed a sigh of relief.
He had truly feared that Ye Chen would refuse.
During their time together, he had already learned that the young man following Ye Chen was named Ye Yan, and that Ye Chen was his ancestor.
Giving it to Ye Yan now was the same.
"Wait, Ye Yan... Ye... the Ye Lineage!!!"
A sudden flash of insight struck him. Thinking of something, he stared at Ye Chen with eyes wide open.
"You... could you be from the Ye..."
"As long as you know. There is no need to say more!"
Ye Chen gazed out the window and spoke calmly.
"Yes!"
Now, a little more reverence and fervor filled Qingxuan's gaze as he looked at Ye Chen.
Then something abruptly occurred to him. "Senior, the entire Shangguan Lineage was executed half a month ago, but Yama Hall..."
"Yama Hall is immensely powerful, one of the greatest powers in the Eastern Domain. There is a Quasi-Emperor within its ranks. You..."
"What, are you afraid?"
Ye Chen turned around with a smile.
"No, that is not it. It is mainly that you killed every powerful cultivator in Yama Hall's Azure Province branch with a single slap. They certainly will not let this rest. And given your special identity, if you were exposed..."
Qingxuan hastily explained.
"I am a Quasi-Emperor too!"
Ye Chen said casually.
"Wh-what?"
He was utterly stunned.
It was as though lightning had struck him.
Although he had guessed that Ye Chen might be a Saint, he had never imagined that Ye Chen was actually a Quasi-Emperor.
Was the Ye Lineage about to reclaim its glory from a hundred thousand years ago?
Anticipation welled up within him, and he bowed even lower.
"All right, if there is nothing else, you may leave!"
Ye Chen sat back down in his chair.
"Yes!"
Qingxuan withdrew with the utmost respect, his back bent and his head lowered.
Watching Qingxuan's retreating figure disappear, a strange light flickered in Ye Chen's eyes.
These major powers did indeed know secrets unknown to others.
He finally had some leads concerning the Ye Lineage.
It seemed he would still have to visit some holy lands to gain a clearer understanding.
In truth, with his strength, he could simply crush the other races to death, but there was no need.
First, if he did that, the events of that year would forever remain a mystery.
Second, he could conveniently check in while investigating.
He had all the time in the world.
Then he stopped thinking about these matters.
Opening the system's backend, he discovered that he had already accumulated over half a month's worth of check-in days.
Without hesitation, he used them all.
"System, check in!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host! Check-in successful. You have obtained the immortal artifact, the Bronze Trial Tower!"
The Bronze Trial Tower?
Ye Chen examined it carefully and discovered that it was used to train disciples.
However, its grade only barely reached the immortal grade, so it was of no use to him.
He could place it in the Ye Lineage for its disciples to cultivate with.
Putting away the trial tower, he prepared to leave the Azure Province Academy and head to the nearest holy land, the Heavenly Origin Holy Land.
Outside Azure Province City.
"Your master will wake up soon. Let us part here!"
Ye Chen said with a smile.
"Yes."
Ye Yan did not want to remain by his ancestor's side all the time either.
Training like this brought no pressure at all and could not help him grow quickly.
"This jade pendant contains three strikes of mine. You can use them when your life is in danger!"
As he spoke, Ye Chen handed him a blue-green jade pendant.
Ye Chen accepted it respectfully and said with a smile, "Thank you, Ancestor!"
"I hope you will not need to use it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Chen vanished.
Ye Yan looked at the spot where his ancestor had disappeared, his expression resolute.
"Ancestor, this disciple will not disappoint you!"
Just then, a stir came from within the ring.
Then Xuan Danzi's phantom appeared.
"Master, you are awake!"
Ye Yan exclaimed excitedly.
"Mm!"
Xuan Danzi looked at Ye Yan with a kindly smile.
"Ancestor said it would be a while before you woke up. Why did you suddenly wake up?"
Ye Yan was somewhat puzzled.
Xuan Danzi looked toward the spot where Ye Chen had disappeared, his expression complicated. After a moment of silence, he said, "Your ancestor possesses abilities beyond the fathoming of gods and ghosts. Before leaving, he transferred a strand of soul power to me, allowing me to recover now!"
"That is wonderful!"
Ye Yan blinked. "Then how much have you recovered now, Master?"
"My soul has fully recovered!"
"That is good!"
Ye Yan did not know that his master's soul had only been fifty percent recovered just now, and that he would have needed another half a month recuperating within the immortal artifact to reach eighty percent.
Yet the strand of soul power Ye Chen had casually transferred to him had actually restored him completely.
He was a Great Saint!
Even with an immortal artifact, it would take a month and a half for him to recover completely.
Yet a casually bestowed strand of Ye Chen's soul power had brought him straight back to his peak.
His soul had even grown a tiny bit stronger.
This was simply far too inconceivable.
He was very curious about just how powerful Ye Chen was.
At least as far as he knew, even a Quasi-Emperor could not possibly accomplish this.
"Master, where are we going next?"
Ye Yan asked curiously.
Xuan Danzi shook his head, putting aside his thoughts about Ye Chen, and asked with a smile, "Would you like to learn alchemy?"
Ye Yan was thrilled to hear this.
Alchemists were the most honored people on the entire continent.
Because pills were the best cultivation resources.
If a lineage had an alchemist, it could soon produce a group of powerful cultivators.
But becoming an alchemist was extremely difficult.
The resources required just to learn alchemy were enough to deter most people.
Even with resources, without talent or a teacher, it was almost impossible to get started.
Thus, although the Heavenly Profound Continent had countless trillions of martial artists, there were only a few million true alchemists.
"I do!"
Ye Yan said firmly, "Please teach me, Master!"
Hearing this, Xuan Danzi laughed heartily. "Your master used to be a Saint-grade alchemist. I guarantee I can teach you until you master it!"
"Thank you, Master!"
"Come, let us go to Pill Province. It is a paradise for alchemists!"