Inside the main hall of the Myriad Origins Holy Land.
"Elder Wei, how is the investigation I assigned you coming along?"
The Myriad Origins Holy Lord sat high in the seat of honor, his expression imposing.
"Holy Lord, I have found some leads!"
In the center of the hall, Elder Wei spoke respectfully.
"Oh? Who was responsible?"
Elder Wei considered his words for a moment before speaking. "That day, I used a secret art to locate Elder Nan's presence, then tracked it all the way to Heavenly Profound Province!"
"Heavenly Profound Province?"
The Myriad Origins Holy Lord frowned slightly.
"Yes! Heavenly Profound Province!"
"Go on."
"In a place called Breeze Mountain in Heavenly Profound Province, Elder Nan's presence was particularly strong."
"I can confirm that Elder Nan... fell there!"
Elder Wei spoke gravely.
At this, the Myriad Origins Holy Lord's brows drew even tighter.
"What else?"
"A great battle took place there. Elder Nan also struck with great force, but he seemed to have used only one move!"
Elder Wei recounted everything in detail.
"What?!"
The Myriad Origins Holy Lord sprang from his seat in shock.
"He was defeated after using just one move?"
He could not believe it.
He knew Nan Fa's strength.
With his holy sword in hand, Nan Fa could exchange several moves with a Saint.
Even if he could not win, with the resources of a holy land elder, he could at least escape.
Unless he encountered a Great Saint expert like himself.
Otherwise, he could never have been defeated in a single move.
Elder Wei had not believed it at first either, but after investigating carefully, he found that this was indeed the case.
"Holy Lord, Elder Nan really did use only one move!"
"Heavenly Profound Province... as far as I know, it declined long ago, after that lineage disappeared, didn't it?"
The Myriad Origins Holy Lord composed himself and sat back down.
"Indeed. That is why I also find it strange that Elder Nan would fall there!"
"And..."
After considering his words, Elder Wei continued,
"Elder Nan's presence there was itself unusual!"
At these words, a flash of insight struck Holy Lord Wan Kong, and his eyes widened. "You mean..."
Elder Wei glanced at Holy Lord Wan Kong. "Holy Lord, after arriving in Heavenly Profound Province, I heard that the Huayun Sect had been wiped out!"
"And right after that, two more small sects were wiped out!"
"Elder Nan was killed while trying to rescue a small sect called the Breeze Sect!"
"And all of this seems to be connected to a lineage in a small town. Everyone in that lineage bears the surname Ye!"
He finished in one breath and stood there, his thoughts unsettled.
"They all bear the surname Ye!!!"
The Myriad Origins Holy Lord was greatly shocked.
"Holy Lord, the Huayun Sect has always been working for those people. Now that it has suddenly been wiped out, it is very likely that the people behind the Ye Lineage have made their move!"
Elder Wei offered his analysis.
"That should be it!"
The Myriad Origins Holy Lord glanced at Elder Wei. "Go to the Ye Lineage in that small town..."
"Never mind. I had better go myself!"
The Myriad Origins Holy Land had always remained neutral, unwilling to become entangled in the contest between the two powers.
Yet he had never expected Elder Nan to become involved.
If this was mishandled, the entire holy land could be destroyed.
So, to be safe, he decided to make the trip himself.
In Holy Province, at Yama Hall's Eastern Domain headquarters, a middle-aged man and a young man were playing a board game in a pavilion within a garden brimming with Spiritual Qi.
Neither gave off the slightest presence. Without looking carefully with the naked eye, it was almost impossible to notice their existence.
Just then, a gaunt old man appeared.
After bowing to the two, he said gravely,
"Hall Master, according to a report from below, all the senior members of the Azure Province branch have been killed!"
The middle-aged man continued playing as though he had not heard.
The young man, however, glanced at the old man with interest.
Seeing this, the old man braced himself and continued, "Reportedly, the Azure Province branch master wanted to join forces with the Shangguan Lineage to wipe out Azure Province Academy and seize the inheritance of the Wuya Secret Realm!"
As his words fell, the air abruptly froze.
The old man felt as though someone had seized him by the throat. An extreme sense of suffocation gripped him, and his entire face and neck became engorged with blood, turning a horrifying red.
A moment later, the old man toppled straight over, devoid of life.
The middle-aged man set down the game piece in his hand and glanced at the old man. "Useless!"
Then he turned toward the young man and smiled. "You have had to witness an embarrassment, Divine Son!"
The young man said indifferently, "People dying is perfectly normal!"
"That is true!"
The middle-aged man smiled, then turned his head slightly and spoke coldly to the air behind him. "Go and investigate this thoroughly! Leave none of those involved alive."
Ripples immediately spread through the air.
"Hall Master, since I have come to the Eastern Domain to temper myself, why not start with Azure Province?"
"I can also see just what clay chickens and pottery dogs the Eastern Domain's geniuses are!"
The young man spoke with a faint smile.
The middle-aged man glanced at him, frowning slightly. "There is little danger in Azure Province, but..."
"Say no more. It is settled. I will speak to my father myself!"
The young man spoke coolly.
"Very well. This subordinate will send an elder to protect you from the shadows!"
The middle-aged man was somewhat helpless.
Then he addressed an empty patch of ground in the garden, saying mildly, "Elder Yan, I entrust the Divine Son's safety to you!"
A moment later, a fair-skinned, plump old man slowly appeared in that empty space. A powerful pressure radiated from him; he was unmistakably a Great Saint Realm expert.
The young man glanced at the old man, disdain appearing on his face.
Yama Hall was using his protection as a pretext, when in truth it merely wanted to send someone to watch him.
But a mere Great Saint Realm expert thought he could keep watch over him?
He sneered inwardly a couple of times but said little. After all, this was not his territory.
Besides, he had some tasks to complete on this trip to the Eastern Domain.
All of them required Yama Hall's strength.
"Hall Master, farewell!"
He wasted no more words and left at once.
The middle-aged man glanced at the fair-skinned, plump old man, who understood and immediately followed.
"Hmph!"
The middle-aged man watched the direction in which the two had disappeared, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes.
If not for that object, he would have crushed that young man to death long ago.