The scent of blood

Boom!

After a deafening crash, Tian Yuanzi was hurled back dozens of miles.

Under his utterly horrified gaze, a white-robed figure slowly appeared in the void.

The man was incomparably handsome, his bearing otherworldly, like an immortal banished to the mortal world.

It was none other than Ye Chen.

He had just finished refining the immortal sword Demon Slayer when he sensed a disturbance in the power he had left inside the boy.

He then checked with his divine sense and discovered that the boy's life was in danger.

Originally, he had not wanted to intervene, but then he thought of the boy's bright, clear eyes, as well as the hint of something amiss he had sensed in him back then.

Most importantly, he happened to want to visit the Heavenly Origin Holy Land, and its patriarch had already appeared, so he decided to show himself now.

He would save the boy along the way.

"Imperial... imperial Dao laws!!!"

Tian Yuanzi's eyes widened until they nearly popped out, and his mind shook violently, as though a massive mountain had slammed into his heart.

He sensed dense imperial Dao laws emanating from Ye Chen.

He knew better than anyone what that meant.

The person before him was a Quasi-Emperor.

He truly could not believe it.

He even wondered whether his senses were mistaken, or whether he had grown senile.

Ever since that great war, the number of Quasi-Emperors across the Heavenly Profound Continent had plummeted.

Even among the factions confirmed to still have Quasi-Emperors presiding over them, those Quasi-Emperors were almost never seen.

Yet today, a living, breathing Quasi-Emperor stood right before him.

Most importantly, this Quasi-Emperor was actually the boy's backer.

How could he possibly believe it?

He had assumed the person backing the boy would, at most, be on par with him. He had never expected...

However, once he recovered, he became incomparably excited, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

A pleasant surprise!

No, an unexpected windfall!

So what if he was a Quasi-Emperor?

The stronger he was, the more excited Tian Yuanzi became!

A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes, and he secretly crushed a specially made communication stone.

Elder Wan, the grand elder of the Myriad Origins Holy Land, was also stunned speechless, his mouth hanging so wide that his jaw nearly hit the ground.

He had never imagined that an insignificant, utterly ordinary boy would have a Quasi-Emperor backing him.

In an age when even Saint Kings were rarely seen, seeing a living Quasi-Emperor was harder than ascending to heaven.

Even more terrifyingly, his younger brother had just tried to kill someone under this Quasi-Emperor's protection.

Was that not simply courting death?

At the thought, he broke into a cold sweat for his younger brother.

When the members of the Zhang Clan heard Tian Yuanzi say "Quasi-Emperor," they were scared out of their souls.

Their entire bodies began trembling uncontrollably.

In their eyes, Quasi-Emperors were incomparably distant beings of legend.

Yet now they actually had a grudge with a Quasi-Emperor's descendant. Was that not digging their own graves?

At the thought, most of them turned deathly pale with fright, losing control of their bowels and bladders.

Ye Tian, meanwhile, gazed excitedly at the white-robed figure in the sky, his eyes brimming with irrepressible exhilaration.

He had never expected to see Ye Chen again.

Most importantly, Ye Chen had come for him.

Beyond his delighted surprise, he felt even more gratitude and guilt.

Big brother had helped him so much, and now he had even come all this way specifically to protect him.

He really was too useless!

Meanwhile, Tian Yuanzi came before Ye Chen with the utmost reverence, none of his earlier imposing presence remaining.

"Senior, please forgive me. I... I didn't know that boy was your descendant!"

He began explaining in fear and trepidation.

In his eyes, Ye Tian was probably Ye Chen's descendant.

Otherwise, someone like Ye Chen, who had stepped into the Emperor Realm, could not possibly intervene for an insignificant person.

"Senior, please calm your anger. Tian Yuanzi is extremely rash by nature. Any offense he caused you was unintentional. Please don't hold it against him!"

Elder Wan also summoned his courage and hurriedly pleaded on Tian Yuanzi's behalf.

He and Tian Yuanzi shared a deep bond; he could not stand by and watch him die.

At this, Ye Chen did not know whether to laugh or cry.

He had no intention of blaming them.

After all, the Heavenly Origin Holy Land had not offended him, and he still wanted to look around there and learn about the situation.

"It's fine!"

Ye Chen spoke casually, then glanced at Ye Tian. "Let this matter end here!"

"Of course, of course!"

Seeing that Ye Chen had no intention of blaming them, Elder Wan breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to answer first.

Tian Yuanzi also lowered his head and thanked him repeatedly, though a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes from time to time.

Then he raised his head and said with a smile, "Senior, you've come from afar. Why not visit our Heavenly Origin Holy Land, so I can offer a small token of my respect?"

Hearing this, Elder Wan nearly rolled his eyes at him.

He had just been thinking of inviting Ye Chen to visit the Myriad Origins Holy Land.

This was a Quasi-Emperor!

Even a brief visit to a holy land could greatly elevate its standing and reputation.

He had not expected his younger brother to be even savvier than him and beat him to it.

"Yes, yes, why not visit the Heavenly Origin Holy Land first?"

Despite his inward grumbling, he still spoke up for his younger brother.

He could only find a way later to trick Ye Chen...

Oh, no, invite him to visit the Myriad Origins Holy Land.

"Very well!"

Ye Chen smiled.

That was exactly what he wanted.

Just as they were about to leave, Tian Yuanzi glanced at Ye Tian in the stands and asked respectfully, "Senior, your descendant..."

"He's here to take the Heavenly Origin Holy Land's assessment!"

Ye Chen looked at Ye Tian and winked at him as he spoke with a smile.

As for Ye Tian's identity, he could not be bothered to explain.

He would just let this be Ye Tian's fortuitous opportunity!

Upon hearing this, Tian Yuanzi froze.

"Here to take our holy land's assessment?"

He could rack his brains to pieces and still not understand why a Quasi-Emperor's descendant would want to join his holy land.

And even take the assessment!

Was that not like taking off one's pants to fart-completely unnecessary?

Elder Wan could not understand it either.

But more than anything, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

Why?

What was so good about the Heavenly Origin Holy Land?

Why would a Quasi-Emperor's descendant want to come to this lousy place?

Where did his Myriad Origins Holy Land fall short?

Had Ye Chen not been present, he would have dragged Ye Tian aside for a proper talking-to.

He would keep him from going astray and tell him that the Myriad Origins Holy Land was his true home!

"Senior, it's my honor that your descendant wishes to join our Heavenly Origin Holy Land! Why bother with an assessment? You're being far too courteous!"

Once Tian Yuanzi recovered, he hurriedly spoke with a smile.

"Let him take it anyway!"

Ye Chen spoke indifferently.

"Very well."

Tian Yuanzi pondered for a moment, then said, "How about this? We'll begin the entrance assessment tomorrow, so you can watch the proceedings as well, Senior!"

Hearing this, Elder Wan nearly died of envy, his teeth itching with frustration.

Being able to invite a Quasi-Emperor to watch his holy land's entrance assessment was something he could boast about for a thousand years.

Why did such good fortune never fall to him?

His younger brother really did think further ahead!

What he did not know, however, was that Tian Yuanzi was only doing this because he had another scheme in mind.

"Do as you please!"

Ye Chen spoke indifferently.

He did not want to waste any more time here, so he glanced at Tian Yuanzi. "Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Not daring to delay any longer, Tian Yuanzi escorted Ye Chen into the Heavenly Origin Holy Land together with Elder Wan.

Inside the holy land, Tian Yuanzi summoned some of its elders and instructed them to handle tomorrow's assessment.

Elder Wan was somewhat puzzled. By all rights, the Holy Lord of Heavenly Origin should have come forward to welcome Ye Chen at this point and then handled these arrangements, yet he had still not shown himself.

However, he did not dwell on it.

After all, the Holy Lord of Heavenly Origin might be in seclusion.

Ye Chen, however, noticed something amiss.

Inside the holy land, he caught faint traces of blood in the air.

In fact, he had already noticed it back in the mountains surrounding the holy land.

He had not taken it to heart then. After all, when large numbers of demonic beasts were slaughtered, a bloody scent in the mountains was perfectly normal.

Inside the holy land, however, it was extremely abnormal.

Especially since this bloody scent was very, very faint, as though it had been deliberately concealed.

Had his strength not been extraordinary, even an ordinary Quasi-Emperor would not have detected it.

At that thought, a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

It seemed this Heavenly Origin Holy Land had secrets...