Was Ye Qing lacking in manners during the meeting?

Ye Qing's Divine Thought flooded into the valley like a tide. After a careful sweep, a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

Because the people in the valley were actually Cultivators from the Taiyi Sect!

And they were two Peak Masters!

They were the Peak Master of Spirit Beast Peak and the Peak Master of Divine Talisman Peak, who had lost contact with Ye Qing after entering the Prison Realm!

Ye Qing did not hide his presence and landed directly in the valley.

The two Peak Masters were originally sitting cross-legged, their faces full of worry and panic.

When they sensed someone approaching, they jumped up like startled birds, full of vigilance.

But when they saw clearly that the newcomer was Ye Qing, the panic on their faces was instantly replaced by endless joy!

“Peak Master Ye!”

“That's great, Peak Master Ye! It's you!”

The two Peak Masters rushed forward excitedly.

It should be noted that both of them were originally genuine Nascent Soul True Monarchs!

But when they entered the Prison Realm, the restrictions of this realm's rules had not yet been fully lifted.

Therefore, their cultivation was forcibly cut down from the Nascent Soul Realm to the Ninth Layer of Golden Core!

One can imagine how much fear and despair they felt at that time!

In this unfamiliar Small World, they suddenly lost their greatest reliance—their cultivation.

The two of them could only keep a low profile, hiding from time to time, living in constant fear.

Now, seeing Ye Qing, they were like a lonely boat drifting in the vast ocean that had finally seen a lighthouse and found a core pillar!

That sense of peace and security came from the bottom of their hearts.

It made them so excited that tears welled up in their eyes!

This is great, they finally met Peak Master Ye!

Ye Qing looked at the excited expressions of the two Peak Masters, who looked like they had survived a disaster, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

At the same time, he asked with some surprise:

“Peak Master of Spirit Beast Peak, Peak Master of Divine Talisman Peak, are you two... alright?”

“We're fine, we're fine! It's just...”

The Peak Master of Spirit Beast Peak patted his chest with lingering fear, his face full of after-shocks.

“Peak Master Ye, this Small World is truly too dangerous! As soon as we entered, our Nascent Soul cultivation was mysteriously cut down to the Ninth Layer of Golden Core! This is simply unheard of!”

The Peak Master of Divine Talisman Peak also nodded repeatedly.

He warned with a solemn expression:

“Yes! Peak Master Ye, you must also be very careful! This place is full of weirdness everywhere. If the two of us hadn't found this remote valley to hide in, we would have probably met with disaster already!”

They were truly scared.

As Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Peak Masters, when had they ever experienced such days of constant fear?

But with their cultivation cut, they were like tigers with their teeth pulled—possessing majesty but no killing power.

Furthermore, the people here seemed more monstrous than the next in terms of strength.

Thus, the unease and fear in their hearts almost consumed them.

Ye Qing smiled slightly.

Careful?

He had already successfully cleared the tower and personally opened the passage in and out of this Small World.

The restrictions of this realm's rules were personally unraveled by him.

As for his actions, perhaps in this Prison Realm, there was no need to be particularly careful.

Of course, Ye Qing didn't say any of this.

Seeing the two Peak Masters' shaken state, he simply invited them: “In that case, why don't you two come with us? We can look out for each other.”

“That would be excellent!”

“Wonderful, I've had that intention for a long time! Thank you, Peak Master Ye!”

The two Peak Masters were overjoyed and agreed without hesitation.

In their view, although Ye Qing was young, his strength was unfathomable—at least much stronger than theirs.

Following him was undoubtedly the safest choice right now.

Thus, Ye Qing's group grew a bit larger.

As Ye Qing led the two Peak Masters, Liu Ruyan, and his two Disciples through the Prison Realm, the two Peak Masters soon noticed something odd.

Along the way, they encountered no obstacles at all!

Some Prison Realm Cultivators with powerful auras made them feel terrified.

But when those Cultivators saw their group, instead of showing hostility, they stopped in their tracks from a distance.

And what they didn't notice was that after they left...

Those people had fanatical looks in their eyes and even bowed in place.

The two Peak Masters were filled with doubt, but seeing Ye Qing's normal expression, they didn't feel it was right to ask too much.

They just thought they had encountered some polite locals... Meanwhile, at the Divine Tower Plaza.

Below the three giant towers that reached the heavens.

Zhou Tong had already led the Peak Master of Danxia Peak Li Cangyun, the Peak Master of Baoqi Peak Wang Lian, and a group of Taiyi Sect Disciples here.

Feeling the vast and ancient aura emanating from the divine towers, everyone's hearts and minds were shaken.

Zhou Tong stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the three divine towers. With a hint of faint pride in his tone, he continued to recount the legends of the Kings of the Prison Realm.

“I know that after I told you about the deeds of the Three Kings, you would feel they are already like Divine Beings. And that is indeed the case.”

“But—”

Zhou Tong said indifferently: “I'm not saying the Three Kings are not good, it's just that Lord Qing Wang is too much of a Prodigy; no amount of praise is enough.”

“You should know that the strength of each of the Three Kings is powerful to the extreme! Lord King Yuan is proficient in all kinds of Spells, with Divine Abilities and Dao methods at his fingertips; Lord King Shi's Physical Body suppresses the world, a single punch can shatter mountains and rivers; Lord King Lei's combat power is unparalleled, having once wiped out a valley of vicious Yao Beasts single-handedly!”

“If they were to deal with someone like me, Zhou Tong, any one of them would likely only need to use a single finger to easily suppress me!”

Hearing this, the hearts of Li Cangyun, Wang Lian, and the others shuddered again.

They had seen Zhou Tong's combat power with their own eyes—he was a Prodigy comparable to the Nascent Soul Third Layer!

Even he said the Three Kings could suppress him with a single finger, showing that the strength of the Three Kings had already exceeded their range of imagination!

But such powerful Three Kings... are they really all inferior to King Qing?

Then, Zhou Tong's tone shifted, his voice carrying obvious reverence and fanaticism:

“But even these three powerful kings were... vulnerable before Lord Qing Wang!”

“This is the truth! It's something that actually happened. Because when Lord Qing Wang reached the top of the three towers, his fame spread throughout the entire Prison Realm. The Three Kings were curious and wanted to feel the gap between them, so they came forward together to truly spar with Lord Qing Wang.”

“And it wasn't one-on-one!”

Zhou Tong took a deep breath, his eyes bursting with brilliant light.

He said word by word: “It was Lord Qing Wang alone, fighting the Three Kings joined together!”

“The result...”

“Under a single sword strike from Lord Qing Wang, the combined offensive of the Three Kings was instantly broken! The three of them had no power to fight back at all and were directly intimidated on the spot by that supreme sword power, their hearts and minds shaken, and they hurriedly conceded defeat!”

“So, remember, in this Prison Realm, you must never offend the Three Kings!”

“And you absolutely must not offend Lord Qing Wang! Otherwise, no one can save you!”

Boom!

One sword strike, defeating the Three Kings' joint effort?!

Zhou Tong's words were like a bolt of Nine Heavens divine thunder, striking hard at the hearts of Li Cangyun and the others!

They were all dumbfounded, their breathing stopped at this moment, and a monstrous wave rose in their minds!

If reaching the top of the three towers before was just an abstract concept...

Then now, this specific achievement of defeating the Three Kings with one sword strike made them truly feel just how terrifying that King Qing was!

How... incredible!

Hearing this, Li Cangyun and the others all nodded repeatedly subconsciously, their hearts shocked beyond measure.

Offend?

We wouldn't dare! Absolutely wouldn't dare!

Who would want to provoke such a powerful enemy for no reason?

Even though the Three Kings and that King Qing were not at the Divine Tower Plaza right now, there was no longer any hint of disrespect on their faces.

This was the most basic respect for the supreme powerhouse!

Climbing the towers successively in one day, reaching the top successively!

One sword strike suppressing the Three Kings!

Unrivaled throughout the ages in this Prison Realm!

Although Li Cangyun and the others had not personally seen the demeanor of King Qing at that time...

But at this moment, they reached out and lightly touched the three giant and ancient prison ranking list stone tablets in the center of the plaza. Looking at the two words “King Qing” at the very top of all the names, flashing with seven-colored divine light, they seemed to be able to cross time and space to feel a hint of that King Qing's peerless demeanor!

“Truly... a Prodigy among prodigies!” Li Cangyun couldn't help but let out a heartfelt sigh.

Wang Lian was also mentally agitated and couldn't help but speculate: “Such a person must surely have a prominent appearance, carry anomalies, and possess extraordinary characteristics, unlike ordinary people, right?”

In their minds, someone who could perform such miracles...

Must not be an ordinary person.

Perhaps it was the peerless Three-headed and Six-armed posture from ancient legends, or perhaps a posture with a green face and fangs.

These were all very possible!

In short, King Qing... is definitely no ordinary person!

Behind them, the Taiyi Sect Disciples also began to let their imaginations run wild, sketching the grand figure of the supreme King Qing in their hearts.

Seeing everyone's reverent posture, Zhou Tong was also slightly smug, the sense of pride from sharing the honor growing stronger.

His purpose in bringing these people here...

Was to let them feel the strength and demeanor of Lord Qing Wang.

To prevent them from being ignorant of the heights of heaven and depths of the earth, running around everywhere. If they were to intrude into the territory of other experts, it might cause unnecessary trouble.

Now it seemed the effect was very good.

Now that his goal had been achieved, Zhou Tong didn't stay any longer and cupped his hands to everyone.

Then he leaped up, turned into a streak of light, and left the place.

Meanwhile, Li Cangyun and the others still stood under the prison ranking list, their emotions unable to calm down for a long time.

Li Cangyun even couldn't help but sigh: “Sigh, since we've come to this Prison Realm, if there's a chance, we should find a way to meet this King Qing. If we could have the honor of exchanging a few words with such a peerless figure, it would naturally be for the best. Even if not... for someone like that, even if we only get to see him from afar, it would be enough!”

Yes, to personally witness a living legend was a great honor in itself!

Everyone nodded one after another, deeply agreeing.

And just then, a voice with a hint of doubt, yet one that Li Cangyun found somewhat familiar, suddenly sounded behind them.

“See what from afar?”

Hmm?

Li Cangyun and Wang Lian uttered a soft cry of surprise and subconsciously turned their heads.

With this look, the expressions on their faces instantly turned from astonishment to joy!

Because the newcomers were actually Ye Qing's group!

“Peak Master Ye!”

“And... Peak Master Liu!”

Li Cangyun and Wang Lian stepped forward to greet them with joy.

When they saw Liu Ruyan standing safe and sound beside Ye Qing, the big stone hanging in their hearts finally fell to the ground.

Found her! Peak Master Liu was indeed found by Peak Master Ye!

However, when their gazes fell on the other two people beside Ye Qing, they were once again stunned.

“This is... the Peak Master of Spirit Beast Peak? The Peak Master of Divine Talisman Peak?”

Li Cangyun could naturally sense it clearly.

These two powerful Peak Masters, whose cultivation was originally in the Nascent Soul Realm, now had auras that had fallen to the Ninth Layer of Golden Core!

Recalling what Zhou Tong had said before, Li Cangyun's heart tightened slightly.

He asked tentatively:

“Did you two Peak Masters... enter earlier?”

The Peak Master of Spirit Beast Peak and the Peak Master of Divine Talisman Peak looked at each other, both seeing the bitterness and frustration in each other's eyes, and then nodded helplessly.

They had bad luck!

Especially seeing Li Cangyun and Wang Lian, whose cultivation was still Nascent Soul, they felt even worse!

This place is too weird!

And their luck was indeed... too bad!

“Hiss...”

Li Cangyun gasped and sighed: “This place is indeed dangerous! It seems better for everyone to stay together, so we can look out for each other.”

He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Ye Qing, Liu Ruyan, and the other two Peak Masters.

After a moment of pondering, he spoke in the tone of a leader:

“Everyone, rejoin the group. You don't understand this place and don't know what the taboos are here.”

“From now on, follow us. I will try my best to lead you out of here safely.”

In Li Cangyun's view, the waters of this Prison Realm were too deep; even a random person like Zhou Tong had strength comparable to the Nascent Soul Third Layer—it was simply a place where prodigies roamed.

In such a place, one must huddle together for warmth and act collectively to ensure safety to the maximum extent.

And he, Li Cangyun, as the one with the highest cultivation here at the Nascent Soul Third Layer, and being older and experienced, naturally had to take on the responsibility of the leader.

However, Ye Qing frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He spoke: “You guys move together, I have other things to do.”

Ye Qing planned to take Lin Xueer and Su Chan to continue investigating this Prison Realm to see if there truly wasn't even a trace of Demon Ghosts.

If he hadn't met Li Cangyun's group before, it would have been fine.

But now that he had met them, Ye Qing planned to hand over Liu Ruyan, the Peak Master of Spirit Beast Peak, and the Peak Master of Divine Talisman Peak to Li Cangyun and Wang Lian. This way, the safety of the three would be guaranteed, and Ye Qing himself could feel a bit more at ease and focus entirely on investigating the matter of the Demon Ghosts.

However, Li Cangyun's brow furrowed upon hearing this.

He had originally just casually spoken, asking Ye Qing and the others to join them and act as a group.

Who would have thought that Ye Qing would refuse directly without even thinking?

He even wanted to act on his own?

After his brow furrowed, Li Cangyun's face darkened slightly, and his tone became serious.

He spoke:

“Peak Master Ye, I know your strength is not weak, but the waters here are very deep. Any random person who comes out is a Prodigy-like existence! It's too dangerous for you to take two Disciples and act alone!”

“Follow us and let's act together; at least we can look out for each other. Refusing to act together now is truly... lacking a sense of the big picture!”

In Li Cangyun's view, Ye Qing's move was simply arrogant and showed a lack of concern for the overall situation!

Could it be that this Ye Qing, relying on his bit of strength...

Thought that acting alone in this Prison Realm would be safer than following everyone?