334: Chapter 334 I have the nation behind me!

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Ye Chen's face. "Sect Leader Miao, if you had said this earlier, no one would have died, and certainly no one would have been injured."

Miao Wanshan gave a bitter laugh.

"Then you should have told me earlier that you could slap a Celestial Master Realm expert to death with one palm."

If he had known this young man was strong to this extent, would he have been crazy enough to let the Miao Sect Great Elder lead people to their deaths?

If he had known Ye Chen could even kill Gongsun Long with a single punch, he wouldn't have ordered his disciples to attack just now, letting dozens of people get injured for nothing.

But what was the use of saying all this now?

Ye Chen didn't feel like talking nonsense with him anymore and waved his hand impatiently.

"No more nonsense."

"Hand over the person and the item."

Miao Wanshan took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions surging in his heart.

He turned his head and gave a look to a disciple beside him.

"Go, bring Li Mei out."

That disciple's face turned pale; as if granted a grand pardon, he turned and sprinted toward the stone gate, fearing that if he were a step slower, he would be targeted by that god of slaughter.

Miao Wanshan withdrew his gaze, reached into his robes with his right hand, and pulled out a palm-sized bottle. Holding it in both hands, he presented it to Ye Chen.

"The shanhai bottle is here."

Ye Chen's gaze fell on the bottle.

It was translucent all over, as if cast from colored glaze, yet it possessed a warm, jade-like texture.

The body of the bottle was slender, and the neck was engraved with intricate patterns that faintly formed a map of mountains, rivers, the sun, and the moon.

The mouth was sealed with a stopper of unknown material, also covered in runes that echoed the patterns on the bottle's body.

The strangest thing was...

Even though it was clearly an inanimate object, when Ye Chen stared at it, he could feel a faint ripple slowly overflowing from the bottle.

That ripple was like the warm spring sun, or a clear mountain spring, actually echoing the True Qi within his body...

Ye Chen reached out and took the shanhai bottle, weighing it lightly in his hand.

He was certain; this thing was likely what he was looking for.

The moment the shanhai bottle touched his hand, the resonance from the Thick Earth Inheritance within him grew even stronger.

It was a feeling of being connected by blood, as if long-lost relatives had finally reunited.

Ye Chen turned it over and looked at it a few times, then nodded with satisfaction.

With this item...

The symptoms of the side effects would become a true "BUFF," helping those around him improve!

How refreshing!

Miao Wanshan stood to the side, watching the sect's treasure he had personally handed over; the heartache on his face was almost overflowing.

He opened his mouth and finally couldn't help but say, "Mr. Ye... this shanhai bottle is a treasure passed down personally by the successive sect leaders of my Miao Sect for over three hundred years... you must treat it well!"

That tone!

That expression!

He looked just like an old father marrying off his daughter—unwilling to let go, yet forced to do so.

Ye Chen looked up and glanced at him.

"Don't be so sissy. Are you marrying off your daughter?"

Miao Wanshan: "..."

He was so choked up that he almost couldn't catch his breath; his old face turned bright red, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Marrying off a daughter?

Miao Wanshan wouldn't even feel this much heartache if he were marrying off his daughter!

But he didn't dare say those words; he could only keep them bottled up, his heart secretly bleeding.

Just then.

The sound of footsteps came from inside the stone gate.

Ye Chen looked up.

Two Miao Sect disciples walked out of the stone gate with a woman.

The woman was in her early twenties, with delicate features, wearing indigo Miao clothing with silver ornaments jingling.

It was indeed Li Mei.

She was brought to the clearing in front of the stone gate, and when her gaze landed on Ye Chen's face, her entire body suddenly froze.

That face...

She was all too familiar with it!

She would recognize it even if it were turned to ash!

"Ye Chen!"

Li Mei's expression changed drastically, her eyes filled with terror. "You... why are you here?!"

Ye Chen looked at her and smiled slightly. "Naturally, I'm here to kill you."

That smile was harmless to people and animals, but in Li Mei's eyes, it was like the sinister grin of a demon.

Her face instantly turned as pale as paper.

She suddenly turned her head toward Miao Wanshan, her eyes full of pleading.

"Sect Leader! Save me!"

"You said you would protect me!"

Miao Wanshan stood there, motionless.

He even closed his eyes.

What a joke.

No one in the entire sect was a match for Ye Chen.

How could he save her?

Save her? My ass!

Li Mei's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

She finally realized...

She had been abandoned.

This man who had vowed to protect her didn't even dare to let out a fart in front of Ye Chen.

She suddenly turned around and, without a word, took off running!

Silver ornaments jingled as she sprinted toward the stone gate like a startled deer!

If only she could run inside!

If only she could run into the inner gate!

There were secret passages, mechanisms, and hiding places there!

If she could just get inside, maybe she could still live!

However.

She only made it three steps.

*Swoosh—*

A silver light as thin as a hair shot out from Ye Chen's fingertip!

Fast as lightning!

The Silver Needles entered from the back of Li Mei's head, pierced through her skull, and protruded half an inch from between her eyebrows!

Li Mei's sprinting figure suddenly froze.

Her pupils dilated instantly.

Then.

Her entire body fell straight forward.

*Thump!*

She slammed heavily onto the bluestone ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Those eyes were wide open, and they didn't close even in death.

She never expected...

...that her final curtain call would be like this.

The entire field was dead silent.

Miao Wanshan opened his eyes and looked at the corpse on the ground, the expression on his face complex beyond words.

He was silent for a good while before looking up at Ye Chen. "Mr. Ye, now... are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied."

Ye Chen nodded and tucked the shanhai bottle into his robes.

"From now on, if you dare to make a move on Bing Lan, I will wipe out your sect."

"From now on, if I ever see Miao Zombies again, I will also wipe out your sect."

That's right!

Bing Lan's constitution issue had already been betrayed by Li Mei.

He now wanted to dispel any thoughts the Miao Sect had about going after Bing Lan.

Additionally...

Miao Zombies were too sinister; it was best to ban them if possible.

Miao Wanshan's face turned slightly pale.

Ye Chen ignored him and continued, "Don't doubt my ability. Even if I can't do it, behind me is the country, the Dragon Group!"

"You've joined an official organization?" Miao Wanshan couldn't hold it together anymore.

Holy shit!

A guy with such fierce combat power actually joined the country? Wouldn't that mean he could be even more unscrupulous???

Ye Chen said indifferently, "Xuanyuan Huo invited me to serve as the Chief Instructor of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion."

Miao Wanshan's breath hitched, and he followed with a bow. "Mr. Ye, I swear that in this life, I will never again be your enemy, nor will I ever allow Miao Zombies to appear in the sect again. If I violate this, may heaven strike me with lightning!"

"You had better remember your words."

Ye Chen dropped those words and didn't look at him again. Instead, he turned around, took Jin Meiting's hand, and walked back the way they came.

Miao Renfeng stood to the side, watching this. He suddenly bent down and bowed deeply to Miao Wanshan. "Sect Leader, take care. Thank you for your nurturing over the years, but... Renfeng has found something more meaningful and must leave."

"Get lost."

Miao Wanshan had a helpless expression. "A betrayal is a betrayal. Don't make it sound so nice."

Miao Renfeng: "..."

Damn it!

I wasted my sentimentality!

He turned around without any lingering attachment and quickly caught up with Ye Chen and Jin Meiting.

The three figures gradually disappeared into the dense forest.

Miao Wanshan stood in place, watching the receding back for a long time without moving.

After a long while.

He lowered his head, looked at the corpse on the ground, then at the disciples curled up and groaning, and let out a long sigh.

In that sigh, there were too many unspeakable emotions hidden.

There was resentment.

There was helplessness.

There was bitterness.

And there was also the relief of having survived a disaster.

"Sect Leader..."

The Fifth Elder clutched his chest and limped to his side. "Are we... just going to let it go like this?"

Miao Wanshan turned his head and glanced at him.

That look made a chill run down the Fifth Elder's spine.

"Otherwise?"

"Are you going to go chase him back?"

"And then kill him?"

The Fifth Elder opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Chase him?

That was no different from seeking death...

Miao Wanshan withdrew his gaze and looked toward the now-empty mountain forest.

"From now on..."

"The Miao Sect will close its doors and ignore worldly affairs."

"The Miao Zombie forbidden arts shall be sealed and not used."

He paused, his voice hoarse as if squeezed out of his throat.

"If anyone violates this order..."

"...they will be expelled from the sect, and their life or death will no longer matter."

The entire field was dead silent.

No one dared to speak.

No one dared to object.