660: Chapter 660 The Conspiracy of the Eight Major Forces!

"Died in vain?"

Bai Canghe shook his head. "I'm not saying we truly shouldn't investigate, but rather to set it aside for now. When the time is ripe, we will continue the investigation."

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Anyway...

As long as it didn't involve their interests anymore, it was fine!

Seeing that no one objected anymore, Bai Canghe held up a second finger.

"Second, in two days, it will be the Martial Arts Tournament of the Secular World."

"At that time, every sect and every hero from all walks of life will gather together."

"And Ye Chen..."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"He will definitely go; after all, he has already signed up."

"When the time comes..."

"We don't need to go head-to-head with him."

"The Martial Arts Tournament has plenty of rules and constraints."

"In the Secular World, he is the Chief Instructor of the Dragon Group, but at the Martial Arts Tournament, he is just a junior in the eyes of the various sects."

"We have plenty of ways to make him walk into a dead end himself."

The eyes of the old man from the Tianyi Sect lit up. "Does Head of the Bai Family mean... to use his own strength against him?"

Bai Canghe nodded.

"Exactly."

"The rules of the Martial Arts Tournament were jointly established by all the sects."

"No matter how arrogant Ye Chen is, he wouldn't dare to openly break the rules in front of the world's heroes, would he?"

"As long as he enters the game, we have plenty of ways to make him lose everything."

"When that time comes, we won't even need to lift a finger; his reputation will be ruined by his own doing."

The representative of the Hehuan Sect smiled thinly, a hint of coldness in that smile. "Head of the Bai Family, this move is brilliant."

Cold sneers appeared on the faces of the representatives from the other forces.

Every extra day Ye Chen lived made them feel a degree more disgusted!

He was the culprit who had killed many of their people!

Bai Canghe picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and scanned the people in the hall with his gaze.

"Everyone, is there anything else you wish to say?"

The Hehuan Sect representative spoke first, her voice carrying a hint of laziness. "Since Head of the Bai Family has put it this way, my Hehuan Sect has nothing more to say."

The old man from the Tianyi Sect stroked his beard and nodded slowly. "My Tianyi Sect seconds the motion."

The representative of the Ghost Sect snorted coldly. "My Ghost Sect also has no objections."

The representatives of the other forces nodded one after another in agreement.

"Head of the Bai Family is wise."

"We shall do as Head of the Bai Family says."

"The Martial Arts Tournament shall be Ye Chen's end."

The voices were uneven, but every single person agreed without hesitation.

Because...

They didn't want to struggle anymore.

The loss of so many elites had already severely damaged the vitality of each sect.

The current priority was not to investigate the truth or blame each other, but to find a way to stop the losses and reclaim their dignity.

And the Martial Arts Tournament was the best opportunity.

Bai Canghe set down his teacup, a smug light flashing in his eyes.

"Since none of you have any objections, then the matter is settled."

He stood up, hands behind his back, and looked toward the rolling snow-capped mountains in the distance outside the hall.

"Two days from now, the Martial Arts Tournament."

"If that brat Ye Chen knows what's good for him, he should keep a low profile."

"If he doesn't..."

He paused, his lips curling into a frigid arc, "Then let him learn exactly what the consequences are for offending the One Clan, Three Sects, and Five Gates."

Everyone in the hall rose and cupped their hands in salute.

"Head of the Bai Family is wise!"

"Head of the Bai Family's foresight is profound; we are in awe!"

"That brat Ye Chen won't be jumping around for much longer!"

...

Bai Canghe nodded slightly, the smile on his lips gradually widening.

But he did not expect...

That "Shui Shui" they were discussing was currently in the Dragon Group's branch base in Xiamen City.

Dragon Group branch base, third basement level.

This base was built inside a mountain in the suburbs of Xiamen City. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary military management zone, but underground, it was a whole different world.

On both sides of the wide corridor were heavy alloy doors labeled with numbers. Behind each door was a cultivation room with various functions.

Ye Chen turned a corner at the end of the corridor and arrived at the door of the innermost cultivation room.

The indicator light on the door showed "In Use," but Ye Chen didn't knock; he directly swiped his Chief Instructor ID card.

"Beep—"

The alloy doors slid open silently to both sides.

A dense surge of spiritual energy poured out from within, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood.

The cultivation room was about fifty square meters. The floor was paved with high-quality green jade slabs, and dozens of fist-sized night pearls were embedded in the walls, emitting a soft glow.

In the very center of the room, three people were sitting cross-legged on the ground.

Two men and one woman.

The two men were not young. One was in his sixties with a ruddy complexion and a steady aura; the other was in his early forties, with a burly build and shoulders as broad as a tiger's.

As for the woman, she looked to be only in her early twenties, wearing a plain white long dress. Her jet-black hair was casually held up by a wooden hairpin, revealing a section of her fair and slender neck.

Her eyes were closed, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly, like two butterflies resting on flower petals.

Her face was as smooth as jade, and her features were like a painting.

Her entire being exuded a cold and ethereal temperament, as if she were a fairy walking out of an ancient painting.

It was precisely Shen Qingyi of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

The three opened their eyes at the same time. Seeing Ye Chen standing at the door, they almost simultaneously sprang up from the ground.

"My Lord!"

Jiang Daoxuan was the first to cup his hands and bow, his voice full of respect.

Shu Yuan followed closely behind, bowing in greeting.

Shen Qingyi also gave a slight curtsy. In those cold eyes of hers, there was a bit less of the icy chill that kept people a thousand miles away, and a bit more gratitude and respect.

They had arrived in Xiamen City a few days ago, and Ye Chen had arranged for them to cultivate here.

After all...

Now that the Ancient Tomb Sect had been wiped out by the One Clan, Three Sects, and Five Gates, they had nowhere else to go.

Cultivating within the Dragon Group's base was actually the best choice.

Ye Chen waved his hand. "How has the cultivation been going?"

Jiang Daoxuan straightened up, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out, his eyes filled with hard-to-conceal excitement.

"Reporting to My Lord, the first revolution of the [Nine Revolutions Divine Art] has been completely mastered by all of us!"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How does it feel?"

Jiang Daoxuan took a deep breath, as if suppressing the excitement in his heart.

"This old man has cultivated for most of my life, but I never imagined that True Qi could circulate in such a manner."

"After completing the first revolution of the [Nine Revolutions Divine Art], my True Qi is at least thirty percent purer than before, and its circulation speed has nearly doubled."

As he spoke, he raised his right hand, and a ball of pale green True Qi emerged in his palm.

The True Qi condensed without dissipating, with a faint layer of golden halo at its edges. The quality was so high that even he himself could hardly believe it.

"And..."

Jiang Daoxuan paused, his voice even trembling slightly, "I even vaguely feel like I'm about to break through again."

The three of them, while in Japan previously, had not only recovered from their injuries due to the [Nine Revolutions Divine Art] but had also broken through one after another.

As for him, he had already been at the peak of the mid-Tianyi Realm, and now he was vaguely stepping toward the late stage.

But no one would have thought...

Not long ago, because of his injuries, he was at risk of his cultivation falling from the Early Tianyi Realm at any time!

But now...

It was completely different!

The corners of Ye Chen's mouth curled up slightly. "Then keep cultivating. By the time the second revolution is complete, stepping into the Golden Core Stage should be no problem."

Jiang Daoxuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and his breathing instantly became rapid.

Golden Core Stage?

That was a realm he didn't even dare to dream of!

In the hundreds of years of the Ancient Tomb Sect's heritage, even at its most prosperous period, there was only one Golden Core expert!

Otherwise...

They wouldn't have suffered the siege from the One Clan, Three Sects, and Five Gates!

Now, Ye Chen was telling him that he had a chance to step into the Golden Core Stage?

Jiang Daoxuan's eyes instantly turned red, and his legs went weak as he prepared to kneel again.

Ye Chen was quick and caught him by the shoulder.

"Don't just go kneeling at every turn!"

"Just work hard and prepare for the Ancient Tomb Sect's return to the Kunlun Ruins in the future."

"At that time..."

"You will be my, Ye Chen's, spokespeople."

Hearing this, old tears welled up in Jiang Daoxuan's eyes. "Rest assured, My Lord, the three of us will surely give our all!"

Shu Yuan stood to the side; although he didn't speak, his tiger-like eyes also shimmered with tears.

He was a simple man and didn't know how to say pretty words.

But he knew in his heart that Ye Chen's kindness to their Ancient Tomb Sect was equivalent to giving them a new life.

The calamity of their sect's destruction was blocked by Ye Chen.

Their erroneous cultivation techniques were corrected by Ye Chen.

Even their cultivation resources and venue were all arranged by Ye Chen.

This kindness was heavier than a mountain.

Shen Qingyi stood behind the two of them, her head slightly lowered, saying nothing.

But in those cold eyes, something was gently swaying.

Looking at the three of them so moved, Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright, don't make it seem like a final parting."

"Additionally, stop your cultivation starting today."

"The Martial Arts Tournament is in two days. You will come with me."

Shen Qingyi's beautiful eyes flashed. "The Martial Arts Tournament?"

That was a major event where the various sects of the Kunlun Ruins recruited outside talents to bring in fresh blood.

Ordinary forces didn't even have the qualification to participate.

Ye Chen nodded. "Exactly. It's the perfect time for your Ancient Tomb Sect to show its face in the martial world again and prepare for your return to the Kunlun Ruins."