112: The lingering effects of the blue mist, encountering an arrogant person on the road.

In the deep canyon, the Restriction on the Immortal Cave was quietly removed. Ye Chen stepped out, his Aura perfectly rounded and restrained. If he didn't actively release it, he would appear no different from an ordinary Earth Fiend Realm Second Layer Cultivator. However, his eyes had grown deeper, and the occasional flow of Chaos rhyme within them was intimidating.

He sensed the direction slightly and transformed into an inconspicuous streak of green light, heading toward the Empire's capital, Tianfeng City. His speed wasn't fast; he needed time to fully familiarize himself with his surging power and the newly born 'Myriad Transformations' Divine Ability, while also wanting to see what moves the Dark Hall had made during the days he was in the Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm.

A few days later, while passing through 'Luoxia City,' a city of similar scale to Qinglan City, Ye Chen entered to rest. He sat by the window in the city's largest restaurant, 'Drunken Immortal Residence,' ordering a few small dishes. He appeared to be enjoying the street view, but in reality, his Divine Sense spread out like mercury, quietly gathering information from all sides.

As expected, the matter of the Su Family in Qinglan City had already spread to the surrounding areas. There were various versions, but the core revolved around a 'mysterious powerhouse,' 'Dark Hall's heavy losses,' and the imaginative 'Su Family secret treasure.'

"...Have you heard? The Su Family in Qinglan City was in total Chaos a few days ago!"

"More than just heard! My cousin is a guard for the Su Family. He said that night, Devilish Qi soared from the ancestral hall. Although the sounds of fighting were brief, they were terrifying! The Su Family went under martial law the next day!"

"Tsk tsk, the Dark Hall really kicked a steel plate this time. It's said that not a single person they sent returned, and even a Middle Stage Earth Fiend Realm deacon perished inside!"

"Exactly! Now everyone is saying the Su Family invited an incredible Guest Elder whose cultivation is unfathomable and whose swordsmanship is divine! The Dark Hall really went for the wool and came back shorn."

"What about the secret treasure? What exactly is it? To make the Dark Hall mobilize so many people?"

"No one knows that. The Su Family is keeping their lips sealed. However, that mysterious Guest Elder is said to have already left. The Dark Hall is probably fuming now but doesn't dare to easily go back to the Su Family to cause trouble..."

Listening to these discussions, Ye Chen's expression remained calm. It seemed the Su Family was temporarily safe. Since the Dark Hall had lost people consecutively, they probably wouldn't rashly attack the Su Family again before figuring out his background. Instead, they would lock onto him as their primary target.

This was fine; he would shoulder the pressure himself.

Just as he was about to pay and leave, a commotion came from the restaurant entrance. Several young men and women, dressed in luxurious clothes and with arrogant Auras, walked in grandly, surrounded by a group of guards. The leader was a young man in brocade robes with a haughty expression. His eyes swept across the hall with undisguised contempt. His cultivation had surprisingly reached the Earth Fiend Realm Third Layer, which was quite impressive for his age.

"Shopkeeper! Get the best private room ready for my Young Master right now!" a tall, thin man acting as a lackey beside the brocade-robed youth shouted in a domineering tone.

The shopkeeper quickly approached with a forced smile. "Oh, it's Young Master Zhao! It's just... the 'Flowing Cloud Pavilion' has already been booked by guests from the Wang Family today. You see..."

"Wang Family?" The brocade-robed youth known as Young Master Zhao frowned and snorted coldly. "Which Wang Family? In this Luoxia City, there is no reason for my Zhao Family to give up something we've set our eyes on! Tell them to get lost!"

His voice was not soft, and all the diners in the hall heard him clearly, but no one dared to speak up. The Zhao Family of Luoxia City was a local tyrant with immense power. This Zhao Family scion, Zhao Qian, was notoriously profligate and arrogant, and with his high cultivation talent, no one dared to provoke him.

The shopkeeper broke into a cold sweat, unable to afford offending either side.

Just then, a cold female voice came from the stairs. "Zhao Qian, what a display of power! I booked the Flowing Cloud Pavilion first. Why should I give it to you?"

Everyone looked over to see a young woman in a pale purple dress with a clear and pretty Face, accompanied by two steady-looking elders. This young woman's cultivation was also not weak, already at the Earth Fiend Realm First Level Peak. There was a heroic air between her brows, indicating she was clearly from no ordinary Family.

"I was wondering who it was. So it's Sister Wang Xueyao of the Wang Family." Seeing the girl, a flash of lewdness appeared in Zhao Qian's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by arrogance. "This Flowing Cloud Pavilion, I must have it today to host a distinguished guest! If you're smart, give it up yourself to avoid damaging the harmony between our two families."

"Distinguished guest?" Wang Xueyao sneered. "Those fair-weather friends of yours? Zhao Qian, don't think your Zhao Family can do whatever it wants just because it's powerful! This Luoxia City isn't a place where your Zhao Family can cover the sky with one hand!"

"Whether we can cover the sky, you'll find out soon enough." Zhao Qian gave a fake smile. "I heard your Wang Family's ore vein in the west of the city has run into some trouble recently? Tsk tsk, you'd better be careful not to lose both the bait and the fish."

These words were a blatant threat. Wang Xueyao's pretty Face turned pale with anger, and the two elders behind her also showed rage, their Auras faintly rising. Both were experts at the Earth Fiend Realm Fourth Level.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.

The guards behind Zhao Qian also stepped forward, confronting the two Wang Family elders. Among them were also two Earth Fiend Realm Fourth Level experts. The strength of both sides seemed equal, but Zhao Qian's side had the advantage in numbers, and his own strength was greater than Wang Xueyao's.

Ye Chen sat by the window, pouring himself a cup of tea as if he had no interest in the conflict before him. He had seen too many of these struggles between noble scions. As long as they didn't provoke him, he didn't care to get involved.

However, the tree wants to be still, but the wind keeps blowing.

Zhao Qian seemed to feel that he couldn't easily gain an advantage over Wang Xueyao for the moment. He scanned the hall, looking for a soft target to assert his dominance, and his gaze finally fell on Ye Chen, who sat alone by the window with an 'unremarkable' Aura.

"Hey! You kid over there!" One of Zhao Qian's lackeys, the tall, thin man, understood his master's intention. He walked straight to Ye Chen's table, tapped on it with his knuckles, and said overbearingly, "Didn't you see my Young Master has business here? If you're smart, get lost now. Our Young Master is requisitioning this table!"

Ye Chen slowly put down his teacup, not even lifting his eyelids, and said calmly, "I was here first."

His voice was calm and steady, yet it carried an indisputable tone.

The tall, thin man froze, seemingly not expecting anyone in Luoxia City to dare refuse the Zhao Family's Face, especially such an ordinary-looking fellow. He immediately became incensed. "Heh! Giving you Face and you don't want it, huh? Do you know who our Young Master is? Zhao Family's Young Master Zhao Qian! Get lost now, or don't blame me for being rude!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Ye Chen's collar, intending to pick him up and throw him out.

Seeing this, Wang Xueyao frowned slightly. Although she disliked Zhao Qian, she didn't want to involve an innocent person and was about to speak.

Just then—

"Noisy."

Ye Chen still didn't look up, merely flicking his finger lightly.

"Thump!"

With a dull thud, the tall, thin man was hit as if by an invisible giant elephant. He was sent flying backward violently, slamming hard against the restaurant's solid wall. He let out a shrill scream, spat out blood, and slumped to the ground, having fainted instantly. His chest was clearly caved in!

The entire restaurant fell into an instant silence!

Everyone's eyes widened, looking at Ye Chen, who remained seated as still as a mountain, in disbelief.

Heavily injuring a Condensing Yuan Realm Peak guard with a flick of a finger?! No one even saw how he made his move!

The haughtiness on Zhao Qian's Face froze instantly, replaced by a trace of surprise and gravity. He could feel that in that moment just now, there was an extremely subtle yet heart-palpitating fluctuation of power that flashed by.

Wang Xueyao and the two elders behind her also had their pupils contract, their gazes toward Ye Chen filled with shock and wariness. This youth was definitely not simple!

"Who are you, Your Excellency? Why did you injure my guard?" Zhao Qian suppressed the shock in his heart and asked in a deep voice. His tone was no longer as arrogant as before, but it still carried the superiority of a noble scion.

Ye Chen finally looked up, glancing at Zhao Qian with a flat gaze. That look was like seeing a stone on the side of the road, without any emotional fluctuation.

"He asked for it," Ye Chen's voice remained flat. "Also, you are disturbing my tea."

Arrogant! Incredibly arrogant!

When had Zhao Qian ever been so dismissed? Especially in this Luoxia City! His Face instantly turned ashen, and the Aura of the Earth Fiend Realm Third Layer couldn't help but explode. Protective Aura surged around him, and his robes fluttered without any wind.

"Good, good, good! It seems Your Excellency is intent on crossing my Zhao Family!" Zhao Qian's eyes were sinister. "State your name! This Young Master does not slay nameless people!"

Ye Chen shook his head, too lazy to waste words with such a spoiled noble scion. He slowly stood up, preparing to leave.

"Want to leave? Stay right here!" Thinking Ye Chen was afraid, Zhao Qian shouted angrily. His figure lunged forward, and a palm print containing blazing fire Protective Aura, like a burning meteorite, slammed toward Ye Chen's back with a whistling sound! In this strike, he had used eighty percent of his strength, vowing to kill this arrogant person under his palm!

"Watch out!" Wang Xueyao couldn't help but cry out.

However, facing this palm strike that was enough to shatter stone, Ye Chen seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, casually waving his sleeve behind him.

There was no loud bang from the collision of Protective Aura, nor any brilliance from an energy explosion.

The moment Zhao Qian's aggressive fire palm print touched Ye Chen's sleeve, it was like a clay ox entering the sea, silently annihilating and dissipating! It was as if it had never appeared!

And a gentle yet irresistible, vast force traveled along the sleeve, lightly brushing against Zhao Qian's chest.

"Pfft—"

Zhao Qian was hit as if by a heavy blow. His forward-lunging figure flew back at an even faster speed, knocking over several tables and chairs before being caught by his guards. His Face was deathly pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes were filled with shock and fear. The Protective Aura in his body had become a chaotic mess under that one brush, and he couldn't muster any strength for the time being!

The entire place was silent; one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked at Ye Chen as if they were looking at a monster!

Zhao Qian of the Earth Fiend Realm Third Layer, with a full-strength strike, was actually brushed away by the other's sleeve, with no power to resist?!

What exactly was this young man's cultivation?!

Ye Chen acted as if he had done something insignificant. He straightened his unwrinkled sleeve and, without even looking at the deathly pale Zhao Qian, walked straight out of the restaurant.

As he passed by Wang Xueyao, his steps paused slightly. He glanced at her and said plainly, "Since you booked the Flowing Cloud Pavilion, go use it in peace. There are some people you don't need to fear."

Having said that, he didn't stay any longer, his figure disappearing at the restaurant entrance.

Wang Xueyao stared blankly in the direction he disappeared, her heart churning with waves. That phrase 'don't need to fear' seemed to carry a strange magic, making her heart, which had been anxious due to her Family's plight, feel inexplicably settled.

The two elders beside her looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

"This youth... is unfathomable!"

Meanwhile, Zhao Qian, supported by his guards, looked in the direction Ye Chen had left. His eyes were filled with resentment and lingering fear, but even more so, a deep wariness.

He knew that this time, he had truly kicked a steel plate.

Ye Chen left Drunken Immortal Residence and didn't stay long in Luoxia City. This little interlude was merely a small ripple on his way to Tianfeng City.

His goal was the Sword Discussion Assembly where Prodigies from all directions gathered, the broader stage, and... the final reckoning with the Dark Hall.

The green rainbow rose again, pointing straight at the Imperial Capital.