Chapter 691 692: Hidden Killing Intent

Xiao Wuji's expression was slack, and the Grand Elder and the other elders were also stunned.

'Is this kid really that incredible?'

The Xiao family elders exchanged a look, a hint of astonishment on each of their faces.

As it turned out, there was indeed a natural Array at the valley's entrance. The Array was extremely well-hidden; the major families had only discovered the entrance to this mysterious place during their last training expedition when they stumbled upon it by chance.

But Ye Xuan had seen the natural Array in front of the valley with a single, casual glance right after arriving. How could they not be shocked?

The gray-robed elder narrowed his eyes and glanced at Ye Xuan, saying with admiration, "Master Xuan Ye, you are truly formidable. I heard from Wuji that your skill in Alchemy and Soul Refining is astonishing. I never imagined you would be so accomplished in Arrays as well. I wonder, Master, can you see how to break this Array?"

He was, in fact, testing Ye Xuan.

The major powers had all explored this mysterious place more than once, so they were naturally quite familiar with how to deal with this natural Array.

How could Ye Xuan not understand his intention? He smiled and said, "Natural Arrays come in all sizes. The one before us is clearly integrated with the surrounding world, making it a grand Array. Therefore, breaking it is fundamentally impossible. That would be tantamount to confronting the infinite power of nature itself."

"However... while this Array cannot be destroyed, it does have a few weak points. One simply needs to follow the path along these weak points to enter the mysterious place."

At these words, the gray-robed elder was inwardly astounded.

Although Ye Xuan hadn't stated the exact method, his description was identical to the solution the Xiao family employed.

One must understand that the Xiao family had paid a hefty price for their method, hiring several Array Masters who spent days of hard work to find it.

Yet Ye Xuan was able to deduce so much information the moment he arrived. It was safe to say he had already surpassed every Array Master the gray-robed elder had ever seen.

The group stood on the desolate ground. An elder asked in confusion, "Patriarch, weren't the other major families supposed to gather here? Why can't I see a single soul?"

Xiao Wuji frowned, feeling a bit confused himself. Just as he was about to speak, Ye Xuan suddenly looked toward a nearby hill and said calmly, "Who said there's no one? Isn't there a group of people right over there?"

"Where?"

Startled, Xiao Wuji and the others immediately looked toward the hill Ye Xuan had indicated.

The gray-robed elder, Xiao Canglan, was the first to frown. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Since you've been here all this time, why hide?"

BOOM!

As his voice fell, the hill exploded, and several powerful experts in cyan robes emerged. Each of them possessed a profound aura, but their faces were etched with disbelief.

When Xiao Wuji got a clear look at them, he snorted. "So, it's the Long family from Liuxian City. What, is hiding in a dirt pile fun?"

Liuxian City, unlike Celestial Capital Prefecture, was dominated by two great families at the top of its hierarchy, with no other powers below them capable of contending for supremacy. The Long family was one of these two.

The Long family's Clan Leader, Long Yuan, laughed heartily. "Patriarch Xiao, you jest. We were merely waiting here to welcome you."

"Welcoming us from inside a dirt pile? You certainly are creative," Grand Elder Xiao Canglan scoffed.

Long Yuan paid him no mind. His gaze fell on Ye Xuan, and he was inwardly shocked. 'This boy is so young, yet he's already a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King. Could he be a new genius from the Xiao family? Our intelligence has no record of him.'

'And this expedition to the mysterious place is fraught with danger. Why would the Xiao family bring a genius like him along? Aren't they just sending him to his death?'

What puzzled Long Yuan even more was that Ye Xuan had been the first to spot them. He couldn't help but give him a few extra glances before smiling and asking, "Patriarch Xiao, who is this young man? He looks unfamiliar. Is he perhaps a new genius from your Xiao family?"

Xiao Wuji said coolly, "Who this person is, is of no concern to Patriarch Long Yuan."

Long Yuan chuckled. "Patriarch Xiao, no need to be so defensive. I'm merely curious how he knew we were inside that hill."

The Long family's earth-hiding technique was extremely powerful; even Xiao Wuji and his group couldn't have sensed them without a careful search. Yet Ye Xuan, a mere Tier Seven Martial King, had spotted them at a glance. How could they not be suspicious?

Ye Xuan said calmly, "With so many of you gathered together, the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi in that area became a little distorted. I happen to be quite observant, so I naturally noticed it."

"Oh?"

Long Yuan hadn't expected such an answer from Ye Xuan. But upon reflection, having so many people gathered together would indeed have caused a slight change in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Profound Qi. The change, however, would have been extremely subtle. 'That kid could detect even that?'

Although Long Yuan was still a bit suspicious, he couldn't think of any other way a Tier Seven Martial King like Ye Xuan could have detected them, so he accepted the explanation.

Xiao Wuji snorted. "Patriarch Long, enough with the questions. Didn't we all agree to meet here? Where is everyone else?"

Long Yuan chuckled. "Most of the others had already arrived; we were just waiting on the Xiao family. They grew tired of waiting out here, so they've all gone inside. Let's head in as well."

After speaking, Long Yuan raised his hand and cast a talisman. It flew swiftly into the empty space before the valley, freezing in place and bursting with a brilliant light.

The air around the talisman, once calm, began to ripple like a disturbed lake. Amidst the spreading ripples, a black vortex appeared, as if a door had opened in the fabric of space.

'A Space-Stabilizing Talisman!'

Ye Xuan's eyes narrowed. 'There are many ways to open this natural Array, but a Space-Stabilizing Talisman is definitely one of the more advanced methods. It seems the Long family has quite a few treasures.'

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Without hesitation, the group filed into the black vortex one after another.

A wave of vertigo washed over Ye Xuan. By the time he regained his senses, he found himself standing on a vast, barren plain.

He looked up at the gloomy sky. The ground was covered in ink-black gravel, lending the landscape an air of profound stillness.

A large crowd had already gathered where they emerged. A quick scan revealed dozens, if not hundreds, of people. With the exception of Ye Xuan, every single one of them was a Tier Eight Martial Emperor.

Ye Xuan recognized a small fraction of them, but the vast majority were complete strangers.

"Everyone, you're certainly early."

Xiao Wuji hadn't expected to be the last to arrive, especially since there were still two days until the agreed-upon time. He immediately went forward to greet the others.

"Young Master Ye, what are you doing here?"

Two gasps of surprise suddenly cut through the crowd.

Ye Xuan turned to see Elder Lin Bo of the Lin family and Elder Xu Zhen of the Xu family among the crowd. They were gathered in small groups, keeping some distance from one another but generally staying in the same area.

Not far from them, Clan Leader Yu Chi Bugong's cold gaze also fell upon him. He was momentarily stunned to see Ye Xuan, but his lips quickly curled into a chilling smile as killing intent flashed in his eyes. 'I can't believe the Xiao family brought this brat along,' he thought. 'It must have been him who exposed what happened with Xiao Ping. Hmph. If he'd stayed in Celestial Capital Prefecture, there's nothing I could have done. But since he dared to venture out... he can just wait for death.'

His eyes shifted slightly as his mind began concocting ways to kill Ye Xuan.

Yu Chi Bugong's killing intent was well-hidden, but Ye Xuan still caught it. He smiled faintly, paying it no mind, and instead turned to Lin Bo and Xu Zhen. "At Patriarch Xiao's invitation," he said with a light smile, "I heard there was a treasure trove here, so I came to see for myself."

Looks of pleasant surprise appeared on their faces. "Master Xuan Ye, we'll be counting on your guidance later."

They were well aware of Ye Xuan's accomplishments. Although his cultivation was the lowest among everyone present, his knowledge and actual strength were anything but.

"Enough. If you want to reminisce, do it later. Is a mere Tier Seven Martial King really worth all this fuss? Do the factions of Celestial Capital Prefecture have so little to show for themselves?" Cave Master Qiu of Lingkong Cave said, displeased. "We've been waiting for quite some time. Now that everyone's here, I think it's time we began the exploration."

Yu Chi Bugong sneered. "Cave Master Qiu, you're mistaken. This person is no mere Tier Seven Martial King. He is the Pavilion Master of the Profound Light Pavilion, a new power in our Celestial Capital Prefecture. His cultivation is terrifying. Not only is he a Seventh Grade Alchemist, but he is also a Seventh Grade Soul Refiner. His background is nothing to scoff at."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Cave Master Qiu of Lingkong Cave was slightly taken aback. He squinted at Ye Xuan, his cold, sinister gaze making Ye Xuan feel a little displeased.

It wasn't just him. The experts from Liuxian City and the Langxie Sect, who had also been curious, stared at Ye Xuan in surprise. A Seventh Grade Alchemist this young was a rare sight in the Eastern Domain. Even more shocking was that he was also a Seventh Grade Soul Refiner. 'When did it become so easy to advance as a Soul Refiner?'

"Patriarch Yu Chi Bugong, you're not exaggerating, are you? A Seventh Grade Soul Refiner this young would be a rare find even in the Divine Capital."

A middle-aged man from the Helian family of Liuxian City said in surprise.

Yu Chi Bugong laughed mockingly. "Heh heh, I'm not spouting nonsense. You all might not be aware, but not long ago, Vice Tower Master Rongyang of our Celestial Capital Prefecture's Soul Master Tower had a Soul Refining contest with Master Xuan Ye. He was defeated on the spot and subsequently killed by Master Xuan Ye with a single palm strike. Tsk, tsk. His might was witnessed by all the experts in Celestial Capital Prefecture."

"What?"

Everyone was stunned, their faces filled with disbelief. Although they weren't from Celestial Capital Prefecture, they had all heard of Rongyang. 'He lost to this kid? And was even killed by him with a single palm strike?'

No matter how they looked at it, the story seemed unbelievable.

Ye Xuan's face remained impassive, but his heart was filled with cold fury toward Yu Chi Bugong. 'This bastard. He's trying to paint a target on my back. Now everyone's attention will be focused on me.'