Chapter 717 - 718: Meeting an Acquaintance Again

"I’ll do it."

"Let me."

As soon as the words were spoken, several Martial Emperors rushed out, radiating killing intent and surrounding Ye Xuan.

Without a word, two of them summoned their Profound Soldiers and slashed down at Ye Xuan. The terrifying pressure formed a storm, completely engulfing him.

In their eyes, Ye Xuan was just a Tier Seven Martial King. It would only take a moment to kill him.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Xuan’s eyes as Profound Energy circulated within him.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, reaching the ears of the attacking Martial Emperors. It was followed by a terrifying blast of energy that, with a BOOM, intercepted the two attackers. The sheer force sent them staggering backward, their faces pale.

Then, a figure landed swiftly in front of Ye Xuan, their face filled with excitement.

"Xu Zhen, what are you doing?" the two Martial Emperors demanded coldly, suppressing their anger.

"Young Master Ye, it really is you! Are you all right, Young Master Ye?"

Xu Zhen completely ignored the two of them. Instead, he looked at Ye Xuan, his eyes filled with excitement.

Xu Zhen’s words stunned everyone present. ’Does the Xu family know this young man?’ What shocked them even more was Xu Zhen’s attitude toward Ye Xuan. His tone carried a hint of reverence.

’What is going on? Could that young man be a genius from some top-tier power?’

All sorts of thoughts raced through the minds of the many Martial Artists present.

"Brother Guanglin, what’s going on?" the other two Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperors asked in low, solemn voices.

Xu Zhen was only a Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor, insignificant in their eyes.

But Xu Zhen was not alone. There were four experts from the Xu family present, all of them Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperors. The strongest among them, Xu Guanglin, was one of the three Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperors on site. With such strength, they were undoubtedly one of the most powerful factions here.

Xu Guanglin smiled faintly, a peculiar light in his eyes. He walked up to Ye Xuan and said with a grin, "I never thought the first one I’d run into here would be Young Master Ye. It must be fate."

After saying this, he turned and clasped his hands toward the other two. "Jiang Chonghuang, Diao Minghuang, it was just a misunderstanding. Young Master Ye is a most honored guest of my Xu family—one of our own. I believe he is more than qualified to join us."

Of everyone present, only Ye Xuan understood what Xu Guanglin meant by "the first one I’d run into." He was referring to the fact that, out of everyone who had entered this mysterious land, Ye Xuan was the first person they had encountered.

At that moment, Xu Zheng and Xu Ping also came forward and bowed respectfully to Ye Xuan.

Jiang Chonghuang and Diao Minghuang, the two Third Layer Martial Emperors, watched this scene with a flicker of doubt in their eyes. They couldn’t help but feel suspicious about Ye Xuan’s identity.

However, the two were sharp. They immediately smiled and said, "Since he’s an acquaintance of Brother Guanglin, then he is naturally qualified to join us."

In truth, even without a powerhouse like Xu Guanglin—one of the three great Third Layer Martial Emperors—speaking up for him, Ye Xuan would have been allowed to stay if even a single Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor had vouched for him.

Although the rule they established was that only Eighth-Level Martial Emperors could join, this applied to those who came alone. Besides Ye Xuan, there were two other Tier Seven Martial Kings present, presumably brought along by other Martial Emperors.

And with that, the conflict dissipated.

"Alright, since the misunderstanding is cleared up, let’s all continue with the plan and attack the Restriction outside the ruins."

The Third Layer Martial Emperor known as Jiang Chonghuang announced loudly. He then shot a look at the First Layer Martial Emperor who had clashed with Ye Xuan earlier, beckoning him over.

"What exactly happened just now?" he asked coldly. "You’re a First Layer Martial Emperor. Don’t tell me you can’t even defeat a Tier Seven Martial King?"

Jiang Chonghuang’s gaze was frigid, his tone sharp.

He hadn’t paid Ye Xuan any mind before, but Xu Guanglin’s attitude had put him on guard. He suspected Ye Xuan might be a core genius from a top-tier power.

He had been busy trying to break the Restriction earlier and hadn’t seen the exchange between Ye Xuan and the First Layer Martial Emperor. Now, he wanted to uncover Ye Xuan’s origins by learning about his previous attack.

The First Layer Martial Emperor had been humiliated by Ye Xuan for nothing and was feeling utterly dejected. But in front of Jiang Chonghuang, he didn’t dare lie. Trembling, he recounted what had happened.

"Are you saying he didn’t even attack? That his Spirit Pet sent you flying with a single swipe of its claw?"

A look of doubt crossed Jiang Chonghuang’s face. He immediately looked at Erhei, whom Ye Xuan was riding. He hadn’t paid it much attention before, but now that he did, he was startled. A look of sheer horror appeared on his face.

With his experience, how could he fail to see that Erhei, Ye Xuan’s subordinate, was a native Demon Beast of this mysterious land?

’How is this possible?’ He was utterly shocked. ’If his Spirit Pet is a native Demon Beast from this mysterious land, it means that kid must have only recently subjugated it.’

’But if this Demon Beast could send my subordinate flying with one claw, it must have reached the level of a Tier Eight Demon Emperor. Yet that boy is clearly just a Tier Seven Martial King. How could he possibly subjugate a Demon Emperor-level Demon Beast?’

This completely defied the principles of beast taming.

He wasn’t the only one; the other Martial Emperors weren’t fools either. They all noticed this, and their hearts pounded in shock.

’What are this young man’s origins? Could he be a Core Disciple from a major beast-taming sect in the Profound Domain? But even the Core Disciples of those great sects probably couldn’t subjugate a Tier Eight Demon Emperor while they were still a Tier Seven Martial King.’

Of course, Ye Xuan had no idea what these people were thinking. He was busy talking with Xu Zhen and the others.

It turned out that when Xu Zhen and his group first entered this mysterious land and discovered so many other Martial Artists, they had been startled as well.

However, they quickly adapted, pretending to be Profound Domain Martial Artists who had entered through the Celestial Yin Valley, and did not reveal their true origins.

Xu Zhen and his people were not idiots. If the people of the Profound Domain found out they had entered this mysterious land from the Eastern Domain, their Celestial Capital Prefecture would know no peace. It would surely attract the covetous eyes of countless powerful experts.

As for how they were able to find each other, it was because every disciple of the Xu family carried a communication device, which allowed them to gradually regroup.

Even so, their Xu family team, which originally had six people, was now down to four. The other two had not responded.

Xu Guanglin and the others were well aware that the other two elders were very likely dead.

While Ye Xuan was questioning them, Xu Zhen and the others were also sizing him up.

When they saw that Ye Xuan, a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King, had not only avoided death but had even subjugated a local Demon Beast, Xu Zhen and the others couldn’t help but feel emotional. ’Young Master Ye is truly something else. Even with a low cultivation level, he managed to survive in this dangerous place with his various tricks.’

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

At this moment, a series of deafening roars echoed. The many Martial Emperors present, under the command of an old man, were continuously attacking the Restriction ahead. Apart from Xu Guanglin, the other three elders, including Xu Zhen, were also participating.

Ye Xuan frowned and asked, "What’s this?"

Xu Guanglin immediately smiled and explained, "Young Master Ye, we discovered these ruins here. We believe they hide some kind of treasure, so we’re trying to open them up and excavate it. However, there’s an incredibly powerful Restriction outside the ruins. That’s why so many of us have temporarily teamed up. Under the guidance of Master Mu Jin, we plan to break the Restriction together. We’ve also established some rules: if there are any treasures inside, they will be distributed based on each person’s contribution."

Ye Xuan glanced at the old man directing the assault on the Restriction. He held a Compass in his hand and paced around from time to time, seemingly surveying something.

This man’s cultivation was at the Tier Eight Second Layer, but the Profound Sense he emitted was incredibly dense, no weaker than that of an ordinary Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor. He was clearly an Array Master.

"Young Master Ye, your knowledge is extraordinary. I wonder, would you be able to undo this Restriction?" Xu Guanglin suddenly asked, his eyes gleaming.

"Let me see." Ye Xuan had only observed from a distance before. Now he finally had a chance to scan the Restriction up close. As his Profound Sense penetrated it, he immediately sensed its complexity. It was a type of Restriction he had never seen before.

Moreover, the methods used to set up the Restriction were vastly different from the ordinary Restrictions on the Celestial Profound Continent.

"Master Mu Jin is an Eighth-Level Array Master from the Profound Domain. Although he only recently reached the Eighth-Level, he is quite famous in the lower Third Heaven of the Profound Domain. However, he said earlier that the Restriction outside these ruins is very different from those on the Celestial Profound Continent. It can’t be undone using normal methods. The only way is to attack its weak points and shatter it by force. We are following Master Mu Jin’s guidance to find these weak points and attack them continuously," Xu Guanglin explained when he saw Ye Xuan observing the Restriction.

Ye Xuan nodded. The Restriction was indeed vastly different from those on the Celestial Profound Continent, but attacking its weak points wasn’t the only way to open it.

"Hmph, do you think you own this place? You dare talk to this venerable master about rules? It’s not for a mere First Layer Martial Emperor like you to tell me where I can and cannot go."

Just as Ye Xuan was about to speak, an arrogant, cold shout suddenly rang out. It was immediately followed by a THUD. The same First Layer Martial Emperor who had tried to stop Ye Xuan before was once again slammed heavily to the ground.

This time, his injuries were clearly more severe. His bones were shattered, and he coughed up mouthfuls of blood, his face a mask of horror and terror.

Hearing that arrogant voice, Ye Xuan shuddered. The voice was all too familiar. He whipped around and saw a young man in a black cloak standing proudly in the sky, a malevolent smile on his lips. Who else could it be but Zhan Shang, the one who had possessed the body of Infinite Mountain’s genius, Qi Cheng, back in Ancient Yang City?

The moment Ye Xuan saw Zhan Shang, Zhan Shang saw him too. "It’s you?" he said coldly, his body radiating intense killing intent.

Ye Xuan’s heart sank.