“I am Yao Yan, an elder of the Yao Family.”
Ye Chen froze, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. The Yao Family? His father had told him his mother hailed from the Yao Family, a dominant power in the Southern Barrens!
The Grey-Robed Elder’s face twisted into a bitter expression. “Little fellow, there’s something I must tell you. Your cultivation stagnation all these years, it’s… partially my fault.”
Ye Chen’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
The Grey-Robed Elder explained, “Seven years ago, I began absorbing the spiritual energy from your body. That’s why your cultivation has never advanced.”
“What?!” Ye Chen exploded, leaping to his feet like a madman, his face contorted in a savage snarl as he glared at the Grey-Robed Elder. So, it was this Grey-Robed Elder who was the cause of all his suffering!
For seven long years, the anger and resentment had festered in his heart. Now, it erupted in a torrent. Ye Chen glowered at the elder, his voice dripping with venom. “I curse your ancestors!”
The Grey-Robed Elder’s face twitched. He quickly interjected, “Listen, let me explain, I haven’t finished yet…”
Lu Xuan’s lips curled into a faint smile. He watched the unfolding scene with quiet amusement. Ah, the classic ‘protagonist template’ dramatic reveal. Such exquisite anger. This is going to be good.
Ye Chen’s hair whipped around him, his eyes blazing scarlet. He pointed a trembling finger at the Grey-Robed Elder, his voice rising to a furious roar. “Seven years! Do you have any idea what those seven years were like for me? Do you know what I endured? What my father had to suffer because of me? All because of you, the Grand Elder’s son challenged me for the Young Master position! All because of you, Nangong Baixue is annulling our engagement!” Spittle flew from his mouth as he unleashed his pent-up fury.
After a moment of charged silence, the Grey-Robed Elder’s expression flickered between shades of regret and determination. He slowly said, “Ye Chen, I know you’re furious, but you must hear me out.”
Ye Chen merely stared, his gaze chillingly cold.
The Grey-Robed Elder sighed and began to recount his tale.
“Ye Chen, sixteen years ago, your mother gave birth to you. However, because of you, according to the Yao Family’s rules, your mother faced punishment. And you… you were considered an anomaly, targeted by other branches of the family. To ensure your survival, your mother instructed me to take you, conceal our identities, and seek out your father. But our movements were exposed, and we were ambushed. Our enemies laid an ancient Emperor-tier formation at a crucial pass, and we were teleported into the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone. There, you were tainted by a trace of Eerie Power.”
“To save you, I burned my physical body, I burned my divine soul. Only then could I carry you out of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone. I used every last shred of my remaining strength to suppress the Eerie Power within your body.”
“By the time I reached the Qingcheng Ye Family, my life force was spent. After I entrusted you to your father, I was on the verge of fading into oblivion. But then, a power erupted from your mother’s jade pendant, drawing me inside.”
At these words, Ye Chen was utterly stunned. So, this Yao Yan was the Grey-Robed man his father had spoken of! The one who had saved him!
Just then, Yao Yan raised a hand, and a divine light surged forth. A fragmented image slowly began to unfold…
Within the terrifying Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, enigmatic Dao patterns twisted, continuously morphing into unsettling shapes and symbols. The place was a desolate wasteland, utterly barren, exuding an aura that made one’s skin crawl. Jagged peaks lay shattered, rivers ran dry, and bizarre terrains dotted the landscape, condensing a kind of heaven-overturning ‘momentum.’ Here, the skeletons of Profound Saints drifted with the wind, aged Saint Kings clung to a desperate existence, and the withered faces of Quasi-Emperors could vaguely be seen, with vast, desolate tombs stretching out behind them.
A Grey-Robed Elder, cradling an infant, navigated this terrifying ‘momentum.’ The Grey-Robed Elder was a Three-star Quasi-Emperor. Yet, even a powerhouse like him, when trapped in the ‘momentum’ of this Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, moved as if mired in a swamp, swaying precariously, as if he might collapse at any moment. Beside him were several other Quasi-Emperors and Half-Emperors.
The Grey-Robed Elder gritted his teeth. “I must bring Ye Chen out! He is his mother’s deepest desire!”
Upon hearing this, the others exchanged resolute glances, then turned to the infant in the Grey-Robed Elder’s arms. “We will burn our physical bodies!” they declared. With that, they immediately immolated themselves! A ritual of sacrifice! The sacrificial power formed a shield of Emperor-tier might, protecting the Grey-Robed Elder and the infant. Not long after, their lifespans and divine souls burned away. They ultimately vanished, turning to dust, perishing in the desolate ‘momentum.’
Witnessing this, the Grey-Robed Elder’s face turned ashen. He then directly burned his own physical body! Whoosh! A Quasi-Emperor’s body ignited, transforming into a monstrous surge of power that swept outwards. Yet, within the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, where convoluted and obscure ‘Dao’ and ‘momentum’ intertwined, the power from a burning Quasi-Emperor’s body was utterly insignificant. Before long, the Grey-Robed Elder began to burn his lifespan, and then his divine soul! Suddenly, a wisp of black mist drifted by. The Grey-Robed Elder immediately hugged the infant tighter, but a sliver of the black mist still leaked through, seeping into Ye Chen’s body.
…The image blurred and vanished there.
Ye Chen stood rooted to the spot, a storm raging in his mind. Emperors! This is what it means to be an Emperor? So terrifying! And that legendary Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, and that heaven-defying Grey-Robed Great Emperor! All of it… too shocking! But now, his Master had absorbed the Eerie Power from his body, and he could cultivate again. A flame of resolve ignited in his heart. Cultivation! Without reaching the Emperor Realm, one is nothing more than an ant! I, Ye Chen, can rise again! Suddenly, Ye Chen realized that his Master had casually produced an Emperor Weapon that could suppress the Eerie Power. Didn’t that mean his Master was as powerful as the Grey-Robed Great Emperor in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone? Or perhaps, even stronger?
At this thought, Ye Chen stared at Lu Xuan, utterly stunned. Lu Xuan offered a faint smile. He seemed to detect a hint of… reverence in Ye Chen’s eyes. Hmm? What’s this kid thinking now? Just then, Ye Chen examined Lu Xuan’s body closely. No, it wasn’t right. Compared to that Grey-Robed Great Emperor, his Master’s aura was extraordinary, imbued with a profound mystique, as if a celestial being had descended, untainted by the slightest trace of defilement. There was no sign of Eerie or Ominous Power! The realization sent another tidal wave crashing through Ye Chen’s mind. He could now definitively say it: his Master was even more powerful than that Grey-Robed Great Emperor!
“Master…” Ye Chen’s voice trembled. He gazed at Lu Xuan, his heart overflowing with worship, prostrating himself in gratitude.
Lu Xuan chuckled, walking over to Ye Chen and gently patting his shoulder. Ye Chen’s body trembled. Lu Xuan smiled. “Ye Chen, you should really thank Senior Yao Yan. He was the one who brought you out of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, and all these years, he was the one who helped you contend with the Eerie Power within your body.”
Ye Chen offered an embarrassed smile.