Qi Tian was about to engage Chen Tianming when a thunderous roar suddenly rang out. He looked up sharply.
“Boom!”
A figure shot down from the sky like a cannonball and stomped the ground with one foot, shattering it.
“Crack, crack, crack…”
In an instant, the earth split open. More than a dozen long fissures snaked outwards like deep ravines.
There was no doubt: this was a master.
Ye Qiu raised his eyes and saw a man bathed in dazzling golden light, as if he were a statue cast entirely from gold. Even his flowing hair was golden, shimmering with divine radiance.
“Chen Tianming, your life belongs to me.”
The golden figure stared at Chen Tianming, his voice overbearing, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
“Little brat, I can sense the aura of the Heaven and Earth Tyrant Fist on him. This fellow must be from the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground,” the Long-Browed True Person transmitted.
Ye Qiu replied, “If I am not mistaken, he is very likely the Holy Son of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground. Otherwise he would not dare challenge Chen Tianming so boldly.”
As expected.
When Chen Tianming heard the man’s words, he sneered scornfully. “So it is you. The second Holy Son of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground.”
“Wang Cong, I am not boasting, but even if you cultivated for another thousand years you would still be no match for me.”
“You had better go back and fetch your elder brother. That way I can finish both of you off together.”
Wang Cong came from the Wang family of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground.
The Wang family’s status within the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground was comparable to the Chen family’s position in the Qingyun Sword Sect. Moreover, the Wang family was known as the Holy Son family.
Ever since the founding of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground, every head of the Wang family had served as Holy Son.
In Wang Cong’s generation, the family had produced twin Holy Sons.
Wang Cong was the second Holy Son of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground, an unparalleled heaven-defying genius of the younger generation. Yet his elder brother, Wang Chong, was even stronger and currently the first Holy Son, at the Half-Saint realm.
This time, with the opening of the Dragon Burial Lair, Wang Chong should have come, but he was in seclusion, so Wang Cong had taken his place.
Wang Cong’s grandfather was a Great Saint, his father a Saint, and his elder brother a Half-Saint. Because of this, the Sacred Lord of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground had once written a couplet for the Wang family.
“Twin Holy Sons in one family, three Saints across grandfather and grandchildren!”
This couplet was widely known throughout the Eastern Wasteland; everyone had heard of it.
Wang Cong glared at Chen Tianming with hatred, then turned to Qi Tian and bowed politely. “Brother Qi, I know you wish to kill Chen Tianming, but Chen Tianming and our Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground have an irreconcilable enmity. I beg you not to contend with me for him.”
With that, Wang Cong straightened his robes and bowed deeply at ninety degrees to Qi Tian.
“Brother Wang, what is this?” Qi Tian asked, bewildered.
He was not familiar with Wang Cong. In fact, before arriving at the Dragon Burial Lair, he had never even met him.
In recent years Qi Tian had devoted himself entirely to cultivation and rarely left the mountain. He paid little attention to people or events in the outside world. If the Third Elder had not introduced the geniuses of the various major powers outside the Dragon Burial Lair, Qi Tian would not have recognised Wang Cong at all.
He could not understand why Wang Cong was showing him such great courtesy.
“Brother Qi, this time we owe a great debt to your Yin-Yang Sect for your assistance. Otherwise, alas…”
Wang Cong’s face filled with sorrow. He sighed heavily and continued, “In any case, I will remember the profound kindness and virtue of your Yin-Yang Sect.”
“When matters here are concluded, I will report to the Sacred Lord upon my return.” “After that, I will personally visit to express my gratitude.”
Qi Tian grew even more confused and asked, “Brother Wang…”
“Brother Qi, enough words. I must now kill Chen Tianming. Please step aside.” Murderous aura surged from Wang Cong.
Qi Tian saw that Wang Cong was at the peak of the Transcendent realm and warned him, “Be careful. Chen Tianming is no easy opponent.”
Wang Cong gnashed his teeth. “Even if it costs me my life today, I will take him down.”
Seeing Wang Cong’s determination, Qi Tian finally said to Chen Tianming, “Chen Tianming, since Brother Wang wishes to kill you, I will not compete with him.”
With that, Qi Tian returned to Ye Qiu’s side. He watched Wang Cong, his brows slightly furrowed.
“Senior Brother, there is something I forgot to tell you,” Ye Qiu transmitted to Qi Tian. “After entering the Dragon Burial Lair, I encountered people from the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground and the Qingyun Sword Sect.”
“They were locked in fierce battle at the time.”
“The Qingyun Sword Sect members struck with extreme ruthlessness and killed more than ten disciples of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground. The corpses of those disciples were horrific; not a single one was whole.”
“The leader of the Qingyun Sword Sect group was Chen Tianming’s cousin, named Chen Fan.”
“Chen Fan even declared that he would use the internal organs of those dead disciples from the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground to cook hotpot.”
“When I heard those words, I was furious. So I hid in the shadows, waited for the right moment, and successfully killed Chen Fan, saving one disciple of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground.”
Hearing this, Qi Tian finally understood why Wang Cong had shown him such profound respect and gratitude earlier.
“Senior Brother, by acting like this, I hope I have not caused any trouble for our Yin-Yang Sect?” Ye Qiu pretended to look anxious and uneasy.
Qi Tian’s furrowed brows relaxed. He smiled and said, “Junior Brother, far from causing trouble, you have rendered a great service.”
“Our Yin-Yang Sect and the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground are allies. By rescuing their disciples, you helped our allies and preserved the friendship between our two sects.”
“You did absolutely the right thing.”
“Rest assured. When we return, I will report the matter to Master and request merit for you.”
Ye Qiu put on an expression of overwhelmed flattery and said, “Senior Brother, you must not. That would be too much.”
“My reason for helping the people of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Ground was not only that they are our allies, but also because of Master’s teachings.”
“Master often tells me that one must clearly distinguish good from evil and harbour a sense of justice in one’s heart.”
“It is precisely because I have always kept Master’s teachings in mind that I acted to save them. Without Master’s guidance, I am afraid I would not even have had the courage to intervene.”
“If there truly is merit, then all of it belongs to Master.”
Qi Tian thought to himself, “Clearly distinguish good from evil? Harbour a sense of justice? Why has Master never said such things to me?”
Yet he did not dwell on it.
Qi Tian felt that Ye Qiu would never lie to him. Moreover, after hearing these words, his fondness for Ye Qiu soared once more.
“No wonder Master accepted a disciple from the mortal world. Although Long Pusa’s cultivation is not high, his character is impeccable.”
“He keeps Master’s teachings in his heart at all times and remembers Master’s kindness. He is clearly a person who repays gratitude.”
“The first time we met, he used his own body to shield me from a sword qi, disregarding his own safety. Such deep loyalty and righteousness make even me feel ashamed.”
“For Master to have such a disciple is a blessing cultivated over thousands of years.”
“For me to have such a junior brother is a gift bestowed by the heavens.”
“With a junior brother like this, I have no regrets in this life!”
