“Indeed, the Azure Dragon Sect’s physiques are renowned in Yang Province, yet now they are all skinny and scrawny. In close combat, how many could even withstand a hit?”
“If this continues, the Azure Dragon Sect might have to change its name in the future, drop the dragon character and just call it the Azure Sect.”
“Hahaha…”
The disciples of the Heavenly Saint Sect burst into laughter, showing no restraint towards the Azure Dragon Sect’s group.
As for the Heavenly Saint Sect’s elders, they all remained silent, allowing their young disciples to provoke the others.
Though the Heavenly Saint Sect, the Azure Dragon Sect, and even the Ji family shared broad common interests, in daily life they still engaged in open and covert rivalries. The younger generation competed fiercely for supremacy, with even more intense struggles.
As elders, they indulged or even enjoyed seeing such conflicts.
And among those present, only the Heavenly Saint Sect dared to laugh. The others also kept silent.
Lin Xiao in the crowd felt a surge of surprise. Geniuses from forces of the same level actually dared to provoke like this. The Heavenly Saint Sect was truly arrogant.
“Skinny?” From the Azure Dragon Sect’s group, the shortest and slimmest youth stepped forward first, cursing loudly: “This is called slim, do you understand slim? Does cultivating the body mean everyone has to be burly and rough?”
“Hahaha…” As soon as the short slim youth spoke, the Heavenly Saint Sect’s group laughed so hard they nearly doubled over.
The other Azure Dragon Sect disciples’ faces darkened. Not only had they been provoked, but one of their own had stepped up with such retorts, leaving them speechless. All the words they wanted to hurl were choked back in their throats.
With their own person saying this, how could they even respond?
The others almost burst into laughter too, but out of regard for the Azure Dragon Sect, they held it in.
At this moment, even Lin Xiao was momentarily stunned, inwardly sighing that the Azure Dragon Sect’s disciples were truly unconventional.
“You ignorant flock of simpletons, have you not heard of all brawn and no brains? I keep a good figure, what business is it of yours?” The shortest slim youth huffed and cursed.
The two eighth-level Martial Emperor elders of the Azure Dragon Sect could not help but facepalm.
The middle-aged members and other youths of the Azure Dragon Sect all had dark lines on their faces, especially the burly youths, whose expressions had turned ashen as pig liver.
Was this cursing the opponents, or cursing them?
“Hahaha…” The Heavenly Saint Sect’s members clutched their stomachs in laughter, nearly convulsing. This was an absolute intellectual crush, leaving them no need to say another word to provoke.
This was far beyond just satisfying; it would give them plenty to jest about with their fellow disciples for a long time, and enough material to mock in front of the Heavenly Saint Sect multiple times.
“Hmph, who is stronger or weaker will be known in due time!” From the Azure Dragon Sect disciples, one whose muscles were thicker than others’ thighs muttered coldly.
“You are celebrating too soon!” Another burly youth said lowly.
They could no longer banter with the opponents now; their face had been completely lost by that junior brother.
After the Heavenly Saint Sect had laughed for a good while, yet another group flew towards them.
This group numbered over thirty: about twenty youths, three elders, and around ten middle-aged men. Each had their aura restrained, flying with minimal disturbance, stirring up little wind.
Even upon nearing, they positioned themselves at the rear of the crowd, unlike the Heavenly Saint Sect and Azure Dragon Sect groups who had flown directly to the ancient city’s gate.
Everyone wore plain robes, and the entire team appeared extremely low-key.
“That is the Ji family, the Ji family has arrived too!”
Upon seeing that understated group, someone immediately exclaimed.
“I recognise that elder; it is Ji Lei, a ninth-level Martial Emperor elder of the Ji family!”
“The Ji family actually sent a ninth-level Martial Emperor into the Domain of Evil?”
“As expected of the overlord force. Though low-key in presence, their strength is anything but subdued.”
“I wonder which among these is the most outstanding youth? The geniuses the Ji family sent in should not be too weak, right?”
“I do not know; these people are too low-key. I have never seen them in action.”
…
Hearing the crowd’s discussions and looking towards the silent Ji family group at the back, Lin Xiao’s face could not help but show thick surprise.
Should not an overlord force be domineering and arrogant?
Why instead were they all so low-key?
Of course, just as the others said, low-key in manner but not in strength; that was what made them truly formidable.
Their leader was actually a ninth-level Martial Emperor.
This shocked Lin Xiao deeply.
It made everyone present immensely wary.
Without a monumental event, Martial Saints rarely emerged, and half-step Martial Saints seldom appeared. Ninth-level Martial Emperors were the pinnacle power in Yang Province.
This ninth-level Martial Emperor powerhouse could suppress all other experts.
“That one is Ji Chengqi, a Xuan-level genius of the Ji family, a sixth-level Martial Emperor realm talent with very powerful strength.” At this moment, Xi Yuchen beside Lin Xiao pointed at a youth in grey robes and whispered to him.
“Xuan-level genius?” Lin Xiao was puzzled and looked over, seeing that the youth was only about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. He could not help but be greatly shocked inwardly.
Twenty-three or twenty-four and already at sixth-level Martial Emperor; that was too monstrous.
“The Ji family mainly has four levels of geniuses: Yellow, Xuan, Earth, and Heaven.”
Xi Yuchen explained: “These geniuses are all under thirty. Those at high-level Martial Lord are designated Yellow, initial-level Martial Emperor as Xuan, mid-level as Earth, and high-level as Heaven.”
“High-level Martial Emperor?” Hearing this, Lin Xiao was greatly startled. “There are actually high-level Martial Emperor geniuses?”
“The Ji family’s resources are too vast; naturally they can cultivate high-level Martial Emperor geniuses.” Xi Yuchen said: “However, there are not too many.”
Lin Xiao was shocked. Reaching high-level Martial Emperor under thirty was simply unimaginable.
The overlord force was indeed terrifying.
Of course, Lin Xiao was also puzzled inwardly; others did not know Ji Chengqi, so how did Xi Yuchen know?
“I did not expect Elder Ji Lei to come too. I wonder, what does Elder Ji Lei think of this ancient city?”
From the Heavenly Saint Sect, an eighth-level Martial Emperor elder said to the Ji family’s leading elder, as a form of greeting.
However, the ninth-level Martial Emperor elder named Ji Lei responded indifferently: “I do not know.”
“…” The Heavenly Saint Sect elder choked on his words.
The crowd was all surprised; this Ji family group was very low-key, but their low-key manner seemed domineering.
No one else approached the Ji family to chat. The Ji family members did not speak among themselves either, merely inquiring from one person about the ancient city’s situation before falling silent again.
This scene made the others feel rather eerie.
The style of this group made it hard to associate them with the overlord force of the Ji family.
With the Ji family unmoving, the two sects also stayed put, and the others dared not act rashly.
They waited a full half-day more.
After half a day, the ancient city finally stirred.
The rust-covered bronze gate slowly creaked open, the sound of it echoing as an aura of desolation and antiquity wafted from the gate, stirring a chill wind that gave everyone an inexplicable sense of cold.
