As Ye Chen shouted, he and Feng Wanli rushed through that terrifying storm to Shi Fengchun's side.

Feng Wanli, though not weak in the Saint Realm, struggled just to pass through the storm of dissipating forces from the duel.

If it were only Ye Chen alone, he wouldn't even think about it; approaching would mean death.

"Teacher!"

Feng Wanli, looking at Shi Fengchun filled with auras of death, had urgency and deep concern in his eyes.

Ye Chen's heart sank; it seemed Brother Chun had really overplayed this time.

However, Ye Chen couldn't care about much else right now. He immediately looked at the middle-aged man with a heavy sword and shouted, "There is no life-or-death feud between us. How about we stop here?"

The middle-aged man snorted coldly and said, "You don't have the strength to fight me; you have no right to say such things!"

"Since you don't want to talk nicely, let's lay it out. I went to the place where you hid the stone and casually brought that piece out."

"With your level of strength, are you claiming to have intruded into the grand array I set up? You're dreaming!"

Ye Chen smiled faintly and waved his hand. His power transformed into the formation diagram of a grand array, with several positions glaringly bright.

The middle-aged man's face changed dramatically.

This was precisely the grand array he had set up! 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Though incomplete, those few flaws were indeed the places he couldn't refine in his rush to chase Feng Wanli.

Ye Chen asked, "Now, do you believe?"

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and said, "Brat, you'd better hand it over, or with a thought, I can kill you countless times!"

Ye Chen sneered, "If I dared to come back, I'm not afraid of you killing me. Go ahead and try; if you kill me, you'll never know where the thing is!"

With that, Ye Chen glanced at Shi Fengchun and said, "Brother Chun, if he tries anything with me later, don't hold back. Destroy my soul directly; that way, he won't be able to soul search!"

The middle-aged man looked sullen, his cold gaze flitting between Ye Chen and Feng Wanli.

Ye Chen said, "Don't even think about it. I'm the one who hid the thing; Brother Feng doesn't know where it is."

The middle-aged man's voice was deeply suppressed, "Brat, confess honestly, or there will be no good end for you."

Ye Chen remained unafraid, who was he trying to scare?

"Put away that look like you can crush me anytime and speak nicely. I'm not begging you to let us go; I'm just proposing a deal!

You make an oath to let today's events go.

We also make an oath to tell you the location of the hidden stone, and we won't target the stone again, nor disclose the information.

Once done, we go about our business and stay out of each other's way!"

The middle-aged man's gaze flickered, saying nothing, the killing intent around him lingering in the void.

"Still undecided?" Ye Chen sneered, "That broken stone isn't yours, right? If I'm not mistaken, aren't you just a lookout, a minion for someone else's use.

If you don't find that broken stone, you'll likely be in big trouble once the true owner comes back!"

The middle-aged man's facial muscles twitched, the veins on his neck bulging.

He was an Emperor Realm powerhouse!

A single slap, and not to mention a small fry at the Unity Realm, even a few from the Saint Realm would die!

Yet now, he was caught in a deadlock by a Unity Realm brat.

"Deal!" The middle-aged man had no other choice, gritted his teeth, and made an oath.

Ye Chen beamed with joy, followed with an oath, and then revealed the location of the hidden stone to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man, anxious and impatient, left immediately.

"Brother Feng, let's go!" Ye Chen called out in a low voice.

On the road.

Feng Wanli was responsible for carrying Ye Chen and Shi Fengchun through the void.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen was responsible for channeling the ancient clan's origin, helping Shi Fengchun suppress the rampant auras of death within him!

When they were almost back to the True Martial Hall, Shi Fengchun finally caught his breath and then started coughing up blood.

This time, Ye Chen no longer doubted that Brother Chun was faking it.

Brother Chun truly went all out.

"Teacher!"

Feng Wanli's eyes were bloodshot.

"It's okay, I survived; anyone who didn't know might think you were mourning over me," Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Cough, cough!"

Shi Fengchun coughed up blood violently, glaring at Ye Chen, "Do you wish me dead?"

Ye Chen: "Brother Chun, don't get me wrong. To save you, I handed that precious stone over to that guy.

Though I knew it was very valuable, your life was more important, and I gave it up without hesitation!

Moreover, the energy I used along the way to save you was countless!"

Shi Fengchun listened, feeling warmth flow in his heart, and chuckled, "It's not in vain that I hold you in such regard!"

Moments later.

The three finally returned to the True Martial Hall.

The seriously injured Shi Fengchun immediately went into seclusion for healing.

In a secret chamber.

Shi Fengchun wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "Didn't expect to break through the final deadly test, surviving nine deaths...

Forget it, I'll continue pretending to be seriously injured.

Ye Chen always suspected me of faking injuries before; this time, I fooled even him.

This kid doesn't let go of benefits easily; this time, he went all in to save me, I should compensate him later with something!"

Meanwhile, back at his residence, Ye Chen also headed straight into the cultivation room.

"The ancient clan's origin is gone, haven't been there to absorb it for quite a while. There should be reserves again in the Primordial Celestial Origin Pool.

Brother Chun has always been good to me. This time I repaid his ongoing care.

About the Qi Fortune Longbow issue… forget it, mentioning it would have Brother Chun worrying about it constantly."

Muttering a few words, Ye Chen closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, with a thread of his mind entering the Origin World.

The eight elder guardians by the Primordial Celestial Origin Pool felt devastated.

Roaring sounds echoed.

"Are the Yun family's worldly travelers worthless?"

"If Yun Feiyang is incompetent, bring him back, and send our people!"

"He's been gone a year, yet with the Hidden Clan's power fully mobilized, they've failed to find one person, and now our Primordial Celestial's reputation is tarnished by Yun Feiyang's failures!"

The elder of the Yun family was red with embarrassment, remaining silent.

...

News of Shi Fengchun's serious injury, like swirling snowflakes, spread widely in just a few days, known to everyone.

Moreover, rumors of the Celestial Demon Sect, Situ Clan, Holy Fist Sect, and Demon Race falling into conflict were topics of lively discussion everywhere.

This created a subtle balance.

Ever since sending Shi Fengchun back to the True Martial Hall, Ye Chen had been in seclusion, staying day and night within the Sword Tomb!

He had to hurry to break through the fifth level of the Sword Tomb to obtain the subsequent cultivation technique.

The subsequent cultivation technique involved creating a Grotto Heaven, gathering the Sword Soul, and refining the Immortal Sword Body!

In the blink of an eye, over half a month had passed.

Inside the Sword Tomb, in addition to refining the sword qi from the tombstones, Ye Chen continued to deduce and improve the Annihilation Sword Qi.

Additionally, through the continuous inheritance of sword arrays, the power was further enhanced on the foundation of the Infinite Star Sword Array, increasing the number of swords from nineteen to twenty-four, significantly boosting both offense and defense.

On this day.

At the Mu Mansion in Celestial Cyan City, Grandmaster Mu Yi, with a gaunt appearance, laughed madly.

"I succeeded, I succeeded!"