The Spiritual Sea illusion behind Shen Yanyue dissipated. Her face was pale, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
As for Ye Chen.
He stood before Shen Yanyue with a placid expression, seemingly unaffected by their earlier exchange.
The aura surging from his body hadn't diminished in the slightest; it was as powerful as ever!
"How is this possible?!"
Such an unbelievable scene was genuinely unfolding in the great hall!
No matter how difficult it was for everyone to accept, they had no choice but to face reality.
'Even the Sect Leader is no match for Ye Chen?'
Zhou Qingyue looked as if she'd been struck by lightning, a deep horror flashing in her eyes.
Beside her, Yang Yin was also trembling so hard he could barely stand.
He stared intently at Ye Chen, his mind a whirl of complicated emotions.
'Who could have imagined Ye Chen's strength would be so immense? If I hadn't insisted on showing off in front of Zhou Qingyue, maybe things wouldn't have ended up like this.'
'And I wouldn't have offended Ye Chen!'
Nearby, Mu Shanhong said nothing, but his expression was just as grave, and he was deeply wary of Ye Chen.
As the strongest person present aside from Shen Yanyue, he naturally had the clearest view of the situation.
In their earlier exchange, Shen Yanyue had clearly been at a complete disadvantage!
"You…"
"Your cultivation…"
Shen Yanyue gasped for breath, clutching her chest. Her stunningly beautiful face was now deathly pale.
"Weren't you the one who was going to capture me and torture me for a thousand years?"
Ye Chen smiled calmly. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed."
With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and leisurely walked toward Shen Yanyue.
"Elder Mu, quickly, lend me a hand!"
Seeing Ye Chen walk toward her, Shen Yanyue could no longer maintain her noble and elegant demeanor, a trace of panic inevitably flashing in her eyes.
She stumbled back, only stopping when she reached Mu Shanhong's side.
As for the other higher-ups of the Cold Wind Sect.
They all cowered to the side, faces full of fear, wanting to make a move on Ye Chen but not daring to.
'After all, even their Sect Leader was no match for Ye Chen. How could they possibly hope to subdue him?'
Shen Yanyue had considered this as well, which was why she decided to drag Mu Shanhong into the fight with her.
'In any case, the two of them represented two of the three major sects of Lei Province, their influence covering more than half the region!'
'No matter how strong Ye Chen was, surely he would have some reservations about facing two such behemoths at once, right?'
Seeing Ye Chen's unrelenting advance, Mu Shanhong finally spoke in a grave voice, "Ye Chen, do you really insist on fighting us to the bitter end?"
"Once you make mortal enemies of the Cold Wind Sect and my Nine Nether Sect, there will be no place left for you in all of Lei Province!"
His words were grim, but they lacked confidence.
After witnessing Ye Chen's power, he couldn't be sure his words would have any effect on him at all.
Hearing this, Ye Chen let out a soft chuckle. "I only came here looking for someone. It was all of you who went out of your way to obstruct me."
"I don't care where you're from. Since you dare to stand in my way, you'd better be prepared for your own annihilation!"
"You!" Although he had anticipated it, Mu Shanhong was still stunned by Ye Chen's brazen audacity.
"Ye Chen! You colluded with the Demon Dao, destroyed the gates of my Luoyun Sect, and now you dare cause trouble here at the Cold Wind Sect! Death would be too good for you!!!"
Just then, a furious roar, thick with venomous hatred, suddenly erupted nearby.
A figure appeared atop the ruins of the main hall. His robes fluttered around him, his hair was half-white, and he had the air of an immortal sage.
But his wide eyes seemed to contain a towering inferno of rage!
"Xu Yingwu!"
Ye Chen's expression flickered. 'Xu Yingwu has finally shown himself... but...'
He looked beside Xu Yingwu, but Qin Ruotong was not there.
"Sect Leader Xu, what did you just say? That Ye Chen colluded with the Demon Dao?"
Shen Yanyue and the other leaders of the Cold Wind Sect all turned to look, their faces filled with astonishment, as if they had just heard some earth-shattering news.
Xu Yingwu nodded, his expression grief-stricken. "Just now, while I was refining the Five Elements Pill, I received a message from the Grand Elder back at the sect."
"Ye Chen has been secretly practicing the Demon Dao, using heterodox techniques to gain immense power! Moreover, while I was away, he released all the remnants of the Demon Sect from our dungeons!"
"He led those demons to the gates of the Luoyun Sect, ruthlessly slaughtered the disciples and Elders within, and utterly annihilated my sect!"
"I will carry this hatred for the rest of my life! This boy is vicious and merciless, his evil deeds too numerous to list! As followers of the Righteous Dao, it is our duty to execute him!"
At this, Xu Yingwu wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and said through gritted teeth, "I truly regret... regret ever taking such an ungrateful wretch into our sect!"
Hearing Xu Yingwu's words was like a bomb going off. In an instant, a wave of uproar swept through the crowd.
'Ye Chen actually colluded with the Demon Dao?'
'No wonder... no wonder he's so powerful! This explains everything!'
"That monster..." Zhou Qingyue practically ground her teeth to dust. "I was wondering how he suddenly became so strong after being gone for a while—strong enough that even the Sect Leader is no match for him!"
"So it's because he colluded with the Demon Dao!"
She was filled with hatred—hatred for not having eliminated this fiend sooner!
'Not before he could grow strong, cripple her cultivation, and become someone that even the Sect Leader couldn't stop!'
"So he's a traitor."
Mu Shanhong's expression changed. "Born into a Righteous Dao sect, yet he secretly learns a Demon Dao Cultivation Technique... If we don't eliminate him, it would be an offense against heaven itself!"
Faced with the incensed crowd before him, Ye Chen couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind.
He was tired of dealing with these hypocrites. Instead, he just scanned his surroundings, as if searching for something.
A cold sneer flashed across Xu Yingwu's face, but he quickly composed himself back into a mask of grief. "Ye Chen, what do you have to say for yourself now!"
"From this moment on, you will be branded a traitor by the Righteous Dao and hunted day and night!"
Ye Chen was completely unfazed by the threat. He simply frowned and asked, "Where did you take Qin Ruotong?"
"Her?" Xu Yingwu was taken aback. 'At a time like this, he's still worried about someone else?' He felt a surge of irritation and was just about to speak.
Just then, a clear and beautiful voice, like a fresh mountain spring, sounded leisurely from the side.
"She's here with me."
Ye Chen turned toward the voice and saw a slender, graceful figure slowly approaching from a distance.
She wore a white dress, from which a pair of jade-white calves peeked out. Her face was covered by a light veil, hiding her features from view.
Her mere presence exuded a celestial aura that inspired awe, making people hesitant to approach.
Ye Chen's eyes widened.
It wasn't because of the woman's cold, fairy-like temperament.
It was because she was holding Qin Ruotong in her arms!