This scene left not only the onlookers but even the old man himself somewhat stunned, as if he too was at a loss.
At this moment, however, the stall owner hurriedly began shouting loudly: "Old sir, what are you doing? Why did you break my antique?"
This instantly attracted countless gazes.
The old man looked up and waved his hand. "You misunderstand. I didn't crush your ancient sword. It was simply too fragile and broke by accident."
"Old sir, that's not right," the stall owner retorted, directly shifting the blame onto the old man. "This ancient sword was perfectly intact not long ago. I've had it displayed here for so long, and it never showed any signs of breaking. Why did it suddenly shatter the moment it was in your hands? I find this quite puzzling. This must be your fault, old sir. You must understand, these antiques were all obtained by me at great risk, braving nine deaths to snatch them from the tomb of a certain Ancient Monarch. I went through countless dangers. But I won't make things difficult for you. Just compensate me with divine spirit sources equivalent to three million spirit stones, and we can consider the matter settled."
These words caused everyone watching to gasp in shock.
Divine spirit sources equivalent to three million spirit stones? Wasn't that far too expensive?
No matter how you looked at it, that bronze ancient sword that had just turned to dust was merely a mortal weapon that had long lost its divinity.
The old man's snow-white eyebrows twitched slightly, showing a hint of impatience. "Are you trying to frame this old man?"
"Hmph! The evidence is clear, old sir. Would the antiques I sell just break for no reason?" The stall owner stubbornly insisted it was the old man's fault.
The old man's brow furrowed deeply, as if he was about to speak, but Ye Chen, standing nearby, stepped forward first, looking directly at the stall owner. "I can prove it wasn't the old man's fault."
Instantly, all eyes were on Ye Chen.
"I can prove it too," Will also stepped forward with a grin.
"You two youngsters, don't meddle recklessly," the stall owner said coldly, looking at Ye Chen and Will with a clear threat in his eyes. "These are antiques worth millions in spirit stones. Given your young age, it's best not to involve yourselves."
Ye Chen simply smiled faintly. "I just want to prove it wasn't the old man's fault. Besides, these items aren't genuine treasures stolen from an Ancient Monarch's tomb. If they were, no matter how fragile, they wouldn't shutter at a touch. On the contrary, they would contain a wisp of the Ancient Monarch's Great Dao Laws, making them far more durable and solid than other antiques."
"Hmph! Couldn't it be that the Ancient Monarch's tomb has existed for too long, and that wisp of Great Dao Laws has dissipated? Yes, that must be it!" the stall owner insisted.
"That's a fair point; such a possibility does exist," Ye Chen conceded. "But what if I have this?" With a casual flip of his hand, a crystal ball appeared in his palm, projecting a scene.
It showed the old man just picking up the bronze ancient sword. In the next moment, a faint stream of light shot out from the stall owner's body like lightning, striking the bronze sword in the old man's hand. With a clang, it shattered.
Seeing this, everyone exclaimed in surprise, all turning their gazes to the stall owner, whose face had turned deathly pale.
"No! You're framing me! How could I do such a thing under the supervision of the Dan Emperor Clan in the prestigious Tianyi Market?" The stall owner glared at Ye Chen with hatred, then shot towards him with a whoosh, enveloping him in a terrifying killing intent. "Brat, hand over that crystal ball and apologize to me!"
Boom—
But the stall owner came fast and went even faster. He was sent flying backward, crashing through all the antiques on his stall. His chest caved in, and a large amount of blood gushed from his mouth.
The sudden event ended before many could even see what happened; no one noticed how Ye Chen had made his move.
Only the old man's aged, turbid eyes flashed with a gleam of light, revealing a faint smile.
"You—" The stall owner stared at Ye Chen in horror, seemingly completely unaware that Ye Chen was a master who hid his true strength.
At the same time, over a dozen powerful figures emerged within Tianyi Market, led by an ancient Great Power. Arriving on the scene and seeing this, their expressions changed slightly. They swept a cold gaze over the crowd and shouted, "Fighting is not allowed in Tianyi Market! Do you intend to disregard the rules here? Anyone who violates them will be punished, regardless of who they are!"
"Sir, he attacked first! You must bear witness for me!" The stall owner, playing the victim first, directly slandered Ye Chen.
"Hmm?" The leading Great Power looked at Ye Chen, and his expression suddenly changed. "Battle Saint King!?"
"Battle Saint King?"
Hearing this title, everyone was instantly dumbfounded. Clearly, they hadn't expected this heroic young man to be the Chaos Young Supreme who had recently shaken the entire starry sky—the Battle Saint King.
The stall owner's face turned even paler; he obviously knew of the Battle Saint King's fearsome reputation.
No matter how he thought about it, he probably never imagined that the person he had provoked was the legendary Battle Saint King. But now, gritting his teeth, he decided to take a risk. With tears and snot, he wailed to the Dan Emperor Clan Great Power, "Sir, you mustn't favor him just because he's the Battle Saint King! You must be fair! He slandered me, framed me, and attacked and injured me!"
"Hmm?" The guardian Great Power was named Dan Xu, a true Imperial Clan Great Power. He frowned slightly. After all, no matter what, this Battle Saint King was an extremely terrifying Chaos Young Supreme, who also wielded the peerless war weapon of Sovereign Wuxiang—the Primordial Battle Body Halberd. He was immensely powerful, capable of slaying fifth-level Great Powers.
If a real fight broke out, even Dan Xu couldn't guarantee he could capture him.
Yet, if no punishment was meted out, it would greatly affect the reputation of the entire Dan Emperor Clan.
"Battle Saint King, was it truly you who attacked?" Dan Xu had no choice but to ask.
Ye Chen, however, smiled with a hint of sarcasm. "So, members of the Imperial Clan just listen to one side of the story and immediately decide it's my fault?"
"What do you mean?" Dan Xu's expression shifted, and he then looked at the stall owner.
"No! Sir Dan Xu, the Battle Saint King slandered me and deliberately injured me! It's all a frame-up by the Battle Saint King!" The stall owner's face was deathly pale. "How would a mere Heavenly King like me dare to offend the Battle Saint King? Sir, you must stand up for me!"
"What are you worth that I would bother framing you?" Ye Chen was smiling, but everyone could feel the icy coldness in that smile, as if it could freeze a thousand miles.
The stall owner dared not face Ye Chen. At this moment, he felt as if the Battle Saint King before him was like a Primordial Times dragon awakening from slumber, while he was merely a chick. If the other attacked, he would have no power to resist.
Dan Xu furrowed his brow. "Battle Saint King, could you tell me what exactly happened?"
Before Ye Chen could speak, the old man beside him stepped forward. "May this old man say a few words?"
Hearing this, Dan Xu finally noticed the old man. However, the moment his gaze fell upon him, his previously calm expression instantly turned to shock, as if he had encountered something, even becoming somewhat agitated. "Old—"
He was about to speak, but the old man shot him a glance, causing Dan Xu to swallow the rest of his words, not uttering them completely.
The old man walked forward and said to Dan Xu, "As a member of an Imperial Clan, you must be truly impartial and not favor one side. Just now, this person intentionally tried to frame this old man. This young friend, the Battle Saint King, stepped forward to help expose his scheme and was consequently attacked in retaliation by this person, who was simply no match for him. So, you should understand the rest."
"Understood, understood!" Dan Xu hurriedly nodded, a deep respect hidden in the depths of his eyes. He then turned to the stall owner, his terrifying Great Power aura completely overwhelming him, causing the stall owner to tremble uncontrollably. Without giving him any chance to explain, Dan Xu declared, "How audacious! To commit fraud in Tianyi Market and then play the victim and accuse others first! Men, arrest him and throw him in the dungeon!"
"Yes!"
As soon as the order was given, several Heavenly King experts who had been waiting behind rushed forward, placing their war halberds against the stall owner's neck with startling killing intent. He didn't dare move a muscle and was obediently taken away under custody.
Dan Xu then turned and clasped his hands towards Ye Chen and the old man. "My apologies to both of you. It was an oversight on the part of our Dan Emperor Clan. We never expected such a thing to happen. It is truly regrettable."
Ye Chen shook his head, saying nothing, but he looked at the old man with slight surprise.
He could tell that everything had been resolved because of the old man's presence; Dan Xu had directly ignored the stall owner's explanations and pinned the blame on him.
Dan Xu looked at the old man, who in turn glanced at Ye Chen and Will with a faint smile. "Today, I am truly indebted to you two young friends for stepping in to help. Otherwise, this old man would have been framed and might have found it difficult to clear my name."
His light words, however they were heard, seemed to carry a hint of mockery, causing cold sweat to break out on Dan Xu's forehead as he hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
Ye Chen looked at the two with some puzzlement.
The old man then said with a smile, "You two young friends, would you be willing to have a drink with this old man, as a token of my thanks?"
Dan Xu immediately revealed a look of shock and also gazed at Ye Chen with envy. This was a tremendous opportunity, not to be missed. This Battle Saint King was truly in great luck.
However, Ye Chen shook his head and declined politely with a faint smile. "My apologies, senior. This junior still wishes to explore Tianyi Market a bit more. Perhaps we can share a drink another time."
Will naturally followed Ye Chen's lead and also declined.
"You—" Dan Xu was about to scold Ye Chen and Will for not knowing what was good for them, but the old man simply chuckled warmly. "Very well, very well. As you wish, young friend. We'll definitely drink together next time."
With that, they parted ways.
Watching the departing figures of Ye Chen and Will, the old man stroked his long beard. "What a fine Battle Saint King. Excellent, truly excellent."
These few words of evaluation, however, stirred up a storm of shock in Dan Xu's heart.
To receive such praise from this old man was a rarity even within the entire Dan Emperor Clan.