In the deathly silent atmosphere, Ye Yunfei’s gaze swept down to Qin An.
“One last time, Qin An,” he asked coldly, his voice carrying an imperious weight. “Do you kowtow, or not?”
“You... you... how is this possible!” Qin An had seen it all with his own eyes—Ye Yunfei effortlessly and successively injuring both the Master of the Xiaoyao Pavilion and Elder Ding. His body went cold with horror, a chill sinking to the very marrow of his bones. The extremity of terror left him speechless.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei appeared in his eyes like a demon from hell.
“Enough nonsense.”
Ye Yunfei frowned and flicked his hand through the air.
*Slap!*
A surge of energy condensed into a giant palm that struck Qin An squarely across the face.
A high, swollen bruise immediately rose on Qin An’s right cheek, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
“Qin An, kneel and kowtow.”
It was then that the Master of the Xiaoyao Pavilion suddenly spoke.
By now, he had forcibly calmed himself. Ye Yunfei’s bizarre display of combat prowess had instilled a deep sense of dread in him. He had realized that in the face of Ye Yunfei, he possessed no power to resist whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Elder Ding had struggled to her feet from the ground. Her gaze towards Ye Yunfei was one of bitter hatred. Her heart was filled with a stifled sense of injustice, burning rage, and utter humiliation, yet she dared not step forward again to provoke Ye Yunfei.
“Qin An, where there is life, there is hope. Kneel and kowtow.”
Elder Ding also spoke to Qin An.
She knew there was no other choice.
*Thump!*
Qin An tightly shut his eyes, knelt down, his entire body trembling violently. He then kowtowed three heavy, forehead-striking-the-ground bows towards Ye Yunfei.
Afterwards, the Master of the Xiaoyao Pavilion and Elder Ding took Qin An, along with their other disciples, and departed from the Tianyuan Sect headquarters without a single word or any farewell.
The sect masters of the Zhencang and Ziyang Sects also hastily gathered their people and left. What had just transpired had left them feeling shaken to the core.
Only the members of the Tianyuan Sect remained in the plaza.
“A Niu, let’s head back for now,” Ye Yunfei said to his companion.
He then turned and began walking out of the plaza.
“Ye Yunfei…”
Shi Zongyang called out to him.
“Let it be. Let him go back for now. We will seek him out later,” Elder Ren said quietly.
“Hey, Ye Yunfei! What happened just now? Why did you suddenly become so powerful?! Not even the Master of Xiaoyao Pavilion was a match for you. It’s simply too astounding!”
Long Yingying bounded after him, dogging his steps, firing off question after question. At one point, she even positioned her own scented figure directly in front of him, trying to physically block his path to make him stop.
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t.”
Ye Yunfei simply ignored her. Activating the Ethereal Wind Steps, he sidestepped her with fluid ease in a few strides and marched out of the plaza.
“Hmph! If you won’t say, you won’t say. So high and mighty!”
Long Yingying stomped her foot in frustration.
“But I won’t give up! I have to get to the bottom of this!”
Long Yingying spoke through gritted teeth.
Within the plaza, the Tianyuan Sect disciples, including its upper echelon members, all watched Ye Yunfei depart with looks of absolute awe and wonder. As for those who had previously held grudges against him, their hearts now harbored a good deal of restless unease.
With Ye Yunfei’s departure, the Heaven Ascension Ladder positioned on the stage at the plaza’s center began to slowly fade, turning illusory, its outline shimmering like ripples on water until, finally, it vanished completely.
Moments later, Ye Yunfei returned to his small lodge on the Gold Peak.
“A Niu, for the next little while, I’m going into seclusion,” Ye Yunfei said, giving his companion a few brief instructions.
He then returned to his own room and began his secluded meditation.
Though he had activated the Tianxuan Five Elements Divine Mountain Formation earlier, his understanding of it was not yet profound. He intended to spend some time now to fully comprehend the formation, mastering its every variation.
Sitting cross-legged inside the room, Ye Yunfei released his Soul Power, allowing it to seep through the floor and into the ground below. From there, it began perceiving the structure of the five main peaks.
These five peaks were the foundation of the Tianxuan Five Elements Divine Mountain Formation. Hence, to truly master the formation, one had to thoroughly study these peaks.
Within the Tianyuan Sect headquarters, a high-level meeting was taking place in a grand hall. All the upper echelon figures of the Tianyuan Sect were present: Elder Ren, Sect Leader Shi Zongyang, and the five Peak Masters.
“Elder Ren, what exactly happened just now?” Shi Zongyang’s gaze fixed upon the ancient Elder. “How did Ye Yunfei suddenly attain such terrifying power?”
The others also turned their eyes towards Elder Ren. Within the Tianyuan Sect, Elder Ren held the highest seniority and was reputedly the strongest in power. He also possessed knowledge of many ancient secrets handed down through the sect’s history.
Shi Zongyang and the Peak Masters were still utterly bewildered by the day’s events. Therefore, they all sought Elder Ren’s counsel.
“If my guess is correct,” Elder Ren began after some thought, “the reason Ye Yunfei attained such formidable power back in the plaza is most likely related to an ancient legend of our Tianyuan Sect.”
He continued, “The legend states that within our sect’s headquarters lies a powerful ancient formation. It is said to have been personally laid down by our Founding Patriarch, based on the unique geography of this location.”
“This ancient formation serves two purposes,” Elder Ren explained. “First, it functions as a supremely powerful protective ward for the entire sect, safeguarding the security of our headquarters. Its second purpose is to draw in and concentrate the spiritual energy of the surrounding world, enriching the spiritual atmosphere within our headquarters. This fortifies the foundation of our sect and aids in its growth.”
“Elder Ren, are you suggesting that Ye Yunfei’s sudden, fearsome combat power back in the plaza was because of this ancient formation?” Elder Du asked.
“Correct. Earlier, just as Ye Yunfei was making his move, I distinctly felt the five main peaks of our headquarters begin to resonate simultaneously. According to the legend, that formation is constructed precisely upon the framework of these five peaks. Therefore, I surmise it is highly likely that Ye Yunfei—for reasons unknown to us—suddenly activated the formation at that moment. Hence his abrupt attainment of such horrifying power.”
Elder Ren nodded in confirmation.
“Elder Ren, do you think it might be connected to Ye Yunfei ascending to the apex of the Heaven Ascension Ladder?” Shi Zongyang suddenly suggested.
“Ah, precisely! I understand now! It must be because Ye Yunfei climbed to the top of the Heaven Ascension Ladder that he triggered the ancient formation within our headquarters!”
A spark of realization flashed in Elder Ren’s eyes.
“So… from the perspective of the Tianyuan Sect, is this development a good thing or a bad thing?” Elder Du inquired.
“It is most certainly a good thing! Moreover, a tremendously good thing! There is another saying attached to this ancient formation. It represents the very fortune and destiny of our Tianyuan Sect! As long as that formation exists, our Tianyuan Sect will prosper without decline.”
His voice began to swell with passion. “Why, you ask, has our Tianyuan Sect’s strength steadily dwindled over the past few centuries? Precisely because that ancient formation vanished! Now that the formation has reappeared, it signifies our Tianyuan Sect will see a resurgence! In the era predating the four great sects, there was only our Tianyuan Sect! We were a solitary peak towering over the rest! It was only later, when our overall strength gradually waned, that the other three factions managed to catch up, resulting in the current situation where the four great sects stand side by side.”
“With the reappearance of the ancient formation,” Elder Ren continued, his voice trembling with a fervor that grew with each word, “our Tianyuan Sect is fated to rise once more!”