Chapter Thirteen: Who the Hell Is Shouting?

Looking at the ground littered with celestial artifacts, Ye Tongtian was utterly dumbfounded.

“Damn it, just who is this man? Why can’t I see through him at all? Even with my supreme cultivation, I can’t fathom his depths. Could he be one of the Supremely Exalted?”

At that moment, Ye Tongtian was truly panicked. The young man he’d dismissed as a mere greenhorn was, in fact, a mighty cultivator?

Unbelievable! In this insignificant corner of the world, there was such a hidden master—simply inconceivable.

“Master, what should we do?” Not only was Ye Tongtian unsettled, but even his followers from the Nether Sect were at a loss, looking to him for guidance, their hands and feet frozen in indecision.

“How would I know? This man is definitely not as simple as he appears. Haven’t you noticed the faint, vast aura drifting about him? It’s like the very breath of the heavens, boundless and unfathomable...”

“Such power, even the Supremely Exalted may not possess it. This fellow is either a complete ignoramus or a peerless master of the ages...”

The crowd was stunned, each one gasping in disbelief.

Compared to him being an ignoramus, they’d rather believe that Ye Qiu was a peerless master. The reason was simple: his hands were full of celestial weapons. Good heavens… It was as though every celestial artifact in the Great Wilderness was crafted by him. Terrifying!

“Master, perhaps we should withdraw? This man is too terrifying. He just carelessly dropped two celestial artifacts, and that fan in his hand seems even more formidable.”

“This is monstrous! Offending him is no different from courting death…”

The Nether Sect followers cowered, abandoning all thoughts of avenging their fallen brethren.

How could they possibly contend with this? If this man was truly an immortal as the legends described, or even a Supremely Exalted, he could crush them with a single hand.

How were they supposed to proceed? There was simply no way.

“Why panic! Nothing’s clear yet. Maybe he’s just putting on a front? Whether he’s a fool or a master, we’ll soon know. Besides, if he truly is a peerless master, do you really think we could escape?”

“People of that level, when they act, the very laws of heaven and earth are rewritten. They open realms at will; there would be nowhere for us to run…”

Ye Tongtian wiped cold sweat from his brow, visibly shaken. He was, after all, a sect master—a man who had seen much in the world. Yet, faced with Ye Qiu, he found himself at a total loss.

At that moment, Ye Qiu had no inkling of their inner turmoil. He picked up the wrench, looking blankly at the thousands before him.

“How odd—whenever I so much as twitch, they all take a step back. Are they afraid of me? Impossible. I’m just an ordinary guy; what would they fear? Could they all be fools, mistaking me for a master?”

Ye Qiu couldn’t make sense of it, but on second thought, if he could deceive them, all the better.

As his gaze swept the area, he saw that the chaos of war in the distant wastes was spreading toward them. The four great beasts would soon arrive.

“This won’t do. I need to get rid of these people quickly—slip away before things turn truly dire…”

After a moment’s deliberation, Ye Qiu composed himself, a serene smile on his face, as he addressed the crowd: “Gentlemen, what brings you to my humble establishment today?”

No sooner had Ye Qiu moved than Ye Tongtian and his followers took another step back, terrified he might attack. Their bodies and hands were slick with sweat, trembling all over.

It was simply too much! The whole atmosphere was unnervingly bizarre.

“This man remains so unruffled… It must be true—he really is a master. Otherwise, faced with thousands of us, who could possibly remain calm?”

Ye Tongtian’s heart quaked, and he made up his mind: this man was indeed a master.

“Elder, I am the Master of the Nether Sect. These behind me are all my disciples. I have but one question to ask—might you answer it?”

Outwardly, Ye Tongtian appeared composed, yet inwardly he was in chaos, too afraid to step forward.

“Oh?” At Ye Qiu’s question, panic seized him. “Damn, is he about to ask about those cultists? It’s over—my secret’s out…”

But then, a thought struck him. Why did Ye Tongtian address him as ‘Elder’? Could it be, as with those at the Radiant Sanctuary, that he too had misjudged him?

Highly likely! In that case, everything would be easier to handle.

“Oh? What is it you wish to ask?” Ye Qiu replied with effortless grace, a perpetual smile upon his face, the very image of a celestial being—elegant and radiant.

His flawless performance made Cao He, inside the tavern, silently applaud. “Brilliant! The steward’s acting is perfect. If I didn’t know him personally, even I’d be convinced…”

Ye Tongtian furrowed his brow, anxiety evident as he spoke, “Elder, may I ask: who killed my disciples?”

Just as expected…

Would Ye Qiu admit it? No, not even under threat of death.

“I don’t know!” Ye Qiu shook his head, feigning regret, his presence undiminished, exerting a subtle intimidation.

He didn’t know?

Ye Tongtian fell silent, nearly certain by now that his disciples had perished at Ye Qiu’s hand. Yet, what could he do? Even knowing the truth, he was no match for this man and could only retreat.

“In that case, forgive the disturbance, Elder. We’ll take our leave…”

What?

Leave—just like that?

Excellent, splendid! Ye Qiu was overjoyed to hear they meant to go. He’d just been pondering how to send them off, and now they wanted to leave on their own.

Just as Ye Tongtian was about to slip away, a shout came from the tavern: “Elder, don’t let them go! These men are murderous fiends—rid the world of their evil!”

What the—?

Damn it, a useless ally!

Ye Qiu was beside himself—he’d finally managed to talk them into leaving, and now this?

He looked over and saw the culprit was none other than Yang Xuan.

As expected, Ye Tongtian’s expression darkened at the words, turning as if to face a deadly enemy, ready to defend himself, sweat beading on his face.

If Ye Qiu truly attacked, none of them would escape alive.

Seeing Ye Tongtian so tense, Ye Qiu panicked as well. Knowing things had gone awry, he shouted into the tavern, “Xiao Cao, do it!”

No sooner had he spoken than Ye Qiu darted back into the tavern, moving with astonishing speed.

“My heavens, what speed! This man truly is remarkable—but why is he running?”

Everyone present stared in shock, utterly bewildered.

That speed was nothing short of teleportation!

The moment Ye Qiu disappeared, suddenly—hundreds of celestial swords lit up atop the tavern, embedded in the roof.

“Master, look…” The moment the swords appeared, the entire field was stunned, even Ye Tongtian himself.

“Damn it, this man is no ordinary adversary. Prepare for battle—fight as we retreat…”

Everyone braced themselves, forming ranks to meet the threat.

From the instant the celestial swords appeared, a silent prohibition descended over the world outside the tavern.

Even one as mighty as Ye Tongtian could feel the oppressive force, rendering him immobile…

“This… Impossible! Is this the legendary Sword Formation?”

“It’s terrifying—sword energy blankets the four corners of the world. There’s no escape…”

Inside, Ye Tongtian was plunged into despair. He was an old master, but never in his life had he seen such a fearsome sword formation—simply unimaginable.

By now, Ye Qiu had returned inside, slammed the door shut, and gasped for breath. “That scared me to death—almost didn’t make it back! That damn Yang Xuan is the worst teammate imaginable. If those traps don’t hold the Nether Sect, we’re all doomed today…”

The mechanisms overhead were copied from books Ye Qiu had read—he had no idea how powerful they actually were.

“Steward, everything’s been activated, as you instructed…” Cao He approached, tense.

“I understand. Keep an eye on things outside. If there’s any change, we’ll head straight for the underground chamber…”

Ye Qiu replied, then went alone to the second floor. There, from behind the counter, he could observe the scene outside through a mirror.

The mirror was also Ye Qiu’s creation. He wasn’t sure of its capabilities, but by chance he’d discovered it allowed him to see whatever he wished—truly miraculous.

Outside, the Nether Sect disciples stood frozen, terror-stricken, gazing at the swords suspended above them.

A sharp, cold wind swept through, as though each blade pierced their hearts—utterly chilling.

“Master, we’re completely surrounded—what do we do now?”

Ye Tongtian snapped, “How should I know! Damn it, what else can we do but fight?!”

At this point, their only hope was to resist; otherwise, death was certain.

“Damn it, who was that idiot who shouted just now? I could have retreated safely, but they had to ruin it…”

Ye Tongtian cursed inwardly, blaming the one who had spoken a thousand times over.

Poor Yang Xuan—little did he know that, with a single shout, he had managed to offend both Ye Qiu and Ye Tongtian.

A conflict that could have been avoided was now inevitable, with neither side able to withdraw.

Above the tavern, hundreds of celestial swords whirled in a cosmic array, a breathtaking spectacle.

In an instant, a colossal sword, forty meters long, emerged from the rooftop, hovering in the air, surrounded by the other swords.

“What terrifying sword intent! I can hardly believe such a fearsome sword formation exists in this world…”

At that moment, Ye Tongtian was utterly hopeless, closing his eyes in resignation.

There was no way to fight this. If it were only the swords, he might still escape.

But the way they were arranged formed a true sword formation—once activated, its power would shake the heavens, and even he could not oppose it.