Supreme of the Heavenly Realm

"Jing Tian, he looks like he's dressed as a scion of a noble family; he shouldn't be a bad person. We should ask first."

Just as the atmosphere became tense, a somewhat delicate voice chimed in, and Ye Xuan's gaze shifted accordingly. The speaker was the only female among the four, clad in a red dress, with a slender figure that seemed even younger than himself by a year or two. Her face was still somewhat childish, yet did not lack the allure of a woman, qualifying her as a beauty in the making.

"Little Yu, people can be treacherous; you mustn't be deceived by appearances," Jing Tian still regarded Ye Xuan with hostility.

However, upon hearing this remark, the girl in the red dress merely frowned and still walked forward, extending her fair, jade-like hand to Ye Xuan, "Hello, my name is Chen Yu."

"Ye Xuan."

Abiding by the principle of not initiating confrontations unless provoked, Ye Xuan generally didn't strike other people without good reason. Moreover, he wasn't the type to push others away; on the contrary, as a Heavenly Realm Martial God in a past life, he had developed a magnanimous heart that sweated the small stuff.

"Ye Xuan? That waste from the Ye family?"

Just as he was about to stop Chen Yu, upon hearing the name Ye Xuan, Jing Tian couldn't help but sneer. He had never met Ye Xuan face-to-face, but the latter's reputation as a loser was widespread among the noble scions of the Great Xia Kingdom; almost no one was unaware. After all, the Ye family had its moments of glory as one of the Great Xia Kingdom's most prominent families, and Ye Xuan's father, Ye Xiao, was even more of a prominent figure.

"So, it's Brother Ye. I am Chen Yitian, Little Yu's brother. Brother Jing Tian is being unjust in his words. Could anyone who braves the Panlong Mountain alone be considered a waste? I don't believe it."

The one who spoke was the burly young man from before, with bushy brows and big eyes, speaking quite frankly.

"Yes, since we all belong to noble families of the Great Xia Kingdom, let's team up. More people means more strength," Chen Yu promptly spoke with sincerity, then turned to the young man in black beside her, "Meng Hao, don't you agree?"

"I don't mind, as long as he doesn't hold the team back."

The young man in black, Meng Hao, remained indifferent. Although he was still skeptical about Ye Xuan's abilities, he could not deny that he somewhat admired Ye Xuan's courage. To venture alone into the Panlong Mountain was a brave act, especially since the four of them, despite teaming up, had been very cautious and met with frequent dangers.

"Hmph, since you all say so, let him follow along then. But once he's part of the team, he must contribute. Otherwise, I'll immediately kick him out."

Jing Tian's wariness towards Ye Xuan had diminished substantially, replaced by a trace of contempt. He was no longer worried that Ye Xuan might scheme against him but concerned that the latter's insufficient strength would be a burden. However, given any excuse, he was ready to dispose of Ye Xuan.

"Heh, then let's venture together."

Ye Xuan thought it over; there were indeed benefits to teaming up, as it could increase the chances of finding Meridian Clearing Grass. Moreover, as he ventured deeper, signs of Second Rank Demon Beasts had started to appear in the area. The saying 'more people, more strength' wasn't wrong.

And so, the five formed a team and continued their journey. Through their conversations, Ye Xuan learned about the backgrounds of the four; they were like him, scions from local noble families, who entered the Panlong Mountain to train and improve their skills.

Among the four, besides Chen Yu, who was at the Sixth Grade martial apprentice level, both Meng Hao and Chen Yitian were Seventh Grade martial apprentices. As for the remaining Jing Tian, he was the strongest, not yet twenty years old, and already a First Grade martial master.

"Ye Xuan, how many days have you been in the mountain?"

Along the way, Ye Xuan didn't talk much, but that only seemed to spark Chen Yu's curiosity all the more, prompting her to ask even more questions.

"It's been about a month, I guess."

Ye Xuan had no ill feelings toward the young girl and casually responded with a smile.

"You've been alone in these mountains for a month? Amazing. When I first arrived, I was so frightened I couldn't even sleep at night," Chen Yu exclaimed with wide eyes, finding it hard to imagine.

"No big deal—you get used to it after a few more days," Ye Xuan said with a smile.

However, as Ye Xuan and Chen Yu seemed to be getting along well, a chill emanated from Jing Tian's eyes, which flickered as if he was plotting something.

"We've got company."

Scanning his surroundings, Ye Xuan's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he stopped in his tracks. But no sooner had he spoken than a ferocious simian Demon Beast burst forth from the dense forest nearby.

The ape was covered in gray fur and stood more than three meters tall, its crimson eyes shining with malice. It beat its chest violently, causing stones to fly.

"It's a First Stage pinnacle Demon Beast, a Violent Demon Ape," Ye Xuan furrowed his brow, finding the frequency of high-level Demon Beasts' appearances somewhat concerning.

"Don't worry, we have Jing Tian here; we don't need to lift a finger." Chen Yu, noticing the change in Ye Xuan's expression, spoke reassuringly,

Yet, Jing Tian, hearing these words, only showed more cold light in his eyes. He then soared forward and directly struck the Violent Demon Ape with a palm, leaving a bloody handprint on the beast.

Roar!

Enraged by this palm strike, the Violent Demon Ape instantly became wildly aggressive, lashing out with a punch towards Jing Tian, who had provoked it.

Seeing Jing Tian strike, Meng Hao and Chen Yitian quickly moved up to assist, helping to contain the threat.

"We should help out as well."

Ye Xuan glanced at Chen Yu beside him. Since they had joined the team, they couldn't just stand by and watch, even if Jing Tian was capable of dealing with it on his own. They had to contribute as well.

"Hmm?"

But just as they were preparing to coordinate their attack, they saw Jing Tian surprisingly sent flying by a punch from the Violent Demon Ape. He quickly retreated, with the Violent Demon Ape doggedly pursuing him. However, the direction of Jing Tian's retreat pinpointedly headed straight for where Ye Xuan was standing.

"Not good!" Seeing the Violent Demon Ape charging over like a maniac, Chen Yu couldn't help but blanch.

"This bastard."

Ye Xuan sneered internally. He instantly guessed what was going on. How could Jing Tian, a First Grade martial master, be defeated so swiftly by a peak First Stage Demon Beast? This guy clearly had a sinister motive, intending to use the beast to commit murder by proxy.

With his left hand, Ye Xuan pushed Chen Yu to the side, while at the same time, he clenched his right hand tightly. His gaze was sharp as a sword, vast True Qi concentrating in his fist before he ferociously launched a punch.

Boom!

Despite the significant difference in size between man and ape, a thunderous explosion erupted upon collision, and both were momentarily frozen in place. Two shockwaves swept out, whipping up the dead branches and leaves around them into a chaotic whirlwind.

Everyone was buffeted by the shockwaves, hardly able to open their eyes, only to hear a "thump" as if something heavy had hit the ground. When they finally managed to open their eyes, they saw the Violent Demon Ape laying on its back about five meters away, foaming at the mouth, apparently knocked out cold.

The Violent Demon Ape, known for its brute strength, had been sent flying face-first by Ye Xuan!

Chen Yu found it unbelievable, and so did Meng Hao and Chen Yitian on the other side, completely dumbfounded. How could someone carrying the name of a good-for-nothing possess such power?

"How is this possible, this piece of trash?"

Jing Tian was somewhat in a daze, his expression quickly darkening.

"Ye Xuan, thank you. That punch just now was really cool."

Chen Yu came over, gratefully thanking Ye Xuan. However, Ye Xuan just gave a faint smile. His gaze, though, was fixed on Jing Tian not far away, a glint of sharpness flashing through his eyes. This incident couldn't just be overlooked...

"Jing Tian, why did you lead the Violent Demon Ape towards us? Were you trying to get us killed?" Following Ye Xuan's gaze, Chen Yu also remembered the recent events and angrily accused Jing Tian.

"How could that be? It was just a mistake on my part," Jing Tian replied with a smile.

"Oh, is that so? To make a 'mistake' and still ensure you're unharmed, you must be really impressive."

Ye Xuan spoke with a somewhat mocking smile. However, as he spoke, Chen Yitian and Meng Hao also turned their gazes toward Jing Tian. Indeed, there were no injuries on Jing Tian's body. If it had been an honest mistake, how could he have escaped unscathed from the Violent Demon Ape?

Besides, if even Ye Xuan could defeat the Violent Demon Ape, how could it possibly have the capacity to repel Jing Tian?

"What now? Just because of what this guy says, you're going to doubt me? Don't forget how you've made it this far, who protected you. Without me, you'd have been eaten by Demon Beasts a long time ago."

Seeing a hint of suspicion in the eyes of both Chen Yitian and Meng Hao, Jing Tian's expression darkened, and he shouted sternly.

Faced with his fierce rebuke, both furrowed their brows. Indeed, Jing Tian had played a significant role along the way, but his recent conduct was a bit too contemptible.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

Just as the atmosphere grew tense, suddenly, faint footsteps sounded from the dense forest nearby. While the noise was minimal, it didn't escape Ye Xuan's ears.

"Someone's coming."

Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Hearing this, Meng Hao and the others' faces changed, and they immediately called out towards the nearby area, "Who's lurking around? Show yourself!"

As their shout echoed, several vague figures appeared, flickering within the woods.

"Heh heh, I didn't expect you kids to have some abilities."

In a blink, four or five figures emerged. The leader was nearly two meters tall, fierce-looking, with an eye patch over his right eye, adding to his menacing aura.

Ye Xuan's gaze swept over the group and settled on the short man among them, his eyebrows slightly knitting together. This man, it turned out, was none other than Chen Tai, the man who had previously escaped from him.