The appearance of Ye Chenfeng, Bai Xiaorou, Zhao Jinpeng, and others.

This caused Luo Qianjiang, Li Yuanmu, and the others, who were originally about to take action, to pause momentarily. Even if Li Yuanmu and Zhao Wanfu hadn’t seen Ye Chenfeng before, they recognized him immediately, having seen his portrait.

However, what attracted the attention of Luo Qianjiang and Li Yuanmu was not Ye Chenfeng, but rather the three Divine King Realm powerhouses beside him: Zhao Jinpeng, Zhao Wenyu, and Zhao Shenghong. Although the Nine Nether Ice Lion clan rarely appeared in the Central State, and generally, no one knew where their ancestral land was.

Back in the day, the ancestor of the Nine Nether Ice Lions, Zhao Jinpeng, had a brief encounter with Li Yuanmu while seeking a spirit grass in the Central State, so Li Yuanmu recognized him.

Wu Lingxiang, Jiang Caixuan, and Zhao Xingtu, among others, didn’t know what to do next and could only prepare to fight to the death with Luo Qianjiang and others. Little did they know, Ye Chenfeng appeared like timely rain, bringing with him three Divine King Realm powerhouses, rekindling their hope.

Ye Chenfeng and Bai Xiaorou landed beside Zhao Xingtu and the others. Ye Chenfeng asked Yun Rong, "Brother Yun, are you all right?"

Yun Rong glanced at Wu Lingxiang and Jiang Caixuan and said, "Brother Ye, if it weren’t for these two young ladies, we wouldn’t have lasted until your arrival. Now, no one in the Ancient City of Heavenly Origin has perished."

Ye Chenfeng also noticed the many shattered corpses on the ground. He nodded to Wu Lingxiang and Jiang Caixuan. It wasn’t the time for talk, so he could only express his gratitude in this way.

Zhao Shenghong, Zhao Wenyu, and Zhao Jinpeng stood on either side of Ye Chenfeng, their bodies exuding a formidable aura, as if ready to act at any moment. Bai Xiaorou always held onto Ye Chenfeng’s arm, while Zhao Chengming and Zhao Huaqing, the younger generation of Nine Nether Ice Lions, had icy expressions on their faces. As the Clan Leader of the Dragon Clan, Ye Chenfeng commanded deep respect from them. How could anyone dare to act against the Clan Leader of the Dragon Clan here in the Central State? It was as if they didn’t know the meaning of "death."

Li Yuanmu focused on Zhao Jinpeng and frowned, saying, "Is your Nine Nether Ice Lion clan really going to intervene in the matters of our Central State? This lad is a public enemy of the Central State. Are you sure your Nine Nether Ice Lion clan wants to get involved?"

Jin Hongsheng sneered coldly, "So it’s the Nine Nether Ice Lions! Do you think your Lion King Lineage is still at its peak like in the early Ancient Era? Nowadays, your Nine Nether Ice Lion clan can only hide in your ancestral land. You’d best not meddle in others’ business."

Zhao Jinpeng’s face was unchanged by their arrogance, and he looked at Ye Chenfeng beside him, saying, "The so-called public enemy of the Central State is the master of our Nine Nether Ice Lions. Our clan will protect our master to the death."

Upon hearing Zhao Jinpeng claim that Ye Chenfeng was the master of the Nine Nether Ice Lions, Li Yuanmu and the others grew more serious. It was known that the Nine Nether Ice Lions were extremely proud, especially those from the Lion King Lineage, who scarcely interacted with Central State cultivators. Yet now they suddenly had a master?

It’s understood that Zhao Jinpeng and the others knew Ye Chenfeng’s origin; he was merely someone from a Lower Plane. Could it be that the powers behind Ye Chenfeng were the Nine Nether Ice Lions? From the Ancient Era to the present, the only master the Nine Nether Ice Lions have acknowledged was the Dragon Clan Leader. But they couldn’t possibly imagine that Ye Chenfeng was indeed the Dragon Clan Leader, for the Dragon Clan had vanished from this world for eons, let alone a Dragon Clan Leader.

Zhao Wanfu, full of impatience, shouted, "Li Yuanmu, let’s stop wasting time. Isn’t it just the Nine Nether Ice Lions? Do we really fear them? They are but two Mid Divine King Realm and one Late Divine King Realm, while we have one Mid Divine King Realm, two in the Middle Stage, and one at Late Divine King Realm."

Indeed, Zhao Shenghong and Zhao Wenyu’s strength was only at Mid Divine King Realm, whereas Zhao Jinpeng reached the Late Divine King Realm. Even with a puppet of Ye Chenfeng’s at Mid Divine King Realm, there was still a disparity in power, so Zhao Wanfu wasn’t wrong.

Luo Qianjiang also shouted, "Exactly, if the powers behind this young man are only the Nine Nether Ice Lions, why should we fear? They are no match for us now."

The ancestors of the Alchemy Pavilion, Sun Changnian, and the Artifact Refinement Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, Lin Shouping, had a slight change in expression when Ye Chenfeng, Zhao Shenghong, and others arrived, but after hearing Zhao Wanfu, they returned to their natural expressions. Although both sides had a similar number of Divine King Realm experts, the strength differed; even the gap between Initial Stage and Middle Stage in the Divine King Realm was significant.

Sun Changnian stared at Ye Chenfeng and shouted, "Boy, don’t think your four-master talent makes you special. In the end, you’ll still die! Yuan Kun and Gao Deming choosing you was their life’s biggest mistake."

Lin Shouping addressed Tan Yuanwu and others, saying, "Ancestor, I know you won’t admit your mistake, but the facts are right in front of you. The future of the Artifact Refinement Pavilion rests with me, Lin Shouping, and you will forever be the sinners of the Pavilion, something you cannot escape even in death."

Luo Youfang and Jin Yangcai gazed at Ye Chenfeng with keen interest, filled with grudges for the losses he had caused them.

After hearing others’ opinions, Li Yuanmu’s aura surged, and he said, "I, Luo Qianjiang, and Jin Hongsheng will hold off the ancestor of the Nine Nether Ice Lions, while Zhao Wanfu, you wreak havoc on the others. With your Mid Divine King Realm strength, no one can stop you."

As Li Yuanmu finished speaking,

Luo Qianjiang, Jin Hongsheng, and Zhao Wanfu rushed out instantly, with Luo Qianjiang and Jin Hongsheng moving towards Zhao Shenghong and Zhao Wenyu, while Zhao Wanfu headed towards Ye Chenfeng, Zhao Xingtu, and the others.

As Zhao Jinpeng attempted to stop Zhao Wanfu, Li Yuanmu blocked his path, saying, "Your opponent is me."

Seeing Zhao Wanfu descend like a wolf into a sheepfold, with only a Mid Divine King Realm puppet on Ye Chenfeng’s side, they couldn’t possibly resist Zhao Wanfu at Mid Divine King Realm. Sun Changnian and Lin Shouping followed closely behind Zhao Wanfu, planning to flex their muscles as well.

Wu Lingxiang, Jiang Caixuan, Zhao Xingtu, and others, who thought the situation had taken a turn for the better, now wore worried expressions again. However, Wu Lingxiang and Jiang Caixuan weren’t overly concerned; with the trump cards in their hands, they believed they could at least hold their ground against Zhao Wanfu.

Zhao Wanfu, advancing towards Ye Chenfeng with oppressive aura, sneered, "Kid, do you think your return makes any difference?"

Ye Chenfeng, surprisingly calm, said, "Who says it doesn’t?"

Just as Zhao Wanfu was about to laugh scornfully.

"Swish!"

A blood-red shadow flashed quickly from afar, wrapping around the advancing Zhao Wanfu.

"Pfft!"

Before Zhao Wanfu could react, his body turned into a mist of blood in the air, his head rolling to the ground.

It was a massive blood-red vine that strangled Zhao Wanfu: the Ancient Demon Vine.

Previously, the Ancient Demon Vine could only strangle powerhouses of Mid Divine King Realm, but shortly after Ye Chenfeng returned to the Ancient City of Heavenly Origin, he made contact with it and found that it had fully matured outside the ancient city, capable of directly strangling powerhouses at Mid Divine King Realm. So, he had secretly prepared for the Ancient Demon Vine to be ready at any moment.

...(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)