Chapter 66: Lion's Big Mouth

## Chapter 66: The Lion's Roar

*Puff!*

Perhaps the pressure exerted by Daoist Qingyang was too immense, for Ye Chen spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Release Hao'er!" Daoist Qingyang bellowed, his powerful aura instantly locking onto Ye Chen.

"Elder, the Wind and Cloud Showdown prohibits outside interference. Do you intend to disregard the sect rules?" Ye Chen stood tall, neither servile nor arrogant, meeting Daoist Qingyang's gaze directly. Having already provoked Ge Hong, he saw no reason to shy away from offending another Elder of Renyang Peak.

A cold glint flickered in Daoist Qingyang's eyes at Ye Chen's forthrightness. He dared not make a move, for the matter of Qi Hao in Ye Chen's hands was of great consequence. That was a disciple of the Qi Family from the Southern Border. Should any mishap befall him, the trouble that would arise would be far from trivial.

Assessing the situation, he immediately retrieved a storage pouch from his robes and threw it to the ground. "Is it not spirit stones you desire? I shall give them to you. Release the person."

Ye Chen glanced at the storage pouch on the ground and let out a cold laugh. "Elder, do you know the grave crimes your disciple has committed? To think a mere thousand spirit stones can redeem his life. His life must be truly worthless."

"Grave crimes?" Daoist Qingyang snorted coldly. "I would like to hear precisely what heinous crimes my disciple has supposedly committed."

"Using the Heavenly Thunder Curse in the Wind and Cloud Showdown is a capital offense; Harming the sect's spirit beasts is a capital offense; Harming elders is a crime punishable by death without pardon. Qi Hao harmed Senior Zhang Fengnian, thus committing three such offenses," Ye Chen listed the three crimes, then looked at Daoist Qingyang with a cold smile. "Elder, any one of these is sufficient to condemn Qi Hao to death. Do you still believe a thousand spirit stones are ample recompense?"

"You..." Daoist Qingyang was on the verge of attacking, but took a deep breath and suppressed his rage. "Ye Chen, are you aware of Qi Hao's identity?" he said coldly.

"The Qi Family of the Southern Border." Ye Chen smiled, looking at Daoist Qingyang. "But what of it? Since he entered Hengyue, he must abide by the sect's rules. Even if the Son of the Heavenly King himself were to come and commit a grave sect offense, he would still struggle to escape punishment."

Daoist Qingyang was utterly enraged. He had never imagined Ye Chen would be so unyielding, but for the sake of Qi Hao's safety, he still forced down his fury. "Then what is it you desire?"

"Have your precious disciple reveal where Senior Zhang Fengnian is hidden. Furthermore, to redeem his life, bring forth a hundred thousand spirit stones. Otherwise, you may inform the Qi Family of the Southern Border to collect Qi Hao's corpse. I, Ye Chen, have spoken, and I shall see it through."

"A hundred... a hundred thousand spirit stones?" Ye Chen's demand was exorbitant, truly shocking the onlookers below. That was an astronomical sum, one that might not be earned in a lifetime!

"This is truly ruthless!"

"Not much?" Xiong Er scoffed. "A hundred thousand spirit stones to buy a life? I think it's still too little, eh?"

"Elder, what are your thoughts?" On the stage, Ye Chen smiled, looking at Daoist Qingyang.

"Ye Chen, it is wise to leave a path for retreat in all matters. Are you aware of the consequences your actions today will bring upon you?" Daoist Qingyang's voice grew increasingly cold, the killing intent in his eyes no longer concealed.

"My life is cheap, Elder. If you desire it, you may take it at any time."

"Then I shall first exterminate you!" Daoist Qingyang roared, conjuring a massive spectral hand that aimed to crush Ye Chen in mid-air.

However, at that very moment, a powerful aura emanated from another direction, followed by an ice-cold voice that echoed through the sky. "Qingyang, do you also intend to disregard the rules of Hengyue?"

"Dao Jie, do you also wish to shield this wicked disciple?" Daoist Qingyang looked coldly towards the other side.

"Food can be eaten indiscriminately, but words cannot be spoken carelessly." Dao Jie chuckled leisurely. "It is true that your disciple Qi Hao used the Heavenly Thunder Curse on the Wind and Cloud Platform; it is also true that he harmed the sect's spirit beasts. While Zhang Fengnian's cultivation was crippled and he was expelled from the mountain, he is nonetheless of the same generation as you and I, and counts as a Hengyue Elder. Your disciple beat him half-dead. This crime cannot be denied. If these three grave offenses were to be judged according to the sect rules, do you believe Qi Hao would still have a chance to live?"

"You..." Just as Ge Hong had been that day, Daoist Qingyang was left speechless by Dao Jie's words.

"To say that your disciple is so audacious and reckless, can you honestly claim that you, as his master, bear no responsibility?" Dao Jie's words resonated once more, filled with a sense of lecturing. "As a teacher, the first lesson should be how to conduct oneself, not to become arrogant and overbearing."

"Excellent, bravo!" Among the onlookers, Xiong Er was the most lively, his two plump hands clapping with particular crispness.

Looking back at Daoist Qingyang, his old face flushed instantly at Dao Jie's lecture. To be lectured in such a manner by Dao Jie, who was of the same generation, was a great humiliation indeed. However, Dao Jie's words were reasonable. Could he, as the master, truly shirk responsibility for Qi Hao's arrogance and overbearing nature, which had led to today's great disaster?

Indeed, the master introduces the path, but cultivation depends on the individual. Yet, as a teacher, to cultivate such a disciple was truly something to be looked down upon.

Taking a deep breath, Daoist Qingyang once again suppressed the anger in his heart. He threw a purple storage pouch onto the ground. "Release him."

Ye Chen did not immediately release the person, but instead signaled to Xiong Er below the stage with his eyes.

"Understood." Xiong Er quickly scrambled onto the battle platform, picked up the storage pouch from the ground, and opened it to examine its contents. Then, he nodded towards Ye Chen. "One hundred thousand spirit stones, no more, no less."

"He actually gave them!" The disciples watching below were all shocked. A hundred thousand spirit stones! To them, it was a figure they dared not even contemplate.

"Still not releasing the person?" Daoist Qingyang roared.

"Your disciple still hasn't told me where Senior Zhang Fengnian is," Ye Chen shrugged.

Daoist Qingyang's lungs were about to burst with anger. He immediately sent a spiritual light into the unconscious Qi Hao. With the external force entering his body, Qi Hao slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing Daoist Qingyang, he immediately clung to him as if grasping a life-saving straw. "Master, Master, save me!"

*Crack!*

The enraged Daoist Qingyang immediately waved his sleeve, delivering a resounding slap to Qi Hao from mid-air. "Wicked disciple, where is Zhang Fengnian hidden?"

Qi Hao was momentarily stunned by the slap. When he finally reacted, he mumbled, "In... in the back mountain." After speaking, he fell unconscious again.

"Now can you release him?" Daoist Qingyang's ice-cold eyes shot directly towards Ye Chen.

That day, Ge Hong had become the biggest laughingstock on the Wind and Cloud Platform. As the head of Renyang Peak, he had not held back in watching the spectacle. Now, he was even worse off than Ge Hong, having lost even more face, his humiliation complete. And the spirit stones he had compensated were a hundred times more than Ge Hong's. Returning now, he was sure to face ridicule from the other two peaks.

"Well said, well said." Ye Chen remained unperturbed, still showing no intention of releasing the person. Instead, he again signaled to Xiong Er with his eyes. He was cautious by nature. Qi Hao had said Zhang Fengnian was hidden in the back mountain, but who knew if it was true or false? Who knew if Zhang Fengnian and the little eagle were alive or dead? Before confirming this, it was most prudent to send someone to investigate first.

"Understood." Why say that Xiong Er and Ye Chen had such a tacit understanding? A single glance was enough to convey everything. The fellow waddled his plump body and darted towards the back mountain like a wisp of smoke.

"Elder, do not blame me. It is always best to be cautious." Ye Chen smiled, looking at Daoist Qingyang. "It is best for you to hope that Senior Zhang Fengnian and the others are still alive, otherwise, even a million spirit stones will not be enough to save your disciple's life."

"You had best remember this matter today. In the future, someone will come seeking retribution," Daoist Qingyang's words were completely unconcealed.

"My life is cheap. If you want it, you may take it at any time."

Xiong Er quickly returned, moreover, he materialized a cloud, dragging the unconscious Zhang Fengnian and the little eagle. Seeing that they still had breath, Ye Chen breathed a heavy sigh of relief. However, upon seeing the bloodstains on the bodies of the little eagle and Zhang Fengnian, his eyes were covered with a cold glint.

"Your disciple, take him away!" Perhaps his anger was too great, for Ye Chen directly threw Qi Hao onto the ground. The now unconscious Qi Hao once again spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Even if he were brought back, he would likely be confined to his sickbed for a long time.

"You have truly enraged me." Daoist Qingyang cast one last cold glance at Ye Chen, then flicked his sleeve and took Qi Hao away. Before leaving, he did not forget to retrieve Qi Hao's severed arm and tuck it into his sleeve.

After Daoist Qingyang left, Ye Chen spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed. To have withstood the Heavenly Thunder Curse and survived was already fortunate. That he had been able to stall Daoist Qingyang for so long was entirely due to sheer willpower.

"Ye Chen." Xiong Er had already jumped onto the battle platform and caught the falling Ye Chen.

Today's battle on the Wind and Cloud Platform once again spread throughout the Hengyue Sect. Ye Chen's audacity became the topic of conversation among the Hengyue disciples after their meals. This outer sect disciple had truly become famous. Moreover, many disciples, while discussing, would also cast a glance towards Tianyang Peak.

"It is said that among the three main outer sect peaks, Ye Chen has already provoked two. Will the next one not be Tianyang Peak?"

"Impossible! Although Ye Chen is bold, he has never actively provoked anyone."

"I think so too."

"By the heavens, he withstood the Heavenly Thunder Curse?" When Zhong Laodao, the head of Tianyang Peak, heard the disciple's report, even with his status, he couldn't help but utter a vulgarity.

"Master..."

"Silence, my heart aches." Zhong Laodao clutched his heart fiercely. A genius who could withstand the Heavenly Thunder Curse and not perish! He had actually missed out on him just like that. It would be strange if his heart didn't ache.

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