Chapter 504: Dumbfounded

"How dare you commit violence in my Jiang Clan!" Jiang Yi-chen shouted, his eyes flashing with malice.

"Slap!"

Jiang Huai-ren was certainly no benevolent person. He swung his large palm and delivered a "five-finger mountain" slap, landing it squarely on Jiang Yi-chen's still somewhat handsome and fair face.

"You dare speak to your elder brother like that? Since you saw me, you haven't said a single polite word. Do you really want to kill me?" As Jiang Huai-ren, acting as the "bad guy," spoke, he delivered another powerful slap. "Am I bold?" he continued. "How can I compare to you? You even dare to forcibly seize a Divine Emperor's exclusive sacred artifact. Have you forgotten your own surname? Is that something you can even lay a finger on?"

"You bastard! You were kicked out of my Jiang Clan, and now you dare to attack me? Just you wait, someone will pull out your tendons soon!"

Jiang Yi-chen raged, his face turning ashen. This was a vital area of the Jiang family, on his own island. How could such a thing ever happen here? Who would dare treat him like this?

"Slap!"

Jiang Huai-ren's response was just another powerful, sweeping slap, which landed heavily. He said, "Not calling me 'elder cousin' is such a rebellious act. I could kill you without a problem."

"Clang!"

Not far away, those few elders finally rang the Heavenly Sound Bell. Any expert in this region who heard it had to rush over; this was an alarm sounded only when something unexpected happened.

"You really dared to ring the Heavenly Sound Bell..." Jiang Huai-ren immediately smiled. He took out the Divine Wood Token and held it in his hand, using it to strike Jiang Yi-chen.

"Slap!" "Slap!..."

Jiang Huai-ren struck quite mercilessly. In just a few blows, he nearly pulped Jiang Yi-chen's mouth. His jaw was already fractured and hung loosely.

"You reckless fool! Hand over the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron!"

"You... Fine, you just wait!" Jiang Yi-chen remained defiant, uttering these slurred and unclear words.

Not far away, the expressions of those few elders turned awkward. They wanted to step forward and stop him, but seeing the Divine Wood Token, they were helpless. They had naturally heard about Jiang Yi's impending return.

That was a ruthless master. He was closely allied with twelve other great bandits, meaning provoking one would bring out thirteen. He also possessed the ancient Sky-Swallowing Demonic Pot and had the terrifying "Old Undying One" by his side, daring to challenge even the sacred lands.

"Do you want to die? If you don't hand over the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron, I'll kill you today!" Jiang Huai-ren spoke fiercely, his gaze turning sharp.

"Slap!"

"Hey, 'Bad Guy'," Liu Kou said from beside him, "seeing how much fun you're having, why don't you let me try a couple of slaps too?"

The Big Black Dog also stood up on its hind legs, showing off its brand new tiger-skin shorts, and rubbed its two paw-sized claws together. It said, "How about His Majesty gets a couple of slaps in too? I love slapping contemptible faces! Anyone who dares to snatch a sacred artifact from His Majesty must have a death wish!"

It accidentally blurted out its true thoughts. This was its innate tendency and bad habit of seizing treasures whenever it saw them. It had always coveted the Source Root of Myriad Things Mother Qi, constantly thinking about getting it into its own hands.

"Don't even hope for it. This is a sacred artifact of my Jiang Clan. Give up completely!" Jiang Yi-chen was unyielding. Even though his nose and mouth were bleeding from the beating, he still gritted his teeth.

He believed Jiang Huai-ren wouldn't dare kill him. Not to mention mere superficial injuries, even if he broke an arm or lost a leg, the Jiang Clan had spirit medicines that could heal them.

As long as he endured and waited for the Jiang Clan experts to arrive, he could wipe out everyone in front of him. Thus, he became even more vicious, refusing to hand over the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron no matter what.

"You're still defiant? Still gritting your teeth? I'll make your teeth fly out! Let's see how you grit your teeth then!" Jiang Huai-ren slapped him again.

"Pfft!"

Jiang Yi-chen immediately spat out half his teeth. His face was disfigured. The intense pain made him groan, but he still stubbornly refused to beg for mercy.

"How dare you!" An angry roar came from the sky.

"You must have eaten the guts of an immortal! To act so wildly within my Jiang family. Even if you were the Heavenly King, you'll be turned to ashes today!" A middle-aged man descended, with thick, long black hair that almost reached his knees.

His gaze was like a sharp blade, as if it could cut through one's soul. It was incredibly piercing and terrifying.

"Eighth Uncle, quickly help me kill them!" Jiang Yi-chen shouted, spitting out a few more teeth at the same time.

After the Heavenly Sound Bell rang, seventy to eighty people arrived in an instant. The leader was the middle-aged man with hair reaching his knees, whose expression was exceptionally stern.

After all, it wasn't the main bell of the Jiang family's vital core, so it couldn't alarm everyone. It only disturbed the adjacent divine islands, and these people rushed over.

Those adjacent to Jiang Yi-chen were naturally his direct blood relatives, closely related to him by blood.

"Eighth Uncle," Tingting also called out in a clear voice.

"What's going on?" The long-haired man stared intently, asking little Tingting.

"Brother Yi-chen borrowed my Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron and won't return it," Tingting explained. "We came to ask for it back, and he even wanted to have us killed."

The long-haired man's eyes immediately turned cold. He saw the Divine Wood Token in Jiang Huai-ren's hand, and found the situation very tricky.

"Stop it, right now!" he shouted sternly, reaching out with a large hand to grab them.

Jiang Huai-ren was indeed full of character. Seeing seventy to eighty people surround him, he swung the Divine Wood Token with even more gusto, muttering incessantly.

"Disrespecting elders! Wanting to kill your elder brother! Family law will serve you! An elder brother is like a father! I'll teach you a lesson!"

"Slap!" "Slap!" "Slap!..."

"You brat..." The long-haired middle-aged man's face was as dark as water. As he reached out his large hand, he found Jiang Huai-ren holding the Divine Wood Token in front of him, shaking it at him.

"Eighth Uncle, kill them! I'll take responsibility for all consequences!" Jiang Yi-chen shouted.

"Who do you think you are?" Jiang Huai-ren continued his fierce beating. "You'll take responsibility? Do you want to rebel against the Jiang family? You dare disrespect even the Ancestor's Divine Wood Token?"

"Enough, you are too arrogant!" Another cold snort was heard. A grey-haired middle-aged man descended, tall and extremely dignified.

"First Uncle, quickly kill them!" Jiang Yi-chen shouted. "This bastard and these bandits dare to act wildly in our Jiang family, trying to seize our Jiang Clan's sacred artifact. They cannot be allowed to leave alive!"

"Hmph!"

The grey-haired middle-aged man's eyes were icy cold. He stared at Ye Fan and the others, his murderous intent fully exposed. Even Jiang Huai-ren was enveloped, feeling a chilling coldness.

"Whoosh!"

He pointed with a finger, and a beam of light shot out, instantly pulling Jiang Yi-chen to his side. Then, murderous aura permeated the air, locking onto Ye Fan and the others.

"First Uncle, quickly attack! Don't let anyone escape!" Jiang Yi-chen, now rescued, was utterly enraged, glaring fiercely at everyone.

"So young, yet so overbearing," the grey-haired man said chillingly. "Even if you have extraordinary backgrounds, you should not act here in my Jiang family."

He ignored Jiang Huai-ren, who held the Divine Wood Token. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Ye Fan and the others. Formless murderous intent emanated from his body, striking forward.

"Clang!"

The golden lake in Ye Fan's glabella transformed into a majestic and solemn figure, seated cross-legged in the void like an immortal spirit, striking forward.

"Boom!"

Heaven and Earth violently stirred. Ye Fan's spiritual sense, surpassing his own cultivation realm, collided with the grey-haired man's murderous intent, emitting a deafening roar. To everyone's surprise, it didn't fall into a disadvantage.

"First Uncle, do you want to kill us?" Tingting stepped forward, her white robes fluttering like a flawless little fairy, blocking the path.

"Tingting, move aside," the grey-haired man said in a deep voice. "This concerns the dignity of our family. Not killing them would be a disgrace we couldn't wash away."

"Damn it!" The Big Black Dog bared its fangs. "I knew it. Jiang Yi-chen isn't bold enough; he couldn't keep a Divine Emperor's sacred artifact by himself. It seems someone is indeed supporting him from behind. You must be one of them, right?"

Ye Fan looked at him calmly, saying, "You attack without asking for the reason. Do you think you can claim the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron for yourself like this?"

"Youngster, don't try to pin accusations on me!" the grey-haired man snorted coldly. "You were the ones acting wildly first. I'm merely acting because of that."

"I can tell you, the Peerless Divine King will not die," Ye Fan said. "Sooner or later, he will return. You'd better not go too far!" Ye Fan felt the chilling murderous intent from the other side, and his heart immediately skipped a beat.

The chessboard array pattern appeared. The Big Black Dog clamored, "Damn it, you want to kill me? Dream on! If you've got the guts, stay in the Jiang family forever. Otherwise, if you step outside, His Majesty will wipe you all out."

This was a corner of an ancient Great Emperor's array pattern, completely unafraid of being forcibly interrupted. It had enough confidence, saying, "Your decision today concerns the future of the Jiang Clan."

Everyone around them changed color. They were not the highest echelons of the Jiang family, but they were well aware of many external matters.

A contemporary Saint was very close to these people, as many knew. They truly dared not resort to killing blows, otherwise, it could lead to great disaster.

The chessboard array pattern flickered. Ye Fan and the others' lives were not in danger. They could cross over and leave at any time, coldly observing the grey-robed man and the others.

"It's fine, kill them!" Jiang Yi-chen, emboldened, gritted his teeth, wanting to eliminate Ye Fan and the others in one go.

The grey-robed man also harbored murderous intent, but he was discerning. He naturally understood the terror of the chessboard array pattern; if the other party wanted to leave, they absolutely couldn't be stopped.

"Hmph!"

A heavy cold snort was heard. An old voice came down, saying, "What's going on?"

Tingting immediately showed joy, saying, "Ninth Grandfather, Brother Yi-chen borrowed the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron and won't return it to me. He even tried to have us killed."

"Little girl, don't talk nonsense!" Jiang Yi-chen's expression was icy.

"How audacious!" A green-robed old man descended, with white hair and a white beard, as fierce and powerful as an old lion. He was a descendant of the Peerless Divine King, and in the past, he had often looked after Tingting.

"Ninth Master..." Jiang Yi-chen seemed a bit intimidated. The grey-haired middle-aged man next to him also felt uneasy.

"You've really become something, haven't you?" the old man roared. "The Divine King Ancestor has only just dared to disappear, and you already dare to act like this!"

"Ninth Master," Jiang Yi-chen argued, "that Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron had already become a sacred artifact of my Jiang Clan. Tingting kept it improperly, and it was seized by these few people, so I temporarily took it into my custody."

"That was something Brother Ye Fan lent to Tingting," Tingting said earnestly. "It was not given to our Jiang family. It was agreed long ago that it would be retrieved one day."

"You can't say that!" Jiang Yi-chen said, glancing at little Tingting. "How can something given away be taken back? This is already a sacred artifact of my Jiang family. Tingting, you are still young, this doesn't concern you, don't say anything more!"

"Indeed, the ownership of this sacred artifact is still debatable," the grey-robed man said, nodding. "A hasty decision cannot be made, to prevent it from being seized by others."

Ye Fan felt indignant. Sure enough, a faction within the Jiang family wanted to seize the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron. It wasn't as simple as just Jiang Yi-chen. He knew the trouble was great.

It was clearly his item, and it had been made very clear in the past. Yet, now in front of him, they were saying such things. With every mention of "seizing," he was being painted as the "thief" with ill intentions.

"You lot are truly becoming more 'promising'..." The majestic old man, like an old lion, suddenly roared loudly, saying, "Quickly bring me the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron! If you dare to make a spectacle again, I'll kill you immediately!"

"But... it's already a sacred artifact of my Jiang Clan," Jiang Yi-chen and the grey-haired middle-aged man said, unwilling to give up. They wanted to say more, but upon seeing the old man's sharp gaze, they immediately stopped speaking.

"Ninth Master, the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron isn't here," Jiang Yi-chen suddenly said. "It's with Thirteenth Master; he's been playing with it recently."

"Old Thirteenth, get over here and bring the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron!" the old man roared, his voice carrying for hundreds of miles. Although the Jiang Clan territory was vast and boundless, his voice reached over half of its domain, and many people heard it.

Soon, many elders appeared, descending onto the divine island. They had all been alarmed.

Thirteenth Master didn't come, but a supreme mighty figure appeared: Jiang Yi-chen's grandfather had arrived in person.

"Grandfather..." Jiang Yi-chen immediately went to greet him.

"What happened to your face?" asked a gaunt old man with yellowish hair, whose vitality and spirit were terrifyingly powerful, manifesting as tangible light emanating from his body.

"They acted presumptuously in our Jiang family's vital area, treating our clan as nothing! Grandfather, you must kill them!" Jiang Yi-chen gazed icily at Ye Fan, Jiang Huai-ren, and the others.

The old man gazed over coldly, his eyes daunting, sweeping over Ye Fan, Li Heishui, and the others.

However, Ye Fan and the Black Dog were not afraid. At worst, they could just leave. Possessing a corner of an ancient Great Emperor's array pattern had become their greatest reliance.

"Sixth Brother, are you really going to protect them?" Ninth Master spoke, his expression solemn, his beard and hair bristling like an enraged lion. He said, "Do you know what they're doing? Or rather, do you already know and intend to condone them?"

"Oh, what did they do?" Jiang Yi-chen's grandfather asked.

Suddenly, a long whistle echoed. A figure shot forth like lightning, incredibly fast, reaching them in the blink of an eye, and landed on the divine island.

"Grandfather..." Jiang Huai-ren was overjoyed.

The famous Great Marauder of the Northern Region had arrived. He was definitely a formidable character. Having roamed freely for many years, he had the backing of twelve even more ruthless individuals. Even Jiang family ancestors were now persuading him to return, clearly holding him in high regard.

Jiang Yi strode forward and shouted, "Useless brats, all you do is cause trouble!"

At first, people thought he was scolding Jiang Huai-ren. But instead, he walked straight up to Jiang Yi-chen and the grey-haired middle-aged man, and swung his large palm down.

"Slap!" "Slap!" "Slap!..."

He immediately started delivering a barrage of slaps without a word. Everyone was dumbfounded, including supreme mighty figures like Ninth Master and Jiang Yi-chen's grandfather. They had never expected him to act like this.

"Damn it, this is too much favoritism!" Many rolled their eyes. "He just started beating others the moment he arrived. People even thought he was going to hit his own grandson."

They had seen people who were protective of their own, but never anyone so protective. Everyone was speechless.

Jiang Yi-chen and the grey-haired middle-aged man were utterly stunned by the beating. They received a string of slaps one after another, unable to dodge, with blood gushing from their mouths and noses.

"You little beast! I've already warned you! Don't bully Tingting again! That beating I gave you last time in the Divine City clearly didn't teach you a lesson. This time, I'll beat you within an inch of your life!"

Jiang Yi was very overbearing, continuously slapping them even in front of Jiang Yi-chen's grandfather.

"And you!" Jiang Yi said, slapping the grey-haired middle-aged man as well. "You're over a hundred years old! Did you live all those years for nothing?"

Everyone was dumbfounded. This Great Marauder grandfather was too incredible. In front of supreme mighty figures, he just slapped his grandson and eldest son like that, truly showing no mercy.

"I'm floored," Liu Kou, Li Heishui, and the others said, feeling a bit lightheaded. "Jiang Huai-ren, your grandfather is truly fierce! He's a true role model for our generation!"

Even Ye Fan and the Black Dog were stunned. This Great Marauder grandfather was too formidable; how could he dare to act like this?