Chapter Nine - The Guardian of the Eternal Flame

"Report! Your Majesty, the Guardian of the Eternal Flame requests an audience!"

Outside the Imperial Palace of the Ye Nation, a voice echoed.

"The Guardian of the Eternal Flame? What does he want?"

Inside the magnificent palace, a man exuding imperial authority sat on the dragon throne.

His demeanor alone conveyed a majestic aura that compelled people to kneel in submission. The man seated on the throne was none other than the Emperor of the Ye Nation!

He could command respect with just a glance, and even those in the Royal Duke realm would feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from him.

"Speak!"

Without changing his expression, the Emperor could make people feel the power emanating from him. His eyes alone carried the weight of his immense authority.

"Your Majesty! Duke of the Eternal Flame... Duke Yesu... he..."

"Duke Yesu? What happened to Duke Yesu?"

The Emperor recalled that Yesu was the one assigned to monitor Ye Hao.

"Duke Yesu... his Eternal Flame has extinguished!"

"What?!"

Hearing this, the Emperor's expression changed abruptly. The extinguishing of the Eternal Flame meant the death of a high-level martial artist. For the Emperor, losing even one member of the royal family was a significant matter, as they were scarce.

Yesu was only assigned to watch over Ye Hao. How could he have lost his life?

"How did Duke Yesu die?"

The Emperor's face revealed intense anger. The death of a Duke was a grave matter, and the circumstances needed to be thoroughly investigated. It was an affront to the royal family.

"I... I don't know..."

The Guardian of the Eternal Flame answered in a trembling voice. He understood that the Emperor was on the verge of erupting. The death of a Duke was a major event for the royal family.

Swoosh!

Immediately after, the Emperor paid no further attention to the Guardian of the Eternal Flame. In a flash, he disappeared from the palace and reappeared in the temple.

Among the flickering lights of numerous Eternal Flames, the one that represented Yesu's soul stood out prominently.

Exhale!

The Emperor's hand reached out to grab Yesu's Eternal Flame, and a divine light appeared on the flame.

After a long time, the Emperor's voice turned cold.

"Divine Heaven Sect! Lin Xuan!"

Boom!

Upon receiving this news, the Emperor's aura erupted. His figure disappeared from the temple, leaving behind a radiant silhouette. In just a breath, that figure had arrived thousands of miles away.

"It's the Emperor... it's the Emperor! What's happening?"

The powerful individuals among the royal family noticed the commotion. The fact that the Emperor was using such a vast amount of spiritual power implied that something significant had occurred.

Even this small detail made them aware that the Emperor was furious.

Back at the Divine Heaven Sect, Lin Xuan, Ye Hao, and the other elders were still processing the aftermath of the confrontation with the Duke of the Ye Nation.

Lin Xuan, sensing the unrest, declared to the Sect Master, Shen Wufeng, "Sect Master, I intend to leave the Divine Heaven Sect. Please allow it."

His intention was clear – to avoid implicating the sect in the conflicts with the royal family. Lin Xuan understood the potential consequences of challenging the powerful Ye Nation royal family.

Instead of responding to the other elders, Lin Xuan looked at the Sect Master, who then stood up. Shen Wufeng's demeanor was calm, and he spoke slowly, "Elder Lin, if you can protect one disciple, surely, I, as the Sect Master, can protect one elder."

This simple sentence revealed Shen Wufeng's unwavering stance. He wouldn't allow Lin Xuan to leave the sect because of conflicts with the Ye Nation royal family. The Divine Heaven Sect wouldn't yield to such external pressures.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, thunderous roars echoed in the sky, and the entire void changed color. The once pristine sky now bore the fiery hues of burning clouds. The fury of a powerful being was descending!

Following the roars, a voice resounded through the sky:

"Shen Wufeng, you must explain this matter!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it sent a chilling sensation through everyone's hearts.

一 supreme might instantly blanketed the surrounding void, and then, a figure exuding a domineering aura appeared in the emptiness!

"Emperor Ye!"

How could Shen Wufeng not recognize this figure? A person with such power, capable of demonstrating such might with a mere gesture, could only be a person-king realm expert, and in this realm, it could only be Emperor Ye!

"Shen Wufeng, you must explain this matter!"

Emperor Ye reiterated his demand.

Natural pressure emanated from Emperor Ye's body, causing everyone present to remain silent. Even Shen Wufeng, the Sect Master, could feel the pressure, although it was subtle.

"I wonder what brings Emperor Ye to our sect?"

Shen Wufeng feigned surprise.

To act ignorant in front of a person-king realm expert, Shen Wufeng was probably the first to attempt such a bold move. Only he dared to do so.

Of course, he couldn't directly admit that their Divine Heaven Sect killed the Duke from the Ye Nation. Doing so would mean surrendering the initiative to Emperor Ye.

"Shen Wufeng, my Duke from the Ye Nation died in your Divine Heaven Sect. Do you think I am unaware? How do you explain this?"

Emperor Ye's voice turned cold.

Given his status as a person-king realm expert, Shen Wufeng would have liked nothing more than to slap him dead with a single palm. But he restrained himself.

"Oh? In our Divine Heaven Sect, a weak Duke indeed died just now. However, I have never heard of any Duke from the Ye Nation. My apologies, Emperor Ye!"

Shen Wufeng continued with such words.

Lin Xuan remained silent. If the Sect Master said he could handle it, then Lin Xuan wouldn't interfere. If there really was no other way, even if he had to burn the power of the supreme immortal bone, he would repel Emperor Ye.

After Shen Wufeng spoke these words, Emperor Ye's expression noticeably changed.

In front of him, Shen Wufeng acted as if he didn't know. Shen Wufeng "acted surprised," and he was probably the only one who dared to do so.

Naturally, he couldn't directly admit that their Divine Heaven Sect killed the Duke without a reason. Otherwise, Emperor Ye would have the upper hand.

"Shen Wufeng, I'll ask you one last time. Your Lin Xuan from the Divine Heaven Sect killed my Duke from the Ye Nation. Do you think I'm unaware? How do you explain this?"

Having said that, he released his pressure slightly, almost on the verge of eruption.

Emperor Ye's consciousness swept out. He quickly noticed the young man behind Lin Xuan, none other than Ye Hao!

His mental energy subtly operated, and based on this information, he easily guessed what had happened here. Being a person-king realm expert, he was quick to figure out the details.

His eyes grew cold as he looked at Lin Xuan. A surge of endless pressure was directed towards Lin Xuan.

"Do you know that meddling in the internal affairs of my Ye royal family is something you cannot afford?!"

His gaze also swept over Shen Wufeng, unconsciously thinking that a mere early-stage Duke would not be able to kill Ye Yesu. It was almost impossible. He instinctively believed that Shen Wufeng had a hand in it.

These words were for Lin Xuan, but in reality, it was also a warning to Shen Wufeng.

"Foolish! Disturbing the internal affairs of my royal family will be punished! Harming a Duke of my royal family will be met with death!"

Today, even challenging the Ye Nation royal family by taking Ye Hao as a disciple could lead to Lin Xuan's death sentence. Lin Xuan had already angered Emperor Ye.

"For a long time, I haven't made a move. Some people seem to have forgotten who I, Emperor Ye, am."

Emperor Ye pondered for a moment.

He didn't want to kill only Lin Xuan. Instead, he wanted to use Lin Xuan as a tool to threaten Shen Wufeng and others. Divine Heaven Sect had refused to sell Ye Hao to Emperor Ye, which angered him further.

Subsequently, the boundless spiritual power gathered in Emperor Ye's hand. His gaze became slightly cold, and an overwhelming pressure surged toward Lin Xuan.

However...

A voice suddenly shouted, "What he said is correct. The disciples entering our Divine Heaven Sect are our affairs. Whether or not it concerns your Ye Nation royal family is not our concern. But when it comes to the matter of taking disciples, it is entirely the affair of our Divine Heaven Sect!"

They've gone mad!

Outside the Divine Heaven Sect, after Shen Wufeng spoke these words, everyone held their breath. Every cell in their bodies trembled. Previously, when Lin Xuan killed the Ye Nation royal family's elder, they thought that was mad enough. Now, in front of Emperor Ye, Lin Xuan and Shen Wufeng dared to speak so boldly.

Aren't they afraid of Emperor Ye's wrath?

That's a person-king realm expert!

Lin Xuan, just entered the Duke realm, is young and audacious. But Shen Wufeng also spoke like this?

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