Ye Zichen led his grand procession of twenty rulers from the south of the city to the eastern gate.
En route, all the ordinary cultivators could sense his group’s overbearing presence.
Everyone who encountered them instinctively stepped aside, then watched their departure from the side of the streets.
“Boss, over here!” Wei Jie pointed at a not particularly large building.
Although it wasn’t overly large, every inch of land here was worth a fortune. This residence, humble as it was, had taken an enormous amount of resources and great pains to purchase. Of course, it wasn’t even remotely comparable to Upheaval’s base down in the Lower Lands, but it was at the very least enough to support the gang’s growth up on the Divine Mountains.
Ye Zichen stopped, then turned to Yang Jian. “Watch my expression. I’ll signal my commands with my eyes.”
The rulers nodded. Ye Zichen took a deep breath, then walked inside.
Since Upheaval had only just barely begun establishing itself on the Northern Divine Mountain, there weren’t many new recruits. Most of those present were ascenders. The new recruits were mostly servants, or earth-supreme-level guards.
When the servants and guards saw Wei Jie, they bowed at the waist.
“Are the guests still inside?” Wei Jie casually asked a servant woman.
She immediately set aside what she was doing and said softly, “Yes, they’re still there.”
Wei Jie waved, indicating that she could get back to work. His eyes met Ye Zichen’s.
The Xiao Family members were up ahead.
To tell the truth, Ye Zichen felt rather uneasy. After all, whatever else you said about them, the Xiao Family was one of the strongest, most influential clans in the God Realm. He’d always thought of the Xiao Family as a stepping stone on his path to power, but he’d always thought he’d establish Upheaval first, then deal with them.
The Xiao Family’s sudden appearance disrupted Ye Zichen’s plans.
He now had to meet them head-on!
“Wait for me outside. Wait for my signal.” Ye Zichen twisted his neck, then went inside. As soon as he did, he saw a group of around two hundred people. All of them had made themselves completely at home. There weren’t enough chairs for everyone, so only the higher-ups could sit. Those standing to the sidelines were all ordinary clansmen.
An aged figure sat in the chair in the center of the room. His face was covered in wrinkles, and he held a steaming cup of tea.
As soon as Ye Zichen stepped inside, he attracted everyone’s attention. The elder set down his tea, then gazed appraisingly at Ye Zichen. He seemed to be thinking something, or perhaps recalling something.
After a while, his expression shifted dramatically. The old man looked at Ye Zichen. “You are….”
“Interesting,” laughed Ye Zichen. “You came here looking for me, didn’t you? But now that I’m here, you don’t even recognize me?”
“So, you’re Ye Zichen?”
“None other.” Ye Zichen nodded. “Might I ask your name, and why you’ve led so many people here?”
“This is the leader of our Xiao Family, the Master of Tribulation Lightning, the Lightning Emperor, Xiao Ting! How dare you not bow upon seeing our emperor?” said a youth.
Despite the youth’s rebuke, Ye Zichen’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He smiled faintly at the seated elder. Although he looked calm, his heart was in turmoil.
It was him!
It was this old man who’d stopped him from entering the God Realm all those years ago.
During his lightning tribulation, it was this old man who’d artificially increased his tribulation, almost killing him. It was because of this old man that Su Yiyun died.
Now, they’d finally met in person.
Internally, Ye Zichen’s heart was pounding and his chest was heaving, but on the outside…. “So, you’re the master of tribulation lightning. I’ve been longing to meet you.”
“Aren’t I the same? I hadn’t thought that, despite all my efforts, you still made your way up here,” said Xiao Ting.
“Speak. Why are you here? Could it be that you’re planning to ‘fix your mistake’ of letting me ascend?” Ye Zichen laughed. “Are you planning to make up for it now and kill me here?”
“I considered it,” said Xiao Ting. “But that’s not why I’m here today.”
“Oh?”
“I heard my worthless son ran all the way over here. Give him to me. If you do, I’ll take him and be on my way.”
“You must be joking, Emperor,” laughed Ye Zichen. “You say your son is here? That’s your heir! Even if you’re looking for an excuse to visit me, shouldn’t you come up with something more reasonable?”
“So, you refuse to give him up?”
“I don’t have him in the first place, so how can I give him to you?” Ye Zichen laughed amiably. “Are you trying to make trouble for me?”
Xiao Ting’s expression contorted continuously, and his lightning-like aura billowed outward. His intense, oppressive gaze pierced into Ye Zichen, and he let out a sinister grin. “It seems that letting you ascend was indeed a mistake on our Xiao Family’s part. Since you refuse to give up my son, well, I can’t return home empty-handed…. You…. are coming with me!”
Whoosh!
The Xiao Family members gathered around him, their expressions fierce.
Ye Zichen’s expression was as flat as ever. He stood in their center, taking in their ferocity. He turned to Xiao Ting and chuckled. “Emperor, what do you mean by this?” “Please, do me the honor of accompanying me to my residence for a few days,” said Xiao Ting.
“But we’re not friends, or even acquaintances,” laughed Ye Zichen.
“That doesn’t matter. We can get to know each other over the next few days. After all, my Lightning Emperor’s Estate is quite hospitable. Besides, I’ve stayed at your place for a while now; it’s only fair that I return the favor and invite you to stay at my place in turn.”
“I’m afraid I can’t refuse,” said Ye Zichen. He shrugged helplessly, but he was still smiling.
A hint of admiration flashed through Xiao Ting’s eyes. Shockingly, he smiled too. “No wonder you were able to cause so much trouble for the Xiao Family so shortly after ascending. Quite a few of our clansmen have died at your hands, huh?”
“Who asked them to try and trample all over me? Was I just supposed to take it?”
“Oh no, of course not.” Xiao Ting laughed inexplicably, then glanced meaningfully at his followers. “But this time, I’m the one who’s going to trample all over you…”
“Naturally, I still refuse to take it,” laughed Ye Zichen.
“Is that so?”
“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try it?”
Xiao Ting didn’t respond. Instead, he gestured to his followers.
Ye Zichen no longer hesitated. He clapped and called out, “Come on in, everyone.”
Instantly, Yang Jian, Pu Jingwan, and the twenty rulers appeared inside. Their twenty-plus ruler auras filled the air. The Xiao Family members were instantly visibly terrified.
Those closest to Ye Zichen retreated instinctively. Pu Jingwan and Yang Jian took their usual places directly beside Ye Zichen.
At the same time, Ye Zichen shrugged and laughed calmly, “I don’t particularly enjoy visiting others’ homes. How about… you stay here with me, instead? We can take our time and get to know each other.”
