At the gates of Qiongtian City.

The city guards, yawning and lost in thoughts of last night's sweet comfort, vaguely noticed three figures descending from the azure sky in the distance. Like three eagles, they rapidly grew larger in the guards' pupils before drifting down gently before them and proceeding with an air of casual disregard.

He almost suspected he had seen wrongly, rubbing his eyes. When he looked again, the three were already standing before him. Leading them was a severe-looking youth whose gentle gaze held profound indifference; he swept past the guard without sparing him a glance.

The guard’s body felt momentarily paralyzed. Only after the trio had walked further away did he snap back to his senses, whirling around to look. On the bustling avenue beyond the city gate, there was no trace of the three figures anywhere.

"Is this what they call spiritual civilization?"

On the open-air balcony atop a towering skyscraper, three figures zipped past like swallows. Zhuge Fan surveyed the vibrant city with a touch of surprise, anticipation building as he realized that the ancestors of his own civilization resided here.

Not long after, Ye Chen and the others arrived directly at the City Lord's Mansion in the city center.

The mansion was constructed with imposing grandeur, like a vast, magnificent palace. Outside, several troops, rigid as steel, patrolled. Each soldier was equipped with superior gear—high-concentration thermal beam guns, battle sabers, and costly advanced combat suits—all testifying to the formidable military strength protecting the City Lord's residence.

Standing before the City Lord’s Mansion, Ye Chen noticed a tall stone sculpture beside it. It depicted a commanding middle-aged man whose piercing gaze was like a blade's edge. A blood-red cloak draped his shoulders, and he leaned upon a pure steel battle saber, standing proudly on the pedestal.

The inscription beneath the sculpture identified this man as the City Lord of Qiongtian City.

Ye Chen dialed a number on his communicator. After a few rings, a steady voice, laced with surprise and a hint of oddity, responded, "Ye Chen?"

"Ancestor Fuxi—it’s me. I’m back, inside Qiongtian City," Ye Chen said with a smile.

Silence stretched on the other end of the line before the voice replied, "Wait there; I’ll be right over." The communication then abruptly ended.

Yue Ling stood beside Ye Chen, gazing up at the magnificent structure. A timeless luminescence flickered in her eyes. So many only saw the surface prosperity of these buildings, unaware of how many trees and how much stone had been painstakingly assembled—how much manpower and resources were poured into these palace-like carvings and roof tiles—resources that could have vastly improved the lives of countless people, yet now served only the indulgence of one.

"Class drives human progress..." she mused, sighing inwardly at the ancient adage.

At that moment, a great middle-aged man emerged from within the palace—it was the very City Lord from the sculpture. If anyone else had been passing by, they would have been stunned; for this high-ranking City Lord, immediately after stepping down from his residence, hurried towards Ye Chen and his companions, his face wreathed in smiles. "I just received word from Emperor Fuxi that Lord Ye Di awaits here. I came at once to welcome you. Please, follow me."

Ye Chen nodded slightly.

The imposing man subtly swept his gaze over Zhuge Fan and Yue Ling beside Ye Chen, pausing slightly, momentarily captivated by Yue Ling’s ethereal, peerless beauty, though he displayed no great shock. He courteously ushered the group inside.

As Empress of the Divine Rock Empire, Yue Ling rarely made public appearances; few had ever seen her, so it was natural that the middle-aged man did not recognize her.

Once inside the mansion, Ye Chen realized the interior was even more lavish than the exterior. Observing the City Lord’s overly attentive smile, he stated simply, "No need for ceremony; we won't be staying long."

Noticing Ye Chen’s reluctance to speak further, the City Lord chuckled wryly and waved his hand, signaling the palace maids lining the hall to withdraw.

The group sat in silence. Before long, Ye Chen sensed over a dozen powerful auras radiating from beyond the city walls. Among them, he could easily discern Fuxi, but also the Yellow Emperor, Nuwa, Haotian, Emperor Yao, and others.

Not only were the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors gathered, but there were several other auras he did not recognize, all equally potent, on par with Fuxi’s.

"Great God Pangu has arrived too?" Ye Chen’s brow suddenly arched in surprise. Then, frowning slightly, he moved, stepping out toward the city gates. Almost simultaneously, those dozen figures materialized in the sky above the City Lord’s Mansion.

"Ye Chen!" Haotian called out first upon appearing.

Ye Chen glanced at him and noticed his face was etched with anxiety, his thick brows tightly furrowed with worry and concern.

Ye Chen, sharp of perception, understood the situation instantly. His heart sank slightly, and he frowned. "Ancestors, your joint arrival suggests this is more than just a welcome reception, doesn't it?"

Fuxi, the Yellow Emperor, Nuwa, and the others looked at him with complex expressions. Standing next to them was a man in a blue robe, whose handsomeness was divine, his jet-black hair flowing behind him like a celestial being.

"It is indeed you!" the blue-robed man’s face turned cold as he fixed his gaze on Ye Chen. "How dare you murder True Man of the Ten Pavilions! You, a mere junior, possess such outrageous audacity! Do you return now intending to use the Law Power seized from Old Ten to suppress the spiritual civilization and establish yourself as the leader here?"

Ye Chen’s brow tightened. He scrutinized the man, sensing a formidable aura of violent thunder enveloping him, as if the man himself were a bolt of lightning, his sharpness blinding. Ye Chen frowned. "Are you an Eight-Pavilion True Man from the Realm of Truth?"

"Precisely!" the blue-robed man sneered. "You have some insight. But no matter how much you calculated, you never expected that all ten True Men would be mobilized. On this Luo Tian Divine Land alone, three True Men are stationed. Your scheme to return and mislead Nuwa and the others is doomed to fail!"

Ye Chen stared at him for a long moment before withdrawing his gaze. He said calmly, "I don't know what you are talking about. I returned for two reasons: first, to see if there is anything here that requires my help, and second, to announce my departure. I plan to visit Earth, and I came specifically to inform you."

"Don't think you can wriggle out of it!" The blue-robed man’s eyes were icy. "Do you know the capital crime of betraying a kinsman, slaying a True Man of the Ten Pavilions, and usurping his power? Do you think a single word from you can clear your name?"

"Who told you I killed the True Man of the Ten Pavilions?" Ye Chen glanced at him dismissively.

"Need you ask?" the blue-robed man couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. "Can I not sense the Wind Elemental Origin Law Power within your body? Who else in this world besides Old Ten could possess it?"

"Sensing it is real, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is the truth," Ye Chen replied, glancing at him before turning to Fuxi, Nuwa, and the others. He spoke gravely, "Esteemed Ancestors, there are many twists to this tale. Originally, the True Man of the Ten Pavilions sacrificed himself to save me, then he was gravely wounded by the clone of the Ghost King from the Ghost Realm. Afterward, he shared some of his Wind Origin Law Power with me and asked me to take him to the Snow Domain, where his injuries might slow."

The blue-robed man suddenly gave a cold, scornful laugh. "And then you repaid kindness with treachery, seizing the chance to kill him, didn't you?"

"When a dog interrupts a man speaking," Ye Chen shot him a look, then turned back to Nuwa and the others, stating solemnly, "Later, in the Snow Domain, under extreme duress, I was forced to break through to the God Emperor realm and opened a passage to the Chaos Realm. The Bronze Supreme descended, saw me, claimed I owed him a debt, and forcefully killed the True Man of the Ten Pavilions, transferring all his power to me. That is why I carry the aura of the Wind Elemental Origin Law."

"Are you making up stories?" The blue-robed man sneered, curling his lip. "Do you think I don't know what the Snow Domain is? Its spatial barrier is exceptionally rigid. Forget breaking through to the God Emperor; even reaching the Void Heaven Realm, one would struggle to pierce that barrier. How could you possibly advance?"

"It's possible," Nuwa mused, glancing at Ye Chen. "Ye Chen cultivates the Heavenly Dao Sutra. If he were to break through, it truly might cause the Chaos Realm to react."

The blue-robed man froze for a moment, his brow furrowing. He then turned back to Ye Chen. "Even so, when you encountered the Bronze Supreme, why would he demand repayment from you, and why would he insist on killing Old Ten? Did you beg him to do it?"

Ye Chen let out a cold laugh, looking down on him with disdain. "I have said all I needed to say. Believe it or not, it is up to you! I am explaining this to Ancestor Nuwa, not to you. In my eyes, you do not possess the qualifications to warrant an explanation from me!"

"What!" The blue-robed man stiffened, then erupted in fury, his face livid as he stared at Ye Chen. "Good! Very good!" He abruptly raised his hand, and violent thunder coalesced in his palm into a serpentine beam of light, saturated with destructive energy.

Haotian, Nuwa, and the others turned deathly pale, crying out in unison, "Ancestor, don't!"

The blue-robed man’s face was grim, ignoring their pleas. He slammed his hand downward. The thunder in his palm flashed like a laser beam and then lashed out, crackling furiously.

Everyone present felt a tingling, electric sensation run through their bodies. Given the strength of those present, the effect was noticeable. If an ordinary deity had been standing there, they would have been instantly vaporized into fine bloody mist by the ultra-high voltage coursing through the space.

Ye Chen tilted his head back to the sky. The lightning was like a sharp beam, striking straight down, growing infinitely larger in his pupils. Before it even reached him, the Dragon Steel beneath his feet shattered and cracked. The City Lord inside the mansion shuddered, staggering back several feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face a mask of horror.

"Earth, Wind!"

Ye Chen's gaze suddenly became intensely golden, radiating an irresistible aura like an imposing mountain rising from him, akin to a vast celestial deity. Above his head, a fierce wind instantly roared, tearing the surging thunder into countless scattered streaks of electric light.

Immediately following this, under the gaze of everyone present, the myriad, scattered electric lights—glittering like the scales of deep-sea fish—rushed madly towards the top of Ye Chen's head, fiercely enveloping his entire body.