Chapter 1404: Nine Yang Immortal Iron

The ancient city at night was even more bustling than during the day. This was mainly because so many people were heading to Lian Yu to gather intelligence, and this city was the closest one to Lian Yu, serving as a hub for using the teleportation arrays.

Inside the city, things were lively, and the Yang Jia mansion was no exception. They had sent out many powerful experts to scout for news. Upon their return, they gathered in the grand hall, speculating back and forth.

In the void space, Ye Chen proceeded with extreme caution. The Yang Jia's restrictions were simply too numerous and incredibly profound, subtle and hard to detect. If not for his Xian Yan, he would likely have triggered them.

Beyond that, there were many patrolling cultivators, each led by a Zhun Sheng, with one or two Sheng Ren flying through the skies, occasionally pausing to scan the area below.

Ye Chen wasn't surprised by this. After all, the family hid Jiuyang Xian Tie within, and they couldn't afford to be careless. It was a priceless treasure and couldn't be allowed to be stolen.

After half an hour, Ye Chen finally stopped at the base of a mountain peak. His Xian Yan narrowed slightly as he stared into the depths of the mountain, where an underground palace lay, covered in intricate restrictions.

"Damn!"

"Damn!"

The two expletives burst out almost simultaneously from Qi Wang and Ye Chen. Ye Chen's eyes gleamed with excitement, and Qi Wang was staring with fiery donkey eyes, drool practically dripping out.

It wasn't without reason—they were reacting to the massive piece of Jiuyang Xian Tie sealed in the underground palace. It was shockingly large. Even great masters with divine abilities might search for centuries and only find a piece the size of a fist. Yet the one in the Yang Jia's underground palace was as big as a wine jar.

"I told you, my left eyelid's been twitching lately." Qi Wang grinned and swallowed hard. "If we sold this, who knows how many old timers would go crazy for it."

"The little Yang Jia actually has such a foundation—it's quite a surprise." Ye Chen clicked his tongue in amazement. He wasn't unfamiliar with Xian Tie, but a chunk this big was a first for him.

"From the looks on your faces, that Jiuyang Xian Tie's pretty substantial." Xu Nuo Yan chuckled.

"More than substantial—it's downright intimidating." Ye Chen said as he slipped into a space black hole. With such a large piece of Jiuyang Xian Tie, the Yang Jia had it under heavy guard, and even he wasn't confident about breaking through the restrictions. He might be detected before even getting inside.

That's why he chose to use the black hole to bypass them. As long as he calculated the direction and position correctly, even the most profound restrictions were just decorations to him.

In just over ten breaths, he emerged from the space black hole and appeared in the vast underground palace.

The palace was spacious, lit by ancient stone lamps, with numerous copper pillars standing tall. At its center was a massive altar, and the wine-jar-sized Jiuyang Xian Tie hung suspended above it.

Ye Chen darted straight to the altar, rubbing his hands as he circled around it.

True to its name, Jiuyang Xian Tie was extremely rigid and yang, radiating brilliant divine light with streams of golden qi flowing out, each one intensely hot and oppressively heavy.

The Hun Luan Shen Ding trembled violently, trying several times to burst out of his divine sea, but Ye Chen forced it back each time.

Qi Wang was even more agitated than the ding, jumping up and down. "Hurry up, don't waste time."

Without needing to be told, Ye Chen got to work. He pulled out an extra-large Qian Kun storage bag and stuffed the Jiuyang Xian Tie inside with one hand, then turned and dove back into the space black hole.

The moment he left, the entire underground palace shook violently, rumbling loudly, causing the mountain above to tremble. The various restrictions activated on their own, exuding an aura of desolation and decay, cold and lifeless.

"Who is it?" A roar echoed instantly as the Yang Jia's Zhun Sheng kings were alerted. The experts who had been discussing in the grand hall swarmed out, figures appearing from all directions.

However, when they rushed into the underground palace, they found no one in sight. Strangely, the Jiuyang Xian Tie that had been hanging on the altar was gone, without a trace of its aura left.

"Who did this?" A Yang Jia Zhun Sheng king erupted in fury. Such a world-shaking treasure had vanished right under their noses, and they hadn't noticed a thing from start to finish.

"Activate the barrier and seal off the entire ancient city. Search every inch for me!" Another Zhun Sheng king thundered in anger. They suspected it was an inside job, someone from the family. As long as the thief hadn't left the city, there was still hope.

In an instant, a massive array barrier rose, enveloping the entire vast ancient city. All the Yang Jia experts mobilized, whether Zhun Sheng or Sheng Ren, taking to the skies.

From above, the sky was filled with dark masses of figures, practically blotting out the sun. They split into two groups: one scouring the city, the other searching the mansion, creating a tremendous commotion.

Soon, booming sounds erupted in the city. The enraged Yang Jia had lost all reason, stopping anyone they saw and forcibly searching them, which provoked people they shouldn't have.

After all, many of those coming to this ancient city to use the teleportation arrays and gather intelligence from Lian Yu belonged to major forces or were powerful individuals. Being intercepted and searched by the Yang Jia was intolerable, and conflicts quickly escalated.

After a series of clashes, the Yang Jia suffered heavy losses. Many of their people were killed, including two Zhun Sheng kings who were nearly finished off, while the remaining one was too scared to show his face.

The casualties were bad enough, but what was even more absurd was that after searching everywhere, they didn't find the Jiuyang Xian Tie—instead, they realized their own family godson was missing. Not only that, but the bride he had just married that day had also vanished without a trace.

The Yang Jia Zhun Sheng kings were spitting blood in rage. The Jiuyang Xian Tie was gone, the godson was gone, and the family had suffered devastating losses. It was a truly tragic night for the mighty Yang Jia, leaving them severely weakened.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen, who had made off with the Jiuyang Xian Tie and the Yang Jia godson, had already escaped to the clouds above.

It wasn't until he reached a stretch of mountains thirty thousand li away that he descended and slipped into the depths of the mountain range.

The moment he landed, Qi Wang darted out, hopping around on his four donkey hooves. "Quick, I can't wait any longer. After all these years, we've finally pulled off a big heist."

"I love that look on you." Ye Chen glanced at him but was more cautious himself, first setting up a barrier before taking out the Jiuyang Xian Tie. "Good stuff—share and share alike."

"I'll pass; I didn't contribute." Xu Nuo Yan smiled and waved her hand. "Besides, my Dao root is yin-based, and something this purely yang and rigid doesn't benefit me much."

"What a shame." Ye Chen grinned and waved his hand, scattering a pile of precious treasures. "If you don't want the Jiuyang Xian Tie, pick from these. They're all top-grade items."

"This... I can do." Xu Nuo Yan chuckled and didn't hold back.

"With her out, we split it." Ye Chen suddenly raised his hand and cleaved the Jiuyang Xian Tie in half with a palm strike. Before he could even reach for it, Qi Wang snatched up one half.

"We're rich—this time, we're really rich." That guy zipped around chaotically, yelling nonstop.

"I really do admire you." Ye Chen shot him a glance, but when he turned back, the other half was gone, absorbed by the Hun Luan Shen Ding, which had swallowed it straight into itself.

"I admire you too." Ye Chen rubbed his forehead hard. His own natal artifact was getting more independent by the day, not even bothering to ask before devouring the valuable stuff.

Over on the other side, Xu Nuo Yan had already selected her treasures and returned the rest to Ye Chen. She then turned a cold gaze toward the dazed Yang Jia godson. "What do we do with this demon?"

"Calling him a demon suggests quite the grudge between you two." Ye Chen smiled.

"It's not just me—countless people and families have grudges against him." Xu Nuo Yan snorted coldly. "He cultivates an extremely vicious technique that involves devouring the virgin essence of women. Over the years, the number of victims he's claimed is beyond count."

"Looks like I showed up at the right time tonight." Ye Chen took a deep breath. "Otherwise, you might have joined their ranks. I wonder if any of those tormented women have reincarnated."

"Then kill him." Xu Nuo Yan raised her sword abruptly, intent on executing this world-plaguing demon.

"He still has value; let him live a bit longer." Ye Chen waved his hand to stop Xu Nuo Yan.

As he spoke, his sacred body suddenly trembled, and his figure staggered slightly. A strange power began to flow out from deep within him, strand by strand, quickly flooding his entire body.

That power was incredibly vast and sudden, like a river bursting its banks, carrying a terrifying aura. It resonated with his sacred blood, danced with his Dao principles, and intertwined with his origin, utterly bizarre.

"Saintly might—you've touched the bottleneck of becoming a Sheng Ren?" Xu Nuo Yan looked at Ye Chen in delighted surprise.