Chapter 528: Lending or Not

"You've met people from my Hengyue Zong?" Ye Chen couldn't help but express surprise at Gu Santong's words.

"What's so strange about that? Hengyue Zong has a decent presence in the southern part of Da Chu, so running into one or two in the northern part isn't a big deal." Gu Santong scratched his ear and casually blew away the earwax he'd dug out.

"I suppose you're right." Ye Chen stroked his chin, realizing it wasn't that extraordinary after all.

"Alright, let's get down to business." After blowing away the earwax from his fingernail, Gu Santong turned to Ye Chen. "Lend me your Tian Lei for a couple of days. It's not for free—I'll return it once I'm done."

"No way." Ye Chen shook his head firmly, mimicking Gu Santong by digging at his ear and flicking away the earwax. "I've heard you never return anything you borrow."

Damn it!

Gu Santong cursed loudly, "Who the hell is spreading rumors about me?"

"Everyone in Da Chu knows it. I'm counting on this Tian Lei to show off. If you run off with it, that'd be a real mess." Ye Chen put on an unbothered attitude, dead set on not lending it. He figured that with someone as unreliable as Gu Santong, getting it back would be a miracle.

By now, Gu Santong's face was as black as charcoal, his eyes glaring at Ye Chen as if he were ready to strangle him on the spot.

But he held back from exploding, thinking it was better not to use force. With Ye Chen, a softer approach might work out.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Santong's expression turned serious. "I'll tell you straight—I'm borrowing the Tian Lei to suppress an evil entity. That's what caused my Dao injury. Tian Lei's power is overwhelmingly dominant and purely yang, making it perfect to counter that thing."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "Is that for real?"

"If I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning." Gu Santong snapped back in frustration.

Hearing that, Ye Chen's mouth twitched involuntarily. He secretly hoped the heavens would send a bolt to give Gu Santong a taste.

"Have you heard of the Gui Zu?"

"Gui Zu?" Ye Chen pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Never heard of it."

"What about Tian Zang Huang?"

"Oh, him I've heard of. He's the fifth-ranked among Da Chu's Nine Emperors."

"The Gui Zu is the evil force that Tian Zang Huang suppressed back in the day." Gu Santong explained slowly. "It's an ancient race whose history dates back to the chaotic era before Da Chu was founded. They've stirred up more than one catastrophe in Da Chu. They cultivate by devouring ghosts and spirits, advancing at an astonishing speed. During Tian Zang Huang's time, their power reached its peak. That generation's Gui Zu ghost king was incredibly strong—supposedly powerful enough to chase Tian Zang Huang for over a hundred thousand li. But Tian Zang Huang barely escaped with his life, and it was that near-death experience that pushed him to surpass the ghost king and reach the Tian Jing realm. Afterward, he used thunderous methods to suppress the Gui Zu, putting an end to their rebellion."

"So, what you're saying is, the Gui Zu is just like the assassin dynasty suppressed by Chu Huang and Yan Huang, or the Yin Ming Sheng Yu sealed by Zhan Wang—they're making a comeback?"

"I'm not sure about that." Gu Santong shook his head. "All I know is that the Gui Zu member who injured me is extremely formidable. Their innate divine abilities are ridiculously powerful. To take that guy down, I need the might of the Tian Lei."

"Why'd you go and provoke him in the first place?"

"Hell no, I didn't provoke him!" Gu Santong erupted in anger. "I was minding my own business cultivating when that bastard jumped out and tried to eat me on the spot. After the fight, I realized the son of a bitch is like some kind of beast—impossible to kill no matter what."

"Isn't your junior brother Dugu Ao? Why not get him to help? The two of you couldn't handle it?"

"Don't even mention that kid. I don't want anything to do with him." At the mention of Dugu Ao, Gu Santong's nostrils flared like a bull's, his breaths coming out in huffs as if he were ready to bite someone's head off.

"You're making it sound so convincing. Should I believe you or not?"

"Hey, you're really testing my temper." Gu Santong was fuming, rolling up his sleeves and glaring at Ye Chen with his beard bristling. "I've been talking my head off, and you're treating it like hot air? Bottom line—lend it or not?"

"It's not that I won't lend it." Ye Chen started digging at his ear again. "But I have to go with you. Once you destroy that evil thing, you hand the Tian Lei back right then and there. And also..."

He leaned in closer to Gu Santong with a sly grin. "Tomorrow, when we ambush Shi Xue Dian and Xuan Huang, get me a few corpses of Quasi-Tian Jing experts."

"Corpses?" Gu Santong eyed Ye Chen up and down. "What do you want corpses for, especially at the Quasi-Tian Jing level? Are you messing with me?"

"No choice then." Ye Chen retreated and went back to digging at his ear, maintaining his unbothered stance. "Those are my two conditions for lending the Tian Lei. Take it or leave it."

"I..." Gu Santong was so angry he nearly spat blood.

But to settle his old grudge, he swallowed his rage and scowled at Ye Chen. "Fine, I'll try to get you those Quasi-Tian Jing corpses. But if you pull any tricks, I'll wring your neck on the spot."

"There we go. All sorted."

"Get lost! I don't want to deal with you." Gu Santong cursed and stormed out of the space small world.

"I didn't say no." Watching Gu Santong grumble as he left the space small world, Ye Chen cleared his throat.

But thinking about those Quasi-Tian Jing bodies, Ye Chen couldn't help but smile. If Gu Santong actually pulled it off, it'd save him a ton of trouble.

Awesome!

With a laugh, Ye Chen sprawled out on the grass in a big X, ready to get a good sleep before the big battle.

However, less than two hours later, Zhong Jiang's voice transmission came through: "We've got word from Di Huang—Shi Xue Dian and Xuan Huang have started moving."

At that, Ye Chen jolted awake, his eyes flashing with sharp light. "Finally here. I've been waiting for you."

With that, Ye Chen stepped out of the space small world in one stride.

Outside, Zhong Jiang, Hong Chen Xue, the Su Family Ancestor, and the scowling Gu Santong were already on a flying sword.

Behind them, more flying swords hovered in the air, each one glowing with various divine lights and carrying a figure. The weakest among them were at the eighth level of Kong Ming Jing, their auras merging into a formidable wave.

Ye Chen moved quickly, stepping onto a flying sword.

Go!

With Ye Chen's command, the Yan Huang army set off.

The ambush site was only a few hundred li from Yan Huang Ling Shan, but it was a necessary path for the Shi Xue Dian and Xuan Huang forces.

In the time it took to burn a stick of incense, they arrived at a range of sprawling mountains.

This range was called Xuan Long Shan, named after an ancient expert known as the Xuan Long Daoist who achieved enlightenment here.

Gazing out, Xuan Long Shan was vast and majestic, with rugged peaks, steep ancient cliffs, and the entire area shrouded in mist and clouds, giving it a hazy, mysterious aura hiding countless secrets.

"Holy Lord." The Yan Huang experts already lying in wait bowed respectfully as Ye Chen and his group arrived.