Chapter 660: A Touching Scene

At dawn, Ye Chen, leading Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun along with their group, boldly entered Qianqiu Gucheng.

Ye Chen's arrival immediately created a stir in Qianqiu Gucheng. Along the way, people stared with eyes full of awe, astonishment, and shock.

The main reason was that their Holy Master, Ye Chen, had caused quite a commotion this time. He had slain the Holy Son of Qingyun Zong, kidnapped the Holy Maiden of Zhengyang Zong, and even demanded a ransom. After receiving the ransom, he still hadn't released her.

But that wasn't the most incredible part. What was truly astonishing was that he had triggered a massive heavenly tribulation, scattering over thirty Quasi-Tianjing experts and more than a thousand Kongmingjing cultivators in all directions. It had shocked the entire Da Chu.

What shocked them the most was that, despite that unprecedented divine punishment, their Holy Master had returned alive and well. They had seen tough people, but never anyone this tough.

Huh?

Amid the exclamations of shock, someone let out a soft sound of surprise, turning their gaze to Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun's group.

"What's going on? Aren't these Qingyun Zong disciples?" someone asked in surprise. "Why did the Holy Master bring them back?"

"They look like talents he's recruited. Each of them has impressive cultivation and aptitude. It won't be long before they are powerful figures."

"I don't think so," someone else said, stroking their chin. "During the Three Sects Grand Competition, Zhou Ao and his group gave the Holy Master a hard time. I reckon he brought them back to vent his anger slowly."

"This is Qianqiu Gucheng!" Amid the curious and puzzled stares, Zhou Ao and his companions gazed around the city in wonder.

In their eyes, Qianqiu Gucheng was incredibly vast. Three majestic peaks rose within the city, each towering and shrouded in misty clouds, like immortal mountains.

Along their path, they saw spirit-gathering arrays everywhere, varying in size and countless in number. These arrays concentrated the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making the aura in Qianqiu Gucheng extremely dense. Cultivating here would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort.

Beyond that, they detected some hidden formations, also numerous and radiating a dangerously potent energy. This setup was in no way inferior to Qingyun Zong.

"Impressive!" the group exclaimed in admiration, never imagining that Ye Chen's base in Southern Chu had such a strong foundation.

"I'm not exaggerating, but Qianqiu Gucheng's defenses are on par with Qingyun Zong's," Ye Chen said with a grin.

"I believe that."

"Charge!" Their conversation was soon interrupted by a chorus of howls.

Looking into the distance, a crowd of fools was charging forward, weapons in hand and shouting wildly. Leading them was the jerk Situ Nan, yelling the loudest, with Xiong Er, Xie Yun, and the others close behind, forming a large mob.

Their target wasn't exactly Ye Chen, or more precisely, it was Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun's group behind him.

They had been sound asleep earlier, but upon hearing that Ye Chen had brought Zhou Ao and his companions, they all jumped up as if they'd been injected with energy, grabbing their weapons and rushing over. In their minds, Ye Chen had brought them for a chance to settle scores.

Uh...

Seeing this scene, Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun couldn't help but twitch their mouths.

Although they had guessed more than once what meeting Situ Nan and his group would be like, they never expected it to be like this. Clearly, the grudges from the Three Sects Grand Competition were still fresh in their minds.

"Get lost!"

Ye Chen cursed and swung his palm, sending a bunch flying.

"Damn it!"

Situ Nan and his crew scrambled up in embarrassment, wiping the blood from their noses. "You brought them back for us to vent, right?"

"Which ear of yours heard me say that?" Ye Chen cursed again. "These are talents I've recruited. Talents, got it? All of you, settle down, or I'll send you flying to the heavens for fun."

Talents?

Hearing that word, Situ Nan and his group sized up Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun curiously.

Not just them, Xiong Er, Xie Yun, and Huo Teng—the three idiots—circled around Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun, stroking their chins with shifty eyes as they went.

This scrutiny made Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun feel extremely uncomfortable.

Especially under Situ Nan's odd stares, they felt like they'd fallen into a den of thieves.

In contrast, Liu Yi, Nangong Yue, and Nie Feng were much more composed.

"Zhou Ao, my brother, I hope you've been well," Liu Yi said with a casual smile, showing no petty grudge.

"For what happened during the Three Sects Grand Competition, we apologize," Zhou Ao and his group said, cupping their hands.

"We're all young and impulsive—who needs to hold onto that?"

"Hey, we're all family now, so let's drop the formalities," Ye Chen cleared his throat and said.

"That goes without saying." Situ Nan grinned and slung an arm around Li Xinghun's shoulder, regardless of whether he wanted it or not. During the Three Sects Grand Competition, the two had been opponents, and Situ Nan's relentless fighting style had nearly made Li Xinghun spit blood.

"Talents—we're all talents here," Xiong Er said shamelessly, squeezing his bulky body into Zhou Ao's group with a proud expression.

This sight was anything but harmonious. Zhou Ao and his companions were all dashing figures, but this lump in their midst stood out awkwardly.

"Look at my eyes—aren't they striking?" Xie Yun stepped forward, pointing to his one purple and one green eye, even more boastful than Xiong Er.

"Very striking."

"Don't say another word—from now on, I'll have your back," Huo Teng thumped his chest, only to receive eye rolls from Situ Nan and the others. You're the weakest one here, aren't you?

"What's with those looks?"

"Don't speak—it's easy to reveal your IQ."

"From now on, this is your home," Ye Chen said with a smile, seeing everyone getting along.

Home?

Hearing that word, Zhou Ao and his group felt a sting in their noses.

Due to various reasons, they had been forced to leave Qingyun Zong, some even abandoned by their sect. These past days, they'd been hunted relentlessly, living in constant fear and uncertainty, with no real home to speak of.

Now, hearing it again, it brought a sense of security and warmth to their hearts.

Soon, Yang Dingtian and the others arrived, overjoyed. Zhou Ao and his group had talents on par with Liu Yi and his companions—these were valuable assets!

In their view, Zhou Ao and Zhengyang Zong's Hua Yun were different.

During the Three Sects Grand Competition, Zhou Ao's group had indeed caused trouble for Hengyue Zong, but it hadn't crossed any major lines.

In contrast, Hua Yun from Zhengyang Zong had gone too far, especially in his duel with Liu Yi—they still remembered the humiliation.

The current scene was perfect.

Zhou Ao and his group were once true disciples of Qingyun Zong. Recruiting talents like them was nothing but beneficial!

At that moment, the elders couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Watching the young ones who had fought fiercely on the battle stage now gathered like this, how could they not feel emotional?

As they thought about it, the elders all turned to Ye Chen in the center of the crowd, their eyes filled with contentment. Without this young man, who knows how miserable their situation would be now.