551: Chapter 551 Was he cultivating in his mother's womb?

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was startled.

The next second.

Their gazes shifted in unison toward the direction the voice came from.

The crowd automatically parted to the sides, creating a path.

At the end of the path, a young man walked over unhurriedly with his hands in his pockets.

He was dressed ordinarily and looked somewhat handsome, yet he lacked even the slightest aura of a master.

He looked just like a passerby who happened to be passing through and stopped to watch the commotion.

But it was precisely such a "passerby" that made Meng Ziyi's brow furrow sharply.

Because...

He hadn't sensed the young man's arrival.

It wasn't until the other party spoke that he realized someone was standing behind the crowd.

What did this mean?

It meant that this young man's cultivation was at least not lower than his own.

The smile on Meng Ziyi's face faded slightly as his gaze fell on the young man, sizing him up.

Young, far too young.

He looked to be barely in his early twenties, and his face still held a hint of laziness.

How could such a person be a master?

But if he wasn't a master, how could he have eluded his senses?

Countless thoughts flashed through Meng Ziyi's mind, yet his expression remained unchanged.

He still stood with his hands behind his back and spoke indifferently, "Are you Ye Chen?"

Ye Chen stepped out from the crowd, stood still beside Wang Tianlong, and tilted his head to glance at Meng Ziyi.

"Who are you?"

Meng Ziyi's expression darkened slightly.

It had been many years since anyone had addressed him in such a tone.

In the Kunlun Ruins, who wouldn't respectfully call him 'Elder Meng' upon seeing him?

Yet this young man before him dared to ask him in such a casual tone?

When Wang Xiue saw Ye Chen, her eyes instantly turned red, and her expression became incredibly distorted.

"Are you Ye Chen?"

"Was it you who killed my husband?"

As she spoke, she was about to rush toward Ye Chen.

Meng Ziyi reached out and stopped her.

Wang Xiue turned her head sharply, her eyes bloodshot. "Elder Meng, why are you stopping me? I want to kill him!"

Meng Ziyi didn't look at her; his gaze remained fixed on Ye Chen.

"You are no match for him."

Wang Xiue was stunned, her eyes filled with resentment.

She had been impulsive just now.

If even her own husband couldn't kill Ye Chen, what could she do?

Going forward would be no different from seeking death!

But with her enemy right before her eyes, her fury surged wildly.

Ye Chen didn't even spare her a glance. His gaze landed on Meng Ziyi as he repeated, "I'm asking you, who are you?"

Meng Ziyi's face completely darkened.

"I am Meng Ziyi, an Elder of the Hehuan Sect in the Kunlun Ruins."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "Hehuan Sect? That name doesn't sound like a proper sect at all. Does everyone in your sect like swapping wives?"

A cold light flashed in Meng Ziyi's eyes.

The surrounding people were dumbstruck.

Good heavens!

This was the first time they had witnessed such audacity.

Who with a shred of sense would dare to question the Hehuan Sect like that?

In the secular world, perhaps only Ye Chen would dare...

Ye Chen, however, acted as if he hadn't noticed and continued, "What are you doing here? To back up that whoever-she-is?"

He gestured with his chin toward Wang Xiue.

Meng Ziyi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his chest. His voice was as cold as ice.

"Ye Chen, I did not come here today for anything else."

"I was originally unwilling to intervene in the grievances between you and the Chen Family."

"But since you killed a member of the Chen Family and they have asked me to step forward and uphold justice, I could not refuse to come."

Hearing this, Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh.

"Uphold justice?"

"An Elder of the Hehuan Sect coming to the secular world to uphold justice?"

"Do all you people from the Kunlun Ruins like meddling in other people's business?"

Meng Ziyi's face sank. "Ye Chen, watch your tongue."

Ye Chen shrugged.

"I'm just stating facts."

"That Elder of the Chen Family first tried to stop me from destroying the Sima Family. I killed him afterward; that's called self-defense."

"If you want to uphold justice, you should make the Chen Family crawl over here and kneel, rather than coming to find me."

"Glib-tongued," Meng Ziyi gave a cold smile. "I don't care who made the first move. I only know that you killed someone from the Chen Family, and since the Chen Family has old ties with me, I must demand an explanation."

Ye Chen looked at him, the smile on his face gradually fading.

"Demand an explanation?"

"Fine, then demand it. How do you want to 'demand' this explanation?"

The surrounding people were bewildered.

Could it be that Ye Chen was backing down?

But looking at his expression, it didn't seem like it...

Meng Ziyi stood with his hands behind his back and said word by word.

"First, you will cripple your own martial arts and follow me back to the Kunlun Ruins to kowtow and confess your guilt before the Chen Family, leaving yourself at their mercy."

"Second, you will hand over the Wang Family and place it under the control of Wang Xiue as compensation to the Chen Family."

"Third..."

He paused, his gaze landing on Ye Chen as a hint of greed flashed in his eyes.

"You will hand over all the treasures on your person to me."

"If you can do these three things, I can guarantee that you will live."

After listening, Ye Chen nodded, his face showing no emotional fluctuation.

Meng Ziyi thought he had agreed, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as a hint of smugness flashed in his eyes.

"A wise man submits to circumstances!"

"Ye Chen, you are smarter than I imagined."

Wang Xiue stood to the side, the hatred in her eyes almost overflowing, her voice sharp and piercing: "Brother, did you see? That arrogant bastard doesn't even dare to let out a fart in front of Elder Meng!"

The faces of Wang Tianlong and Gongyang Shou both turned somewhat pale.

Meng Ziyi stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Ye Chen from a superior position.

"Rest assured, as long as you obediently comply, I can guarantee that the people around you will be safe."

Ye Chen nodded again. "Alright then."

Hearing this, the killing intent in Wang Xiue's eyes surged, and her expression became as hideous as an evil ghost.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"Commit suicide immediately!"

She had waited too long for this day.

Her husband's vendetta and the Chen Family's shame could finally be settled today.

However.

Ye Chen stood where he was, hands in his pockets, and suddenly laughed. "Why should I die?"

Wang Xiue was stunned.

Ye Chen tilted his head and looked at her with an innocent face. "You can make your wishes, but what the hell does that have to do with me?"

The entire audience: "???"

Good heavens!

Is this bastard treating everyone like a Japanese man?

Meng Ziyi had seriously proposed three conditions, and he had nodded along, only to call it 'making a wish' in the end?

Saying that Meng Ziyi was just making a wish???

Isn't this just playing with people?

Meng Ziyi's gaze turned cold.

"Do you think I am joking with you?"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"Fine, then I'll be more serious."

"Of those three options, I choose... to kill you."

Dead silence fell over the area.

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

The expression on Meng Ziyi's face changed from gloomy to bewildered, and then from bewildered to absolute rage.

"You seek death!"

He gave a sharp shout, and the aura around his body erupted. His moon-white robe fluttered loudly as a terrifying pressure of a Golden Core expert crushed toward Ye Chen like a mountain collapsing or a tidal wave.

The faces of the surrounding people changed drastically as they retreated repeatedly.

Wang Tianlong was forced back several steps by that pressure, his chest feeling a surge of blood and qi.

Gongyang Shou's face was even paler, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Strong!

He was too damn strong!

It felt as if taking one step closer would result in being crushed to powder...

Wang Xiue stood beside Meng Ziyi, staring intently at Ye Chen with eyes full of satisfaction.

"Ye Chen! Be arrogant! Why don't you be arrogant again?!"

"In front of Elder Meng, what kind of thing do you think you are?"

Ignoring the pressure, Ye Chen shook his head. "Mid Golden Core Stage; it is indeed impressive, but that's all it is."

Meng Ziyi's expression changed.

What?

Is the Mid Golden Core Stage not strong?

How could it be 'just that' in Ye Chen's mouth?

"Arrogant junior, still stubborn even when death is at hand?"

"Give me your life!!!"

Meng Ziyi roared, stomping his foot. The ground exploded into a large pit as he charged toward Ye Chen like a bolt of white lightning.

His speed was astonishingly fast, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air. He thrust out his right palm, which was enveloped in a layer of deep blue true qi, carrying a force that could destroy anything in its path as it aimed straight for Ye Chen's chest.

With this palm strike, he used eighty percent of his power.

It was enough to reduce a small hilltop to dust.

Seeing him rush over, Ye Chen smiled slightly, then pulled his right hand out of his pocket and clenched it into a fist.

Then.

He threw a punch.

BOOM!!!

Fist and palm collided, and a shockwave exploded, sounding like a clap of thunder at the entrance of the Wang Family mansion.

The bluestone slabs within a radius of dozens of meters shattered and flew into the air as dust filled the sky.

Wang Tianlong and Gongyang Shou were blown back by the air current, and the Wang Family disciples were knocked all over the place, with some being flipped directly onto the ground.

Wang Xiue was protected by the Chen Family experts beside Meng Ziyi and thus wasn't injured by the shockwave, but her expression had completely changed.

Because.

Meng Ziyi had retreated.

He had retreated exactly three steps.

Each step left a deep footprint on the bluestone slabs, and the slabs around the footprints had crumbled into powder.

As for Ye Chen, he had only retreated one step.

Meng Ziyi steadied himself and looked down at his right palm.

His palm was bright red, and the webbing between his thumb and forefinger throbbed with pain.

His face completely darkened, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You... You are also at the Mid Golden Core Stage?"

When the people around heard this, they were all shocked.

What?

Such a young man had actually entered the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Realm?

This...

Is he a demon child descended to earth, who started cultivating while still in his mother's womb???