Chapter 214: Chance Encounter with Liang Xue

"Ancient Demon Sect!" Wu Qingcheng instantly recognized it from the uniforms they wore.

"Oh, what a coincidence! We were just talking about them, and we run into them right away!"

Ye Liuyun also looked at those people in surprise.

Their cultivation levels were mostly between Sea Transformation Fifth and Sea Transformation Ninth, and a Holy Realm Elder was stationed there.

The rest of the crowd were probably in the later stages of Sea Transformation, without a saint leading them, clearly weaker than those.

"There's a Formation in the valley. They're waiting for it to activate," Qiong Qi said after assessing the situation, telling everyone to remain quiet and wait.

The Ancient Demon Sect members also glanced at them, but seeing that most of them had lower realms, they quickly looked away.

However, on Ye Liuyun's side, the four youthful, beautiful women instantly attracted a lot of attention.

Several Monster Beasts and Ye Liuyun himself each possessed hidden‑realm treasures, making their levels unreadable to others. Thus, among their group, the highest visible level belonged to Lin Xueying, at Sea Transformation Fourth, while the other three women were in the True Essence realm.

A well‑to‑do young man, accompanied by several guards, approached and said to the women, "Ladies, this Ice‑Fire Chaotic Realm is extremely dangerous. When the Formation opens, why not come with us? Our levels are high; we'll protect you!"

As he spoke, he emitted a trace of Sea Transformation Eighth, flaunting his strength!

"We, Young Master Pei, are the son of the City Lord of nearby Fengyang City. Following our Young Master, ladies, you can't go wrong!" A guard beside him quickly added to please his master.

Wu Qingcheng, Yu Er and Ru Yue all ignored him and instead leaned toward Ye Liuyun.

Only Lin Xueying replied coolly, "No need."

Ye Liuyun looked toward the direction the rich young man had come from; there were still some people who hadn't followed, including an elder of Sea Transformation Ninth—likely a family elder bringing disciples for training.

The rich young man, feeling embarrassed and unwilling to accept it, saw the women gathered around Ye Liuyun and asked, "Kid, where are you from? Only know how to hide behind women?"

He assumed the women's realms were low, so Ye Liuyun's strength couldn't be great either.

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil glanced at him, and he softly uttered a single word.

"Scram!"

Though his voice was soft, he employed illusion; that "Scram" rang like a thunderclap in the Young Master's Sea of Consciousness, staggering him.

At that moment, Ye Liuyun appeared godlike to him—towering, majestic—so he couldn't help but worship, feeling like an ant before Ye Liuyun.

He suddenly went "thump" and knelt before Ye Liuyun.

This piqued the curiosity of many onlookers nearby. Even the few guards beside Young Master Pei were left speechless in surprise.

"Logically, the Young Master should have ordered them to capture that kid, yet he knelt down himself!"

The Young Master Pei crawled back a few zhang, then, supported by his guards, shakily returned to his own group.

The stationed elder frowned but dared not approach. Instead, after checking that the returning Young Master was uninjured, he instructed those nearby not to provoke Ye Liuyun and his group.

The Young Master Pei had just recovered, feeling deeply humiliated, and intended to lead men to kill them, but the elder stopped him.

"Young Master, our priority is seizing the treasure! Moreover, several of them have hidden realms, making it impossible to discern reality; we can't rashly attack. As for that kid earlier, once we emerge, I'll deal with him."

"Fine! Then let them live a while longer! Remember to bring those women beside him back to me..."

Their conversation couldn't escape Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense. Now Young Master Pei is on Ye Liuyun's kill list.

After this incident, those who had been itching to cause trouble nearby dared not approach, all thinking Ye Liuyun's party was strange.

From the Ancient Demon Sect side, a man glanced toward Ye Liuyun. He was cloaked entirely in a black robe, yet his eyes shone brightly.

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil also stared back, instantly giving him the feeling of being seen through.

"Interesting!" he said with a slight smile. He then resumed his seated cultivation, no longer staring at Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun withdrew his gaze, thinking, "His realm is the Ninth Layer Summit of Sea Transformation, yet it shows as Sea Transformation Eighth. Among the Ancient Demon Sect disciples, he must be the strongest!"

Suddenly, his Divine Sense detected a large contingent approaching—over thirty people, more than twenty in moon‑white robes and over ten in gray robes, evidently two factions converging.

However, what caught Ye Liuyun's attention wasn't them, but a familiar figure.

Liang Xue!

"Didn't Liang Xue go back to the family for cultivation?" He then smacked his forehead.

"I'm so stupid! Shuiyue Tower is Wanbaoge's property; if Liang Xue is going to cultivate, she must be heading to the Shuiyue Sect!"

Ye Liuyun's forehead‑smack startled those nearby, who all flashed inquisitive looks.

"I saw a familiar face!" Ye Liuyun explained apologetically.

At that moment, Liang Xue's party arrived at the valley mouth. The Ancient Demon Sect disciples instantly grew tense and confronted them.

A male disciple of the Shuiyue Sect said to the black‑robed disciple who had just looked at Ye Liuyun, "Mo Ya, your cultivation is so slow; you're still at Sea Transformation Eighth, and I've already caught up! Looks like you have no chance in this year's Seven Sects Grand Competition!"

Mo Ya's eyes flashed with excitement as he said, "Gu Tian Shu, only you would brag about being at Sea Transformation Eighth! But my realm is enough to kill you! Don't believe it? Come over and try."

"You..." Gu Tian Shu gritted his teeth, but dared not step forward to challenge Mo Ya.

Mo Ya's eyes showed a hint of disappointment; his gaze at Gu Tian Shu was filled with contempt.

"Those in moon‑white robes are disciples of the Shuiyue Sect. The ones in gray are from a subsidiary sect of Shuiyue, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect," Wu Qingcheng identified and explained to Ye Liuyun.

"Hmm," Ye Liuyun replied, then walked straight toward Liang Xue.

"Stop! This is our Shuiyue Sect squad; what are you doing here?"

A male Shuiyue disciple shouted to block him. Among the over twenty of them, only eight were male; the accompanying elder leaders were all women.

Liang Xue also spotted Ye Liuyun at that moment, her eyes widening in disbelief, then she impulsively leapt forward onto him.

"Junior sister? What are you doing?" Gu Tian Shu, seeing Liang Xue dash out, asked hurriedly.

But Liang Xue ignored him completely and threw herself into Ye Liuyun's arms!

Ye Liuyun also smiled and gave her a hug.

Lin Xueying, Wu Qingcheng and the other women were initially curious about Ye Liuyun's intentions, but after seeing Liang Xue, Yu Er and Lin Xueying exclaimed.

"Is that her?"

"Young Master?"

Wu Qingcheng immediately guessed that the Shuiyue Sect woman was Liang Xue. In recent days she had often chatted with Yu Er and Lin Xueying, naturally discussing Ye Liuyun, and had already heard them mention Liang Xue.

So the women all followed right away.