Chapter 144

Seeing the young man's sudden killing intent.

Many cultivators were puzzled.

Jin Lie furrowed his brows and coldly said, "Slave, what do you mean? Are you expressing dissatisfaction?"

The young man's voice carried a cold, disdainful tone: "Ancient imperial clans—I kill one whenever I see one."

"You seek death!"

Upon hearing this, Jin Lie's eyes instantly flared with cold light, and the sword-feathers on his back wings trembled, emitting metallic clangs.

Those around him quickly retreated, all trembling with fear.

Jin Chixiaopeng, the Prince of Jiaoluo Sacred Mountain, was far too renowned—truly terrifying.

"I've heard that Jin Chixiaopeng refined his wing feathers into one hundred and eight thousand sword-feathers; if deployed together, they would be unstoppable," said a human prodigy, his gaze filled with deep wariness.

Yet the young man showed not the slightest fear, standing firm in defiance.

"Stop!" The elder host activated a magic treasure.

Instantly, lightning flashed across the young man's body; he grunted and staggered back several steps.

"Apologies for disturbing Prince Jin Chixiaopeng," the elder host bowed.

"I offer two hundred spiritual sources—I claim him. If he's defiant, I'll break him utterly," Jin Chixiaopeng said coldly.

Some human prodigies shook their heads slightly.

This man, if he fell into Jin Chixiaopeng's hands, would suffer terribly.

The young man's face bore a cold, resolute expression.

He had already decided: even if he died, he would never submit to Jin Chixiaopeng.

At that moment, a warm, calm voice rang out.

"Three hundred spiritual sources—I claim him."

A single sentence drew the full attention of everyone in the hall.

"Hmm? Who?" Jin Chixiaopeng's eyes turned sharp and piercing.

The others in the hall first froze, then caught the self-reference in his words.

"Could it be… him?" A young prodigy drew a sharp breath, his pupils trembling with shock.

From the VIP booth emerged three figures.

It was Jun Xiaoyao, Jun Linglong, and Wu Mingyue.

"The Divine Dynasty's Princess, and… the Jun Clan's Divine Son!?"

Shock rippled through the hall; many gasped in disbelief.

Wu Mingyue's appearance didn't surprise them.

But Jun Xiaoyao's appearance was the true shock.

"No wonder—the one who placed bets earlier wasn't the Princess, but the Jun Clan's Divine Son."

Some finally realized.

They had thought Wu Mingyue was brilliantly perceptive, her vision sharp.

In truth, it was all the Jun Clan's Divine Son betting behind the scenes.

Yet…

When had Wu Mingyue grown so close to the Jun Clan's Divine Son?

"How could this be? How could Princess Mingyue share a booth with Jun Xiaoyao?" The Yin-Yang Divine Son's face twisted in disbelief.

Wu Mingyue hadn't even glanced at him.

Now she walked out of the same booth as Jun Xiaoyao.

"It's baffling—wasn't it rumored that Jun Xiaoyao scorned his Imperial Son-in-Law status and openly belittled Wu Mingyue? How did they end up together?" Xia Lan was equally confused.

Hua Xiqing said nothing, her gaze fixed on Jun Xiaoyao's ethereally beautiful face, momentarily lost in thought.

"Jun Xiaoyao—it's you!" Jin Lie's eyes grew colder.

He had never liked Jun Xiaoyao.

Now, Jun Xiaoyao's interference sent his fury surging.

"Highest bidder wins. You may continue bidding—but let me be clear, I've won plenty of spiritual sources already," Jun Xiaoyao said with a teasing tone.

The one with money is the master.

"You—" Jin Lie panted heavily, his breath ragged; had the hall's prohibitions not barred combat, he would have struck without hesitation.

Moreover, two hundred spiritual sources had already been his limit.

Seeing Jin Lie speechless,

Jun Xiaoyao calmly scanned the hall: "I claim this man. Anyone who wishes to contest, speak now."

Throughout the hall, representatives of countless factions exchanged glances, all falling silent.

Jun Xiaoyao's single sentence silenced the entire hall!

"Heh, if the Divine Son desires him, then let him be yours—and two hundred spiritual sources will suffice."

Gan Duo, the young master of Wanbao Trading House, stepped forward with a smile.

Hearing this, Jin Lie nearly spat blood.

Wasn't that exactly his own bid?

"Hmm. Wanbao Trading House—I'll remember you," Jun Xiaoyao nodded slightly.

Gan Duo's eyes lit up with delight—he had wanted precisely this effect.

"Remember, it's your fortune to become the Divine Son's slave—he is the most honored and strongest prodigy in the Wilderness Heaven Immortal Realm, without equal," Gan Duo turned to the young man and added a flattering remark.

The young man cast a long, deep look at Jun Xiaoyao.

Even with his mysterious identity and origins, seeing Jun Xiaoyao stirred a faint shock within him—he felt utterly inscrutable.

It left him incredulous.

For he was among the very top prodigies of the Profound Heaven Immortal Realm, capable of challenging young sovereigns and even ancient anomalies.

Yet now, he could not fathom a man far younger than himself.

"By the way, remove the control artifact from him," Jun Xiaoyao waved his hand.

"But Divine Son, if he disobeys…" Gan Duo hesitated.

"No need," Jun Xiaoyao shook his head.

Gan Duo immediately ordered his servants to remove the control artifact from the young man.

The man's gaze toward Jun Xiaoyao softened considerably.

Jun Xiaoyao gave this order because there was simply no need for a control artifact.

The young man posed no threat to him.

If he refused, he could be subdued easily.

"Let's go," Jun Xiaoyao swept his sleeve and turned to leave.

Before departing, he cast a casual glance at Jin Lie, Ye Xingyun, and others.

His gaze was utterly calm, indifferent.

As if sweeping past a pile of trash.

Only after Jun Xiaoyao and the others had left,

did Jin Lie let out a furious roar to the heavens.

"Jun Xiaoyao! At the Heavenly Dao Tower, I will settle this with you!"

…

After leaving the Combat Arena, Jun Xiaoyao and the others returned directly to their inn.

Wu Mingyue, reluctant to part, followed them back.

This only deepened Jun Linglong's hostility.

In her eyes, this Divine Dynasty Princess sought to steal her maid's position.

Jun Xiaoyao didn't care—he was far more curious about the young man's identity and origins.

In a grand hall, Jun Xiaoyao sat and asked: "What is your name? Where are you from? Speak plainly."

Jun Xiaoyao cut straight to the point, no roundabout words.

The young man was sensible—he knew that though Jun Xiaoyao's realm was one level lower than his own, that transcendent, otherworldly aura was far beyond his capacity to oppose.

Moreover, Jun Xiaoyao had been the only one to bet on his victory, and had rescued him from Jin Chixiaopeng's threat.

These debts of gratitude the young man would not ignore.

So he spoke truthfully.

"Thank you for your aid, my name is Yi Yu, a member of the ancient imperial clan—the Yi Clan of the Profound Heaven Immortal Realm," said the young man, Yi Yu.

"Ancient imperial clan?" Jun Xiaoyao murmured.

Ancient imperial clans were great emperor lineages passed down from ancient times.

Such lineages were extremely old and placed heavy emphasis on bloodline heritage; their numbers were always small.

Strictly speaking, the Jun Clan was not an ancient imperial clan.

For the strongest ancestor of the Jun Clan was not an Emperor.

But an Immortal.