Ye Tiancheng's words were not polite, but surprisingly, the middle-aged man's expression remained unchanged, still very amiable.
However, seeing him like this only further confirmed that the middle-aged man's outward amiability might not be entirely genuine. He likely had many hidden thoughts, revealing not a trace of his true emotions, definitely not a simple character, and probably difficult to deal with.
Ye Tiancheng secretly became wary.
"As expected, the younger generation surpasses the older. The world always belongs to the young. When I was your age, I wasn't even half as capable as you are now. Looking at it this way, it's as if my old age has been lived in vain," the middle-aged man suddenly said.
Ye Tiancheng narrowed his eyes slightly, knowing the middle-aged man was likely referring to the gap in their cultivation.
Cultivation depended on aptitude, opportunities, and diligence.
Ye Tiancheng's greatest opportunity was obtaining the Nuwa Stone. Such an opportunity was something even people from prominent families might not be able to match. Moreover, Ye Tiancheng's aptitude was not bad, and when he truly settled down to cultivate, he was diligent enough.
It was no wonder Ye Tiancheng could be compared to the middle-aged man before him at his age.
In this comparison, the middle-aged man had indeed lost, not just in the gap of their current realms, but also in their age difference. The middle-aged man was much older than Ye Tiancheng. As a cultivator, his appearance could never be used to judge his true age.
On the surface, the person before Ye Tiancheng was a middle-aged man, but his actual age, unless measured, was likely only known to the middle-aged man himself or some members of the Helian family.
Ye Tiancheng simply replied, "It was merely a stroke of luck."
"Let's get to the point. You specially invited me here, and the Helian family went to such lengths as to kidnap my daughter. What is the matter that required such a grand effort?" Ye Tiancheng asked directly, too lazy to beat around the bush.
Hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, the middle-aged man became serious, knowing he had to give Ye Tiancheng an explanation. He had no intention of offending Ye Tiancheng, and it was indeed his subordinates who had offended Ye Tiancheng without his consent. This was not what he wanted.
The matter he wanted to ask Ye Tiancheng to help with was of utmost importance, and he dared not let any mistakes happen. Who knew that the fools in the family would mess things up.
Now, he could not afford to let Ye Tiancheng's impression of the Helian family worsen. If Ye Tiancheng refused to cooperate, then what was to happen afterward would truly be a disaster for the Helian family.
The middle-aged man said to Ye Tiancheng, "I haven't introduced myself yet. My surname is Sheng, and my full name is Helian Sheng."
Ye Tiancheng nodded, "You already know my name, Ye Tiancheng."
Helian Sheng continued, "Regarding the kidnapping of your daughter this time, it was not my will, nor was it my order. It was the unauthorized action of my subordinates. I am very sorry."
"I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."
"This matter is urgent. After we discuss it properly and descend the mountain, I will have Helian Yi hand over the mastermind to you, and you can deal with them as you wish. My Helian family will not say a word."
He was quite generous. Ye Tiancheng wondered if it was genuine willingness or forced by circumstances.
After discussing the kidnapping incident, Helian Sheng shifted the topic to the main point.
"I must invite you here this time for an impolite request. I hope that if you have such magnanimity, you can agree to my unreasonable request for the sake of all people."
As soon as he said this, not only Ye Tiancheng's companions but even Helian Yi couldn't help but be stunned.
Didn't he just say it was about the survival of the Helian family? Why did it suddenly involve everyone in the world? The difference between these two was enormous and couldn't be explained in a few words.
Moreover, the statement sounded very absurd.
Could Ye Tiancheng really agree to what the elder said?
It sounded incredibly far-fetched to involve the entire world, and even if it were true, what could Ye Tiancheng do?
Helian Yi truly didn't know Ye Tiancheng well, and Helian Yi himself had no understanding of the cultivation world. Although Helian Sheng was a cultivator, the Helian family was not a family of cultivation experts, so Helian Yi was genuinely unaware.
Ye Tiancheng could somewhat discern things from the reactions of Helian Yi and Helian Sheng, but he had no intention of exposing them.
However, concerning the world, could anyone use the banner of all living beings to cause trouble for him and force him? Was it that simple? Ye Tiancheng wouldn't fall for that.
Ye Tiancheng looked at Helian Sheng and remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Are you joking? Putting aside whether anyone would believe you, I am just an ordinary person. How could I have the ability to do anything for the world?"
"Besides, didn't you invite me here? What does it have to do with everyone in the world?"
The others couldn't understand the development of the situation at all and could only listen quietly. They understood every word and could comprehend the meaning when put together, but they couldn't grasp the true meaning behind it.
It was utterly confusing. What were they here for?
Helian Sheng simply smiled and said, "I know you are still displeased, but if I say that what I'm saying is true, and that currently, only you can accomplish this matter, then I have no choice but to ask it of you."
"And if you refuse to do it, then when the entire nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? Your wife, children, and brothers will all be implicated and unable to find peace. Would you still refuse?"
Ye Tiancheng would not accept moral blackmail. Hearing Helian Sheng's words, he would not rashly agree out of impulse like a hot-headed fool.
Did everything Helian Sheng say have to be true?
As an adult, Ye Tiancheng naturally wouldn't be led by the nose. He had his own thoughts and judgments and would definitely figure out what the matter was before making a decision after careful consideration.
He stood with his arms crossed, shook his head slightly, and said, "This is not right, sir. You refuse to say what needs to be said and want to pressure me with righteousness, morality, and emotions first?"
"While I do care about my loved ones, I am not a saint. Words like 'for the sake of the world' cannot bind me. You need to present something real to possibly convince me."
Helian Sheng could understand Ye Tiancheng's reaction, so he simply nodded, "I understand what you mean. However, this matter cannot be explained in a few words. It is better to see for yourself."
"Once you see it with your own eyes, you will know what I invited you here for without me having to explain."
Ye Tiancheng said, "See it with my own eyes?"
Helian Sheng affirmed, "Are you willing to come with me?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Tiancheng hesitated. His gaze swept over Hou Mingzhu and the others. Since he didn't know what he would face next, should he bring his wife, children, and brothers along?
But leaving them here? Ye Tiancheng thought about it and couldn't rest assured.
Helian Sheng seemed to guess something from Ye Tiancheng's demeanor, so he proactively said to Ye Tiancheng, "The place we are going next is best if only you go alone to check it out with me. Do not let them follow."
"This is for their own good. It is not a place suitable for everyone to see."
"If you are worried, you can leave them at my villa. This is absolutely the safest place, and they will be completely fine here."
Ye Tiancheng and his companions had reached this point due to their concern for each other, but they would not be each other's burdens. They would not insist on following wherever he went, regardless of their capabilities, to avoid dragging Ye Tiancheng down.
Therefore, after Helian Sheng said those words, Hou Mingzhu and Fatty turned their gazes to Ye Tiancheng, waiting for him to make a decision, and they would choose to obey, absolutely not causing trouble for Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng fell into deep thought, and no one interrupted him. Everyone waited quietly for him to make a decision.
After careful consideration, Ye Tiancheng finally made his choice, "Alright, I will go with you."
"However, I hope that the safety of my wife and brothers can be guaranteed. I want you to promise that they will absolutely not encounter any mishaps during this period."
Helian Sheng had no problem with this.
Helian Sheng replied, "Of course, they will be absolutely fine staying here."
With both sides in agreement, it was decided that Ye Tiancheng would accompany Helian Sheng, while Hou Mingzhu and the others would stay in Helian Sheng's villa, waiting for Ye Tiancheng to return.
Helian Sheng instructed Helian Yi to stay and take good care of Hou Mingzhu and the others, and then left with Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng followed Helian Sheng out of the villa's reception hall. Ye Tiancheng was not entirely sure where they were going. However, with Ye Tiancheng's strength and his ability to sense danger, cultivators generally had some premonition of bad things to come, so Ye Tiancheng was not afraid of being ambushed.
Helian Sheng led Ye Tiancheng to the back garden, to a rockery. From the rockery, one could see a simple cave behind it. Ye Tiancheng appeared somewhat puzzled.
"We're going this way?"
Helian Sheng told Ye Tiancheng, "This place has its own wonders. You can't judge it by its surface. Follow me inside, and you'll know."
Seeing this, Ye Tiancheng said nothing. Although it looked strange, he still followed Helian Sheng into the cave of the rockery.
Normally, one would see what was behind the rockery after passing through the cave. However, the moment he passed through the rockery, Ye Tiancheng sensed something else unusual. A flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and by the time Ye Tiancheng came to his senses, he had already appeared in another place.
Ye Tiancheng never expected to be brought to such a place. What kind of place was this?
Ye Tiancheng was filled with shock.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?"
Helian Sheng gave a wry smile, "This is just one of them."
He had grown up in the Helian family and was the one who knew best what this place should have looked like. He had guarded it for a long time, yet in just one year, it had become like this.
Even Helian Sheng, whenever he saw such a scene, could hardly recall what the place originally looked like.
Looking at the scene before him, Ye Tiancheng felt a pang of sympathy. He wondered what kind of feeling Helian Sheng had when he saw this scene, and why this place had become like this.
As he thought this, another scene suddenly appeared in Ye Tiancheng's mind, which seemed to have some similarities with what he was seeing now. There was likely some connection.