When Ye Ling called him out, the white-haired elder's expression turned grim, and he asked Ye Ling with some displeasure, "Who are you? When did such an arrogant brat appear while I was asleep?"
Wei Bingbing, standing nearby, clearly recognized Ye Ling. Upon seeing his appearance, her expression turned extremely unsightly, and she instinctively took a few steps back, murmuring in disbelief, "How could he be here?"
Noticing Wei Bingbing's reaction, the white-haired elder frowned and asked, "Girl Wei, do you know that brat?"
Wei Bingbing pursed her lips and replied, "Elder Yan, he is the Ye Ling I told you about."
"Ye Ling?" The white-haired elder was taken aback and looked at Ye Ling in surprise. "You're telling me this brat is the master of the Demonic Palace who scared your four great families into a panicked mess? That's enough to make me laugh my teeth out! Hahahaha!"
Hearing the white-haired elder's laughter, Wei Bingbing suddenly had a premonition of something ominous. She quickly warned him, "Elder Wei, be careful. Rumor has it Ye Ling can contend with deities and is widely recognized as the foremost person of this era. Even though his cultivation has suffered recently, judging by his previous handling of Zuo Feilong, his strength likely hasn't diminished much."
"What if he can contend with deities? I've lived a life of conquest; even the celestial gods in the heavens would address me as Duke Yan!"
Despite Wei Bingbing's words, the white-haired elder remained full of bravado, showing no regard for Ye Ling.
Seeing the white-haired elder's confident demeanor, Ye Ling asked Wang Liren beside him, "Do you know who that fellow is?"
Wang Liren's brow furrowed, as if searching his memory.
After a moment, Wang Liren said to Ye Ling, "Your Majesty, if I recall correctly, he should be the Sword Immortal Yan Guilai, who gained fame over a thousand years ago. The last time he was active in the mortal world was during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. He became famous for slaying a warlord's army of a hundred thousand with a single sword in the north. After the founding of the nation, he signed a contract with the Dragon Department and subsequently ceased his activities in the present world. His file within the Dragon Department is also highly classified, and I don't have much information about him."
"A child from over a thousand years ago..." Ye Ling murmured, then looked at Yan Guilai, who was laughing heartily, and asked, "Yan Guilai, why are you suddenly helping the four great families instead of living in seclusion?"
Yan Guilai smiled at Ye Ling and said, "I have no reason to tell you. It's just that this era is too disappointing. It's truly laughable that a mere brat like you can become the foremost person of this era!"
The Qilin behind Yan Guilai immediately retorted, "My Emperor is invincible in the world, not someone you old geezers can slander. Why don't you kneel and kowtow to the Emperor? That way, you might at least save your life!"
"Silence, you beast!"
Yan Guilai flicked a yellow talisman, sealing the Qilin's mouth, and then looked at Ye Ling, saying, "It seems your upbringing isn't much better, nurturing a dignified divine beast like the Qilin to be so crude!"
Ye Ling shrugged and said, "You've mistaken me. That Qilin is purely wild. I didn't expect it to be so thick-skinned, acting like a sycophant."
The Qilin looked at Ye Ling with an innocent expression, "Wuwuwu—!"
Yan Guilai sneered, "Hmph! Whether wild or domesticated, that Qilin has filled me with rage today. Since it knows you, I'll have to vent my anger on you!"
*Swish!*
As Yan Guilai finished speaking, his long sword flew from behind him, and a golden light shot towards Ye Ling.
Wang Liren only saw a flash of golden light before the sword was already in front of Ye Ling!
"Such speed!" Wang Liren's heart was shaken; his mind was filled only with the golden light that tore through space! If he had been in Ye Ling's position, he probably wouldn't have even realized his head had been pierced by Yan Guilai's sword!
Ye Ling watched the flying sword, a slight smile on his lips. He extended two fingers and firmly clamped Yan Guilai's long sword, saying with a laugh, "Toys like this are only good for bullying children. In a real battle, they're not presentable."
*Crack!*
As Ye Ling spoke, Yan Guilai's sword snapped into two pieces and fell to the ground!
"Elder Yan's sword!!!" Wei Bingbing's expression changed drastically upon seeing Ye Ling snap Yan Guilai's sword with just two fingers. A sense of foreboding immediately filled her heart!
It was the people from the Shadow Hall who had told them that Ye Ling's cultivation was completely lost, and that the Shadow Hall would support their four great families to become the new world overlords, which was why they dared to launch a rebellion, occupy the Dragon Department, and launch a full-scale attack on the Demonic Palace! But now, Ye Ling had effortlessly disabled Yan Guilai's weapon, and his strength seemed to have suffered no loss at all! With Ye Ling still here, it meant the Demonic Palace had not fallen. Hadn't their actions as the four great families been a path to their own destruction?
At that moment, Wei Bingbing's face turned ashen, and despair flashed in her eyes. She seemed to see the tragic scene of the four great families being annihilated!
Yan Guilai, however, did not seem angered by Ye Ling's destruction of his sword. Instead, he laughed heartily, "Hahaha! Interesting, very interesting! It seems you, the master of the Demonic Palace, are not without your reputation!"
"Let me see whether you, the foremost power of this era, or I, the foremost power from over a thousand years ago, are superior! Talisman Array: Ten Thousand Demons Seal!"
Yan Guilai shouted, and a large number of yellow talismans flew from his sleeves, quickly forming a talisman array above Ye Ling, encompassing him within it.
*Buzz—!*
*Buzz—!*
Numerous golden light beams shot down from the talisman array, transforming into pillars of light that confined Ye Ling in the center!
Ye Ling looked at the light pillars trapping him and smiled at Yan Guilai, "Your tricks might have some effect on that Qilin, but for me, they're a bit lacking."
Yan Guilai sneered, "That's not necessarily true."
With that, Yan Guilai rapidly formed hand seals and chanted, "Heavenly Origin Talisman Dao, Seal Demons and Achieve Sainthood, Array Complete!"
*Boom!*
A golden pillar of light erupted from the center of the talisman array, instantly engulfing Ye Ling within the cage. A violent aura surged outwards in all directions.
Wang Liren, unable to withstand the residual impact of the talisman array, was sent flying. Zuo Yuan, who happened to be standing in the killing position of the talisman array, was struck by a golden light even stronger than the one that hit Wang Liren! With Zuo Yuan's cultivation, if he were pierced by that golden light, he would surely die!
Wang Liren, who had been knocked away, saw a golden light heading towards Zuo Yuan and his eyes welled up with tears. He roared, "Zuo Yuan, dodge quickly!" He wanted to save him, but it was too late!
*Chii!*
However, just as Zuo Yuan was about to be pierced by the golden light, Zuo Feilong suddenly blocked in front of Zuo Yuan, allowing the golden light to pierce his own heart. Blood splattered onto Zuo Yuan's face. Zuo Yuan, ignoring the hot blood on his face, stared blankly at Zuo Feilong, who was blocking in front of him, and asked with a trembling voice, "Dad... Dad? Why?"
*Thump...*
Zuo Feilong knelt powerlessly before Zuo Yuan. He smiled, raised a trembling hand to caress Zuo Yuan's face, and said in a weak, hoarse voice, "Zuo Yuan... please forgive your father..."
*Bang!*
As his words fell, Zuo Feilong collapsed in front of Zuo Yuan. Blood stained the ground.