As the voice fell, a man and a woman slowly walked towards the pavilion, and people along the way parted to let them pass.
Though they were seeing this person for the first time, they felt an extraordinary sense of familiarity, as his portrait had been displayed in every corner of the遗迹 (yíjì - ruins).
Ye Cangtian!
Seeing Ye Cangtian and Lan Yue approaching, Dongfang Mingyue and the Death Squad below the pavilion became excited.
They believed that with their boss's return, the current trouble could surely be resolved.
"Sister Mingyue, long time no see!"
"It seems you've been doing well recently, having the time to chat with these little pests..."
A moment later, Ye Cangtian arrived below the pavilion and teased the excited Dongfang Mingyue.
Hmph!
Dongfang Mingyue glared fiercely at him and replied irritably, "You brat, how dare you say that? Aren't these all the troubles you've stirred up!"
"Alright, alright, it's all my fault. I'll take care of it from here. You all wait for me for a while!"
Ye Cangtian smiled, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of people outside the pavilion, his target finally settling on Meng Zhenliang.
"Old man, did you just say you wanted to turn Dragon City upside down?" Ye Cangtian's voice was somewhat icy, and intense killing intent flickered in his eyes.
The Hidden Group bore the heavy responsibility of guarding the Huaxia ruins, and these opposing forces had come together.
They not only challenged the authority of the Hidden Group but also intended to wage war against it. In his eyes, this was a path to certain death!
"This..."
Feeling the murderous gaze directed at him, Meng Zhenliang's forehead began to sweat profusely.
This was the first time he had encountered such intense killing intent; it felt like a massive mountain pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Fortunately, with the support of numerous forces behind him, he mustered some courage to face Ye Cangtian.
The next moment, he nodded and said, "If the Hidden Group does not hand over the Four Seals, then we have no choice but to do this! Therefore, you should all consider it carefully!"
"That's right, if we don't get the Four Seals today, we'll fight the Hidden Group to the death!"
"Yes! Without the Four Seals, we'll turn Dragon City into four cities, ensuring no one is spared!"
...
As Meng Zhenliang's words fell, a wave of agreement erupted from the crowd, with two voices being particularly piercing.
In their view, the harsher their words were now, the more they could deter Ye Cangtian and the greater their hope of achieving their goal!
However, these two individuals hiding in the crowd had no idea that Ye Cangtian's gaze had already locked onto them.
While it might be difficult for others to pinpoint their locations, Ye Cangtian's spiritual power was immense, making it effortless for him to lock onto them.
Hmph!
With a cold snort, Ye Cangtian raised his hand and merely made two gestures of slapping.
Immediately, a spiritual energy hand shot out, slapping the two individuals away and sending them crashing into a crowd.
The news of him becoming a Heavenly level expert had likely spread throughout the ruins by now, so there was no need for him to conceal his actions.
"Hiss..."
Seeing the two lying on the ground, spitting blood from their severe injuries, the crowd instantly fell silent, gasping in unison.
They knew that Ye Cangtian had held back; otherwise, these two would not just be seriously injured but dead.
Was this the power of a Heavenly level expert? capable of killing Earth level experts with a wave of his hand?
At this moment, everyone truly understood the terrifying might of a Heavenly level expert!
Before the crowd, Meng Zhenliang's gaunt body began to tremble upon witnessing this scene.
"I recall someone just proposed terms, demanding that the Hidden Group hand me over, or else the Four Seals in my possession. Now, I am here. Anyone who wishes to act, come forward!"
Just then, Ye Cangtian's voice rang out again.
But as his voice faded, the scene remained silent. Not a single figure dared to step forward.
They were truly intimidated by his previous display of power.
"Heh heh."
Seeing that no one dared to advance, Ye Cangtian's disdainful smile grew even wider.
He continued, "Fine, if you are unwilling to deal with me, I understand. Then please fulfill your promise and take action against Dragon City!"
"This..."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. Was Ye Cangtian truly this insane?
Did he truly not care about the lives of the other inhabitants of Dragon City?
Wasn't it said that the Hidden Group had the responsibility of guarding the ruins? How could Ye Cangtian, a member of the Hidden Group, be so cold-blooded?
Before everyone could comprehend, Ye Cangtian's voice boomed again.
"For those of you who intend to act, be quick, otherwise, once I've identified everyone, there will be no opportunity! .org"
"Furthermore, I wish to remind you that your backgrounds have already been obtained by the Hidden Group. Anyone who dares to act recklessly in Dragon City will face only death!"
"Not only these individuals will die, but after this incident, the Hidden Group will also flatten all your backing forces one by one!"
"..."
As Ye Cangtian's voice echoed once more, everyone's expression changed drastically. At this moment, no one doubted Ye Cangtian's words.
Firstly, according to their intelligence, Ye Cangtian was never one to suffer losses.
Secondly, their disturbance in Dragon City had caused immense damage, and the Hidden Group would surely retaliate.
And if the Hidden Group were to retaliate, it was unlikely any force could withstand it.
"This... Ye Cangtian, we can talk things over properly."
Meng Zhenliang, seeing the situation turn sour, quickly plastered a smile on his face and said.
Making a joke of it, they had come for the Four Seals, not to have all their backing forces annihilated.
Therefore, facing the current Ye Cangtian, he had no choice but to back down. Who knew that their forces couldn't even compare to a branch of the Hidden Group!
"Talk properly?"
"As far as I know, you have been in Dragon City for some time, hiding in the shadows. Is this your attitude for talking things over properly?"
"Besides, your attitude towards Sister Mingyue earlier was also extremely hostile. Is that considered talking properly?"
Ye Cangtian looked at the other party with a cold smile, inwardly chuckling.
Meng Zhenliang's capitulation, and the lack of opposition from those around him, was exactly as he had predicted.
These forces dared not truly sever ties with the Hidden Group!
Thus, resolving the current trouble would not be difficult.
On the other side, Meng Zhenliang quickly bowed to Dongfang Mingyue behind Ye Cangtian.
"I apologize for my previous attitude, and I hope you will not blame me..."
As he spoke, Meng Zhenliang subtly glanced at Ye Cangtian. Seeing that the expression on his face had softened considerably, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After a moment of contemplation, Meng Zhenliang spoke again, "Ye Cangtian, we are not insistent on the Four Seals. We can compromise."
Oh?
Ye Cangtian looked at him with a hint of confusion.
Seeing this, Meng Zhenliang quickly said, "As long as you agree to open the Heavenly Gate for us at any time, we will immediately withdraw from Dragon City!"
Meng Zhenliang knew that the reason all the forces were interested in the Four Seals was solely because of the Heavenly Gate.
Only by entering the Heavenly Realm could they pursue true immortality.
Therefore, if Ye Cangtian agreed to this, they naturally would not oppose the Hidden Group.
"What if I say no!"
Hearing the other party's words, Ye Cangtian's expression changed, becoming exceptionally grim.
With their current weakened position, they dared to propose such terms to him; it was a joke!
Feeling Ye Cangtian's icy gaze, Meng Zhenliang gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, "Then we will have no choice but to go to war with the Hidden Group, and Dragon City may cease to exist!"
No matter what, they had to make the other party open the Heavenly Gate, otherwise, even if they returned, they would not be able to account for themselves.
"Heh heh, if that is the case, then I can only represent the Hidden Group and regretfully announce that we are at war with you!"
Ye Cangtian let out a cold laugh, then shouted, "Where is Bai Zhenshan?"
Even before Ye Cangtian arrived, he had already sent someone to notify Bai Zhenshan.
After all, the news of the Heavenly Gate was of immense importance to all forces, and they would not let go of it easily.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian had made preparations for both eventualities.
"This old man is here!"
From the outer perimeter of the crowd, an aged yet resonant voice echoed.