Xiao Chen felt interested. Although the Dragon Slayer’s cultivation was not high, he could visit the various dangerous dragon graves and move about freely.

There was only one explanation for this. The Dragon Slayer possessed the ability to restrain the Dragon Race’s guards and the Distant Ancient Dragon Might. Although such abilities were rare, they still existed.

It was just like the ghost Hou, which ate dragons like they were weak earthworms. It was the natural nemesis of the Dragon Race.

Upon hearing Feng Buyu say that, Xiao Chen became even more interested. Who exactly was this mysterious Dragon Slayer? Despite not having a high cultivation, he moved about the various dragon graves freely, even entering the Distant Sea Dragon Grave.

“Thank you for your warning. I’ll take my leave now!”

Xiao Chen smiled faintly and finished his drink before leaving.

As Feng Buyu watched Xiao Chen leave, he held up his wine cup and shook his head. He said, “These days, there are really all sorts of people. He is just a Consummation quasi-Emperor. Why go and join in the matters of half-step Martial Emperors?

“In the end, I, Feng Buyu, am the wise one. The cool breeze says nothing, drifting about leisurely. Even a light zephyr says nothing. My thoughts drift about as I please.”

Right after Feng Buyu spoke, he truly disappeared like the wind, silently leaving the restaurant.

---

The place that Feng Buyu mentioned was very easy to find. After Xiao Chen left the city, he put on a mask, covering half his face. Then, he headed south for five kilometers before spotting a mountain manor by the lake.

The gates had a signboard that said “Dragon Slaying Mountain Manor.”

Two lines of a couplet were split between each side of the gates. The first half said, “I am filled with courage, seeking dragon graves all over the world.” The second half said, “My heart is filled with passion, killing the berserk dragons of the world.”

This ordinary couplet did not seem to contain much literary grace. Strictly speaking, it was not even well matched to the point where it could be called a couplet.

However, Xiao Chen believed that the Manor Lord of this mountain manor did this on purpose to present a kind of arrogance and dominance.

“It is arrogant enough. Let’s see who this Dragon Slayer is exactly!”

Xiao Chen’s lips curled up slightly as he headed for the gates. However, the guards there stopped him.

“What are you doing? Today, the Dragon Slaying Mountain Manor is entertaining half-step Emperors. Anyone not related cannot enter,” the guards said rudely.

Indeed, the Dragon Slayer’s conduct was boundlessly arrogant. Even his guards looked down on others.

The two Small Perfection quasi-Emperors were far from comparable even to just the strength that Xiao Chen showed on the surface, the cultivation of a Consummation quasi-Emperor.

However, these guards still showed arrogant expressions with their heads in the clouds.

Just when Xiao Chen was thinking about how he was to enter, he glanced around and noticed a testing stone stele by the side. Then, he smiled faintly as an idea popped into his head.

“That testing stone stele at the side. If I can instantly light up all the purple gems in the sixth row, I should be qualified to enter, right?”

The two Small Perfection quasi-Emperors started mocking Xiao Chen after hearing that. “With just you? You want to light up all the purple gems instantly? Stop joking and quickly beat it. Without the strength of a half-step Martial Emperor, you can forget about lighting up all the purple gems.”

“Don’t overestimate yourself. That testing stone stele is not for you to test yourself. It is used to test whether those half-step Martial Emperors are strong enough.”

Xiao Chen smiled faintly. “However, I’m not overestimating myself.”

“Whoosh!”

Xiao Chen’s figure flashed and casually punched. Amid the flickering light, all the gems except the golden gems on the seventh row lit up.

It looked very casual, without a trace of effort.

Xiao Chen withdrew in satisfaction as he looked at the two stunned guards.

“That’s too fast, right?!”

“How casual! It was like there was no pressure at all. Some of the earlier half-step Martial Emperors needed to take a deep breath before they dared to make a move.”

Before Xiao Chen advanced to Consummation quasi-Emperor, he could readily light up seven purple gems already.

Now that he was a Consummation quasi-Emperor, his Heavenly Laws were already no different from those of a half-step Martial Emperor. Naturally, it was incomparably easy for him to light up all the purple gems.

In fact, if Xiao Chen had been willing to use Primordial Energy, he would have even lit up the golden gems that half-step Martial Emperors would never be able to light up.

However, there was no need to be excessively shocking. He was not in a rush to expose his strength.

“Come with me.”

The guard on the left no longer dared to underestimate Xiao Chen’s strength. With an exceedingly respectful attitude, he led Xiao Chen into the mountain manor.

The two walked through the corridors, passing gardens of flowers and rocks. The scenery within the manor looked exceptionally exquisite.

Soon, the two arrived before a pavilion. Xiao Chen saw the half-step Martial Emperors who heard the news. There was actually quite a number of them; a quick count came to over twenty half-step Martial Emperors.

It looks like Feng Buyu was right. Nearly all the half-step Martial Emperors of the entire Dragon Grave Sea are here.

“Wait here first. The Manor Lord will personally arrive with the Martial Emperors. There will still be another test then.”

The mountain manor guard left these final words before leaving quickly.

“Whoosh!”

The guard had just left when Xiao Chen felt gazes on him. These gazes were filled with surprise, disdain, confusion, or suspicion.

“Brother, you are probably in the wrong place. The recruitment is for half-step Martial Emperors, not Consummation quasi-Emperors,” a stout man wearing beast skin said as he looked at Xiao Chen with disdain in the pavilion.

Xiao Chen found an empty spot and took a seat. Then, he replied calmly, “I know. However, I do not feel that I am weaker than half-step Martial Emperors.”

Xiao Chen’s serious answer immediately triggered an outburst of laughter. Some of the aged old men could not help smiling.

Based on the voice, the one wearing the mask was a youth. Youths frequently did not understand the heights of the sky or the depths of the world, thinking that the world revolved around them.

Sometimes, even after becoming a joke to others, they were still unaware.

The man in beast skin laughed the loudest. “Turns out that it is a fool. To think that I even bothered speaking to a fool! Never mind, I can’t be bothered anymore.”

Just at this moment, footsteps rang out. Everyone looked at the end of the small path and saw a youth leading five people over.

“The Dragon Slayer is here!”

The half-step Martial Emperors in the pavilion immediately stopped smiling and sat upright with serious expressions.

From behind the mask, Xiao Chen saw the face of that Dragon Slayer clearly. His heart thumped heavily. How can it be him?!

The one leading the five Martial Emperors was none other than Yi Ling, the Young Treasure Master, whom Xiao Chen had met several times in the Heavenly Starry Ocean!

Xiao Chen thought back to when he first met Yi Ling. At that time, he felt some odd fear towards this person. The other party’s cultivation appeared to be weaker, but he strangely inspired fear in others.

Xiao Chen recalled that when they first met in the Treasure Master’s Residence, Yi Ling offered the third toast to him, upsetting the other guests.

In hindsight, could there have been a deeper meaning behind it besides his transactions worth tens of millions of Black Astral Coins?

Xiao Chen felt shocked, but he quickly recovered his wits, calming down.

Fortunately, due to a curious coincidence, Xiao Chen had donned a mask before coming, hiding his face. Furthermore, he was also using the Foundation Returning Art to disguise his identity. Yi Ling should not recognize him.

Unimaginable. It was truly unimaginable. The refined Young Treasure Master of the Heavenly Starry Ocean, who did not reveal his sharpness, had such a prideful side. To think that he even gained the title of Dragon Slayer in the Dragon Grave Sea!

In regard to sharpness and ambition, this fellow should not be any lesser than the outstanding talents of the Heavenly Starry Ocean. However, he kept his strength hidden so well for so long. It was scary just thinking about it.

“Young Master Yi!”

Seeing Yi Ling arrive, the group of half-step Marital Emperors stood up and respectfully greeted him.

It looked like the name Dragon Slayer was imprinted deeply in the hearts of everyone. Even though Yi Ling appeared to be just a Great Perfection quasi-Emperor, he could make this group of half-step Martial Emperors behave subserviently, not daring to show any disrespect.

It was even to the point where Yi Ling could gather up Martial Emperors to explore the Distant Sea Dragon Grave together.

However, Yi Ling’s cultivation on the surface might not be genuine. Xiao Chen already labeled him a dangerous character. He might be like Xiao Chen, possessing many trump cards and able to kill half-step Martial Emperors as a Great Perfection quasi-Emperor.

Xiao Chen did not say a thing as he sized up the five Martial Emperors by Yi Ling. With one glance, he could tell that they were all Minor Heavenly Martial Emperors. The strongest one was the red-haired middle-aged man by Yi Ling’s left—likely a Second Heaven Martial Emperor.

As for the other four Martial Emperors, they were First Heaven Martial Emperors. Even so, as long as they were Martial Emperors, it was enough to let them look down on everyone here.

“Interesting. You are a Consummation quasi-Emperor. Why are you here?”

Yi Ling casually greeted the crowd. Then, he fixed his gaze on Xiao Chen. “I hired two Small Perfection quasi-Emperor guards and stationed them at the gates to prevent people from trying to take advantage of the situation. There should be something extraordinary about you for them to let you in. It’s fine as well. We shall begin the test with you, then.”

Xiao Chen initially felt somewhat nervous, worrying that Yi Ling figured out who he was. After hearing that, he heaved a sigh of relief.

However, being tested first was somewhat problematic because Xiao Chen would not know what level of strength to show to allay suspicions. Furthermore, he did not know what the test was. There were too many uncertain variables. It would be better to be more cautious.

“My cultivation is the lowest. Can I be the last to be tested?” Xiao Chen said, changing the tone of his voice.

“A terrified fool. I’ll do it.”

Before Yi Ling said anything, the cultivator wearing beast skin, who spoke down to Xiao Chen earlier, gave Xiao Chen a look of despisal and took the initiative to step forward.

Yi Ling’s eyes gleamed, but he did not overthink this. He said to an old man on the right, “Old Hong, I’ll leave it to you.”

Old Hong, who wore gray robes, nodded and stepped forward. He said, “Since you all can light up at least nine purple gems, that means that you possess sufficient offensive power. Hence, the second test is defense. The testing method is quite simple. Just receive a palm strike from me at thirty percent of my strength. Those who can remain standing will pass.”

The moment Old Hong said this, the twenty-odd half-step Martial Emperors immediately changed their expressions.

How were they to withstand a palm strike of a First Heaven Martial Emperor? Even if it was only thirty percent of the Martial Emperor’s strength and they defended with all their might, they would still end up severely injured.

Fortunately, the rules were rather relaxed. It only required that they remain standing. It did not matter how severely injured they were.

Otherwise, if the requirements were different, these twenty-odd people might all be eliminated.

The man in beast skin appeared nervous and somewhat regretful that he had stepped up. However, since he already did so, there was no turning back.

“Bang!”

Just right as that man in beast skin was about to ask for some time to prepare, Old Hong suddenly attacked and landed a palm strike on his chest.

This blow looked very simple. However, the half-step Martial Emperors were all very experienced. They could tell that this palm strike contained at least ten strands of Primordial Energy.

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