As the group drank happily, a sudden commotion broke out downstairs.
Immediately after, four young men stomped aggressively up the stairs.
All four possessed handsome features and sharp gazes. The moment they reached the upper floor, their eyes fell upon Sun Changlin, Cao Yan, and Xiao Chen.
The young man at the lead wore a blue robe, bearing an extraordinary aura. A sword hung at his waist. With an unfriendly look, he narrowed his eyes at Xiao Chen.
"So you're the one who doesn't know the rules?"
Seeing their arrogant, overbearing attitudes, anger flared within Xiao Chen as well. A dangerous gleam flickered deep in his eyes. Squinting into thin slits, he looked at the man and muttered in a chilly voice, "Are you done yet, or does this never end?"
Hearing Xiao Chen's words, the young man sneered. "Hah. So you're not convinced, are you?"
Cao Yan was also thoroughly annoyed by these people. Rising to his feet, he threw a punch with lightning speed!
*Boom!*
The rampant power was tightly contained within mere inches by Cao Yan.
The instant Cao Yan struck, the hair on the young man's body stood on end. He snapped his sword across his side with his left hand to block!
Yet how could Cao Yan's punch be so easily withstood?
The young man's body skidded back several zhang across the floorboards. His arm trembled faintly, completely robbed of sensation.
Cao Yan's icy voice slowly resonated: "You lot are pushing your luck."
Seeing this, the men behind the youth flared with rage!
Just as they were about to attack, two spears suddenly thrust out from left and right, pressing dead against the throats of two of the men!
Sun Changlin held a spear with one hand. The sleazy air of an old drunkard was nowhere to be seen; in its place was a gaze that looked down upon the world.
Xiao Chen glanced at the old man in surprise, not expecting his weapon to be a spear as well!
Suddenly, an annoyed female voice drifted from downstairs.
"If you want to fight, take it outside. Fighting is forbidden in the Mortal Sojourner. Do you wish to break the rules?"
As Li Qingchan spoke, her delicate brows knit slightly, her face cold as frost.
In an instant, silence fell over both floors. An inexplicable pressure pervaded the tavern, leaving everyone too frightened to breathe aloud.
From upstairs, Sun Changlin's voice rang out.
"Ye Mohan, is this how you manage your people?"
Downstairs, the purple-robed Ye Mohan set down his cup and immortal crystals. Expressionless, he stood up and said, "Let's go. There's no point getting worked up over a bunch of youngsters who've never set foot on a battlefield."
Blood trickled slowly down the spearhead. In the distance, the young man with his limp arm turned and walked toward the stairs.
Before leaving, he shot a deep, piercing glare at Cao Yan and Xiao Chen.
"My name is Song Bin. I will remember the two of you."
Watching them turn and depart, a flash of cold light crossed Cao Yan's eyes. He asked in a low voice, "Who are they?"
Sun Changlin answered, "Just a few brats banded together, five in total, led by Ye Mohan. Aside from Ye Mohan and Song Bin, the two Xiao Chen and I just faced were Xu Kai and Wu Jingcheng. The skinny beanpole at the back is named Luo Guan. Relying on their decent talent and looking out for one another on the battlefield, they've earned a bit of a reputation."
Xiao Chen was somewhat speechless. Pulling back his spear, he said coldly, "If you ask me, those guys were picking a fight on purpose!"
Sun Changlin sighed. "It can't be helped. Who told your leader to be so eye-catching? The Realm Lord and Dust Emperor visiting the White Jade Tower on the first tier in person—that has never happened before. Not to mention the Eight Generals and Four Kings gathering to receive him..."
Cao Yan nodded quietly, understanding some of the reasoning behind their hostility.
A tree standing taller than the forest was bound to be ravaged by the wind. As Li Guanqi's brothers, others would not treat them with much goodwill.
In particular, Cao Yan recalled a certain remark:
Ye Mohan was the most likely candidate to fill Youming's vacancy among the Eight Generals!
Yet... Cao Yan suddenly thought of Xu Junlin and Qin Wushang.
Judging from his brief impression of that purple-robed youth, Ye Mohan was an exceptionally proud and conceited individual. Even after such a large commotion just now, where his men were suppressed in an instant, he had remained utterly unbothered.
In other words...
He had likely heard some rumors that fostered Ye Mohan's animosity toward Li Guanqi!
Behind the counter downstairs, Li Qingchan wiped a wine cup and spoke in an unfriendly tone, "If there is a next time, you won't need to return to the Mortal Sojourner."
Ye Mohan paused slightly and bowed toward Li Qingchan as an apology.
Just as Ye Mohan pushed open the door and stepped outside...
Suddenly!
A large hand covered in dragon scales snapped around Ye Mohan's throat, lifting him straight into the air and slamming him hard against the exterior wall!
When Song Bin inside the tavern got a clear look at the newcomer, his face drained of color.
In a flash, Song Bin, Xu Kai, and the others struck at once!
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
A golden-haired man clad in a brocade robe stepped forward, brandishing his blade across his chest. The aura that erupted from him in an instant was actually comparable to the peak of the late Mahayana realm!
Rampant sword qi crisscrossed violently. Under the force of the four men's combined assault, the ground beneath his feet shattered instantly, yet he did not yield a single step!
It was none other than Ye Feng, who had broken through to the late Mahayana realm after consuming the pill!
The present Ye Feng was purity incarnate, possessing power even greater than when he had wielded the ghost hand!
The Nu Sha Sword held off the blades of all four attackers.
"If you want to fight, I'll keep you company."
Among the four, aside from Song Bin who was in the late Mahayana realm, the other three were in the mid Mahayana realm.
Ye Feng stood merely three feet beside Li Guanqi. From start to finish, Li Guanqi did not turn his head even once.
Li Guanqi's purely white eyes stared unblinkingly at the young man pinned before him.
Curiously enough, Ye Mohan showed no intention of fighting back at all, allowing Li Guanqi to hold him by the throat against the wall.
"You carry great hostility toward me?"
Ye Mohan's face had flushed a deep purplish red, yet his eyes remained entirely placid. In his left hand, he held a pitch-black sword, its scabbard shimmering with faint specks of light.
Looking at Li Guanqi, though Ye Mohan's expression was calm, shock churned in his heart.
He could not fathom why this man, who clearly had not yet broken through to the late Mahayana realm, possessed such terrifying strength!
*Celestial spiritual energy?*
*No wonder...*
At present, the primal energy inside Li Guanqi fluctuated violently. He had originally intended to enter seclusion to break through, but upon receiving Cao Yan's message, he had immediately rushed over with Ye Feng.
Ye Mohan looked at Li Guanqi and said softly, "That's right."
Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed slightly. He had thought that the Seventh Domain might be spared much of humanity's petty disputes. It seemed that wherever people gathered, conflict was inevitable.
The numerous cultivators inside the tavern watched the spectacle with relish. Every single one of them was a Mahayana realm cultivator, yet this bizarre clash struck them as thoroughly entertaining, and many stretched their necks to get a better look.
Li Qingchan frowned faintly, but since they were fighting outside the doorway, she could hardly say anything.
*Whoosh!*
Li Guanqi flicked his wrist, hurling the young man over a hundred zhang away. Purplish-black finger marks were left bruised across his neck.
Not far away, Gu Li, enveloped by a million inscribed talismans, rushed over looking pained at the expense as he bellowed in fury, "Who?! Let me see who it is!"
The men in front of Ye Feng immediately took flight to support Ye Mohan.
Cao Yan and Xiao Chen had also come downstairs, falling in behind Ye Feng alongside Gu Li.
Li Guanqi did his utmost to suppress his surging aura. Glancing at the distant Ye Mohan, he spoke in a low voice, "If you have an issue with me, you can come at me directly. Use whatever tricks you have, and I, Li Guanqi, will face them. But if you resort to underhanded, petty schemes... don't blame me if I fail to show restraint."
An inexplicable battle lust flickered within Ye Mohan's eyes. Licking his lips, he replied softly, "Very well. You've got more backbone than I imagined."
Li Guanqi scoffed, turning to lead his companions away.
This confrontation gave the cultivators of the Immortal Burial Realm quite a show to enjoy, leaving everyone speculating on what kind of sparks would fly between the two factions in the days to come.
Chapter 1177