Chapter 471: Song Yeming

The Song family's ancestor, Song Yeming!

A figure of legendary status!

He was the most famous, unparalleled prodigy in Dongxuan Province a thousand years ago.

Back then, the Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute, a Sword Dao Sacred Land in the Central Province, had extended an olive branch to him.

But he believed that the true Sword Dao must originate from within oneself and not be sought from external sources. He felt that with his capabilities, he had no need to look elsewhere!

This wasn't arrogance, but a conclusion he reached after objective consideration.

In the end, he stepped into the Void Realm within a hundred years, looking down upon all other Cultivators of his generation in Dongxuan Province!

This outcome also proved his choice was correct.

Furthermore, with just a single sword, he once charged into a notorious demonic cultivator stronghold in the eastern part of the dynasty. By his hand alone, he caused rivers of blood to flow and mountains of corpses to rise.

Among them were dozens of Divine Might Realm demonic cultivators, and even three in the Void Realm.

Yet they all fell to his sword!

The Hall of Yama suffered a great blow because of this battle. They were forced to pull back their forces and, for a full century, did not dare let their demonic cultivators operate within the Great Hong Dynasty.

The Great Hong Demon Exorcism Institute was also shaken by this battle. Its director, both excited and inspired, wanted to recruit Song Yeming into the institute, even offering great rewards.

But Song Yeming refused, citing his need to "temper his Sword Dao."

In his view, the mysteries of the Sword Dao and breakthroughs to higher levels had to be sought in life-or-death battles against powerful enemies.

Blindly seeking protection would only wear down and obstruct his dauntless Dao heart.

After that, he left Dongxuan Province and began to roam the world, successively making a great name for himself in the northern and southern parts of the dynasty, and even in the Central Province.

But from some unknown day, Song Yeming suddenly vanished from public view.

The Cultivators of the world could no longer hear even the slightest news about him.

It was as if he had evaporated into thin air, never to appear before the world again.

Many speculated that Song Yeming had probably gone to one of the great powers in the Central Province to cultivate in seclusion.

After all, quite a few great powers had extended olive branches to him back then.

Others believed that Song Yeming had encountered a great enemy during his travels, suffered grievous injuries, and already perished!

Or perhaps he was in seclusion, nursing his wounds, no longer concerned with worldly affairs!

In any case, such speculations were everywhere.

As for the truth, no one knew anymore.

No one had expected that Song Yeming, a figure who had become famous a thousand years ago, would actually appear at this very moment!

Of course, although he was called an ancestor by the members of the Song family, it wasn't because he had founded the family.

In fact, as one of the four great families of Dongxuan Province, the Song family's origins were far more ancient than many imagined.

As for Song Yeming, he was merely the ancestor of the current branch of the Song family.

Li Jianyin had already been off to the side, informing Ye Chen of this Song family ancestor's history via voice transmission.

Even though Song Yeming hadn't shown his face in public for nearly a thousand years.

As the son of the provincial governor, he obviously knew much more about the foundations of the major families than the average person.

Li Jianyin's expression was grave, his entire body tense.

He could clearly feel an unimaginable pressure from this unparalleled prodigy from a thousand years ago.

For a moment, even Ye Chen couldn't help but feel his heart sink slightly.

From Li Jianyin's words, he learned that this Song family ancestor had already been a Void Realm expert a thousand years ago.

'Now, with the passage of a millennium, just how powerful has this Song Yeming become?'

Ye Chen looked up, his gaze fixing on the terrifying figure that resembled a thunder god descending upon the world. His eyes suddenly narrowed.

'Something's not right!'

'That isn't the aura of the Void Realm!'

Ye Chen's expression faltered for a moment, as if he had just understood something.

'Perhaps this Song Yeming was once a terrifyingly powerful Great Power.'

'But during this millennium, he must have suffered some kind of mishap that caused him to fall from the Void Realm. He no longer possesses the strength he had at his Peak!'

'No wonder no one has heard any news about Song Yeming for the last thousand years.'

Of course, Ye Chen wouldn't underestimate him because of this.

Even if Song Yeming was no longer a Void Realm expert, he had, after all, once set foot in that realm.

His insights and understanding of cultivation were definitely far beyond that of an ordinary Cultivator!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Song Yeming was seen holding an old, broken cyan lamp. Countless rays of cyan light rippled out from it, stirring up a sky full of lightning.

That was the Song family's clan-guarding Spiritual Object, the Nine Heavens Thunder-Controlling Lamp!

He stepped forward, one pace at a time, until he was before Ye Chen, looking down on him from above.

"Hand over the Purple Jade Hairpin, and I can spare your life!"

He spoke indifferently, his voice sounding exceptionally hoarse and stiff, as if he hadn't spoken in a very long time.

"What, is the secret within this Purple Jade Hairpin so important that even an ancestor of the Song family like you was stirred into action?"

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained composed and calm, his expression unruffled as he spoke.

"Hmph!"

"You'd best abandon any thoughts of probing me."

Song Yeming spoke in a booming voice, his body wreathed in lightning, his presence utterly terrifying. "I can't be bothered to waste time on you. I'll give you three seconds. If you don't hand over the Purple Jade Hairpin..."

"Why wait three seconds?"

However, before Song Yeming could finish his sentence, Ye Chen had already spoken with a light laugh, "Let's just get to it!"

With that, a piercing Sword Qi surged skyward, sweeping toward Song Yeming!

The sky-filling, blinding lightning was torn apart by this single sword gleam. A clear Sword Chant rang out, echoing endlessly between heaven and earth, even overpowering the deafening roar of thunder!

"You're courting death!"

Song Yeming's eyes narrowed. Enraged by Ye Chen's brazen move, he brandished the Nine Heavens Thunder-Controlling Lamp, stepped upon endless bolts of lightning, and lunged toward Ye Chen with a palm strike!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

...

The great battle erupted in an instant.

A terrifying might filled the air!

At a glance, lightning and Sword Qi intertwined, a vast torrent of power sweeping through the void, threatening to tear the very world asunder and striking fear into the hearts of all who witnessed it!

Song Yeming was already domineering enough, appearing without a single wasted word and demanding the Purple Jade Hairpin from Ye Chen, his killing intent palpable and his might overwhelming.

Yet Ye Chen was completely unafraid. He even struck first, not the least bit intimidated by Song Yeming's aura.

Was this the fearlessness of the ignorant?

Not entirely.

After all, the strength Ye Chen had previously displayed was also enough to look down on every Cultivator in the heavens and on earth within Dongxuan Province, rendering him nearly invincible!

Within the Song family's ranks, Song Tianxing stared at the raging battlefield in the distance, his mind trembling. He couldn't help but ask, "Patriarch, can the ancestor really handle Ye Chen?"

Hearing this, the other experts of the Song family all looked over with expectant expressions.

"Nonsense!" Song Tingyue frowned. "You don't even trust the ancestor's strength?"

"But... the ancestor's injuries..." Song Tianxing hesitated.