The two attendants brought by Daniel Yi were now bent deeply in respect, their voices humble and reverent. "Outer Affairs Elders Pang Xun and Jie Bu of the Sacred Dao Sect greet the Sacred Sect Master!"
Sacred Sect Master? Daniel Yi completely forgot what he meant to ask, staring at Emperor Ye in utter astonishment.
Whether in the Sacred Dao Sect or any other sect, as long as you were still in the Sacred Dao Domain, there was only one Sacred Sect Master—none other than the founder of the Sacred Dao Sect, Emperor Ye.
Indeed, he had seen Emperor Ye's statue before, and the man before him did bear some resemblance to it. Yet Daniel Yi had never truly cared about Emperor Ye, let alone respected him, so it never crossed his mind that Emperor Ye would show up here.
Emperor Ye ignored the two cultivators bowing to the ground, his gaze fixed on Daniel Yi. But he still answered Daniel Yi's question: "Yes, I know Tanya Yi."
Suddenly, Daniel Yi shouted, "So what if you're Sect Master Ye? Does being Sect Master Ye mean you can smash someone else's shop at will? Sect Master Ye, many of the rules in the Sacred Dao Sect were set by you yourself—are you going to break them now?"
Emperor Ye snorted coldly. "Smash someone else's shop? Is my shop contract a fake? Or did I sell this shop while sleepwalking?"
"Serena Green gave this to me. As for how the shop ended up in Serena's hands, I have no idea." At this moment, Daniel Yi felt a chill run down his back and his scalp tingle. He knew clearly that there was no way out for him—he might very well die here today.
Had he known Emperor Ye had returned, he would have risked everything to escape. Now, his only hope was that his loud voice would attract a crowd of onlookers and make Emperor Ye hesitate.
But the Lunar Pill & Artifact Pavilion had been arrogant for so long that no matter how noisy or chaotic things got, no one would dare stand by and watch. Everyone knew that watching the commotion here was no different from handing your own head over. Cultivators treasure their lives—who would come here seeking death?
With a single slap from Emperor Ye, the still-shouting Daniel Yi was sent flying. While still suspended in midair, a Dao-infused spear pierced straight through Daniel Yi's brow, nailing him in the void. Blood dripped from his forehead, yet he did not die—his body trembled slightly, whether from spasms or terror.
Emperor Ye paid no attention to Daniel Yi's terrified expression, his voice cold as he asked, "Speak. How did you acquire this shop? And where did you get that skyship?"
Daniel Yi clearly wanted to self-destruct rather than answer Emperor Ye, but he could not help but speak: "This shop was opened by Fairy Serena Green. Once, I came here with my adoptive father; after seeing Fairy Serena, I was instantly captivated. My adoptive father helped me force Serena Green..."
Murderous intent surged in Emperor Ye as he fought the urge to shatter Daniel Yi. "Who is your adoptive father?" he demanded.
Since Serena Green opened a shop here, it must have been tacitly approved by the Sacred Dao Sect.
This shop was his. Once he left, the Sacred Dao Sect would surely manage it. For Serena Green to open a shop here, she must have received permission from the Sacred Dao Sect.
"My adoptive father is the Vice Sect Master of the Sacred Dao Sect. His name is Mang Yong..." Daniel Yi replied.
A figure with a red mark on his forehead emerged in Emperor Ye's mind—a man infamous for his cunning. They had once participated together in the Sect's Dao Inquiry Pavilion competition, but Mang Yong had held back during the contest, hoping to secure a spot by trading a single pill. Emperor Ye had mocked him, and their rivalry began there.
Unexpectedly, after Emperor Ye left the Sacred Dao Domain, Mang Yong was able to secure the position of Vice Sect Master in the Sacred Dao Sect. But that was hardly surprising—given Mang Yong's strength and scheming, not only was Vice Sect Master within reach, even becoming Sect Master would not be out of the question.
Though Emperor Ye was eager to ask about Mang Yong's whereabouts, he forced himself to restrain the urge. "Where is Serena Green?" he demanded.
"My adoptive father demanded she become my Dao companion, but she suddenly struck back. My adoptive father was much stronger than Fairy Serena Green. If not for Serena's strange cultivation technique, which seemed to endlessly prolong her vitality, she would have perished under my adoptive father's attacks. Later, Serena burned her Dao and escaped. Where she went, I do not know—my adoptive father couldn't find her either," Daniel Yi replied.
Serena Green isn't dead? Emperor Ye felt a surge of joy. Serena cultivated the Way of Life—so long as she drew breath, she would not perish.
"How did you get this skyship?" Emperor Ye produced the supreme-grade immortal artifact skyship.
"The skyship was always kept in the shop. I never touched it," Daniel Yi answered.
Emperor Ye sent his divine sense into the skyship, hoping to sense a trace of Serena Green and thus find her. Before he could detect Serena's presence, he unexpectedly discovered a message left by Nina Swan.
"Serena, this skyship should be returned to you. I cannot bear to accept his things. I am leaving this realm, and as for where I go in the future, I do not know. Take care of yourself..."
Hearing this, Emperor Ye immediately understood what had happened. Serena Green had given the skyship to Nina Swan when they met, and Nina later returned it to Serena.
Emperor Ye sighed and put the skyship away once more. Serena had left this place; after dealing with these scoundrels, he would seal the area. With his current strength, it was not impossible to trace the fluctuations from when Serena departed years ago.
Because he was familiar with Serena Green, and her cultivation of the Way of Life should be connected to his World Tree.
"Where is Mang Yong?" After putting away the skyship, Emperor Ye's tone grew even colder. He had not sensed Mang Yong's presence earlier—if he had, Mang Yong would already have been captured.
"He left the Sacred Dao Domain," Daniel Yi replied.
"When did this happen? Who was Sect Master at the time? Why did Mang Yong leave? Is Tanya Yi your mother?" Emperor Ye fired off several questions in succession.
"Specifically... it was... sixty thousand..." Daniel Yi began, then fell silent, lost in thought.
Emperor Ye waved his hand. "Just answer the last question directly."
"The Sect Master at the time was Samuel Xiang. He and my adoptive father disagreed on philosophy. My adoptive father was weaker than Sect Master Xiang, and after several setbacks in their power struggles, he had no choice but to leave the Sacred Dao Sect..."
Emperor Ye was greatly surprised. The Sacred Dao Sect had produced a Sect Master even more formidable and cunning than Mang Yong—a rare occurrence indeed. No wonder the sect hadn't been ruined by Mang Yong; it was thanks to Samuel Xiang.
After Mang Yong left, he left Daniel Yi behind, his intentions clear. He knew he was no match for Samuel Xiang, and that Samuel would eventually leave the Sacred Dao Sect. Daniel Yi would then take over. So Mang Yong's departure must have been peaceful, perhaps even beneficial to the sect—otherwise, Daniel Yi would never have been allowed to remain.
But judging by Daniel Yi's situation, although he managed to survive in the Sacred Dao Sect, he was still far from being able to take control of it.
"Tanya Yi is my mother. My mother and my adoptive father are friends." After answering, Daniel Yi's mind cleared. He looked at Emperor Ye in terror, wanting to beg for mercy but not daring to do so.
Emperor Ye looked at Pang Xun and Jie Bu, who were still bowing low, and asked calmly, "How many people in the Sacred Dao Sect are connected to Daniel Yi?"
"No one else. After the young master lost his chance to compete for Sect Master, everyone dispersed, leaving just the two of us. We had planned to wait until the young master stabilized at the Dao Origin Realm, then take him to search for the main wife," Pang Xun replied.
"You mean Tanya Yi?" Emperor Ye asked.
"Yes." The two seemed to know Emperor Ye would not spare them and did not beg for mercy any further.
No wonder they ran a crooked shop—they planned to fleece anyone they could and then make a getaway.
Emperor Ye had no interest in asking anything else. With a wave of his hand, he swept up all four of them. Dao resonance crushed them into a mist of blood, which he cast into a rift in the void.
After killing the four, Emperor Ye immediately threw out a formation flag, sealing up the Pill & Artifact Pavilion. With his strength, sealing a pavilion here meant that even the strongest cultivator of the Sacred Dao Sect would never be able to open it.
Serena Green had escaped from here and vanished. Emperor Ye was determined to find some trace of her departure and pursue her.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)