"Alright, enough talk, lead the way!"
Ye Lingtian waved his hand, signaling him to lead the way quickly.
"Yes, sir! Please follow me!"
The cultivator scrambled to his feet, turned, and flew towards the south gate of the city.
"Master, something doesn't seem right. Who would dare to cause trouble in your protected territory? Aren't they afraid of death?"
Little Fire flicked its tail, perched on Ye Lingtian's shoulder, and looked disdainful.
"Let's go see what it is!"
Ye Lingtian said calmly and followed after him.
Outside the southern city, at the foot of the mountain, on a wide open grassland, a dozen cultivators dressed in uniform black robes stood in a circular formation.
They all wore silver masks and exuded a strange aura, unlike ordinary cultivators or extraterrestrial demons.
Outside, the cultivators of the Great Xia Imperial City had set up a huge barrier, but the black-robed men ignored it and simply stood there quietly, as if waiting for something.
"My lord, they are the suspicious monks we were talking about!"
The cultivator who had led the way pointed at the black-robed man ahead, his voice low, afraid of alerting him.
"interesting!"
Ye Lingtian stood outside the barrier, his gaze sweeping over the group of men in black robes.
"That's quite a convincing disguise!"
"Master, they have a demonic aura about them, but not entirely!"
Little Fire squinted and sniffed.
"Maybe they're being controlled?"
"Just go ask around and you'll find out!"
Ye Lingtian strode forward, passing directly through the barrier, completely ignoring the cultivator's gesture to stop him.
"Sir, be careful!"
The cultivator was so anxious he kept stamping his feet, but seeing that Ye Lingtian had already gone inside, he could only obediently shut up.
Ye Lingtian walked up to the men in black robes, stopped, and coldly swept his gaze over them.
Who are you?
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.
The men in black robes did not answer immediately, but instead turned to look at Ye Lingtian, as if they were waiting for something in tacit agreement.
"Wow, these guys are pretty good at putting on an act!"
Little Fire jumped off Ye Lingtian's shoulder, stood on the ground, put its paws on its hips, and looked up at the black-robed men.
"My master is asking you a question! Are you all mute? Speak up! Or I'll burn you all to ashes!"
One of the men in black robes finally spoke.
"Nine Heavens Emperor... it really is you!"
"Um?"
Ye Lingtian narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You know me?"
"I've not only known you, I've long admired your name!"
The man in black chuckled softly, his voice carrying a chilling undertone.
"But we're not here to say hello!"
"So what are you here for?"
Ye Lingtian's tone remained calm, but Xiao Huo had already cautiously circled around to his side, staring at the black-robed men, ready to make a move at any moment.
"We're here to deliver a message!"
The man in black robes raised his hand and pointed to the mountaintop in the distance.
"There, someone wants to see you!"
"See me?"
Ye Lingtian chuckled.
"Who gave you the audacity to think you can order me around?"
"I dare not give orders, I only request!"
The man in black robes lowered his head slightly, but his tone remained indifferent.
"We're just messengers. Whether it works or not depends entirely on your willingness!"
"Master, why should we pay attention to this guy? Why not just slap him and be done with it!"
Little Fire leaped into the air, opened its mouth and spat out a ball of Nine Yang Heavenly Fire. The flames swirled in the air, ready to strike at the opponent at any moment.
"Don't rush, let's see what they're up to!"
Ye Lingtian raised his hand to signal Xiao Huo not to act rashly, then his gaze fell on the man in black robes again.
Who's waiting for me on the mountaintop?
You'll see when you get there!
The man in black robes did not answer; instead, he took a step back.
"We're only responsible for relaying messages; the rest is none of our business!"
"Okay, I'll go take a look!"
Ye Lingtian spoke calmly, but his eyes held a sharp glint.
"However, you'd better pray you're not wasting my time!"
The man in black robes said nothing more, but silently stepped back, making way for a path leading to the mountaintop.
"Master, something's not right! This is clearly a trap!"
Little Fire jumped around Ye Lingtian, its tail almost getting tangled up.
"Why should we bother with them? Just swatt them away!"
"trap?"
Ye Lingtian sneered.
"There is no trap in these three realms that can imprison me!"
"Oh dear, Master, all you do is show off!"
Xiao Huo pouted, but in the end, she obediently followed Ye Lingtian to the top of the mountain.
"Anyway, if something really happens, don't blame me for burning everything down!"
As the two walked up the mountain, the surroundings became increasingly quiet, even the sound of the wind disappeared, and only faint whispers echoed in their ears.
"Master, this place is getting more and more eerie!"
Xiao Huo muttered to himself.
"I always feel like there's a pair of eyes watching us!"
"Never mind that!"
Ye Lingtian's voice remained calm.
"Let's go, let's go and meet them!"
The atmosphere at the mountaintop was even more eerie, as if the surrounding air had frozen.
Standing in the center of the mountaintop was a figure dressed in a gray robe, his face shrouded in shadow, making it impossible to see his features.
The ground around them was covered with intricate array patterns.
"Nine Heavens Emperor, I've finally met you!"
The man in the gray robe spoke first, his voice low and deep.
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