While Tian Chen was feeling confused over the situation, a surge of overwhelming energy swept toward him.

Tian Chen's face darkened.

Damn it! Is someone really trying to kill me? Are they insane?

Just as a figure cloaked in black robes charged into the residence.

A middle-aged man abruptly appeared in front of the black-robed man and launched a powerful punch.

Jie Gu responded with a punch of his own.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out, and the middle-aged man, Ah Weng, was blasted a dozen feet away. The strength of both fighters was under suppression by the unique seals over the residence.

Ah Weng steadied himself, and his expression grew solemn as he stared at the black-robed man. "Who are you?"

Jie Gu frowned. He hadn't expected to encounter an expert here.

At that moment, Tian Chen emerged from the residence.

When he saw Ye Guan, he froze for a moment before shouting, "Brother Ye!"

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "Brother Chen, the guy outside is strong. Be careful."

Tian Chen turned to look at the gate, and his brows furrowed when his eyes fell on the black-robed man. "Who is he?"

Ye Guan shrugged. "Someone from the other side of the wall."

The other side of the wall?!

Tian Chen's expression turned grim. "How bold! Ah Weng, capture him alive!"

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Ah Weng moved forward again, and he swung his fist, sending a punch as fierce as a thunderclap.

Jie Gu raised a fist and struck back.

Boom!

Ah Weng's attack was shattered instantly, and the powerful impact sent him stumbling backward.

Jie Gu didn't waste time and targeted Ye Guan and Fan Shan. He was clearly intending to take both of them down.

Seeing that Jie Gu was coming for him and Fan Shan, Ye Guan's face paled, and he quickly ducked behind Tian Chen. "Brother Chen, be careful!"

Tian Chen was dumbfounded.

What the hell? He's clearly here for you, and you're telling me to be careful?

Jie Gu closed the distance between them in an instant. Tian Chen's eyes gleamed coldly. He then clenched his fist, summoning a golden dragon around his hand before punching forward.

Boom!

Jie Gu was blasted dozens of meters away, but Tian Chen was only forced to retreat a few meters away.

Jie Gu steadied himself and stared at Tian Chen. With a raspy voice, he said, "Dragon energy… You're from the Imperial Family of the Heavenly Tomb Empire!"

Tian Chen glanced at his slightly injured hand before looking back at Jie Gu with icy eyes. "And you must be from the Ancient Demon Clan."

The black-robed man disappeared without a sound.

Boom!

The ground around them fractured into countless fragments.

Tian Chen's eyes narrowed. If not for the seals over the residence, the black-robed man's move would have annihilated the town.

Right now, Jie Gu was fighting against Tian Chen, Ah Weng, and the seals suppressing his strength.

Tian Chen dared not let his guard down. He stepped forward, clenched his fist, and unleashed a burst of golden light.

Boom!

The collision of their blows made the entire residence crumble into rubble, with debris scattering in all directions.

Ye Guan turned and shielded Fan Shan tightly in his arms.

When the dust finally settled, Ye Guan loosened his grip on Fan Shan.

Fan Shan looked up and was stunned.

Ye Guan was covered in injuries, and blood covered his face. His left arm had a particularly gruesome wound—a wound so deep that it exposed his bone.

Fan Shan trembled as she asked, "A-are you… okay?"

Ye Guan wiped away the blood from his mouth and forced a smile. "I've been through worse."

Then, he turned to look at the two fighters. Jie Gu had retreated, while Tian Chen stood tall, surrounded by a brilliant golden aura that radiated immense power.

Jie Gu suddenly muttered, "The Imperial Family…"

Without another word, he turned around and disappeared into the night.

Once Jie Gu was gone, Ye Guan finally heaved a sigh of relief. Deep inside, he resolved to cultivate harder and regain his strength as soon as possible.

"Does it hurt?"

Fan Shan's trembling hand reached out for him, and her face was full of worry and fear.

Ye Guan chuckled. "I'll live."

Tian Chen stepped forward and extended a hand.

A white jade bottle floated over to Ye Guan. "For your injuries."

Ye Guan looked at Tian Chen gratefully. "Thank you."

He opened the bottle, and a wave of fragrant medicinal aroma wafted out, soothing his senses. Ye Guan immediately acknowledged the quality of the pills. They weren't ordinary pills.

He swallowed one. When the pill dissolved, a warm energy spread throughout him. His wounds began healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Ye Guan clasped his hands in thanks. "Brother Chen, I owe you one."

Tian Chen laughed. "Brother Ye, let's have a chat?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Lead the way."

The two walked off to the side. Fan Shan, watching them leave, looked worried, but her grandfather beside her seemed more somber than ever.

Not far away, Ye Guan paused and turned to Tian Chen. "Brother Chen, I owe you an apology."

Tian Chen raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Ye Guan hesitated before saying, "The truth is, I deliberately lured that man here. I didn't have much of a choice, but it wasn't the most honorable thing to do. I owe you a favor for this."

Tian Chen studied him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Brother Ye, you may be crafty, but at least you're honest about it. I like that."

Ye Guan smiled. "You're not bad yourself."

"

Ha!

" Tian Chen laughed heartily. "Brother Ye, since we get along so well, why not join me? To be honest, I'm the Ninth Prince of the Heavenly Tomb Empire, and I have ambitions for the throne. If you help me, I guarantee you'll benefit."

Ye Guan, however, shook his head. "Brother Chen, I won't lie to you. My enemies are far more powerful than you can imagine. If I stick with you, I'll only bring you trouble."

The Genesis Daoist Temple! They're in a Tier Nine Civilization, not to mention Fan Zhaodi… If I follow Tian Chen now, the immediate benefits would be immense, but Tian Chen will definitely be no match for my enemies.

Tian Chen thought for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough. What are your plans now?"

"I'll take Fan Shan and her grandfather and leave this place," Ye Guan said firmly.

Tian Chen frowned. "That might be difficult. They're labeled as criminals. Without my family's approval, they can't leave. Especially the old man, he's extremely suspicious. There's no way my family will let him go."

Ye Guan's face darkened.

Tian Chen added, "If I'm being honest, leaving them behind might be your best option."

"I—" Ye Guan started.

"Young Master Ye!" Before Ye Guan could say anything, the old man's voice echoed. Ye Guan turned and saw him walking with Fan Shan in tow.

"Remember what I said before?" the old man asked, pulling Fan Shan to Ye Guan's side.

"Grandfather!" Fan Shan cried, clearly about to argue.

The old man silenced her with a firm shake of his head. "Child, I've indulged you all these years, but not this time. I have to leave. If you stay with me, neither of us will survive."

Fan Shan bit her lip, and her face was pale, stricken with grief.

The old man turned to Ye Guan. "Young man, I'll leave her in your care."

Without waiting for a response, he turned around and walked away.

"Grandpa!" Fan Shan cried out.

The old man paused and softly said, "I know you've long realized that we're not blood-related, but in my heart, you've always been my granddaughter. I want you to remember this one thing: don't be too kind in the outside world. The kinder you are, the harder it will be for you to survive…"

With that, he disappeared into the night.

Standing still, tears welled up in Fan Shan's eyes.

Tian Chen suddenly spoke, "Brother Ye."

Ye Guan turned to look at Tian Chen, who said, "Why don't you leave with us later? Otherwise, you won't be able to get out of here on your own."

Ye Guan was slightly taken aback but quickly replied, "Brother Chen, you…"

Ah Weng standing next to Tian Chen looked like he was about to interject, but Tian Chen stopped him with a glance.

Tian Chen looked at Ye Guan and earnestly said, "Brother Ye, I'll be honest with you. I can only take you two with me. As for anything else, I can't promise to help, as this young lady's identity is somewhat… special."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "You know, I'm a member of the Imperial Family, and I've got my eyes on the throne.

"My brothers and I may appear to get along on the outside, but behind the scenes, we'll kill each other if we can.

"I can only sneak you out, but you'll have to keep this a secret for my sake. Otherwise, my brothers, with their knack for finding fault and stirring up trouble, will no doubt create endless problems for me."

Ye Guan nodded. "Brother Tian Chen, I'm truly grateful for your help."

Tian Chen smiled. "We still need to say our goodbyes. We'll leave in half an hour, so you two should get ready."

Ye Guan nodded. "Alright."

Tian Chen left with Ah Weng.

Left alone with Tian Chen, Ah Weng couldn't hold back anymore and said, "Your Highness, you really shouldn't help him. His background is unclear, and that girl is a criminal. If the Crown Prince ends up discovering what you've done…"

Tian Chen suddenly chuckled. "Uncle Ah Weng, back at home, every decision I make is calculated for profit. Here, I just want to follow my heart for once."

"But…" Ah Weng wanted to say more.

However, Tian Chen cut him off with a grin, saying, "Besides, Brother Ye is clearly not an ordinary individual. His words are poised and composed. He has fallen on hard times, but can you guarantee that he won't rise again someday?

"Haven't you heard the saying? 'Thirty years, east of the river, thirty years, west of the river.' He's down today, but if I lend him a hand now, who can say that he won't return the favor when I need it?

Hahaha…

"