The sudden turn of events took everyone here by surprise. Of course, they weren’t ordinary figures, so they used all their ability to counterattack in a frenzy when they were swept down into the ocean.

Right when they were about to struggle free, a huge suction force suddenly arose from the bottom of the ocean, and it instantly sucked them deep into the ocean.

After they sank down to the bottom, the surface of the ocean returned to calm once more.

An unknown period of time passed before Yang Ye slowly opened his eyes, and his expression changed drastically when he saw the scene before him clearly. At this moment, there was a black circle beneath his feet, and it emanated strands of black threads that coiled around him. It completely wrapped him up like a dumpling. Of course, most importantly, he sensed that his profound energy was completely deathly still, and he couldn’t circulate it at all!

Nether Maiden and the others were around him, and just like him, there were black circles beneath their feet as well.

“You’re awake?” Nether Maiden spoke abruptly.

Yang Ye glanced at the surroundings, and he noticed that only Nether Maiden was awake. As for the others, their eyes were closed tightly, and they seemed like they were sleeping.

“It’s fine, they’ll wake up in a while!” said Nether Maiden.

Yang Ye nodded lightly, and then he glanced at the surroundings. At this moment, they were still at the bottom of the ocean. However, for some unknown reason, the seawater around them wasn’t able to approach this area. So, this area of around 3km was like a pocket of space that was completely free of any water.

“Look over there!” Nether Maiden spoke abruptly. Yang Ye looked along her gaze and noticed 9 stone coffins not too far away. The stone coffins were bound by iron chains that were thick like pillars, and the chains were even covered in all sorts of strange talismans. Moreover, a black robed man who held a huge saber was standing before every one of those coffins.

“Isn’t this place able to suppress the cultivation of others? Why are those black robed puppets still at the Half-Saint Realm?” asked Yang Ye.

“They aren’t alive anymore!” said Nether Maiden.

“Both of you woke up quite quickly!” Yang Ye was about to speak when a voice suddenly resounded. Yang Ye and Nether Maiden’s expressions changed, and they looked over towards the stone coffin on the right end because the voice had come from there.

“Who are you!?” asked Nether Maiden in a low voice.

“I’m your ancestor!” The one within the coffin spoke once more.

Ancestor? The corners of Yang Ye’s mouth twitched, and he looked at Nether Maiden.

Nether Maiden’s brows knit together even more tightly as she said, “Do you think that I would believe you?”

The person within the coffin said, “The first Hallowed Lord of the Hallowed Halls was Gu Tian. He had 10 war generals under his command, but those 10 war generals vanished once the Hallowed Grounds suppressed the defiant profounders. Right?”

Nether Maiden remained silent for a short while before she said, “What were their names?”

“Hehe! Little Girl, you still refuse to believe me. It’s fine, I’ll tell you the answer. Many were utterly unaware of their names because only their titles were known to the outside world, and I’m the 9th War General. My surname was Li. If nothing unexpected has happened, then there should be a Li Clan in the Hallowed Grounds, right?” The voice slowly drifted out of the coffin.

“There is!” said Nether Maiden.

The person within the coffin chuckled, “You believe me now, right?”

Nether Maiden shook her head and said, “I have a few doubts. Firstly, since you’re a senior of my Hallowed Grounds, then why did you kill the profounders of my Hallowed Grounds? Secondly, even a formidable existence like the Saints of the ancient times weren’t able to live for 100,000 years. Even though all of you were Saints all those years ago, it’s impossible for all of you to have survived for 100,000 years. Besides a few Natural Treasures, only defiant profounders are capable of living for 100,000 years!”

The person within the coffin fell silent.

Nether Maiden continued, “I’ve seen the symbols and talismans on these stone coffins. Do you know where? On the Pagoda of Confinement! So, you aren’t a senior of my Hallowed Grounds but a defiant profounder, right?”

“If we’re defiant profounders, then how could I possibly be aware of the matters within the Hallowed Grounds?” said the person within the coffin.

Nether Maiden replied, “That’s exactly what I’m wondering.”

Meanwhile, the person within the coffin suddenly said, “All of you are awake, right?”

Yang Ye turned around and saw that the others had woken up.

“I was surprised by the people who came this time. Because every single one of you is very strong. You’re much stronger than those pieces of trash from before. So, all of you aren’t dead. Now, I’ll give all of you a chance to live. I’ll return your freedom to you in a moment, and your mission is to help me sever these iron chains on this coffin.” The person within the coffin continued, “Of course, all of you can go back on your word. But look properly and see how many Half-Saint puppets there are here. All of you can give it a try if you think that you can fight 9 Half-Saints!”

As soon as the voice finished resounding through the air, the black circles beneath Yang Ye and the others immediately vanished, and then they could circulate their profound energy.

“These iron chains are very strong. They are much stronger than any of you can imagine. So, you must work together to severe them! Of course, all of you’ll only be able to live if you sever the iron chains,” said the voice.

“What a joke!” Meanwhile, Long Xuan suddenly spoke coldly, “We won’t have a chance to live even if we sever the iron chains, right?”

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the 9 black robed Half-Saints appeared around Yang Ye and the others, and they surrounded them.

“Do all of you have a choice?” The voice resounded once more.

“Return to the Hallowed Halls right now! Our mission is complete!” As soon as Nether Maiden finished speaking, she raised her right hand and swiftly pressed it down once more. A ray of white light suddenly swept out and blasted all of those Half-Saints back. At the same time, her figure flashed and vanished on the spot.

Yang Ye, Wang Yan, and Qing Ming weren’t any slower. They’d shot into the sky at the instant that Nether Maiden attacked, and they increased their speed to its max as they shot towards the distance.

It was clearly impossible for them to take those stone coffins with them. Because it was utterly impossible for them to defeat those 9 Half-Saints. Not to mention the mysterious person within the coffin.

“Trying to escape? All of you are dreaming!” As soon as he spoke, a powerful suction force appeared once more, and then their speeds instantly slowed down. Moreover, they even showed signs of being pulled back.

“Reverse!” Nether Maiden suddenly roared furiously, and then Yang Ye and the others felt the suction force transform into a propulsive force, and it pushed them over 3km away. After that, it only took them an instant to vanish from there.

“Reversal of Yin and Yang….” A long time passed before a voice muttered with shock from within the depths of the ocean.

…

As soon as they emerged from the ocean, they moved over 300m away from the ocean before they finally stopped.

“How terrifying!” Wang Yan was the first to speak, and he said, “That suction force was truly quite terrifying. If it wasn’t for her highness, then we would have probably been helpless even if we activated those Five Element Divine Talismans.”

The others nodded with agreement. Even Long Xuan was no exception. At this moment, he finally realized how terrifying Nether Maiden was. Because he’d almost been sucked back down just now, and it would be the same even if he returned to his true form. However, Nether Maiden had been able to escape the suction force and even bring them out with her!

This allowed him to realize that he was much more inferior to Nether Maiden!

At this moment, Yang Ye was quite shocked. Because while he could escape that suction force with his true strength, he couldn’t accomplish it as easily as Nether Maiden had. But she was only at the Exalt Realm…. Needless to say, she was the most monstrous genius he’d ever encountered on the continent.

“The person within the stone coffin is a mid-grade Half-Saint at least. He isn’t someone we can fight at all. So, it’s impossible to take the coffins with us. However, the mission didn’t insist on us bringing the coffins back. We’ve found out about the background of the people within the coffins. So, our mission can be considered as complete. Now, it’s up to the Hallowed Halls to resolve. Let’s return!” said Nether Maiden.

“Thank you for just now!” Meanwhile, Long Xuan spoke abruptly.

Nether Maiden glanced at Long Xuan and said, “I presume all of you came here for those nine stone coffins as well. However, I’m sure you’ve realized that it’s impossible to take those coffins with the strength all of you possess. So, just go back!”

Long Xuan said, “I naturally won’t try to take those coffins again. However….” He gazed at Yang Ye when he spoke up to this point, “He killed Man Li. I can’t just let that matter go!”

“Fuck off right now if you don’t want to die. Otherwise, you can dream of living once I’ve left!” Nether Maiden suddenly spoke coldly.

Long Xuan’s expression was quite unsightly. But he didn’t dare talk back to Nether Maiden because she was clearly angry. So, he took a deep breath, and then he stared fixedly at Yang Ye and said, “I’ll give her highness face this time!” His figure flashed and vanished with the other 2 from his group.

Nether Maiden said once Long Xuan’s group left, “Let’s go!”

Meanwhile, Yang Ye spoke abruptly, “I have something to do. All of you can go on ahead!”

Nether Maiden turned around to gaze at Yang Ye. A short while passed before she said, “Can you not spare them?”

Wang Yan and Qing Ming were extremely shocked because based on what Nether Maiden had just said, this fellow before them, Yang Man, seemed to be absolutely able to kill Long Xuan’s group of 3!

Yang Ye laughed bitterly and said, “I’m not interested in them. I really have some affairs to attend to. I’ll return to the Hallowed Halls once I’m done.”

Nether Maiden glanced at him and said, “I trust you. I’ll transfer 100,000 points to your card once we’ve handed in our report to the Hallowed Halls.” As soon as she finished speaking, her figure flashed and vanished with Wang Yan and Qing Ming.

After they flew for a few hundred meters, Wang Yan suddenly asked, “Your highness, who exactly is that fellow, Yang Man?”

“I can’t kill him even if I use my full strength!” said Nether Maiden.

Wang Yan was at a loss for words.

Once he was certain that Nether Maiden and the others had really left, Yang Ye’s figure flashed and vanished on the spot.

It wasn’t long before he arrived above the Netherworld Ocean.

Yang Ye hesitated for a long time as he gazed at the ocean, and then he leaped down into it in the end.