Shortly after Xu Chuan and his group departed, the Xuan Tian Holy Land contingent, led by Li Yan, arrived at the location.
Upon seeing the traces of battle in the void, Li Yan's expression became somewhat uneasy. He had evidently received news of Xu Chuan single-handedly fighting against the Lei Ting Sect forces and directly killing a Half-Emperor realm expert. He had previously dismissed Xu Chuan as mere an ant. Yet, Xu Chuan had now killed Jiang Ming, whom he had sent out, along with a host of prodigies, directly embarrassing him. Now, he had even slain the Lei Ting Sect Master, a peer of his own level, which was completely beyond his expectations. For the first time, Xu Chuan's strength instilled a slight sense of trepidation in him.
However, with a thought of the formidable team behind him, he regained his composure.
"Elder Hou, this Xu Chuan is too arrogant, daring to destroy a sect in our Central Domain," Li Yan said fiercely, his face contorted with rage. "Is this not a blatant disregard for the strong individuals within the Central Domain? This time, we must capture him and torture him severely, to let him know what true power is!" The accumulated grievances, both old and new, fueled his intense hatred for Xu Chuan, making him wish he could pursue them immediately and decimate Xu Chuan and his companions.
"Elder Li need not be angered. What Xu Chuan? He is merely a name with no substance," a young man standing behind Hou Qinglin spoke up first, before Hou Qinglin could say anything. This youth was exceptionally striking, with an alluring handsomeness that could easily captivate any observer with just a glance. He was clad in opulent attire and carried an air of extreme languor, yet the powerful aura he exuded clearly indicated his significant status. He offered a faint smile as he reassured Li Yan.
Upon hearing the youth's words, the ferocity vanished from Li Yan's face, replaced by a smile. He then addressed the youth in a somewhat fawning tone, "With Your Highness intervening, victory is naturally assured! That Xu Chuan is not worthy of comparison to Your Highness!"
Even the taciturn Hou Qinglin chimed in, "If Your Highness successfully obtains that item on this expedition, you are certain to receive the Holy Lord's commendation. Perhaps the position of successor will be definitively decided then! At that time, no one will be able to contend with Your Highness anymore!" Hou Qinglin spoke with absolute certainty, as if privy to inside information.
The youth's smile widened upon hearing this, and he laughed heartily, "Excellent, excellent! Then I shall take Elder Hou's kind words to heart!"
The youth's identity was self-evident: he was none other than the First Holy Son of Xuan Tian Holy Land, who had not yet revealed himself. His name was Long Tu. The name itself suggested a close connection to Long An. Indeed, besides being the First Holy Son of Xuan Tian Holy Land, he was also Long An's biological son! Previously, Long An had mentioned that the remaining three Holy Sons could be deployed by Li Yan, but Li Yan had only summoned this First Holy Son.
Factions existed even among Holy Sons, and Li Yan and Hou Qinglin were aligned with Long Tu's faction. They held Long Tu in extremely high regard, believing him to be the undisputed next Holy Lord of Xuan Tian. The other Holy Sons were merely foils. With such a valuable opportunity arising, they naturally only brought Long Tu along. As long as Long Tu could successfully obtain the opportunity to break through to the Emperor Sovereign realm, the position of the next Holy Lord of Xuan Tian would undoubtedly be his! The remaining two Holy Sons posed no competition whatsoever!
"Continue onward, pursue Xu Chuan at full speed!" Under Li Yan's command, the warships of Xuan Tian Holy Land accelerated, streaking through the void towards the direction of Tai Yi Holy Land like streaks of lightning.
...
Xu Chuan remained unaware of everything that had transpired here. After the battle with the Lei Ting Sect, they encountered no further dangers on their journey. Those factions were observing, waiting for someone to make the first move.
"Your Highness, we will soon reach the Holy Land. We are finally completely safe!" Even after entering the Eastern Domain, Gu Zhen had not relaxed his vigilance. While he understood Xu Chuan's immense power, he was unsure how long this explosive strength could be maintained. And there were undoubtedly numerous individuals coveting the opportunity in Xu Chuan's possession. Many factions would undoubtedly mobilize their entire forces for this single chance. Now that they were nearing the Holy Land's gates, Gu Zhen's anxieties finally began to subside. Once they were within the Holy Land, no matter who came, they would only be forced to retreat! As a Dark Guard, he was well aware of Tai Yi Holy Land's profound strength. If it weren't for the constant need to defend against the demon race, the martial artists within that small world alone could sweep across all the domains of Xuan Tian! Now, they were truly safe.
However, Xu Chuan did not let his guard down. If his predictions were correct, the scenario he had foreseen—various factions besieging Tai Yi—was about to unfold! This was all for the sake of the opportunity he held. Upon returning to the Holy Land, he would immediately inform Xuan Sa of this news, so they could prepare for the upcoming battle. Although he personally did not fear it, there were still many disciples and elders within the Holy Land. As a Holy Son, he needed to consider their well-being.
The moment the Tai Yi warship sailed into the gates, it caused a massive stir. News always traveled faster than people. The news of Xu Chuan winning first place in the Five Domains Grand Competition had already reached the Holy Land ahead of their arrival. Countless disciples and elders of Tai Yi Holy Land had eagerly awaited their return. The Holy Land was decorated with banners and lanterns, preparing to celebrate Xu Chuan's victory. As for Cui Jiang, who had placed third, his achievement was rather understated. However, he felt no jealousy. He knew exactly how he had secured his third place and was too grateful to Xu Chuan to feel envious.
"Welcome back, Holy Son Your Highness!" "Holy Son Your Highness is invincible!" "First in the Five Domains, only Tai Yi Holy Son!" The moment Xu Chuan appeared, a chorus of congratulations erupted, all celebrating Xu Chuan. Their faces were filled with adoration and joy, even more so than Xu Chuan himself. The inhabitants of Zhen Yang Peak had been waiting at the mountain gate for a long time, anticipating Xu Chuan's return. They immediately offered him their blessings. Xu Xingli, in particular, rushed into Xu Chuan's arms and exclaimed happily, "I knew it, Brother, you would definitely be first!" "I had already guessed it before we set off!"
Beside them, Feng Qingyang also spoke with admiration, "Your Highness's strength is immense; few in the Five Domains can match you!"
"Alright, everyone disperse. Go about your business," Xu Chuan said, stroking Xu Xingli's hair with a smile. He was somewhat unaccustomed to such enthusiastic receptions, so he asked the gathered disciples to leave. Xu Chuan then continued, "We will catch up later. The Holy Lord has summoned me." The moment Xu Chuan stepped into Tai Yi Holy Land, he received a summons from Xuan Sa, asking him to proceed to the main hall of Tai Yi. Xu Chuan knew the reason for this and dared not delay, preparing to depart immediately.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xingli reluctantly let go of Xu Chuan. She understood the urgency of the situation, knowing that Xuan Sa's summons must be for something important. Xu Chuan nodded to them and flew towards the main hall of Tai Yi.