Three days later.
The Sect Master of Qing Xin Sect, Mu Yuqing, led a distinguished guest to Ye Fan's residence.
It was the Crown Prince.
Seeing that it was him, Ye Fan had a general idea of the matter.
As expected, it was probably because their Old Ancestor had recovered.
Indeed.
"Thank you for your help before, Senior. Our Old Ancestor has now fully recovered." The Crown Prince's tone was incredibly humble, even changing his address: "I am here today on the Old Ancestor's behalf, wishing to invite Young Master to the palace for a meeting."
Ye Fan touched the ring on his left hand.
Things had unfolded as he had predicted.
Starting from Foundation Establishment fifth level, his cultivation had been progressing slower and slower.
Even with the aid of the stone world, the time required to digest ores had continued to increase.
By now, he had barely reached Foundation Establishment ninth level.
Four levels in three days was nothing compared to before.
Fortunately, no one knew Ye Fan's current thoughts.
Otherwise, he feared he would be drowned by the spit of envious and resentful cultivators...
"Then it's my honor to accept." Ye Fan readily agreed.
This would be a good opportunity to visit the auction house and buy some ores.
The journey from Qing Xin Sect to the Imperial City would take about ten days.
However, Ye Fan did not continue cultivating during these ten days.
After all, he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
Once he broke through, he might have to face a heavenly tribulation again.
The Crown Prince was ultimately an outsider, and it was better not to let him know certain things.
Ten days was not a long time, and it wouldn't make much difference.
On the eighth day.
A flying boat suddenly appeared in front of the Crown Prince's flying boat.
As the other vessel approached, the Crown Prince couldn't help but frown.
They were not far apart.
The Crown Prince could clearly see the appearance of the people on the deck.
Their Daoist robes were a mess, of all styles.
There were no sect insignia embroidered on their chests, indicating they were not from any reputable force.
Moreover, they all exuded a bandit-like aura, looking nothing like decent people.
It was highly likely that these were bandits or robbers!
This was the reason for his frown.
The large banner on his flying boat bore the emblem of the royal family!
Were the bandits of the Ya De Empire so arrogant now?
Did they dare to set their sights on the royal family?
The Crown Prince's subordinates had also drawn their weapons at the first sign of trouble!
With a single command from the Crown Prince, they would rush forward without hesitation!
"Senior, I will handle this immediately!" The Crown Prince said awkwardly.
He had invited Senior Ye Fan to the palace as a guest, only to encounter bandits halfway.
This would surely affect the Senior's mood, and he had to resolve this matter flawlessly!
"I think..." Ye Fan looked at the approaching vessel with a strange expression: "There's no need..."
Ye Fan's peculiar expression caught the Crown Prince's attention.
He looked back at the opposing flying boat.
The crowd parted, and two old men walked out from the center.
"Ye Fan!"
The two old men shouted enthusiastically and flew towards them.
"Oh, my..."
Seeing the two familiar figures, Ye Fan pressed his forehead in resignation.
The Second Elder.
Master Xie Yan.
...
Seeing that Ye Fan seemed to know the newcomers, the Crown Prince signaled his subordinates to stand down.
"I knew it!" As they approached, the Second Elder gave Ye Fan a big hug: "You wouldn't die so easily!"
"That's great!" Master Xie Yan also hugged him: "You really scared us to death before!"
Perhaps the two old men were too happy and excited.
As they spoke, tears and snot streamed down their faces.
They ended up smearing Ye Fan...
Ye Fan: ...
Damn it, I'll have to change clothes again...
After the two old men finished their emotional outburst, they explained their purpose.
It was quite simple.
They had thought Ye Fan was dead and had come to exact revenge.
"We were too rash before," the Second Elder said sheepishly: "We set off in a hurry without even knowing the location."
"Fortunately, we met Xiao Fei Fei," Master Xie Yan added: "Otherwise, we might have gotten lost."
Then, they both waved towards the opposing flying boat.
Da Fei, seeing their signal, happily flew over.
"This is Xiao Fei Fei," the two old men introduced enthusiastically: "He's a good person."
"Thank you, brother," Ye Fan said politely.
"Not at all, not at all!" Da Fei was even more courteous: "Big brother, you don't need to be so formal, just call me Xiao Fei from now on!"
After a while.
"Senior..." Seeing that Ye Fan and the others had finished their reunion, the Crown Prince cautiously asked: "Who are these two...?"
Anyone who knew such a great figure as Ye Fan must also be a great figure.
It would be a regret not to forge a connection with such esteemed individuals!
"These two..." Ye Fan's expression seemed difficult to describe: "You can consider them my seniors."
Since the existence of the two old men was too peculiar, Ye Fan did not wish to explain further on this matter.
Partly because it was troublesome, and partly because it was simply impossible to explain clearly...
"This is the Second Elder of my sect," Ye Fan said, pointing to the Second Elder.
Hearing this, the Crown Prince's heart stirred!
He had been firmly convinced that Ye Fan was backed by a formidable force comprised of various influential figures!
Now, it seemed to be true!
Moreover, holding such a crucial position as Second Elder in a sect meant that this individual was no ordinary influential figure!
Most importantly, Ye Fan was willing to introduce him!
Wasn't this an opportunity presenting itself?
If he didn't seize this chance to perform well, his life would have been lived in vain!
Thus, the Crown Prince assumed his most humble posture and smile, ready to showcase his best side to the esteemed elders!
As if to complement Ye Fan's words,
The Second Elder slowly turned his body and looked towards the Crown Prince.
However, his turning motion was somewhat peculiar.
The Second Elder maintained his gaze towards Ye Fan, first turning his body.
Once his body reached its limit, he slowly began to turn his neck.
Only after repeating this movement two or three times did he finally face the Crown Prince...
This bizarre action immediately startled the Crown Prince!
And when he saw the Second Elder's face, he was even more astonished!
What kind of face was this?!
Were the contorted shapes of his features something a human could achieve?!
"Hello," the Second Elder extended his hand and greeted politely.
The moment their eyes met, the Crown Prince couldn't help but shudder!
Although the Second Elder's gaze was somewhat strange and he appeared a little dim-witted,
If one only considered his eyes, they were somewhat acceptable.
But for some inexplicable reason,
In that brief moment of eye contact, the Crown Prince felt a chill run through his entire body!
It was a coldness from the inside out!
As if every inch of his being had frozen!
Seeing the Crown Prince remain silent, a flicker of confusion crossed the Second Elder's eyes.
Was my greeting not polite enough?
Why is he not responding to me?
With this thought, the Second Elder extended his hand further towards the Crown Prince.
He revealed an even more amiable smile.
"Hello."