I'm invincible once I descend the mountain; the beautiful CEO is forcing me to get our marriage

Top-grade magical artifact!

In terms of power and rarity, it is definitely not something that a cultivator at the innate level could possess, so...

"So the owner of this tomb is indeed a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

The genuine smile on Ye An's face contrasted sharply with the expressions of the other martial artists who had narrowly escaped death, still shaken and apprehensive.

He Zhenshan forcibly suppressed the surging blood and qi within his body, ignoring the hideous wounds on his body, and staggered forward a few steps.

He stopped about five steps away from Ye An.

This highly respected martial arts master, who was practically the number one in Wudong Province, respectfully clasped his hands in front of everyone and then bowed deeply.

His voice was hoarse from excitement and exhaustion, trembling with disbelief.

"This junior, Wu Dong He Zhenshan, may I ask... may I ask if you are the renowned Master Ye, famous throughout Jiangnan?!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Even Anya couldn't help but raise her beautiful eyebrows slightly.

She knew Ye An was very strong, ridiculously strong, but she didn't expect him to have such a resounding reputation in the Jiangnan martial arts world.

Ye An was looking down at the small black drum in his hand, which had shrunk to the size of a palm. He didn't even lift his eyelids when He Zhenshan bowed and asked a question. He just glanced at him indifferently.

Do you know me?

These four seemingly indifferent words shook He Zhenshan to his core!

This is not a denial!

This is the default setting!

The awe on He Zhenshan's face deepened, even bordering on fanaticism. He quickly bowed, his tone becoming even more respectful:

"Not long ago, Elder Chen of the Qinglian Sect mentioned to me that Master Ye, you have arrived in Shanghai."

"According to Elder Chen, Master's skills are divine; he defeated that young martial god of the Bajiquan sect in a single move. At the time, I thought it was just an exaggeration, but today, having witnessed Master's divine might, I realize that Elder Chen's words are nothing compared to your brilliance!"

"Master Ye... Master Ye?! He's that Master Ye?"

Among the crowd, He Fei, who had been in a dazed state, was struck dumb by the name the moment he heard it. He froze on the spot.

He'd heard that name before!

His second uncle had mentioned it to him more than once!

That terrifying being who single-handedly annihilated the entire Giant Mountain Sect!

That extraordinary figure whom my second uncle praised as a "prodigy and future martial arts champion"!

He never dreamed that the legendary Master Ye, who was only seen in legends and whose true identity was elusive, was actually this young man in front of him... who looked even younger than himself!

He Fei's mind went blank with a "buzz".

The ridiculous jealousy and self-righteous sense of superiority he had felt towards Ye Ansheng were crushed to dust at this moment, leaving not a trace of dust.

All that remained was endless regret and a deep-seated fear.

His legs went weak, and if someone hadn't helped him up, he probably would have collapsed to the ground on the spot.

"Thank you so much, Master Ye, for saving our lives! We will never forget your kindness!"

He Zhenshan was moved to tears and bowed deeply once again.

The surviving martial artists behind him finally reacted, their faces filled with excitement, admiration, and fervor. They all followed He Zhenshan's example and bowed deeply to Ye An.

"Thank you so much, Master Ye, for saving my life!"

A deafening roar of gratitude echoed through the otherwise silent street.

However, Ye An seemed completely uninterested in the flattery and gratitude expressed by these people.

His gaze had already passed over the group of people and was directed towards the deeper, darker area beyond the Drum Tower.

That's the heart of this ancient town.

He Zhenshan immediately realized Ye An's intention and quickly stepped forward, lowering his voice to remind him.

"Master, are you intending to enter the inner city?"

A deep sense of apprehension appeared on his face:

"This place is extremely dangerous. What lies outside the Drum Tower is merely the outer perimeter; the real danger is within the inner city!"

Before Ye An could ask, he took the initiative to explain:

"The group of people from the northern martial arts world who came in earlier broke into the inner city, but... they disappeared without a trace, unable to even send out a distress signal."

"The Yin energy inside is more than ten times stronger than here. If you're not a Celestial Realm expert, you'd probably have trouble even breathing if you went in."

"Moreover, judging from the occasional aura leaking out, whatever is lurking inside is almost a threat of the same level as the paper figure on the Drum Tower!"

He Zhenshan took a deep breath, turned around and looked at his remaining dozen or so men, a look of deep sorrow on his face.

"Within the inner city, the lowest threat level is probably the Celestial Realm. For brothers with the Transformation Realm cultivation, going in would be a nine-out-of-ten chance of death! I suggest you stay here, or try to return the way you came."

These words immediately caused a stir in the group.

Several martial arts masters who were already terrified turned pale and retreated without hesitation.

But some people are not willing to accept this.

So many of their brothers died, and they fought their way here. The treasure might be right in front of them. How could they be willing to give it up now?

But the thought of the terrifying dangers within the inner city turned that unwillingness into helplessness.

"President, we won't go in. I want to give the cult leader a proper burial..."

Ultimately, those who had completely lost their courage chose to stay.

They were going to collect the remains of Flying Goose Cult Leader and their fallen comrades.

Both He Zhenshan and He Fei had faces full of sorrow.

Ye An and Anya didn't disturb them and quietly walked to the side.

When the noisy crowd dispersed, leaving only the two of them, the scene became somewhat quiet for a moment.

"Miss Officer, are you sure you still want to go into the inner city?" Ye An asked casually.

"Since our official special operations team isn't in this outer city, they must have gone in," Anya said firmly. "Besides, those people from Yanyu Tower injured my colleague, and they even tried to attack me at the Tongxian Hotel last time. I have to get revenge."

After she finished speaking, she remained silent for a moment before finally mustering the courage to raise her head and look directly at Ye An.

"Ye An, who exactly are you? Why do you have such terrifying strength? Even He Zhenshan, the president of the Wudong Province Martial Arts Association, has to bow and scrape before you."

"Don't tell me any more nonsense like they're all show and no substance. That kind of talk might fool a little kid."

Her almond-shaped eyes shone brightly at that moment, as if they could see through all his secrets.

"Who am I?" Ye An chuckled at this. "If I told you I'm the sole heir of a hidden sect, a cultivator at the peak of the late-stage Innate Realm, your so-called Celestial Realm warriors wouldn't even be able to withstand a single move from me, would you believe me?"

Anya's beautiful eyes sparkled as she quietly looked at him.

After a long while, she suddenly smiled sweetly.

"I believe you!"

"Oh?" Now it was Ye An's turn to be a little surprised.

Anya's small feet, clad in combat boots, tapped lightly on the bluestone slabs, her voice carrying a hint of melancholy: "No matter who you are, I can only rely on you now."

She seemed to have made up her mind and continued talking to herself.

"You probably don't know, but at the end of this year, my family is going to arrange a blind date for me. The other party is the young master of another large family, a completely business marriage."

"My parents passed away early, and I didn't have much to rely on in my family. They originally wanted me to be a middle manager in the family business and live a stable life. But I didn't want that kind of life, so I worked hard to get into the police academy and became a criminal investigator."

"Actually, I've always envied my older and younger cousins ​​since I was little. They had beautiful dolls and endless imported snacks. Unfortunately, I wasn't good at studying, and my talent for martial arts was also just average. The only thing I could be proud of was my appearance."

"I thought that once I had my own career and achieved something, I would have the confidence to say no to my family's arrangements. But... I overestimated myself."

Her voice lowered, tinged with self-mockery.

"Perhaps, the only value of a girl like me is to be used as a bargaining chip to exchange for benefits..."

Ye An stood beside her, listening quietly as this usually dashing policewoman poured out her deepest feelings of helplessness.

His heart was inexplicably touched.

"Only those who lack strength can be coerced."

He looked into Anya's misty eyes, and a different kind of gentleness finally appeared in his gaze.

"Only power is eternal and unchanging."

"Well, since you were able to meet me here, it can be considered your good fortune."

Ye An's voice wasn't loud, but it reached Anya's ears clearly.

"What difference would it make if I saved you once or twice, or even three or four times?"

He looked at her, speaking each word with utmost solemnity.

"I will grant you a lifetime of freedom!"

May you live a life of freedom!

These six words, seemingly light and airy, were like a heavy mountain, crashing into Anya's heart and stirring up towering waves.

Her heart pounded wildly, and a surge of heat flowed from her chest to her limbs, instantly giving her already fair face a beautiful blush.

She opened her mouth, and for a fleeting moment, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, only to instantly go blank, leaving her unable to utter a single word.

How could this man speak so calmly, so domineeringly, so... irresistibly?

That was not an empty promise, nor was it frivolous flirting.

Anya could clearly sense the confidence and composure that came from the depths of his being when he said those words.

It seems that for him, promising a woman a lifetime of freedom was just a trivial matter that could be done easily.

This feeling gave her an unprecedented sense of peace, but also an indescribable sense of panic.

Just then, a series of heavy footsteps broke the strange atmosphere between the two.

He Zhenshan led the remaining men over. They had hastily buried the remains of the Flying Goose Sect Leader and his companions. Each of them wore a look of grief and exhaustion, but their gazes toward Ye An were filled with awe and hope.

"Master Ye," He Zhenshan said in a hoarse voice, his attitude extremely respectful.

Ye An withdrew his gaze from Anya, his expression returning to its usual calm, as if those earth-shattering words had not come from his mouth.

"Let's go." He said only two words before taking the lead and walking towards the deep archway beneath the towering drum tower.

That was the only entrance to the inner city.

"snort."

Anya let out a very soft hum from her nose, as if to cover up her earlier lapse in composure.

Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately took long strides and quickly followed, walking side by side with Ye An.

He Zhenshan and the others watched their backs. Even this policewoman, who looked to be only at the Transformation Realm, dared to follow Master Ye into the dragon's den and tiger's lair. We, who had been famous martial arts masters for a long time, were going to cower here?

"Second Uncle..." He Fei tugged at He Zhenshan's sleeve, his face full of struggle and fear.

My second uncle has already explained the horrors of the inner city very clearly.

He Zhenshan glanced at his good-for-nothing nephew, then at Ye An's not-so-tall but reassuringly reassuring back, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Fortune favors the bold! With Master Ye here, this is an incredible opportunity for us!" he shouted in a low voice. "Let's follow!"

Among the group, the surviving leader of the Bagua Sect nodded without hesitation and followed.

In the end, apart from a few martial artists who were terrified and chose to stay behind, all eight martial artists, including He Zhenshan and He Fei, chose to follow Ye An's footsteps.

As the group passed through the archway beneath the Drum Tower, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before them.

The streets of the inner city are much wider than those of the outer city, and the buildings on both sides are taller and more magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an ancient and solemn atmosphere.

However, along with this magnificent sight came a chilling aura that was more than ten times stronger than the outside world!

This aura was no longer simply Yin energy; it also contained an extremely pure yet bone-chilling spiritual energy.

The two strangely mixed together, forming a terrifying force field that could erode flesh and freeze true energy.

"Well!"

He Fei, who was walking at the back, only managed to let out a muffled groan before his face turned purplish-blue, a layer of white frost quickly forming on his lips, and his blood seemed to freeze.

"Concentrate! Protect your heart!"

He Zhenshan roared and unleashed the last of his true energy, forming a blood-red energy shield that barely enveloped him and He Fei.

Even so, the blood-red aura, under the erosion of the cold aura, emitted a "sizzling" sound and dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He Zhenshan's old face turned red, and the veins on his forehead bulged, clearly indicating that he was struggling to hold on.

On the other hand, the situation of the Bagua Sect Master was much better.

He drew a circle in front of him with both hands, and a Tai Chi diagram with black and white energy flowing in and out of thin air appeared out of thin air, deflecting all the invading cold air to the side.

Even so, his expression was extremely solemn, and his steps were heavy, clearly indicating that he dared not be distracted in the slightest.

The martial artists following behind were in an even worse state, their teeth chattering as they desperately channeled their energy to resist, staggering as if they might collapse at any moment.