This voice stunned Yun Che for a moment. He turned around and bewilderedly looked at the imposing man in front of him…. Ah no, it was a youth! When seeing his figure, no one would believe that he was only a youth of fifteen. With a height of over two meters and twenty or thirty centimeters, his entire body was even more shockingly burly; blocks of muscles were stacked up high, and just by standing there, he looked like a small mountain….
"Yuanba! Why are you here?" Yun Che said with a completely astonished face. This astonishingly burly youth was actually Xia Qingyue's little brother, and his only best friend from a young age —- Xia Yuanba!
"Brother-in-law, it really is you!" Seeing Yun Che's face, Xia Yuanba's voice grew somewhat louder as he rushed over with a face that brimmed with surprise and joy. As he ran over, even the ground slightly quivered; if one saw Xia Yuanba's posture, it looked as if he may be coming in for a bear hug. Yun Che could not help but feel his scalp go numb, and unconsciously took two steps back… If he was hugged like this, suffering a bone fracture would be considered as getting off light.
"Stop-stop-stop-stop-stop!" Yun Che quickly waved his hands, stopping the excited Xia Yuanba who'd almost hugged him. He then looked at him from head to toe, and asked again: "Yuanba, why are you here in this place?"
"I should be the one asking Brother-in-law this question." Xia Yuanba's face flushed with excitement: "Half a year ago, I heard you were driven out of your clan. I searched for you for many days but I still failed to find you. Phew, it's really good that you're alright. I thought that something had happened to you, and couldn't sleep peacefully at all during these past six months."
Xia Yuanba's surprise and concern came entirely from the bottom of his heart. In this world, apart from Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi, the only person who cared about him was his childhood friend, Xia Yuanba. With his heart greatly moved, Yun Che stepped forward and patted his robust arm: "Rest assured, my life is awfully tough, how could anything happen to me? Being driven out of the Xiao Clan was actually a good thing; the outside world is much more wonderful than the Floating Cloud City that we spent ten or so years of our lives in. These past six months I've been continuously walking west from Floating Cloud City, and it was only today that I arrived at New Moon City. For you to be here…. Don't tell me?"
Yun Che looked to the side and glanced at New Moon Profound Palace's large and eye-catching signboard.
"Hehe, Brother-in-law really is smart. I've currently entered the New Moon Profound Palace." As he spoke about the New Moon Profound Palace, Yuanba's face expressed a hint of pride: "I had already came here six months ago, and I've also entered the Profound Department's Class One."
"Class One? Is it hard to enter this class?" Listening to Xia Yuanba's tone, this "Class One" seemed to be very amazing.
"Of course." Xia Yuanba nodded and boastfully said: "Class One is taught by Profound Department's Great Elder himself. The requirements to enter the Class One is the highest; you must either have enough talent, or… Hehe, have sufficient connections.
Yun Che remembered that six months ago, Xia Yuanba was at the fourth level of Elementary Profound Realm. At this age, that level could only be regarded as mediocre and not even a dime of "good enough talent"; which meant that it could only be the latter. Yun Che asked with a face full of suspicion: "Your family has a relationship with the New Moon Profound Palace?"
Xia Yuanba answered with an embarrassed laugh: "Oh. As a matter of fact, when my grandfather was young, he would often visit New Moon City and made a really good friend here. That friend later became one of the Vice-Chiefs of New Moon Profound Palace. Therefore, not only did I not take the test to get into New Moon Profound Palace, but I also got into Class One."
"Let's not talk about these things. Brother-in-law, were you always by yourself? Did you find a place to stay in New Moon City yet? What are you going to do from now on?" Xia Yuanba asked in a somewhat anxious tone; his deep feelings of concern was exhibited through this question. He understood Yun Che all too well; physique was only so-so, had never stepped outside of Floating Cloud City before reaching sixteen, and the most crucial point was that, with his profound vein disability, it was fundamentally impossible for him to have the ability to defend himself. It was hard to not worry about him.
Yun Che did not answer Xia Yuanba's question but instead asked as he raised his head: "The Great Elder you talked about that supervises Class One, is he called Sikong Han?" His figure was not considered short but standing in front of Xia Yuanba, he almost felt like that he had just walked out of a Lilliputian Nation.
"Eh? That's right. That's exactly Elder Sikong. Brother-in-law, didn't you just arrive at New Moon City? How do you know about Elder Sikong?" Xia Yuanba asked whilst rubbing his head.
"He and my grandfather had a relationship; before I left Floating Cloud City, Grandfather told me to come and find him." Yun Che said.
When he heard what Yun Che had said Xia Yuanba's eyes immediately brightened, as he excitedly replied: "That's great! Elder Sikong's prestige is very high in New Moon City, and he also treats others very nicely. If he and Grandfather Xiao knows each other, perhaps he can arrange a place for you to stay… Mn, it would be even better if he could arrange a place inside New Moon Profound Palace."
Yun Che started to smile: "Then, take me to find him."
Actually, Yun Che did not intend to stay in New Moon City for long, because beneath the heavens, everywhere was his training ground. Only, he was unwilling to abandon his grandfather's painstaking wish and also wanted to see if he could get some sort of opportunity from Sikong Han.
"Oh, okay." Xia Yuanba immediately nodded. Then, his expression suddenly paused a bit as he reached out his hand to scratch his ears: "But, it's not definite that you'll be able to see him today. Because today just happens to be the new Palace Chief's appointment day, and there's still a congratulatory feast in the evening. I heard that all of New Moon City's well-known sects and clans with influence will all be there; Elder Sikong should be busy preparing for it."
Yun Che thought for a bit, and said: "So it's like this… Lets still go and visit him. It's best if we can get to see him, and if we couldn't manage see him, then we'll put it off for tomorrow."
"Oh, okay."
Immediately, Xia Yuanba brought Yun Che and walked toward the New Moon Profound Palace's main entrance. At the main entrance, the two were stopped. The young gatekeeper held out his arm in front of Yun Che and blocked him: "Non-disciples of the Palace are not allowed to enter."
Xia Yuanba quickly said: "Senior Brother Zhan, he is my brother-in-law, and has business with Elder Sikong."
The person that Yuanba called "Senior Brother Zhan" had a solemn complexion, and respectfully said: "Usually, a Palace disciple can bring one person inside, but not today. This evening is the congratulatory feast for the new Palace Chief's appointment; the Elders are currently busy with many affairs, and it's inconvenient to meet guests. If you have any business, come back tomorrow."
"This…." Xia Yuanba could only helplessly look at Yun Che.
Yun Che deliberately took out the wooden tablet that grandfather had given him, and said: "I wonder if this wooden tablet could possibly let me enter and see Elder Sikong right now?"
"Senior Brother Zhan" casually glanced at the wooden tablet. As he was about to speak, his gaze suddenly snapped back onto the wooden tablet again, and answered while knitting his brow: "This is…. Elder Sikong's Seven Profound Tablet? Oh, should've taken that out earlier, please enter."
When he finished speaking, he withdrew his extended arm, took a step back, and signaled Yun Che and Xia Yuanba to come in.
Yun Che only wanted to try it, but he didn't expect that it would actually succeed. After entering New Moon Profound Palace, Xia Yuanba said with an astonished face: "Brother-in-law, how do you have Elder Sikong's Seven Profound Tablet? Only the seven people closest to the Elder have this, and with this tablet, you could be considered a person of the New Moon Profound Palace, and can freely enter the New Moon Profound Palace as well.
"Sikong Han gave it to grandfather back then when they were young; perhaps it's to help grandfather to find him with ease in the New Moon Profound Palace." Yun Che interpreted. He then thought: Sikong Han actually gave such a tablet to grandfather, it seems that back in those days, Grandfather didn't grant him just any small kindness.
Now, Xia Yuanba brought Yun Che and directly walked toward the Elder's Hall in New Moon Profound Palace; along the way he introduced New Moon Profound Palace and what he had experienced in the past six months to Yun Che.
At this moment, Yun Che suddenly heard Jasmine's somewhat peculiar voice in his mind: "This person, is your friend?"
"Yes. Are there any problems?" For Jasmine to actually ask about Xia Yuanba, Yun Che's heart bursted with surprise.
"How old?"
"Fifteen and a half."
"Fifteen and a half years old..." Jasmine pondered for a second, then said with a low voice: "This person, actually possesses the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins!"
"Tyrannical Emperor's….. Divine Veins?" Yun Che's footsteps paused, frowning: "What do you mean?"
"His Profound Veins are very special, his vein width is more than twice that of ordinary people, and even the structure is quite different. These Profound Veins are known as the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins. Even in the Divine… Well, in short, it is an extremely rare profound vein, if it were in the place where I was born, people who have this profound vein would inevitably dominate a region, and be appointed as an emperor. But for it to have appeared in this kind of place, what a wasted vein! The reason why his veins are excessively large is also because of his Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins. With these veins, while it's not obvious at the Elementary Profound Realm, once he steps into the Nascent Profound Realm and his profound power matures, he would have to put in at least ten times the effort of ordinary people for every level after! Also, throughout his entire lifetime, he can only progress up to Nascent Profound Realm, and will never breakthrough into True Profound Realm."
Yun Che: "…."
"Brother-in-law, we're here."
Even though Yun Che wanted to continue to question, Xia Yuanba had already pulled him in front of the Elder's Hall.
"I'll go see if Elder Sikong is here."
As Xia Yuanba was just about to knock, the door suddenly opened by itself, and a man that looked to be forty something years old, who wore a dark colored robe, walked out. When seeing him, Xia Yuanba quickly greeted him: "Elder Sikong, you're actually here. That's wonderful."
This person was exactly the Sikong Han Yun Che was looking for, even though he looked a bit younger than what Yun Che had imagined. After seeing Xia Yuanba, he smiled gently: "Oh? Yuanba, do you need anything from me?"
"It's my brother-in-law, he has some business with you." Xia Yuanba shifted his body, revealing Yun Che, who was completely blocked by his huge body earlier, to Sikong Han.
Yun Che walked up and politely spoke: "Elder Sikong, Junior Yun Che came from Floating Cloud City in the east. I wonder if Elder Sikong is still able to recall an old friend from Floating Cloud City named Xiao Lie?"
"Xiao Lie? You said Xiao Lie?"
Hearing this name, a reaction that exceeded Yun Che's expectations came from Sikong Han. In one fast step he walked over and grabbed Yun Che's shoulder with both of his hands: "Where is he? Could it be that he has come to New Moon City?"
Yun Che shook his head:" No. Right now, grandfather is still in Floating Cloud City. I'm here to find you in accordance to grandfather's wish."
After finished speaking, Yun Che took out the Seven Profound Tablet, and brought it in front of Sikong Han's eyes.
Sikong Han picked up the tablet and let out a soft sad sigh: "It's already been seven years; these past years, I had always wanted to visit him in Floating Cloud City but I could never do so. I hope that this time, I could at least slightly pay back his past kindness."