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Who did she mean by "your new neighbor"? Naturally, she was referring to the famed Lightning Emperor, Xiao Ting.

Ye Zichen and his companions turned and looked at the estate across the hundred-meter-wide street. Xiao Ting stepped proudly out of the towering, dignified Xiao Family manor, accompanied by the elder page boy, Uncle An.

Don't be fooled by Xiao Ting's old age; his gait was vigorous, and with each step, they could sense his lightning-like aura.

He reached Ye Zichen's group in just a few steps, but since Xuan Ji had warned them, they were prepared for it.

"Might I ask what wind brought you here, Lightning Emperor? I heard your family has undergone 'restructuring' recently, and that you expelled Xiao Yan from the clan. Don't you have enough to worry about back in your own estates? I'm surprised you have enough free time to wander over here."

Xuan Ji laughed, but every word was like a needle aimed straight for Xiao Ting's heart.

She'd never had a particularly harmonious relationship with the Xiao Family. She'd disliked Xiao Ting ever since she first took up office in the God Realm.

Although they both worked under the God Emperor's Estate, they couldn't even maintain the pretense of harmony.

Even before showing up, Xiao Ting had been in poor spirits. That was because he saw Ye Zichen.

It was just as Ye Zichen thought. The way Xiao Ting saw it, he must have learned of what happened from Xiao Yumei and Xiao Yan, as well as other information that wasn't to Xiao Ting's advantage.

Xiao Ting had chased his children so urgently in part to force them to reveal his betrayal to the God Race. Given Xiao Ting's past performance and his influence throughout the God Realm, the gods trusted him absolutely and unconditionally. If his children tried to reveal what had happened, he could use it as an excuse to fire back, dumping dirty water on their faces instead. This would prevent them from causing any future problems.

But now it seemed his children were calmer and shrewder than he thought.

They hadn't breathed a word of his betrayal to the public, and instead, sought refuge with this youth. Xiao Ting's plan effectively vanished in a puff of smoke.

And now, Ye Zichen had shown up here….

"Lightning Emperor, what are you staring at my darling nephew for me? I'm talking to you, but you're ignoring me. Aren't you being a bit overly disrespectful?" Xuan Ji laughed calmly.

"Ha, it's nothing. I've just met this young man before." Xiao Ting chuckled, then glanced at the new construction.

"It seems that our Xiao Family and the Profound Pavilion will be neighbors from now on. It can't have been easy to buy up all that land."

"That's for sure." Xuan Ji nodded. "But we won't be your new neighbors. Your new neighbor is here…."

She pointed to the side. Xiao Ting's gaze shifted, only to see Ye Zichen smile back in agreement.

"Greetings! Allow me to introduce myself once more. I'm Ye Zichen, Upheaval Gang's…. No, forget it. That name sounds a bit too small potatoes. I'm the Upheaval Alliance's leader. We'll be neighbors going forward, so hopefully we can work together."

Despite Xiao Ting's shrewdness, when he heard this news, his facial muscles froze.

As expected!

He'd said it earlier: Xuan Ji had no reason to spend so much money buying up prime real estate. And he wasn't right. However, he wouldn't have guessed that his true new neighbor was going to be this youth.

What was he thinking? Was he trying to intimidate the Xiao Family?

"Xuan Ji, you sure went all out. You bought this whole stretch of land just to help your nephew build a new faction? I have to say, anyone at our level can tell that your nephew is still young, but you're giving him such a lofty starting point…."

"Mm, and I'm happy to do it!" Without so much as waiting for Xiao Ting to finish, Xuan Ji cut him off. "He's the only nephew I've got. It doesn't matter how much I have to spend. Do you really think that's any of your business? Who do you think you are? The God Emperor?"

Xiao Ting's expression instantly frosted over.

All of them now clearly understood the situation: Xuan Ji and Ye Zichen knew that Xiao Ting was consorting with demons, and Xiao Ting knew that they knew.

Neither of them respected the other, so there was no need to pretend.

"Hah? Then can I ask why you deliberately chose to build your faction here? Are you…."

"In all of Heavenly God City, this is the best location. If I'm going to buy land for my nephew, I naturally have to give him the very best. Is that a problem? Don't just sit around all day imagining new problems and suspecting something. Or is it that you have a guilty conscience?" Xuan Ji let out a long, meaningful laugh.

Xuan Ji understood.

Xiao Ting could clean a fair bit of information from what she'd just said.

Xiao Ting narrowed his eyes and smiled, but he still changed the subject. His gaze landed on Ye Zichen and he said, "That worthless son of mine is staying with you, is he not? He hasn't caused you any trouble, has he?"

"You've erased his name from the family registers, but you still call him your son?" jeered Xuan Ji.

Xiao Ting pretended not to hear. Ye Zichen smiled and nodded. "How much trouble could he cause? It's just a few hundred extra mouths to feed. It's nothing difficult."

"That's true," said Xiao Ting. "You are in possession of the Yao-Sealing Pagoda, so you naturally have far more resources than ordinary families. If you want to start your faction here, as your senior, please allow me to give you a few words of friendly advice."

"Go ahead," said Ye Zichen.

"My young friend, you have quite a few experts by your side. With their assistance and the Profound Pavillion backing you up, you have the capital to build a top-class faction. But what happens when you use up the pagoda's resources? When that day comes, will all the experts you roped in with resources remain loyal to your cause?"

Xiao Ting still believed that Ye Zichen's resources all originated from the Yao-Sealing Pagoda, and Ye Zichen wasn't about to tell him otherwise. He simply smiled calmly in response.

"The fundamental issue, Little Friend, is that your cultivation is too low. You're not strong enough to manage a first-rate power. Furthermore, the competition in Heavenly God City is intense, and families raise up their own experts. There are a few other methods, but you don't have those."

So, Xiao Ting had brought up this point.

Ye Zichen couldn't deny that everything the Lightning Emperor made sense. Unfortunately, Xiao Ting failed to account for the twenty Outsider Rulers and his relationship with Pu Jingwan and Yang Jian.

Indeed, Ye Zichen's cultivation was too low. He couldn't act openly as the head of his faction.

But Yang Jian could!

The Great Sage could!

Pu Jingwan could too!

So long as they were willing, he could leave this position entirely up to them. Then, Ye Zichen could relax. Even if they refused, with their support, who would deny that Ye Zichen was qualified to lead a faction?

Ye Zichen said nothing, and Xiao Ting laughed. "We met for the first time a few days ago, my young friend, and I knew then and there that you were a dragon among men. It's good to be ambitious, but you can't reach the peak overnight. There's far too much involved, and this is Heavenly God City! You're still young, and your foundations are shallow. If there's anything you're unsure of, you're welcome to come ask me. I'll happily share everything I know."

"Thank you for your kind offer, Lightning Emperor. I am extremely grateful." Ye Zichen could just regard this sort of verbal attack.

You want to put the pressure on me, huh? I… I can do that too.

Xiao Ting chuckled, only to hear Ye Zichen continue, "But you said something that isn't quite right, sir. You said that we met for the first time a few days ago."

"What, are you saying we didn't? How could that be possible? Given your heroic spirit, if I saw you, I'd definitely remember you. There's no way I'd forget."

"If I tell you, I'm sure you'll remember." Ye Zichen narrowed his eyes, then stared straight into Xiao Ting's eyes and fake smile. "Do you remember the youth you personally sent a hundred-bolt lightning tribulation a hundred years ago?"