The atmosphere in the valley was extremely tense.
Everyone's gaze fell on the grey-robed elder. Their breathing quickened and their eyes were filled with seriousness.
After being hit by Ye Chen's arrow, he did not die. He was only slightly injured. The grey-robed elder's strength was far beyond everyone's expectations. Even though he had lost four Saints, he could still kill the five of them by himself. It would only take him some time.
"You guys leave the valley first. I'll cover you."
At this moment, Yan Xiu's gaze darkened and he said in a soft voice. Everyone's heart skipped a beat. Yan Xiu wanted to block the grey-robed elder alone in exchange for the escape of the four of them?
"Let me help you. Su Qingxue and Ye Yao, the two of you protect Ye Chen."
Nie Feng stepped forward and looked into Yan Xiu's eyes. He smiled faintly and his body flashed. He stood in front of Ye Chen and the other two and unleashed his aura without holding back.
Ye Chen was currently in a weakened state, and it would be hard for him to fight. With the strength of the four of them, it would be almost impossible for them to break out of the encirclement. Rather than having five of them die here, it would be better for two of them to stay behind and buy time for the three of them to escape.
This method was very helpless. It was very likely that they would have to sacrifice two people. However, it was better than all five of them dying here.
"Is there really no other way?"
Su Qingxue's eyes glistened. The five of them had just reunited and now they had to separate. Moreover, they might be separated forever. It was too cruel and she could not accept it.
Ye Chen and Ye Yao also looked troubled. No one had expected that they would be attacked by such a powerful expert the moment they stepped into the valley.
They turned their gazes and saw that the grey-robed elder had already walked in front of them. There was a hideous bloody hole in his right palm. Fresh blood dripped from it and dyed the ground red. He lowered his head and did not speak. The entire space froze. It was like the calm before the storm.
Plop!
A muffled sound rang out, like a sudden clap of thunder, causing the hearts of the five people to tremble. However, when they saw what happened next, everyone's eyes fell into a daze at this moment. Their minds went blank, and they were stunned on the spot, unable to move.
In his field of vision, the grey-robed elder took a step forward and suddenly knelt down without any warning. His back was slightly bent and his head was almost touching the ground. At the same time, he used an extremely respectful tone and said loudly, "This old servant, Qin Xue, greets the Emperor. Please forgive me, Emperor!"
Plop!
Plop!
Another two muffled sounds rang out. The two black-clothed men standing not far away also knelt down on one knee, their heads tightly pressed against the ground.
Such a change was too sudden, catching everyone off guard.
Just a moment ago, they had thought that they would not be able to escape. Yan Xiu and Nie Feng were even prepared to sacrifice themselves so that Ye Chen and the other two could leave safely.
However, at that instant, the gray-robed old man, along with the two men in black, knelt down and even shouted the word 'sovereign'. There was no longer any anger on their bodies, nor was there any killing intent. There was only the respect and reverence of a subject facing their sovereign.
"How could I forget about this!"
Xuanyuan Xiu's voice rang out with a hint of realization. He said to Ye Chen, "Ye Chen, although this is not the Heavenly Blood Holy Mansion, it must be an independent space specially set up by the Heavenly Blood Holy King. The grey-robed elder is so familiar with this valley. He could be the guardian of this valley!"
Xuanyuan Xiu's words were like a ray of light that enlightened Ye Chen.
"The Heavenly Blood Holy King is an expert of the Sacred Tribe. The people he sent must also be from the Sacred Tribe. In other words, the grey-robed elder is from the Sacred Tribe!"
Ye Chen was shocked. No wonder the grey-robed elder would do such a thing. He had recognized Ye Chen's identity!
After thinking through everything, a bitter smile appeared on Ye Chen's face. A moment ago, as soon as they entered the valley, they were intercepted by the grey-robed old man. Everyone's mind was tense, and they simply didn't think of this crucial point. Even an old monster like Xuanyuan Xiu had forgotten about it. Only after hearing the grey-robed old man's words did they suddenly remember.
"Yao 'er, help me up."
Ye Chen said softly. With Ye Yao's help, he stood up shakily. His steps were light, and he walked forward with some difficulty.
Nie Feng and the others became nervous when they saw this. They wanted to say something but Ye Chen waved his hand and gave them a reassuring look.
Ye Chen walked in front of the grey-robed elder. He could feel that the grey-robed elder's body was trembling. It was not because of anger or killing intent but because of reverence. He did not even dare to raise his head and kept his head close to the ground.
"Get up."
Ye Chen said indifferently. The grey-robed elder's body trembled even more. He lowered his head and said, "This old servant deserves to die. I did not know the identity of the King and even let the King suffer such heavy injuries. If the King does not punish me, this old servant will kneel and not get up."
Hearing this, Ye Chen felt helpless. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Since you call me the King, you are my subordinate. A subordinate cannot disobey the orders of the King. If I tell you to get up, you should get up. If not, you will be disobeying the orders."
The grey-robed elder's heart trembled. He did not dare to disobey and stood up abruptly. However, he still kept his body bowed and his eyes lowered. He did not dare to look directly into Ye Chen's eyes.
"The Saint Clan's bloodline has a very high status. The way of hierarchy is deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people. Not to mention, you are the King of the Saint Clan and you possess the inheritance flame of the Saint Clan. This grey-robed elder's status is not high. When he sees you, he will naturally be respectful. There is no need for you to feel helpless." Xuanyuan Xiu reminded Ye Chen.
Ye Chen understood. He regained his composure and asked the grey-robed elder, "How did you discover my identity?"
From the moment he stepped into the mountain valley until now, Ye Chen had not used the ancient totem nor had he used any of the ancient totem's origin arrays. Logically speaking, it should have been impossible for the grey-robed elder to discover his identity. This left Ye Chen puzzled.
"The King may not know, but the cultivation method that this old servant cultivates is quite strange. I can identify someone from their blood. The arrow that the King shot just now contained your blood, so this old servant was naturally able to recognize your identity."
The grey-robed elder's explanation surprised Ye Chen. To think that there was such a strange cultivation method in this world that could allow one to identify someone from their blood.
But as he thought about it, Ye Chen felt relieved.
The Saint Clan came from the Hidden Dragon World. The cultivation methods they cultivated were certainly unusual and couldn't be judged by common sense. Moreover, if it weren't for the grey-robed elder cultivating such a strange cultivation method, perhaps the five of them really would have died here.
"Are they also from the Saint Clan?"
Ye Chen pointed at the two black-clothed men, feeling a bit embarrassed. Just now, the five of them had attacked and killed four black-clothed men. Although he was the King of the Saint Clan, doing such a thing didn't seem too good.
"Them?"
The grey-robed elder was stunned for a moment. Then, he smiled and said, "The King misunderstands. These two people are not from the same race. They are only blood slaves refined by the old master."
"Blood slaves?" Ye Chen frowned.