Looking at Kun Yao catching up, Yang Chen said, "Elder Kun Yao, what brings you here?"

Kun Yao caught up to Yang Chen, smiled and said, "I wanted to say, if Elder Yang wants to control the Nine Families, why not just tell me? I can directly pass the title of Venerable Master to you, and the Nine Families would be completely under your control. Why go to such great lengths to teach them cultivation techniques?"

Yang Chen glanced at him and smiled lightly, "I’m only interested in things I can fully control."

Kun Yao was momentarily stunned.

Clearly, he understood Yang Chen’s implication.

The Nine Venerables could control the Nine Families completely, but it borrowed the name of the Shangqing Sect, and its management and control rights were still held by the Shangqing Sect, not him, Yang Chen.

"Moreover," Yang Chen looked at Kun Yao and said, "Do the Nine Venerables still exist?"

Kun Yao was speechless.

Indeed! Do the Nine Venerables still exist now?

Do the Nine Families still exist?

Ancheng’s Nine Families, besides Penglai Island, included eight other families.

Among them, six families have been completely wiped out by Yang Chen, and their industries have all been taken over. The Zhang family and the Xiang family were subdued by Yang Chen early on, and now the Yun family has also submitted to him. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Among the Nine Families, only three remain, and all are controlled by Yang Chen.

The so-called Nine Venerables no longer exist.

The previous Nine Families also no longer exist.

All that exists now is Yang Chen’s power.

Ancheng is merely Yang Chen’s Ancheng!

Looking at Yang Chen’s departing figure, Kun Yao’s heart was filled with emotion.

Unconsciously, Yang Chen has set such a grand scheme.

Now that the scheme was set, Kun Yao still seemed unaware.

Involuntarily, goosebumps rose on Kun Yao’s skin.

...

At dusk.

The sun set in the west.

The sun’s glow draped over the sea surface, dyeing the ocean into a pot of golden soup, magnificent beyond compare.

According to Ye Xin’s request, Yang Chen took her out, standing high on the reef, gazing at the sunset’s beauty.

Their shadows cast in the sunset, beautiful and breathtaking.

Ye Xin leaned her head on Yang Chen’s shoulder, softly saying, "Do you think... we can watch the sunset like this every day?"

Yang Chen smiled, rubbed Ye Xin’s head, and said softly, "As long as you want."

Ye Xin held Yang Chen’s arm even tighter, her eyes reflecting a trace of melancholy as she watched the sunset.

Since they met, seemingly there hasn’t been much time for them to be together peacefully, with so many trials and dangers.

She likes Yang Chen, cherishing every moment with him, yet such moments are always too brief...

The sun completely set, leaving only a fiery red afterglow.

Yang Chen laughed, "Tomorrow will be a fine day."

The morning glow won’t let you out the door, but evening glow travels miles. With such an evening glow, the weather tomorrow must surely be good.

Ye Xin released Yang Chen, saying, "Where is the well you mentioned? Take me to see it."

Yang Chen hesitated, furrowing his brows as he looked at Ye Xin.

Ye Xin faced Yang Chen with a smile.

After a while, Yang Chen slowly nodded, "Alright."

Yang Chen took Ye Xin to the location behind the mountain.

Upon reaching the mountain, Ye Xin seemed very familiar with the area.

She glanced at the location of Forgetful Spring, saying lightly, "I never expected such a magical thing to exist in the world."

"Indeed!" Yang Chen sighed as well.

It was this thing that separated him and Ye Xin for more than a year, meeting without recognizing each other!

Ye Xin shook her head, deciding not to dwell on matters concerning Forgetful Spring, as these were already past.

She pulled Yang Chen, "Take me to see the well."

Yang Chen nodded and led Ye Xin to the edge of the cliff.

By now, the sun had set, and the tide had risen.

Yang Chen pointed to a barely visible black hole and said, "It’s right there, that’s the well. Now with the tide rising, it’s hard to see clearly. When the tide recedes, it will reveal itself."

Ye Xin only glanced at the black hole before turning her gaze elsewhere, seemingly searching for something.

She looked around and then walked forward.

After a few steps, Ye Xin quickly ran in a direction.

Yang Chen hurriedly chased after her, fearing for Ye Xin’s safety.

Ye Xin ran to a depression, pointed to the rocky area below the cliff, and shouted, "That’s the place! I should have drifted there initially!"

Yang Chen paused, his heart filled with surprise, "You remember what happened then?"

Ye Xin nodded repeatedly, gripping Yang Chen’s hand excitedly and said, "Back then, Old Mi fired the cannonball, bombing our ship, and the tremendous force knocked us unconscious. Luckily, we jumped off quickly. Though we were heavily impacted, we didn’t suffer any fatal injuries. When I woke up, it was already night. I was drifting on the sea, with thunder constantly roaring in my ears. I looked up! The sky was dense with dark clouds, thunderclouds rolling, lightning galloping! The wind howled, waves one after another, I couldn’t hold them off at all. After a few giant waves, I was knocked out again.

When I woke, my clothes were caught on a rock, stopping my body.

I woke up, struggling to climb onto a rock, and saw people in other places.

I went over to check, finding it was Left Hand and Po Jun.

I woke them up, both of them also suffered serious injuries, but fortunately, they could still persist.

We rested on the rock for a while, Left Hand worried about others, so we stood up to search.

I saw a few shadows, seemingly others, thinking you might be there, so I called for you.

But another wave came and knocked us all off.

The wind and lightning were relentless; I even saw a massive terrifying thing in the giant wave, like a kind of fish, but couldn’t see clearly. The waves crashing down left no room for thought.

We were battered by the waves, unable to resist, but luckily, we were close, pulling each other, offering some support.

Everyone here had decent swimming skills.

However, danger soon found us.

A massive whirlpool appeared, drawing everything around it.

The closest people have already been sucked in.

I even heard someone shouting ’Swim away! Don’t come here!’

But the immense suction left no room for resistance, we couldn’t swim away! Like battling a storm, our strength seemed so insignificant. In such a whirlpool, we were still so insignificant.

Just as we were about to fall into the whirlpool, the cliff edge appeared in our vision, Left Hand pushed me away, shouted at me, I climbed onto the rock, only to be knocked unconscious by another wave that crashed over.

Ye Xin finished speaking in one breath, her emotions still very excited, tears falling from her beautiful eyes.

Yang Chen also felt a heavy heart, looking at Ye Xin, he asked solemnly, "At that time... what did Left Hand say?"

Ye Xin recalled, looked at Yang Chen, and seriously said, "He told me to tell you, following you in this life, is worth it!"

Hearing this, Yang Chen’s eyes instantly turned red. He quickly turned around, looking at the distant ocean...