The Leopard Fire Group! This was also a renowned mercenary group in the Wasteland Canyon. Although it could not compare to the Kuangfeng Group and other mercenary groups, it was still a dominant force in the canyon. Many powerful cultivators had fallen at their hands.
Moreover, this time they had mobilised their full strength, setting up grand formations and traps, all to capture Zhong Wei.
This battle was the most intense fight Ye Chu had experienced in the Wasteland. It nearly drained him of all his strength, and he sustained numerous wounds. He even took several punches from an Emperor realm cultivator of the Leopard Fire Group head on.
After paying a heavy price, Ye Chu finally fought his way out of the encirclement with Zhong Wei.
As they fought their way out through bloodshed, the Leopard Fire Mercenary Group went completely berserk. Their eyes were bloodshot from killing, and they threw themselves at Ye Chu one after another.
In this battle, the Leopard Fire Mercenary Group paid a devastating price. All four of their Emperor realm cultivators perished, and the group leader’s head was blasted to pieces. Countless other cultivators in the group were killed or wounded. The grand formation was shattered, and the precious materials used for the traps were either destroyed or seized.
The Leopard Fire Mercenary Group was utterly crippled. They did not even retain a tenth of their strength at full capacity, and despite paying such a price, Ye Chu still managed to escape.
After this battle, Ye Chu became thoroughly famous throughout the wasteland. Everyone knew that beside Zhong Wei stood a protector of heaven defying strength. Previously, people had assumed it was Zhao Haibo, but the strength he displayed made everyone discard that guess. Zhao Haibo was nowhere near this level of power.
This battle established Ye Chu’s reputation. When the news of Kuangfeng’s defeat at Ye Chu’s hands also spread, the entire wasteland was in an uproar.
When had the wasteland produced such a peerless young man?
People began to speculate about Ye Chu’s identity, wondering which holy land had cultivated such a talent. At the same time, this battle served as a deterrent to countless bandits. They no longer dared to act rashly against Ye Chu, and they began to discuss how they could capture Zhong Wei and kill Ye Chu.
…
Meanwhile, Ye Chu did not know that he had stirred up such a storm in the wasteland. Nearly exhausted, he hid in an extremely remote part of the wasteland with Zhong Wei’s support.
Ye Chu was covered in blood, and it was impossible to tell whether it was his or someone else’s. Zhong Wei looked at his fists, still clenched tight, and his body trembling from the prolonged fighting. Her heart was not calm either. Throughout this bloody journey, Ye Chu had given her too many shocks.
This young man’s temperament was tenacious and cold. There was not a trace of his usual lazy, roguish manner. All that remained was wisdom and an unstoppable momentum.
Zhong Wei clearly remembered that Ye Chu had fought with a life for a life approach several times. He did not care at all that his vital points were exposed to the enemy, and he simply charged forward with overwhelming force to kill.
This desperate, burn the boats resolve made Zhong Wei’s heart tremble with fear every time she witnessed it. Thinking of those several perilous moments, Zhong Wei could not help but steal glances at Ye Chu. Although his face was now covered in beads of blood and his expression was cold, that face looked so handsome.
“Let us rest here for a while and recover some strength.” Zhong Wei looked around, feeling that this place should be safe for the short term.
Ye Chu had crippled the Leopard Fire Group, and other bandits would not dare to pursue them easily in the short term.
Ye Chu nodded. He had no strength left to travel. Throughout this bloody journey, especially the final battle, he had nearly lost his life there. Fortunately, those people were unwilling to trade their lives for his, which allowed him to forcefully break through the encirclement and leave.
But he had already reached his limit by then. The will to survive had kept him going until now. If another group came to surround and kill him at this moment, he would certainly die with no chance of survival.
Watching Ye Chu sitting cross legged in the distance, Zhong Wei also let out a sigh of relief. Seeing a small lake in the distance, she walked over to it and washed the blood from her face. That breathtakingly beautiful face, which made the surrounding scenery pale in comparison, was revealed once more.
After washing the blood from her body, Zhong Wei took a piece of clothing as a cloth, wrung it dry, and helped Ye Chu wipe the blood from his face.
There was too much blood on Ye Chu’s face. It dried and became wet again, then dried once more. Zhong Wei made many trips to the lakeside before she finally wiped all the blood from his face clean.
After cleaning Ye Chu’s face, Zhong Wei looked at his focused expression, his closed eyes, and his fair, angular face. A blush could not help but rise on her cheeks, and she murmured softly, “Looking at you like this, you are quite handsome too!”
Of course, Ye Chu, who was meditating and cultivating, did not hear these words. He drew in the spiritual energy from all directions, continuously absorbing it into his body. The medicinal power of the pills Zhong Wei had given him also permeated through all his limbs and bones.
Throughout this bloody journey, it was fortunate that Zhong Wei’s pills had supported him. Otherwise, Ye Chu would have been completely exhausted long ago.
Zhong Wei was worthy of being the princess of the Heavenly Mansion. She had countless pills, and each one was extraordinary. Ye Chu took a few, and his exhausted body gradually began to recover. After two hours, a sharp gleam returned to Ye Chu’s eyes.
After washing herself clean, Zhong Wei changed into a long white dress. She had been watching Ye Chu the whole time and was the first to notice when he opened his eyes, which filled her with great joy.
“How do you feel?” Zhong Wei hurried to Ye Chu’s side and asked him with delight.
“My strength has improved somewhat!” Ye Chu smiled at Zhong Wei. Throughout this bloody journey, his potential had been pushed to the extreme. He was on the verge of stepping into the third level of the Emperor realm. For others, this would be earth shattering. Ye Chu had not been at the second level for more than a few months, and now he was about to break through again.
Other cultivators could barely advance one level even in ten years.
“What about your hands?” Zhong Wei looked at Ye Chu’s fists, still clenched tight, and asked with some concern. Throughout this bloody journey, Ye Chu’s fists had never once relaxed.
“It is nothing!” Ye Chu’s gaze also fell on his own fists. Throughout this bloody journey, his attacks had become more ferocious, and his control over the chaotic green qi was also very strong. Moreover, by relying on his own techniques and various wondrous arts, Ye Chu’s fists, wrapped in chaotic green qi, had gradually developed their own unique intent.
In the battle with the Leopard Fire Group, had it not been for the terror of his fists, he would have died there.
“Throughout this bloody journey, I have relied entirely on these fists. Such trials have tempered my techniques and intent to be extremely resilient, merging them into one with my fists. As long as there is an opportunity, I can even create a fist technique that suits me best. Not like before, when I could only rely on the chaotic green qi to blast wildly.”
“That is good then!” Zhong Wei let out a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared at the corners of her lips.
Zhong Wei’s tender, red lips curved slightly upward. The smile on her breathtaking face was like a flower in full bloom. Her white dress fluttered in the wind as she stood before Ye Chu, beautiful beyond compare. That smile made Ye Chu feel dizzy and entranced, and he stared at Zhong Wei in a daze.
Thinking of how this woman was hailed as the Dance Goddess, Ye Chu could not help but say, “Um… could you dance for me?”
Those words made Zhong Wei’s smile fade. She had never danced alone for a man before, not even for him.