Ye Chu patted Liu Shaoyang on the shoulder and stepped in front of him. His gaze fixed on the third young master of the Ye family. Although Ye Chu had no desire for the Ye family to know he had come to the imperial city, some things could not be avoided. He could not simply stand by and watch Liu Shaoyang and the others get beaten right in front of him.
As for the Ye family finding out, so be it. Though Ye Chu did not know how the Ye family would treat him, and he was unwilling to face Ji Die, since avoidance was impossible, he could only face it head-on.
Ye Yuanwu did not recognise Ye Chu. Seeing someone dare step forward to block him, he sneered. “In the imperial city, there are few places this young master cannot go. I have decided to attend this banquet.”
“But we do not agree!” Ye Chu stared at Ye Yuanwu and said.
“That is not up to you!” Ye Yuanwu looked at Ye Chu with contempt. “If you have the ability, drive us out. Otherwise, from now on, tuck your tail between your legs and behave. Wherever we appear, you lot will retreat three steps.”
Those words made Pang Shao and the others glare furiously, yet they were helpless against Ye Yuanwu! Ye Yuanwu was very strong. Half a year ago, he had already reached the Innate realm. Rumours said he had now reached the second or third level of the Innate realm. At their age, reaching such a level was enough for him to strut arrogantly in front of them.
In the imperial city, few people reached the Innate realm to begin with. Those who did were the leading figures of every circle.
Wang Yan and the others also knew how powerful Ye Yuanwu was. Seeing him clench his fist and raise it towards Ye Chu, she stepped to Ye Chu’s side and whispered, “A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him. We can just leave. There is no need to clash with them.”
Ye Chu gave Wang Yan a reassuring look, then turned to Ye Yuanwu. “Rumour has it that the eldest and second young masters of the Ye family are the most outstanding talents among the younger generation in the imperial city. Their strength has long reached the upper grade of the Innate realm. As brothers, you are only at the lower grade of the Innate realm. Instead of thinking how to surpass your two elder brothers, you come here to fight over women and show off. Truly, it makes one blush for you.”
Ye Yuanwu said, “My two elder brothers have extraordinary talent. Naturally, I cannot compare. You need not try to sow discord between us brothers. It is true I cannot match my two elder brothers, but dealing with trash like you lot is effortless.”
“No! I am simply telling you that if your two elder brothers came here to fight over women, we might have to yield to their edge. But someone like you? We do not even put you in our eyes.” Ye Chu laughed and looked at Ye Yuanwu. “This banquet does not welcome you. Take your people and leave.”
“…” Ye Yuanwu was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. “What a joke! You lot, a bunch of good-for-nothings and rice buckets, think you can make my elder brothers show up? Fine! I will deal with you first and let you experience the difference between a genius and trash.”
As Ye Yuanwu spoke, he suddenly struck towards Ye Chu, his hand reaching out extremely fast, ruthless, and sharp.
Wang Yan and the others were shocked to see Ye Yuanwu actually make a move. They knew how formidable he was. None of Pang Shao’s group could withstand his edge.
“Stop!” Wang Yan shouted. But Ye Yuanwu, eager to prove himself in front of Wang Yan, had no intention of stopping. The fiercer she scolded, the more jealousy burned in his heart. “Once I finish dealing with these people, you will understand that getting close to them is a mistake.”
Ye Yuanwu’s hand was about to grab Ye Chu’s shoulder, but just as his fingers were about to touch, Ye Chu shifted his body slightly and evaded it.
“Hm! Not bad speed!” Ye Yuanwu looked at Ye Chu in surprise, thinking that among this group of useless trash, someone could actually dodge his strike.
Pang Shao saw Ye Chu force back the opponent’s attack. He stepped forward to stand in front of Ye Chu. “You cannot meet him head-on. You have only just reached the Innate realm. He is someone about to break through to the third level! Moreover, the Ye family is no weaker than my Pang family. They possess many secret techniques. This guy has definitely cultivated a very strong Innate-grade martial skill.”
Ye Chu nodded to Pang Shao. He naturally knew how strong Ye Yuanwu was. Unlike small kingdoms like Yao City, the empire was a colossal entity. The great clans were naturally not simple. The cultivation resources they possessed far surpassed anything Yao Country could offer.
In Yao Country, a single Innate realm cultivator could rule as king. But in the empire’s great clans, it meant little. People like Pang Shao and Liu Shaoyang faced almost no pressure reaching the Innate realm. Their only concern was whether it would take one year or ten.
As long as their talent was decent, their families could use cultivation resources to push them to the Innate realm. Of course, if their talent was truly poor, no amount of resources would help.
“I will give it a try!” Ye Chu smiled at Pang Shao and stepped forward to face Ye Yuanwu.
Wang Yan and the others saw Ye Chu still acting tough at this moment and grew anxious, spinning in circles. They thought he was usually quite clever. How could he act so foolish now?
Ye Yuanwu said nothing. He struck again, his attack shooting straight towards Ye Chu with domineering and terrifying force.
Ye Chu neither dodged nor evaded. He met the blow head-on. He wanted to test just how strong the opponent’s power truly was!
“Bang…” Ye Chu was shaken back several steps. His arm trembled violently.
Feeling the pain radiating from his arm, Ye Chu’s heart shook. He knew his own strength very well. Compared to ordinary cultivators, it was absolutely much stronger. Logically, at this moment, facing someone at the second level of the Innate realm should not put him at a disadvantage. Yet right now, the opponent’s power clearly surpassed his by a level.
“He has cultivated a Primordial Spirit shaping method!”
Ye Chu understood instantly. Shaping the Primordial Spirit with a Primordial Spirit shaping method could greatly enhance one’s overall strength. Clearly, this was why Ye Yuanwu was so formidable.
With Ye Yuanwu’s current power, he could easily fight ordinary third-level Innate realm cultivators. In a small kingdom like Yao Country, where Primordial Spirit shaping methods were lacking, even a third-level Innate realm cultivator would not be Ye Yuanwu’s match.
“Primordial Spirit shaping methods are truly vital! I must find a way to obtain one as soon as possible. Otherwise, the gap with others will only grow wider.” Ye Chu sighed inwardly. If he did not quickly find a suitable Primordial Spirit shaping method, the terrifying foundation he had built in the Intent Transformation realm would be completely wasted.
Right now, he could still face the peak of the second level of the Innate realm. But if things continued like this, he might not even match peers at the same level in the future.
“Not bad! No wonder you dared challenge this young master. So you have reached the Innate realm.” Ye Yuanwu stared at Ye Chu, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
Those words made Liu Shaoyang, Huang Lin, and the others’ eyes light up. They had not expected Ye Chu to break through to the Innate realm in just one year. This brought them a sense of joy. Finally, their circle had someone at the Innate realm.
“This young master is now somewhat curious about who you are. Among the younger generation in the imperial city, anyone who reaches the Innate realm is considered a figure. Yet I have never heard of you.” Ye Yuanwu asked curiously, wondering which clan’s disciple this was. Reaching the Innate realm at this age was no simple matter.
“My name is Ye Chu!” Ye Chu did not hide it and answered directly. He knew hiding it was pointless. A quick check would reveal everything.
“Ye Chu?!” Ye Yuanwu frowned. Something seemed to click, and he said, “You share my surname, and even share a name with a certain piece of trash! But I detest that name!”
“I am exactly the piece of trash you are referring to!” Ye Chu looked at Ye Yuanwu and said.
“You are Ye Chu? Ye Chu from Yao City?” Ye Yuanwu’s eyes widened. Disbelief filled his gaze as he stared straight at Ye Chu. A storm surged wildly in his heart.