“What audacious words. Even your eldest senior brother cannot match me. What are you to me?” The martial pavilion cultivator looked at Ye Chu with contempt. His gaze locked tightly onto his opponent, his eyes cold and sharp.
As he spoke, his aura surged like a vast mountain, pressing down upon Ye Chu. Terrifying pressure descended from the heavens. The howling winds it whipped up were strong enough to uproot century old trees.
Du Liang’s expression changed drastically at the sight. Under such an aura, the opponent could easily cripple Ye Chu without even lifting a finger. Du Liang stood there trembling, covering his eyes with his hands as he could not bear to witness the tragic fate that was about to befall Ye Chu.
Many disciples could not help but sigh. They thought this young lad was simply seeking his own death, unnecessarily provoking a king. The problem was that this would not win him any favour from Mo Qi either.
Yang Shan and a few others, however, were thrilled. They watched Ye Chu with burning eyes, hoping the martial pavilion cultivator would cripple him to avenge their defeat from that day.
They watched that aura of pressure bear down upon Ye Chu, yet the scene they had anticipated did not unfold.
Ye Chu in the centre simply remained standing. His expression was relaxed, his robes fluttering in the wind. He appeared calm and unhurried, carrying an air of effortless grace that added a touch of otherworldly elegance to his demeanour.
“How is this possible?” Yang Shan shouted first, his eyes wide as he stared at Ye Chu. He knew Ye Chu was much stronger than him, but he never imagined he could remain so composed under a king’s aura of pressure.
Mo Qi and Du Liang also dropped their jaws, their mouths opening wide enough to swallow an egg. They stared blankly at Ye Chu, rubbing their eyes vigorously. Seeing him standing perfectly still in the centre, they finally accepted the reality.
“He… he actually… actually…”
Du Liang felt he had lost his voice, but excitement soon surged through him. Could it be that I really brought back a peerless expert? This…
Mo Lie stood to the side, clutching his arm. His pupils constricted sharply at the sight, and a storm of shock rose within his heart as well. A figure who could remain so calm under the full pressure of a king was absolutely terrifying. At the very least, he himself could not do it.
“Go and find out quickly. Which house does this disciple belong to?” Mo Lie ordered the cultivator beside him.
“Yes! Eldest senior brother!”
The stunned disciple beside Mo Lie snapped out of his daze and quickly jogged off to investigate Ye Chu’s background.
“Who are you?” The martial pavilion cultivator’s expression also shifted. He clenched his fists, his gaze growing heavier as he looked at Ye Chu. Frightful cold light flickered in his eyes as he stared straight at him.
“Du Liang!” Ye Chu smiled at the other.
Hearing this from afar, Du Liang nearly shivered and fell to the ground. He stared at Ye Chu with wide eyes, never expecting him to use his name. Du Liang had not the slightest doubt that this name would soon become famous across the branch pavilion.
“Never heard of him!” The martial pavilion cultivator snorted. He then swung a fierce fist towards Ye Chu. “Since you can withstand my aura, you must have also reached the king realm. However, seeing your pale face, you cannot possibly be that strong.”
As he spoke, his fist swung with immense force, striking straight at Ye Chu. The blow contained his full power, holding absolutely nothing back. Where the fist passed, the air hissed and cracked. His figure flashed forward, and the airflow it generated turned directly into a hurricane, sweeping up gravel and dirt from the ground.
It was a terrifying strike, causing many hearts to tighten once more. They naturally wanted Ye Chu to win and bring glory to their branch pavilion. However, looking at Ye Chu’s state, especially his pale face, they could not help but shake their heads. Ye Chu simply did not look like someone who could win.
Watching the fist smash towards him, Mo Lie could not help but shout loudly at Ye Chu, “Watch out!”
Hearing Mo Lie’s shout, Ye Chu turned back and smiled at him. That smile made Mo Lie pause. He shook his head inwardly, thinking that losing focus at such a moment would surely lead to defeat.
Amid Mo Lie’s sigh, the martial pavilion cultivator’s fist was about to strike Ye Chu. At that exact moment, Ye Chu leisurely raised his arm to meet it.
Yet, it was just this seemingly effortless strike that sent the martial pavilion cultivator flying backwards. He stumbled and skidded for over ten metres before finally regaining his balance.
“This is impossible!” The martial pavilion cultivator shouted, his eyes wide as he stared at Ye Chu. A storm of shock raged in his heart. Ye Chu’s previous strike had possessed far greater strength than his own.
“There is nothing impossible about it. If this were a few days ago, you would die today. However, I have been focusing on cultivating my mind and body recently,” Ye Chu said, looking at him. Back when he fought his way through the Path of Heavenly Prodigies, he had encountered many kings who were in no way inferior to him. After all, those kings had been tempered in bloody battles, and as elders, their accumulated strength was formidable.
Although the martial pavilion cultivator before him possessed far greater talent, in an actual fight he would not necessarily surpass those individuals.
If the Green Lotus had not been sealed off by the Cold Fire Emperor, that casual strike alone would have made him spit blood!
“I do not believe it!” The opponent roared, throwing fist after fist from all directions, striking at Ye Chu’s vital points. Ye Chu stood perfectly still, raising his arms to meet the blows. He simply remained where he was, blocking the relentless attacks.
No matter how fierce the attacks became, Ye Chu did not take a single step back. His expression remained calm as he blocked each strike, defending himself without a single flaw.
This scene shocked everyone. They all stared with wide eyes, gasping in amazement.
Du Liang covered his mouth tightly, forcing himself not to cry out. Ye Chu, whom he had lived alongside for so long, had actually…
Heavens, a king could not even force him to take a single step back. Just how strong was he?
“Bang…”
During the next clash, Ye Chu seemed to have lost his patience. He struck his fist into the opponent’s palm. The other let out a miserable cry as his body flew backwards. Blood sprayed from the corner of his mouth before he smashed violently into the ground, cracking the bluestone tiles beneath him.
“Alright! I have played enough with you. Let us end it here,” Ye Chu said, looking at him.
The martial pavilion cultivator struggled to his feet, unable to stop another mouthful of blood from spilling out. He looked at Ye Chu with utter terror. The youth before him was far too powerful. In comparison, he was nothing more than a leaping monkey, completely beneath his notice.
“How could they possibly train such a powerful expert? A figure like this would surely shine brightly within the martial pavilion as well!”
The martial pavilion cultivator could not help but look towards his senior brother. He saw that his senior brother was also frowning, clearly shaken by Ye Chu’s strength as well.
“Well done!” Mo Qi shouted excitedly upon seeing Ye Chu defeat the opponent. Her fair, small hands clapped continuously.
Apart from Mo Qi’s shouts, the surroundings fell into complete silence. Every gaze was fixed upon Ye Chu.
“Does the martial pavilion have anyone else left? If not, please take your leave! This peak may be weak, but it is not a place where just anyone can come and provoke!” Ye Chu’s gaze fell upon another cultivator from the martial pavilion.
Seeing Ye Chu act this way, Mo Lie’s expression changed drastically. He naturally recognised the person Ye Chu was provoking. This individual possessed extraordinary status and strength. Even though Ye Chu was powerful, compared to this opponent, he was afraid…