Su Rong and Zhang Su’er covered their mouths, staring in disbelief at the young man in front of them. No one could have imagined that at this moment, it would be him stepping forward to block Sha Tianyun.
The people and soldiers of Yao City also stared blankly at Ye Chu, unsure who this young man was. To think he could actually withstand a strike from an Innate Realm expert! Only those who had seen Ye Chu before stood frozen in place, utterly stunned.
“It’s you!” Looking at the young man standing in front of him, the coldness in Sha Tianyun’s eyes grew even sharper. He stared at Ye Chu with flashing malice, filled with savagery and ferocity!
“Surprised?” Ye Chu looked at Sha Tianyun, kicked aside the log that had rolled to his feet, and glanced at the people lying in pools of blood all around. “A堂堂 Innate Realm expert, killing ordinary people. Isn’t that a bit too disgraceful?”
Sha Tianyun was not bothered by Ye Chu’s mockery. “I always regretted not killing you last time. Now that you’ve delivered yourself to me, I’ll deal with you first, then take care of the Yao king.”
One could imagine the depth of Sha Tianyun’s hatred for Ye Chu. He wished he could skin him alive and tear out his tendons. He had thought he would never find him again, yet here Ye Chu was, walking straight into death.
“Why do I have to come first? Can’t you deal with the Yao king first and then come back for me?” Ye Chu looked at Sha Tianyun and sighed. He thought to himself that this fellow was too foolish, unable to tell what was more important!
“Hmph!” Sha Tianyun wasted no more words. He raised his mace again and smashed it viciously towards Ye Chu. The spiked mace gleamed with a chilling light that made hearts tremble. Su Rong and Zhang Su’er clenched their fists tightly, their hearts filled with extreme tension.
Looking at the young man standing there, who did not appear particularly strong, they felt no confidence at all. One was an Innate Realm expert, the other merely at the Intent Transformation Realm. Even if he had once blocked a move from the opponent, what could he really do?
“I never thought that at a time like this, it would be Ye Chu who steps forward!” Zhang Su’er stared blankly at Ye Chu, feeling a thousand emotions swirling in her heart, yet unable to utter a single word.
Su Rong was equally unsettled. At this critical moment, it was Ye Chu who had stepped out to save their lives. The man once notorious and reviled now stood fearlessly in front, unafraid of death.
At this moment, Su Rong felt somewhat dazed. In her eyes, only the young man in front remained, as though the old curses and infamy attached to Ye Chu had faded far away.
“Die!”
Sha Tianyun roared. His mace came crashing down. Ye Chu kicked up the log at his feet and swept it fiercely towards his opponent. The log collided with the mace, producing a massive shockwave. Ye Chu staggered back several steps, his hand gripping the log trembling slightly.
Though Sha Tianyun also retreated a step, he appeared far more at ease than Ye Chu. He looked at Ye Chu coldly and snorted. “A mere Intent Transformation Realm daring to block me. Courting death!”
“You won’t know unless you try!” Ye Chu laughed loudly. Far from retreating after being pushed back, he advanced instead, sweeping the log horizontally. It clashed once more with Sha Tianyun’s mace.
“Then I’ll send you to your death!” Sha Tianyun sneered with disdain at the corner of his mouth. He swung his mace fiercely, striking the log and cracking it apart.
Seeing Ye Chu sent flying again, the Yao Kingdom soldiers and cultivators, who had briefly felt hope rising, turned pale once more. That Ye Chu could unleash such power at the Intent Transformation Realm astonished them, but it changed nothing.
The gap between Intent Transformation Realm and Innate Realm was like heaven and earth. There were plenty of peak Intent Transformation cultivators throughout Yao Kingdom, yet only four Innate Realm experts in the entire country. That was the difference!
“Your Majesty! You must leave first!” A squad of soldiers knelt before the Yao king, begging him to go.
“Father! Please leave. As long as you are alive, Yao Kingdom still has hope.”
“Your Majesty, do not hesitate. While there is still a chance, go!”
“…”
The people of Yao City cried and shouted, pleading for the king to leave first. Ye Chu could hold the opponent for a moment, but not forever. Sooner or later, Sha Tianyun would finish him, and by then it would be too late to escape.
The Yao king looked at Ye Chu and Marquis Weiyuan, his expression complex. He too had never expected these two to be the ones who stepped forward. One was the scoundrel cursed by everyone in Yao City. Even in the palace, he had heard endless tales of Ye Chu’s disgrace.
The other was the old marquis who had once achieved glorious military feats for him, yet whom he had sidelined to a quiet retirement. Back when Ye Chu had attempted to harm Ji Die of the Ye family from the empire, angering the Ye family, Marquis Weiyuan had been forced to expel Ye Chu from the household. At that time, as king of Yao Kingdom, he had feared offending the empire’s Ye family and gradually distanced himself from Marquis Weiyuan, eventually leaving him to idle at home.
Yet in Yao Kingdom’s hour of crisis, it was these two who stood up. The king felt a surge of shame. Looking at the soldiers kneeling before him, he roared angrily, “There is only a Yao king who dies in battle, never a Yao king who becomes a dog of a fallen nation!”
“Your Majesty!” The soldiers cried out.
“No more words! My decision is final!” The king knew clearly that even if he escaped, what then? The palace had been breached, the imperial seal stolen. The blow to Yao Kingdom would be devastating. Sha Kingdom could press their advantage and conquer the country entirely. Besides, could he even escape? They had come specifically for him, to capture him and use him to threaten Yao Kingdom. They would never let him get away.
In that case, perhaps dying in battle was the only sliver of hope left. The grief and indignation it would stir among the people of Yao Kingdom might ignite their fighting spirit and hold back Sha Kingdom’s assault.
“Crack!”
After several consecutive strikes from the mace, the log in Ye Chu’s hand finally shattered. Wood splinters exploded outward, some sharp fragments piercing into nearby soldiers’ flesh, forcing them to retreat.
“The log is broken. What else do you have to block me now?” Sha Tianyun laughed wildly, swinging his mace horizontally towards Ye Chu.
At this moment, Ye Chu was forced back, his arms trembling violently. The veins on his arms bulged visibly.
“Being able to block me for a few moves is already enough for you to take pride in. Among the younger generation of Sha and Yao Kingdoms, no one can compare to you. But today, you will die!” Sha Tianyun roared, pursuing Ye Chu with his mace.
Watching this scene, everyone could not help sighing. Hope had faded completely. The guard captain shouted, “Swear to defend the palace to the death! Form ranks and protect His Majesty!”
Su Rong clenched her fists tightly, her face pale. Looking at the young man fighting an Innate Realm expert in the arena, her eyes turned red.
“We all misjudged him! He really is a man with true courage and honour!” Tears streamed from Zhang Su’er’s eyes. Sha Tianyun’s mace was about to catch up to Ye Chu. Once it landed on him, could he possibly survive?
“Ye Chu!” Seeing the mace about to smash into Ye Chu, Su Rong could not help crying out in alarm.
But Ye Chu seemed deaf to her shout. His body twisted sharply, narrowly dodging the strike. He lashed out with a fierce kick towards Sha Tianyun’s wrist.
“There’s nothing scary about the Innate Realm. I have no weapon! Are you still going to rely on yours?”
His voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly through the space. Seeing Sha Tianyun actually discard his mace to avoid the kick and retreat, everyone exchanged stunned glances, shock written across their faces.
Sha Tianyun had not expected to be forced into abandoning his weapon. His expression turned ugly. He stared fixedly at Ye Chu without wasting words and swung a fist outward.
“I can still deal with you without a weapon! Within ten moves, you will die!”