"Ye Zhen, if you know what's good for you, you'd better release Jieyou. Otherwise, at a single command from this old man, I'll have you crushed, flesh and bone alike!" Earl Xitian slowly stepped forward, the spiritual energy aura around him rising wave after wave. In the blink of an eye, his aura had soared to the peak of the ninth level of the Dao Entry Realm.
A near-tangible pressure poured down upon Ye Zhen like a mountain.
"Release her? Do you take me for a fool?" A trace of madness flashed across Ye Zhen's lips. Surrounded by so many mid- and late-stage Dao Entry Realm experts, with an army of tens of thousands hemming him in from every direction—without Princess Jieyou as a shield, wouldn't he be courting death?
"Courting death!"
The two words burst from Earl Xitian's lips. His shoulder merely swayed, and he flashed into existence before Ye Zhen. A palm came crashing down toward Ye Zhen's head.
Spiritual power as immense as a mountain pressed down, making the air in every direction crackle and explode!
Without question, if this palm strike landed solidly, even with his Mid-grade Soul Armor protecting him, Ye Zhen would not escape unscathed. If he did not die, he would at least be grievously wounded!
From the instant the upheaval began, Ye Zhen had already entered the state of Clear Heart Sword Intent. Even though Earl Xitian had practically flashed before him, Ye Zhen sensed it at once.
A ferocious grin surfaced on Ye Zhen's face. Without hesitation, he raised Princess Jieyou, whom he had pinned in his grasp, and used her to meet Earl Xitian's palm strike.
To Ye Zhen's surprise, Earl Xitian did not withdraw his palm. The palm imprint came straight down toward Princess Jieyou's head.
In the instant