Step Down-Let Me Handle This!

"Sir, save us!"

Seeing the Soul-Reaping Sword strike relentlessly, each blow deadly enough to pierce them with ten thousand arrows, they had no time left for further explanations and let out one final roar of anger.

"Why? Why has it turned out like this?"

Wherever the sword-light reached, everything melted away. It began with their lower bodies, then spread upward to their torsos, and finally their heads vanished completely.

Even at this moment, the reinforcements they had called for had yet to appear. What else could this be but their tragedy? This was the fate of cannon-fodder ants.

"Where are they? It seems you only care about yourself. Your men risked their lives for you—wasn't it so you would save them? You were right there, yet you refused to help. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Ye Yang seemed to be talking to himself, but in truth, he was speaking for someone to hear. He understood that the mantis stalked the cicada while the oriole lurked behind—such dramas happened every moment.

One moment, someone had been plotting to take his head; the next, someone else had swallowed that person whole, without leaving even the dregs.

To achieve their goals, they could resort to any means. To complete their missions, they could cast aside benevolence, justice, and morality entirely.

"As expected, you're ruthless enough. You still won't show yourself at this point. Looks like I'll have to force you out."

Ye Yang raised his head and looked toward a certain direction. Without the slightest hesitation, he picked up a tiny leaf and shot it toward that direction.

The leaf looked frail and the branch inconspicuous, but in his hands, they displayed supreme might comparable to divine weapons.

"Keep pretending. Let's see how long you can keep it up. I'll force you out even if I have to. Are you planning to hide like a rat in the darkness forever?"

Ye Yang appeared to send out his concealed weapon casually, but in truth, he had sealed off the opponent's void in order to force him out.

The leaf left a long trail through the air. It boomed along the way, seeming to burn as it locked onto a certain region of space.

"Step down, let me handle this!"

The voice rang out at precisely this moment—neither earlier nor later.

"By the time you got here, the food would already be cold. Did you come here just to make a joke of yourself?"

He did not stop. As a result, all his subordinates were wiped out, taken down by Ye Yang in a single move.

"Boy, you've gone too far. Why must you press me so relentlessly? I didn't deliberately make things difficult for you; this is simply how things are. Your edge is too conspicuous, and such an edge is bound to snap. Listen to my advice and stop here. I can pretend nothing happened. Otherwise, be careful not to lose your life."

A portal suddenly appeared at a certain spatial node. A door opened directly, and a white-robed man emerged.

"Mystic Hand of Emptiness, Gate of Myriad Wonders. I never expected this person to possess such profound mastery of spatial techniques."

Those who understood could see the hidden workings, while outsiders only watched the spectacle. At this moment, Ye Yang saw through the man's foundation at a glance.

"Young people shouldn't be so hot-blooded. Whatever the matter, we can discuss it properly. Why resort to fighting?"

"What if you crush the flowers and grass? And what if you knock down an old man on the road? Can't you spare a thought for others?"

The instant he appeared, space and time itself seemed to freeze. Ye Yang's attack was perfectly neutralized by him.

With a bang, he used the wondrous technique of redirecting a force of four ounces to deflect it toward the huge rock behind him.

With another boom, the result was already determined without him turning his head or even looking back. The rocky mountain behind him shattered apart.

It had been completely intact only moments earlier, yet it instantly became a cloud of powder. This showed how tremendous the energy hidden within that tiny concealed weapon was; its destructive power and lethality were equally astonishing.

"Boy, you've made me search high and low. I never expected us to meet here under such circumstances."

Before one wave had settled, another rose. He had thought the person in front could deal with this thorn, but the supposed poison had not affected the other party at all, forcing him to grow suspicious.

With a wave of his hand, the entire world seemed to freeze. The two men arrived in a special place.

Though they appeared to be within arm's reach, they were actually separated by the ends of the earth. The two stared at each other like statues, leaving everyone else bewildered.

A cold smile curled across the white-robed man's lips. A faint chill circled his body, like the first frost of winter, making people shiver with dread.

"As expected, it's you. I thought you were an ordinary person, but you were playing the pig to eat the tiger. No wonder my men fell for your trick and paid with their lives."

He slowly raised one hand, palm facing upward, then waved it lightly. Ripples seemed to spread through the air, and an invisible pressure descended around Ye Yang.

"Boy, considering how difficult your cultivation has been, I won't make things difficult for you. Surrender on your own, and I may spare your life. If I'm in a good mood, I might even leave you a complete corpse!" His gaze was cold as a blade, though a trace of regret surfaced unconsciously.

Only now did he reveal his true purpose: to make Ye Yang submit, complete his mission, and become his puppet, refined through special means into a powerful accomplice.

"Boy, stop resisting. Stop hesitating. You're no match for me. Don't make any more futile struggles."

One step, then another—he took nine steps in succession, each stronger than the last. At this moment, an invisible pressure surged toward Ye Yang like a tidal wave.

"Interesting. With my cultivation, making you kneel should be simple. Could it be that you aren't an ordinary Martial Apprentice, but have hidden your true cultivation?"

Ye Yang felt the air around him grow heavier and heavier, making even breathing difficult. It was as if two mountains had been placed on his shoulders, leaving him unable to catch his breath.

"Enough nonsense. I'd rather die standing than live on my knees. Do you think I'm afraid of you? If you want to fight, then fight. Don't waste your breath."

His gaze was unwavering, without the slightest hint of retreat. Cultivation was like sailing against the current—if one did not advance, one fell back.

This was the moment that tested him. He could abandon neither this opportunity nor the possibility of growing stronger.

"Come on, let's hurt each other! Let's see whether you're a lean camel still bigger than a horse, or whether youth triumphs and leaves you helpless."

Ye Yang clenched both fists. True Qi surged within him, as if flames were burning in his chest, and the Primordial Chaos Creation Art began to circulate frantically.

Crack!

A special restriction within his body loosened directly under the immense pressure.

"Not good. Am I about to break through right now? How could this be?"

Ye Yang immediately checked, only to find that it was nothing more than a minor misunderstanding!

A towering building rises from level ground. Only by laying a solid foundation could he better comprehend the power of the Supreme Realm. He swore to contend with this arrogant powerhouse.

"Hahaha, since that's the case, I won't hold back!"

Ye Yang knew very clearly that this was merely a delaying tactic. In their invisible clash, his opponent had already unleashed a deadly technique.

That exchange had only been a simple collision. The real show was still to come, and the battle between the two was about to begin.

"Boy, I already stand in an invincible position. What will you use to fight me? What will you use to contend with me? Haven't you recognized reality yet?"

The Gate of Myriad Wonders was a profound spatial technique. Under his control, it allowed him to hide perfectly in any space, leaving his enemy helpless. This was his trump card, and one of his killing moves as well.

"Enough nonsense. Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. Those little tricks of yours are useless in front of me. Show me some real strength."

The two exchanged blows again. In that short span of time, the attacks were perfectly evaded by his Gate of Myriad Wonders, though several nearly wounded Ye Yang.

Once or twice, he might not believe it—but surely after three or four times, he would find a flaw and launch a fatal attack.

"Boy, it's over."

At this moment, Ye Yang's eyelids began twitching violently, because he knew his opponent had started fighting in earnest.

"Come on. Who's afraid of whom? I've been waiting for this for a long time. I was only afraid you wouldn't make a move."

After briefly adapting, Ye Yang immediately reacted. Without the slightest trace of nervousness, he instead wore an eager expression, charged straight into adversity, and soared into the sky.