"Eighth Elder, watch out." Elder Ye Wushuang of the Enforcement Hall noticed something was wrong at once.
Gale-force winds erupted. Although on the surface it looked like nothing more than a small Martial Apprentice, the power behind this punch had actually crossed several levels.
At his signal, the Eighth Elder, who specialized in refining the power of his physical body, appeared in time.
"Grand Elder, rest assured. Leave this trivial matter to me, but don't forget my benefits."
"Don't worry, no problem. As long as you get the job done, your benefits certainly won't be lacking. If you fail, you'll know what to do."
"What? Could it be that you have no confidence in me? I'm at the Martial Saint Realm and specialize in the path of physical cultivation. My body is powerful enough to rival a demonic beast's physique. What could a mere Martial Apprentice possibly do?"
He wanted to teach Ye Yang a lesson and demonstrate before the other elders that attaining sainthood through physical cultivation was no simple matter.
A thunderous boom rang out.
The two fists collided head-on.
Power surged through both their bodies, rampaging and wreaking havoc as it leaped wildly from place to place!
"How is this possible? Is this really the power of a punch thrown by a mere Martial Apprentice? How can it be so domineering?"
In merely an instant, he sensed that something was wrong. The stalemate they had maintained just moments ago broke apart, and he shot backward like an arrow loosed from a bow, retreating again and again.
"Eighth Brother, how is it?"
Seeing this, Ye Wushuang immediately grew worried. After all, he was one of his right-hand men, and naturally he did not want anything to happen to him.
"Second Brother, wait! Don't come over!"
His entire body remained bent like a bow, while the stone mountain behind him had already caved in.
"How was the taste of my punch? Can I represent the sect now and accept their challenge—or should I issue a Challenge Letter and challenge them myself?"
Ye Yang had remained silent until he stunned everyone with a single strike. That punch had merely been a warning. If he had wanted to knock him down, it would have been completely effortless.
"Good lad, you really have something! I never thought you'd hidden yourself so deeply. I was almost fooled by you." Ye Wudi had already guessed many possibilities, but not this one. He had been extremely worried just moments ago, only for this scene to deliver the other side a harsh lesson.
The outcome of that exchange had been instantly clear, yet they could not understand it. The two sides had moved far too quickly, and one careless moment had left him in this state. How was anyone supposed to make sense of it?
"Eighth Brother, how is your condition? Are you injured?"
Ye Wushuang wore a concerned expression, but in truth he had already cursed him from head to toe.
What a useless fool. He couldn't even handle such a small matter. The thought was practically written across his face.
"Second Brother, I'm fine. My back just got twisted by a gust of wind."
Even now, he was still trying to save face, stubbornly refusing to admit defeat. The people involved understood perfectly well that he was pretending not to know, but no one exposed him or said it aloud.
"That's right. I admit the wind was a little strong and twisted your back. Now that we've personally tested him, Ye Yang, you have this opportunity—and you have the qualifications."
With all eyes upon them, and with the Sect Master—his good elder brother Ye Wudi—present, no matter how unwilling he was, he could only set his prejudices aside for now.
Once the Challenge Letter was issued, the matter had already reached the point of no return. Thus, the single day ahead represented different opportunities for both sides.
"Kid, are you sure you want me to issue it directly?"
Everyone passed the Challenge Letter around and read it once. Its contents were extremely simple.
"Since that's the case, there's nothing more to confirm. Execute it!" Ye Wushuang and the others had wanted to use this opportunity to put on a splendid show, but Ye Yang's appearance had disrupted their plans by refusing to play along.
"Then I'll trouble the Grand Elder." Ye Yang remained utterly calm. That punch had been nothing more than a small test of strength to him.
"Let's go. Why are you still standing around here? Do you want to keep disgracing yourself?" Ye Wushuang, as the Grand Elder of Law Enforcement, could no longer stand what had happened at the beginning. If not for the restrictions surrounding the challenge, he would have attacked personally long ago. Why would he have waited until now?
"Withdraw!" Before leaving, he gave Ye Yang a deliberate glance, then vanished without a trace.
"What? Something like that happened?"
Good news stayed indoors, but bad news traveled a thousand miles. The clash from earlier had already spread throughout the entire sect, creating a huge stir. Everyone knew about it.
"You don't believe it?" one of them said flatly. He understood that true experts would not act recklessly but would remain utterly calm.
"That's right. It seems this matter has a deeper cause. I really wonder what that bastard Ye Wushuang is trying to do."
He had used his schemes and influence, engaged in intrigue, and formed cliques. The sect's elders had noticed it long ago, and the two old men before them were two of the sect's Second Ancestors.
"Never mind. I heard our sect has produced an extraordinary figure who's going to the Central Province Prodigy Arena to challenge Qin Hao, the Young Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect and first place on the Prodigy Ranking. Is that true?"
They encouraged everyone to prepare for battle with one another, of course under the condition that they stop after making their point. But the current situation was somewhat abnormal. A dignified elder had actually attacked a disciple at the Martial Apprentice level. What did that mean?
The two Old Ancestors had their own missions and responsibilities, guarding the forbidden grounds.
"Enough. There's no need to worry. Everyone has their own opportunities and plans. Why should we fret over it? Let's wait and see."
The two exchanged a knowing smile, seeing something different in each other's eyes—both memories of the past and anticipation of future glory.
"Good lad, you really are something. What domineering spirit! As expected of my son. What are you going to do next?" After everyone had left, only Ye Wudi and Ye Yang remained at the scene!
If not for the sake of the sect's unity, he would have acted long ago. But he needed an excuse, an opportunity, and, more importantly, solid evidence.
"Father, do you think those people will let me off? Just wait. Someone will come looking for trouble tonight. Once we capture him alive and interrogate him, won't we know everything?"
Ye Yang neither feared trouble nor went looking for it. But if those people kept pestering him, he would surely teach them a harsh lesson.
"All right. I believe in you. Get some rest early." Ye Wudi knew that teaching them a lesson was necessary, but he also knew they had to use the right method. Stirring up the grass and frightening the snake was not a wise move under the current circumstances.
"Kid, keep it up. Believe in yourself!" He gave him a brief encouragement before leaving the scene.
"Of course!" At that moment, Ye Yang gazed at the full moon outside the window, deep in thought.
"Quick, follow them!" In the darkness without sleep, a guest had arrived!
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