After leaving Ye Manor, Ye Jing made no effort to conceal his aura. He raced through the air, finally catching up with Li Yiting and the others.
After sensing the location of the Sword Talisman, Ye Jing felt a little relieved.
Although he couldn't see Qiuyue anywhere, he could sense that the Sword Talisman wasn't far away. As long as he dealt with the man before him, he could take Qiuyue away.
Ye Jing looked at Li Yiting, his eyes brimming with killing intent, as if he were looking at a corpse.
"I am Li Yiting of the Taixu Li Clan. May I ask which Ancient Clan you belong to?"
"Who are you, exactly? I have no quarrel with you. Are you really set on offending the Taixu Li Clan?"
Feeling the terrifying aura pouring from Ye Jing, Li Yiting's eyes filled with wariness. Seeing how young he looked, Li Yiting mistook him for an unparalleled prodigy hidden away by some Ancient Clan. So he declared his origins, hoping the young prodigy before him would back down.
The Taixu Li Clan wasn't one of the Eastern Continent's top Ancient Clans, but it was still a household name. Unless they belonged to one of the truly top Ancient Clans, who among the other clans' disciples wouldn't show them some respect?
"The Taixu Li Clan? Never heard of it."
"You took Qiuyue away. That alone has sealed your fate."
"A mere dying body dares to ask for my honored name?"
Ye Jing's voice held not a trace of emotion. His gaze was full of disdain as he circulated his Mystic Art, locking his aura firmly onto Li Yiting.
Noticing the disdain in Ye Jing's eyes, Li Yiting flew into a rage.
From childhood, Li Yiting's reputation as a prodigy had spread throughout the Ancient Clans of the Eastern Continent. After coming of age, he had fought his way through them all, rarely meeting an equal.
Among the disciples of the Eastern Continent's Ancient Clans, how many didn't fear his name? How many didn't tremble? How many dared oppose him?
The man before him might be an unparalleled prodigy hidden by an Ancient Clan, but he couldn't possibly have never heard of Li Yiting.
Yet even after Li Yiting had declared his identity, this prodigy still looked at him with disdain. The humiliation was unbearable.
Just now, he had only wanted to avoid complications and settle things peacefully. But now that the man before him had shown hostility, Li Yiting had no choice but to capture him.
"Outrageous! You dare insult me like this? I'll capture and kill you!"
Li Yiting roared. He no longer held back the aura of a Great Grandmaster; it surged out of him in torrents. His palms became Eagle Claws, a faint antique gold sheen flowing across them.
He bounded through the air, covering the distance in a few leaps before reaching the top of Ye Jing's head. One claw came down, aiming to crush Ye Jing's skull.
Ye Jing's gaze narrowed, and a trace of surprise crossed his face. What kind of power did this Ancient Clan possess, to raise a Great Grandmaster so young? Li Yiting's aura was every bit as strong as Jian Xuzi's from the Sword Sect.
Jian Xuzi was an extraordinary Sword Dao genius, a once-in-an-era talent. His aptitude was unmatched in present-day Dali, and hardly anyone in the entire realm could compare.
Yet Jian Xuzi had spent a full century cultivating to the peak of the Great Grandmaster realm.
The man before him had only just entered the Great Grandmaster realm, and was barely twenty. In terms of talent, he even surpassed Ling Xuzi by several degrees.
The Eagle Claw was already above Ye Jing's head, barely three zhang away. Its overwhelming force bore down on him, yet Ye Jing remained completely calm.
An even more terrifying aura burst from Ye Jing's body. A dazzling curtain of light formed around him, within a one-zhang radius.
Which Ancient Clan of the Eastern Continent had hidden away such a terrifying prodigy?
Seeing the aura Ye Jing unleashed, Li Yiting was aghast. But when he saw Ye Jing making no real effort to resist, a cold sneer rose in his heart.
So arrogant. Does he think a mere aura can intimidate me?
A hint of joy crossed Li Yiting's face. But as he passed through the dazzling curtain of light, his expression suddenly changed.
His body seemed to be tugged by some invisible force. Every movement had grown sluggish.
And the closer he got to this prodigy, the more sluggish he became.
Daoist patterns flowed in Ye Jing's eyes as a tangible strand of Innate Sword Qi took shape at his fingertip.
Now that he was a Great Grandmaster, his Time Domain had reached perfection. Within it, he could control time. The effect was limited—not even more than a few seconds—but in a battle between Great Grandmasters, that brief span was enough to decide victory or defeat.
In Ye Jing's eyes, the young prodigy of the Taixu Li Clan was moving at a crawl. Ye Jing easily saw through his weaknesses.
He flicked the Innate Sword Qi from his fingertip, sending it slashing toward Li Yiting.
Facing the Innate Sword Qi, which carried such overwhelming force, Li Yiting's eyes filled with caution. He frantically circulated his Mystic Art to defend himself.
But the Mystic Art that usually flowed smoothly now seemed to falter.
By the time he completed its circulation, the Innate Sword Qi had already reached him. Unable to raise his defenses in time, Li Yiting could only use his body to withstand the strike.
"BOOM!!!!"
A tremendous wave of sword energy swept outward, instantly shattering the boulders nearby. Then, with a deafening crash, a figure flew backward and slammed hard into the trunk of a giant tree.
Li Yiting spat blood. The fierce Innate Sword Qi had torn his internal organs to pieces. He was gravely wounded.
But Li Yiting paid no heed to his injuries. His gaze remained fixed on Ye Jing as he slowly descended from the sky, his eyes full of confusion.
Even now, he couldn't understand why the Mystic Art that usually flowed so smoothly had stalled for a moment.
If not for that, with his strength, he could have completely blocked even such powerful Innate Sword Qi. He wouldn't have been forced to take the strike with his body.
Could the prodigy before him really control the circulation of someone else's Mystic Art?
Impossible. It simply wasn't possible. How could such a strange and mysterious method exist in this world?
Li Yiting cast the absurd thought from his mind, convinced it was ridiculous.
As Ye Jing drew closer, his whole body radiating terrifying killing intent, Li Yiting finally lost his composure. "Y-you're going to kill me?"
"You and I are already locked in a fight to the death. In this situation, do you think you'll survive?"
Ye Jing hadn't expected the man from the Taixu Ancient Clan to be so naive. After a fight to the death like that, did the man still imagine that being an Ancient Clan disciple would save him?
Hearing the undisguised killing intent in Ye Jing's voice, Li Yiting panicked completely. "I'm the number-one prodigy of the Li Clan Ancient Clan! You may be a hidden prodigy of another Ancient Clan, but if you kill me, the entire Li Clan will never let you go."
"A hidden prodigy of an Ancient Clan? You think I'm a hidden prodigy of an Ancient Clan?"
"What? You're not from an Ancient Clan?"
When Ye Jing nodded, Li Yiting lost all control. He mumbled to himself, slipping into a frenzy.
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