Settling Scores Before Leaving the City, a Blow to the "Master"

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

There was only a dull, distant hum that seemed to echo from the dawn of time.

A golden beam of light, as thick as a dinner plate and so dense it was nearly tangible, roared out from the cannon barrel between his palms!

Time seemed to slow to a crawl at this very moment.

That beam of light was not a fleeting flash.

It was a continuous torrent of energy, possessing an irresistible, driving force!

Silently and brutally, it tore through the air ahead.

It swept across the courtyard.

The beam showed no sign of slowing, slamming ferociously into the wall at the far end of the small yard.

The wall, constructed of brick and mortar, appeared as if wiped away by an invisible eraser, leaving behind a massive, perfectly smooth circular gap.

The beam pierced through the wall and shot into the long-abandoned complex of buildings behind it.

BOOM!

Only then did the delayed, thunderous roar finally arrive!

The dilapidated, abandoned building was pierced through the center by the beam, and the violent energy erupted within, blasting it into a pile of ruins!

Dust and smoke billowed into the sky.

The golden beam, dozens of meters long, finally exhausted its energy after destroying everything in its path, slowly dissipating into the night sky.

"Haa... haa..."

Ye Feng knelt on one knee, gasping heavily, his clothes soaked through with sweat.

An intense sense of exhaustion surged from every limb and bone.

He could clearly feel that the once-full vortex of soul power within his body was now more than half empty.

A single strike had drained over half of his soul power!

He raised his head, looking at the ruins leveled in the distance and the circular tunnel with mirror-smooth edges that had pierced through the wall, his entire being plunged into immense shock.

This power...

Damn it... it had completely exceeded his expectations.

This was absolutely power comparable to the second soul skill of a Power Attack System Soul Grand Master.

In terms of pure penetration and destructive force, it was perhaps even greater!

This was the trump card he had spent two whole years creating!

Unless absolutely necessary, it must never be used lightly.

Because once unleashed, he would find himself in the dangerous position of having his soul power depleted.

Ye Feng gripped his knees and slowly stood up, feeling the flow of soul power within his body.

Over these past two years, although he had poured ninety-nine percent of his energy into his Self-Created Soul Skill, his daily meditation had never been interrupted.

His soul power had now reached level seventeen!

Level seventeen, combined with this trump card "Baptism of Holy Light," his External Soul Bone, and his increasingly proficient "Light-Gathering Blade."

Now, he finally had some capital to protect himself in this cruel world.

It was time to leave Nuoding City, this beginner village.

It was time to head to a real Intermediate Soul Master Academy and see the wider world.

However...

Before leaving, there was one small matter that had to be taken care of.

In Ye Feng's mind, a nauseating, rigid face appeared.

Yu Xiaogang.

If it were before, he might still have been wary of that theoretical failure.

But now!

Heh.

Ye Feng chuckled, the dullness and oppression of his two years of seclusion seemingly unraveling in that single laugh.

It was time to present this "Grandmaster" with a graduation gift.

This time, it wouldn't be a battle of wits.

It would be a battle of fists.

He turned and returned to the dilapidated hut, packing the booklet for Introduction to Heart Separation Control along with some dry rations and belongings.

After finishing all this, he walked out of the small courtyard where he had stayed for two years.

With a creak, the worn-out wooden door was pulled shut behind him.

The sunlight on the street was somewhat blinding.

Having not properly seen the outside world for two years, walking on the street now, he felt a sense of ease in his heart like never before.

He felt as if he had almost become disconnected from this world.

The surrounding neighbors saw him, but merely glanced at him indifferently before going back to their own business.

As for this mysterious neighbor who had frequently created all sorts of loud noises over the past two years, they had long since moved from initial terror to numbness and habit.

As long as he didn't tear the house down on top of them, who cared?

Ye Feng walked straight toward the most bustling commercial street in the city.

His goal was clear.

A grocery store.

"Boss, give me a black cloak, one that can cover my entire body."

"And the thickest face mask you have."

He hadn't forgotten that Yu Xiaogang's bizarre martial soul, Luo Sanpao, was a thing that could fart.

Although he didn't know how powerful it was, it might actually be able to knock someone out with the stench.

Both physical and chemical defenses had to be fully prepared.

After paying, Ye Feng carried his items and, instead of returning to his small courtyard, slipped directly into an empty alleyway.

In a few quick motions, he changed into his newly purchased gear.

A wide black robe completely enveloped his figure, and he pulled the hood down, revealing only his eyes.

With the thick mask on his face, even his own mother wouldn't be able to recognize him.

Very good.

Next, it was time to find the perfect hunting ground.

Yu Xiaogang was a man who was conceited and rigid, with a terrifyingly regular routine.

Every afternoon, he would set out from Nuoding Academy on time, following a fixed route to a teahouse in the city to drink tea, under the guise of "seeking theoretical inspiration."

What Ye Feng needed to find was the most suitable place to strike along this route.

Like a ghost, he wove through the shadows of Nuoding City.

Finally, he selected the corner of a three-way intersection.

There was significant foot traffic here, but there happened to be a dead-end alley filled with debris nearby, making it an excellent place for hiding and launching a surprise attack.

So what if he struck on the street?

He would be leaving Nuoding City as soon as he was done; who would know who did it?

What's more, he was launching a sneak attack.

Ye Feng hid in the shadows of the alley, his body leaning against the cold wall, blending completely into the darkness.

He waited quietly, like the most patient of hunters.

Imagining Yu Xiaogang beaten black and blue, crying for his father and mother, filled him with a sense of joy.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Finally, a familiar and detestable figure appeared at the end of the street.

Yu Xiaogang.

He was still in that same unchanging attire, hands behind his back, chin slightly raised, surveying the pedestrians with a compassionate air as if he were inspecting his own territory.

Ye Feng's heartbeat did not accelerate in the slightest.

It was as calm as an ancient well.

He watched Yu Xiaogang walk closer step by step: twenty meters, ten meters, five meters...

Now!

The moment Yu Xiaogang was about to pass the alley entrance, Ye Feng moved!

He did not release his martial soul, nor was there any fluctuation of soul power.

He was like a leopard pouncing from the darkness, swift and silent!

With one step, his body had already surged to Yu Xiaogang's side.

Yu Xiaogang seemed to sense something and was just about to turn his head.

However, it was already too late.

An iron fist wrapped in the black robe, infused with Ye Feng's level seventeen soul power, struck without any flair, slamming fiercely into Yu Xiaogang's temple!

Bang!

A dull thud echoed.

Yu Xiaogang was completely stunned by this punch.

His mind went blank, the world spun, and his ears were filled with a buzzing roar; he didn't even manage to see who had hit him.