All-Out Effort

Wasn't he coming out now because he was afraid these horse bandits would set their sights on his sister?

He had just learned the character of these horse bandits inside and out from Second Master Yang and Fourth Master Yang. If his sister fought these people, wouldn't that be like a wolf entering a tiger's den? If he truly let his sister suffer humiliation for his sake, then what meaning was there in his rebirth here?

Yang Jinhe said in a deep voice, "Second Elder, Fourth Elder, how did you let Yang Chen get over here?"

What were those two doing? Did they not know how important Yang Chen was to the Yang family now? These horse bandits had just demanded Yang Chen by name, yet they had failed to keep watch over him and allowed him to appear here!

"Patriarch, it was our dereliction of duty!" Fourth Master and Second Master sighed bitterly without end.

Third Master carefully sized Yang Chen up, and a hint of a smile appeared on his sinister face. "You are Yang Chen?"

"That's right, it's me." Yang Chen remained composed and unruffled. "Since Third Master wants me to have a match with Xu Hu, how could Yang Chen spoil someone else's interest? Since Third Master says we should compete, then let us compete."

"Bao, y-you... what are you doing?" Yang Caidie was so anxious that her eyes had turned bloodshot.

"Big Sister, step back first," Yang Chen instructed.

"Me?" Yang Caidie was stunned.

"Step back!" Yang Chen shouted sternly.

Yang Caidie was startled by Yang Chen's imposing presence. Her delicate body trembled slightly as she said at a loss, "O-oh..."

Yang Chen had always listened to her. Today, Yang Chen had suddenly become forceful for once, and it felt strange to her. Her body actually took a step back beyond her control. By the time she came to her senses and wanted to step forward to stop Yang Chen, he was already an arrow on the string, forced to fly.

Third Master gave Yang Chen a long look. "Good, good, good. To possess such bearing at such a young age is truly rare."

He praised him on the surface, but murderous intent had already risen in his heart.

Yang Chen could remain calm and unruffled even under his imposing presence. If this child were given time to develop, who knew what heights he might reach someday? That day would not be far off. Third Master would never permit anyone capable of threatening the gang to emerge.

Seeing Yang Chen appear, Yang Jinhe knew the situation was no longer within his control. Frowning, he said, "Yang Chen, how confident are you against Xu Hu?"

"I'm not too sure either." Yang Chen gave a bitter smile.

He knew where his weakness lay now.

He lacked actual combat experience far too much.

He was confident that he could suppress Xu Hu with martial skills, but in terms of combat experience, Yang Chen knew he would certainly be at a disadvantage. Thus, it was difficult for him to predict the outcome.

Yang Jinhe took a deep breath. "Yang Chen, you must be careful when facing Xu Hu. If you truly find an opportunity, do not hold back."

Though he said that aloud, his heart was filled with sorrow.

Xu Hu was at the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level.

What about Yang Chen? He was only at the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level Peak.

Though the difference seemed slight, it was actually the difference of a watershed.

Coupled with the difference in experience, did Yang Chen truly not know how little chance he had of winning? Saying this was merely clinging to a few scraps of hope.

But what else could he do? If Yang Chen had not appeared, he refused to believe that Third Master could truly press him step by step into handing Yang Chen over today. But now that Yang Chen had appeared, it was impossible for him to send Yang Chen back.

"Patriarch, I will." Yang Chen agreed, then his gaze turned cold as he fixed his eyes on Xu Hu.

Xu Hu curled his lips into a smile and studied Yang Chen closely, as though he had spotted an interesting prey.

Third Master's lips moved as he quietly told Xu Hu, "Go. If possible, kill the boy. If not, cripple him."

"Rest assured, Third Master." Xu Hu twisted his neck and walked toward the open center of the battlefield.

"Miss, y-young Master... can he win?" Gu Mingyue's lovely face had long since turned pale from the miserable sight of Yang Wu earlier. Fearing that her young master would end up the same way, she could not help asking Yang Caidie.

Yang Caidie clenched her delicate fists, her pearly teeth biting her lip. For the first time, she felt that many things had already gone far beyond the limits of her ability.

After their parents passed away, she had sworn that even if she died, she would protect her little brother well and never let him suffer the slightest grievance.

Yet at this moment, she could only stand weakly in the back and watch her little brother fight someone with his life on the line.

Yes, wasn't fighting Xu Hu a fight to the death?

Had her little brother ever killed anyone?

Yet Xu Hu undoubtedly had countless lives on his hands. How could her little brother be fighting a person? He was clearly confronting a vicious beast.

"Caidie, your brother, he..."

"Caidie."

Yang Caidie said nothing, her eyes red. But she had already made up her mind. Whoever dared hurt her little brother and leave their branch without descendants, she would make them pay with their life. Once Yang Chen died, their branch would be completely without an heir anyway. What damn meaning would there be in whether she lived or died?

"Begin!" Yang Jinhe suddenly shouted.

Xu Hu was extremely experienced. The instant Yang Jinhe's words fell, he moved.

Xu Hu chose his timing with extreme precision. If it were anyone else, they would have found it difficult to react.

But Yang Wu had already suffered once from this very move. How could Yang Chen let the other side gain the advantage again?

How could the same trick succeed twice in a row?

The moment Xu Hu attacked, he displayed the strength of the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level. His arm strength was immensely formidable. Accompanied by whistling fist wind, he threw a probing punch at Yang Chen.

Bang!

Yang Chen was no weaker. Displaying the power of the Ba Yun Fist, he bent his elbow and collided his fist with Xu Hu's.

The clash of their fists sent sand and dirt flying from the ground. Yet when Yang Chen and Xu Hu's fists collided, Yang Chen suffered not the slightest injury. On the contrary, he even checked Xu Hu's following barrage of attacks. From their very first exchange, Yang Chen had demonstrated strength evenly matched with Xu Hu's.

Such strength truly shocked everyone present.

What did evenly matched mean?

"Body Refining Realm Fifth Level!"

"Yang Chen is also at the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level!"

"Who would have thought!"

No one could have imagined it.

During the initial assessment, the strength Yang Chen displayed had only been at the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level Peak.

Who could have thought that Yang Chen had actually entered the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level?

That was right. In their exchange just now, if Yang Chen had not reached the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level, it would have been difficult for him to confront Xu Hu head-on without falling behind. Everyone had seen the collision clearly. Yang Chen had not retreated in the slightest, making it obvious that his martial cultivation had in fact reached the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level as well.

The entire scene was shaken.

Not only Third Master, but even Yang Jinhe was stunned.