But she looked even more gaunt and withered.
Yi Chen sighed and shook his head. "The people of your clan are a little too weak. They can't even withstand my attacks. Well, I'm leaving. You'd better not come looking for trouble with me. Otherwise, you can just wait for death."
With a wave of his hand, Yi Chen became a swirl of lingering wind, swept thousands of yards away in an instant, and passed effortlessly over the wall before vanishing into the distance. He left behind two dumbstruck girls and a crowd of guards, maids, and others who had witnessed the scene.
Once he reached the outside, the incredibly fast figure from earlier immediately came charging at him!
Yi Chen swayed slightly, dodging the man's punch. Then his own punches rained down like a storm.
Both figures grunted and staggered backward. Yi Chen's punches were vicious; every impact shattered their robust soul power.
Moreover, Yi Chen seemed far stronger than they were. Every punch shook the two men so badly that they nearly spat blood.
A young man of about thirty let out a low roar. A phantom of a ferocious wolf's head appeared behind him, and his claws swept up four streaks of cold light aimed straight at Yi Chen's head, only for Yi Chen to knock them aside with an elbow strike.
Yi Chen's hands twisted through several motions and seized the young man's shoulder blades. He wrenched hard, and with a crack, the man's right arm snapped. An immense force surged through his entire body, sending unbearable pain through his internal organs. He screamed as he fell to the ground and passed out.
Yi Chen's movements were uncanny and unpredictable. Every punch struck precisely at some part of the young man's body, either breaking his sinews and bones or shattering his meridians. In just three seconds, Yi Chen had crippled the young man's cultivation.
Yi Chen clapped his hands in satisfaction and muttered, "These young fellows, honestly, how pitiful... Their physiques aren't bad. I don't know what sort of martial arts gave them bodies like these, but I like them."
Then Yi Chen whistled loudly toward the sky, and people immediately came bounding out of the darkness.
Nine fully armed, burly men rushed over. One of them shouted, "Sir, please give us an explanation."
Yi Chen shrugged. "There's nothing to explain. I simply didn't like the look of those two. Hmm, perhaps they were jealous of my handsome, dashing looks."
The nine burly men exchanged glances and slowly approached Yi Chen.
Yi Chen narrowed his eyes. Golden light flickered rapidly within them, like two brilliant stars, as though they could unleash hundreds of millions of dazzling rays at any moment.
Yi Chen swiftly examined the nine burly men before him, carefully analyzing the structure of their bodies and determining whether they possessed soul power or any formidable secret arts.
Yi Chen calculated how he should deal with them once the fighting began.
Meanwhile, the nine burly men had already assumed their stances. Streams of yellow soul power condensed into an almost solid radiance that swirled around them.
Yi Chen drew a deep breath and threw a punch, sending a streak of purple light blasting toward the burly man directly ahead of him.
The power of that punch was extraordinary. The instant the purple light touched the man's protective aura, he felt a wave of weakness and exhaustion wash over him. An immense force destroyed his barrier outright and struck his cheek, making smoke spurt from his nostrils as a mouthful of bloody froth and teeth sprayed into the air.
The nine burly men roared in unison. The muscles in their bodies and limbs tightened, becoming as hard as steel bars. Nine
men stamped the ground simultaneously. The earth creaked, and countless cracks spread from beneath their feet. Their bodies swelled, and they became a blur of shadows as they lunged at Yi Chen.
Yi Chen stood where he was with effortless composure. He stepped half a pace forward with his left foot, deftly intercepted all their attacks, and seized the opportunity to counter. In a handful of blows, he knocked them all to the ground, unconscious and bleeding from every orifice.
With cold indifference, Yi Chen reined in his aura, lightly leaped down from the courtyard wall, and turned to leave.
He did not even disturb the two girls, merely leaving behind a crystal before he departed.
The two girls stared blankly at Yi Chen's retreating figure. Unable to help themselves, they sank to their knees, clutched their heads, and began to sob.
They could clearly feel their clan's decline. They could clearly sense that their clansmen were growing ever more scattered, ever fewer.
Before they knew it, two streams of hot tears were rolling down their cheeks.
Yi Chen gently stroked a string of cool jade beads around his wrist and chuckled. "Tell me, how are you going to compensate me?"
The patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan hesitated for a moment, then said through gritted teeth, "How much money do you want? I'll pay."
Yi Chen shook his head and said gravely, "Wealth is merely something outside oneself, wouldn't you agree?"
The patriarch furrowed his brow and racked his brains. Suddenly, he stamped his foot and said, "Then what do you require?"
Yi Chen smiled. "Hmm, let me put it this way. I want a contract-a permanent alliance agreement. Do you understand?"
The patriarch froze, then asked in confusion, "Who are you? Why would you seek out our clan to sign a contract?"
Yi Chen lightly flicked the thumb ring on his left hand and said ominously, "I am not merely your friend. I could also be your enemy."
The patriarch's heart trembled violently. Then a strange smile slowly appeared at the corners of his mouth. Nodding and bowing respectfully, he asked, "Yes, honored guest. What must I do?"
Yi Chen took out a thick notebook, casually turned a page, and handed it to the patriarch with a grin. "Here, this is the contract. I want you to help me gather all the materials."
The patriarch took the contract and glanced through it, then cried out, "Oh, this is... I understand."
The patriarch rapidly read through the contract's clauses, then signed his name as quickly as possible in accordance with its various provisions.
The contract was made in duplicate. He kept one copy, while Yi Chen tucked the other into his sleeve.
Yi Chen checked the time, then nodded with a chuckle. "Well, I'll take my leave. I hope you can complete the task I've assigned you soon."
Yi Chen drifted away, leaving the two terrified girls sitting in the courtyard in a daze.
Only after a long while did the slightly younger girl shriek, "Who exactly is he? Why is he so powerful? He actually dared to hurt Father and even made them sign an unfair contract!"
The other, more composed girl shook her head and sighed. "Forget it. Let's go back. I'll report this to Great-Grandmother."
She took the shrill girl's hand and dashed away. Light and agile, the two swiftly climbed the courtyard wall like monkeys, then vanished into the night.
Yi Chen left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's estate at a leisurely pace and wandered aimlessly through the city.