He could tell that the young man before him seemed to possess a bloodline nobler and more mysterious than his own-or perhaps he was simply no ordinary man.
A thunderous rumble rang out as three blue lightning arcs, each ten meters thick and entwined with thunder, came howling down from the mountaintop and struck Yi Chen hard in the back.
Yi Chen shrugged his shoulders, and the three blue lightning balls vanished like clay oxen sinking into the sea.
Yi Chen laughed mockingly and cursed, then flicked his hand, sending three more masses of crimson baleful energy gently crashing into three stone pillars jutting from the summit.
With an explosive crack, the three pillars burst apart, spraying countless tiny fragments of gravel far into the distance. Yi Chen strolled up to Abel and said with a smile, "Is anyone else in your Abel Family still alive? Hmm, your Abel Family is quite peculiar. Every one of you carries a powerful bloodline, yet you refuse to develop soul skills. Tsk, tsk. I really have no idea what you're thinking."
Seeing Abel's eyes dart wildly, Yi Chen felt a surge of viciousness rise in his heart. He thrust out his left leg and kicked Abel behind the knee.
Yi Chen stared coldly at Abel. "Tell me, why did you ambush the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? What exactly are you trying to do?"
Abel struggled to exhale a foul breath and groaned softly, "You'll never know... I'd rather let you kill me than tell you any secrets. You filthy bastard!"
A savage gleam flashed in Yi Chen's eyes. He drove a finger through Abel's forehead, and a wisp of black smoke rose slowly, which Yi Chen inhaled. Then he began to frown, as though pondering something.
A moment later, he said with a frown, "Just as I thought, they deliberately lured me here. In that case, I might as well give them a gift."
Abel trembled all over with pain, copious amounts of dark, clotted blood spilling from the corners of his mouth. He glared at Yi Chen through gritted teeth. "You... who exactly are you?"
Yi Chen drawled, "Hmm, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is... Yi Chen, known as Tongtian Douluo!"
Abel's eyes widened, and he asked hoarsely, "You... are that..."
Yi Chen nodded and said with a smile, "Do you know what I hate most? People prying into my private affairs."
Yi Chen grabbed him by the neck and hoisted him up like a dead dog, bringing him before his face. Looking down at him, he said in a low voice, "Whatever your intentions may be... you shouldn't have encroached on my interests... Hmm, I'm very interested in certain strange things. Hmm, especially the fates of certain religious charlatans. Hmm, do you understand?"
Abel began struggling desperately, but Yi Chen had bound him fast. Even with all his soul power, he could not move an inch. All he could do was twist his body with every ounce of strength, trying to escape Yi Chen's control.
"I... I, I can tell you... we, we..."
Yi Chen smiled in satisfaction. "Very good. I'll wait. I hope you give me an answer soon. Hmm, let's relieve your suffering first."
A Green Copper Ring on Yi Chen's wrist emitted a soft green glow that slowly enveloped Abel.
Abel cried out in utter terror, "No, no, you freak... you're a devil, you're a devil! Help, save me! I'm the finest heir of the Abel Family! You can't torture me!"
Abel shrieked hysterically, "Please, don't hurt me! Spare me!"
Yi Chen said with a sinister grin, "You don't deserve to live. My friends suffered insults at your hands."
Yi Chen pressed his right hand down lightly. With a sharp crack, Abel's chest caved in, his heart shattered to pieces.
His eyes widened in horror as he saw thick blood gushing from a huge hole in his chest. He opened his mouth, about to scream, but Yi Chen swept out his right foot and stamped hard on his head. With a dull thud, Abel's skull deformed.
Red and white fluids mixed with countless fragments of brain tissue sprayed over Yi Chen's face, while his body remained completely unharmed.
Yi Chen took several deep breaths, a coppery sweetness filling his nose.
He sent Abel's corpse flying thirty or forty meters with a kick, after which a fierce wind came sweeping in.
Yi Chen let out a long sigh. The body on the ground rapidly disintegrated, and the blood mist it became instantly dispersed into a single drop of water.
An icy hurricane rose. An old man in a black robe, his skin as pale as snow, had appeared nearby at some unknown moment and was staring at Yi Chen with hatred.
He roared furiously, "You dared to harm the future heir of the Abel Family! I will kill you!"
Seven sword strikes fell in succession, carving seven straight paths through the air, each aimed precisely at Yi Chen's throat. His attack was flawless, leaving not the slightest opening.
Yi Chen stood impassively where he was, allowing the seven short swords to strike his body.
The seven short swords rang out with crisp impacts, their assault stopping at once. After circling Yi Chen many times, they seemed to encounter tremendous resistance and actually halted about two feet away from him, unable to thrust any farther.
Yi Chen said calmly, "You're no ordinary human... but are you going to kill me merely because I killed someone you call your 'young master'? Your Abel Family truly is arrogant and overbearing. Heh heh..."
The old man's body began trembling violently, and he bellowed in fury, "You-you dare insult the Abel Family like this? The Abel Family will never let you off!"
Yi Chen nodded with a smile. "Oh, then please hurry up and come take revenge on me. I enjoy fighting. The sooner you make your move, the more I'll look forward to it... Heh, don't keep me waiting."
A mass of flames sprang out of thin air and burned before Yi Chen.
With a sinister smile, Yi Chen stepped into the flames, which immediately engulfed his figure.
The old man's seven short swords whirled rapidly and charged forward amid a chaotic clang and clatter.
His eyes widened in shock. He saw with his own eyes the seven flying swords circle Yi Chen seven times, each time coming within a hair's breadth of touching his skin.
Yet every strike was blocked by the armor surrounding Yi Chen, without so much as a speck of dust flying up.
The old man's heart spasmed violently, and a fear unlike any he had ever known welled up within him-every weapon of the Abel Family was a meticulously chosen treasure.
Yet Yi Chen could easily withstand his seven swords. Did that not mean Yi Chen was even stronger than he was?
Yi Chen suddenly threw back his head and roared, his entire aura surging violently.
A mighty, boundless pressure, thick with murderous intent, swept toward the old man, blotting out the sky and covering the earth.