Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Just moments ago, the lord of the Holy City had ordered a dueling platform hastily built.
Ye Tian leaped onto the platform, hatred filling his eyes.
He stared fixedly at Zhang Yue, his heart brimming with excitement.
I can finally take revenge!
Master, your disciple will use this beast's blood to honor your spirit in heaven!
Junior Sister, once I kill this beast, I'll come find you!
Below the platform, Zhang Yue watched Ye Tian with a cold sneer.
Less than half an hour earlier, the Zhang Clan had sent over a large number of experts.
Even his father had come.
His father had given him a set of low-grade heaven-tier soft armor for protection, then bestowed a low-grade earth-tier spirit sword upon him.
As for why he had not given him anything of a higher grade, it was not because the Zhang Clan lacked such things. Zhang Yue was simply too useless; his strength did not allow him to use them.
Afterward, his father had taken out a Ninth-Grade Good Fortune Pill and given it to him.
This Ninth-Grade Good Fortune Pill was a ninth-grade pill, reputed to instantly restore anyone below the Saint Realm to perfect condition, no matter how severe their injuries.
It could bring the dying back to life.
"Son, I have only one demand. Kill this boy, whatever the cost!"
The Zhang Clan's patriarch looked at Ye Tian, his eyes narrowing slightly as intense killing intent rose from him.
You dared offend the Zhang Clan. So what if you have an expert backing you? You still have to die!
"That's right, Young Master! Kill that brat and proclaim the might of our Zhang Clan!"
"Our Zhang Clan's young master is invincible!"
"That little bastard struck our young master-that was a slap in our Zhang Clan's face! We must not let him off!"
"..."
The onlookers saw the Zhang Clan arrive and arm Zhang Yue to the teeth, while Ye Tian stood alone, holding nothing but a battered iron sword mottled with rust.
"This brat is still going to die!"
"He may have an expert backing him, but that expert isn't here. The Zhang Clan is the local serpent in the Holy City. They won't be scared off!"
"I don't think the Zhang Clan would be afraid even if that expert were here. They have a holy land backing them, after all. Who would dare show the Heavenly Origin Holy Land a sour face?"
"That's true!"
"This brat brought death upon himself. The city lord already intervened earlier. If he'd just backed down, none of this would have happened!"
"Exactly!"
"..."
Ye Tian turned a deaf ear to the doubts below the platform.
All he saw now were his sword and his hatred.
His master had given him this iron sword back at the sect.
Though mottled with rust, it was his most treasured possession.
Today, he would use this sword to cut off Zhang Yue's head.
He had absolute confidence.
Because just moments ago, the power that big brother had left inside his body had helped him break through again.
He was now an Origin Core Realm cultivator!
At that moment, amid the crowd's cheers, Zhang Yue slowly ascended the dueling platform.
He looked arrogantly at Ye Tian, his eyes full of disdain. "A lowborn wretch will always be a lowborn wretch. See this? I-"
Suddenly, a flash of sword light stunned everyone present, seemingly carrying the might of wind and thunder.
Ye Tian wasted no words, nor did he let Zhang Yue waste any. He attacked directly.
Driven by Ye Tian's pure Origin Core Realm spiritual power, the rust-mottled iron sword moved as swiftly as a thunderclap.
Shhk!
Before Zhang Yue could react, the sword light swept across his throat.
A spray of fresh blood immediately burst forth.
Zhang Yue clutched desperately at his throat, trying to make a sound, but no matter what he did, none would come.
As blood poured into his windpipe, his throat made a rattling, whirring sound like a windmill, and then he toppled stiffly onto the platform.
His eyes were filled with disbelief and regret.
"You talk too much!"
After that single strike, Ye Tian drew back his sword and stood still.
As a child, when there was nothing to eat at home, he could only go hunting in the mountains.
His father had taught him back then how to finish off his prey quickly and efficiently.
If one sword strike could settle it, never use a second, because that could very well mean death!
He did not understand why anyone would launch into a lengthy speech during a duel to the death.
Everyone present turned to stone on the spot.
No one would have imagined that beneath this youth's seemingly simple, honest exterior lay such a ruthlessly decisive heart.
That sword strike had been resolute, swift, and stunning.
Below the platform, the Zhang Clan members stared fixedly at Ye Tian, their hatred surging to the heavens, wishing they could swallow him alive and flay him.
The Holy City's lord stood in the air. A trace of admiration flashed through his eyes, but there was far more concern.
The surrounding crowd was utterly won over by that exquisite sword strike.
But just then, a towering roar of fury rang out from the horizon.
"Wretch! Die!"
An immensely powerful pressure immediately swept in from the horizon.
Then a colossal, sky-supporting hand appeared and slammed down toward Ye Tian.
Beneath that enormous palm, like the canopy of heaven itself, Ye Tian felt he was nothing but an ant, unable to defy it or resist.
"He broke through!"
The Holy City's lord grew solemn.
He had not expected the Zhang Clan's ancestor to have broken through.
"Alas!"
He let out a sigh.
He had originally felt an appreciation for talent and wanted to save this boy and take him under his wing, but now the Zhang Clan's ancestor had entered the Saint Realm.
He was unwilling to offend a Saint for a youth with no connection to him.
So he stood aside and chose to watch without intervening.
Meanwhile, the Zhang Clan members were overjoyed.
"The ancestor! The ancestor is here!"
"That's right! That's the ancestor's voice!"
"Ancestor, this brat actually dared kill our young master! His crimes are beyond pardon!"
"Brat, whatever abilities you have, you're still going to die! Even the person behind you can't protect you!"
"..."
The surrounding crowd was startled as well.
They had not expected this matter to alarm even the Zhang Clan's ancestor.
What had happened today was far too thrilling and perilous for them. Their emotions at that moment were like a roller coaster.
Still, now that the Zhang Clan's ancestor had appeared, the matter would surely be settled.
Ye Tian would certainly die.
Everyone took that for granted.
Yet just as that giant palm was about to slap Ye Tian to death, Ye Chen's phantom appeared again.
This time, the phantom attacked directly, pointing a finger, and the giant palm shattered like glass.
Immediately afterward, the Zhang Clan's ancestor, who had only just arrived at the scene, turned to dust as though crushed beneath an immense force.
Then, as though its power had been exhausted, the phantom gradually dispersed into the air.
At once, the place fell utterly silent; a falling pin could have been heard.
Everyone was scared witless.
They simply could not believe what had happened before their eyes.
"Wh-where's the Zhang Clan's ancestor?"
"He... he seems to be... gone!"
The Holy City's lord was frightened too.
The phantom's strength exceeded his imagination.
Although the Zhang Clan's ancestor had only just entered the Saint Realm, surely he could not have been annihilated by a single finger without the slightest ability to resist!
Even an ordinary Great Saint expert could not do that.
Within the Heavenly Origin Holy Land, on a spiritual mountain wreathed in ethereal immortal mist, two old men were drinking tea.
The tea held Spiritual Qi within it, its Dao resonance natural-a rare treasure at a glance.
"Brother Wan, it's been years, yet your peerless splendor remains unchanged!"
An old man with white hair and a youthful face spoke with a genial smile.
"Younger Brother, stop teasing me. You're the one with peerless splendor. Look how old I've become!"
The other old man, whose hair and beard were entirely white and whose face was covered in wrinkles, laughed.
"How is the Myriad Origins Holy Land doing now?"
The white-haired, youthful-faced old man asked casually.
"Alas! We recently lost an elder!"
The white-browed old man sighed, his brows furrowed.
"Oh? Who would dare kill an elder of the Myriad Origins Holy Land?"
The white-browed old man glanced at the white-haired, youthful-faced old man. After a moment of silence, he smiled. "Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!"
"How has your Heavenly Origin Holy Land developed over the past few years?"
The white-haired, youthful-faced old man smiled. "An elder of our holy land just advanced to the Saint Realm..."
"A Great Saint's presence!"
Before he could finish, he sensed an immensely powerful pressure, coming from the nearby Heavenly Origin Holy City.
His brows knitted tightly. "Come, let's take a look!"