Ye Tian hadn't actually been sent flying. He was just using the force of the recoil to retreat rapidly, which made it look like he had been thrown through the air.
He retreated four or five meters before steadying himself. A few red marks appeared on his body, but the cuts weren't very deep. His powerful Recovery Power was already healing them at a rapid pace.
Ye Tian's face showed no sign of pain. In fact, he found it quite exhilarating. He was actually rather satisfied with Ye Hu's attack. 'While it doesn't have the domineering power of Qin Tian's, it's still pretty decent. This must be the strength of someone on the verge of breaking through to the Seventh Layer.'
Ye Hu, however, was sent flying by Ye Tian's strike like a kite with a severed string. He flew back nearly ten meters before crashing heavily onto the ring, completely drenched in blood. He only managed to struggle back to his feet after a long moment.
Several of his wounds were so deep that bone was visible. And that was with Ye Tian using only eighty percent of his power. Had he used his full strength, Ye Hu would likely be dead. 'To be blunt, this Ye Hu really can't take a hit.'
The entire crowd below the ring was stunned by Ye Tian's attack. After a few moments, a thunderous cheer erupted.
The cheers were followed by a mix of admiring words for Ye Tian and humiliating jeers for Ye Hu. "He can't even take one hit, yet he acts like he's the top dog. He really doesn't know his own limits!" Those words struck Ye Hu the hardest.
Ye Hu's face was grim. He was enduring the excruciating pain from his wounds and the cold mockery from the other family disciples. Being defeated by Ye Tian in a single blow was a complete loss of face. It felt as if his entire aura of glory had been shattered in that one instant.
"Ye Tian, die!" Unable to bear the stares from the crowd, Ye Hu charged at Ye Tian again despite his grievous injuries.
"Ye Hu, stop!" the Grand Elder shouted from the side of the ring. Seeing his beloved son so badly injured made his heart ache, but he wouldn't be as reckless as Ye Hongtao. Even if he intended to settle the score with Ye Tian, now was not the time.
As the family's Grand Elder, he had plenty of opportunities to deal with a mere disciple. There was no need to be hasty. Besides, given the incredible talent and power Ye Tian had just shown, Ye Weitian would certainly start to value him even more.
'Making an unwise move at this critical juncture would be foolish.' So he could only try to persuade Ye Hu to stop acting like an idiot. 'If Ye Tian kills him, the loss will be greater than any gain. That's my most beloved son.'
But Ye Hu's heart was consumed by hatred for Ye Tian. How could he possibly listen to his father? He wanted nothing more than to cut Ye Tian down, reclaim his glory and honor, and force the other disciples to look at him with respect once more.
The Grand Elder didn't dare to step onto the ring and interfere. After all, Ye Weitian was present, and he didn't have that authority. He could only watch helplessly as Ye Hu attacked Ye Tian.
But he had already made up his mind. 'After this family competition is over, I will make Ye Tian pay a terrible price. If necessary, I might even kill him.'
This time, Ye Tian had no intention of harming Ye Hu further. It wasn't that he was afraid of him, but he had learned a great deal from the incident with Ye Feng. If anything were to happen to Ye Hu today, it would become very difficult for him to maintain his position in the Ye Family.
With a flash, he executed the Third Form of the Flowing Cloud Step. His speed was even greater now after his recent breakthrough, and Ye Hu's furious attack missed completely.
Ye Tian easily dodged the massive Sword Qi attack, reappearing several meters behind Ye Hu and watching him. By now, his own wounds had completely healed. If one were to look beneath his clothes, the scars would be almost invisible.
The astonishing speed Ye Tian demonstrated sent a chill through many of the disciples. Many of them also practiced the Flowing Cloud Step, but when they used it, it was nowhere near as fluid or as fast as his. There was simply no comparison.
Ye Hu's attack hit nothing but air. Like a crazed tiger, he prepared to lunge at Ye Tian again, but he was stopped short. Someone had snatched the sword from his hand, preventing his next move.
"Father! Let me go! I'm going to kill that bastard Ye Tian! He dares to look down on me!" Ye Hu roared at the Grand Elder.
"You are no match for him. Continuing like this will only bring you more humiliation, and you might even get yourself killed. Ye Hu, you're normally so level-headed. Why are you being so foolish today?" the Grand Elder said, his voice laced with exasperation.
"But he's inflicted a wound on my spirit that can never be erased! Only his blood can wash away this shame! As long as he lives, my inner demon will never be vanquished!" Ye Hu raged, still trying to wrench himself free from the Grand Elder's grip.
"Ye Hu, don't be a fool," Ye Tian couldn't help but interject. "If I had wanted to strike you again, you'd already be dead. And let me tell you something elseβI only used eighty percent of my power. Judge for yourself whether you actually have what it takes to kill me."
Hearing this, all the fight went out of Ye Hu. 'He only used eighty percent of his power? If he had gone all out... I would have been dead.'
'This Ye Tian is a monster. Not long ago, Ye Feng defeated him in a single blow and made him cough up blood. But now, in just one short month, he's broken through to such a Realm. There has to be a secret to it.'
"I concede!" Ye Hu said, temporarily swallowing his rage. But his hatred for Ye Tian was as deep as the ocean. 'I will find the right opportunity to land a fatal blow.'
Ye Weitian was quite pleased to see Ye Tian's true strength. During Ye Tian's fight with Qin Lin, he had sensed that his power was around the One Vein Seventh Layer. But after watching him fight Ye Hu today, he realized Ye Tian had at least reached the Late Stage of that Realm, perhaps even rivaling the power of the Eighth Layer.
"Ye Tian wins, Ye Hu loses! The second match will now begin!" Ye Weitian announced.
The disciples below the ring were dumbfounded. They knew Ye Tian was formidable, but they had no idea he was *this* formidable. Looking across all of Lisha City, was there any disciple from any family who could match him?
In an instant, Ye Tian's standing among the other disciples rose to a new height. Not that he cared for such empty reputation.
"Brother Tian, you're amazing! I'm no match for you at all now! If you were fighting against me, what would you do?" Ye Feifei asked, rushing up to meet Ye Tian as he stepped down from the ring.
"Are you sure you want to know? You won't get mad?" Ye Tian whispered to Ye Feifei with a grin.
Seeing them so close, the other disciples could only look on in envy. Any of them who once had designs on Ye Feifei immediately gave up the idea. A beauty like her could only belong to a genius like Ye Tian...