When Ye Feifei heard the Dragon's Roar emerge from Ye Tian's Flowing Cloud Sword Technique once again, her mind filled with questions. Yet, after witnessing this strike, she seemed to understand something.
Back on the rear mountain, when Ye Hongtao had tried to kill them, a phantom of a Divine Dragon had appeared around Ye Tian, and Ye Hongtao had vanished immediately after. The same thing had happened during his last battle with Qin Lin.
Considering the present situation, she was certain that Ye Tian had some connection to the Dragon Race. Perhaps he even possessed a Dragon Pearlāan item countless people dreamed of. After all, he was no ordinary person; he was the Young Master of Shen Li Palace.
Gradually, Ye Feifei felt the disparity in status between herself and Ye Tian grow ever wider. 'I can't completely have him anymore,' she thought. 'A man this exceptional is destined to have countless women throwing themselves at him. It's becoming unrealistic to think I can have him all to myself.'
Ye Tian, of course, was oblivious to Ye Feifei's thoughts. At that moment, his powerful Sword Qi was colliding with the middle-aged man's Sword Gang.
The middle-aged man was also extremely surprised. 'I never thought a boy this young could possess such terrifying Attack Power,' he thought. 'He can even condense his Sword Qi into the shape of a dragon. I really underestimated him.'
BOOM! The powerful Energy Attacks instantly slammed into each other, and the force of their respective assaults shot toward their opponents. Ye Tian and the middle-aged man both dodged with haste.
At the same time, the powerful backlash sent them both flying backward involuntarily. However, both managed to avoid taking a direct hit to their vitals. In the past, Ye Tian wouldn't have prioritized dodging, but would have simply let the backlash send him flying.
'Every real battle is another lesson learned.' From that one exchange, he had keenly felt the power of a Second Vein expert. 'It's not something I can handle at my current level.'
Ye Tian was sent flying several dozen meters before landing on the ground, his chest heaving. The impact wasn't as severe as Qin Wushuang's attack, though; at least he wasn't coughing up blood.
He did, however, have several deep wounds that were now bleeding profusely. But since no bone was visible, Ye Tian was actually quite pleased. Though it hurt, the gains were immense. It proved he now had the power to contend with a Second Vein expert.
If his Dragon Spiritual Power had been at its peak, he would have had a chance to strike a second time, but as it was, he only had enough for one blow. Without Ye Lin or Elder Qing, his only option against such an expert would be to flee.
Of course, if the Divine Dragon Remnant Soul in his body were willing to help, that would be another matter entirely.
Ye Tian's expression was cold, his eyes glinting with a frosty light. He could clearly feel the Energy released by the Dragon Pearl rapidly healing his wounds.
Just then, Ye Feifei flashed to Ye Tian's side. "Brother Tian, are you okay? Please don't fight anymore! Just let Ye Lin take care of him! It hurts my heart to see you injured!"
Ye Tian glanced at Ye Feifei and gave her a reassuring smile. "Feifei, I'm fine. Only through constant real-world combat can I improve my fighting skills. And only by gaining insights at the most critical moments can I achieve a breakthrough.
"However, it's true that I don't have the strength to fight anymore. That last attack consumed too much of my Dragon Spiritual Power. Right now, I can only rely on Ye Lin to help."
Ye Feifei's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. The words "Dragon Spiritual Power" struck her. Normal people had Spiritual Power, but he had specified his was Dragon Spiritual Power. This completely confirmed her suspicionsāhe really did have a significant connection to the Dragon Race.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man, who was a short distance away, was in a much more wretched state than Ye Tian. Although Ye Tian hadn't been able to kill him, the wounds he'd inflicted were horrifying.
The Black Glaze Sword was an Ancient Divine Artifact. Even though Ye Tian couldn't unleash even a tenth of its true power, it was still far superior to a Spiritual Artifact, reaching at least the level of a Treasure Artifact.
The incredibly sharp Sword Qi had left several gashes on his body deep enough to expose bone. He was bleeding much more heavily than Ye Tian, his face a mask of astonishment and pain.
'What is this kid's background?' the middle-aged man wondered. 'How can he possess such terrifying Attack Power? Could it be that he really was the one who killed the Snake Centipede? That's unbelievable! If he hit me with another attack like that, I might actually die here!'
If Ye Tian knew what the middle-aged man was thinking, he would have been overjoyed. A One Vein Eighth Layer Martial Artist managing to frighten a Second Vein Fifth Layer Martial Artist was something completely unheard of.
In other words, when Ye Tian used the Black Glaze Sword, his Attack Power was comparable to that of someone at the Fifth Realm of Two Veins. This was a rare feat in the entire Celestial Dragon Continent.
Ye Tian's Dragon Spiritual Power was inherently purer and of a higher grade than ordinary Spiritual Power. And if it were pure Dragon Power, its might would be even more incalculable.
Although he was at the One Vein Eighth Layer, his Spiritual Power was equivalent to that of a Martial Artist at the Peak of One Vein Nine Layers. Factoring in the power of the Black Glaze Sword and the effect of the Dragon-shaped Mark on his hand, it was only natural that he could contend with a Second Vein Fifth Layer expert.
However, Ye Tian knew that under normal circumstances, he wouldn't dare to reveal the Black Glaze Sword. In most battles, he could only use a Fine Steel Sword. Exposing it too often would attract unwanted attention.
The middle-aged man shifted his weight. Retreating now would be too pathetic; he would lose too much face. So, he said, "Kid, you're strong. Or perhaps it's that sword in your hand that's strong. If you obediently leave that Black Sword behind, maybe this old man will consider letting you go."
Hearing the middle-aged man's words, the sharp-witted Ye Tian instantly understood. 'Just a moment ago, he would have been threatening to leave my corpse intact. Now he's offering to let us go? This means he's still very wary of me.'
"That saber of yours isn't bad either," Ye Tian retorted with a grin. "If you're willing to leave it behind, perhaps this young master will grant you a quick death. Otherwiseā¦ you know the consequences!"
In just a short time, the wounds on Ye Tian's body had already stopped bleeding and were healing rapidly. However, he only had thirty percent of his Dragon Spiritual Power left, and that was only after absorbing the Energy released from his Dragon Pearl.
Ye Tian's words nearly made the middle-aged man cough up blood from pure rage. 'This kid really doesn't know when to quit!' "You brat, you're too arrogant! This old man is going to take your life right now!"
"Bring it on! I'm just afraid you don't have the guts," Ye Tian bluffed. "This young master only used eighty percent of his strength just now. A mere ant at the Second Vein Fifth Layer dares to fight me, an expert at the Second Vein Seventh Layer? You truly don't know the meaning of death."
"Second Vein Seventh Layer?" The middle-aged man's heart jumped in shock. 'That's completely impossible,' he thought. But then again, Ye Tian's attack had been incredibly powerful, no weaker than his own. 'Could he really be at the Second Vein Seventh Layer? Otherwise, how could he have seen through my Power Realm?'
He began to feel a sense of unease. If his opponent really was at the Second Vein Seventh Layer, then he would very likely be leaving his life behind today.
But on second thought, it was impossible to reach such a high Realm, even if one started their Cultivation in the womb. 'He must be bluffing, trying to scare me into retreating!'
"You're a cunning brat! I almost fell for your trick!" the middle-aged man said angrily.
But Ye Tian simply turned to the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python behind him and said, "Ye Lin, you're up soon. Don't disappoint your boss, okay?"