Ye Tian's words only served to further confuse the two Black Iron Guards. With Elder Qing present, however, they didn't dare to act against him. One could only imagine their pent-up frustration.
"Who are you, sir? If we have offended you in any way, we hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us," one of the Black Iron Guards said. He had no choice but to bow to a superior power.
"Heh heh. I'm Ye Tian, the very person you were trying to assassinate. Now that you know, aren't you just thrilled?" Ye Tian maintained his wicked grin.
"What? You're Ye Tian? How is that possible?" The expressions on the two men's faces turned even uglier. They never would have dreamed that their assassination target was standing right before them.
Forget assassinating him; now, their own lives were in his hands. They could be killed at any moment. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads as they looked at Ye Tian with pleading eyes.
"Nothing's impossible. I am Ye Tian," Ye Tian said. "Still feel like killing me now? For your Quanxing City branch to dare accept a mission to assassinate me... you've got some nerve!"
The two men were suddenly at a loss for how to respond. They felt as if the young man before them could take their lives at any moment, and their expressions grew flustered.
"Sir, we truly had no idea you were Ye Tian! If we'd known, we wouldn't have dared to accept this mission even if we had all the courage in the heavens! Please, be merciful and let us go!" one of the Black Iron Guards pleaded.
Ye Tian said nothing, merely glancing at Elder Qing behind him. The message was clear: he was leaving the matter in the elder's hands.
Elder Qing was as shrewd as they come, and he understood the meaning in Ye Tian's gaze instantly. "You attempt to assassinate our Young Master and still expect to live? What a joke! If I weren't here, wouldn't he have fallen prey to your wicked schemes?
"The Young Master's identity cannot be revealed, so the two of you must die! If you want to blame someone, blame your own bad luck for taking on a mission you could never return from."
The two men's faces turned ashen. It seemed there was no hope of survival. A furious resolve ignited within them—even if they had to die, they wouldn't let Ye Tian get off scot-free.
Ye Tian hadn't actually planned on killing them. He'd intended to teach them a lesson, perhaps cripple their Cultivation to prevent any future retaliation. But now that Elder Qing had spoken, he couldn't very well object.
"Ye Tian, even if we die today, your arrogance won't last long! Others will come for you! The Shadow Celestial Dragon Team isn't as simple as you imagine!" one of the Black Iron Guards roared, his attitude completely changed.
"Heh heh. What's next? Will Bronze Guards come for me? And if I kill them, will Silver Guards come after that?" Ye Tian laughed, paying the two men no mind. "Let me tell you something. I'll take on all comers. Anyone who dares to harbor killing intent toward me, I'll kill them as they come—one by one, or two by two."
Even a cornered rabbit will bite, and these two Black Iron Guards were no exception. Since they were going to die anyway, they would take Ye Tian down with them. After exchanging a look, they lunged toward Ye Tian, moving with incredible speed.
But Ye Tian had been paying close attention to their every move. The instant they lunged, he executed the Flowing Cloud Step and rapidly retreated.
Meanwhile, fury flashed across Elder Qing's face. 'To dare attack the Young Master right in front of me... They clearly hold me in no regard!'
He gave a slight lift of his hands, and a powerful surge of Energy erupted from them. The two Black Iron Guards who were charging at Ye Tian were instantly and involuntarily lifted into the air.
They stopped at a certain height, suspended as if frozen in mid-air, unable to move a muscle. The sensation was terrifying.
Ye Tian was equally astonished. 'I never thought Elder Qing had a Martial Skill like this!' It was a real eye-opener.
"Die!" Elder Qing's voice was cold. "The dignity of Shen Li Palace is not for ants like you to profane!" As his voice faded, he clenched his hand slightly. Instantly, the two Black Iron Guards in the air exploded into a shower of blood, leaving not even a bone fragment behind. It was a ghastly, shocking sight.
"Elder Qing, what Martial Skill was that? How can it be so powerful?" Ye Tian couldn't help but ask. 'That's such a brutal way to die.' Before Elder Qing, killing a Second Vein expert was easier than crushing an ant.
"Young Master, that was a Domain," Elder Qing explained calmly. "Your Power Realm is too low for you to grasp it yet. Only after breaking through to the Fifth Vein can you possess a Domain of your own. There are many types, each dependent on an individual's comprehension. You will understand in time."
'There's no point in dwelling on this so-called Domain,' Ye Tian thought. 'If my Power Realm isn't high enough, wracking my brain over it is useless. The most important thing now is to master what I need for my own Cultivation.'
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Elder Qing," Ye Tian said. "With Ye Lin here, I didn't want to disturb you. I was just worried he would be indisposed after consuming the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma, so I tried to lure those two away. I just didn't expect them to see through my ruse."
"Young Master, with the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python by your side, I can rest much easier," said Elder Qing. "I may be leaving for a while, so you must be mindful of your own safety."
"Are you returning to Shen Li Palace, Elder Qing?" Ye Tian asked at once, slightly taken aback.
"No, I'm going to Quanxing City to investigate," Elder Qing said. "I must eliminate any potential threats to you, Young Master. I'm confident that here in Lisha City, no one can harm you."
Ye Tian understood his intention. He was about to say something more, but Elder Qing's figure had already vanished. His speed was many times faster than even Ye Tian's own Dragon Form Hundred Transformations.
Ye Tian returned to the cave. He saw Ye Feifei meditating, likely still absorbing the Energy from the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma. The Eight-winged Golden Scale Python, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Just as he was about to leave the cave, Ye Lin's voice echoed in his mind. "Boss, thank you! I'm aware of everything that just happened outside. If those two had managed to break in, the consequences would have been severe. But everything's fine now!"
"You could sense what was happening outside?" Ye Tian asked. "How?"
"After we formed the Soul Contract, Boss, my soul can connect with yours. I can clearly sense anything that happens to you within a radius of several miles.
"Of course, the stronger I get, the wider the range will be. A moment ago was a critical juncture for me. I'm not sure if it's because I absorbed your Essence Blood, but I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakthrough," the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python explained.
"I see! I was worried they would come in and disturb you both, but everything is fine now," Ye Tian said. "How much longer do you need?"
"I'm done!" the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python announced. Immediately, its body materialized in the air and shot rapidly toward Ye Tian…