A bitter smile touched Ye Shixue's lips. She truly didn't want to abandon an opportunity that could rapidly increase her strength, but she knew Qin Lin would surely die if he fought Ye Tian again.
"Ye Tian, must you kill him?" Ye Shixue asked, unwilling to give up.
"This is none of your business! You'd best leave, or I won't be so courteous. Do you really think you're still the same Little Sister Xue to me? In my eyes, you're nothing but a bitch now. Knowing you is the greatest shame of my life!" Ye Tian said coolly. He truly had nothing more to say to Ye Shixue.
"A bitch? Heh! Ye Tian, remember what you said today! I hope you don't regret it later!" Ye Shixue retorted with a laugh, though her smile was ghastly, like a grimace forced onto her face.
"Brother Tian, why does Ye Shixue care so much about Qin Lin? Does he have some kind of secret? I thought she was always with Ye Hu," Ye Feifei whispered to Ye Tian.
"I despise her right now. Making her suffer would bring me great satisfaction. If she hadn't shown up today, I might have actually let Qin Lin go. But now, I only want to kill him and shatter her hopes. Consider this her punishment for what she did to me," Ye Tian said flatly.
Every one of Ye Tian's words reached Ye Shixue's ears. Already furious, she now became utterly enraged. She was so incensed she wanted to kill Ye Tian on the spot, and in that instant, her stunning eyes turned red.
Qin Xiaowan was at a complete loss for words. Normally sharp and clever, she now felt utterly helpless. Her only hope was that her father would arrive quickly enough to resolve this crisis.
Qin Li, however, watched Ye Tian with an expressionless face. Ye Tian's power terrified him, but deep down, a part of him was secretly delighted. 'If Ye Tian really kills Qin Lin, I'll be the true First Young Master of the Qin Family. The family fortune will all be mine.'
In that moment, any semblance of brotherly affection vanished. If Qin Lin knew what his brother was thinking, he'd probably be furious enough to spit up blood.
Qin Lin walked forward, leaving a trail of red on the ground with every step. "Ye Tian, you're strong. Frighteningly strong. To be honest, you're the only person in Lisha City I've ever truly admired. However, your very existence is a threat to me."
"One mountain can't house two tigers. Even if you don't kill me today, I will kill you! I cannot bring shame to the Qin Family's honor a second time. Therefore, today, you must die!"
Ye Tian paid Qin Lin's words no mind. He couldn't understand why Qin Lin was spouting such nonsense. 'Did my last attack scramble his brains? He's completely incoherent.'
"If you want me dead, you'll have to prove you have the strength to do it! Talk is cheap," Ye Tian laughed, his disdainful expression infuriating Qin Lin even further.
Ye Shixue walked to Qin Lin's side. "Are you really going to fight him? You're no match for him! I don't want to see anything happen to you."
Qin Lin was taken aback by her words. He couldn't understand why she was suddenly being so kind to him. The feeling was so abrupt that it left him bewildered, unsure of her true intentions.
"Thank you for your kindness. If I survive today, perhaps we could become friends, even confidants. But if I don't kill him today, I'll never be able to forgive myself," Qin Lin said.
"How nauseating! Ye Shixue, you're a complete disgrace to the Ye Family! When I get back, I'll tell my father to have you thrown out! You traitorous bitch!" Ye Feifei seethed. She couldn't stand to watch any longer, baffled as to why Ye Tian had ever fallen for such a woman.
"You're no better, Ye Feifei! You're not even married yet and you've already lost your virginity. What right do you have to criticize me? You're a bitch all the same!" Ye Shixue roared at Ye Feifei.
The words struck Ye Feifei like a dagger to the heart, causing a sharp pain to lance through her chest. Her beautiful face was instantly contorted with rage.
At the same time, her words were like a boulder dropped into a placid lake, sending shockwaves through the crowd. A wave of vicious whispers immediately followed.
Ye Feifei was utterly mortified. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. "Ye Shixue, you dare insult me! Face my sword!"
Ye Feifei could tolerate it no longer. With a brilliant flourish, her Fine Steel Sword shot toward Ye Shixue. A powerful wave of Sword Qi erupted into the air, causing the surrounding space to tremble violently.
"Did you really think I'm afraid of you?" Ye Shixue roared. A longsword appeared in her hand, and she moved to intercept the attack.
Ye Shixue's strike was equally immense. Judging by her Attack Power, she wasn't the slightest bit weaker than Ye Feifei. It was as if she, too, had broken through to the Eighth Layer.
Before Ye Tian and Qin Lin could even begin, the two women had already started their own battle. They seemed to be evenly matched, and for a moment, neither could gain the upper hand. Sword Qi flooded the area, punctuated by the sharp CLANG and CRACK of their colliding blades.
"Ye Tian, it's time for your life to end!" Qin Lin no longer wanted to delay. 'Ye Shixue's strength is surprisingly high,' he thought, shocked. 'After I kill Ye Tian today, perhaps I can get on good terms with her. Then the Qin Family will have another young expert, greatly increasing our family's power.'
Ye Tian noticed that while Ye Feifei's Attack Power was formidable, perhaps even surpassing Ye Shixue's, her Defense Power was much weaker. She had already sustained several cuts. Though not deep, they were bleeding.
Ye Shixue, on the other hand, had also been cut, but no blood flowed from her wounds. 'It must be the same as my situation,' Ye Tian realized. 'With the Demon Dragon Pearl in her body, her Defense Power and Recovery Power are greatly enhanced.'
'If this keeps up, Ye Feifei will likely be defeated by Ye Shixue. The Demon Dragon Pearl is truly incredible. I have to finish off Qin Lin quickly.'
Just then, Qin Lin's right hand shot up above his head. A red Paper Talisman appeared in his grasp. Instantly, an extremely dangerous aura began to emanate from it.
Ye Tian faltered for a moment upon seeing the Paper Talisman, unsure of what it was. But from Qin Lin's look of absolute confidence, he knew it must possess immense Attack Power, something akin to a Hidden Weapon.
"Brother, no!" Qin Xiaowan cried out, her voice filled with urgency.
But it was too late. With a hardened heart, Qin Lin threw the Paper Talisman into the air. The talisman erupted in a blinding red light, and an overwhelming aura of destruction surged outward, engulfing Ye Tian completely...