Ye Xueâs speed was undeniably fast, but she had still misjudged Shen Langâs speed and ruthlessness.
Just as her longsword was halfway through its upward slash, Shen Lang had already closed in on her like a phantom!
SHLICK!
Shen Lang brought the index and middle fingers of his left hand together and, with a casual tap, instantly struck Ye Xueâs right wrist.
It was as if his fingers had been waiting there all along, and Ye Xueâs wrist had simply run into them!
"Ugh!"
Ye Xue grunted in agony. Her entire arm went numb, and her right hand immediately fell limp.
Before she could swing with her left hand, Shen Lang gave a sinister smile and slammed a fist into her chest!
Her Spiritual Armor, combined with the Protective Shield generated by her Inner Armor, was like paper-mĂąchĂ©. It offered no protection at all and was easily pierced by Shen Langâs blow.
"Ah!"
A spray of blood erupted from Ye Xueâs mouth as she screamed and was sent flying.
Even so, Shen Lang had no intention of letting her go.
BANG!
Shen Lang sent Ye Xue flying with a punch, then immediately followed, leaping into the air!
To the absolute horror of the crowd, Shen Lang raised his right foot high and stomped down viciously on the still-airborne Ye Xue!
A terrifying pressure instantly engulfed Ye Xue!
The surrounding air visibly rippled outwards, as if his foot had just stomped on the surface of water.
Although severely injured, the airborne Ye Xue had not lost consciousness.
On the contrary, she was more clear-headed than ever!
Feeling the incomparably ferocious power in Shen Langâs kick, Ye Xue was scared out of her wits!
This kick was several times more ferocious than the previous punch. If it landed, she would be crippled, if not killed!
But she was in mid-air with no way to leverage herself. Dodging such a fast and vicious kick was next to impossible...
"Madman!"
Terrified, Ye Xue endured the agony of her chaotic internal energy and slapped her left hand against her waist, shattering a Jade Talisman she wore for emergencies!
CRACK!
The moment the Jade Talisman shattered, a soft, translucent, sky-blue barrier of light instantly appeared, enveloping Ye Xue completely.
BOOM!
As Shen Langâs foot, packed with ferocious Powerful Qi, made contact with the light barrier, a faint clap of thunder echoed through the sky.
The light barrier caved in deeply, and ripples of Powerful Qi immediately spread out from the point of contact.
KABOOM!
The light barrier around Ye Xue blocked Shen Langâs kick, but she was smashed into the ground like a cannonball, tumbling over and over in a pathetic state.
Meanwhile, Shen Lang used the rebound force to perform a somersault in mid-air, landing lightly on the ground.
"A Xuanwu Realm Martial Artist infused their power into a Jade Talisman to serve as your Protective Talisman? Letâs see how many of my punches this talisman can withstand!"
Shen Lang had barely landed when he snorted coldly. Pushing off the ground, he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, once again closing in on Ye Xue.
"Extreme Heaven Thunder Technique, Five Thunders Bombardment!"
With almost no pause, Thunder Power surged across Shen Langâs right fist, crackling with electricity, as he smashed it down toward Ye Xue on the ground.
Screams erupted from the surrounding crowd. Many even turned their heads, unable to watch.
Such cold, decisive crueltyâdestroying a beautiful flower so ruthlesslyâwas truly terrifying.
Having just regained her senses, Ye Xue felt the sharp gust of wind heading straight for her chest and broke out in a cold sweat. Ignoring her pathetic state, she executed a "donkey roll" on the ground, narrowly dodging Shen Langâs punch.
BOOM!
Shen Langâs fist, crackling with Thunder Power, grazed Ye Xueâs body and slammed heavily into the ground, creating a thunderous explosion.
As the Powerful Qi spread out, rubble flew everywhere, and a massive crater appeared before everyoneâs eyes.
The ground, already covered in cracks, began to splinter further under the ferocious Fist Force. New fissures spread out at a visible speed, covering the entire battle stage like a spiderweb.
Ye Xue, who had just rolled away in that unsightly manner, had no time for shock. Without even wiping the blood from her lips, she swung her right hand while leaning back. Her longsword erupted with a dazzling light and shot toward Shen Langâs face like a bolt of lightning!
Then, she slapped both hands on the ground, pushing her body up at an angle and shooting forward like an arrow, almost scraping the floor!
âRun! If I donât run, Iâll definitely die at his hands!â
Under the threat of death, Ye Xue unleashed her latent potential.
While still sprinting forward with her body leaning back, Ye Xueâs figure twisted violently, turning a full 180 degrees. Now leaning forward, she dashed desperately toward the edge of the stage.
She poured all her strength into her feet, stomping hard on the ground several times. Each step left a small crater, sending rubble flying.
This kind of match had no referee on the stage. Besides jumping off, even if one were to surrender, the opponent could continue their assault.
Thus, Ye Xue had only one thought in her mind: get off this stage.
Otherwise, death was the only way out!
"I told you to get lost, but you wouldnât listen. Now you want to run? Donât you think itâs a little late?"
In just an instant, Shen Langâs voice sounded from behind Ye Xue once again!
âHow is this possible!â
No matter what, Ye Xue couldnât believe Shen Langâs speed could be this fast!
âThis is a Life-Saving Talisman created by that senior from my Ye Family in the Imperial Dragon Sect! It was made by a Xuanwu Realm Eighth Heaven powerhouse. I refuse to believe he can break through it!â
Ye Xueâs face was grim. She refused to look back, instead pouring even more power into her legs and surging forward with a ROAR!
"Flame Martial Soul, condense!"
As Ye Xue shrieked, a flame blossomed like a flower on her back.
In an instant, the flame solidified into a triangular shield, protecting her back!
âJust five more steps and Iâll be off the stage! Then he wonât be able to pursue me anymore!â
Having been pampered her whole life, this was the first time Ye Xue had ever been hunted down in front of a crowd with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide...
But at this moment, Ye Xue couldnât muster any feelings of resentment.
All she felt was fear.
An overwhelming, uncontrollable fear...
And behind her, Shen Langâs expression was cold and stern, his Killing Intent palpable!
"Bitch, let me teach you a lesson first!"
Before everyoneâs eyes, Shen Lang, who was right behind Ye Xue, let out a cold shout and threw a vicious punch, smashing it against the protective halo of light around her.
BANG!
As the powerful force struck, a huge sound erupted, and a visible ripple of Powerful Qi rapidly spread in all directions.
The Protective Shield, formed from the power of a Xuanwu Realm powerhouse, was instantly filled with the sound of cracking. Fissures spread across its surface, and in the blink of an eye, it shattered into countless fragments that scattered and vanished into thin air.
Shen Langâs fist broke through the Protective Shield, its speed slowing only slightly.
Then, it once again pierced through the shield conjured from flames and slammed viciously into the center of Ye Xueâs back!
PFFT!
Ye Xue, who had been only one step away from leaving the stage, violently spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying far off the platform.
"Mo Ge, you have some nerve! How dare you harm someone from my Ye Family! I will flay you alive and make you wish you were dead!" Ye Xiao Zheng roared from the western stands.
Looking up, Shen Lang glanced at Ye Xiao Zheng and sneered, "You were the ones who set the rule that life and death didnât matter. Other people can die, but people from your Ye Family canât? How shameless! Iâm actually starting to regret that when I ran into your Ye Familyâs Martial Artists earlier, I didnât kill every single one I saw!"
"You..."
Ye Xiao Zheng was beside himself with rage, wishing he could go down there and kill him on the spot.
"You what!" Shen Lang snorted. "Iâll let your daughter live for now. Donât be in such a hurry. Weâll settle all our scores, new and old, later!"
Ye Xiao Zhengâs face was dark, and he ground his teeth so hard they audibly creaked, but he was left speechless.
He couldnât even understand what Shen Lang was saying.
If anyone should be talking about settling old and new scores, it should be him, shouldnât it?
After all, he and Ji Chengwu had schemed for years to finally obtain the Nine Immortals Lingzhi, only for all their work to benefit someone elseâthis Ghost-faced Person had stolen it!
If they were really going to settle scores, it should be him, Ye Xiao Zheng, settling things with this Ghost-faced Person, right?
âYou little bastard, once Iâm done with the Xu Familyâs business, Iâll come back and deal with you! Letâs see you try to escape my grasp!â
Originally, Ye Xiao Zheng had wanted to use Ye Xue to win over Shen Lang, but now, that thought was completely gone.
At that moment, the entire Martial Arts Arena fell silent.
The people in the surrounding stands were engulfed in a strange silence.
To be so ruthless toward a delicate beauty like Ye Xue... Shen Langâs decisive, merciless actions had shocked everyone.
On the other hand, Ye Xue was, after all, a cultivator at the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven or higher. With that level of cultivation and her powerful Spiritual Artifacts, she should have been a shining star in this tournament.
Instead, she had been utterly defeated and had barely managed to escape!
Just how powerful was this Ghost-faced Person, Mo Ge?
Where on earth did this person come from?
Why did he dare to so arrogantly offend the Ye Family?
Countless thoughts swirled in the minds of the crowd, making everyoneâs breathing grow heavier.
In the eastern stands, a sharp glint flickered in Xu Daolinâs eyes. He took a long look at Shen Lang before speaking slowly, "Senior Brother Long, if you were to face Ye Xue, could you be so ruthless?"
Long Fong gave a wry smile. "To be fair, Ye Xue is as beautiful as a flower. Even in the Imperial Capital, sheâd be considered a top-tier beauty. Even though Iâm not the type to be swayed by looks, if she were to throw herself at me, my heart would still waver. I could never attack her like that, making her cough up so much blood."
A fierce light flashed in Yun Qingâs eyes. "Damn, this guy really is a ruthless character. If I were to face him, Iâd have to give it my all just to cope."
Over in the Chu Familyâs section, Chu Xiuxiuâs gaze was unsettled. âWhen I met him, his eyes held no pressure. Even through the mask, I could feel a brilliant smile in his gaze. Why is he so grim and cold when facing Ye Xue, showing her absolutely no mercy?â
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Xiuxiu was suddenly startled. âWhen he came on stage earlier, he called me "Xiuxiu," and his eyes are so familiar... Thatâs it, he must be someone I know!â
âBut who could it be? Other than my cousin, Chu Qingcheng, I canât think of anyone else with such overwhelming strength!â
Chu Xiuxiu ran through all the young prodigies she knew from the various families, but couldnât match any of them to the Ghost-faced Person on the stage, leaving her utterly frustrated.
âI definitely know this guy. From the very beginning, Iâve had this indescribable feeling of familiarity... I have to know him!â