Chapter 253

Chapter 253

Yan Ruyu effortlessly captured Ye Qing’s soul, clutching it like a helpless chick. The black and white divine light coiled around it, creating a unique binding force, sealing his spirit entirely within her grasp and suppressing it to render him immobile.

Ye Qing’s entire body was locked down, unable to move an inch, as a tangible aura of dread seeped from his bound spirit.

He couldn’t comprehend why his attacks had been completely ineffective. Neither could he, nor anyone else, understand why he had been so thoroughly defeated by Yan Ruyu.

“As the Holy Son said,” Yan Ruyu remarked calmly, holding Ye Qing’s soul without a trace of emotion, “you truly aren’t worth mentioning.”

Through this battle, Yan Ruyu had reforged her confidence, gaining a newfound clarity about her strength. No longer did she see herself as merely an ordinary prodigy, a faint star in the vastness of the heavens.

Through the crucible of this clash with Ye Qing, she realized she, too, shone like a radiant sun or brilliant moon. It was as though she had been a peerless sword dulled by dust; now, after the trial of battle, she glowed with an unparalleled, fearsome light.

Yan Ruyu came to understand that she hadn’t been weak—she’d simply been overshadowed by the brilliance of the others on Banished Immortal Peak.

Jiang Chen reigned supreme over Banished Immortal Peak, akin to an emperor overlooking the starry sky, unchallenged by any of the younger generation across the Nine Heavens Realm. Even though Zi Qingyan, who had reached harmony with the Dao, could not match Jiang Chen, she still ranked only slightly below him.

Not even Huang Qingtian, with the Dao Harmonizing Flower, could easily overcome her. In truth, Jiang Chen and Zi Qingyan were the two most formidable prodigies of this era, leaving others feeling insignificant in their presence.

Growing up in such an environment, Yan Ruyu’s self-doubt was inevitable. Facing such unassailable figures, compounded by her lack of exposure to battles outside, she hadn’t truly grasped her own strength.

Yet this battle with Ye Qing had finally revealed her true potential. It wasn’t that she was lacking—it was that Banished Immortal Peak was simply that exceptional.

Meanwhile, as Ye Qing’s attacks were effortlessly blocked and he was subdued by Yan Ruyu, silence fell over the world. The vast ancient city seemed stripped of sound, an eerie quiet settling in, so intense that even the drop of a needle would resonate loudly. The deathly stillness was as unnerving as a city after a catastrophe.

The gathered beings—supreme prodigies, unparalleled powerhouses—watched in shock at the scene before them.

Breaking the silence, a mocking voice echoed, “The so-called genius of the Ye Family, praised as possessing the aura of an emperor, supposedly on par with ancient emperors—I thought he was something extraordinary. I expected him to be like the Primordial Holy Son, but is this really all he’s capable of?”

As expected, the Holy Son of Pure Yang quickly recovered his composure. His eyes gleamed as he launched a tirade, his words like a machine gun firing off one insult after another.

“The so-called Ye Family’s genius is just a fame-seeking fraud! He’s not worth mentioning at all!” The Pure Yang Holy Son’s words snapped everyone out of their shock.

Ye Tian’s face darkened like the blackened bottom of a pot, his gaze locked onto the Holy Son of Pure Yang with murderous intent. Compared to Jiang Chen, it was the Pure Yang Holy Son he most wanted to kill, for this person was particularly obnoxious—especially that mouth of his. He truly wished he could tear it right off his face.

“Why are you staring at me? Am I not speaking the truth? Are you embarrassed and angry now? Isn’t this outcome of your own making? Besides, didn’t the Ye Family’s genius boast so grandly? And yet, he couldn’t even defeat Fairy Yan; how could he ever compare to the Primordial Holy Son?”

“Still,” he continued, with emphasis on the word “follower,” “losing to Fairy Yan isn’t too shameful. There aren’t many who can defeat her. So, there’s no need to be overly upset, even if she is only a follower of the Primordial Holy Son!”

With this reminder, everyone realized that Fairy Yan was, indeed, merely a follower.

“So, the Ye Family genius who bragged so much wasn’t all that strong after all?”

“It’s normal he couldn’t compare to the Primordial Holy Son, but remembering how he was praised before, I had thought he could defeat Huang Qingtian. Seems like that was just empty talk!”

“No, this only shows how strong Fairy Yan is! The Ye Family genius may not be the absolute best, but he’s still a prodigy of Huang Qingtian’s caliber. He might have stood a better chance against someone else, but he was unlucky to encounter Fairy Yan!”

“No wonder the Primordial Holy Son was so confident. He must have known long ago that the Ye Family genius couldn’t match up to Fairy Yan!”

“Only someone like the Primordial Holy Son would dare use a genius like the Ye Family’s prodigy as a whetstone.”

“True enough. Any other faction would hesitate to take such a risk, as a defeat could tarnish one’s Dao heart and leave future weaknesses.”

“Speaking of which, the Ye Family genius’s Dao heart might be shaken. Who knows if he can recover from this setback!”

“Such a blow would be hard for anyone to bear.”

Yan Ruyu’s unexpected victory surprised many, especially considering her relatively humble origins compared to Ye Qing.

She rarely ventured beyond Banished Immortal Peak, so few even knew her limits, and naturally, Ye Qing had been the favored one. Yet as the battle ended, everyone now understood that Fairy Yan was a prodigy of unparalleled might.

This stirred jealousy among many. For hundreds of thousands of years, few could produce a prodigy like Yan Ruyu.

But the Primordial Holy Land, already blessed with Jiang Chen, now had such a formidable follower? Was this even fair? It was like starting with the trump card while holding a full set of wild cards—victory seemed assured with closed eyes.

“The battle is over. Release him!” Ye Tian addressed Yan Ruyu, who hovered in the void. Ye Qing’s life now rested in her hands, and although he had suffered a crushing defeat, he was still the cherished genius of the Ye Family, their great hope. Any harm to him would be a serious blow to the Ye Family.

“Kill him!” Jiang Chen’s voice rang out.

He had always lived by the rule: “If others don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke them.” But the Ye Family had decided to target him, and Ye Qing had shown no mercy in their battle, especially with his final blow, which had been aimed at killing Yan Ruyu with no chance of survival.

Since Ye Qing had gone to such lengths, there was no way they would let him off easily!

“You dare! Primordial Holy Son…” Ye Tian’s face shifted, and he was about to speak when Jiang Chen cut him off directly.

“What’s there to fear? Don’t try bringing up the Ye Family or the Human Alliance. Even if your Ye Family’s patriarch were here, what difference would it make if I killed him? The younger generation competes without regard for life and death! No one can interfere!”

So, you want to rely on your background? I’m not intimidated by backgrounds. I am the ultimate background!

With his Great Completion Primordial Dao Body standing guard, Jiang Chen was unfazed, even if the ancient supreme figures backing the Ye Family were to show up.