Chapter 40: Overbearing and Powerful

## Chapter 40: Overpowering Dominance

"What now? Does Ye Chen still intend to fight?"

Witnessing Ye Chen's renewed preparations for battle, a wave of astonished murmurs rippled through the onlookers below.

"With his True Qi sealed, he's surely doomed to defeat."

"It seems a desperate, futile struggle."

"All in vain."

"Let's see how long you can cling on!" Qi Hao's eyes blazed with ferocity. He cleaved a devastating arc of sword qi through the air.

Ye Chen, already retreating, simultaneously yanked the Skyflaw Heavy Sword from where it was embedded in the war stage.

*Pound!*

Qi Hao's sword qi slammed against the Skyflaw Heavy Sword, sending sparks flying.

Without the protection of True Qi, Ye Chen's arms were jolted with searing pain. His throat tightened, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted forth.

"Die!" Qi Hao, moving with the speed of a flying insect, arrived in an instant, his sword piercing the air once more.

Strangely, Ye Chen made no attempt to dodge.

*Pu!*

Blood sprayed again as Ye Chen's body was pierced.

And yet, in that very moment, he once again gripped the killing blade with his bare hand, and his right fist shot out to meet the attack.

This time, however, Qi Hao was prepared. With a casual lift of his palm, he grasped Ye Chen's fist. With Ye Chen's True Qi sealed, this blow held no threat in Qi Hao's eyes.

"Too weak," Qi Hao sneered cruelly, a single palm strike sending Ye Chen reeling back, spitting blood.

"You still won't die this time?" Having repelled Ye Chen, Qi Hao, his blood-stained sword in hand, was poised to deliver the final blow.

However, just as he took a step, his expression contorted in sudden shock.

"This..." He distinctly felt a powerful force surge into his body, rigidly sealing him in place.

"How is this possible?" He stared in disbelief at the Heavenly Spirit Curse Symbol on his palm, which had already nearly merged with his body.

"Ye Chen also possesses a Heavenly Spirit Curse?" A fresh wave of uproar erupted below.

"The Heavenly Spirit Curse is incredibly rare. Can he afford one?"

"It's over! Qi Hao has also been struck by the Heavenly Spirit Curse."

"Splendidly done!" Xiong Er couldn't help but let out a wolf-like howl, his small, meaty fists clenched in excitement.

"Where did he get a Heavenly Spirit Curse?" Su Xin Yue was utterly astonished. The revelation that Ye Chen also held a Heavenly Spirit Curse had completely blindsided him.

"This is impossible!" Qi Hao's roar echoed from the stage.

"I told you, who lives and who dies is not yet decided!" Several *zhang* away, Ye Chen staggered to his feet, his gaze fixed on Qi Hao with a cold sneer.

"How do you have a Heavenly Spirit Curse?" Qi Hao's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Ye Chen.

"Does it matter?" With a cold laugh, Ye Chen slowly advanced. "What matters is that it's now fair. You have no True Qi, and I have no True Qi. The real fight is just beginning."

Upon hearing this, Qi Hao subconsciously took a step back.

Yes! He also had no True Qi.

In that case, was he still a match for Ye Chen?

Recalling Ye Chen's devastating close combat techniques, a flicker of fear crossed Qi Hao's eyes. For years, he had relied too heavily on True Qi. He had neglected to cultivate the most fundamental combat skills. Without True Qi, how could he possibly be Ye Chen's opponent?

"Fight!" Ye Chen's voice rang out, sonorous and powerful. With a single stride, he shot forward like a cannonball.

Seeing this, Qi Hao hastily retreated.

"Can you escape?" An icy voice followed on the wind. Ye Chen had already reached him, his hand lashing out with a single fist.

Instinctively, Qi Hao raised his arm to block.

But once again, he found it impossible to evade Ye Chen's oppressive close combat assault.

"Ah...!"

No matter how he roared, it was useless.

However, just as Ye Chen was displaying his formidable might, a white-robed disciple from Renyang Peak abruptly surged onto the war stage.

This disciple's cultivation wasn't high, but he was calculating. Knowing Ye Chen's True Qi was sealed and his strength significantly diminished, he intended to seize this opportunity to eliminate him!

"Die!" The white-robed disciple's expression was sinister as he thrust out a palm, holding nothing back.

"Condensation Qi fourth layer? Are you even worthy?" With a cold scoff, Ye Chen kicked Qi Hao away, then spun around abruptly. With an ape-like leap, he dodged the white-robed disciple's palm strike, then slammed his own palm down, sending the disciple staggering.

"This..." The disciples below were taken aback. Even with his True Qi sealed, Ye Chen was still monstrously powerful!

"Ah...!"

Amidst the shocked gasps, Ye Chen had already grabbed the white-robed disciple's leg and slammed him fiercely onto the war stage.

What kind of person was Ye Chen? The moment his True Qi was sealed, he had anticipated that the Renyang Peak disciples would attempt a sneak attack.

Fortunately, the Renyang Peak disciples who had come to assist at the Fengyun Stage, with the exception of Su Xin Yue who was at the ninth layer of Condensation Qi, were mostly below the fifth layer. This was entirely within Ye Chen's ability to handle.

A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

Ye Chen was precisely this kind of person. Though his True Qi was sealed, his practical combat ability remained. Coupled with his formidable physical body, he was not someone to be underestimated, especially by those disciples who were not Qi Hao.

"Ah...!"

With another agonizing cry, the white-robed disciple was slammed onto the war stage again by Ye Chen. His internal organs were all displaced, to the extent that the hard war stage was indented with a human-shaped impression.

"He has no True Qi! Attack together!"

Following a loud shout, the remaining Renyang Peak disciples below, except for Su Xin Yue, swarmed onto the war stage like a nest of bees.

"Holy shit!" Xiong Er, witnessing this, was instantly enraged. He hoisted his wolf-fang club, poised to charge onto the war stage, but just as he lifted his foot, he consciously retracted it.

Because, on the war stage, Ye Chen was unleashing his full might.

He held one leg of the already faint white-robed disciple, treating him as a weapon, swinging him wildly. Any Renyang Peak disciples who dared to approach were instantly flung away.

A scene unfolded on the stage:

The Renyang Peak disciples, one by one, were sent flying from the war stage like sandbags.

"Impressive!" Xiong Er sighed with deep emotion.

"This... this is too fierce." The surrounding disciples subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Ah...!"

Following another pained cry, one Renyang Peak disciple had his Dantian instantly shattered by Ye Chen's kick.

"Ye Chen!" Below the stage, Su Xin Yue suddenly let out a cold shout. "Harm fellow disciples like this, aren't you afraid of the Discipline Hall's judgment?"

"Harm fellow disciples?" Ye Chen's entire body was covered in blood, his eyes a blood-red expanse. He glared at Su Xin Yue and roared, "During a Fengyun duel, aside from the combatants, no third party is allowed to intervene. This is a long-standing sect rule! Even if I eliminate them on the spot, the Discipline Hall has no right to accuse me!"

"You..." Reprimanded again, Su Xin Yue's beautiful face flushed with anger.

"It was your Renyang Peak who first disregarded sect rules. Don't blame me," Ye Chen's voice was sonorous, chilling to the extreme.

Saying this, Ye Chen abruptly turned and delivered a palm strike to Qi Hao, who had just managed to scramble to his feet, rendering him unconscious.

Seeing this, a trace of cold light flashed in Su Xin Yue's eyes. He was about to charge onto the war stage.

"Su Xin Yue, is it? I advise you to behave, otherwise, the Pursuing Wind Arrow might not be so discerning," Xiong Er's voice rang out.

In his hand, the wolf-fang club had already been replaced by a longbow. At this moment, the longbow was drawn taut as a full moon, and a terrifying True Qi arrow hummed, ready to be unleashed. If Su Xin Yue dared to step onto the stage, this True Qi arrow would be released instantly.

Seeing this, Su Xin Yue's expression turned stern. He felt an icy chill emanating from that True Qi arrow.

He was certain that if he acted rashly, he would undoubtedly be pierced through the heart by an arrow.

Thinking this, he took a deep breath, and the foot he had just extended was obediently retracted.

"That's more like it!" Xiong Er sneered. After that, he didn't forget to sweep his gaze over the disciples below, scolding, "This old man doesn't want to target anyone. Behave yourselves, or don't blame me for being ruthless and cruel!"

As these words were spoken, those disciples who had been itching to move all retracted their True Qi, no longer daring to act rashly.

On the stage, Ye Chen had already taken Qi Hao's storage bag. After that, he thoroughly searched his entire body, taking away any valuable treasures.

He still gave Qi Hao some face; otherwise, with his past temperament, he would have surely stripped Qi Hao naked.

Having finished this, Ye Chen leaped down from the war stage and headed outwards.

As he passed by Su Xin Yue, Ye Chen glanced at his face, which was as if etched in frost, and sneered, "Senior Brother Su, your skill at distorting black and white is truly unmatched. I, your junior brother, feel truly inferior."

"You..."

Su Xin Yue was about to say something, but Ye Chen had already swept his robe and walked away.

In front, the disciples on both sides, with tacit understanding, made way for Ye Chen.

Today's battle, with its continuous climaxes, had been utterly shocking. Qi Hao, of the Human Yuan Realm, had been decisively defeated. Even the Renyang Peak disciples who had come to assist, with the exception of Su Xin Yue, had all been left lying prostrate.

After today, it was likely that no one would dare to underestimate Ye Chen, this inner disciple, again.

"Let's go!" After Ye Chen left, Xiong Er also collected all his winnings, patted his buttocks, and vanished without a trace.

After he left, those disciples who were still reeling as if waking from a dream, all felt a sense of emptiness.

"Ah...!"

Soon, a chorus of wails and howls erupted from the Fengyun Stage.

"This old man's spirit stones!"

"That was my entire family's fortune!"

"Decades of hard work, all gone in an instant!"

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