Arrogant! Tyrannical!
Wang Hu didn't have a shred of respect for the Ye Family!
Ye Changyun furrowed his brow. "Steward Wang, if you annihilate my Ye Family without just cause, how will you answer to the Heavenly Profound Sect?"
Ye Changyun knew that the more powerful a Sect was, the more it cared about its reputation. After all, if its reputation was sullied, who would send their children to the Heavenly Profound Sect in the future? It would affect the Sect's long-term development.
"Answer to them?" Wang Hu snorted coldly, pointing at Ye Qingchen. "This boy is a demonic cultivator. Since your Ye Family is harboring him, I am merely exterminating evil for the good of the people by destroying you all. Is that reason enough?"
Ye Changyun exclaimed angrily, "Ye Qingchen is not a demonic cultivator!"
Wang Hu sneered, "He is if I say he is!"
Hearing this, every member of the Ye Family burned with fury. This was blatant slander! It was a classic case of fabricating a crime to justify a punishment. But at this moment, it was impossible to reason with Wang Hu, as he was simply twisting logic and being belligerent!
From the side, Liu Haizhou stared coldly at Ye Qingchen. "To advance from the First Layer of Martial Apprentice to the Eighth Layer in such a short time… even the most dazzling genius in the Northern Desolate Country can't cultivate that quickly. Only a demonic cultivator could achieve such a feat!"
Ye Qingchen shook his head and met Liu Haizhou's gaze. "I am not a demonic cultivator! Besides, just because others can't achieve rapid cultivation, it doesn't mean I can't."
Liu Haizhou immediately sneered. "You? A good-for-nothing who made no progress in ten years! I'd sooner trust the watchdog at a Qingyun Town farm than believe you!"
It was pure, unadulterated humiliation.
Ye Qingchen's expression darkened as he looked at Liu Haizhou and Wang Hu. "Fine! I agree to a life-and-death duel with Liu Haizhou! But on one condition: Steward Wang, you must promise that life and death will be decided in the duel. Regardless of who wins or loses between us, you will not intervene, nor will you harm a single hair on anyone else in my Ye Family!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhou's eyes lit up. "Ye Qingchen, you're a dead man!"
The entire reason he had asked his master to come was to ensure Wang Hu could stop the Ye Family's experts from interfering.
Wang Hu nodded with a smile. "Alright, I promise you!"
His real purpose on this trip was to kill Ye Qingchen; annihilating the Ye Family was just an excuse. Otherwise, he couldn't be bothered to waste his breath on Ye Changyun and the others!
Now, allowing his disciple to kill Ye Qingchen with minimal fuss was the best possible outcome.
"Ye Qingchen, don't do it!" Ye Changyun panicked.
Liu Haizhou was at the peak of the Ninth Layer of Martial Apprentice. With Ye Qingchen's cultivation, he was no match for him! He had promised Ye Qingchen's father he would look after his nephew. How could he possibly stand by and watch the boy walk to his death?
Worst comes to worst, we'll take them down with us! Even if it means risking the entire Ye Family, we'll fight Wang Hu and his disciple to the death!
Ye Qingchen smiled. "Family Head, I'm not going in completely blind. Just let me try!"
Ye Changyun was about to protest further, but the Supreme Elder beside him held him back. "I can see the confidence in Ye Qingchen's eyes. Why not let him give it his all? If things look bad, it won't be too late for us to step in!"
After a moment of internal conflict, Ye Changyun finally nodded.
Just as Liu Haizhou was about to make his move, Ye Qingchen spoke up, "A verbal agreement isn't proof. Let's put it in writing!"
"Fine!" Liu Haizhou agreed instantly without a shred of hesitation. Ye Qingchen's proposal was exactly what he wanted. With a written agreement, he could kill Ye Qingchen fair and square, avoiding accusations of bullying the weak and saving himself from gossip.
Ye Changyun ordered someone to write up the contract. Its contents stipulated that the two would fight a duel to the death, no one else was to interfere, and regardless of the outcome, no harm would come to any other person.
Ye Qingchen and Liu Haizhou each affixed their Hand Seal to the document. Ye Changyun, representing the Ye Family, and Wang Hu also signed and added their Hand Seals.
Once it was all done, Ye Changyun earnestly cautioned Ye Qingchen, "Ye Qingchen, be careful!"
Liu Haizhou could no longer contain himself. Before Ye Changyun could even finish, he rushed toward Ye Qingchen in a single bound. He struck down with a palm chop, a sharp, blade-like aura manifesting at the edge of his hand!
Sword Palm Technique!
It was a high-grade Yellow Tier Martial Technique that could transform palm force into a sharp, unstoppable blade. When fully mastered, one could cleave an enemy in half with their bare hands. Its power was immense!
Liu Haizhou had used his killing move from the very start, hoping to end the fight quickly. He was dying to take Ye Qingchen's head back to win Li Susu's affection!
"Be careful!" Ye Ying cried out in alarm. Even she wasn't confident she could withstand the power of Liu Haizhou's attack, and she couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Ye Qingchen.
Facing Liu Haizhou's Sword Palm Technique, Ye Qingchen showed no intention of dodging. He advanced instead of retreating, his fingers tracing a peculiar arc as he met Liu Haizhou's palm!
Picking Leaf Hand!
"Hmph! Courting death!" Seeing Ye Qingchen choose a direct confrontation, Liu Haizhou's face filled with disdain as his palm chop descended ferociously.
However, his strike met only air, passing through Ye Qingchen's hand and hitting nothing!
Not good!
Having missed, Liu Haizhou felt a sense of dread and immediately retreated as fast as he could.
Though he reacted instantly, he was ultimately a step too slow.
SMACK!
Ye Qingchen's palm passed through Liu Haizhou's palm chop and landed squarely on his chest with unerring accuracy.
Liu Haizhou coughed up a mouthful of blood as his body was thrown backward a full ten meters!
With a single move, Ye Qingchen had sent Liu Haizhou flying!
In an instant, the entire area fell deathly silent.
Nobody had expected Ye Qingchen, an Eighth-Layer Martial Apprentice, to send Liu Haizhou, a peak Ninth-Layer Martial Apprentice, flying with a single blow!
The power of this Picking Leaf Hand… it's likely surpassed high-grade Yellow Tier and reached low-grade Profound Tier! Ye Changyun watched Ye Qingchen, a smile spreading across his face. This kid, Ye Qingchen, he's full of surprises!
Ye Xiao's eyes went wide in disbelief. He knew firsthand how strong Liu Haizhou was; he was no match for him at all. Yet this powerful opponent had just been sent flying by Ye Qingchen's palm! Ye Qingchen's strength was far greater than he had imagined!
Admiration also flickered in Ye Ying's beautiful eyes.
Clutching his chest, Liu Haizhou struggled to his feet. He felt his insides churn violently, and a searing pain burned in his chest.
If it weren't for the Golden Silkworm Armor his master had given him, which absorbed most of the blow, that palm strike might have killed him!
Looking up at Ye Qingchen, Liu Haizhou's pupils shrank.
He knew he had misjudged this time! Ye Qingchen was far stronger than he had imagined!
Wang Hu's brow furrowed, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
He had expected a meaningless, one-sided slaughter, but he never thought Ye Qingchen would be the one to wound Liu Haizhou on the first move!
Looking at Liu Haizhou slowly getting back on his feet, Ye Qingchen shook his head in mock regret. "To think I couldn't kill you with one palm. Liu Haizhou, your hide is even thicker than I imagined!"
Hearing this, Liu Haizhou's face instantly turned incredibly grim.