Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen arrived at the valley behind the mountain, laying a soft blanket on the grass and placing some food on it. Needless to say, the valley was bathed in sunlight, with a gentle spring breeze. The delicate fragrance of wildflowers and the refreshing scent of grass wafted through the air, making it an excellent spot for a picnic. However, the peach trees were bare due to the previous battle, so theh didn’t quite match the scenery.
After a moment’s thought, Yan Ge condensed a small amount of spiritual energy in his hand and cautiously infused it into the peach trees.
Flower buds bloomed on the peach trees at a speed visible to the naked eye, and lush flowers blossomed. In the blink of an eye, the bald trees turned into large pink spheres.
Yan Ge stopped in time. Regular trees couldn’t withstand excessive spiritual energy infusion; too much would cause them to burst and die.
This was his first attempt at something like this, and he hadn’t expected the effect to be so good. He smiled at Huangfu Yuchen.
“Amazing,” Huangfu Yuchen praised as he popped a strawberry into Yan Ge’s mouth.
As Ji Chang, Ruan Mingwei, He Hong, and Zhang Jian approached, they witnessed the scene of Yan Ge’s display of power, and they were amazed. They had special access routes to come here, and they were aware that someone would come knocking at their door soon.
The four of them approached together, respectfully greeting, “Mr. Yan, Mr. Huangfu.”
“Hello,” Yan Ge had a certain fondness for these four. They were close to him and Yuchen due to vested interests, yet they maintained a good balance—neither overly obsequious nor overly ambitious. They were relatively easy to get along with.
Not long after, more people arrived from the farm, including Yuan Luoheng’s group and several cultivators they had met on Baichang Mountain. Being closer to the capital, they had hurried over upon hearing from Yuan Luoheng that foreign cultivators had come to trouble Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. These cultivators had relatively higher levels of cultivation, having performed well in the ranking competition among cultivators. It wouldn’t be long before they entered the farm for cultivation. Although they might not be of much help, their presence was a gesture.
Everyone politely greeted Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen.
Yan Ge smiled and replied to each one.
To their surprise, Huangfu Yuchen didn’t give them a cold shoulder and nodded in response.
The two of them leisurely enjoyed their fruits. After awhile, a series of thunderclaps sounded above them, going from muffled to resounding, from low to high. Within a few breaths, two figures streaked through the air like meteors, landing before Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen.
Only after they landed did the others notice the presence of another person behind them—Chadwick.
Chadwick looked at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, disdainfully raising his thumb, then giving them the thumbs-down gesture.
William and Grey saw the only two individuals who were sitting among the crowd and knew that they were Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen.
William’s gaze darkened. Suddenly, a massive pressure descended like a storm cloud, bearing down heavily.
While the pressure made Yuan Luoheng’s group uncomfortable, as if they were carrying a thousand-pound weight on their heads, and invisible hands pressed them down, making their faces turn red and their inner energy churn uncontrollably, not one of them fled. Despite the grievances among them, they were all citizens of China at this moment, united against a common foe, determined not to lose face before outsiders.
Meanwhile, Grey stared at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, his eyes gleaming with admiration. These two were not only remarkable in temperament but also exceptional in appearance.
‘Flexing your muscles?’ Yan Ge thought. He casually extended his right hand with his palm up, and caught a drifting peach blossom. Swift currents of air then surged forth, as if a huge fan had fanned upwards.
The pressure above everyone’s heads dissipated immediately, and they let out relieved breaths before calmly retreating.
A battle between experts was beyond their ability to intervene.
William’s gloomy gaze shifted to focus on Yan Ge.
Yan Ge lazily leaned back on the blanket, his left hand propping him up, one leg stretched out while the other was casually bent. His right hand rested on his bent knee, looking relaxed and natural, and exuding an air of nonchalance and tranquility. His eyes even held a faint smile as he met William’s gaze, devoid of any hostility or intent to fight, as if he was merely curious about the purpose of their visit.
‘Hmm? He’s not simple at all.’ Grey, who was standing beside William, crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. When William invited him to come to China, he had agreed without hesitation. But his motivation wasn’t for Wei Wen or the so-called dignity of the Holy See; he was genuinely curious about Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. People who dared to provoke William were no simple.
He now felt that coming to China this time was the right decision.
“Was it you who killed Wei Wen?” William’s gaze was sharp.
Yan Ge raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you want to ask why?”
“Is that necessary?” William’s demeanor changed abruptly, the rustle of his robe sounding like cloth brushing against a blade. It was as if he was clad in clothes crafted from killing intent. “Since you dared to kill him, you should have anticipated today.”
Yan Ge chuckled. “Oh. Since you sent him to China to cause trouble, you should have anticipated that he would die.”
William no longer wasted words. “Grey, deal with the other one.”
After saying that, he raised his palm and struck towards Yan Ge.
Huangfu Yuchen raised his right palm in front of Yan Ge’s face, redirecting the force back. He calmly remarked, “I’m the one who killed Wei Wen.”
“Even better!” William’s killing intent surged forth as he lunged towards Huangfu Yuchen.
In a flash, Huangfu Yuchen’s figure shifted, moving as if he vanished for a moment. By the time everyone realized, he was already standing before William. His right fist was clenched and enveloped in true qi, striking towards William’s chest, while his left hand traced a large circle in the air, creating a transparent barrier that isolated the four of them from the others.
Yuan Luoheng’s group had previously witnessed the power of the barrier so they confidently moved closer to observe.
Other cultivators dared to stand closer as well.
Grey watched Yan Ge with amusement, beckoning him with his finger as he used rudimentary Chinese, “Come, let’s have some fun. I’m Grey, what should I call you?”
Before the words had fully left his mouth, he suddenly darted to the right. A sharp silver light nearly grazed his hand as it shot past.
He took a deep breath, realizing how close that was. If he hadn’t moved quickly, that light would have severed his fingers!
William glanced over but didn’t say anything. This was the result of Grey underestimating Yan Ge. In fact, it would have been better if that strike had hit Grey earlier, then Grey’s attacks would be even fiercer against Yan Ge. His purpose today was to ensure Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen’s deaths!
“Swish—” A surge of energy shot toward William’s head.
William spread his arms, swooping up like a hawk and evading the killing intent. In mid-air, he made a turn and charged downward, both fists acting like twin cannons, shooting out energy like bullets.
“Boom—Boom—Boom—” The ground was pounded into large craters. Soil and stones scattered like sparks in all directions. Even the boundary trembled from the torrential force.
Huangfu Yuchen made a few flowing movements, his true qi resembling a series of darting projectiles. They struck the “pellet-like” spheres of energy coming from the opposite side, and there were loud bangs as they exploded.
Suddenly, he leaped up like a carp jumping through the Dragon Gate, arching in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, he was before William, and an elusive yet intangible punch landed right in William’s chest.
William’s chest trembled. Around the center of impact, the ribs faintly ached. The bones weren’t broken, but William felt it—they had cracked. Instantly, his rage surged, and he lunged at Huangfu Yuchen, engaging in close combat.
Outside the boundary, spectators watched Huangfu Yuchen’s fist techniques create a whirlwind of energy, openings and closures, distancing and approaching, appearing and disappearing like shadows, sometimes solid, sometimes gentle. They were unpredictable, leaving them in awe, and they didn’t dare to blink.
William wasn’t any less capable. Initially, he thought he could take care of Huangfu Yuchen within fifty moves. Now, his anger grew with each attack. His strikes became more fierce and brutal; the sound of his long nails slicing through the air resembled someone forcefully tearing through sturdy fabric.
For a moment, the ground within the boundary quaked, and debris flew.
Turning attention back to Yan Ge and Grey.
Grey looked at Yan Ge’s harmless face and found himself hesitating to deliver a fatal blow. He considered toying with Yan Ge for a while, planning to let Yan Ge live until William killed Huangfu Yuchen, allowing William to personally kill Yan Ge.
However, he quickly realized he was mistaken—it wasn’t Yan Ge he was toying with, he was the one being toyed with.
Yan Ge’s movements were incredibly agile, striking and retreating with every move. He wasn’t launching lethal attacks against him; it was more like he was taunting him. To him, the air seemed to have an invisible staircase, and he maneuvered within it, climbing, descending, and leaping, dodging left and right.
At first, Grey remained composed, but Yan Ge’s teasing gradually provoked his impatience. Grey launched a fierce pursuit, but Yan Ge continued to evade, only swooping in for an attack whenever an opportunity arose. Unknowingly, Yan Ge gained control over the rhythm of the battle. Grey felt like prey, caught by a well-fed tiger, played with.
Outside the boundary, some onlookers began to see through the situation and couldn’t help but laugh.
Those who were bolder even laughed heartily. Although Yan Ge and Grey’s fight wasn’t as grand as the battle between Huangfu Yuchen and William, and didn’t involve spectacular clashes, it was satisfying to watch.
Unable to bear it any longer, Grey let out a roar and lunged at Yan Ge.
An overwhelming force surged towards Yan Ge’s forehead in an instant. Yan Ge’s lips curled into a smile. His body subtly shifted in mid-air, resembling a leaf detached from a tree, gliding along the wind’s course. He was like a skiff on a swift river, smoothly evading Grey’s assault.
The exquisite footwork caused Yuan Luoheng outside the barrier to exclaim involuntarily, “Impressive!”
Within this display was not only Yan Ge’s profound cultivation but also his agile body and quick-wittedness in battle. Each of these aspects was worthy of contemplation and emulation.
Ruan Mingwei and his companions stared without blinking, afraid to miss a single detail. In fact, they should consider themselves fortunate. If it weren’t for Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen intentionally suppressing their cultivation, they wouldn’t be able to discern the battle within the barrier at all.
Yan Ge continued to tease Grey, he was like a little monkey in the woods, sneakily tapping someone’s shoulder from behind before darting away.
Grey was thoroughly infuriated.
He made a flicking motion with his right hand, and a weapon appeared in his grasp—a tan-colored scepter. The top of the scepter featured a circular design, with three pitch-black holes at its center eerily resembling a skull. It looked quite menacing.
To make someone perish, one must first drive them to madness. Yan Ge had initially mocked and played with Grey, his main objective was to enrage Grey. Once Grey was furious, he would undoubtedly become fiercer and more ruthless. However, this would also expose more vulnerabilities. Under these circumstances, defeating Grey while concealing his true strength would be easier.
“Boom—” A white light burst forth from one of the scepter’s holes, the laser-like beam aimed straight at Yan Ge.
Yan Ge jumped and evaded. The white light struck the ground, creating a deep well-like crater.
Before he could catch his breath, the second strike came.
As agile as a fox, Yan Ge dodged once again, casting a curious glance at the scepter in Grey’s hand. He wondered if the energy within the scepter was limitless.
Thus, one strike and one dodge repeated over a dozen times. Grey never managed to hit Yan Ge. His brown eyes shifted in color, verging on black. This was due to the rapid circulation of energy.
“Very good!” Grey stopped, standing several meters away from Yan Ge. The corners of his mouth curled with a cold, unyielding grin, “Originally, I was reluctant to kill you, but now it seems sparing you would be a waste of your skills!”
With his hands behind his back, Yan Ge smiled playfully, “Come on.”
“Clang—Clank—” Two bursts of white light shot out from the two “eye holes” of the scepter.
These two bursts were denser and larger than before. As they sped forward, the air friction emitted a hissing sound similar to crackling electricity.
Yan Ge knew these two strikes were stronger than the ones before and he didn’t dare to be careless. He interlocked his palms, condensing a similar energy sphere from his true qi, meeting the attack head-on.
“Boom!” A deafening explosion resounded. The dazzling white light suddenly detonated, shooting out in all directions. The surging explosive force spread with an unstoppable momentum. Both Yan Ge and Grey were sent flying backward by the shockwave.
Even Huangfu Yuchen and William on the other side were affected. They continued to battle but also evaded toward a distance further away.
Fortunately, the barrier was sizable; otherwise, had they not managed to dodge in time, all four would have been injured.
