"Who dares touch her?"
The voice bood like a clap of thunder.
Hong Lin bore the brunt of it. He froze as if struck by lightning, his mind BUZZING.
A few of the ntally weaker experts from the three great families even felt their legs go weak, collapsing to the ground as a foul, wet patch spread beneath them.
"Who is it?"
The eight Earth Soul Realm experts were the first to recover.
They roared in unison, eight powerful Earth Soul Realm auras shooting toward the heavens as they glared upward.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
A massive shadow filled their vision, accompanied by a trendous tremor.
'Wh-what is that thing?'
'Oh my god, a dragon! It's a Golden Holy Dragon...'
'Fuck, why would a High-Level Desolate Beast like this co to a backwater place like ours?'
The experts all stared wide-eyed at the Golden Holy Dragon flapping its enormous, fleshy wings. The eight Earth Soul Realm experts, who had just been posturing aggressively, were now too terrified to even think of dodging.
THUD!
The Golden Holy Dragon landed heavily.
Its massive body didn't need to intentionally ram into anyone. The terrifying Vibrating Power from it simply folding its wings was enough to send the hundred-plus Essence Realm experts staggering. A few dozen who were closer were even sent flying.
GULP!
Hong Lin swallowed hard.
His vacant gaze was fixed on the majestic Golden Holy Dragon, but soon, he was captivated by the figure on its back.
The golden Flowing Light Golden Armor slowly retracted into his body.
He wore a brand-new silver Sword Robe. Embroidered on the left side of the chest was a golden longsword, and on its blade was the single, flamboyantly written character: "One"!
In the Royal Capital or elsewhere, anyone who saw this Sword Robe would imdiately understand its owner's identity. But in a godforsaken backwater like Shishui City, few people knew what it ant.
Naturally, Hong Lin didn't know either.
But that didn't stop a terror so profound from seizing him that he felt his blood run cold.
He stared fixedly at Hong Yu, his features twisting as a look of disbelief and terror crept across his face. "Hong... Hong... Hong Yu? Th-th-th-this is impossible! How could you be back here? Didn't the Fourth and Fifth Elders say Brother Jie and his n would kill you? Why are you here?"
Even though Hong Lin would never admit it, deep in his heart, Hong Yu was his indelible nightmare, his personal Demon.
First, Hong Yu had easily defeated him despite being at a lower cultivation level. Then he defeated Hong Luàn. After that, he thwarted the assassination attempt by Hong Hu and Hong Qi, killing them both in return and taking first place in the inter-clan martial competition...
And when he left Shishui City, he had stealthily assassinated Hong Tiande.
Every single incident replayed in Hong Lin's mind like a nightmare, tornting him, making it so he couldn't eat or sleep.
When the Fourth and Fifth Elders left, he had learned that the Four Kings, led by Hong Renjie, had already begun their move against Hong Yu and would kill him soon. Only then had Hong Lin managed a few peaceful nights of sleep. He thought he would never have to face Hong Yu again in his life.
But...
"Impossible! Brother Jie and the others should have killed you! How can you be here?" Hong Lin shrieked as if he had lost his mind.
Hong Yu glanced at him and said nonchalantly, "Sorry to disappoint you again."
With a flicker, Hong Yu leaped off the dragon's back and sauntered toward Hong Lin.
Hong Lin scrambled backward.
Not seeing the stairs behind him, he stumbled and fell to the ground. Hong Yu gave him a calm glance and simply stepped over him. The look on his face was as if he had seen a disgusting pile of dog shit, one he couldn't even be bothered to step on.
Hong Yu walked up to the wide-eyed, almost dazed girl, and their eyes t.
After a long mont, Hong Yu smiled faintly. "Silly girl, I haven't seen you in half a year, and you've gotten thinner!"
Gazing at that familiar smile, hearing that familiar voice, and slling that familiar scent she hadn't experienced in over half a year, Yun ngyao could no longer hold back. With a WAAAH, she threw herself into Hong Yu's arms.
Her delicate hands beat against his shoulders as she sobbed. "You anie, you big jerk... You said you'd be back for soon, but you made wait eight months, a whole eight months... *sob sob sob*..."
"Hahaha, silly girl, if you keep crying like this, be careful or no one will want to marry you!"
Hong Yu felt a sting in his nose. He gently patted the girl's smooth, beautiful back and comforted her.
But Yun ngyao didn't lift her head, burying it in his chest like an ostrich and rubbing her small face against him. "If I can't get married, then I can't get married! Worst case, I'll just have you take care of for the rest of my life, brother!"
"Huh?"
Hong Yu was taken aback.
Yun ngyao suddenly looked up, her eyes narrowed and glinting with a dangerous light. "What? Is my brother unwilling?"
"Ah, haha, of course I'm not unwilling!"
Hong Yu shook his head slightly and chuckled awkwardly.
He then looked at Xue Butong, who was standing to the side. "Brother Xue, thank you for helping take care of Yaoyao for the past six-plus months!"
"Br-Brother Hong Yu, you're too kind."
Xue Butong was at a loss for words for a mont.
He found that the naive youth of the past was now standing before him, and he sohow couldn't see through him anymore.
'It's only been half a year!'
'The Half-Step Earth Soul Realm kid from back then is now so powerful that even I can't see through him. How could I not be stunned and shocked?'
Hong Yu smiled faintly and flicked out a Rejuvenation Pill. "Brother Xue, this is a Tier Two Healing Spirit Pill, a Rejuvenation Pill. Take it and recuperate from your injuries. As for the trouble here, I'll take care of it."
"Brother, be careful."
Yun ngyao obediently stepped back, not forgetting to add a word of caution.
Hong Yu smiled. "Don't worry. If your brother can't even deal with this rabble, wouldn't that be an embarrassnt to you, the great Miss ng Yao?"
"Hee hee, my brother is the best!"
The corners of Yun ngyao's lips curved up, revealing a cute little canine tooth as she waved her small, delicate fist.
Her flushed cheeks and her exquisite features, which had grown more mature, made even Hong Yu stare, a little lost in the sight.
He then shook his head and looked toward Hong Lin and the others.
At that mont, Hong Lin and the experts from the three great families had regrouped. They had also heard what Hong Yu just said.
The eight Earth Soul Realm experts, in particular, were furious, gnashing their teeth as they glared at Hong Yu. One of the Wang Family's Earth Soul Realm experts roared, "Is this a disciple from your Hong Family? Ma Le Gobi, this brat dares call rabble! I can't swallow this insult."
"Hong Family brat, you're far too arrogant."
The Hong Family's Earth Soul Realm expert also said with a cold face, "This guy is just a branch family mber who got lucky. Even if we cripple him, no one in the Hong Family will pursue the matter."
"In that case, let us see for ourselves today just how amazing the genius who took first place in the inter-clan martial competition really is!"
"Heh heh, kid, do you want us to break your arms or your legs? Or perhaps, we'll cripple all your limbs?"
The eight Earth Soul Realm experts cracked their knuckles, spoiling for a fight as they surrounded Hong Yu.
Xue Butong's brow furrowed. He said in a low voice, "Guard . I need to take the Rejuvenation Pill and recover from my injuries. The weakest of these eight has Early-Stage Earth Soul Realm Cultivation, and the three strongest are at the Late-stage Earth Soul Realm. If the eight of them join forces, Hong Yu is definitely no match for them."
The remaining experts from the Spirit Pill Pavilion surrounded Xue Butong, allowing him to recover.
Yun ngyao clenched her fists, her pretty face etched with nervousness. 'Brother, can you really win? No, Yun ngyao, how can you doubt Brother Hongyu? He can definitely do it. He's the strongest!'
An expert from the Hong Family standing beside Hong Lin hesitated. "Young Master Hong Lin, Hong Yu is still the family's Ninth Young Master, after all. Is it... is it really appropriate for us to deal with him like this?"
"Cut the crap. The Third Elder made him the Ninth Young Master, it wasn't a public consensus. Besides..."
A cold, sinister smile spread across Hong Lin's face. "This guy is so damn arrogant, daring to challenge eight Earth Soul Realm experts from our three great families at once. Heh heh, if he gets his limbs broken and his cultivation crippled later, he can only bla himself for being too arrogant. How could he possibly bla us?"
"Th-that's true!"
"The way I see it, Hong Yu must think we wouldn't dare to lay a hand on him. That's why he's so arrogant!"
The group chattered among themselves. It seed that, aside from Yun ngyao, not a single person believed Hong Yu could win against the combined assault of eight Earth Soul Realm experts.
Oh, wait!
There was also the Golden Holy Dragon. It snorted out of boredom, glanced sideways at the old man who was still passed out on its back from the sheer speed of their flight, and thought with great disdain, 'Brother Long here didn't even use his full strength and you've already fainted. How pathetic!'
At the sa ti, the eight Earth Soul Realm experts roared and launched their strongest attacks.
"Arrogant brat, die!"
"We'll make you understand that arrogance has a price!"
The mont the eight of them attacked, Hong Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'The standard of Martial Artists in Shishui City really isn't on the sa level as the Cyan Nether Sword Sect!'
'In the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, any random Early-stage Earth Soul Realm expert could probably defeat a Mid-stage Earth Soul Realm Powerhouse from Shishui City.'
This was firstly because the gap between their Cultivation Techniques was too large, and secondly, of course, because of the massive difference in their Martial Skills.
In the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, even the weakest Earth Soul Realm expert could exchange a few years' worth of points for a Mortal Level Lower Grade Martial Skill.
But in Shishui City, even a Patriarch would, at most, have access to a Half-Step Mortal Level Martial Skill. The Patriarch of a slightly stronger family, like the Hong Family Patriarch, cultivated a single Mortal Level Lower Grade Martial Skill. The difference was like that between heaven and mud!
"Vibrating Rune Technique!"
Hong Yu's eyes darkened.
With one hand behind his back, he slowly raised his right hand and sent a palm strike toward one of them.
"You look down on too much..."
This Earth Soul Realm expert was enraged when he saw Hong Yu use such a simple move against him.
But before he could finish his sentence, an imnse power struck him.
With a THUD, he was sent flying backward.
Imdiately after, Hong Yu struck out seven more tis. Each palm was a simple, direct attack, infused with just a hint of the True Martial Arts Intent from the Vibrating Rune Technique.
Just like that, one palm for each person, he swatted them down like flies.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
Amid a series of muffled grunts, all eight Earth Soul Realm experts were struck down, severely injured and unable to move as they lay on the ground.
In the blink of an eye, the group of eight experts—a force strong enough to sweep through any family in Shishui City—was crushed by Hong Yu with the ease of chopping lons and slicing vegetables.
PHEW!
Hong Yu clapped his hands together and grinned. "Yaoyao, I didn't disappoint you, did I?"
At this mont, the high, blazing sun suddenly seed to turn ice-cold. A chilly wind blew past, and no one could manage a smile any longer...
[My fingers hurt, so I only just finished writing now, sorry! But the ten chapters for today are done. Please subscribe and give your monthly tickets!]
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