When Eddie brandished his blades, shining like twin suns, the four most powerful elders immediately scattered and retreated. They were old foxes, always leaving themselves an escape route. The two previously blown away by Eddie's aura, although rolling on the ground, were not in any mortal danger. The unlucky one was the man in black, foolishly lunging forward to assassinate Eddie, unaware that the four elders had already fled. He swung his spear at Eddie, but as the blinding light neared, blurring his vision, it was too late to dodge.
His iron spear, upon contact with the intense light, silently shattered into fragments. As the first 'sun' exploded on him, the man in black felt his body melting under the intense heat. By the time the second, smaller but ten times more powerful 'sun' hit, he felt himself obliterated in an instant.
The two figures on the city wall observed Eddie's dual-blade strike with concern. One of them shook his head, a deep voice murmuring, "It's not 'One Fold Mountain Breaker', just the sword intent. He probably self-developed this combat technique."
"You mean, like his father, he's a genius who can self-develop combat techniques?" asked the other figure.
"It's possible someone taught him in secret," the elder figure speculated.
Down below, the situation changed. The man in black, outwardly unharmed and his clothes intact, had already been killed in a single strike. His pupils were dilated and unfocused.
The four elders, though cunning and avoiding direct combat, still bore wounds from Eddie's explosive sword intent, leaving them disheveled and humiliated.
The tightly closed gates of Yew Mansion slowly opened, and the drawbridge creaked down. A refined man in a white robe, his face showing signs of maturity and well-maintained elegance, walked out to meet Eddie, who was still regaining his breath. The man's face broke into a warm smile, nodding politely, "Eddie, is it really you? When I heard the servants' report, I could hardly believe my ears. I immediately informed Father, hoping he would be delighted to hear the news. He hasn't had such a surprise in a long time. Finally, our family has a successor!"
Hearing this, Eddie felt a chill in his heart. This man seemed to be the current acting head of the Yew family, Yew Shan. His innocent demeanor suggested he would deny all responsibility. Had Eddie not known that he was a cunning and ruthless man, disguised as a benevolent uncle, he might have been fooled by his seemingly genuine smile.
His Oscar-worthy acting made Eddie realize just how difficult Yew Shan would be to deal with – a man of great skill, intelligence, and political acumen, hiding his true nature behind a facade of courteousness, much like an eunuch .
When Eddie brandished his blades, shining like scorching suns, the four strongest elders immediately scattered and retreated. They were cunning, always leaving room for escape. The two previously shocked by Eddie's aura, though rolling on the ground, were not in mortal danger. The unlucky one was the man in black, foolishly charging forward to assassinate Eddie, unaware that the four elders had already fled. As he lunged with his spear, the intense light nearly blinded him, leaving no chance to dodge.
His iron spear, upon contact with the bright light, silently disintegrated into iron dust. When the first 'sun' exploded on him, the man in black felt his body melting under the intense heat. By the time the second, smaller but ten times more powerful 'sun' hit, he felt obliterated in an instant.
The two figures on the city wall observed Eddie's dual-blade strike, visibly moved. One of them shook his head, a deep voice emerging, "It's not 'One Fold Mountain Breaker', just the sword intent. He must have self-developed this combat technique."
"You mean, like his father, he's a genius who can develop his own combat techniques?" asked the other figure.
"It could be someone taught him in secret," the elder figure speculated.
The situation on the ground changed again. The man in black, outwardly unharmed and neatly dressed, had already been killed in a single strike. His pupils were dilated and unfocused.
The four elders, meanwhile, were disheveled and injured, though cunningly avoiding direct combat. They were humiliated by Eddie's explosive sword intent.
The closed gates of Yew Mansion slowly opened, and the drawbridge creaked down. A refined man in a white robe, Shawn, walked out to meet Eddie, who was sheathing his blade. Shawn's face, showing signs of maturity and well-maintenance, broke into a warm smile, nodding politely, "Eddie, is it really you? When I heard the servants' report, I could hardly believe it. I immediately informed Father, hoping he too would be pleased by this surprise. Finally, our family has a successor!"
Hearing this, Eddie's heart grew cold. Shawn's innocent demeanor suggested he would deny all responsibility. Had Eddie not known he was a cunning and ruthless man, he might have been fooled by Shawn's seemingly genuine smile. His Oscar-worthy acting made Eddie realize just how difficult Shawn would be to deal with.
Eddie felt that if he tried to engage Shawn in a verbal exchange, he would be overpowered by Shawn's status as the acting family head. The only way was to use brute force to overcome cunning.
"You pretend to care about your nephew, huh? I'll indulge you!" Eddie thought to himself. To outwit a fool, use a smart approach. Conversely, to outwit a smart person, sometimes a foolish approach works wonders.
Eddie's eyebrows arrogantly raised, a cold smile on his lips, but his voice feigned sincerity, "Uncle Shawn, I've been struggling with my training lately. Could you perhaps offer me some guidance?"
He wasn't just talking; he was readying his energy on the Moon Blade. Without waiting for Shawn's response, Eddie was prepared to strike at the first opportunity.
Ready to play mind games? Eddie was up for the challenge. He would play along while using brute force, saying one thing and doing another, to see how long Shawn could keep up his act.
The four elders and the two uncles who had been thrown to the ground were all stunned. They couldn't believe their ears. They exchanged glances, wondering if Eddie had gone mad.
In the Yew family, apart from the patriarch, Haye Yew, who had achieved the highest level of a sixth-tier grandmaster, Shawn was the strongest. The three great elders, absorbed in researching the family's secret techniques, rarely involved themselves in clan affairs, so the second strongest in the Yew family was actually Shawn, a sixth-tier mid-level grandmaster.
How could Shawn have become the acting family head if he weren't so powerful?
Now, Eddie, who couldn't even contract the weakest war beast, dared to challenge Shawn? Did he think being a sixth-tier grandmaster was a joke?
Or did he believe that learning a few moves from his father made him invincible? Not even Quinn Yew in his prime would have dared to claim an easy victory over Shawn, a genius in both talent and war beasts.
Once a warrior reaches the sixth tier, their strength increases more than tenfold, regardless of the type of war beast they contract. Only those who truly surpass the sixth-tier grandmaster level are recognized by the nation as formidable warriors. In the eyes of peak warriors, anyone below the sixth tier is insignificant.
And now, Eddie, a mere ant in their eyes, dared to challenge Shawn, a sixth-tier grandmaster?
"It's all my fault, Eddie, for being too busy with state affairs and neglecting my nephews.
If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me!" Although Shawn's face was full of smiles, Eddie could see a flash of murderous intent in his eyes.
Shawn didn't bother to hide it, knowing Eddie was also smart; between smart people, there's no need for too much pretense. Their words were just for the audience.
Both men secretly wished to kill each other, yet on the surface, one acted like a humbly seeking nephew, and the other like a kind and generous elder.
As Eddie charged his Moon Blade with energy, Shawn, smiling, quickly summoned a Golden Grimoire and fused a Silver war beast into his body, then slowly unsheathed his longsword, speaking in a gentle tone, "Eddie, be careful. Swords are blind; go no further than necessary, and don't get hurt."
"I'd also advise Uncle Shawn to be more careful himself," Eddie retorted, swinging the Moon Blade forward fiercely. Such a devastating strike had instantly killed a fourth-tier middle-level man in black, but Shawn effortlessly caught it with one hand.
Eddie raised an eyebrow, noticing something peculiar about Shawn's war beast. It wasn't a typical enhanced class beast, but a special octopus war beast. Shawn's arm turned into an octopus limb, flexibly absorbing the heavy blow, and its numerous suckers absorbed all the energy from the Moon Blade. Meanwhile, Shawn's sword transformed into thousands of sharp arrows, shooting towards Eddie.
Eddie's keen eyes saw that Shawn's octopus beast not only allowed his arm to transform but also poisoned the sword blades. He couldn't dodge; doing so would leave Mother Grace and Little Frost behind him exposed to fatal sword strikes.
"Second Slash: Heaven and Earth Collapse!" Eddie didn't actually know Quinn Yew's sword and blade techniques, but to disguise his Innate Invisible Sword Qi, he led his enemies to believe it was Quinn Yew's technique, mimicking the sword intent as best he could.
Shawn's eyes flashed with cruelty, "Not bad, but still lacking experience."
He seemed to have a way to counter Eddie's Second Slash, his octopus-transformed hand rapidly changing shape, shrouded in black light, as if preparing a stealthy attack on Eddie.
Suddenly, he stood upright, reverting to his polite, gentlemanly demeanor, allowing Eddie's Ash Blade to strike him without resistance.
A towering figure appeared between Shawn and Eddie. Eddie, pretending to be unable to stop his momentum, fiercely brought the blade down.
The figure neither dodged nor flinched, taking the full brunt of Eddie's Ash Blade, creating a thunderous, ear-deafening crash.
The result of the strike surprised Eddie – his Ash Blade rebounded, while the towering figure stood unscathed, as if made of iron.
"Not bad, I actually felt that!" the towering figure nonchalantly brushed off his shattered breastplate.
"Ah?" Eddie thought in shock, "This level of defense is just absurd!"
Eddie saw an elderly figure appear, his hair white with age, missing an arm and a leg, but his presence was as formidable as a lion and as imposing as a mountain. Just standing there, he exuded an unstoppable and dominant aura.
Eddie hadn't seen him before, but he could tell at a glance that this was the current head of the Yew family.
Of course, he was also the recently retired old Marshal of the nation, the grandfather of the "Cup Guy," known as Haye Yew, the "One-Armed War God."
Such a terrifying aura could only have been forged through years of accumulating battle intent, something no one else could replicate.
In Eddie's second-tier keen eyes, this Haye Yew held more mysteries than his son, Shawn. But even what his eyes could see was enough to make Eddie wary and secretly startled.
This old man, the grandfather of the "Cup Guy," possessed an incredibly powerful Golden war beast. It was fused into Haye Yew's body, sharing his life, much like an enhanced life-guardian war beast. Eddie was certain it was not a life-guardian war beast, for those do not die or suffer injuries. This powerful Golden war beast was maimed, sharing the same injuries as its master.
Eddie suspected it might be the legendary Earth Bear, a creature of myths. This Haye Yew was a high-tier sixth-level grandmaster, battle-hardened and fierce as a blade – truly formidable!
Shawn, also a sixth-tier warrior, paled in comparison to Haye Yew, resembling a young boy next to a robust man. The difference wasn't just slight; it was vast.
When Eddie looked at Haye Yew, he felt a surge of excitement, like facing the three-headed Chimera in the White Sheep Palace. His blood boiled with eagerness to fight such a powerful opponent, but without revealing his full strength, he was not fully confident.
Without using his Innate Invisible Sword Qi, or relying on Little Wenli and the Metallic Beast, just with Grey Wolf and the Shadow Barbarian Bull, he couldn't hope to shake this Haye Yew. Even adding the Bloody Queen might not be enough.
Haye Yew's decades of deep cultivation made him an incredibly formidable adversary.
Eddie sighed inwardly; although he had surpassed Haye Yew in realm, having entered the Innate Realm earlier, his training time was far too short, not even half a year since his transmigration.
"All this nonsense, fighting right at the family's doorstep, what a disgrace!" Haye Yew's voice, reminiscent of a military march, rang out distinctively.
He surveyed the scene with an uncompromising glare, rebuking, "I don't know what's going on here, and I don't have time to listen until I find out!
You are all Yew descendants. I've always believed that Yew descendants can reason, but if you don't want to reason, you can settle it with fists. Whether you want to talk or fight, settle it at the family's New Year tournament! Now, everyone get back to your rooms and stop this shameful display!"
Eddie was stunned. "Reason or fists? What kind of bandit logic is this? Is this the Yew Mansion of one of the Four Great Families, or a den of robbers? Everyone here is more barbaric than the next!"
Eddie had thought he was quite unreasonable, but Haye Yew was a hundred times more so. "Is this old man really a Marshal? That family New Year tournament where we can 'talk with our fists' sounds quite interesting."
With that thought, Eddie couldn't help but smile. Talking with fists – that was exactly what he excelled at!