"With this Zhu Guo, I can break through to Martial Artist Level Nine ahead of schedule."
As Ye Tian gazed at the fiery red Zhu Guo in his hand, a flicker of excitement sparkled in his eyes. He carefully tucked it away within his garments, then proceeded to bury Lin Fei's remains before stealthily returning to Wang Village.
At this moment, Wang Village remained enveloped in the festive atmosphere of Wang Xu's grand birthday celebration, with no one noticing the disappearance of Ye Tian and Lin Fei.
Ye Tian navigated his way back to Wang Village without incident, eventually returning to the main hall.
As he had anticipated, his presence as a mere level two martial artist went unnoticed; his comings and goings elicited no attention whatsoever.
A faint smile played on Ye Tian's lips as he scanned the crowd for Ye Ba's figure.
Before long, he spotted Ye Ba among a group of burly men, who was thoroughly intoxicated and boasting about his "glorious achievements" in the Beast Hunting Team to those around him.
Ye Tian shook his head, found a place to sit, and nibbled on some food as he awaited the conclusion of the banquet.
His thoughts were solely focused on returning home to consume the Zhu Guo and ascend to Martial Artist Level Nine; he had grown somewhat impatient with the tedious festivities.
Regrettably, the banquet had to continue, and he could only bide his time in silence.
"You coward!"
Before long, Ye Tian found himself unable to remain tranquil, as Lin Wudi appeared out of nowhere, launching a barrage of mockery at him.
Accompanying Lin Wudi were several other young men of similar stature.
"Brother Lin, is this the coward you spoke of? I never would have imagined that a member of Ye Village could lack the courage to accept a challenge," one young man scoffed, his face alight with derision.
"Indeed, what a coward—truly a disgrace to Ye Village's reputation."
"What reputation? I see nothing remarkable about Ye Village; it's laughable that they dare to stand alongside us as one of the three great villages," another jeered.
…
The young men surrounding Lin Wudi were all filled with scorn, each taking turns to belittle Ye Tian.
Indifferent to these immature, level two and three martial artists, Ye Tian chose to ignore them entirely. He sat comfortably, relishing the delicacies before him, not sparing a glance at Lin Wudi and his entourage.
This nonchalance only fueled their anger; their faces darkened as they fixed their glares on Ye Tian, who continued to enjoy his meal.
A young man gritted his teeth and spat, "Hey, brat, did you not hear what we said? You coward, too afraid to accept Brother Lin's challenge—just get lost!"
The others glared at Ye Tian with fierce expressions, their eyes gleaming with malice.
"How strange, who let the dogs bark? So many of them, what a bore!" Ye Tian finally spoke, not directing his words at Lin Wudi but rather musing to himself, though his voice carried clearly to their ears.
Several young men trembled with rage; Lin Wudi's eyes burned with fury.
"Brat, I challenge you!" one young man shouted.
"Not interested!"
Ye Tian waved his hand dismissively without even turning his head.
The young men were momentarily taken aback, rendered speechless.
"Coward, you'll regret this!" Lin Wudi and his companions reluctantly retreated, threatening him as they left, but their words fell on deaf ears.
At long last, with those tiresome individuals gone, Ye Tian shook his head, setting down his utensils as the banquet neared its conclusion.
As applause and cheers echoed, the festivities gradually drew to a close, with the martial artists in attendance dispersing.
Ye Tian assisted the heavily intoxicated Ye Ba, and under the guidance of a Wang Village resident, they took up residence in a stone house.
"Ye Tian, where have you been?"
Shortly after entering the stone house and once their guide had departed, Ye Ba sprang from the bed, eyes wide as he stared at Ye Tian.
Startled, Ye Tian looked at the composed Ye Ba and realized the truth—this man had been feigning drunkenness.
"Don't be surprised; sometimes, being inebriated allows one to see others' true faces more clearly," Ye Ba remarked with a faint smile upon noticing Ye Tian's astonishment.
"Truly remarkable, Uncle Ba! I have much to learn from you!" Ye Tian responded with a grin, recognizing that Ye Ba possessed such insight was unexpected.
"Enough with the pleasantries! Where were you? Why did you take so long to return? I was quite worried," Ye Ba said with gravity.
At this, Ye Tian's expression darkened. He didn't rush to reply but lifted the corner of the window to glance outside, ensuring no one was lurking nearby before turning back.
Seeing Ye Tian's cautious demeanor, Ye Ba furrowed his brow, his expression growing serious; he sensed something significant had transpired, or else Ye Tian wouldn't be so wary.
Indeed, Ye Tian's next words left him utterly astounded.
"Uncle Ba, Lin Village and Wang Village have secretly formed an alliance."
"What!"
Ye Ba shot up, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Shh…" Ye Tian raised a finger to his lips, signaling caution due to potential eavesdroppers. Instantly, Ye Ba sat back down, though his expression was dark and his gaze troubled.
"Are you serious? This is no laughing matter!" Ye Ba's face was stern as he fixed his gaze on Ye Tian.
Ye Tian nodded solemnly, replying, "Just now, while I was out wandering, I accidentally overheard a conversation between Lin Fei and Wang Hu, which revealed this news."
Ye Ba harbored no doubts about his words; he immediately shattered the corner of the table with a fist, seething, "That damned scoundrel! I will kill him!"
"He indeed deserves to die, but there's no need for Uncle Ba to get involved; I have already taken care of him," Ye Tian replied coldly.
"What!"
Ye Ba gazed at Ye Tian in shock once more, realizing that his earlier remarks had merely been in a fit of anger; after all, Lin Fei's strength was far beyond his own.
At the ninth level of martial prowess, Lin Fei was a top-tier powerhouse, even within the entirety of Baiyun Town. Yet, the thought that such a formidable figure could be slain by a mere sixteen-year-old boy left Ye Ba astonished. He did not doubt the veracity of Ye Tian's claims; after all, Ye Tian had already vanquished the peak-level Purple Cloud Leopard, a creature of ninth-level prowess.
However, there was a significant distinction between slaying a ferocious beast and taking a human life. In Ye Ba's recollection, Ye Tian had never killed anyone, and he could hardly fathom the boy's boldness in executing such an act with unwavering composure and without the slightest hint of fear. This formidable mental fortitude astounded Ye Ba.
"Uncle Ba, he was the liaison for the covert alliance between Lin Family Village and Wang Family Village. By eliminating him now, we can pin the blame on Wang Family Village, inciting infighting among them," Ye Tian stated calmly. He understood that Ye Ba was grappling with numerous thoughts; having been a special forces soldier in his previous life, he had taken countless lives without flinching, and thus felt no trepidation over killing a man.
Ye Ba was unaware of these experiences, hence his astonishment.
"Mm?" Ye Tian's words pulled Ye Ba from his shock. The latter scrutinized Ye Tian with a deep gaze before nodding in agreement. "You acted correctly; killing Lin Fei at this juncture benefits Ye Family Village without any drawbacks. However, we must swiftly inform the village chief and others. We should leave Wang Family Village by tomorrow."
Ye Tian nodded in affirmation and then took his leave from Ye Ba, settling into a nearby stone dwelling.
Upon entering the room, Ye Tian promptly secured the door and retrieved the century-old Zhu Fruit from his bosom. He sat on the bed, preparing to consume the fruit to break through his current bottleneck.
Once everything was in order, Ye Tian slowly closed his eyes and swallowed the Zhu Fruit whole. Although the fruit was the size of a fist, it dissolved immediately upon contact, composed entirely of energy. A torrent of warmth surged down his throat, radiating throughout his entire body.
Within his main meridian, waves of true energy boiled and surged, growing larger and coalescing together, crashing toward the ninth main meridian.
With no unforeseen occurrences, the ninth main meridian was instantly breached, expelling impurities from within as the rushing true energy expanded dramatically.
Endless natural spiritual energy flocked to Ye Tian from his surroundings, which he rapidly refined, augmenting the true energy within him.
"Roar!" With a fierce cry, Ye Tian abruptly opened his eyes, a brilliant light gleaming within, his gaze electrifying.
He had finally broken through to the ninth level of martial prowess.
Standing upright, Ye Tian felt his body brimming with formidable power; the surging true energy flowed through his nine main meridians like an unstoppable torrent, vast and unyielding.
"Ninth level martial artist... Now, even if I encounter a tenth-level master, I can stand my ground and fight with the might of my blade intent!" Ye Tian's gaze was sharp as a blade, his presence commanding, akin to a newly unsheathed sword.
At this moment, he truly recognized his strength; in Baiyun Town, the only person who could pose a threat to him was the martial artist Wang Xu. Yet, he was confident that one day he would surpass Wang Xu.
Ye Tian's eyes shone with unwavering confidence.
Breaking through to the ninth level marked his ascension to the ranks of Baiyun Town's elite; this unexpected achievement caught him by surprise, especially since he had not anticipated reaching this level within Wang Family Village.
He felt a surge of gratitude towards the deceased Lin Fei; had it not been for the century-old Zhu Fruit obtained from that man, he would have needed more time to achieve this breakthrough.
Now, however, that time had been saved.
Gazing out at the morning light streaming through the window, a confident smile spread across his lips as he pushed open the door and stepped outside.
It was now bright daybreak; unbeknownst to him, he had spent the entire night in his cultivation.
With his newfound strength after breaking through to the ninth level, Ye Tian felt invigorated. He longed to unleash his Thunder Palm technique, but remembering that he was in Wang Family Village and could not reveal his capabilities, he restrained his excitement and went to rouse Ye Ba, preparing to return to Ye Family Village.
At that moment, Ye Tian remained unaware that Lin Fei's sudden disappearance had caused distress among several key figures in Wang Family Village.