On the mountain path, Ye Tian abruptly turned the head of his tiger and charged towards the pursuing Wang Hong.
Behind him, Ye Ba shouted anxiously, but his cries were in vain; Ye Tian remained unresponsive, continuing his advance toward Wang Hong.
Wang Hong, witnessing this spectacle, was taken aback as she glanced at the youthful rider rushing toward her.
"Huh?" Wang Hong regarded the boy with disbelief, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes. Internally, she wondered if he had lost his mind, daring to charge at her without a care for his own life.
"Wang Hong, what madness has your Wang family village succumbed to? Do you seek to declare war on us, the Ye family village?" Ye Ba could only follow along, helplessly bellowing.
At that moment, his mind brimmed with confusion; why had Wang family village suddenly dispatched Wang Hong to eliminate them? Did they not fear a mutual annihilation with the Ye family village?
"War? Ha! You may believe what you wish!" Wang Hong smirked at Ye Ba, her expression void of concern for the boy, viewing both of them merely as corpses awaiting their fate.
As Ye Tian closed the distance, nearing Wang Hong by a hundred steps, the anxiety on Ye Ba's face deepened.
"You brat, whether your madness is feigned or genuine, I'll make you the first to fall!" Wang Hong's voice dripped with menace; her hideous visage rendered her an intimidating presence, dissuading any inclination to fight.
In truth, her appearance was even more lethal than her actions; ordinary individuals wouldn't dare gaze upon her face. It was only due to Ye Tian's experiences in his past life, where he had faced formidable figures like Phoenix Lady and Sister Furong, that he had developed a resilience to her ugliness.
Wang Hong clearly underestimated the tiger-riding youth before her. Without drawing her long spear, she unleashed a palm strike toward Ye Tian from a distance, intending to strike him down as their paths crossed.
Ye Tian's gaze sharpened; he had anticipated her disdain, knowing full well that Wang Hong was a level-nine martial artist. Had you ever witnessed a level-nine martial artist using their full strength against a mere boy?
The answer was evidently no; Wang Hong would soon learn that her contempt would bear consequences.
Whoosh!
As they drew closer, the air resonated with the sound of her powerful palm strike.
At that moment, Ye Tian displayed a façade of panic, hastily drawing the blood knife from his back while shouting nonsensically at Wang Hong as he swung.
His demeanor exuded a sense of alarm, revealing his shock.
"Level-two martial artist? Haha!" Wang Hong noted Ye Tian's cultivation level and the expression on his face, smirking coldly within.
She completely disregarded the blood knife aimed at her, fooled by Ye Tian's cultivation and expression.
Just as they collided, the black blood horse and the little white tiger roared in unison, and to Ye Tian's surprise, the black blood horse showed no fear of the tiger's imposing presence.
In reality, Ye Tian was unaware that the black blood horses from Blood Jade City had undergone specialized training; they were unflinching against beasts below the martial master level, a testament to their value.
Wang Hong's palm strike remained unwavering; even her casual blow harbored a terrifying force. A mere level-two youth, or even a level-seven warrior, would face dire consequences from her attack.
After delivering her strike, Wang Hong turned her icy gaze toward the approaching Ye Ba, clearly considering Ye Tian a doomed opponent.
Had Ye Tian truly been only a level-two martial artist, her assumptions would have held true; however, he possessed more than what she had estimated.
"Now's the moment!"
At the instant Wang Hong shifted her attention to Ye Ba, Ye Tian, enveloped by her palm's force, widened his eyes, a flash of determination igniting within.
In the next heartbeat, he unleashed a furious roar, his level-nine martial energy erupting alongside a murderous intent radiating from the blood knife.
"What!" Wang Hong spun around, her expression shifting dramatically.
As Ye Tian unleashed his level-nine aura, Wang Hong sensed it immediately; at such close proximity, failing to detect it would have been sheer folly.
Yet it was too late. Under her incredulous gaze, an invisible force erupted from the blood knife, racing toward her neck at a terrifying speed.
A chill surged from her feet, and though she couldn't perceive the blade's essence, she felt an imminent, lethal threat drawing closer.
In haste, Wang Hong could only raise her left hand to protect her head. With her extensive combat experience, she recognized this as a critical point and instinctively shielded it first.
Boom!
A resounding crash echoed as Ye Tian's strike shattered Wang Hong's palm attack, the invisible blade slicing toward her neck but meeting her left hand instead.
Swish!
In the following instant, crimson splattered forth; with a piercing scream from Wang Hong, a bloodied severed arm flew away.
Ye Tian and Wang Hong's figures crossed paths, but Ye Tian halted his little white tiger within ten paces, swiftly turning the tiger's head.
Conversely, Wang Hong, having sustained a grievous injury, toppled from her horse, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"This—"
Behind, Ye Ba quickly halted his horse upon seeing Wang Hong collapsed on the ground, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief.
Although he knew Ye Tian was formidable, witnessing the powerful Wang Hong being so brutally injured by him in an instant left Ye Ba astounded, his heart racing with an overwhelming sense of awe.
"Ah…" A scream pierced the air; Wang Hong, though severely injured, had not perished. She had managed to block Ye Tian's lethal strike with her left arm.
Now, however, she appeared utterly disheveled, desperately clutching the severed limb to staunch the flow of blood as she struggled to her feet, her expression a mix of astonishment and disbelief. "Ninth-level warrior? How old are you? How could you possess such remarkable cultivation? And what was that just now?"
Her mind churned with confusion; a boy she had deemed ordinary had unleashed the might of a ninth-level warrior, along with that terrifying blade intent that sent shivers down her spine.
"Ninth-level warrior? Ye Tian, you've broken through again?" Ye Ba exclaimed with delight as he turned his gaze towards Ye Tian.
Ye Tian nodded, then fixed his gaze on Wang Hong with a cold smirk. "Do you think a dead person needs to know too much?"
No sooner had he spoken than the little white tiger began striding toward Wang Hong, its fierce eyes locked on her as it let out a low growl, emanating an overwhelming aura of power.
Wang Hong's expression shifted; despair flickered across her grotesque face. With her left arm severed, if she couldn't stem the bleeding quickly, she would die regardless of whether Ye Tian chose to spare her life. Moreover, the blade intent from Ye Tian instilled great fear within her; she knew she could never withstand such a horrifying assault.
"You are Ye Tian! I remember now, the so-called greatest talent of Ye Village. I've heard you've reawakened your martial spirit, but I never expected your talent to be this formidable!" Wang Hong's eyes gleamed as she suddenly spoke.
"Oh? You know of me?" Ye Tian allowed the little white tiger to come to a halt in front of Wang Hong, his interest piqued.
Just as Wang Hong was about to continue, she was interrupted by Ye Ba.
"Ye Tian, don't waste time conversing with her. She's merely stalling. Finish her off quickly." Ye Ba shouted, having followed Ye Feng for many years; he was far from an inexperienced youth and was well aware of Wang Hong's deceptive tactics.
Wang Hong's expression changed upon hearing this, and she hurriedly addressed Ye Tian, "Ye Tian, your talent is indeed impressive, but I possess something that could enhance your strength even further. Let's make a deal: spare my life in exchange for it."
"A deal? Ha! What could you possibly possess that would make me stronger?" Ye Tian responded, a spark of interest igniting in his gaze.
Ye Ba, growing increasingly frantic, exclaimed, "Ye Tian, don't believe her! She's just trying to buy time; Wang Tian will undoubtedly be on his way!"
"I'm not deceiving you!" Wang Hong shouted back desperately. "My talent is quite poor, merely a red martial spirit, yet look at my cultivation and age. Ye Ba, you're five or six years older than I am, but can your cultivation compare to mine? Do you know why? Because I possess a treasure!"
Both Ye Ba and Ye Tian were taken aback, their expressions shifting to skepticism.
Ye Ba sneered, "A red martial spirit? How could you achieve ninth-level warrior status at just forty years old? That's impossible! Wang Hong, your skills in deceit are appallingly poor."
He himself had an orange martial spirit and, despite years of training, had only reached the pinnacle of eighth-level warrior. If Wang Hong truly had only a red martial spirit, there was no way she could surpass him.
"Uncle Ba, you're mistaken; she has indeed reached the pinnacle of ninth-level warrior, and it seems she's on the verge of breaking through to tenth-level," Ye Tian remarked coolly, his gaze penetrating.
"Ninth-level pinnacle? Wang Hong, how could you possibly have a red martial spirit? Hmph!" Ye Ba was taken aback but quickly retorted with a scoff.
Wang Hong shot a surprised glance at Ye Tian, taken aback that this boy could discern her true level of cultivation. This realization only deepened her wariness of him. She quickly insisted, "I'm not lying! The reason for my strength lies in a treasure I possess. With my red martial spirit talent, I have reached this point thanks to that treasure. If Ye Tian were to obtain it, he would undoubtedly surpass me!"
"Hmph, a treasure? How could such a thing exist? Even if it did, it wouldn't be found in a small place like Baiyun Town," Ye Ba replied, utterly unconvinced.
Yet Ye Tian, intrigued, pressed on, "What treasure? Show it to me. Don't try to trick me; if you continue to delay, you'll meet your end."
"I've hidden it in a secret location. If you spare me, I will send someone to deliver it to Ye Village immediately," Wang Hong said, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes.
"Pfft—do you take us for fools? If we let you go now, do you honestly think you would keep your word?" Ye Ba laughed derisively, fury boiling within him.
Ye Tian's gaze turned steely as he fixed it on Wang Hong, his tone icy. "I believe you're seeking death."
With that, Ye Tian ceased his banter and raised the blood blade, a wave of potent killing intent erupting from within him. The little white tiger also raised its head, letting out a resounding roar.
Wang Hong's expression turned frantic as she hastily pulled an object from her bosom, shouting, "I'll surrender! Don't kill me!"
The little white tiger immediately halted its advance.
Ye Tian focused intently on the object in Wang Hong's hand, but at that moment, an unexpected change occurred. The previously panicked Wang Hong suddenly bore a savage expression as she hurled the item she held at Ye Tian.
It exploded mid-air, revealing a cloud of white powder.
"Watch out!" Ye Ba shouted in outrage upon witnessing this.