Ye Tian was acutely aware that facing Wang Xu at this moment would be a gamble of uncertain outcome. It would be more prudent to eliminate Wang Tian and Wang Hu while the Wang family village remained unaware of his true capabilities. With his strength, dispatching the two of them would hardly take any time at all.
Once Wang Tian and Wang Hu were out of the picture, even Wang Xu, no matter how formidable, would find himself severely limited, incapable of posing a threat to Ye Family Village.
With this thought in mind, Ye Tian shot forward, swiftly approaching the battleground where Wang Tian and Ye Feng were locked in combat.
"Boom!"
A powerful surge of true energy erupted from Wang Tian's body, sending three surrounding martial artists from Ye Family Village reeling backward, blood spewing from their mouths. With a fierce expression, he unleashed a sword strike, its blade energy surging menacingly.
The three injured warriors of Ye Family Village were immediately struck with fear.
"Swish!"
At that moment, Ye Feng swung his blade, successfully blocking the terrifying sword strike. However, the force of the sword's energy shattered his long knife, and Ye Feng was sent staggering backward.
"Uncle Feng!"
"Ye Tian!"
Ye Tian quickly steadied Ye Feng, who, upon seeing Ye Tian arrive, brightened noticeably.
"Uncle Feng, leave this guy to me; you go take care of Wang Hu!" Ye Tian nodded to Ye Feng, speaking calmly.
Ye Feng acknowledged with a nod and cautioned, "Be careful; he has reached the threshold of a martial artist."
"A threshold martial artist is still destined to die!" Ye Tian's gaze hardened as he looked toward the approaching Wang Tian.
"Heh heh, it seems that your Ye Family Village is truly out of warriors, sending a mere child to his demise." Wang Tian approached with a cold smile, his long sword gleaming ominously.
"Perhaps it is you who will meet your end!" Ye Tian replied with a chilling smile, charging directly at Wang Tian.
"Hmm? This little brat…"
As he observed Ye Tian rushing toward him, Wang Tian squinted, a flicker of confusion crossing his features.
"A threshold martial artist, then let me witness your strength!" Ye Tian shouted, unleashing his true energy. The formidable power of a level ten martial artist surged forth like a raging tempest, stirring up a whirlwind of dust.
"Level ten martial artist!"
"What?!"
Feeling the overwhelming true energy erupting from Ye Tian, Wang Tian's expression transformed with shock, his eyes filled with dread.
"This boy is actually a level ten martial artist? How can this be?" Wang Tian felt as if his mind had short-circuited, trapped in a state of disbelief.
"Receive my palm!"
With his true energy unleashed, Ye Tian moved at blinding speed, closing the distance to Wang Tian in an instant. Seizing the opportunity while Wang Tian was still reeling, he struck out with a powerful palm.
Instantly, the sound of rushing wind filled the air as nine palm shadows, reminiscent of thunder, converged upon Wang Tian.
"Hmm? A low-grade yellow-tier martial technique? And in its perfected state!" As he felt the approaching ferocity of the palm strike, Wang Tian was jolted out of his shock, the astonishment in his eyes deepening.
"How old is this kid? Not only has he reached level ten, but he has also perfected a yellow-tier martial technique. His talent is surely among the top three in Blood Jade City; becoming a martial artist is a foregone conclusion."
Gazing at the advancing Ye Tian, Wang Tian's eyes flickered, and a powerful killing intent surged within him. With the Wang family village and Ye Family Village now in open conflict, this boy, should he grow stronger, would undoubtedly become a significant threat to the Wang family village.
Such an extraordinarily talented genius from Ye Family Village should be eliminated sooner rather than later.
With that thought, the murderous intent in Wang Tian's eyes intensified. He swung his sword at Ye Tian, coldly declaring, "I have killed many, but never a genius like you. It would be quite the thrill to slay you."
"Boom!"
The sword energy ravaged the air, shattering Ye Tian's nine palm shadows.
Wang Tian advanced alongside his sword, his left palm carrying an immense true energy, cleaving toward Ye Tian from above.
"Want to kill me? You'd best have the ability to do so; receive my blade!" Ye Tian retorted coldly, undeterred as he drew his blood knife to meet Wang Tian's strike.
Wang Tian, wary of underestimating his opponent, did not engage head-on. Instead, he altered the angle of his palm strike to aim at the back of Ye Tian's blade. Simultaneously, he thrust his sword straight at Ye Tian, his expression twisted in a menacing roar, "Brat, die!"
The horrifying sword energy descended in an instant, its icy sharpness causing the surrounding villagers of Ye Family Village to cry out, "Ye Tian, be careful!"
"Die!"
Ye Tian's eyes sparkled with fierce determination as he swung his blood knife at Wang Tian. A sudden, invisible force erupted, filled with an overwhelming killing intent.
"Boom!"
The clash of blade, palm, and sword created a powerful storm, erupting from their point of contact. The immense true energy swept across the ground, lifting a cloud of dust into the air.
Such a ferocious collision momentarily silenced the entire battlefield. Even Wang Xu, who was engaged in battle with Ye Shi, staggered back a few steps, drawn to the commotion.
"Old man Ye, I never expected such a genius to arise from Ye Family Village. Too bad he is no match for Wang Tian; he is doomed." Wang Xu sneered coldly, though inside he was deeply shocked, unable to fathom the existence of such a prodigy within Ye Family Village. Had they not discovered him early, once Ye Tian grew stronger, he would undoubtedly become a significant threat to Wang family village.
"Hmph, the outcome is still uncertain!" Ye Shi panted, a cold smirk on his lips; the fierce battle had depleted his true energy.
"Heh heh, do you really think this kid can contend with Wang Tian?" Wang Xu shot back with a mocking expression.
At that moment—
"Bang!"
A thunderous explosion resonated from the dust-laden area as a figure suddenly flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
"Pfft!" As soon as the figure hit the ground, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face extremely pale. Instantly, all eyes turned toward him, and the atmosphere grew eerily quiet. Villagers of Ye Family Village and warriors of Wang Family Village alike stared in wide-eyed shock.
Wang Xu, not far away, also revealed a look of disbelief.
For the person injured and spewing blood was not Ye Tian, but rather the renowned leader of the Beast Hunting Team from Wang Family Village—Wang Tian, a formidable half-step martial artist.
A renowned master like him had been defeated by Ye Tian.
"You…" After spitting out blood, Wang Tian felt an agonizing pain in his chest. He instinctively reached up to touch it, his face filled with despair as he raised a trembling finger toward Ye Tian, ultimately only managing to utter a single word—"You"—before he unwillingly breathed his last.
"Wang Tian!"
Wang Xu rushed to Wang Tian's side, cradling his fallen body. Shock and disbelief filled his face as he realized his old comrade, his right-hand man, lay dead before him.
In that moment, the once chaotic battlefield became eerily silent, all eyes fixated on Ye Tian, awash in astonishment.
The famed Wang Tian of Baiyun Town lay dead, slain by a mere sixteen-year-old boy.
As they looked at the fallen Wang Tian, sprawled in Wang Xu's embrace, eyes wide with disbelief and resentment, many could not help but draw in a sharp breath, their hearts gripped by profound shock.
"Ye Tian!"
"Ye Tian!"
The villagers of Ye Family Village erupted into cheers, their excitement palpable and morale soaring.
In stark contrast, the warriors of Wang Family Village appeared as if they had lost a dear one, their faces marked by disbelief; they could hardly fathom that their invincible Beast-Hunting Team leader had been slain by a mere sixteen-year-old boy.
"Glug!" Some of the Wang Family warriors couldn't help but swallow hard, their hearts filled with astonishment.
A sixteen-year-old warrior at the pinnacle of level ten? Furthermore, he had defeated Wang Tian, a half-step Martial Master—such talent could only be described as monstrous.
Even with the most basic deduction, it was clear that such a prodigy, if he survived, would undoubtedly become a Martial Master, and perhaps even surpass Wang Xu. After all, Ye Tian was still very young, with an unlimited future ahead; no one could predict the heights he might reach.
"Hahaha... splendid! Splendid! Splendid!" Not far away, Ye Shi, after a brief moment of shock, suddenly laughed uproariously, his aged eyes brimming with unrestrained joy that he could not conceal.
"Ye Tian!"
In the distance, Ye Ba, Ye Meng, and others wore expressions of exhilaration, each face among the Ye Family villagers glowing with excitement.
Without a doubt, after slaying Wang Tian, the name Ye Tian would echo throughout Baiyun Town; he would not only be hailed as a genius but also regarded as a formidable power, second only to Wang Xu.
"You fool, no matter how formidable your talent, today you shall not escape death; I demand the Ye Family pay for Wang Tian's burial!"
A chilling voice pierced through the air, extinguishing the joy that illuminated the faces of the Ye villagers.
Wang Xu had now regained his composure. He entrusted Wang Tian's corpse to a fellow warrior from Wang Family Village and slowly rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on Ye Tian, radiating a fierce killing intent.
"Come then, let me experience the might of a Martial Master and see if you possess the capability to kill me!" Ye Tian's expression remained calm, unfazed, as his piercing gaze shot toward Wang Xu, the tip of his blood knife directed straight at him.
Instantly, a fierce killing aura erupted from the blood knife in Ye Tian's hand, surging towards Wang Xu.
"Boom!"
Wang Xu's eyelids flickered; he sneered and unleashed a torrent of formidable true energy that shattered the incoming blade's intent.
Ye Tian's expression shifted; as expected of a Martial Master, Wang Xu's senses were exceptionally sharp. Although he couldn't see Ye Tian's blade intent, he could certainly feel its presence.
"Is this the power that killed Wang Tian? It seems you have mastered a formidable martial technique, but a warrior is merely a warrior; you cannot fathom the true might of a Martial Master!"
Wang Xu chuckled coldly, launching a punch that sent a wave of true energy crashing forward, blinding light illuminating the void.
Ye Tian immediately felt an overwhelming force bearing down on him, an immense pressure that left him almost breathless.
"Kill!"
In that critical moment, Ye Tian roared, his killing intent surging, as his true energy erupted forth with reckless abandon. He swung his knife at Wang Xu, the tip of the blade emanating a surge of knife energy, albeit only half an inch in length.
"Half-step Martial Master? What a genius! You leave me no choice but to eliminate you!" Wang Xu was taken aback, his expression darkening further as his eyes filled with a chilling killing intent.