The battle between humans and beasts was extraordinarily intense, leaving Ye Tian in awe and exhilaration.
Although the "leader" of the Black Armored Army sustained injuries, his formidable strength allowed him to hold his ground against the unscathed silver wolf, resulting in a stalemate.
On the other hand, the injured golden wolf, despite its ferocity, would likely meet its demise under the onslaught of the numerous Black Armored soldiers.
In Ye Tian's view, even if the Black Armored Army emerged victorious, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
"Mm?" When Ye Tian noticed the injuries sustained by the Black Armored Army's leader, his eyes sparkled with interest.
Initially, he had no confidence in facing the peak of a sixth-level Martial Master, but now he felt he had a chance to engage in battle.
Moreover, the leader's focus was solely on the fierce silver wolf; if Ye Tian launched a surprise attack, he could potentially inflict serious damage or even kill him.
"Is this fortune smiling upon me?" Ye Tian's gaze gleamed, revealing a hint of madness.
He believed that if the leader of the Black Armored Army fell, the remaining soldiers would scatter like leaves in the wind, and he could easily claim the coveted purple spirit stones.
"Perhaps the leader of the Black Armored Army possesses the complete 'Black Demon Battle Body' technique!" Ye Tian suddenly thought, his eyes glinting with greed. The sheer power of the Black Armored leader suggested that he was indeed qualified to possess the full version of the Blood Battle Eight Wastelands technique, just like the standards set by the Blood Clothes Guard.
If the criteria for the Black Armored Army aligned with those of the Blood Clothes Guard, then the leader surely carried the complete Black Demon Battle Body technique.
"The complete Black Demon Battle Body technique, along with a trove of purple spirit stones—this risk is worth taking!" Ye Tian's eyes sparkled as he made his decision.
Swiftly, he shed his blood-colored garments and set down his blood knife, donning the large blade that Ye Feng had gifted him instead.
At the same time, he tore a piece of cloth from his attire to cover his face.
"The Black Armored Army wields significant power; I must not offend them openly..." Ye Tian murmured, his eyes fixed intently on the distant battle, poised to wait for the perfect opportunity.
At that moment, the silver wolf was at its peak, while the golden wolf still emanated fierce power, perfect for exhausting the strength of the Black Armored soldiers.
Ye Tian remained focused on the leader of the Black Armored Army, waiting for the moment he became utterly weakened to deliver a decisive blow.
As time passed slowly, the battle unfolded exactly as Ye Tian had anticipated, advancing in the direction he desired.
The golden wolf, under the assault of many Blood Clothes Guards, finally reached its limit and began to falter. Of course, the Black Armored Army had already lost several lives to achieve this.
The leader of the Black Armored Army gradually determined the victor against the silver wolf, both combatants battered and bloodied.
However, ultimately, the brute was still a brute, and the Black Armored Army's leader prevailed.
"Die, beast!" the leader of the Black Armored Army sneered, his ferocity evident; with every swing of his sword, he left bloody gashes on the silver wolf.
In return, the silver wolf's claws tore through the protective aura of the Black Armored leader, inflicting serious injury upon his body.
Ye Tian watched in silent awe, astonished at the physical strength of the Black Armored leader, who could withstand the wolf's lethal claws with mere flesh and blood.
"This must be the effect of the Black Demon Battle Body!" Ye Tian speculated, feeling an even stronger urge to acquire this formidable technique.
At that moment, the silver wolf revealed a hint of madness in its eyes. Its crimson gaze brimmed with a ferocious desire to kill. Seeing the leader of the Black Armored Army swing his sword, it did not evade but charged directly at him.
"Huh?" Ye Tian's eyes widened in confusion.
"Haha, beast... you're seeking death!" The Black Armored Army's leader's gaze sharpened, and he erupted in laughter as he forcibly summoned the last remnants of his strength, intensifying the ferocity of his sword strike.
"Thwack!"
The silver wolf was impaled through the chest by the sword, blood gushing forth, yet the light in its eyes flared even brighter. In the astonished gaze of the Black Armored leader, it swung its massive claw toward his head.
Ye Tian stared in shock, taken aback by the scene unfolding before him.
The silver wolf was fighting for its life, sacrificing itself for a lethal strike.
"Boom!" The sword of the Black Armored Army's leader lodged into the silver wolf's chest, rendering him unable to withdraw it in time. He could only watch helplessly as the enormous silver paw crashed down upon his head.
"Leader!"
"Captain!"
From a distance, numerous Black Armored soldiers gasped in alarm.
"Ah!"
In that crucial moment, the leader of the Black Armored Army, his expression resolute, let out a roar and raised a fist to shield his head.
"Crack!"
A sharp sound echoed as the arm of the Black Armored Army's leader shattered, mangled and bloodied. Simultaneously, he was violently thrown back by the immense force.
To his misfortune, he was propelled precisely toward Ye Tian's concealed position.
"You truly sought heaven but chose the path of hell; you cannot blame me for this!" Ye Tian's eyes lit up, followed by a chill as he surged forth, abandoning his hidden position.
"Someone's there!" came the startled cries of the Black Armored soldiers from afar.
"Huh?" The leader of the Black Armored Army, battered and nearly numb, caught sight of Ye Tian and was instantly filled with dread and panic.
"Die!"
Ye Tian let out a cold, mirthless laugh as he appeared behind the leader of the Black Armored Army, his figure flashing like lightning, and brought down his blade with a swift strike.
At that moment, the leader of the Black Armored Army had already sustained grave injuries; his body felt numb, leaving him helpless to witness the descending blade.
The nearby Black Armored soldiers were unable to mount a timely rescue, merely standing by in wide-eyed horror at the unfolding scene.
"Thud!"
The long knife struck down with fierce force, shattering the leader's protective energy before piercing into his body, resulting in a spray of blood mist.
"Ah…" The leader of the Black Armored Army widened his eyes, his gaze lingering in disbelief as death took him.
He departed this world without ever knowing the identity of his assailant!
"Is the leader dead?"
"The captain is dead!"
Those Black Armored soldiers who witnessed the scene from afar were instantly thrown into chaos, their faces betraying their panic and disarray.
Wang Feng turned to face them, his gaze icy and filled with a chilling aura.
The Black Armored soldiers felt as though they had plunged into an ice cellar, their bodies trembling with fear.
"Run!" someone shouted, causing the soldiers to scatter in all directions, including the formidable warrior who had reached the third level of the martial master realm.
"Roar!"
As the Black Armored soldiers fled, the once cornered golden wolf, now liberated, retaliated viciously, slaughtering several of the retreating soldiers.
Wang Feng paid little heed to the ensuing turmoil; the Black Armored soldiers no longer posed a threat. He observed the injured golden wolf pursue the fleeing soldiers before diverting his attention back to the corpse of the Black Armored Army leader, rummaging through it.
Swish! Swish!
Ye Tian extracted some silver notes and a book from the body.
"Fifty thousand taels in silver… Hmm? The complete volume of the Black Demon Battle Body! Indeed, my assumptions were correct; he truly possessed the complete text of the Black Demon Battle Body!" Ye Tian's eyes sparkled with excitement, feeling a surge akin to that of a gamer who had just looted rare gear.
Holding the ancient tome, his blood surged with exhilaration; possessing this martial art would undoubtedly enhance his prowess significantly.
"Roar!" The voice of Little White echoed from a distance.
Ye Tian turned to look, a smile spreading across his face.
Little White had apparently dashed over to a pile of purple spirit stones, joyfully barking away; perhaps, in its eyes, those spirit stones were the most valuable prize.
Ye Tian secured the Black Demon Battle Body and hurried over to collect the spirit stones, leaving the area alongside Little White.
Along the way, Ye Tian noticed numerous discarded armor pieces and heavy swords, presumably left behind by the fleeing Black Armored soldiers.
"Ye Tian!"
"Boss!"
As Ye Tian emerged from the forest, a crimson torrent rushed towards him; it was his subordinates from the Blood Cloak Guard, along with Ye Feng and Ye Shi.
"Ye Tian, when did you enter the mountains?" Ye Shi asked, astonished. "We searched for you all night."
In fact, shortly after Ye Tian had left Ye City, his mother discovered his absence, causing widespread panic within the Ye family, who began an exhaustive search.
"Ye Tian, those strangers were indeed from the Black Armored Army; I just heard it from the Blood Cloak Guard," Ye Feng informed him.
Noticing the dark circles under the eyes of the Blood Cloak Guards, Ye Tian realized they had been searching for him all night, prompting a wave of guilt. He quickly said, "You all must be exhausted; let's discuss this later."
The group soon returned to Ye City.
In the Ye family's hall, Ye Tian concocted an excuse to dismiss the Blood Cloak Guards.
However, he didn't hide anything from his closest kin—Ye Shi, Ye Meng, Ye Feng, and Ye Ba—and recounted the entire truth.
The family members were left in stunned silence, realizing just how thrilling the night had been; such an extraordinary adventure could only be attributed to Ye Tian.
"Ye Tian, does this mean we have a martial arts technique now?" Ye Ba asked, his expression brimming with excitement as he looked at Ye Tian.
Beside him, Ye Feng, Ye Shi, and Ye Meng shared equally fervent gazes.
Seeing their enthusiastic expressions, Ye Tian presented the Black Demon Battle Body, smiling as he said, "This martial arts technique was obtained from the leader of the Black Armored Army; all of you can practice it."
"Wonderful! With this martial arts technique, every member of the Ye family has the opportunity to ascend to the martial master realm!" Ye Feng exclaimed, his excitement palpable. It had been a long time since he felt such exhilaration, the last time being when Ye Tian defeated the village chief of Wang Village.
Undoubtedly, with the martial arts technique in their possession, even these martial artists from a remote village had a chance to rise in rank.
"This technique will remain the Ye family's most closely guarded secret; for now, only the four of us will cultivate it, while we will gradually nurture others based on their loyalty to the family!" Ye Shi stated solemnly, showcasing the wisdom of the former village chief, understanding the opportunities and dangers the Black Demon Battle Body presented.
Should the Black Armored Army discover this secret, the consequences would be dire.
Ye Feng, Ye Ba, and Ye Meng were no fools; upon hearing this, they quickly nodded in agreement.