The once tranquil Beast Mountain Range was abruptly shattered by the clamor of battle, as a throng of martial artists surged forth from the depths of the forest, encircling a young couple in the center. The sound of unsheathing blades and swords rang out incessantly.
"Seize that pair! The head of the family promises a top-tier yellow-level martial art as a reward!"
The surrounding warriors, their faces alight with excitement, echoed the fervor. One burly man bellowed at the top of his lungs.
Upon hearing his voice, the nearby warriors erupted into a cacophony of exuberance, their thunderous shouts resonating throughout the entire Beast Mountain Range.
"It seems we are surrounded!" Leaf Tian observed the encroaching warriors with indifference, a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes; the strongest among them were merely third-tier martial masters, posing no threat to him whatsoever.
Even Liu Yiru, standing beside him, bore a tranquil expression, devoid of any fear or panic.
"Kill him!" After a brief moment of silence, someone finally succumbed to the temptation of the promised top-tier yellow-level martial art and lunged at Leaf Tian.
With the first aggressor leading the charge, the other warriors, fearing their prey might be snatched away, hastily brandished their swords and blades, striking at Leaf Tian.
In mere moments, a dazzling storm of blades enveloped both Leaf Tian and Liu Yiru.
Liu Yiru's complexion paled slightly, but upon seeing Leaf Tian's composed demeanor, her racing heart inexplicably calmed, and she gazed defiantly at the oncoming onslaught of weapons.
At that moment, Leaf Tian remained utterly unfazed until the blades were nearly upon him. Suddenly, his obsidian eyes ignited with a fierce crimson glow, and two streaks of blood-red light shot forth.
Boom!
In the next instant, a colossal surge of murderous intent erupted from within Leaf Tian, akin to a tempest, sweeping through the surroundings with overwhelming force.
The powerful energy rolled like turbulent waves, causing the trees in the forest to tremble and a substantial number to topple.
Strangely, however, the charging warriors seemed paralyzed, their eyes widening in terror as they found themselves unable to move.
"What is happening?" Liu Yiru exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock, as she too felt an immense force of restraint rendering her immobile.
Only Leaf Tian remained unaffected; he calmly stepped forward, effortlessly drawing his bloodied blade, as if harvesting rice in a field, and methodically severed the heads of the surrounding warriors one by one.
The scene was inexplicably eerie and terrifying, causing Liu Yiru to instinctively shut her eyes, her delicate frame trembling slightly.
Leaf Tian's expression was devoid of emotion, his icy gaze reduced to nothing but the glimmer of his deadly blades, as he wielded his bloodied sword like the scythe of death, continuing until every last warrior lay slain.
Throughout the encounter, the warriors remained utterly immobile, helplessly witnessing as Leaf Tian effortlessly severed their heads.
Soon enough, the ground was littered with corpses, rivers of blood flowing freely.
Leaf Tian cast a glance at the still-quaking Liu Yiru, who had her eyes tightly shut, and, without hesitation, wrapped his arm around her waist and soared away from the Beast Mountain Range.
...
After departing the Beast Mountain Range, the familiar sight of Liu City gradually came into view.
On the way, Liu Yiru could not restrain her curiosity, asking, "What exactly just happened? Why could I not move?"
She suddenly recalled the unrivaled powerhouse battling the two fire cloud birds within the Beast Mountain Range, realizing that during that time, she and Leaf Tian had also been rendered immobile.
"Could it be that he comprehended something during that moment?" Liu Yiru was stunned by her own thoughts; if true, then Leaf Tian's talent was indeed monstrous.
Stealing a glance at the astonished Liu Yiru, Leaf Tian refrained from elaborating, his heart brimming with excitement.
"Indeed, my sword intent has strengthened. That formidable binding force would take even a martial spirit expert a considerable time to break free from."
One should not underestimate that time; in the clash of masters, a mere second could determine victory or defeat.
Thinking of how his sword intent could generate such powerful binding energy filled Leaf Tian with exhilaration.
"Hey, why are you so quiet? It's odd that the Xue family's forces aren't stationed outside the Beast Mountain Range!" Liu Yiru remarked, her delicate features etched with confusion as they neared the city gates of Liu City.
"What's wrong? Are you eager for them to welcome you outside the Beast Mountain Range?" Leaf Tian chuckled lightly.
"Not at all! I just find it strange; after all, Xue Li's son is dead. He shouldn't be so composed!" Liu Yiru rolled her eyes at Leaf Tian, shaking her head.
"There's no need for speculation; let's find someone to inquire," Leaf Tian suggested, shaking his head slightly. As they passed through the city gates, he seized one of the soldiers on duty.
"Ah..."
"What are you doing?"
"Let him go!"
Immediately, the ten or so soldiers guarding the gates were engulfed in a mix of shock and anger, swords drawn and aimed at Leaf Tian.
Unperturbed, Leaf Tian unleashed a formidable aura that instantly compelled the soldiers to the ground. The soldiers' faces turned pale, their expressions a blend of terror and despair.
"Enough with the idle chatter; I don't have time for this. Quickly tell me what significant events have transpired in Liu City recently!" Leaf Tian coldly surveyed the crumpled soldiers on the ground before turning his gaze to the trembling soldier in his grasp.
The soldier's face was painted with fear as he looked up at Leaf Tian, his eyes brimming with dread, unable to utter a word: "I..."
Leaf Tian frowned, preparing to press further when another soldier's quaking voice interrupted.
"My lord, three days ago, the head of the Xue family submitted a challenge letter to the city lord. Today marks the day of their duel; everyone has gone to the Liu City martial arena to watch."
"Ah... Father!"
Before the soldier could finish his sentence, Liu Yiru exclaimed in alarm, swiftly darting toward the martial arena.
Leaf Tian released the stunned soldier and hurried after her.
"Remarkable! That individual is at least a seventh-tier martial master!" The remaining soldiers exchanged anxious glances as they watched Leaf Tian depart.
"I swear, that woman looked vaguely familiar; she seems to be the beloved daughter of our city lord!" one soldier speculated.
"She does bear some resemblance... What a pity! The head of the Xue family has already ascended to martial spirit; our city lord is doomed to defeat this time. Liu City is poised for a dramatic transformation!" another soldier lamented.
"Whoever becomes the city lord is irrelevant to us; our duty is simply to guard the gates!"
Ye Tian and Liu Yiru ran swiftly, soon arriving at the Liu City Martial Arena, which was already a throng of people, with every path choked with spectators.
In the center of the arena, a tense atmosphere enveloped the scene, as two factions faced each other, surrounded by onlookers.
Without needing to think, Ye Tian could surmise that these two factions represented the Xue Family and the city lord's forces.
At that moment, under the escort of several armored generals, Liu Yuan, the city lord of Liu City, glowered at the Xue Family's forces across from him. After a brief pause, he spoke in a deep voice, "Xue Li, you have just ascended to the Martial Spirit level without stabilizing your cultivation, and you dare to challenge me? Are you not afraid that I will force you back a step into the Martial Master realm?"
As expected of a city lord, Liu Yuan exuded an imposing aura that rivaled the already ascended Xue Li.
Upon hearing Liu Yuan's threatening words and the overwhelming aura from the opposing side, Xue Li's expression shifted slightly, but he soon coldly laughed, "Liu Yuan, you have accepted my challenge letter; do you now wish to back out? Even if I were to agree, do you have the face to do so? Hmph!"
With a sinister glare at the generals surrounding Liu Yuan, Xue Li continued in a chilling voice, "I offer you a choice: those who submit shall live; otherwise, once I kill Liu Yuan, your fates will be sealed as well."
Before his words faded, the generals on the opposite side roared in unison, "We swear to follow the city lord to the death!"
"We swear to follow the city lord to the death!"
"We swear to follow the city lord to the death!"
...
The declarations from the generals made Xue Li's face darken, his countenance marred by a menacing intent.
"Good! Good! Good!" Xue Li coldly surveyed the generals, uttering the word 'good' three times, his eyes flashing with a palpable murderous rage that revealed the extent of his anger.
"Liu Yuan!"
Xue Li glared at Liu Yuan with a fierce visage, his voice dripping with malice, "I won't waste words; your daughter is responsible for my son's death. Today, we shall settle both old and new grievances—either you die, or I will!"
"Come, I, Liu Yuan, will take you down with me even in death!" Liu Yuan bellowed, his body radiating brilliance as he forcibly detonated his own acupoints, elevating his power to a level dangerously close to the Martial Spirit realm.
"Ah..." Among the crowd, Liu Yiru attempted to scream, but Ye Tian covered her mouth.
"Let go of me!" Liu Yiru bit down hard on Ye Tian.
Ye Tian shook his head gently, "Rushing in now would be futile and would only distract your father. Rest assured, although he has detonated his acupoints, he is not in mortal danger. If he is defeated by Xue Li, I will intervene."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yiru felt a slight relief, though her lovely face still bore a look of deep concern.
Ye Tian continued to observe the scene, where Liu Yuan and Xue Li had already engaged in fierce combat.
"I must admit, Liu Yuan, you are indeed ruthless to quietly detonate your acupoints and unleash your potential. However, if you wish to take me down with you, let's see if you have the capability!" Xue Li roared, soaring into the sky, then diving headfirst, unleashing a devastating punch.
"See if you have the capability for yourself!"
Liu Yuan replied with a low growl, fearlessly meeting Xue Li's attack with his own punch. He erupted in a dazzling light, his true essence surging forth to create a whirlwind of energy.
"This is utterly insane; he has detonated all three hundred sixty acupoints!" Ye Tian, watching from the crowd, couldn't help but shake his head, realizing that Liu Yuan's cultivation was effectively over.
Liu Yiru gazed anxiously at Liu Yuan in mid-air, biting her lip, her heart twisted in distress.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion erupted in the air, the overwhelming true essence surging forth like a torrential flood, sweeping out in all directions.
The surrounding spectators instinctively began to retreat.