In the heart of the jungle, three senior brothers were still locked in a fierce battle with two men and a woman, and it was evident that the outcome was imminent.
Nearby, seven other senior brothers watched with great interest, showing no intention of intervening; clearly, they were brimming with confidence and felt no need to join the fray.
"I wager that the eldest will be the first to defeat his opponent!"
"Indeed, although his adversary is a half-step Martial Spirit, the eldest is far more formidable; it won't be long before he triumphs."
"Speaking of which, the other two tenth-level martial artists have managed to hold their ground thus far; the quality of these junior brothers is truly commendable!"
…
The seven brothers engaged in animated conversation, completely oblivious to the two figures stealthily approaching from a short distance behind them.
These two figures, utilizing the cover of the foliage, crept closer to the seven brothers.
"Attack!" Ye Tian commanded in a low voice, his body trembling slightly as a torrent of potent energy surged forth, converging into the blood blade in his hand, causing it to radiate a brilliant glow.
Boom!
Ye Tian's right leg forcefully struck the ground, causing the earth beneath him to tremble and crack, and in a flash, he appeared not far behind the seven brothers.
"Hmm?"
The powerful rush of energy drew the attention of the seven brothers, and their pupils constricted in shock.
"Blood Shadow Thirteen Slashes!" Ye Tian's gaze sharpened as the blood blade unleashed thirteen brilliant arcs of light, slicing through the air and forming a radiant net that ensnared three of the brothers within.
"Damn it—"
Lin Fei, observing from the side, also sprang into action, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he witnessed Ye Tian's instantaneous assault on the three brothers.
At that moment, he realized just how vast the chasm of difference between him and Ye Tian truly was.
Even with all his strength, he could only contend with two of the brothers, and it would take him some time. Yet Ye Tian was effortlessly handling three, seemingly poised to achieve a "one-hit kill."
"Presumptuous!"
"Arrogant!"
"Seeking death!"
The three brothers, realizing Ye Tian's intentions, were consumed by fury; they had never been so underestimated, especially by a junior brother who had yet to fully enter their ranks.
In their rage, the three brothers unleashed their true energy, creating a swirling tempest around them.
Unfortunately, their reaction was a fraction too slow, or perhaps Ye Tian was simply too swift. The three brothers, already inferior in strength to Ye Tian, found themselves unable to muster their full power in the face of this surprise attack.
Ultimately, the radiant net formed by the thirteen arcs of light enveloped the three brothers entirely.
This area was ablaze with radiance, energy surging wildly, and fierce winds howled as the three brothers were engulfed in the boundless blade light. In the end, three muffled groans echoed, and three disheveled figures were sent flying, blood spraying violently.
Gasp!
As the onlookers finally discerned the identities of the three figures, they collectively inhaled sharply.
It was indeed the three senior brothers.
Boom!
Not far away, Lin Fei refused to let Ye Tian take all the glory; he gathered all his strength for a single strike, severely wounding one of the senior brothers, rendering him equally incapable of continuing the fight.
All of this transpired in the blink of an eye, and by the time the remaining senior brothers fully grasped the situation, they realized that four of their number had already lost the ability to fight, collapsed on the ground, unable to rise.
Thanks to Ye Tian and Lin Fei, the two men and one woman, who were on the verge of collapsing, found their opponents momentarily stalled, allowing them to grit their teeth and persist.
"Damn it, how can there be such formidable junior brothers!" The leading senior brother, amidst the fierce combat, caught sight of the results on Ye Tian's side, his pupils dilating in shock.
Especially Ye Tian's imposing figure wielding the blade left everyone present breathless, nearly suffocating from the intensity.
"Move quickly!" Ye Tian bellowed; after dispatching the three brothers, he took a deep breath and lunged towards the two stunned brothers nearby.
At that moment, the two men and one woman were preoccupied with the three senior brothers, who had just lost their fighting capacity, leaving only three brothers remaining.
Ye Tian targeted two of them, while Lin Fei nodded and charged at the last one.
Dealing with a single senior brother posed no challenge for Lin Fei, who quickly gained the upper hand and would defeat his opponent in no time.
"Damn it!" The leading senior brother's expression changed as he sensed the dire situation and fought desperately. However, his opponent was equally formidable, enduring his attacks and holding him back.
The two men and one woman, clearly recognizing the prowess of Ye Tian and Lin Fei, felt a surge of excitement; their initial thoughts of surrender vanished, and they continued to persevere.
Meanwhile, Ye Tian and Lin Fei were fully committed to swiftly overcoming their adversaries.
Ultimately, Ye Tian dispatched his opponent ahead of schedule, his overwhelming strength nearly crushing the foe. The weapons of the two senior brothers were sent flying, their hands bleeding as they fell heavily to the ground.
Lin Fei, with a swift motion, sent the remaining senior brother crashing into a nearby giant tree, then unleashed a whirlwind, pinning the brother beneath his weapon, leaving him pale with fear as he surrendered.
"Retreat!" The leading senior brother, having lost all hope, darkened in countenance and chose to flee into the distance.
Although Ye Tian and Lin Fei saw him escape, they did not pursue; instead, they remained to deal with the last two senior brothers.
Thus, of the ten senior brothers, nine were defeated and one fled.
The defeated brothers hung their heads in shame, occasionally glancing at Ye Tian with awe in their eyes.
The two men and one woman were similarly hesitant to approach, knowing that Ye Tian and Lin Fei had claimed their contributions. Now that they had earned the title of hunters, they too could seize the contributions of other martial artists participating in the assessment.
The two men and one woman, uncertain of Ye Tian and Lin Fei's intentions, stood at a distance, clasping their fists in salute.
"I sincerely thank you both for your assistance; I, Zhang, am deeply grateful!"
Ye Tian nodded in acknowledgment but remained silent; he recognized that the three had played a crucial role in holding off the three senior brothers, and thus had no desire to seize their contributions.
Lin Fei, understanding Ye Tian's thoughts, waved dismissively at the two men and one woman, saying, "You should leave quickly!"
"Thank you—" The two men and one woman, overjoyed at his words, hurriedly slipped into the jungle and quickly departed, as if fearing that Ye Tian and Lin Fei might change their minds.
Lin Fei cast a disdainful glance at their retreating figures, a smirk on his face.
Meanwhile, Ye Tian was busy collecting the contribution points from the nine defeated brothers, dividing them according to their respective achievements: Ye Tian had defeated six, while Lin Fei had taken down three.
"Such an abundance of contribution points, truly worthy of senior brothers!" Lin Fei exclaimed, his face alight with excitement as he gazed at the soaring numbers on his identity token.
Ye Tian also smiled faintly; the number on his identity token had risen to—6240.
It had doubled!
Lin Fei had also amassed over 4000 contribution points.
Each of these senior brothers had contributed five hundred points, so taking one was akin to claiming the contributions of five hundred individuals. This tremendous haul left both Ye Tian and Lin Fei in a state of exhilaration.
However, their excitement was soon shattered.
Boom!
A deafening roar emanated from a short distance away, causing Ye Tian and Lin Fei to stiffen in alarm and quickly turn their heads to investigate.
To their astonishment, the previously fleeing senior brother appeared to have been struck by a tremendous force, hurtling out of the jungle and crashing violently against a massive tree beside Ye Tian before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.
"Goodness... what immense power!" Lin Fei exclaimed, his pupils narrowing in shock, for this leading senior brother was nearly as formidable as he himself.
Ye Tian's expression turned grave as he noticed a thick layer of frost coating the senior brother's chest.
"It's the Frost Fist!" Lin Fei soon realized, astonishment flickering in his narrowed eyes.
"This must be the power of a low-level Xuan-tier martial technique. Are you familiar with it?" Ye Tian asked, regarding Lin Fei with surprise, as he sensed the technique's potency, comparable to his own Stellar Hand, both belonging to the realm of low-level Xuan-tier martial arts.
"Boss..."
Lin Fei fell silent, looking at Ye Tian with a wry smile, "Elder brother, are you unaware of the King of South Forest in our South Forest County? He possesses a formidable Xuan-tier martial technique known as the Frost Fist."
Ye Tian chuckled awkwardly, stroking his chin as he replied, "I don't know the King of South Forest, so how could I know his martial techniques? But if that's the case, the one who struck must be either the Seventh Prince or the Thirteenth Prince."
"It's likely the Seventh Prince; the Thirteenth Prince doesn't possess such strength!" Lin Fei asserted solemnly. This senior brother was on par with him, and if it were the Thirteenth Prince, he wouldn't have suffered such a devastating defeat.
Only the Seventh Prince, who had reached the first level of Martial Spirit, could wield such power.
Upon hearing this, Ye Tian's gaze sharpened as he looked toward the nearby jungle, where a fierce aura surged forth. The rhythmic sound of footsteps seemed to synchronize with their heartbeats, each step resonating as if treading upon their very hearts.
"What an overwhelming pressure; it truly is the first level of Martial Spirit!" Ye Tian remarked, his brow furrowing with a mix of gravity and excitement.
During this time, he had refined 40 faux acupoints, bringing his total to 100. Combined with his original 360 acupoints, Ye Tian now possessed a staggering 460 acupoints.
It was precisely due to this multitude of acupoints that Ye Tian's true essence far surpassed that of other half-step Martial Spirits, nearing the strength of a first-level Martial Spirit.
Thus, even without relying on his blade intent, Ye Tian's formidable combat awareness was sufficient to contend with some newly ascended first-level Martial Spirit practitioners.
Boom!
In the heavy silence between Ye Tian and Lin Fei, a young man clad in resplendent attire, unarmed, emerged from the jungle, gazing intently at them.
His piercing gaze, laden with a fierce malevolence, swept toward them.
"The Seventh Prince!" Lin Fei declared in a hushed tone.
"Ah, Lin Fei?"
The young man in fine garments regarded Lin Fei with surprise, a cruel smile playing upon his lips as he exclaimed, "What a coincidence! So, what about my answer?"
"What answer?" Ye Tian queried, casting a curious glance at Lin Fei.
"Who are you, kid?"
The Seventh Prince directed his haughty gaze at Ye Tian, but as he noticed the blood blade in Ye Tian's hand, his expression shifted slightly, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.
"The Blood Blade?" the Seventh Prince exclaimed in astonishment.