Chapter 18: Breaking Through to the Fourth Layer
Chapter 18: Breaking Through to the Fourth Layer
The ordinary Seven-Step Fist allowed one to fight with a strong Ninth Layer of Flesh Immortal, making Seven-Step Fist an invincible technique in the hearts of the Ye Family members.
No one knew how many years later, Seven-Step Fist and the Iron Forging Art became the compulsory basics for Ye Family disciples to practice martial arts from childhood. Of course, that was a story for later.
“Hmph, first use bows to shoot and kill, then massacre the Ye Family!”
Yang Yunduan secretly exchanged a few words with Yang Danhou and instantly gave the order.
Over thirty black-clothed martial artists from the Yang Family all took out crossbows, aiming at the Ye Family, ready to fire.
Ye Yuan waved toward a dark corner. “Yang Family, did you think I wasn’t prepared all along? Your Yang Family has Iron Star Crossbows, but the Ye Family has the ‘Poison Juzi’!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Over twenty burly men in black armor rushed out from the left. In their hands, each held a red cylinder the size of a bamboo tube, leveling them toward the Yang Family.
These black-armored warriors were precisely the Ye Family’s Black Banner Battalion.
All warriors of the Black Banner Battalion were selected from the Black Banner Army. Each had impressive military achievements and outstanding quality, making them one of the means by which the Ye Family became a hegemon in Red Cloud City.
“Poison Juzi! Your Ye Family actually possesses such a lethal poison weapon. If you fire it, your own Ye Family members will also be affected, right?” When Yang Yunduan saw those red cylinders, his face instantly turned ashen.
The Poison Juzi was a hidden weapon from the Poison Sect. One launcher could fire nearly a hundred star-shaped small hidden weapons. The hidden weapons were coated with a deadly poison. Without an antidote, anyone hit would undoubtedly die. It was a hidden weapon feared by the world.
“When did father get the Poison Juzi? Rumor has it that’s a hidden weapon of the Poison Sect…!”
Ye Yun felt his body lighten. The massive Blood Essence Qi he had condensed instantly dissolved into his Blood Mansion.
Ye Yuan swept a powerful gaze over the hundred Yang Family members and said to Yang Yunduan, “Even if both sides suffer losses, it doesn’t matter. The antidote is in my hands. We can detoxify ourselves.”
“Damnable Ye Yuan… I originally planned to use the Iron Star Crossbows to kill most of the Ye Family’s forces first, then slaughter the rest one by one, but…!” Yang Yunduan hesitated momentarily. After a moment’s thought, he had his men put away the Iron Star Crossbows.
Yang Danhou was deeply inhaling, his complexion gradually improving. He sent a voice transmission to Yang Yunduan. “First send someone to kill that boy. As long as we can stall for a short while, this old man’s True Qi will recover partially. Then, not a single member of the Ye Family will be left.”
“Yang Hu, go capture that boy.” Yang Yunduan ordered the silver-haired old man in his sixties beside him.
“Yang Hu, a Fifth Layer of Flesh Immortal Elder of the Yang Family. Kid, be careful. This person is not easy to deal with. He has cultivated True Qi, which Inner Strength alone cannot handle!”
Ye Wentian was sitting cross-legged on the ground, recovering his strength. When he saw the silver-haired old man appearing beside Yang Yunduan, his eyes tightened, and he warned Ye Yun.
“Little Yun, True Qi is not like Inner Strength or Inner Essence. It is already a cultivator’s power. Seize the opportunity, strike and kill. We cannot let Yang Danhou recover his strength. He is the greatest danger.” Uncle Han said calmly in Ye Yun’s mind.
“Mhmm!”
Ye Yun nodded. Facing Yang Hu, who was walking toward him, Ye Yun’s heart pounded wildly. Fifth Layer of Flesh Immortal—this was the first time in his life he was challenging such a level.
“Dragon Roaming Palm!”
Yang Hu shouted mightily. His body moved forward as strangely as a swaying dragon. A mass of cyan True Qi flickered around his arms.
“Seven-Step Fist!”
Stepping out and punching, steady and powerful. Around Ye Yun’s fists, a faint white Inner Strength shimmered. This Inner Strength was precisely the fusion of the Destiny Spirit Pearl and his own Inner Strength.
Peng!
One fist, one palm. Fist and palm collided, producing a swirling force that flashed before both of them.
The two dodged to the side. Yang Hu’s aura was fierce, like a fierce tiger. “Good lad, such profound Inner Strength. Only at the Flesh Immortal Third Layer and already so remarkable. What would happen in the future? Today, this old man will slay you right here. Hand over your life!”
“Take my life? Use all your skills!”
Ye Yun had just steadied his footing. His aura surged greatly. He took seven consecutive steps, stepping with heavy, irregular left-right, up-down footwork. Each footfall was like an explosion, deafeningly loud.
Unintentionally, Ye Yun’s fists turned blood-red and emitted massive Inner Strength.
“True Dao Qi Palm!”
Yang Hu pounced swiftly. A palm force formed from gathered True Qi rushed toward Ye Yun.
Ssshh!
Ye Yun’s fist instantly pierced through Yang Hu’s True Qi palm force, like a stone thrown into a waterfall, using humble power to bore through an immense, immovable force of heaven and earth.
“How can A Man’s Inner Strength be so tyrannical, actually piercing True Qi? Impossible. How can power from the inner path be a match for True Qi power?”
Seeing Yang Hu’s True Qi palm force shattered by Ye Yun’s single punch, all the Flesh Immortal powerhouses present were shocked. Especially Ye Yuan, who had once been a Tenth Layer of Flesh Immortal powerhouse. He particularly knew the gap between True Qi and inner path power. It wasn’t just a gap, but a kind of supremacy. Just like no matter how much dark clouds block the sun, they will ultimately be dispersed by sunlight.
Inner path power was the dark clouds, while True Qi was like that supreme Divine Sun.
“When did such a freak appear in the Ye Family? Yunduan, we must find a way to kill this boy. We cannot wait for him to grow further. Otherwise, our Yang Family will face endless future troubles.”
Yang Danhou, who was focusing his Qi to recover his strength, could no longer remain calm after seeing that scene because the means displayed by Ye Yun had broken conventional laws.
Who had ever heard of water flowing backward? Ye Yun was that freak who flowed against the current.
Thud!
The True Qi palm force was shattered by Ye Yun’s punch. The blood-red fist, like a flood’s momentum, met Yang Hu’s palm. Yang Hu, confident in his Fifth Layer of Flesh Immortal level, believed his body’s toughness was incomparable to a Third Layer’s. So he decided to meet Ye Yun with his physical body. Unexpectedly, Yang Hu was sent flying, his right arm actually shattered.
“Left and Right Protectors, protect the Elder!”
Yang Danhou hadn’t expected Yang Hu to be no match for Ye Yun. A kid with ordinary Third Layer of Flesh Immortal strength had used ghostly means to actually send a Fifth Layer of Flesh Immortal powerhouse flying.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two black-clothed men instantly leaped out from behind the Yang Family, surrounding Ye Yun. Giving Ye Yun no chance to catch his breath, they attacked from front and back, coordinating seamlessly.
“One person fighting three Fifth Layer of Flesh Immortal powerhouses of the Yang Family!”
The Yang Family members felt their blood boiling. All the previous wariness, panic, and fear turned into flowing water, vanishing without a trace, replaced by admiration and awe for Ye Yun’s strength.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Yang Hu and the two Yang Family black-clad men jointly surrounded and attacked Ye Yun. Ye Yun’s arms gradually turned blood-red, though outsiders couldn’t see it clearly; they could only faintly discern his blood-red fists.
“Fifth Layer powerhouses, not only causing both arms to coagulate blood and activate, but also using most of the Inner Strength from my Dantian. Yet, I’m still not a match for Fifth Layers. Does my whole body need to activate?”
Under the night sky, shadows overlapped. Facing the attacks of three, Ye Yun met each punch with hard blocks, shaking the three men’s bodies numb, even temporarily losing sensation.
As for Ye Yun, he exerted himself using the Indomitable Blood Body power. His arms began to activate, then his body. He only felt as if something was pressing on his head, a pressure that made him want to sleep. Ye Yun was startled. “Is this the state of excessive Life Force consumption?”
“Exactly.” Uncle Han affirmed.
“I’ll help you!”
While Ye Yun and the three Yang Family members were evenly matched, Ye Yu, with a calm complexion, roared and pounced like lightning toward the rear of the three.
“Brother Yu!” Ye Yun secretly rejoiced. Ten years ago, when Ye Yu joined the Xuanwu Sect, Ye Yun had set a goal to join the Xuanwu Sect ten years later too. But who knew…
Because Ye Yun currently looked like A Man, Ye Yu didn’t recognize him. Though A Man’s strength was great, Ye Yu stood aloof and didn’t speak much to A Man.
Ye Yu drew away one black-clad man, while Ye Yun was still attacked from front and back by Yang Hu and the other black-clad man.
“Now it’s much easier. Good, your time of death has come!”
Ye Yun’s body suddenly turned blood-red. Thick blood vessels covered his skin. All the Blood Essence Qi within his body’s Blood Mansion fused with his physical body. At this moment, Ye Yun’s Indomitable Blood Body had activated to its peak state.
Whoosh!
Crack!
Ye Yun’s speed abruptly increased by a full threefold, meaning his power did too. Just as Yang Hu was releasing a shocking True Dao palm force to attack Ye Yun, he only felt a blood-colored shadow flash. His physical body felt like it was about to shatter. A tremendous force exploded within his Dantian, and Yang Hu was instantly sent spinning away.
“Heavens, such fast speed! The Elder’s Dantian was shattered by a kick. He’s done for!”
The moment Yang Hu flew up, everyone in the Yang Family knew what had happened. One by one, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
Swish! Swish!
Just as everyone lamented the fall of a powerhouse, a piercing spinning sound erupted in the night sky.
“He actually broke through to the Flesh Immortal Fourth Layer at this moment!”
Yang Yunduan could hardly sit still…
Under the hazy moonlight, strands of swirling white Qi currents wrapped around Ye Yun. Having just used full strength to defeat Yang Hu, he was feeling somewhat drowsy and weak when his Dantian’s Inner Strength suddenly spun wildly. It rampaged through his Meridians and even surged out of his body, coiling around Ye Yun like a giant dragon ascending.
At that moment, Ye Yun only felt power surging within his body. All he sensed was infinite strength. His Dantian’s Inner Strength was now transforming into Inner Essence—a purer, more powerful force than Inner Strength. And it even automatically absorbed the mysterious power of the Life Spirit Pearl.
Force qi coiled around his body, merging internally and externally—the phenomenon of the Fourth Layer Qi Nurturing.
At this moment, Ye Yun once again stepped into the Flesh Immortal Fourth Layer realm. Refining qi into his body, he returned to his former peak state. No, he was several times stronger than before, especially his physical body.
In the eyes of the crowd, in the Void outside Ye Yun’s body, there actually coiled the figure of an ancient Immortal Sovereign.