Boom—
The thousand-zhang azure eagle slammed into its target with devastating force.
The entire expanse of heaven and earth trembled! The lake below, spanning ten thousand li, churned with towering waves that threatened to boil over and surge into the sky—a truly terrifying sight!
This was Ao Changkong's strongest attack as a Demi-Saint!
However, the expected scene of the target being smashed to pieces did not materialize. Instead, it was that fearsome azure eagle that disintegrated in a flash, crumbling apart.
A slender hand had, at some unknown moment, grasped Ao Changkong by the neck, lifting him high into the air as if he were nothing more than a chick.
It was him!
Barbarian Tiger was shocked to discover that the one who had acted was precisely the man on the ground whom he had just tried to protect.
Li Gu and the other elders and disciples of the Withered State Academy were equally horrified.
This young man named Ye Chen was truly this terrifying? He had effortlessly neutralized Ao Changkong's fearsome assault with a mere wave of his hand.
One had to understand that such a divine ability attack would likely have been fatal even to another Demi-Saint, yet it had been blocked so easily.
It could only mean that the other party's strength was far, far superior, beyond measure.
"You... you—" Ao Changkong stared at Ye Chen in terror. He tried to mobilize his divine power, only to be horrified to find it strangely sealed within his body, utterly unusable.
This ant he had looked down upon was actually such a terrifying figure?
Ye Chen held him aloft as if pinching a chick, slightly raising his gaze to look down upon him with an air of cold indifference. "I had no intention of acting," he said coldly, "but since you regarded me as an ant and disregarded my life, I had no choice but to intervene."
"Of course, in my eyes, you are nothing more than a mere ant as well."
"Die!"
The words fell like a death knell, causing Ao Changkong's three souls to nearly flee his body in panic. He hurriedly cried out, "Don't kill me! I am from Cangxue—"
Crack—
His words were cut short as his neck was twisted.
A peculiar force simultaneously invaded his brow, annihilating his Primordial Spirit.
Ao Changkong, a genius of his generation, died here.
Casually tossing aside the corpse of Ao Changkong, whose eyes would never close in death, Ye Chen turned his gaze to Barbarian Tiger.
After his initial shock, Barbarian Tiger's expression was replaced by deep reverence. He hurriedly performed a grand bow of respect. "This junior, Barbarian Tiger, thanks Senior for saving my life."
Those who achieve more are teachers. With such strength, Ye Chen was fully qualified to be addressed as 'Senior'.
"It's nothing," Ye Chen waved a hand dismissively. "You harbored good intentions and tried to protect me earlier. Consider this me repaying that favor."
Barbarian Tiger felt a lingering fear. Fortunately, his earlier actions toward Ye Chen had not been like Ao Changkong's, or his fate would most likely have been identical.
He then offered a bitter smile. "Senior, you should leave this place quickly. Ao Changkong's background is no small matter. He is the chosen successor of Cangxue Palace for this generation. If Cangxue Palace learns it was you who did this, they will surely come seeking you."
He hinted discreetly that Cangxue Palace, like the Barbarian Tribe, was one of the superpowers of the Thirteen Eastern Victory States, possessing Heavenly Kings and was extremely powerful.
"It's nothing. A mere Cangxue Palace is not worthy of my concern," Ye Chen waved his hand again, his attitude one of utter nonchalance. This earned him a few more glances of appraisal from Barbarian Tiger and Li Gu's group, though they also shook their heads inwardly.
Judging by the strength Ye Chen had displayed—while he could easily kill Ao Changkong and was indeed very strong—he was most likely at the late-stage Saint Treasury realm. However, facing a behemoth like Cangxue Palace would inevitably be extremely dangerous.
Barbarian Tiger felt anxious, hoping to persuade Ye Chen to leave as soon as possible.
Ye Chen saw his concern and revealed a faint smile. "You are a Body Refiner, correct?"
Barbarian Tiger answered instinctively, "This junior is."
"Observing the Body Refinement technique you cultivate, while ordinary, managing to reach this level at the Demi-Saint stage is somewhat commendable. Pity that you can't even compare to a same-level Dao weapon."
Who was Ye Chen? With a single glance, he saw through the flaws in Barbarian Tiger's cultivation.
He appeared strong, with a savage, rock-hard physique that could rival a Divine Transformation Dao weapon, but it fell far short of a Demi-Saint level Dao weapon.
As a supreme expert among Body Refiners, he was fully qualified to speak this way.
Barbarian Tiger smiled bitterly. Though he didn't know who this senior was, it didn't change his own feelings of helplessness and bitterness.
While a Body Refiner's physical body was often powerful, matching a same-level Dao weapon was no easy feat. Even many Body Refiners struggled to reach that level, at best only achieving a physique significantly stronger than cultivators of the same realm.
He also frowned slightly.
Because the technique he cultivated was the supreme Body Refinement treasure manual left behind by an Ancient Ancestor, a Divine King, of the Barbarian Tribe. Even though only half remained, it was still considered an immensely precious supreme cultivation manual in the current era. Yet, the other party had disparaged it as 'ordinary,' which was akin to questioning that Divine King Ancient Ancestor—something he could not allow.
He frowned and said, "Senior, the Body Refinement technique this junior cultivates is the 'Barbarian Divine King Art,' left behind by an Ancient Divine King who was an Ancient Ancestor of my Barbarian Tribe..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear: This is a supreme Body Refinement treasure manual created and left by an Ancient Divine King. Speaking like this questions an Ancient Divine King. Do you have the qualification to do so?
"Left by a Divine King?" Ye Chen frowned slightly. "In that case, it's even more unacceptable. A Body Refinement technique created by a Divine King realm expert, no matter how poor, shouldn't be this lacking, failing to match a same-level Dao weapon. You must understand that only by cultivating one's physical body to rival a same-level Dao weapon can one be considered to have truly entered the hall of the Body Refinement Path."
"..."
So, I'm not even considered to have entered the hall yet?
Although Barbarian Tiger knew this Ye Chen before him was very powerful, Body Refinement was his most outstanding area. Moreover, having the treasure manual left by a Divine King Ancient Ancestor questioned like this was something he, as a descendant, absolutely could not tolerate. He frowned and said solemnly, "Senior perhaps does not understand the difficulty of the Body Refinement Path. Improving one's physical body is no easy task. Even among the most outstanding ten great forces of the Hundred Nations and Myriad Sects, they have only barely reached the level you speak of."
"Furthermore, my Barbarian Tribe's Body Refinement treasure manual was once seized by a great enemy, leaving only half. So, it is an incomplete manual."
The subtext was: Being able to cultivate to this level with an incomplete treasure manual shows my level is still quite good.
Ye Chen, of course, understood what he was thinking. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Since you have doubts, I'll give you a chance now. Attack me with your full power. I will stand right here, using no divine abilities or spells, and let you attack freely."
"But, Senior—" Barbarian Tiger frowned. Although the senior was strong and had easily dismantled Ao Changkong's attack, facing his own assault without any defense or even using divine abilities to block it... if it really came to that, injuries might result.
After all, this was someone who had saved his life. He didn't want Ye Chen to get hurt because of this.
"No 'buts.' If you can injure me, I will reward you with a complete, flawless Body Refinement technique," Ye Chen said.
"A Body Refinement technique?"
Hearing this, Barbarian Tiger's heart stirred immediately. Gritting his teeth, he said, "In that case, I respectfully accept. Please be careful, Senior."
Boom—
Barbarian Tiger instantly gathered a terrifying force, concentrating it on his fist, causing the void to tremble. Then, with a fierce swing, he blasted it forward.