Under the collective gaze of the onlookers, Ye Yunfei slowly stood up.
"I can fight you.
However, there is one point I'd like to make clear beforehand.
That is, the martial techniques I cultivate are not for mere exchange and instruction. Once we start, it will likely result in severed limbs and injury, even... taking a life.
Therefore, if I wound or kill you, I take no responsibility whatsoever.
What say you?"
Ye Yunfei spoke indifferently.
"Oh?"
Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, Tuotianhu couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
He looked up at Ye Yunfei, only to see a somewhat fine-featured young man, handsome with delicate features, with not a hint of ferocious menace about him.
Furthermore, Ye Yunfei's cultivation was merely at the Early Stage of the True Manifestation Realm.
The only thing Tuotianhu was slightly wary of was Ye Yunfei's identity.
After all, Ye Yunfei was a student of Hudao Academy.
"And if I accidentally wound, or kill you..."
Tuotianhu probed.
"No responsibility necessary."
Ye Yunfei said plainly.
"Haha, General Tuo, what are you hesitating for? Seize this rare opportunity to seek guidance from this young genius of Hudao Academy."
Prince Zhenshou laughed heartily.
"That's right.
We can bear witness that between Junior Brother Ye and General Tuo, this is a life-and-death duel.
If Junior Brother Ye unfortunately perishes, we students of Hudao Academy will not hold anyone responsible."
Dongguo Xiong also sneered as he spoke.
"We can also bear witness."
The other three senior students shouted as well.
"Enough nonsense, let's fight!"
With a roar, General Tuo released his aura in rolling waves.
Instantly, his body actually swelled and expanded, as if he had become a muscular giant.
Roar, roar...
With a wave of his hand, over a dozen giant tigers, over a dozen giant lions, over a dozen giant apes, and over a dozen giant crocodiles appeared simultaneously.
A total of forty ferocious and ominous beasts surged toward Ye Yunfei from all directions with overwhelming force.
"Brat, die!"
Tuotianhu took out a spiked mace, extremely thick and heavy, and brandishing it with a wild and crude motion, charged toward Ye Yunfei, killing intent thick in the air.
A brawny man and forty savage beasts attacked Ye Yunfei simultaneously.
"Haha, this rash fool never imagined, did he? Warriors of the Ten Thousand Beasts Empire fight alongside their Warbeasts!
General Tuo has forty Warbeasts. That'll be enough to make him suffer!"
Dongguo Xiong and the three senior students roared with laughter.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Ye Yunfei coldly watched Tuotianhu charging toward him. With a single thought, he activated One Thought Begets a Devil.
Roar!
A devil suddenly appeared within Tuotianhu's soul sea, releasing overwhelming fiendish might as it pounced toward his Soul Body.
Now, Ye Yunfei's Soul Power was far too powerful.
The One Thought Begets a Devil he unleashed was utterly unbearable for someone at the Middle Stage of the True Manifestation Realm.
Ah!
Immediately, Tuotianhu's body shuddered. Feeling as if his head were about to explode, and unable to bear the excruciating pain, he clutched his head and let out a miserable scream.
"Ah, I surrender! Spare me!"
Tuotianhu hugged his head, rolling desperately on the ground while howling in agony.
One could see blood flowing from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
The forty Warbeasts, having lost Tuotianhu's control, also stopped moving, appearing somewhat bewildered.
What was going on?
This scene left everyone in the grand hall dumbfounded.
Listening to Tuotianhu's shrill, agonized screams, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a pitch-black dagger appeared at Tuotianhu's throat and slashed fiercely, severing it on the spot.
"Ours was a life-and-death duel.
It only stops when life and death are decided."
Ye Yunfei said indifferently.
"You... you actually killed General Tuo!"
Prince Zhenshou seemed unable to accept it.
"General Tuo is dead!"
The emperor and the court ministers were all struck dumb.
Tuotianhu was a general of the Ten Thousand Beasts Empire, a man of formidable strength, high status, and great authority. Who would have thought he'd be killed in a single encounter?
Throughout the hall, the princes, ministers, and generals of the Ten Thousand Beasts Empire glared furiously at Ye Yunfei.
Even the emperor was deeply displeased.
However, Ye Yunfei was a student of Hudao Academy, an origin too grand for them to make a scene.
"Next time you want to deal with me, find someone who can put up a better fight.
Otherwise, it's too boring."
Ye Yunfei swept a glance at Prince Zhenshou and spoke flatly.
Prince Zhenshou's eyes gleamed sharply, his fists clenched tightly.
"Senior brothers, you are also from Hudao Academy, yet you side with outsiders at every turn, truly disgracing our academy.
It seems you Senior Brothers hold quite some animosity toward me.
In that case, I would like to exchange pointers with you. What do you say?"
Ye Yunfei's gaze fell upon Dongguo Xiong and the three senior students. Killing intent sprouted in his heart as he spoke nonchalantly.
Right after leaving Hudao Academy, Ye Yunfei had known these four senior students harbored ill intentions toward him. Therefore, Ye Yunfei planned that since he was already in for a penny, he might as well be in for a pound—directly kill these fellows too.
"Impudence!
Ye Yunfei, you, a mere new student, dare to challenge me? This is an inferior challenging his superior!"
Dongguo Xiong could not help but be enraged.
"Senior Brother Dongguo, why don't we just..."
The three senior students were also so angry their facial muscles twisted, killing intent seething deep within their eye sockets.
"We'll wait until we enter the desert."
Dongguo Xiong suppressed his fury with great effort, glanced meaningfully at Ye Yunfei, and uttered a phrase laden with implication.
"Heh heh..."
Ye Yunfei was now certain that these four senior students harbored killing intent toward him!
Ye Yunfei would never let off anyone who held killing intent toward him.
Thus, Ye Yunfei spoke no more. With a cold laugh, he returned to his seat.
"Alright, Your Majesty, now let's discuss serious business.
Where exactly are the Second Prince and Third Princess now?"
Dongguo Xiong inquired of the emperor.
"The Second Prince and Third Princess were captured by the Black Wind Stronghold's desert bandits.
I have dispatched men numerous times into the Blackwind Desert to search for traces of them, but to no avail.
Those Sand Bandits of the Black Wind Stronghold are fierce and cunning, hidden within the Blackwind Desert. Finding them is far too difficult."
The emperor's face revealed sorrow.
"Very well, we shall enter the Blackwind Desert to search for the Second Prince and Third Princess."
Dongguo Xiong nodded.
"If we rescue the Second Prince and Third Princess, will you truly bestow one vial of three-hundred-year Demon Crocodile Essence Blood and the corpses of three Low-Level Beast Venerables as reward?"
Ye Yunfei suddenly spoke up and asked.
"Indeed.
If you can rescue the Second Prince and Third Princess, I shall not go back on my word!"
The emperor nodded.
"That's good then."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Haha, Junior Brother Ye, believe me, you will have no chance."
One of the senior students laughed loudly.
"Nothing is absolute in this world. Perhaps, I will be the one to rescue them."
Ye Yunfei gave a faint smile.
"No need to waste words with him. We depart tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we depart and enter the Blackwind Desert."
Dongguo Xiong said.
Then he flicked his sleeves and left.
Ye Yunfei and the three senior students also returned to their respective accommodations.
"I estimate that after we enter the Blackwind Desert tomorrow, those four fellows will definitely make a move against me.
Hmph, if that's the case, then I need not be polite either."
In his room, Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged and murmured to himself.
"Damnation!
Damnation!
Not only did General Tuo fail to kill that brat, he was killed by him instead!"
Within a magnificent palace in the imperial city, in a grand hall, Prince Zhenshou roared incessantly, smashing all the tables and chairs in the hall to pieces.
"Assemble the men immediately! Follow me to kill that brat!"
Prince Zhenshou felt he couldn't swallow this affront.
"Prince, you must not act recklessly.
That brat is, after all, a student of Hudao Academy.
If we kill him so openly and brazenly,
in the future, should Hudao Academy choose to investigate, I fear our Ten Thousand Beasts Empire would face the calamity of annihilation!"
An elder by his side hurriedly voiced his dissent.
"No!
Feng Yun'ao ordered me to definitely kill that brat.
Otherwise, it'll be hard to answer to him.
Fine!
Tomorrow, I will lead my men personally into the Blackwind Desert to intercept and kill that brat!"
Prince Zhenshou gnashed his teeth and vowed.