"Hahaha, Ye Cangtian, you truly have a bit of cunning!" Morris let out a hearty laugh and continued, "There are many rumors about you internationally. Today, I just want to test your strength and see if you're all talk!"
What Turus had said earlier had indeed provoked him. In his opinion, Ye Cangtian was merely a small flea in the mortal world, making a lot of noise but possessing no real strength. He was in no way comparable to someone like himself from the inner sanctum, where survival amidst constant danger was a testament to abilities far beyond those of outsiders.
As for the matter of Malun's capture, he simply attributed it to Malun being surrounded and overwhelmed. Furthermore, he had personally witnessed Ye Cangtian and his group arriving, and had previously inspected the mountainous area, finding no ambushes. Among Ye Cangtian's entourage, there was only one quasi-Heavenly rank expert and one Earthly rank expert, with the rest being of Xuan rank. This lineup presented the perfect opportunity for him to strike.
Therefore, Morris decided to act. Capturing Ye Cangtian would be a significant blow to the opposing morale and eliminate a major threat.
Rustle, rustle…
As Morris finished speaking, rustling sounds echoed through the surrounding mountain forest. In an instant, figures cloaked in black emerged. Including Morris and his companions, there were ten red-robed cardinals, along with forty to fifty black-robed cardinals and divine envoys.
Ye Cangtian glanced at Morris, his smile remaining condescending and playful. "What, you want to test my strength and prepare to surround me? Isn't that a bit too shameless?"
"Hahaha." Upon hearing this, Morris burst into laughter. He believed Ye Cangtian's words were a sign of fear, an attempt to provoke him. Thinking this, he chuckled and said, "Ye Cangtian, our leader said you are very capable, that I couldn't outsmart you. But it seems you're just like everyone else, leading your people into a trap. Since your abilities are lacking, you must pay the price, don't you agree?"
"Heh heh, your leader's assessment is not wrong," Ye Cangtian replied with a faint smile. "As for who will pay today, that's hard to say. Perhaps you'll be the one paying for your recklessness!"
"Huh?" Hearing this, Morris's expression darkened noticeably. "With such a disparity in numbers, do you really think you have a chance to turn the tables?"
He was perplexed. Among the opposing group, only two were truly formidable; the rest were merely Xuan rank deacons, and there were only about a dozen of them, easily dismissible. How long could Ye Cangtian and Yang Chen last under such an encirclement? They might be eliminated before any reinforcements from the China faction could arrive. So, where did Ye Cangtian's confidence stem from?
Ye Cangtian responded by making a gesturing invitation, saying slowly, "You won't understand even if I explain too much. Let's settle this with our actions."
As his words fell, the disciples of the Bai family behind him grew nervous. The lineup of the Temple of Light was overwhelming, putting immense pressure on them. If a battle were to break out, they would likely be the first to fall. However, not a single one of them flinched. As disciples of the Bai family, there was no precedent for retreat and cowardice; only death on the battlefield. Even Yang Chen, his hands gripping the Twin Axes of God and Demon, felt cold sweat forming on his palms.
He had guarded the entrance for so long, yet this was the first time he had encountered a battle with such a severe imbalance of power. Despite his nervousness, he also felt a thrill. If he survived this, it would be something he could boast about for a long time…
"Kill!" Morris's gaze locked onto Ye Cangtian's smug face, and his anger surged. He could see the nervousness on the faces of Ye Cangtian's companions, yet Ye Cangtian himself remained nonchalant, clearly not taking them seriously. Since the opponent looked down on him, he would show them his prowess.
The next moment, with his command, the surrounding red-robed cardinals led the black-robed cardinals and divine envoys in an initial charge. As the saying goes, even an ant can bite an elephant to death. They didn't expect to defeat Ye Cangtian; they all understood that he was beyond their capabilities. Their sole objective was to eliminate Yang Chen and all the Bai family disciples with him, which would be considered a victory.
"Yang Chen, how is your training with the Twin Axes of God and Demon coming along?" Ye Cangtian asked Yang Chen leisurely as the enemy charged towards them.
"Uh…" Yang Chen was momentarily stunned. With the battle about to commence, how could the other party still be in the mood to ask such a question! However, he quickly recovered and replied, "Perfected."
With those simple words, Ye Cangtian nodded in satisfaction. "Good. There are ten red-robed cardinals in total. They are all yours."
"Ah?" Yang Chen's eyes widened in disbelief. Even though his mastery of the Twin Axes of God and Demon was complete, he was still no match for ten red-robed cardinals.
"I recall there's a move called 'Spinning Whirling' in the Twin Axes of God and Demon technique, right? Use that to pick them off," Ye Cangtian said, giving Yang Chen a knowing look and a hint of exasperation.
Spinning Whirling? Yang Chen was taken aback again. Spinning Whirling, in essence, was throwing axes, and their power was not to be underestimated. But the problem was, these weren't targets standing still to be hit! The opponents would dodge and block, rendering the technique's full power useless. However, since Ye Cangtian had said it, it meant he had immense trust in him. Regardless, he had to try his best and not disappoint.
Seeing Yang Chen ready, Ye Cangtian turned his gaze back to the advancing opponents and said calmly, "From left to right." After reminding Yang Chen, Ye Cangtian immediately unleashed his Soul Shock. Ye Cangtian did not use Soul Pierce, as it was a single-target attack with strong offensive power. Soul Shock, however, was an area-of-effect attack. Most importantly, Soul Shock was not particularly offensive; it was more of a supportive ability, causing the opponents to become dazed, without any obvious signs of being hit. This made it relatively more discreet.
The next moment, Yang Chen's eyes lit up. The opponents in his vision inexplicably froze in place, presenting him with the perfect opportunity to strike.
Roar!
Following Yang Chen's roar, the Twin Axes of God and Demon were hurled forth.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
With two consecutive sounds, two Earthly rank experts fell to the ground. Simultaneously, the Twin Axes of God and Demon returned to Yang Chen's hands. Without hesitation, Yang Chen hurled them again…
"Damn it! Why are you stopping!"
"Dodge! Quickly, dodge! Are you all fools?" Morris roared in anger and impatience. To him, Yang Chen's flying axes were no joke, and this was no different from them becoming moving targets. However, no matter how much he shouted, the situation remained unchanged. In a short period, Yang Chen had already eliminated eight red-robed cardinals.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Morris dashed forward. If this continued, everyone would be finished, and he wouldn't be able to report back. Therefore, he had to stop it, and more importantly, he had to decapitate Ye Cangtian.
*Clang!*
Morris blocked one flying axe, but he watched helplessly as another flying axe took down another red-robed cardinal. He was furious, his eyes burning with rage as he charged towards Yang Chen. Nine red-robed cardinals had fallen to Yang Chen's hand. At this moment, he only wished to tear Yang Chen limb from limb.
"Your opponent is me. Don't get your targets wrong," a faint laugh echoed. Morris paused, and in a flash, the scene before him blurred. Ye Cangtian had appeared before him without him noticing.
In such a situation, he had no choice but to abandon his pursuit of Yang Chen and deal with Ye Cangtian first. The next moment, he drew his cross-shaped long sword and swung it at Ye Cangtian.
"Hmph!" Ye Cangtian let out a light snort and brought down his Death Scythe with great force.
*Clink!*
A crisp sound. Feeling the power transmitted to his arm, Morris almost burst out laughing. This was clearly a case of much ado about nothing! Although Ye Cangtian's strike appeared incredibly powerful, when they clashed head-on, he felt no force.
But just as Morris was about to mock him, the Death Scythe unleashed a second attack. With a *crack*, Morris's long sword was shattered, and in an instant, the Death Scythe sliced across Morris's chest.
"What… what kind of technique is this…" Morris looked at Ye Cangtian in shock, asking in disbelief. The power unleashed by the second attack was simply terrifying, something he had never felt even from Turus. In his opinion, this was clearly not Ye Cangtian's own strength, but likely a result of a cultivation technique.
Ye Cangtian glanced at Morris and said calmly, "Yin Yang Heaven-Breaking Slash. Now, rest in peace!" Saying this, Ye Cangtian turned away, fully confident that his previous strike had severed all of the opponent's life force. The reason Morris hadn't died yet was simply because he hadn't moved, coupled with his formidable cultivation. However, these things would only allow him to linger for a short while longer.
m..oΓg