On the other side, Yuwen Guangxu revealed a cold smile. He remained silent, planning to use practical actions to thoroughly slap Ye Cangtian's face.
With that thought, he led Ye Cangtian to the Yuwen family's martial arts arena.
The two stood in the center of the arena. Yuwen Guangxu impatiently revealed his Fangtian Huaji, and the spiritual energy around him surged.
"Hmm?"
Sensing Yuwen Guangxu's aura from not far away, Ye Cangtian was suddenly startled.
The last time they met, the other party was only at the quasi-Earth level. Now, he had actually leaped to become an Earth-level expert, which somewhat surprised him.
After all, the threshold for Earth level was not easily crossed.
With that thought, he glanced at the other party and said slowly, "I know Yuwen Chengji also wants to spar with me. To save time, why don't you two brothers come at me together!"
"Bastard! Who do you think you're looking down on!"
"I am enough to deal with you alone!"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's voice, Yuwen Guangxu immediately roared and flashed towards Ye Cangtian.
What he wanted was a one-on-one duel with Ye Cangtian. Only by defeating him fair and square could he wash away the shame.
Alas!
Watching Yuwen Guangxu flash towards him, Ye Cangtian sighed and reluctantly took out the Ice Crystal Dagger, meeting him.
Clang, clang, clang…
For a time, sparks flew, and the sound of weapons clashing was incessant.
On the surface, the two seemed evenly matched, as if a little more effort from either side could break the stalemate.
However, only Yuwen Guangxu knew how terrifying Ye Cangtian was.
From his probing, to gradually revealing his strength, and then to a full-blown offensive, Ye Cangtian had consistently matched him evenly.
Meanwhile, he had almost used all his strength, but the other party dealt with it with ease.
It was evident that even in his all-out state, he could not force out Ye Cangtian's full power.
On the other side, Yuwen Sheng, who had been watching from the sidelines, although he couldn't discern Ye Cangtian's true strength, he knew the outcome was decided.
He glanced at Yuwen Guangxu, who was still attacking with all his might in the arena, and said slowly, "Guangxu, you have already lost. You should come down!"
There was no alternative. He could tell that Ye Cangtian was deliberately holding back, perhaps to give the Yuwen family some face.
If he were to be ungracious and persist, the losing party would undoubtedly be Yuwen Guangxu, which would be even more embarrassing for him. It was better to stop now.
"No, I haven't lost yet!"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Guangxu immediately roared.
He had suffered too much for a long time in order to have a decisive battle with Ye Cangtian. How could he be willing to give up now just because of someone else's words!
"Alas! Why put yourself through this?"
Ye Cangtian sighed. He thought the other party would retreat, but in the end, they did not.
As he spoke, the dagger in his hand suddenly accelerated, much faster than before, and struck the Fangtian Huaji heavily.
Yuwen Guangxu did not react to the sudden change, and coupled with the immense force transmitted, the Fangtian Huaji immediately dropped to the ground.
This was not the end. When Yuwen Guangxu reacted and tried to dodge, he discovered that the Ice Crystal Dagger had already stopped at his neck.
"This…"
In an instant, Yuwen Guangxu's eyes widened.
He knew Ye Cangtian was holding back, but he never expected that when Ye Cangtian truly exerted his strength, he wouldn't even be able to block a single move.
How could such an outcome be worthy of his diligent and desperate cultivation day and night?
Now it seemed that all that hard work was just a joke. It not only failed to narrow the gap between them but rather widened it considerably!
Yuwen Chengji was equally stunned.
The last time they sparred at Ye Cangtian's home, although Yuwen Guangxu was defeated, it was only by a narrow margin.
But upon meeting again this time, the gap between them was like that between clouds and mud.
Even Yuwen Guangxu was defeated so miserably; how could he, who was slightly inferior, be Ye Cangtian's opponent?
"Since you've lost, work harder!"
"Perhaps there will be a chance to catch up to me in the future!"
"After all, you've reached the Earth level, which proves your talent is not bad…"
Looking at Yuwen Guangxu's increasingly pained face, Ye Cangtian hesitated for a moment and slowly spoke.
Yuwen Guangxu was, after all, a member of the Hidden Group, and an Earth-level expert.
Ye Cangtian felt there was no need to add insult to injury. It was better to console him and let him continue to serve the Hidden Group.
"Hmph!"
Yuwen Guangxu glanced at Ye Cangtian and snorted.
He knew very well that his and Yuwen Chengji's attainment of Earth-level strength was not solely due to their own efforts but also the full support of the Yuwen family.
It was Yuwen Sheng who led them, risking their lives to clear out many secret realms, and they were fortunate to obtain two Nine-Revolving Golden Pills.
Otherwise, they might not have broken through by now.
Yet even so, they were easily defeated by Ye Cangtian. It was likely that they would never be able to rival him in the future.
Seeing Yuwen Guangxu's somber expression, Ye Cangtian shook his head helplessly and finally shifted his gaze to Yuwen Chengji not far away.
"Yuwen Chengji, do you still wish to spar with me?"
This…
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Yuwen Chengji's face immediately flushed red.
To be honest, like Yuwen Guangxu, he also wanted to avenge their past defeat.
But the problem was that the strength Ye Cangtian displayed was too terrifying. Even if he stepped forward, the outcome would be no different from being "repaired" by Ye Cangtian again.
Therefore, he had already given up in his heart.
However, now that Ye Cangtian publicly inquired, he was in a dilemma.
If he remained silent, he might be branded a coward, which would be a disservice to their title of "Yuwen Twin Heroes."
But if he accepted the challenge, he would still be disgraced for not being able to defeat Ye Cangtian.
"Lord Ye, at such a young age, to possess such strength is truly a prodigy of the younger generation and the future of the Hidden Group!"
"In terms of strength, neither Guangxu nor Chengji is your match. I think it's best to forgo the subsequent matches!"
At this moment, Yuwen Sheng from the edge of the arena finally spoke.
He truly couldn't bear to watch any longer and had to step forward to smooth things over.
Now that Yuwen Guangxu had been demoralized by Ye Cangtian, he didn't want Yuwen Chengji to be demoralized as well.
If both of them were to lose heart from this point on, it would be a great loss for the Yuwen family.
Ye Cangtian heard this, glanced at Yuwen Chengji, and seeing that the other party did not speak, he clearly acquiesced.
The next moment, he smiled slightly at Yuwen Sheng and said, "Since that's the case, esteemed elder, I shall take my leave for now."
With that, Ye Cangtian cupped his fists and turned to leave directly.
Watching Ye Cangtian's departing back, Yuwen Sheng fell silent.
Judging from his words and actions, this young man was extraordinary. Coupled with his unfathomable strength, having him was indeed fortunate for the Hidden Group.
But then again, as long as this young man was around, whether it was Yuwen Guangxu or Yuwen Chengji, they would likely have no chance to emerge. What a pity…
…
Jinling Hotel.
When Ye Cangtian returned to the hotel, he happened to find Old Long drinking alone in his room.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian immediately walked over, sat down, poured himself a glass of wine, and began drinking with him.
"Kid, you're back so soon?"
"Did the Yuwen family give you trouble?"
Hearing Old Long's words, Ye Cangtian shook his head and said, "Trouble is not the word for it. Yuwen Sheng's attitude towards me is quite good. Although it's insincere, it's acceptable on the surface. It's just that…"
Ye Cangtian recounted the spar with Yuwen Guangxu.
Upon hearing this, Old Long snorted and said, "This kid does have some talent, but his judgment is too poor. Challenging you to a fight is like throwing an egg against a rock, isn't it?"
Ye Cangtian smiled faintly at this, not responding.
In fact, with his current cultivation, even if he had defeated Yuwen Guangxu, there was nothing to be happy about. After all, the gap was evident.
Seeing Ye Cangtian not respond, Old Long fell silent for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, as if remembering something, and quickly looked at the other party.
"By the way, after you left, I went out for a stroll, and I received some bad news."
Hmm?
Ye Cangtian heard this and cast a questioning gaze.
He had resolved the conflict with the Half-Moon Hall and had also visited the Yuwen family. Besides these, there was still bad news. Could it be that the traitor in the Hidden Group had already made a move?
Sensing Ye Cangtian's gaze, Old Long began to explain.
When he went out for a walk today, he noticed many people rushing into the city and setting up camp.