On the battlefield, Wen Yan stared at the shallow blade mark running from his chest down to the Thousand Years’ shell, a bitter smile twisting his lips.
As he moved, fresh blood gushed from the wound—both his and his mount’s. He hastily retrieved a medicine vial from his space storage, applying it to himself and the beast.
Whatever the ointment was, it worked instantly. The bleeding stopped.
Wen Yan knew Ye Zhongming was also injured—perhaps severely—but not this severely. He had lost. Utterly.
The Pin Palace leader’s wounds ran deeper than they appeared. His organs had been violently shaken, and now a chaotic mix of elemental energies and corrosive darkness writhed inside him. Purging it would take… he didn’t even know how long.
At least two months before he could fight again.
His battle beast had fared even worse. When Ye Zhongming’s strike shattered the Raging Tides of Fury, the beast had activated a skill to absorb most of the impact, saving Wen Yan’s life.
In water, the Thousand Years’ defenses were absolute. On land, even at half-strength, its resilience was formidable. But Ye Zhongming’s final attack had been too much. Both master and mount now teetered on the brink.
“Brother Wen, you alright?”
Beasts sensed malice instinctively. And this one reeked of it.
“I’m fine.” Wen Yan’s voice was calm, as if nothing had happened.
He knew the only reason Ye Zhongming hadn’t finished him off was this man’s arrival. Yet he felt no gratitude. Because in that fleeting moment—he’d seen killing intent in the Great Leader’s eyes.
Whatever the reason, the Soul Merchant’s head had briefly considered killing him.
“Glad to hear it.” The Great Leader chuckled, eyeing the wounded beast. “This Ye Zhongming really is a handful. Don’t worry—we’ll handle the rest. You… recover.”
With that, he lumbered off in the direction Ye Zhongming had fled.
Wen Yan watched his retreating back with a complicated expression.
………………………………………………
Ye Zhongming crouched beneath a towering oak, gulping down pills and potions. He didn’t leave quickly and just chose to hide under a tree.
He’d won against Wen Yan and could’ve killed him, too. But the arrival of another top-tier fighter had forced his retreat.
In his current state, taking on another powerhouse was too risky, and leaving was the best choice.
The Raging Tides of Fury had been devastating. Even after cleaving through it, the residual force left his body numb—there was no pain, just a feeling of not being able to control.
A bad sign.
The medicines took effect instantly, and a wave of pain returned to his body. That intense feeling made him grunt and spit out a mouthful of blood.
After which, he felt much more comfortable.
His Clear Body and Beautiful Sky Body already accelerating his recovery.
He suddenly stood up at a certain moment and lunged sideways. A spiked mace cratered the ground where he’d sat.
A mountain of a woman stood there, gnawing on a pork leg still clutched in her teeth.
“Pah!” She spat the bone aside, hefting her weapon. “Not bad.” Then she charged.
For someone built like a tank, she moved fast. The confidence and aura she had were as if she weren’t facing the Cloud Peak King but the pig leg that she was eating.
But Ye Zhongming wasn’t about to brawl with a brute mid-recovery. He backstepped, observed her speed, and then ran.
She couldn’t catch him even though she was quick.
And Ye Zhongming wasn’t prideful enough to fight when fleeing was smarter. He would always choose the best solution for himself.
Yet as he neared the forest’s edge—
A crackling net of electricity shot toward him. He twisted aside, only for a frost blade to slash from his blind spot. A roll saved him, revealing an eight-star camouflage viper-type thing retracting into the foliage.
The color of the crystal told him that it was an eight-star lifeform.
His Blood Stepping Boots propelled him forward—straight out of the forest.
Two streaks of light welcomed him.
He had no choice but to face it. The few attacks were a combination such that he couldn’t dodge anymore.
Wind and Thunder met the strikes head-on. No skill, just raw power. The impact hurled him back to edge of the woods.
A similar feeling of danger when he faced Wen Yan and Thousand Years filled his heart. Before he could even land, the black rope on his shoulder fired toward the trees on the side. The force caused him to make a nice turn to avoid the area where he should have landed at.
A volley of spiraling, razor-leafed projectiles shredded the space he’d occupied.
He heaved a sigh of relief. But he was confused, what were those leaves? Why did they make him feel such an intense sense of danger?
The black rope retracted, and he landed on the ground. But before he could stand still, purple wooden spikes to erupt from every direction. Ye Zhongming had to raise the Staff of Nature.
An intermediate-grade nature gem shattered, and fortunately, the wooden spikes were sent flying.
This killing blow was solved by Ye Zhongming’s reaction speed and the Staff of Nature’s strong defense.
But five people appeared around him. A woman holding the wolf-fang club, an old man with a snake on his arm, two guys with short daggers, and a middle-aged man whose arms were like two black holes.
These people gave off the aura of eight-star experts.
But Ye Zhognmign didn’t look at the people who surrounded him. He was looking at a vine no different from the other vines on the surrounding trees.
He realised what this was.
Heaven Speech Demon Vine.