In the eastern part of Yancheng, within the Liu Family estate, a gloomy, oppressive atmosphere hung heavily over a spacious and imposing hall, making it hard to breathe.
Corpses lay scattered haphazardly across the marble floor.
In the seat of honor sat a powerfully built man with arms as thick and heavy as mountains. His gaze was fixed like a dagger upon the corpse of Liu Ming. A rage like a surging flash flood was brewing within his body, causing his entire frame to tremble slightly.
"Who is it?! Who killed Ming'er?!"
Liu Zhentian roared in fury, a web of bloodshot veins bursting across his crimson, ferocious eyes.
*Boom!*
A violent blast of air erupted from his body, shattering a tea table with a loud *bang* and cracking the stone pillars of the grand hall.
Below, a crowd of clansmen shivered with fright, not daring to lift their heads.
"Patriarch, it was done by the Ye Family! The Young Master had a dispute with them over the mineral vein in the Tianyang Mountains, and he was killed by Ye Han!"
A young man in a green robe knelt flat on the ground, trembling as he spoke.
"The Ye Family!"
Liu Zhentian's gaze was so sharp it felt as though it could kill, making people too terrified to meet his eyes. The two words "Ye Family" were forced out one by one from between his clenched teeth, brimming with boundless hatred.
"Patriarch, the Ye Family killed Liu Ming; this is simply going too far. Our Liu Family cannot swallow this insult. It is time to strike against the Ye Family. This time, not only must we seize the mineral vein, but we can also take the opportunity to wipe out the Ye Family and exact our revenge."
An aged voice sounded. The elder was none other than the Liu Family First Elder, Liu Xi.
Liu Zhentian remained consumed by rage, calming down only after a long while. Yet, within his tightly clenched fists, terrifying ripples of spiritual energy still faintly surged.
"This time, I will wash the Ye Family in blood! I want the head of that little bastard Ye Han as a blood sacrifice to Ming'er!" Liu Zhentian said through gritted teeth, his voice grim and dark.
The pain of losing a son was as agonizing as a thousand cuts!
"Hmph! In truth, our Liu Family should have made a move long ago. Aside from Ye Baili, the Ye Family has no second Late Spirit Soul Realm expert. If we bring out the Liu Family's guardian fierce beast this time, we will surely be able to wipe out the entire Ye Family in one fell swoop."
Liu Xi slightly raised his brow and let out a cold snort.
The guardian fierce beast of the Liu Family he spoke of was a powerful beast whose existence no outsider had ever known! This was the hidden strength of the Liu Family!
This fierce beast had been kept and raised by the Liu Family for a full decade, and its strength had reached the Late Spirit Soul Realm, rivalling Liu Zhentian himself.
If the Liu Family brought forth this powerful beast for this operation, the Ye Family would undoubtedly be utterly defenseless and completely annihilated.
"Assemble the troops! Three days from now, I will go there in person and wash the entire Ye Family in blood!"
Liu Zhentian's knuckles cracked, a dense killing intent rising in his venomous eyes...
***
Chapter 20: Night Raid
Following their return from the Tianyang mineral vein, the news that Liu Ming had been killed by Ye Han naturally caused a sensation throughout the clan.
However, this news did not bode well for the Ye Family.
The upper echelons of the Ye Family held an emergency clan meeting to discuss how to deal with the Liu Family.
Inside the Ye Family's legislative hall.
"The Liu Family has always been at odds with us, and the bad blood runs deep. Furthermore, Liu Ming was Liu Zhentian's only son. Now that he has been killed by Han, given that old bastard's tyrannical, overbearing nature and his habit of repaying every grievance, I fear he will inevitably strike at our Ye Family this time."
At the head of the table, Ye Baili rested his withered palm on the wooden chair, a hint of solemnity in his gaze.
Liu Zhentian possessed formidable strength; even the First Elder could not help but feel a deep sense of dread.
"Our Ye Family is not a soft persimmon to be kneaded at will. In my opinion, Liu Ming brought this upon himself. Besides, the Liu Family is insatiably greedy; for years they have been harboring ambitions, coveting the mineral vein in the northern part of our territory. If Han hadn't stepped in, I'm afraid our losses at the Tianyang mineral vein would have been disastrous."
A man in black robes let out a cold snort.
"Indeed, the Liu Family would have moved against us sooner or later. Since that's the case, we might as well make preparations early and fight them head-on."
The Second Elder also nodded.
"If the Liu Family dares to come, I, Ye Kai, will be the first to slaughter them down to the last man!"
A white-haired elder said in a deep voice, instantly stirring the righteous indignation of the younger clansmen present.
"That's right, who the hell is afraid of them? Our Ye Family is one of the four great families of Yancheng after all, not some lambs to be slaughtered at will!"
"I just hope the Liu Family has the guts!"
"..."
Ye Baili frowned. How could he not know that a war between the Liu Family and the Ye Family was only a matter of time?
However, in the event of a mutual destruction, he feared the other two great families would reap the benefits.
Of the four great families of Yancheng, the remaining Wu Family and Su Family had also been eyeing the Tianyang mineral vein for a long time. Although this mineral vein was rich in resources, it was also a hot potato. The other families were all watching like tigers eyeing their prey.
"No matter what, we must protect Han. He has yet to mature; we can never let the Liu Family lay a finger on him."
The First Elder looked around at the crowd, his gaze solemn.
With Ye Han's talent, once his wings were fully grown, their Yancheng Ye Family would sooner or later rise to become the overlord of this city.
Thinking of this, the First Elder's eyes turned stern as he continued,
"Pass down the order: reinforce the patrols around the Ye estate over the next few days. If the Liu Family really dares to come, our Ye estate will definitely make them pay a heavy price!"
"Understood!"
The clansmen below nodded in unison.
The entire Ye estate was shrouded in a tense atmosphere, looking every bit like a storm about to break.
***
In the secluded courtyard of the back garden.
On the bluestone path, Ye Han was practicing horse stances. His gaze shifted between an ancient scripture and the movements of his arms.
"Sink your breath into the Dantian, draw out the fire attribute power with your palms, and compress the spiritual energy within your palm..."
This martial art was none other than the spirit technique obtained from Liu Ming's Qiankun bag, named the Great Sun Burning Heaven Palm!
This was a Grade 7 spirit technique, and in terms of grade, it was by no means inferior to the Heavenly Lion Gold-Shattering Roar.
Moreover, the Great Sun Burning Heaven Palm was one of the techniques contained within the Liu Family's founding spirit technique—the Great Sun Burning Heaven Scripture.
To cultivate this spirit technique, the practitioner had to possess fire-attribute spiritual energy. It required the cultivator to use extremely thick spiritual energy to compress flames within their palms, condensing them into a blazing sun.
As an alchemist, Ye Han's spiritual energy possessed both fire and wood attributes simultaneously, allowing him to cultivate the Great Sun Burning Heaven Palm.
*Swish!*
After hours of practice, a raging fire ignited in Ye Han's palm. He repeatedly compressed the fire-attribute spiritual energy within it.
*Hum—*
Before long, the spiritual energy condensed to its absolute limit, and a blazing sun slowly rose.
Violent ripples of spiritual energy surged outward into the surroundings like waves of intense heat.
*Boom!*
Ye Han’s legs burst into motion as he leaped forward, slamming his palm fiercely toward a large tree not far away.
*Bang!*
This strike felt as though a scorching sun had crashed violently into the thick trunk. To his astonishment, the powerful palm force pierced straight through the entire tree, leaving a charred, blazing hole right through it.
"I finally succeeded. This palm technique is truly overbearing!"
Ye Han slowly withdrew his palm aura and, looking at the charred hole in the tree trunk, was secretly astonished by the destructive power of this spirit technique.
However, although he could now unleash this spirit technique, it still lacked a certain refinement. Ye Han felt that something was missing, so he continued his practice right there over and over again, growing increasingly proficient.
Over the past few days, aside from cultivating his spirit technique, Ye Han naturally hadn't forgotten to refine medicinal pills. After all, that was his area of true expertise.
Following his acquisition of the Jade Heart Earth Fire, among the seven cauldrons of spirit pills Ye Han refined, a full five of them had given birth to pill patterns.
The improvement in the quality of his pill fire yielded obvious results.
Just like that, three days flashed by in the blink of an eye.
However, much to the surprise of the Ye Family, the Liu Family made no suspicious moves whatsoever. This caused the Ye Family's guard to gradually relax.
Then, late into the fourth night...
It was a moonless, windy night.
The sky resembled a pitch-black hand, shrouding the entire Ye Family estate.
*Swish, swish, swish—*
Suddenly, amidst the pitch-black night, rays of spiritual light surged over the perimeter walls and into the Ye estate, transforming into countless figures in black.
Liu Zhentian stood at the very front, followed by a hundred elite troops of the Liu Family.
"Who's there?!"
The commotion immediately alerted the guards patrolling the Ye estate.
Without a word, Liu Zhentian struck out, his palm enveloped in spiritual energy as he slammed it directly into a guard's chest.
*Bang!*
"Ah!"
The guard was blasted into a mist of blood on the spot!
The miserable scream tore through the night.
"Not good! The Liu Family is attacking!"
"Quick, grab your weapons!"
In an instant, the entire Ye Family erupted into chaos. Figures poured out from all directions, swarming forward.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The Liu Family troops roared, colliding with the experts of the Ye Family like a rushing torrent.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Instantly, powerful spiritual energy bombarded the surroundings. Blinding flashes of spiritual light lit up the entire Ye estate, accompanied by violent explosions and chaotic panic.
"Hmph!"
"Liu Zhentian, you really did come!"
An aged voice resounded, laden with astonishing fury.
With his entire body enveloped in white spiritual light, Ye Baili shot out from the night like a ribbon of silk, brandishing his staff as he charged straight at Liu Zhentian.
"Old bastard, you're courting death!"
Liu Zhentian flew into a rage, his expression dark as the spiritual energy within his body surged forth without holding anything back.
He threw a punch that carried a low, explosive rumble, colliding heavily with the incoming staff.
*Bang!*
The moment their figures collided, it was like a brilliant firework bursting apart, releasing an intense glare that illuminated the entire Ye estate as bright as day.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
The two engaged in a fierce, violent battle.
Before long, a figure dropped down not far away.
"The Liu Family really did come after all!"
Seeing this scene, a chilling intent flashed through Ye Han's eyes.
"Little bastard, this old man has been waiting for you for a long time, and you've actually shown up on your own accord. Heh, saved me the trouble of searching for you. Once I capture you alive, I'll peel your skin off piece by piece and make it into a human-skin lantern to burn as a sky candle!"
An aged voice rang out, and an old man with a sinister expression slowly stepped into view.
This person was the Fourth Elder of the Liu Family, Liu Shi.
***
Chapter 21: Iron Body Talisman
*Whoosh—*
A sudden gust of wind swept over from afar, and an old man dressed in gray robes, wreathed in spiritual energy, intercepted Ye Han's path.
His cold, sinister eyes—sharp as daggers—fixed upon Ye Han as if he were staring at a lamb awaiting slaughter.
This gray-robed old man was named Liu Shi, the Fourth Elder of the Liu Family.
Formidable ripples of spiritual energy emanated from his body, clearly proving that he had stepped into the Late Spirit Sea Realm.
Ye Han took a few steps back, frowning as his guard went up.
"Little bastard, I advise you to obediently submit and be captured. Otherwise, once this old man makes a move, you're going to suffer quite a bit."
Liu Shi pursed his lips, his voice raspy and sinister, sounding as though he had a thick glob of phlegm stuck in his throat.
"Old dog, I just hope you have the ability to back that up!"
*Boom—*
Ye Han clenched both fists, and instantly, a pale golden spiritual energy surged from his body, wrapping around him like a suit of golden armor.
"Little beast, you're courting death!"
Liu Shi let out a cold snort, laughing out of sheer anger. To think a mere junior dared to provoke him—it was nothing short of suicidal!
With a *swish*, the gray-robed figure shot forward like an arrow. His withered palms similarly glowed with a golden luster, coating his hands until they looked as though they were cast from solid gold, dazzlingly bright.
"Jingang Sky-Shattering Palm, drop dead!"
*Hum—*
Liu Shi soared into the air and violently lashed out his right palm toward Ye Han. The spiritual energy instantly transformed into a golden palm print several meters wide, whistling through the air.
This Jingang Sky-Shattering Palm was a top-tier Grade 7 spirit technique of the Liu Family!
"Dragon Ingestion Art!"
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~*
Ye Han inwardly gave a low shout. An ancient dragon roar echoed from his Dantian as a vast torrent of spiritual energy poured into his physique.
*Boom!*
In an instant, his cultivation realm skyrocketed.
"What is this? Mid Spirit Sea Realm?!"
Shock flashed across Elder Liu Shi's murky eyes. He hadn't expected Ye Han to possess a secret technique capable of rapidly boosting his cultivation. Moreover, at such a young age, his cultivation was already on par with his own!
A fierce wave of killing intent flashed in Elder Liu Shi's heart; this kid could not be allowed to live, or he would surely become a major threat!
Following the surge in his aura, Ye Han's palms turned as crimson as a red-hot branding iron, and then the scorching spiritual energy was frantically compressed into his palms.
With a soft *hum*, a blazing, crimson sun condensed within his palm and hovered in the air.
"Great Sun Burning Heaven Palm!"
*Boom!*
That blazing sun blasted forward with overwhelming momentum, colliding head-on with the Jingang Sky-Shattering Palm under the gaze of many onlookers.
*Thud!*
The two powerful offensive moves collided violently, producing a deafening roar as ripples of golden shockwaves spread across the sky, kicking up fierce gales.
The aftermath of the two spirit techniques collided and rebounded, forcing both men to stumble back a dozen steps.
"The Great Sun Burning Heaven Scripture?!"
Liu Shi's pupils violently constricted. After a brief moment of thought, he realized that this must be the Liu Family spirit technique Ye Han had stolen from Liu Ming!
"You truly deserve to die!"
Liu Shi gritted his teeth, his expression turning vicious. He never imagined that even their Liu Family's top-tier spirit technique would be stolen and mastered by Ye Han.
This made his killing intent surge instantly!
However, he had to admit that Liu Ming falling at Ye Han's hands was not entirely unjustified. Although Liu Shi's cultivation realm was slightly higher than Ye Han's by a small realm, during their direct clash of spiritual energy earlier, he hadn't managed to gain any advantage whatsoever.
"What kind of cultivation art has this brat practiced? If I can get my hands on it, perhaps I can break through to the Spirit Soul Realm as well."
Secretly shocked, Liu Shi's gaze gradually turned greedy.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Liu Shi executed a movement-type spirit technique, shifting like a ghost. Dark Qi surfaced on his palms as he thrust forward with a single strike.
"Furious Fiend Palm!"
*Boom!*
The terrifying wind pressure of the palm shattered the air, heading straight for Ye Han's chest. This spirit technique was by no means inferior to the Jingang Sky-Shattering Palm.
However, with a nimble leap, Ye Han executed a mid-air flip and landed directly behind Liu Shi. The palm strike missed, sending tremors rippling through empty space.
Liu Shi cast a sharp, covert glance backward, then spun around abruptly. With palm force already gathered, he resumed his fierce battle with Ye Han.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
His strikes alternated between lightning-fast and extremely tricky, descending like a torrential storm. The attacks were ceaseless and remarkably vicious.
The wind of their palms hissed through the void!
Their close-quarters combat could only be described as perilous, with every single move aimed at taking the other's life. The slightest carelessness would result in being struck dead by the opponent's palm.
Even so, relying on his exceptional combat instincts, Ye Han repeatedly evaded danger.
"Hmph! Let's see how much longer you can hold out. My realm is higher than yours after all; within half an hour, you're bound to lose!" Liu Shi sneered sinisterly.
Yet, despite his words, tumultuous waves were churning within his heart.
Ye Han blocked every move and parried every blow, dodging danger time and time again. His combat experience seemed even more seasoned than his own!
Hearing Liu Shi's words, Ye Han furrowed his brow slightly. He knew that Liu Shi was waiting for his spiritual energy to become exhausted before launching a ferocious all-out attack.
"Looks like I need to end this quickly!"
*Bang!*
Trading a direct palm strike, the two palms collided. Utilizing the recoil force from the impact, Ye Han rapidly retreated a dozen meters.
At that moment, a talisman materialized in his palm, and he frantically poured his spiritual energy into it.
"Iron Body Talisman!"
*Hum—*
The yellowish talisman erupted with a brilliant glow, transforming into a vast surge of power that integrated into his physical body.
In an instant, Ye Han's skin appeared to be plated with a layer of gold leaf, and strange golden patterns etched themselves across his bulging muscles. At that moment, Ye Han felt as though his physical body had become unimaginably hard—impervious to blades, swords, water, or fire!
"Oh?"
Not far away, seeing Ye Han's skin undergo such a bizarre transformation, Liu Shi frowned. Suddenly sensing a bad omen, he muttered darkly,
"I can't drag this out any longer, or things might change!"
"Netherworld Ghost Hand!"
*Swish—*
Billowing black qi was released from his body, turning Liu Shi's palms pitch-black. A layer of black scales even began to grow across them.
This black qi was highly toxic miasma!
As long as one was wounded by this Ghost Hand, they would die from toxin-induced cardiac arrest within a few hours!
*Boom—*
With a ferocious and vicious look in his eyes, Liu Shi hurled his poison-wrapped hand straight toward Ye Han's chest, aiming directly for his heart.
Yet, instead of dodging, Ye Han stood his ground completely motionless.
"You're simply asking for death!"
Liu Shi sneered inwardly. Even an expert of the Spirit Soul Realm would have to treat his attack with extreme caution.
Yet this brat had no intention of dodging or defending himself.
If this wasn't marching to his doom, what was it?
*Clang—*
"What?!"
However, the very next instant, Liu Shi's pupils violently contracted.
His hand struck Ye Han's body as though it had slammed into an indestructible boulder, producing a metallic ringing sound. Not only was Ye Han completely unharmed, but even the poison qi on Liu Shi's palms had no effect whatsoever!
"What is going on?!"
Terror flooded Liu Shi's heart. How had this fellow's physical body suddenly become so hard? This was practically an indestructible vajra body!
"The Iron Body Talisman is indeed powerful."
Ye Han clenched both fists; his physique was now as hard as metal and virtually indestructible. Not even a Grade 9 spirit sword would be able to leave a single scratch on his body!
Taking advantage of Liu Shi's momentary shock and distraction, Ye Han rapidly mobilized his spiritual energy and drew a deep breath.
Grade 7 spirit technique, Heavenly Lion Gold-Shattering Roar!
*Roar—*
The lion's roar thundered violently, carrying incomparable sonic power as it transformed into an invisible wave of air, crashing straight toward Liu Shi.
"Oh no!"
Elder Liu Shi's expression altered drastically, but the sonic wave moved too fast, crashing directly into his body almost instantaneously.
*Boom—*
In an instant, Liu Shi was blasted by the sonic wave, bleeding from his seven orifices. It felt as though his soul was being torn apart as his entire body tumbled backward over a dozen meters!