Minwu Hall.
Ye Long's status had changed overnight, and it was now completely unshakable!
Fate could truly be ruthless, and no matter how much he tried to imagine it, he never could have anticipated that the hierarchy rankings would turn out to be so dramatic.
He ranked third, and no one dared to claim second. As for first place, of course, it still belonged to Qin Feng!
Five months—Ye Long had lived in Minwu Hall for a full five months!
He never stepped outside his doors.
Now, however, it was time to purchase supplies.
The next day, early in the morning.
Ye Long waited by the main gate, flanked by Qin Hu, Long Aoxing, and Zhou Yuan.
Speaking of Long Aoxing, he was truly something else. Radiating a sinister aura that perfectly matched Ye Long's tastes, they were kindred spirits. Although their age gap was a major issue, Ye Long had never cared about such trivialities.
Zhou Yuan was a prince of the Great Zhou Kingdom, whose borders met the Qintian Empire and whose nations had been allies for generations. How they managed to meet here was a long story.
As for Qin Hu, little needed to be said about him.
Including the carriage driver, there were five of them on the road.
When they once again set foot on the bustling streets of Qingyang City, they couldn't help but take in deep breaths of the fresh air.
Ye Long felt incomparably comfortable, though a complex mix of emotions welled up in his heart, rushing back one after another.
The other four were no different, each of them shouting and hollering with excitement.
They had been confined for far too long, and this sudden taste of freedom made them utterly lose their minds.
Looking at the neighboring shops, momentarily unsure of what to buy, Ye Long asked:
"What supplies should we buy?"
As a newcomer, he still possessed the social adeptness from his past life.
"Meat!!!" the four of them replied in unison.
For cultivators like them, meat was the most essential supply, containing a massive amount of vital blood essence that offered tremendous benefits.
Hearing this, a subtle curve tugged at the corner of Ye Long's lips, looking noncommittal.
However, as they passed by a dilapidated building, he paused in his tracks for a moment.
This action instantly drew puzzled gazes from the other four, who could not help exchanging glances.
The dilapidated hut where they had spent a single night had now been burned completely to the ground.
Dihu was the very first person who came to Ye Long's mind.
In his view, only that man was capable of doing something so inhuman.
Uncontainable curses swirled in his heart.
"He really is ruthless and utterly vicious."
Yet, after lingering for a long time, he could not suppress a silent sigh:
"Forget it. Now I have food, a place to live, and opportunities for cultivation. Compared to back then, it's like heaven and earth..."
He turned and walked away without the slightest bit of attachment.
As for that lingering sigh, it wasn't just reluctance he was leaving behind—it was mostly sheer boredom!
Having lived two lives, he could take such petty grudges very lightly.
Arriving at the butcher's shop, the five of them went on a wild shopping spree, leaving the shopkeeper beaming with joy. Wolf meat, tiger meat, and various kinds of Monster Beast meat were all fully stocked.
As long as it was meat, they accepted everything without hesitation.
Unfortunately, the heavens were uncooperative; you always fear what comes around.
"Brat, finding you was no trouble at all, it just took a bit of searching... Even the heavens are helping me, and I want to see where you can run this time!"
Just as the carriage driver was about to pay, a cold, harsh voice struck them out of nowhere.
The suppressed anger transformed into boundless killing intent in the blink of an eye.
Everyone turned around abruptly, their gazes instantly turning hostile.
Even without looking back, Ye Long knew who it was.
The voice was far too familiar; it could only belong to Dihu!
Turning his gaze, Ye Long saw the stooped, humpbacked old man, his sideburns completely white, still looking as aged as ever.
This stirred up a storm of conflicting emotions within him, as the original Ye Long had died directly at this man's hands.
Instead, the lingering resentment had constantly haunted his mind, and now, finally seeing his enemy, that emotion erupted completely...
Forcing down the influence of his internal hatred, yet unable to conceal his weariness, he muttered to himself:
"I hope you can finally rest in peace!"
Hearing this, Qin Hu and the other three looked perplexed.
Yet when they cast their gazes toward Dihu, they couldn't conceal their sudden astonishment, wearing expressions identical to his.
"Be careful, this fellow is at the Meridian Opening Stage!"
Hearing this, how could Ye Long fail to notice Dihu's strength?
A strange glint flashed deep within his eyes, and he thought to himself:
"I always knew Dihu was a cultivator, but I never expected him to be hiding his true depth."
Long Aoxing instantly sensed the brewing conflict, stepped forward to block the way, and said with an indifferent expression:
"This guy is here for Ye Long..."
With that, Long Aoxing abruptly unleashed his Meridian Opening Stage aura.
"Well, well, brat, you even brought muscle!"
Sensing an aura on par with his own, and discovering three other experts eyeing him like fierce tigers eyeing their prey, Dihu couldn't help but twitch slightly.
Yet when Dihu glanced at Ye Long, his gaze turned increasingly intrigued.
Despite a flicker of murderous intent, Dihu slowly stepped backward.
Seeing this, Ye Long was the first to react.
His own killing intent erupted instantly, and he let out a sinister smile:
"Since you're here, why bother leaving?"
Hearing this, Qin Hu and the three others immediately sprang into action.
Before Dihu could even react, they formed a four-corner formation, instantly trapping him like a turtle in a jar.
Seeing this, Dihu's expression finally changed. Looking at Ye Long outside the encirclement, he put up a bold front and barked:
"Brat, what do you want!"
Ye Long: "There should have been an end to things between you and me. I wasn't planning on hunting you down, but since you old bastard delivered yourself to my doorstep, you can only blame... your time being up!"
With that, he faced the old man directly. His emotions remained completely calm, but his sinister smile grew increasingly chilling.
Then... he strode forward with the majestic stride of a dragon and tiger.
Even though he possessed the body of a mere youth, he radiated an inexplicably terrifying momentum.
Ye Long: "This is a grudge between him and me. None of you uncles need to interfere, and don't let him run away!"
"What... the Meridian Opening Stage! How is this possible?"
Dihu had assumed the brat was merely at the Qi Awakening stage and hadn't looked closely, but sensing him now, his expression shifted drastically over and over again.
One had to remember that five months ago, Ye Long had been completely powerless.
In an instant, watching the four men spread out slightly, Dihu's gaze grew increasingly grave.
"Hmph! Little punk, I was eating meals before you were even born, yet you dare act arrogant in front of me. You're simply courting death..."
Before his voice even faded, Dihu seized an opportunity and lunged forward with both hands.
A fierce wind howled like a sweeping gale, moving with lightning speed and with a swiftness that gave no room to react.
Seeing the attack coming, although Ye Long lacked combat experience, he certainly dared not underestimate his opponent.
His very first move was absolute defense!
Qingshi Formula!
This called for a mention of its nature.
The greatest advantage of this technique lay in the moment of passive defense, utilizing the philosophy of bringing an enemy from hope to despair, thereby erupting with a tremendously heavy and powerful strike.
One could say that the person who created this martial art was a madman who carved out an unorthodox path.
The result was self-evident.
"Crunch..."
Dihu's twin claws raked across Ye Long's shoulders, feeling as though they had struck solid bluestone.
Seeing Ye Long's body remain indestructible, Dihu quickly leapt backward, proving he was well-versed in the doctrine of retreating immediately if a strike failed.
However, how could Ye Long let Dihu go when he had already coiled his strength, ready to strike?
Stamping his right foot hard against the ground, his entire body transformed into a cannonball.
"Mountain-Crushing Force!"
Cyan light stacked up, layer upon layer of patterns blooming. An astonishing aura exploded outward on the spot.
At a glance, it looked like a boulder rolling down a mountain, carrying the force of ten thousand jun, flashing past in an instant.
Boom!
"Ah... Pfft..."
Dihu was wretched to the absolute extreme.
What should have been an easy task—who could have anticipated that Ye Long would be so terrifyingly strong?
Little did Dihu know that Ye Long had seemingly allowed him to make the first move precisely to catch him off guard...
"You're courting death!"
"Do you have the ability to back that up? A wounded body, yet you dare bellow at an opponent of equal standing."
Hearing this, the more Dihu thought about it, the angrier he became, and a mouthful of fresh blood burst violently from his throat.
Ye Long: "Don't run into me in your next life!"
The moment the words fell, he pressed his advantage relentlessly.
Gripping Dihu's shoulders with both arms, his knees hammered into him like a machine gun firing in a wild frenzy.
Thud, thud, thud!
"Pfft!!"
Fresh blood sprayed once again as Dihu took the full force of a massive blow straight to his chest.
Collapsing to the ground, Dihu's eyes met a face cold as ice.
Ye Long muttered in a low voice: "Remember, I am not actually the Ye Long you knew. The Ye Long you knew died at your hands long ago..."
Truth be told, if not for sheer good fortune, he might have had to die a second time.
At this thought, he suddenly lowered his head, leaned close to Dihu's ear, and whispered with chilling, sinister menace:
"And I came from another world! I merely hijacked this body and was reborn! Heh..."
"What?!" At those words, Dihu's eyes bulged in fury.
Bang!
Not bothering to waste any more words, Ye Long brought his foot down heavily!
Struck by this blow, Dihu's eyes widened in sheer terror, filled with utter disbelief.
Until those pupils dilated, staring fixedly ahead, brimming with complete incomprehension, horror, and despair...
In short, he had literally been driven to death by Ye Long's sheer infuriating presence.
He truly died with grievances unredressed!