Wielding the Azure-Edged Sword, he slashed out with a stunning blade of light.
The next moment.
The two Ninth Stage of Body Refining martial artists guarding Ye Qing were cleaved straight in two.
The martial artist disguised as the tavern waiter was frightened out of his wits.
"Swish!"
Ye Qing instantly lunged forward.
He grabbed the waiter by the scruff of the neck, hoisting him up as if he were merely lifting a chicken.
"Who is it!"
Ye Qing's eyes were glacial, radiating an incomparably terrifying murderous intent.
He looked like a fiendish deity descended from the heavens.
To think that someone actually dared to lay a hand on his younger sister.
At this moment, Ye Qing's killing intent soared to the heavens.
Unstoppable!
No matter who it was, anyone who dared to touch Ye Qing's sister would be shown no mercy!
"It's... it's Young Master Li Feng!"
"Young Master Li made me do it, it has nothing to do with me!"
The martial artist disguised as the waiter grew so weak with terror that he wet himself on the spot.
"Where is he?"
Ye Qing demanded in a deep voice.
"He's... he's on the VIP boat of the Tianji Pavilion!"
"I've already told you, please don't kill me!"
The fake waiter's face turned completely ashen, his heart thoroughly overwhelmed by fear!
"Rip!"
In an instant, a streak of sword light flashed through the air.
The fake waiter's head went flying, and he dropped dead on the spot!
"Tianji Pavilion VIP boat!"
A cold glint burst from Ye Qing's eyes.
The next moment.
He took a step forward, shooting out of the Wanhua Tavern like an arrow released from a bowstring!
Ye Qing knew where the Tianji Pavilion guest boats were moored.
It was said that only the princes and nobles of the Great Zhou Empire were qualified to board the guest boats docked by the Tianji Pavilion at night.
Ordinary guests simply had no right to go up.
Ye Qing still knew the location of the Tianji Pavilion's VIP boat.
The moment he first arrived in Jinyuan City, he had already noticed the existence of that luxurious guest boat.
After charging out of the tavern, Ye Qing sprinted all the way toward the Tianji Pavilion's VIP boat.
Soon, Ye Qing caught sight of that VIP boat.
There were numerous guards stationed on the vessel.
Seeing Ye Qing approach, a look of undisguised contempt crossed their eyes.
"Swish!"
In no time, Ye Qing rushed up.
"Halt!"
"Who goes there?"
"All unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from boarding!"
A series of stern shouts rang out.
To board the Tianji Pavilion's VIP boat, one had to be a prominent and influential figure within the Great Zhou Empire.
The Tianji Pavilion guards present had never seen Ye Qing before in their lives.
Sensing that his aura was merely at the Body Refining Realm, they looked down upon him even more.
A mere Body Refining Realm martial artist was simply beneath their notice.
"Get lost!"
Ye Qing had no time to waste on them.
He threw a punch straight ahead.
The Tianji Pavilion guard blocking Ye Qing's path was sent flying away on the spot.
"How audacious!"
"Is a Tianji Pavilion VIP boat somewhere you can just barge into at will?"
The guards aboard the boat were all alerted.
It had been a very long time since anyone dared to cause trouble on a Tianji Pavilion VIP boat.
One had to know that the VIP boats of the Tianji Pavilion carried major figures from the Great Zhou Empire.
And the Tianji Pavilion itself was an absolute behemoth within the Great Zhou Empire.
The branch in Jinyuan City was merely one of its many outposts.
The Tianji Pavilion possessed formidable strength in both intelligence networks and commerce.
Without a doubt, it belonged to the absolute pinnacle of factions within the Great Zhou Empire.
Moreover, the Tianji Pavilion had powerful backing.
Ye Qing's uproar on the vessel immediately alarmed many people.
In the blink of an eye, a young lady from the Tianji Pavilion rushed over.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Young Master Li has just arrived, and someone comes here to stir up trouble and disturb his rest? I will hold you all accountable!"
A slender woman dressed in luxurious attire walked out.
Her appearance could not be considered ugly.
Yet she gave people a distinctly petty and spiteful impression.
This woman was none other than Qian Yulan, the manager of this Tianji Pavilion VIP boat.
Her status within the Tianji Pavilion was quite formidable, second only to the pavilion's many elders.
"Seize him!"
Qian Yulan barked coldly. Seeing Ye Qing causing trouble on the boat, she initiated an attack without any further ado.
"Someone abducted my sister, and she's right on your boat! Get out of my way, all of you!"
Ye Qing's entire body radiated a ferocious killing intent.
He was certain his sister was on the VIP boat.
The man who had disguised himself as a waiter certainly hadn't looked like he was lying.
Besides, all the way as he tracked them, Ye Qing had sensed the aura of a Yuan Condensation Realm powerhouse leading the way onto the Tianji Pavilion's VIP boat!
"Insolent!"
"Just a nobody, and you think you can run amok in the Tianji Pavilion?"
"Will you capture him at once!"
Qian Yulan issued the command.
Instantly, more than a dozen Tianji Pavilion guards rushed forward.
All of them were Body Refining Realm martial artists, and among them, three had even reached the Ninth Stage of Body Refining, making them formidable opponents.
"Boom!"
Without a word, Ye Qing unleashed the Roaring Tiger Fist.
A succession of booming sounds echoed out.
The three Ninth Stage of Body Refining Tianji Pavilion guards were sent flying on the spot, crashing heavily far away.
"Hiss!"
The entire scene was shaken.
Even Qian Yulan, the steward of the Tianji Pavilion, had her expression shift.
To be able to severely injure three Ninth Stage of Body Refining martial artists in an instant meant the youth before them possessed quite extraordinary combat power!
Chapter 20: Crippling One's Own Cultivation
"Young man, although your strength is not to be underestimated, let me give you one final piece of advice: leave immediately, or don't blame me for being discourteous!"
Qian Yulan threatened.
She could tell that Ye Qing possessed astonishing talent.
He was likely someone of some status, not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
"Scram!"
Unwilling to waste any more breath on them, Ye Qing had already spotted a figure in black.
That figure in black was the very person Ye Qing had been tracking the entire way.
The man in black was right on the second floor of the VIP boat.
"Swish!"
Suddenly, the man in black leaped down.
He said in a deep voice, "My young master says this brat wants to seize the treasure he carries, which is why he tracked him all the way here!"
"Everyone, my young master also asks that you lend a hand. Afterward, the Li Family will definitely reward you handsomely!"
The man in black's two sentences caused Qian Yulan's eyes to flash with a sharp light.
She roughly guessed the crux of the matter.
Not long ago, Young Master Li Feng of the Li Family had dragged a young girl over.
That young girl was exceptionally beautiful, only around twelve or thirteen years of age.
Li Feng had coerced the girl into coming with him.
When they arrived, Qian Yulan had even seen the young girl struggling violently.
Word had it that Young Master Li Feng of the Li Family was quite fond of women.
Piecing the beginning and end of the matter together, Qian Yulan guessed that the younger sister Ye Qing spoke of was likely that very young girl.
However, a flash of ruthless cruelty quickly crossed Qian Yulan's eyes.
Being able to get on the good side of Young Master Li Feng of the Li Family would be of immense help to her.
This was an opportunity.
"Kill him!"
Qian Yulan commanded coldly.
Her eyes were filled with icy murderous intent.
If she wanted to win favor with Li Feng, she had to make her move right now and kill the youth before her.
To make Li Feng entirely happy and satisfied!
At Qian Yulan's order, the powerful experts of the Tianji Pavilion present immediately charged forward.
Initially, they had only intended to capture Ye Qing.
However, with Qian Yulan's direct order, they were free to use lethal force.
In an instant, more than a dozen powerful experts from the Tianji Pavilion swarmed forward.
A considerable number of them were Ninth Stage of Body Refining powerhouses.
A chilling expression surfaced on Ye Qing's face.
Suddenly, his feet shifted.
He leaped up to the second floor of the VIP boat.
Charging straight up amidst the surrounding crowd.
The man in black was panic-stricken.
He had never expected Ye Qing's movement technique and speed to be so blindingly fast!
"Hum!"
Without a second word, Ye Qing summoned his Shura Blood Sword.
Instantly.
A crimson sword glare slashed outward.
The next second.
The head of the man in black was cleanly sliced off.
A Yuan Condensation Realm martial artist offered virtually no resistance whatsoever before Ye Qing.
In no time, the vital blood within his body was completely devoured by Ye Qing's Shura Blood Sword.
Down on the first floor of the VIP boat, Qian Yulan was left dumbstruck.
The numerous powerful experts of the Tianji Pavilion were likewise petrified.
Ye Qing had completely ignored their encirclement.
And brazenly executed the powerhouse by Young Master Li Feng's side.
"Charge up there, you must kill him!"
A ruthless glint appeared in Qian Yulan's eyes.
With a single command.
The multitude of Tianji Pavilion experts swarmed upward.
However, they lacked the agile movement techniques of Ye Qing.
They still had to take the stairs.
To leap about like Ye Qing required exceptionally formidable physical conditioning.
The Ninth Stage of Body Refining probably still fell short of achieving that.
One needed to reach the Yuan Condensation Realm.
Even so, the bloodline within Ye Qing's body was immensely powerful, allowing his physique to leap and bound forward with extreme speed.
"Swish, swish!"
No sooner had he slain one man in black than two more figures rushed over from the second floor of the VIP boat.
Auras of formidable strength radiated from both of them—they were Yuan Condensation Realm martial artists!
Furthermore, they had reached the Fourth Stage of Yuan Condensation.
Extremely tricky opponents to deal with.
The two guards stood posted outside a room.
"Brother..."
Ye Qing heard the voice coming from inside the room.
That voice was laden with intense anxiety!
And sheer terror!
"Sister!"
Ye Qing's eyes instantly turned completely bloodshot.
With a single stride, he lunged forward.
"How dare you!"
"Don't even think about disturbing my young master!"
The two Yuan Condensation Realm men in black launched a ferocious counterattack.
"Pfft!"
In a flash, two heads went flying into the air!
Fresh blood splattered out.
Exuding a heavy scent of iron and blood.
The two Fourth Stage of Yuan Condensation powerhouses were instantly slain by a single sword strike from Ye Qing!
With Ye Qing's Wind Sword Technique having reached perfection, combined with the terrifying might of the Shura Blood Sword, killing the two of them was as easy as turning over his hand.
"Boom!"
The next moment.
Ye Qing burst into the room.
And beheld a horrifying sight.
His younger sister had actually been tied up.
She was covered in injuries.
A male dressed in a purple-gold robe was holding a leather whip, in the middle of flogging Ye Mengling.
"Damn you!"
Ye Qing's killing intent soared to the heavens.
Like a god of slaughter descended!
Seeing his sister subjected to such cruel abuse, there was only one word in Ye Qing's heart!
Kill!
Kill everyone!
"Swish!"
The next instant.
Ye Qing lunged forward.
The Shura Blood Sword in his hand swept outward, trailing a streak of crimson sword light.
"If you dare make a move, I'll kill your sister right now!"
Suddenly, the purple-robed youth grabbed Ye Mengling by the throat.
Choking her in a tight grip!
"Let her go!"
Fire spat from Ye Qing's eyes as he quickly put away his Shura Blood Sword, terrified of accidentally harming his younger sister.
"Swish!"
The purple-robed youth was none other than the Li family's young master, Li Feng!
Within the Great Zhou Empire, the Li Family held immense power!
Li Feng had always been accustomed to acting lawlessly and arbitrarily.
Back in the capital, he had committed no small number of acts involving the forced abduction of commoners' daughters!
Because the Li Family wielded such great influence, ordinary people simply never dared to offer any resistance!
"Brat, you just wait for me!"
Li Feng grabbed Ye Mengling and quickly bolted outside.
Ye Qing followed closely behind.
"Men!"
As soon as Li Feng exited the room, he let out a loud roar.
The powerhouses of the Tianji Pavilion swarmed over.
Gathering around Li Feng.
Clearly standing firmly on Li Feng's side.
Meanwhile.
Another figure rapidly approached across the VIP boat.
A powerful aura belonging to the Yuan Condensation Realm radiated from them.
Li Feng actually had yet another protector!
As the young master of the Li Family, how could he possibly lack protectors by his side?
Ye Qing had already slain three Yuan Condensation Realm men in black, all of whom were Li Feng's protectors.
Yet now, there was still one remaining, whose cultivation aura impressively reached the Fifth Stage of Yuan Condensation, making him even harder to deal with!
"Brat, as long as you cripple your own cultivation, I'll spare your sister. How about it? Think it over!"
Li Feng suddenly flashed a cruel, sinister smile.
One of his hands was still clamped around his sister's neck.
Lifting her up into the air.
Not a shred of pity could be seen in Li Feng's eyes, as if Ye Mengling's life was nothing more than a blade of grass, completely worthless.
"Fine, I'll cripple my own cultivation!"
Ye Qing nodded.
A flash of ruthless determination flickered in his eyes.
"Brother, no!"
Ye Mengling struggled and cried out.
"Run, hurry and run!"
Ye Mengling's eyes were brimming with tears.
She never imagined the outside world could be so sinister.
To think that wicked people like Li Feng actually existed in this world.
She knew her brother was immensely powerful, but there were simply too many people here.
Her brother was no match for them all.
Ye Mengling would rather die herself than witness her brother suffer any harm whatsoever.
Let alone having her brother cripple his own cultivation!
Chapter 21: Li Feng's Protector
Ye Qing brandished the Shura Blood Sword, a look of resolute determination stamped across his face.
Not far away.
Li Feng wore a savage expression.
Anticipating Ye Qing to make his move.
"Rip!"
Suddenly, Ye Qing summoned the Shura Blood Sword.
The weapon released a bewitching crimson glow within the void.
Its flight speed was blindingly fast.
Moreover, it was reinforced by the Eight Desolations True Fire!
In an instant, Ye Qing brought out the full might of the Shura Blood Sword.
Resembling a golden flash of lightning.
Before Li Feng could even react.
The next moment.
A piercing, miserable shriek escaped Li Feng's lips.
The very arm that had been grasping Ye Mengling was sliced off by a single sword strike!
The moment Ye Qing unleashed the Shura Blood Sword, his figure had already darted forward.
Pushing the Gale Step to its absolute limit.
Like a violent wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Qing arrived by Ye Mengling's side.
And pulled her away.
Seeing the shocking, harrowing wounds covering Ye Mengling's body.
Ye Qing's killing intent exploded to the heavens!
The murderous aura enveloping his body practically condensed into a physical substance.
Two rays of bloody light burst from his eyes.
Kill!
Li Feng had to die!
And everyone from the Li Family, as well as those on the Tianji Pavilion boat, every single one of them would pay with their lives!
With his intent to kill surging to a frenzy, compounded by the influence of the Shura Blood Sword, Ye Qing was practically driven to madness!
"Brat, how dare you sever my arm! You're courting death!"
Li Feng roared madly, his eyes filled with icy-cold murderous intent.
The next moment.
A figure in black rushed to Li Feng's side.
It was none other than Li Feng's personal protector!
A powerhouse at the Fifth Stage of Yuan Condensation!
"Kill him!"
"Kill him for me!"
"I want him hacked into a thousand pieces!"
Li Feng flew into a rage.
The man in black beside him immediately lunged forward.
"Everyone from the Tianji Pavilion, please lend me a hand! Once I return to the Li Family, I will certainly send heavy rewards!"
Li Feng added.
Right now, the only protector he had left by his side was this Fifth Stage of Yuan Condensation expert.
And while on the territory of the Tianji Pavilion, he still needed to borrow their strength.
"You're too kind, Young Master Li. Serving Young Master Li is my honor."
Qian Yulan smiled, offering a bow to Li Feng.
Then, she ordered the powerful experts of the Tianji Pavilion to swarm them together!
There were over twenty Tianji Pavilion experts present.
The majority of them, however, were merely at the Body Refining Realm.
Still, there were two existences who had reached the Yuan Condensation Realm.
Their combat prowess was not to be scoffed at.
In an instant, Ye Qing was completely surrounded.
Spearheaded by Li Feng's protector, they launched a ferocious assault.
"Rip!"
Without a second word, Ye Qing swung the Shura Blood Sword, slicing a bloody gash across his own left arm.
The Shura Blood Sword grew stronger by drinking blood.
And Ye Qing's bloodline power surpassed all present!
Nourishing the Shura Blood Sword with his own blood allowed him to unleash the weapon's terrifying might to its absolute limit.
"Hum!"
Having devoured Ye Qing's fresh blood, the Shura Blood Sword let out a crisp, clear hum of a sword cry.
Ye Qing could feel the sword's intense yearning.
A yearning for fresh blood!
"Kill!"
Shielding his sister with his left hand and gripping the sword in his right, Ye Qing charged straight into the crowd.
A golden sweep of sword light leveled the entire area.
Instantly.
A mist of blood burst and scattered into the air.
Almost in the blink of an eye, every single Body Refining martial artist who had joined the encirclement perished utterly!
Those at the Body Refining Realm were simply incapable of resisting Ye Qing's overwhelmingly powerful strike.
Furthermore, coating Ye Qing's blade was the terrifying Eight Desolations True Fire!
Any Body Refining martial artist who so much as brushed against even a tiny spark of the Eight Desolations True Fire met an instant demise, left with zero room for resistance!
Only the three Yuan Condensation Realm martial artists managed to survive.
Yet, their faces were plastered with expressions of sheer terror.
"Kill him! He's only at the Body Refining Realm, he won't be able to hold out for long!"
Li Feng's protector was the first to snap back to his senses.
After all, his cultivation had reached the Fifth Stage of Yuan Condensation.
Among all the martial artists present, his cultivation was undoubtedly the highest.
Spearheaded by him, the other two Yuan Condensation Realm martial artists from the Tianji Pavilion attacked in unison.
"Kill!"
Having plunged into the demonic path, Ye Qing's mind held only a single word: kill.
"Pfft!"
In a flash, two blood-drenched heads went flying into the air.
The two Tianji Pavilion experts perished, their souls scattering into nothingness.
"Pfft!"
The Shura Blood Sword traced a bizarre, uncanny arc through the void.
The next second.
A miserable shriek escaped the lips of Li Feng's protector.
His torso was pierced straight through by a single sword strike.
He was thoroughly and utterly slain!
On the second floor of the VIP boat, the only enemies left alive for Ye Qing were Li Feng and Qian Yulan!
Everyone else was dead.
"Swish!"
Clutching the Shura Blood Sword, Ye Qing charged forward with his sister in tow.
Slashing directly toward Li Feng.