章節 19: Outcry
編輯: Caron_
"Wudi, how dare you? Watch how you talk to your elders!"
Lin Xiong loudly scolded him, but behind his pair of old eyes, there was no sign of reproach.
Ye Feng's sharp gaze turned towards the youth and Lin Wudi felt a thin aura of pressure falling over him, but even so, his eyes remained arrogant and his gaze disdainful as they swept over Ye Feng and the others before finally landing on Ye Tian.
"Is it this kid?" Lin Wudi declared, his eyes gleaming ferociously as he pointed at Ye Tian.
Lin Xiong had been so focused on Ye Feng and the others that he hadn't even noticed Ye Feng, but when Lin Wudi called out, Lin Xiong's gaze turned to Ye Tian.
"Wudi, that's Ye Tian. He doesn't even have a Martial Spirit—he couldn't possibly be your opponent. It must be someone else!" Lin Xiong's eyes flashed as he calmly explained as if he had completely forgotten about breaking the betrothal.
Ye Meng clenched his fists and smiled coldly, and though his eyes were filled with a furious fire, he remained calmer than Ye Ba.
"Oh? So he's the rumored Ye Family number one genius? Oh! I almost forgot that he was actually a cripple without a Martial Spirit. What? You want to have this trash challenge me?" Lin Wudi began laughing. He had obviously heard of Ye Tian before and had initially thought of him as his arch-rival, but when he had heard that Ye Tian had no Martial Spirit, he had promptly forgotten him.
No Martial Spirit? Hehe, just a cripple.
Lin Fei sneered. "Ye Feng, if you really can't find someone, you should've just let the brat Ye Wei come forward himself. Why bother with a cripple? If that trash is your champion, we didn't even need Lin Wudi. Any random child in our village could beat him. Haha!"
The father and son pair echoed each other, their faces filled with mockery, their words turning the Ye Family Villager's faces green.
"Cut the crap. Ye Tian will challenge Lin Wudi. Prepare yourselves!" Ye Feng snorted coldly, no longer paying any mind to the pair.
"What?!"
"It's really the cripple?"
Lin Fei and Lin Wudi's eyes fell wide open. They had just been needling Ye Feng and hadn't really believed that a cripple without a Martial Spirit could challenge Lin Wudi—after all, Ye Feng wasn't stupid.
But the firmness of his words confused them.
Lin Xiong frowned as well, speaking up: "Ye Tian? Ye Feng, what kind of trick are you playing? Do you not want to bring the bride home? If that's the case then so be it. It's not like this old man's daughter has no other opportunities, hmph!"
"The Lin Village Chief is worrying too much. We came here sincerely, and the reason why we chose Ye Tian will be clear when they fight," Ye Feng calmly replied.
"Oh? You look so confident!" Lin Xiong's eyes flashed with confusion, and he turned to look into Ye Tian's calm and composed eyes.
"If that's your decision, then let us begin. This old man repeats: you have agreed to the rules and if Ye Tian cannot stand one hundred moves against Lin Wudi, then you shouldn't even think about taking my daughter away," Lin Xiong finished after a brief moment of thought.
Ye Feng nodded, walking over to Ye Tian and whispering: "What do you think? Are you confident?"
The truth was that even Ye Feng didn't have much confidence. After all, the gap between Martial Warrior Level One and Level Two was too great.
But to his surprise, Ye Tian grinned at him and nodded, replying: "Relax, Uncle Feng. When have I ever let you down?"
Ye Feng paused in astonishment. As he examined Ye Tian's confident face, it was as if he could see that little boy from seven years ago, earnestly exercising and running around while training. Ye Tian had cultivated diligently since he was a tiny child, and Ye Feng had always had a lot of hope for him.
Ye Feng had watched Ye Tian grow up, and from the very beginning, the boy had always worn a confident smile, at least right up until he failed to awaken his Martial Spirit.
But today, the confident smile was once again before him.
Ye Feng smiled, and at that moment he knew he no longer needed to worry. So, he patted Ye Tian's shoulders as he said, "The Ye Family's future is up to you now."
It was as if an agreement had passed between the two men, and Ye Tian nodded seriously. He turned and walked forward, facing Lin Wudi, his eyes almost glowing as his gaze shone with the sharpness of a blade.
"Your move! Let this cripple experience Lin Family's martial arts skills!"
Ye Tian's composed voice filled the air, quieting the crowd. All the Lin Family Villagers looked over, examining this rumored fallen genius.
ME? NO YOU?
Lin Wudi understood his opponent was Ye Tian, but a mocking smile still covered his face. "A cripple without a Martial Spirit? So the Ye Family really doesn't have anyone, and now they've sent you to challenge me, haha!"
Those disdainful words brought out a peal of laughter from the Lin Villagers and they refused to believe that a cripple without a Martial Spirit could exchange a hundred moves with Lin Wudi.
Martial Apprentice? Against a Level Two Martial Artist?
The difference between the two cultivation levels was 180,000 Li, and the impolite truth was that Lin Wudi could kill Ye Tian with a single finger.
Of course, all of the villagers thought of Ye Tian as a Martial Apprentice without a Martial Spirit.
But was Ye Tian really a cripple?
Ye Feng, Ye Meng, and Ye Ba watched with cold smiles.
Ye Tian examined Lin Wudi before replying coldly: "I hope your skills are as strong as your words. Let's fight. Stop wasting time."
"Since you're so eager to court death, I'll gladly oblige," Lin Wudi replied, a ferocious smile on his face as he casually sauntered forward. As he flourished his fists, the air around him trembled and the wind howled.
Ye Tian's gaze sharpened. He couldn't be careless in front of this Mid Stage Level Two Martial Warrior. Ye Tian knew his cultivation wasn't as steady as Lin Wudi's, and he could only defeat him by using the Thundering Palm.
That's right! Defeat!
Ye Tian had never wanted to merely withstand a hundred moves—he wanted to win. Since the heavens had given him a Martial Spirit, he would never allow anyone to humiliate him again.
Ye Tian's gaze burned and he dashed forward like a pouncing cheetah.
"Oh? Nice speed, but a Martial Apprentice will never have power that can compete," Lin Wudi commented as Ye Tian rushed him, narrowing his eyes as he punched forward.
Ye Tian saw the fist coming, punching forward to greet it.
Even though Ye Tian could dodge the blow and immediately use Thundering Palm to defeat him, Ye Tian was in no hurry. He wanted to test Lin Wudi's strength. After all, he was only a single stage above him so the difference shouldn't be too drastic.
While he thought, the two fists finally collided.
Ye Feng and the others watched with solemn expressions, staring intensely at the two young men.
The Lin Family Villagers, on the other hand, all sneered and smirked.
"He dares to go blow for blow with Lin Wudi? He's going to cripple his arm!"
"Not just his arm! Ye Tian has no Martial Spirit and isn't even a Martial Warrior. With this punch, if he isn't dead, he'll be permanently disabled."
"Isn't this excessive?"
"How's that excessive? The Ye Family Village dared to send out a cripple, so we need to teach them a lesson, hmph!"
…
Cold laughs filled the crowd.
Lin Xiong and Lin Fen watched impassively as the two youths exchanged blows. In their eyes, Ye Tian had already lost.
However–
"HONG!"
A muffled blast filled their ears and everyone's pupils shrank as they gazed forward with disbelieving eyes.
Out in the open square, Ye Tian's fist had met Lin Wudi's powerful blow, but the difference in strength had still been bearable, only pushing him backwards five steps.
Lin Wudi remained where he had begun, but his eyes were filled with astonishment and disbelief.
"Quite strong. A true Mid Stage Level Two Martial Artist," Ye Tian commented calmly, his confidence deepening. After this exchange, he was certain that he could defeat Lin Wudi with his Thundering Palm.
"Early Stage Level Two Martial Artist? Impossible! You don't have a Martial Spirit!"
Unlike Ye Tian's composure, Lin Wudi was filled with shock, and he couldn't help exclaiming.
Lin Wudi's voice silenced the crowd for a moment then the onlookers burst into an uproar.
Lin Xiong and Lin Fei were floored, their eyes wide open as they stared at Ye Tian with disbelief.
Even Ye Feng, Ye Ba and Ye Meng were astonished, their eyes filled with surprise. Only Ye Meng smoothly recovered as he began clutching his belly and laughing.
"Martial Artist Level Two?"
"How's that possible?"
"Didn't he fail to awaken his Martial Spirit? How did he advance to Martial Warrior? And breaking through to Level Two?"
…
Exclamations filled the square as the Lin Family Villagers expressed their amazement. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would've dismissed this as a joke.
A cripple without a Martial Spirit suddenly surging forward and becoming a Level Two Martial Warrior genius?
This was too insane!
"Nothing is impossible! A scholar who's been away three days must be looked at with new eyes, and you simply have poor judgment," Ye Tian replied coldly, his bottled emotions washed away and his heart free. He was especially happy with Lin Xiong's shock.
"Hmph, so what if you're a Martial Warrior? The gap between early stage and mid stage is still too wide. You cannot defeat me," Ye Wudi called out, no longer paying any mind to the hundred-move agreement. This opponent was now a threat, and he had to defeat Ye Tian to remind everyone that he was the true Number One Genius.
Hu Hu!
The two renewed their fight in earnest, the two Level Two Martial Warriors exchanging intense blows.
But it was immediately clear that Ye Tian was the more experienced fighter, and even though his blows weren't as powerful as Lin Wudi's, he had Lin Wudi completely contained.
Lin Wudi angrily roared, "Hiding all over the place—are you still a man?"
"Oh? If you want to fight head on, I can oblige!"
Ye Tian laughed coldly in reply, dashing forward and striking out with his palm, sending forth eight complete Palm Shadows, pulling forward all the surrounding air and summoning up a howl of trembling wind.
At this scene, all eyes fell wide open, and the villagers sucked in a collective gasp of cold air.
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