C9 Old Grudges

In the past, they might have gotten the better of him, but now Ye Feng had reached Body Tempering Rank Seven, and even if their numbers were doubled, they wouldn't be enough to give him pause.

As the group encircled him, Ye Feng simply lifted his eyelids and said coolly, "You see I'm not running away, but instead you come closer to me? Aren't you afraid I'll beat you until you look like a pig?"

At his words, the men burst into laughter as if they'd heard the funniest joke ever.

"Has this kid lost his mind, spouting such nonsense?"

"Who does he think he is, Senior Brother Chen? Thinks he can beat us into a pig's head?"

"Come on then, stand right there and let's see you try. If you can actually hurt me, I'll concede defeat."

"You said it." An icy look flickered in Ye Feng's eyes.

Despite his seemingly carefree demeanor, he was deeply vengeful.

He intended to repay the original owner of this body a thousandfold for the wrongs they had suffered, and this was just the beginning.

He didn't need to use many techniques, just the Gold Dividing Stone Splitting Palm, a devastating move he wouldn't deploy lightly.

Against these underlings, there was no need for such a powerful technique.

With an unremarkable punch, he aimed straight for the man's face.

The man hadn't anticipated Ye Feng would actually strike, and by the time he realized it, it was too late.

"Bang!" The muffled impact of flesh on flesh echoed as the burly man was sent flying like a ball, covering a considerable distance.

The man, now with a bloodied nose, stood up from the ground, his face smeared with blood and contorted with rage.

But before he could finish his sentence, his eyes widened in shock.

Before him, countless bodies were flying towards him, just like his, crashing to the ground amidst a chorus of groans.

"Insolence!" Chen Yu, witnessing his men being beaten, could no longer remain passive.

As the claw-like hand reached for his face, Ye Feng nonchalantly lifted his right hand.

Watching his movements, the group of people sprawled on the ground couldn't help but let a sneer spread across their lips.

Senior Brother Chen had unleashed the most formidable technique of an Outer Sect Disciple, the Cloud Splitting Claw. A direct hit meant the victim's bones would crumble to dust, while the skin remained unscathed.

In their view, even if Ye Feng had pummeled them until they coughed up blood, he was still the same worthless individual, utterly incapable of withstanding Chen Yu's strike.

Yet, as their faces twisted with scorn, reality delivered a stinging rebuke.

Ye Feng's hand had indeed met Chen Yu's claw in a clash.

The sound of their collision echoed, but it was not Ye Feng who sustained injury.

Both men staggered back several steps, with Chen Yu clutching his chest and coughing up blood.

"You! You've reached Rank Seven too?" Chen Yu's words left everyone around them stunned.

Just a month prior, Ye Feng had been so weak that he couldn't even rise from his bed. How could he possibly have achieved Rank Seven in such a short time?

Even the Inner Sect's prodigy, the eldest senior brother, had taken three years to reach Rank Seven.

Their immediate thought was disbelief: This had to be a trick.

Ye Feng limbered up and flashed a grin at Chen Yu, "You know, I really owe you one, Chen Yu. If you hadn't sent me to the kitchen, I never would have had the chance to make this breakthrough to Rank Seven so quickly."

One should always leave some room for maneuver, right? He certainly wasn't about to reveal that his breakthrough had taken merely one night.

His implication was clear to everyone: he had stumbled upon some extraordinary luck in the kitchen.

With this realization, Chen Yu was too preoccupied with the turmoil within his body to maintain decorum. "You're out of line! Even if you've attained Body Tempering Rank Seven, I am still your senior. There's a hierarchy to respect. How dare you address me by name?"

"Senior brother? You hardly qualify to claim that title." Given Tan Xi's standing, Chen Yu might even have to address him as Martial Uncle.

But for now, it was better to keep that detail under wraps. He was quite eager to witness their expressions of deep regret.

"Young man, don't get ahead of yourself. Remember, my grandfather is an elder of the Outer Sect."

"The Outer Sect elder..." Ye Feng took a deliberate step forward.

A shiver ran down Chen Yu's spine, but before he could brace himself, Ye Feng was already standing before him.

"Smack!" A resounding slap sent Chen Yu's head jerking to the side.

"What's wrong with being arrogant? If you can, show me some arrogance in return."

Chen Yu clenched his fist, aiming for Ye Feng's face.

With a scoff, Ye Feng sidestepped, swiftly moving behind him, and delivered a sharp kick to Chen Yu's backside.

"You!"

"Go back and train. You're not even close to being a match for me at your current level." Ye Feng dusted off his hands and picked up the sword Chen Yu had dropped.

"I'll be keeping this. If you want it back, come with money for its redemption."

"You're asking for it!" That sword was a low-grade spiritual weapon, handpicked by his grandfather from the protection vault.

Enraged, Chen Yu attempted to charge at Ye Feng to reclaim his sword.

Ye Feng sneered again, brandishing the sword at him.

Chen Yu tumbled away like a kicked ball.

"I'll kill you!" Humiliated by someone he once considered worthless, Chen Yu felt deeply insulted.

Ye Feng slowly drew the sword. "Come any closer, and I'll test the durability of your body with your own sword."

His warning was effective; Chen Yu halted in his tracks.

"You, you, just you wait, I'll have my grandfather deal with you!"

With those words, he and his followers hastily retreated towards the edge of the Wailing Forest, not looking back.

"Sheesh, acting like a little kid, always running to the adults," Ye Feng muttered, tucking the sword at his waist.

His attention then turned to the frail woman nearby.

"Ding! A new mission is released. Host, please use the Immortal Spirit Grass to brew a pot of soup. The reward is five hundred skill points and a copy of the World Herbal Catalogue."

Immortal Spirit Grass? Ye Feng's gaze instinctively landed on the herb in the woman's hand.

"Senior Brother," the woman managed a weak smile.

"Are you okay?" Ye Feng approached her, crouching down with concern.

"I'm okay, just a bit weary, that's all. A short rest should do the trick," the woman said, clutching the herbs in her hand a little tighter.

"Is that an Immortal Spirit Grass?" he asked, unable to help himself. Being new to the area, he was completely unfamiliar with the local flora.