C21 You Reap What You Sow!

"Clang!"

Zhou Chong's icy stare fixed on Ye Han as he declared, "In our previous encounters, I never resorted to martial skills. Now, prepare to witness my true power. This battle will be a matter of life and death."

Suddenly, a robust Spiritual Energy erupted from Ye Han.

This powerful presence shook Zhou Chong, disbelief flooding his eyes.

What was happening?

How had his cultivation soared to Level Four of the Pulse Opening Stage?

At sixteen, Ye Han's attainment of Level Four in the Pulse Opening Stage wasn't impressive; it was merely average.

Yet, back in the classroom, Ye Han hadn't even opened his meridians.

How was it possible that in just one month, Ye Han had elevated his cultivation to Level Four of the Pulse Opening Stage?

His rate of cultivation left Zhou Chong in the dust. Zhou Chong himself had taken three whole years to advance from Level One to Level Four of the Pulse Opening Stage.

Moreover, Zhou Chong had only recently made the breakthrough to Level Four, thanks to Lin Haoran's pill.

Clearly, his own pace of cultivation was lacking.

Without any reservations, Ye Han launched a full-force punch at Zhou Chong.

"Bastard, die!"

Zhou Chong swung his long sword at the charging Ye Han, the blade's frosty light aiming to bisect him at the waist.

Ye Han sprang up, his toes tapping the sword's edge, and he landed behind Zhou Chong, aiming a punch at his head.

Sensing Zhou Chong's intense intent to kill, Ye Han struck with all his might, sparing no quarter.

Sensing the imminent threat, Zhou Chong leaped forward, spinning around with his long sword poised defensively in front of him.

"Clang!"

Fist met sword.

The long sword nearly flew from Zhou Chong's grip under the formidable fist force.

Zhou Chong's face paled as he stumbled back ten steps before regaining his footing. Glancing down, he noticed his palm was streaked with blood.

Yet, when he looked at Ye Han, there was not a single mark on him.

Zhou Chong lowered his body and fixed his gaze on Ye Han with the intensity of a starving wolf, his scarlet eyes radiating a thick aura of murder.

Ye Han was acutely aware that if Peng Wei vanished from his sight, finding him again in the vastness of the back mountain would be no easy feat.

A prolonged battle would only serve to deplete Peng Wei's vital energy.

This fight demanded a swift and decisive conclusion.

"Ye Han, your death is certain with my next strike."

"Falling Feather Sword Technique, A Glimpse of the Startled Swan."

The Falling Feather Sword Technique, a Middle Grade Human Level martial skill, was Zhou Chong's pride, having used it to overcome numerous formidable opponents.

"Buzz!"

Zhou Chong transformed into a blur, his speed surging with ferocious momentum. In nearly a blink, he was upon Ye Han, his speed breathtaking, the longsword in his hand gleaming with a chilling light.

"Here it comes!"

In the face of life and death, Ye Han's composure was chilling. He keenly detected Zhou Chong's proximity, the oncoming aura of death seemingly ready to shred him to pieces.

The blade flashed past Ye Han's neck in a heartbeat.

Could it be that he was so easily defeated?

Zhou Chong's heart swelled with ecstasy, his eyes shining with delight, but his expression quickly turned grave.

It was merely an afterimage.

As the sword descended, Ye Han had instantly executed a martial skill, evading the strike and leaving behind an afterimage.

When Zhou Chong realized it was an afterimage, he expressed his astonishment, "I never expected you to have mastered a martial skill. You've truly exceeded my expectations."

"Falling Feather Sword Technique, Scattered Blossoms!"

Suddenly, the space was filled with a flurry of sword shadows, flashing wildly.

Such a fearsome martial skill—if struck by this sword, even a massive boulder would likely be pulverized.

"Barbarian Dragon Wind Control!"

Ye Han's face was etched with gravity as he weaved through the dense sword shadows, closing in on Zhou Chong. Sword lights slashed across his body, leaving behind dreadful wounds in a perilously close call.

"Now, Barbarian Dragon Void Breaking!"

Approaching Zhou Chong, Ye Han swiftly grasped the moment, channeling all of his Spiritual Energy, and struck at Zhou Chong's chest.

Zhou Chong never anticipated Ye Han's speed. In the midst of his sword force, he was utterly unprepared for Ye Han's onslaught.

Within moments, a fearsome force pummeled his chest, his hair whipped into the air by a fierce gust. A straightforward punch, accompanied by a subtle dragon's roar, loomed larger and larger in his vision until a sharp pain signaled the collapse of his entire chest.

Bang!

Zhou Chong's body rocketed backward like a bullet, crashing to the ground with his sword flung from his grasp, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Damn it, how could this happen?"

His face tensed, his expression growing colder. He attempted to rise and launch another attack on Ye Han, but the devastating force had shattered numerous bones, leaving his body limp and powerless.

In fury, Zhou Chong tried to lift his head and stand, only to be pinned down by a solid foot pressing on his chest.

"You've lost!" Ye Han declared, each word resounding with crystal clarity.

The forest fell into a silence as profound as death, his voice the sole sound.

Stunned, Zhou Chong replayed the recent events in his mind, struggling to accept the reality that seemed more like a dream.

Defeated. He, Zhou Chong, had been defeated again?

Despite wielding a Middle Grade Human Level martial skill with all his might, he had been bested by the one he had once scorned as worthless.

"Zhou Chong, you don't even deserve to be my adversary. You've repeatedly tested my patience, and I've grown weary of it. I've only been cultivating since opening my meridians a month ago. If we were on equal footing, I could crush you with ease," Ye Han stated solemnly.

As Ye Han's words sank in, Zhou Chong's face shifted from surprise to fear, his breath catching in a gasp of dread.

Indeed, Ye Han's cultivation had only taken a month to reach its current level.

Just a month prior, he was considered the top failure of the Cloud Facing Pavilion.

But now, a mere month later, he had made astonishing progress.

In a flash, Zhou Chong felt a searing pain on his cheek and an unexpected sense of fear when he looked at Ye Han.

He had always mocked Ye Han, calling him worthless, and even in front of everyone at the academy, he had shamed him, claiming Ye Han was as insignificant as an ant, easily squashed with a single hand.

Yet now, Ye Han's combat prowess had metaphorically slapped Zhou Chong across the face.

Just a second before, Zhou Chong had unleashed the Middle Grade Human Level Featherfall Sword Technique, aiming to crush Ye Han with the domineering ferocity of a superior being.

But Zhou Chong was the one who was defeated, and it was a resounding defeat. The sight of Ye Han now instilled a deep fear within him.

It was only moments before that Ye Han had mentioned his mere month of training, a fact Zhou Chong had nearly forgotten.

This realization sent a shiver down Zhou Chong's spine.

A true genius, that's what Ye Han was!

"I refuse to believe it! I simply cannot!" Overwhelmed by Ye Han's icy stare, Zhou Chong struggled, his face contorted in madness as he shrieked hysterically, "Ye Han, how could someone like you, a complete failure, defeat me? There's got to be a mistake! You must have stumbled upon some miraculous fortune to enhance your strength so dramatically. That has to be it."

Zhou Chong's eyes were bloodshot, and he was oblivious to his robe soaked in blood as he fixated on Ye Han.

In terms of cultivation, Zhou Chong had reached Level Four of the Pulse Opening Stage, matching Ye Han's strength.

As for martial skills, Zhou Chong had mastered the Featherfall Sword Technique to the point of excellence. His sword unleashed countless shadows, capable of vanquishing any foe within the same realm.

Despite such overwhelming advantages, he was still defeated.

Anyone else in his shoes would have gone mad, unable to come to terms with the harsh reality before them, even beginning to question their own sanity.

Ye Han declared, "In this world, the victor is king, and the vanquished is the villain. Zhou Chong, regardless of your disbelief, this is the stark reality! Today, your madness drove you to attempt my murder, and for that, I cannot spare you."

"Do you dare to kill me?" Zhou Chong, upon hearing this, shook uncontrollably with fear, his face contorting rapidly as he stumbled backward.

"Do you really think I'd release the tiger back into the wild, only to have you recover and come back to bite me?" Ye Han looked at him with a cold, mocking smile, as if he were staring at a fool.

"I am the scion of the Zhou Family in Auspicious Cloud City. If I die, you'll be making an enemy of the entire Zhou Family. Their wrath is not something a minor cultivator at the Pulse Opening Stage like you can withstand. And my brother is..." Zhou Chong's voice grew increasingly agitated, his words escalating into an angry roar in a futile attempt to deter Ye Han.

"Silence." Ye Han's voice cut through the air with icy sharpness.

"You struck with lethal intent just moments ago, clearly aiming to end my life. Are you suggesting that you alone possess the right to kill, while I should merely stand idle and await death? There is no such logic in this world." Ye Han's anger turned to scornful laughter as he spoke without a hint of mercy.

With a swift motion, Ye Han reached out and cleanly snapped his neck.

Thud!

Zhou Chong's body hit the ground, his lifeblood spilling from his mouth and staining the earth beneath him.

His eyes were wide with disbelief, as if, even in death, he couldn't fathom that Ye Han had truly dared to end his life!

Just a moment before, Zhou Chong had been bellowing threats, wishing a fate worse than death upon Ye Han.

In an instant, not only had Ye Han not perished, but he had also slain Zhou Chong right then and there.