C14 This Is a Battle That Costs Money
Whoosh!
Wang Ye materialized behind his adversary, driving his spear forward with formidable force.
Despite the opponent's protective soft armor, the powerful thrust nearly caused him to spit blood.
By the time Cheng Hui spun around, Wang Ye had already burrowed back into the earth.
Greed shone in Cheng Hui's eyes. "The long-lost Five Elements Escape Technique. You little rascal, you're full of surprises."
Boom!
Cheng Hui lifted his right foot and slammed it down, fracturing the earth for kilometers around. The immense force transmitted below coerced Wang Ye to the surface.
Wah!
Blood spurted from his mouth as the wind wings on Wang Ye's back unfurled, propelling him into the sky.
"Little rascal, you can't escape me, not in the skies or beneath the earth!"
Cheng Hui bounded away from the Wang family compound, racing across the terrain with speed surpassing Wang Ye's flight.
The pursuit was on, and they quickly reached the city's outskirts.
Wang Ye paused in a grove of trees as Cheng Hui advanced toward him, his sneer menacing. "Hand over the Earth Escape Technique, and I might let you pass on peacefully."
Wang Ye inhaled deeply, deploying every last one of his ace cards.
The strength of the stars, the earth core dragon flame, and the Yin Yang Profound Pill.
Boom!
Their clash was titanic, shaking the heavens and splitting the earth.
Cheng Hui harnessed the vast spiritual energy of the world, shaping it into colossal hands that struck at Wang Ye. A fearsome aura erupted from within Wang Ye, his pupils blazing with intensity, awakening like a legendary beast.
"Die!"
Cheng Hui bellowed, unleashing a palm strike with the ferocity of a rampaging flood and the thunderous charge of an army.
Wang Ye channeled all his might into the Voidpiercer, its tip erupting with fearsome flames.
The spear met the giant palm head-on, unleashing shockwaves of energy that swept across the land!
Wang Ye grunted, the impact wounding him severely despite the protection of his Chaotic Dragon Armor.
He swiftly invoked the Wood Escape Technique to evade the brunt of the assault.
With Cheng Hui at the height of his power, Wang Ye knew he had to whittle him down gradually.
"Another escape technique? Have you truly mastered all the Five Elemental Escapes?"
Cheng Hui's breaths came in short, ragged gasps, his attacks growing increasingly fierce as swathes of large trees toppled around him.
Wang Ye nimbly moved from tree to tree, all the while swallowing the Draught of Ascendancy to heal his wounds.
With his current capabilities, he was on the verge of breaking through to the Primal Sea Realm.
Once he did, his combat power would multiply several-fold, making Cheng Hui no match for him.
Yet, he hadn't tapped into the full potential of the Chrysalis Realm, and he was reluctant to advance unless absolutely necessary.
"Come out, you little coward! Is hiding all you're good for?"
"I'll give you five gold coins for this!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cheng Hui wreaked havoc on the surroundings, spewing a stream of obscenities in an attempt to provoke Wang Ye.
But such tactics were ineffective against him.
Wang Ye continued to retreat, keeping his focus fixed on Cheng Hui.
After a short while, Cheng Hui's energy significantly waned.
"Now's the time!"
Wang Ye emerged, soaring into the air, and with a flick of his wrists, hundreds of charms cascaded from his sleeves.
Simultaneously, his charm-adorned robes billowed as one Explosive Charm after another took flight.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was a symphony of explosions, blanketing tens of thousands of meters and leaving Cheng Hui with no escape.
Over time, Wang Ye had amassed over 100,000 charms, a testament to his considerable wealth.
He activated charm after charm in a costly battle of attrition.
Fully aware of the formidable strength of a Half-Step Celestial Bridge realm fighter, Wang Ye spared no effort, unleashing his entire arsenal of charms.
The ground itself was blasted into a crater over ten meters deep and several thousand meters wide.
Thick dust clouds hung in the air stubbornly.
Wang Ye conjured a fierce wind to clear the smoke and saw the pitiful figure of Cheng Hui lying in the crater, his breaths shallow and labored.
Despite Cheng Hui's dire state, Wang Ye cautiously kept his distance, launching a dozen more attacks to further incapacitate him before carefully making his way down into the pit.
Wang Ye gripped his long spear and inched closer.
Cheng Hui seemed devoid of life.
Boom!
Yet, as Wang Ye came within two meters of Cheng Hui, the supposedly 'dead' man's eyes snapped open, unleashing a staggering blow!
This strike had surpassed the Primordial Spirit Stage, propelling him straight into the Celestial Bridge Stage!
Boom!
Cheng Hui's strike was earth-shattering, fueled by the last vestiges of his life force, even grazing the threshold of the Celestial Bridge Realm.
Where Wang Ye stood, the earth now bore a colossal pit, hundreds of meters deep and spanning tens of thousands of meters across!
But the attack hadn't touched him.
Upon touching down, Wang Ye had covertly prepared his Earth Escape Technique, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.
So, as Cheng Hui's eyes opened, Wang Ye had already vanished.
The very next instant, he reappeared behind Cheng Hui, spear tip resting on his head, "You've lost."
"My hatred runs deep!" Cheng Hui's voice seethed with venom.
Had he lived through today, he would've soon stepped into the Celestial Bridge Realm, ascending to the ranks of the powerful.
Now, he was bested by someone his junior.
Wang Ye's grip on his spear tightened, ready to end Cheng Hui.
But suddenly, his gaze shifted to the massive pit ahead.
A vast expanse of Yin Qi was emanating from it, catching Wang Ye's eye: "This is a place of extreme Yin Qi!"
Such locations were exceedingly rare, bound to spark fierce contention upon discovery.
It was likely Cheng Hui's strike had shattered the subterranean barrier, releasing the Yin Qi.
After a moment's contemplation, Wang Ye abandoned the thought of immediately slaying Cheng Hui. Instead, he stepped across to face him, presenting the Draught of Ascendancy: "Do you see what this is?"
Cheng Hui, who had resigned himself to despair, widened his eyes in shock. With just one breath, he felt his injuries begin to mend.
"Draught of Ascendancy, you possess such an unparalleled treasure! Give it to me, now!"
Wang Ye chuckled, "I might give it to you, but only if you swear fealty to me and become my loyal follower."
Cheng Hui's face turned ashen.
Yet, he was a man of towering ambition, decisively choosing life over dignity when faced with the choice.
"I am willing to submit, Master. Please grant me the Draught of Ascendancy. I vow to be the most loyal servant by your side," he said, his demeanor oozing flattery and humility.
Internally, he seethed with vengeance: "You little wretch, once I've recovered, I'll slaughter your entire family."
"Do you wish to learn the Five Elemental Escape Technique?" Wang Ye inquired.
"Yes."
"I possess a cultivation method that transcends the God Level. Would you like to learn it?"
Wang Ye proceeded to reveal the beginning of the Divine Art of Creation.
Cheng Hui's pupils dilated, overwhelmed by shock.
A cultivation method beyond the God Level—what sort of monstrous technique was this?
Judging by what Wang Ye had just shared, it was clear the level was frighteningly high.
His throat felt parched: "Master, are you truly willing to teach me?"
Wang Ye responded with a smile, "Naturally. I'm always generous to my own. Serve me well, and you'll reap many rewards. With this knowledge, the Celestial Bridge Realm will be trivial. Even Nirvana and Starfall will be within your reach."
Cheng Hui's eyes gleamed with obsession, as if he could already envision the day he would reign supreme, his ambition swelling boundlessly.
A flicker of intent passed through Wang Ye's eyes: "Come now, open your mouth and take the Draught."
Cheng Hui complied, mouth agape.
Bang!
In an instant, Wang Ye's fist connected, obliterating Cheng Hui's heart and nearly popping his eyes out of their sockets. "You..." Wang Ye's smile bore a hint of cruelty: "Why would I ever give an enemy the chance to rise again? I simply intended to make full use of you, to refine your body into a war corpse."
With a scream that echoed his immense psychological shock, Cheng Hui bellowed to the heavens and died instantly, his body enveloped by a thick miasma of resentment.
To create a war corpse, one needed a body steeped in resentment from a life filled with it.
Wang Ye then produced several charms and sealed Cheng Hui's orifices. He followed by extracting hundreds of drops of the Draught of Ascendancy and carefully administered them.
Wang Ye extracted several charms and sealed Cheng Hui's seven orifices, then dropped hundreds of droplets of the Draught of Ascendancy onto him. His battered body rapidly healed, swiftly returning to its original condition. Next, Wang Ye summoned the Earth Dragon Flame to refine Cheng Hui's physical form. The constant crackling sounds were incessant. His clothing was incinerated, and a torrent of impurities spewed from his pores. As Wang Ye wielded the Earth Dragon Flame, he continuously infused the corpse with the Draught of Ascendancy, forging it as one would a weapon. After two hours, Wang Ye ceased his efforts. Cheng Hui's body had been tempered to near perfection, gleaming golden, with the strength of flesh, bone, and blood rivaling that of a golden weapon. Over a thousand drops of the Draught of Ascendancy had been expended in the process.
