Staring at the black-clad man spitting blood onto the ground, everyone was momentarily stunned. This prestigious prospective General, who commanded over a thousand men, was as fragile as an infant beneath Ye Chen's fist. A single punch had left him utterly incapacitated, unable even to crawl.

How ferocious!

Such power, perhaps even a true General would be hard-pressed to match!

Nearby, Murong Xue, who had been preparing to step in and assist, froze, her lips slightly parted, disbelief flickering in her eyes. A moment later, she composed herself, her beautiful gaze sweeping over Ye Chen in the center of the scene. He stood there, tall and lean, his expression placid, possessing the composure of Mount Tai remaining unmoved even if it were to collapse before him.

The most shaken was undoubtedly the man in the tracksuit. His eyelids twitched, cold prickles rising across his skin. Looking at the fallen man, he was deeply shocked. He knew the latter's strength intimately—definitely a Level 10 constitution, specializing in close combat, a former master of martial arts. Yet, against Ye Chen, he hadn't lasted a single move before being struck down.

"If I had rushed in earlier, just to show off my strength in front of that little girl Murong Xue, I might be the one lying there now." Cold sweat beaded on the tracksuit man’s forehead. The way he looked at Ye Chen was filled with profound apprehension and dread, as if he had just discovered that the beggar he’d been bullying was, in fact, an emperor.

Ye Chen glanced coldly at the man on the ground. The killing intent vanished from his eyes. Although he hadn't delivered a fatal blow, that punch had caused massive internal hemorrhaging; most of the man's organs were lacerated. By the time he was carried back, he would likely die within days. When others came to investigate later, Ye Chen's status would have changed considerably, and no one would bother seeking trouble over a dead man.

Besides, before the match, it had been explicitly stated that this was merely sparring.

And sparring, naturally, involved injury.

The black-clad man felt excruciating pain, blood trickling from his seven orifices. As he forced his eyes open, the world before him turned a shade of crimson. He felt as if a million ants were gnawing at his body. The intense agony forced a scream from him before he passed out.

Ye Chen turned his head toward the man in the tracksuit. "Now, it’s your turn."

The tracksuit man’s face darkened. His strength was comparable to the man in black. If the latter couldn't withstand a single move from Ye Chen, stepping forward would just be suicide for him.

"Damn it! No wonder those General-level figures didn’t intervene—they wanted us to test the waters! I knew a mere ordinary soldier couldn't possibly gain the favor of the great Miss Murong; their statuses are worlds apart!"

The tracksuit man seethed inwardly. Hearing the murmurs around him felt like a sharp sting; he was utterly humiliated. However, his self-control was deep. He forced a smile that barely betrayed his anger. "It’s getting late. Let’s call an end to the sparring for now, to preserve goodwill. We’ll all be colleagues soon, and we can discuss things then. We came today primarily to see what the great Miss Murong sees in someone; now we have witnessed it. Truly an outstanding talent…"

"It’s fine, it was only sparring. I won’t strike too heavily," Ye Chen stated calmly.

The tracksuit man nearly coughed up blood, a flicker of rage darting across his eyes before he smoothed his expression back into a smile. "My name is Zhao Fei, I’m a Helmsman of the Dragon Ascent Guild. We can spar another day. For today, let’s stop here. Here is my card. If you are interested, someone of your caliber is welcome to join the Dragon Ascent Guild anytime, where we can offer you the rank of Hall Master."

The Dragon Ascent Guild? Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. In his previous life, this was an immensely powerful guild within the Huaxia Base City, known for its tyrannical ways. When its members encountered lone operators in the wilderness, they would strip them of all equipment and money; resistance meant immediate execution! To think this Zhao Fei was a Helmsman of the Dragon Ascent!

Within China's base cities, guild ranks were structured as: Ordinary Member, Captain, Deacon, Helmsman, Hall Master, Venerable, and Guild Master!

Many capable individuals, unwilling to be controlled by the Base City authorities, would establish their own factions to operate within the city, which the authorities tacitly allowed as long as it didn't infringe upon the Base City's core interests.

"This Zhao Fei is quite astute. Failing to find fault, he immediately extends an invitation," Ye Chen sneered inwardly. He casually took the business card offered; these cards were sparingly printed, reserved only for senior personnel. Resources in the Base City were limited, not allowing for many printing facilities.

Seeing Ye Chen accept the card, Zhao Fei felt a surge of pleasure. He thought, Little punk, you must be intimidated just hearing the name of our Guild. Hmph. After today, you’ll see what happens…

Just then, Ye Chen began to tear the white card, slowly ripping it into tiny pieces and dropping them onto the ground. "I appreciate the thought, but since you refuse to spar with me, then… I challenge you!"

"Do you dare accept?"

The tracksuit man’s body stiffened. Looking into Ye Chen’s cold eyes, his mouth twitched slightly. He never expected the other party to show him absolutely no face, actually issuing a challenge in front of so many people!

The surrounding crowd momentarily held its breath, awed by Ye Chen's audacity. A mere soldier issuing a challenge to a prospective General—what sheer nerve!

Yet, no one dared underestimate Ye Chen now. That single punch alone was enough to silence them all.

Did he dare?

Everyone looked at the tracksuit man, waiting for his reply.

Under the scrutiny of numerous fiery gazes, Zhao Fei’s expression settled. His fists clenched, his lips quivered slightly, and he stared venomously at Ye Chen, uttering each word slowly: "You have guts! You just wait!"

Then, he walked over, lifted the black-clad man, slung him over his back, and turned to leave. The onlookers automatically parted, staring at Zhao Fei in astonishment. They never expected this prospective General to actually fear accepting Ye Chen's challenge!

"No way? He just leaves like that?"

"With that little skill, he still wants to pursue Murong Xue?"

"Truly pathetic."

Disdainful looks followed Zhao Fei, and then the eyes of the crowd returned to Ye Chen in the center of the plaza, mixed with awe. Many among them, who usually suffered under the commands of these Generals, felt an immense satisfaction—a sense of vindication—seeing a prospective General refuse Ye Chen's challenge.

Ye Chen watched Zhao Fei leave without obstruction. He hadn't expected Zhao Fei to be so calculating, possessing such self-control, willing to endure public scorn and lose all face rather than accept his challenge—too rational!

Ye Chen disliked rational people.

Murong Xue approached, glancing at the retreating Zhao Fei, her delicate eyebrows furrowed. "You're just letting him go? You humiliated him so severely today; he will certainly seek revenge crazily."

Ye Chen nodded. "It’s fine. He will disappear soon enough."

Since a confrontation had begun, Ye Chen believed in finishing it completely, ensuring the opponent vanished forever—that was his established way.

Hearing Ye Chen's calm yet domineering words, Murong Xue paused, then took another look at the man, a hint of brilliance in her eyes. She smiled. "You displayed your strength today; I believe your rank will be promoted soon."

Ye Chen nodded slightly; this was within his expectations.

"It's getting late; I should head back now." Murong Xue gave a playful smile. "Be careful, alright? If you run into trouble, remember to call me."

Ye Chen rubbed his nose and nodded slightly.

After seeing Murong Xue off, Ye Chen returned to his dormitory. Bai Long and the others hadn't returned yet, likely still engaged in military merit missions. Given their constitutions, they accumulated merits quickly when working at full capacity.

"You're unharmed?" Qing He looked at him in surprise, not expecting Ye Chen to return with all his limbs intact.

Ye Chen shot him an irritated glance, too lazy to explain, and walked into the bedroom.

Two hours later.

A man in camouflage uniforms walked in. Seeing Ye Chen lying on the bed in the room, he knocked twice.

"Come in!" Ye Chen said with his eyes closed.

The man entered, studied Ye Chen for a moment, his gaze flashing before he spoke calmly. "Greetings. I am Lieutenant General Qin Feng, serving under Commander Hua. This is an invitation letter personally written by Commander Hua. If you agree to the conditions inside, you can become a General immediately!"

Ye Chen opened his eyes.