"Thwack..." A crisp sound echoed as Tang Yang's palm landed heavily on Ye Jingyu's chest, a look of triumph etched on his face. He was certain that with such a weighty blow, Ye Jingyu would surely meet his end...

As for Ye Jingyu’s punch, could it breach his own Innate True Qi Shield?

But the smile on his face instantly froze, because Ye Jingyu's punch smashed heavily against the Innate True Qi Shield before him. That shield, capable of deflecting blades and swords, instantly shattered like a pane of glass. Then, the immensely heavy fist slammed right into his sternum...

"Crack..." It was the sound of bone fracturing. Tang Yang’s sternum was completely caved in, and his body was directly blasted backward, blood gushing wildly from his mouth. His face instantly turned deathly pale...

However, Ye Jingyu didn't fare well either. Struck by that palm, his body retreated several steps. Although the Tyrant Yuan Force within him continuously offset the True Qi contained in the strike, Tang Yang's True Qi was incredibly dense. For a moment, it couldn't all be neutralized, and a small portion still managed to injure his body...

Fortunately, after refining the Heaven Chōng Soul, his resilience had been further enhanced; otherwise, that single palm strike would have been enough to seriously wound him...

Having finally stabilized himself, Ye Jingyu gripped the iron saber and charged toward Tang Yang. For anyone who dared to harm Luo Ling'er, he would show absolutely no mercy...

A beautiful face doomed to misfortune; he would ensure this delicate blossom endured in the world forever...

Any who dared to destroy this beauty would be slaughtered without exception...

The moment Tang Yang’s body fell to the ground, he saw Ye Jingyu charging over, alarm flashing in his eyes. Even in his wildest dreams, he couldn't have imagined his Innate True Qi being shattered by a Martial Master using pure force. Even less could he believe that after taking his palm strike, his opponent only retreated a few steps...

Even a Grandmaster wouldn't possess such a powerful physique! Had he truly reached the Great Grandmaster realm, his internal True Essence perfectly integrated?

Impossible! How many Great Grandmasters were there in the Shu Yun Kingdom? How could this young man have reached that level?

Seeing Ye Jingyu rapidly approaching, the horrified Tang Yang cast aside all else. Mustering all his strength, ignoring the pain of his broken ribs, he spun around and fled in another direction...

The shock Ye Jingyu delivered was too immense. He had no desire to lay down his life here...

"Trying to run? Not so easily done..." Ye Jingyu, having roused the intent to kill, certainly wouldn't let him escape. The speed of his feet suddenly accelerated, and another Strike of the Absolute Blade cleaved the air. His figure instantly appeared behind Tang Yang, bringing his saber down fiercely toward him...

Sensing the terrifying saber energy behind him and perceiving that unparalleled speed, Tang Yang suddenly understood that he had kicked a hornet's nest today. If he hadn't been injured, he might have escaped. But now, having suffered such severe wounds, escape was impossible...

"If I must die, then we die together!" In this final moment, Tang Yang suddenly roared. The Innate True Qi within his body circulated wildly, his robes rustling violently and swelling outward before suddenly exploding open...

Countless throwing darts, needles, and blades shot out from within his body, scattering in all directions, like the quills of a porcupine...

Ye Jingyu was aghast. He truly hadn't expected this man to resort to such a mutually destructive move at the last second. His rapidly advancing figure swiftly retreated, but the myriad hidden weapons were already upon him...

With no other choice, a silver glint flashed in Ye Jingyu's eyes. An invisible ripple instantly burst forth, directly repelling all the dark weapons that neared him—it was his self-created mental concentration attack, the Overbearing Battle Glyph...

At this moment, the Tang Yang before him once again displayed astonishment. Even with such a desperate strike, he hadn't managed to injure him. What realm had this man attained?

He wanted to ask, but the final, self-detonating strike had utterly shattered his internal meridians. His True Qi was completely depleted, a trace of crimson blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his body slowly collapsed...

His eyes, however, remained wide open, fixed in an expression of dying without closure...

He, a dignified Innate Master, had died so inexplicably...

"Hoo..." Seeing Tang Yang collapsed on the ground, Ye Jingyu finally breathed a heavy sigh of relief...

This was arguably the first time he had faced an Innate Master alone. Unlike a staged arena match, this was a life-or-death struggle where a moment's carelessness could mean instant death...

In retrospect, Tang Yang’s strength was inferior to that of Huangfu Buyue, Dugu Qian, or even Bie Li whom he had encountered before. Yet, his final strike left too deep an impression on Ye Jingyu. Using all his innate True Qi as propellant to launch every hidden weapon stored within his body—such a self-destructive tactic was terrifyingly shocking. Had he not achieved the Soul Condensation Realm and mastered the Overbearing Battle Glyph, even if he hadn't feared the poison on the weapons, he would have been riddled with holes and utterly dead. It wouldn't have been like now, where he was completely unharmed...

An attack method like that would likely trouble even a Grandmaster, perhaps even a Great Grandmaster...

Ye Jingyu would never again dare to underestimate Innate Masters. Anyone who reached the Innate realm was a master, and they naturally possessed their own desperation moves. He would need to handle things cautiously in the future, lest he capsize in a shallow ditch...

Although he now possessed the strength to contend with, or even defeat, Grandmasters, he couldn't guarantee that other Innate Masters didn't possess their own ultimate techniques. If he became careless, he might end up just like Tang Yang, dying without even knowing how. Until his strength was so absolute that he could scorn everything, he needed to remain extremely vigilant...

After all, despite his formidable power, he hadn't yet cultivated an invulnerable body...

He walked forward lightly and checked Tang Yang’s breath, confirming there was no trace of life left. Only then did Ye Jingyu feel somewhat at ease. He reached out his right hand, gently closing Tang Yang’s eyelids, and then stated calmly, "There is no room for regret. This world is simply like this: I am strong, you die. You are strong, I die. It is that simple..." After saying these words, Ye Jingyu slowly stood up, intending to depart, only to notice a figure standing not far away—a figure completely shrouded in a black robe. He froze momentarily. This... when did this person appear?

Why had his perception failed to detect him in the slightest? An unprecedented sense of crisis surged into Ye Jingyu's heart...