Staring into those icy eyes, Ye Jingyu felt an involuntary tremor deep in his heart. These were not the eyes of a human, but rather the gaze of a wild beast...

Slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness. Ye Jingyu looked closely and saw an ugly face, marred by a long scar down the left side, making him look utterly ferocious. His lips were thick, like two sausages, and his nose was completely sunken in—Ye Jingyu had truly never seen anyone so hideous...

Fortunately, his physique was tall, making him appear extraordinarily imposing, though the overt brutality simmering in his brow betrayed a desire to tear apart every living thing in this world...

"Who are you?" Ye Jingyu swiftly kicked the already downed Fei Yu aside, turning his gaze coolly toward the man before him...

The man offered no reply, only advancing step by step, a palpable killing intent washing over Ye Jingyu like a physical wave...

Sensing the immense pressure radiating from the approaching figure, Ye Jingyu merely offered a faint smile. His body shot forward in a sudden burst, sending a heavy punch hurtling towards the newcomer. Since he wouldn't speak, Ye Jingyu would fight him until he did...

Reaching the might of Level Five, he possessed the strength to contend head-on with a Grandmaster. Therefore, regardless of who this man was, his heart swelled with confidence...

In a single stride, he was in front of the man, slamming a fierce punch toward the center of the brute's chest...

The large man curled his lips into a sneer and simultaneously raised a fist to meet Ye Jingyu's assault...

There was no flashy flourish, no feigned maneuver—just a simple exchange of blows. Yet, the speed of this punch was incredibly swift; had Ye Jingyu's power not advanced so significantly, evading such a rapid strike would have proven difficult...

But now, though he could evade, he harbored no intention of doing so. He didn't even circulate his internal Zhenqi, choosing instead to meet the brute's fist directly...

With a thunderous Boom, their fists collided heavily, emitting a colossal sound. The terrifying force made the very air tremble, and the immense recoil forced Ye Jingyu back several paces, leaving his fist numb...

However, the large man was no better off. His body was driven back more than ten steps, his right fist and entire arm shaking uncontrollably. Shock contorted his face, clearly revealing his astonishment that this seemingly slight young man possessed such immense power?

"Such formidable strength! Take another of my blows!" the brute roared, his massive frame surging towards Ye Jingyu once more. This time, his internal Zhenqi was fully engaged; he clearly intended to settle the score with Ye Jingyu now...

Seeing the giant charge again, Ye Jingyu let out a cold laugh. With one hand, he reached into the Qiankun Bracelet and drew out a crossbow, personally designed by Zhuge Yishi. Without even glancing at the charging brute, he pulled the trigger...

With a sharp whoosh, a bolt sliced through the air, aimed directly for the man's brow. The brute was greatly alarmed. He hadn't expected his opponent to abandon martial decorum and resort to a crossbow, let alone one of such size, making him wonder where it had been hidden moments before...

Still, he was a master who had attained the Grandmaster realm; he would hardly be felled by a single bolt. He shifted his body slightly, successfully dodging the arrow. But who designed the crossbow in Ye Jingyu's hand? This was a repeating crossbow developed by Zhuge Yishi himself; almost as soon as the first bolt flew, the remaining six followed in close succession...

At such close range, even with the brute's agility, evading them all was impossible. Having narrowly avoided the first three bolts, the remaining three were already upon him. With no choice, the brute abandoned the momentum of his punch, quickly drawing a three-foot-long saber hung at his waist. With a light flick, he swung the blade toward the three incoming bolts...

He was a Grandmaster; if he couldn't even handle such a simple trick, he might as well slit his own throat...

Thus, the brute easily intercepted the three speeding bolts. But before he could savor his success, he heard a sharp crack. The three bolts he had struck simultaneously exploded, shattering into countless steel needles that shot toward him at full velocity...

This was not merely a repeating crossbow; it was an explosive repeating crossbow. Its greatest power lay not in firing seven bolts in sequence, but in the fact that each bolt was constructed from countless steel needles. Upon impact, they detonated, transforming into a swarm of needles, impossible to guard against...

With such speed and such proximity, even a Grandmaster like the brute had no way to dodge. His vital Zhenyuan energy hadn't even managed to cover his entire body before the uncountable fine needles pierced deep into his flesh...

These steel needles were extremely thin, only the width of a strand of hair. Despite being struck by so many, the brute initially didn't pay them much mind. After all, despite the surprise, he was still a Grandmaster—and significantly stronger than many others in that realm. These needles seemed to have only punctured the surface skin...

But before the brute could even force the needles out, he felt a wave of paralysis wash over him. Visible to the naked eye, his skin began turning black at an alarming rate...

"Despicable..." the brute cursed inwardly, though overwhelming frustration churned within him. Judging by the single exchange of fists earlier, Ye Jingyu was also undoubtedly a powerhouse at the Grandmaster level...

Grandmaster—what did that title imply? It was not just a symbol of strength, but a symbol of status. All Grandmasters possessed their own pride, for they were the strong, and they held their own honor...

Therefore, throughout history, no Grandmaster had ever stooped to using hidden weapons or similar tactics, not even Grandmaster-level assassins rarely employed them...

Yet, this fellow before him, clearly possessing the strength to fight him equally, had used a crossbow, and one so bizarrely intricate...

Of course, using it was one thing, but this man had actually coated the bolts with potent poison! What kind of bearing was this for a Grandmaster expert to possess?

The brute was furious, but what burned hotter was his feeling of utter defeat...

But Ye Jingyu cared nothing for such conventions. He tucked the crossbow back into the Qiankun Bracelet and promptly drew out three or four pitch-black iron spheres, tossing them toward the brute without a second glance...

The brute cried out in alarm, pushing his Zhenyuan energy to its limits, attempting to expel the poison from the steel needles while wildly slashing his saber at the incoming iron balls...

With a deafening Boom, the brute's blade struck a single iron ball, which immediately exploded. The massive concussive force flung the brute backward, and the fragments scattering everywhere mercilessly pierced the flesh that was momentarily protected by his Zhenyuan barrier...