He hadn't made a move simply because he was waiting for Zhu Ruo’s arrival. Regarding this Six Commands Grandmaster, Ye Jingyu felt neither good nor ill will, but to gain complete control over the Cloud Guard, he had no choice but to remove these entrenched elders…

Of course, control was an option, but whether controlling them or removing them, having a Grandmaster’s assistance would certainly make things easier, wouldn't it?

If Zhu Ruo was also aligned with the Crown Prince, Ye Jingyu wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him directly. If Zhu Ruo could survive the combined assault of several Grandmasters, Ye Jingyu wouldn't mind completely subjugating him.

"Heh heh, your flesh is so delectable, your blood pulses with power, your physique is the most perfect I've ever seen. Surrender now, let me savor you thoroughly, and become one of my descendants. Only then will you have a chance to live." Adams, though stunned by Ye Jingyu's abilities, felt his mission was accomplished here. Five Grandmasters meant five Princes, and with himself, that made six Princes. In the West, if six Princes ganged up on one, there would be no suspense about the outcome…

However, Adams seemed to have forgotten one thing: this wasn't the West, and even among those of the same cultivation realm, there were vast gulfs of difference.

"Descendant? Heh, this young master has no interest in becoming a vampire. On the contrary, if you surrender, I will petition His Majesty. My estate is lacking in pets; feeding a bat would be rather fitting…" A sarcastic smile curved Ye Jingyu's lips.

"You… you court death…" Adams exploded in fury. He was a noble Bloodline Prince, the head of the illustrious House of Adams in the West. If he hadn't mistakenly killed the Holy Church’s Saint Son in a moment of carelessness, would he be hunted by the Church and the other Bloodlines? Would he have fled thousands of miles to this desolate place?

Even enduring curses from the Crown Prince’s subordinate was tolerable; after all, he was the son of this nation's Emperor and the future ruler. Enduring some indignity at his hands was acceptable. But now, this fellow, who was about to die, dared to speak to him in such a tone. How could the noble, elegant, and solemn Prince Adams tolerate this?

The words had barely left his mouth when Adams’ figure dissolved into a streak of afterimage, hurtling toward Ye Jingyu. His fingernails instantly elongated by ten centimeters, the black talons emitting chilling glints even in the deep darkness of the night.

In the blink of an eye, Adams was before Ye Jingyu, raising a hand to claw at him…

Facing this lightning-fast strike, a cold sneer played on Ye Jingyu's lips. He leaned his body back, seemingly trying to evade the claw, but his right fist shot out like a thunderbolt…

With a muffled boom, Ye Jingyu's punch landed squarely on Adams' chest, instantly blasting a mist of blood from the spot. The immense force sent Adams’ body flying backward, while Adams’ sharp claws merely managed to tear Ye Jingyu's outer robe, failing to inflict even the slightest scratch.

"Is this the strength of your Bloodline Princes? A bit too weak, wouldn't you say?" Ye Jingyu did not press the attack, remaining rooted to the spot, looking mockingly at Adams as he struggled up from the ground. A black light flickered over Adams' chest, and the wound was rapidly knitting itself closed, though his complexion had become even more ghastly pale…

"You injured me! You actually injured me, the great Adams! I will kill you! I absolutely must kill you, and not just kill you—I will imprison your soul, forcing you to endure the scorching flames of Hell for eternity!" Fury contorted Adams’ face. Immediately after, there was a sharp snap, and a pair of seven-meter-long golden bat wings unfurled from his back…

His mouth revealed a set of pearly white fangs, his appearance becoming utterly monstrous and terrifying…

"Heh heh, those wings are quite fetching. I wonder how they’d look taken off and used as household decorations!" Facing Adams’ rapidly inflating aura, Ye Jingyu remained utterly composed.

"Courting death…" Adams snarled, sweeping one hand forward. A black light flashed, instantly appearing at Ye Jingyu's face and tearing directly into his head. Yet, not a trace of blood emerged. Adams' expression shifted again as Ye Jingyu’s body materialized right in front of him, delivering another simple, straight punch…

Adams was enraged. He flapped his wings forcefully and shot backward, vanishing in a flicker to over a hundred meters high in the sky, successfully dodging Ye Jingyu's powerful blow. However, the immense residual force of that punch slammed into a large tree behind him, instantly shattering it to splinters…

"It seems you've gotten faster now that you have wings. But do you really think you're safe just by escaping into the air? Sky-Shattering Thunder…" A malicious smile touched Ye Jingyu's lips as he snapped his fingers lightly. A bolt of lightning, as thick as a man's fist, ripped across the firmament and struck Adams squarely. He instantly felt his entire body paralyzed, his golden curls standing straight up, and he plummeted directly from the sky…

Ye Jingyu pushed off the ground, transforming into an afterimage and charging toward the falling Adams, his right fist clenched tightly. One punch would be enough to utterly obliterate Adams' body…

But just as he was about to make contact, a sword light—a dazzling gleam akin to the sun itself—suddenly pierced the night sky, slicing ferociously toward the ascending Ye Jingyu…

Faced with such an unexpected beam of sword energy, even a Grandmaster would find it nearly impossible to evade without leverage, unless they had reached the Martial Saint realm, capable of moving freely in the air…

Ye Jingyu was not a Martial Saint, but he was a Soul Master, one at the Spirit Manifestation stage…

A silver glint flashed in his eyes, and his rapidly ascending body abruptly halted. The brilliant sword beam scraped right past his scalp, flying harmlessly by…

Adams’ body crashed heavily onto the ground, and Ye Jingyu landed smoothly moments later. He turned to look at an elder emerging from the darkness, an old man clutching an ancient, pale-green sword…

"Yuan Xiang?" Ye Jingyu uttered the two words, his tone filled with perfect calm and composure…

"It has been a long time, Young Master Ye…" The sect master of the Sky Sword Sect, Yuan Xiang, spoke indifferently.

"Let the others come out too. You cannot kill me alone," Ye Jingyu continued to say coldly, an almost imperceptible killing intent flickering in his eyes. In his mind, the image of that bearded face, Xue Hengzhi, flashed through…

(Each chapter is over two thousand characters, no less than Evil God's chapters; feel free to compare!)