Every eye was fixed upon Xiao Geng, even Prince Yong’an, Luo Ruofeng, who had rushed from the palace to the city walls, stared at him in astonishment...

The crowd forgot the battle, forgot the shouts, forgot everything, simply watching, watching the ever-changing Xiao Geng. Why, why was his body undergoing such a transformation?

Suddenly, Xiao Geng opened his eyes, and a dazzling blue light shot forth, blindingly bright in the vast, empty square...

In a daze, Xiao Geng felt an immense power continuously merging into his body from some other void. The injuries upon him vanished without a trace, and a feeling of strength, unlike anything he had known, surged through his heart.

Yes, it was the power of absolute dominance, as if no one in the entire world could now be his match...

The blood-red longsword hummed, returning to his hand once more. A strange energy poured into the blood-sword, causing crimson rays to burst forth from its blade, overlaid now with a faint blue halo...

“Hahaha… Ye Jingyu, you are finished, utterly finished this time!” Raising the longsword high, pointing it directly at Ye Jingyu, Xiao Geng let out a wild, arrogant laugh.

He did not understand the change occurring within his body, nor did he know the reason for any of this. He only knew that he was powerful now, more powerful than ever before—stronger even than when he had achieved the rank of Martial Saint. From birth until this moment, he had never felt this strong.

The massive power bred overwhelming confidence, and that confidence made him appear utterly arrogant, completely erasing the memory of being brutally beaten by Ye Jingyu moments earlier...

Staring at the wildly arrogant Xiao Geng with his blue hair flying, Ye Jingyu vaguely suspected his true identity, yet he was perplexed as to how this related to Yingkong Shi. From his appearance, Xiao Geng seemed equally unaware.

If that was the case, why not just kill him now? Although his power had increased significantly, it still fell far short of Yingkong Shi’s level, perhaps not even matching the sealed version of Yingkong Shi. How could he possibly be a match for Ye Jingyu?

Of course, if his power had truly surpassed that specific boundary, figures as formidable as Dugu Bachen would surely have intervened by now...

Xiao Geng clearly did not know that Ye Jingyu had previously defeated someone with deep ties to that very power. He continued to laugh triumphantly, as if only such an outburst could vent the resentment and fury boiling inside him...

“Hahaha… I will chop you into ten thousand pieces, I will slice your flesh off, piece by piece, I…”

“You’ll slice your own head off…” Seeing Xiao Geng still shouting and making no move to attack, Ye Jingyu charged straight forward, unleashing a punch that slammed directly into Xiao Geng’s mouth, instantly cutting off the latter half of his rant. Two rows of teeth clattered to the ground, and his entire body was sent flying backward again...

His power had certainly increased, and his physical body was undoubtedly tougher, but against Ye Jingyu’s sudden assault, he still possessed no ability to resist...

The body flying backward continuously spewed blood, yet this crimson blood carried a faint blue tinge. His body was now actively shifting toward the demonic form...

Once Ye Jingyu engaged, he held nothing back. He stomped hard with his feet, propelling himself upward, and intercepted Xiao Geng mid-flight...

He delivered a sharp Hand Blade strike directly onto Xiao Geng’s right shoulder. With a crisp chii sound, the arm holding the blood-red sword was cleanly severed.

Ye Jingyu’s technique, the Shattering Slash, was capable of severing Yingkong Shi’s demonic spear; what hope did Xiao Geng’s mere arm have against it?

A terrible scream tore from Xiao Geng’s throat, but before he could recover, Ye Jingyu hammered another fist into his lower abdomen, causing his torso to cave inward. Before he even hit the ground, Ye Jingyu’s knee rammed into his back, launching his body skyward once more with tremendous force...

Xiao Geng, having unlocked his seal on the brink of death and gained immense power, had expected to slay Ye Jingyu. Who could have imagined the outcome would be exactly the same as before?

In front of Ye Jingyu, he didn't even have a chance to fight on equal footing...

His actual strength had increased significantly, it was true, but he had initially been merely a Martial Saint who had just entered the realm and hadn't solidified his cultivation—not even a true Initial Martial Saint. Now, even with the massive boost, he was at best equivalent to a slightly stronger Initial Martial Saint. How could he possibly contend with Ye Jingyu?

Every bone in his body was violently pulverized again, and Xiao Geng was close to passing out from the pain...

Ye Jingyu did not employ any of his Primeval Force, striking Xiao Geng purely with the strength of his physical body, treating him like a mere punching bag...

At this moment, Xiao Geng’s body was blasted high into the sky. Ye Jingyu suddenly leaped, soaring upwards, and positioned himself directly above Xiao Geng. He clenched both hands, brought his elbows down, and smashed them fiercely toward Xiao Geng’s spine...

If anyone had sharp eyes, they might even have glimpsed streaks of golden light emanating from beneath Ye Jingyu’s elbows—the result of utilizing Primeval Force.

“Boom…” Another massive explosion sounded as Ye Jingyu delivered his strongest blow squarely onto Xiao Geng’s body. Instantly, his back shattered like glass. Flesh and blood rained down, while his body plummeted toward the ground faster than a meteorite...

“CRASH…” A deafening impact as Xiao Geng’s body struck the earth heavily. His demonic form, which had not fully materialized, was smashed into fragments. A massive crater marred the ground, and within it, nothing remained but a puddle of pulp...

It was impossible to recognize this as the once-mighty General Xiao Geng, Marquis of Martial Valor in the Southern Cloud Empire...

Hush...

The site fell utterly silent; one could hear a pin drop...

Everyone—generals and soldiers, defenders and rebels—stared, dumbfounded. Ye Jingyu had beaten Xiao Geng too quickly for them to fully grasp the preceding moments, but they had all witnessed the body falling from the sky. A seemingly intact body reduced to that upon impact?

What kind of power was that?

And to think, Ye Jingyu hadn't even used any profound martial arts! Merely using the most basic techniques of striking had reduced a Martial Saint to this state—it was terrifying.