"Do you surrender, or must we act?" Ye Jingyu asked coldly, looking at the man in black. He had sensed this person watching while dealing with Lü Yun, but this man had somehow completely concealed his aura, making it impossible even for him to pinpoint his location. He had no choice but to wait for the man to reveal himself...

"Heh heh..." The man merely chuckled faintly, a hint of sarcasm crossing his face, as if mocking Ye Jingyu's ignorance. How could he, a dignified Martial Saint, simply surrender?

Seeing the mocking smile on the man's face, Ye Jingyu gently shook his head. A mid-tier Martial Saint might seem powerful to others, capable of contending even with other Martial Saints. If they truly only possessed Martial Saint strength, he might escape even if pursued with full effort. But now, he wasn't just lacking the chance to escape; he lacked even the qualification to take his own life...

"Even in death, I will not surrender, and I warn you, if I truly die, you will absolutely not escape either..." Sensing the killing intent from Ye Jingyu and his companions, a look of resolve flashed in the man's eyes...

"Die? In my presence, you won't even manage that," Ye Jingyu said faintly, his expression filled with disdain—a contempt for all living things...

The moment the words fell, his figure was already before the man. He raised a palm and brought it down toward the man's shoulder...

The man’s heart jolted violently. He never imagined Ye Jingyu’s speed had reached a level that almost ignored space. Instinctively, he raised his hand to block Ye Jingyu’s strike, but Liang Xiaoke and Gongsun Lu’s figures arrived before him almost simultaneously, both launching a punch at him...

They were simple punches, yet they stirred up a monstrous wave in the man’s heart. The strength of these three far surpassed his own. Even facing one of them alone, he wouldn't be a match, yet now, all three attacked him at once. How could he resist...?

"Crack..." With a sound, the man’s raised arm was instantly pulverized by Ye Jingyu’s palm strike. No matter how profound his inner True Essence was, it was useless...

Immediately following, Liang Xiaoke’s punch slammed into his right shoulder, completely shattering it. Gongsun Lu’s punch, showing no weakness, struck the man’s lower abdomen. The Azure Wood Divine Thunder on the fist face blasted mercilessly inside, instantly churning the man’s internal organs. A mouthful of blood sprayed out...

In just one blow, he was struck down with grave injuries...

At this moment, the man finally understood the meaning of Ye Jingyu’s word: unqualified...

Sensing the overwhelming power of the three, despair bloomed in the man’s eyes. He knew death was inevitable today. He frantically circulated the True Essence within his body, his Inner Core in his Dantian spinning wildly. At this critical juncture, he chose self-detonation...

A mid-tier Martial Saint choosing self-detonation in the instant of engagement—it was undeniably a profound tragedy. However, at this moment, the man had no other path open to him...

As a member of the organization, he absolutely could not reveal any information about it, not even in death...

"You want to self-destruct? Do you think you can?" Ye Jingyu’s icy voice materialized beside the man's ear. Then, he watched as Ye Jingyu’s right hand reached toward the man’s Dantian...

A mysterious energy bound his body, even causing the True Essence within him to cease functioning. The man was horrified. What kind of cultivation technique was this?

While he was shocked, Ye Jingyu’s right hand seemed to pass through his body without obstruction, directly plucking out his Inner Core...

The Dantian, the most vital location for any martial artist. One could shatter a person’s Dantian, one could kill them, but where was the person who could pluck out the Inner Core as easily as retrieving an egg from a nest, like Ye Jingyu was doing?

Even more bizarrely, his hand entered his body, yet his physical form showed no sign of injury. How was this possible? It was as if his hand was illusory...

Looking at the glittering, golden Inner Core in Ye Jingyu’s hand, the man’s eyes were filled with utter despair. He felt his True Essence completely drained. Now, forget self-detonation; he lacked even the right to commit suicide...

"Speak. Where did those children come from?" Ye Jingyu didn't ask about the man's identity or why he was there; he cut straight to the origin of the children. He was certain this man held the answers...

The man closed his eyes. Even knowing the youth before him was beyond his comprehension, he would not leak a single piece of information about the organization...

"Since you refuse, then don't blame me for being impolite. Soul Hook and Spirit Seizure..." Ye Jingyu showed no admiration for the man's resolve, nor did he possess patience. He immediately unleashed Soul Hook and Spirit Seizure, his fair right hand grasping the crown of the man's head. A terrifying suction force emanated...

"Ah..." As if suffering immense agony, the man let out a piercing scream. His body convulsed uncontrollably, and his face grew progressively paler. A shadowy wisp escaped from his crown and was directly absorbed by Ye Jingyu...

And his body slowly collapsed...

Ignoring the man who had lost all vitality, Liang Xiaoke turned his gaze toward Ye Jingyu...

Ye Jingyu, meanwhile, had his eyes tightly shut, assimilating the man's memories...

Suddenly, Ye Jingyu snapped his eyes open, two beams of sharp light flashing forth...

"How is it?"

"As I suspected, this fellow is indeed from the Yuan Ling Cult. However, his status is lower than those of the Eight Heavenly Dragons and the Eight Pagodas, meaning he knew less. As for those children, they were handed over by an Elder of the Yuan Ling Cult," Ye Jingyu stated coldly, his eyes filled with killing intent. He truly hadn't expected the Yuan Ling Cult to engage in such acts...

"Yuan Ling Cult? Why would they do something like this?" Liang Xiaoke was equally incredulous. Given the Yuan Ling Cult's strength, they shouldn't stoop to such cruel acts...

"The identities of these youths are almost all from prominent noble families. The reason they were tortured to this degree is that their fathers offended some high-ranking members of the Yuan Ling Cult, leading to this cruel treatment," Ye Jingyu explained coldly, clearly enraged by the Yuan Ling Cult's methods...