Chapter 18: The Clash

With a loud bang, Qian Ye launched himself into the sky with a single punch, sending the car roof flying. Countless large-caliber cannon shells immediately tore his vehicle to shreds. The guards and driver inside didn’t even have time to scream before they were shredded by a stream of metal fire.

The stream of fire instantly ripped through the vehicle, then curved upward, striking Qian Ye in mid-air. The gunners’ skill had reached a master level; their shots were both fast and vicious, determined to kill Qian Ye. At this moment, the windows on both sides of the street shattered, and two more cannons opened fire, blocking Qian Ye’s escape routes, leaving him no room to dodge. It was an extremely ruthless move.

Suddenly, Qian Ye curled up in mid-air, using his arms to protect his head and face, and remained motionless. The three streams of fire struck him almost simultaneously, but surprisingly, they maintained a delicate balance, pushing him higher and higher.

The multi-barrel cannons fired with extreme ferocity, and in a blink, hundreds of rounds were exhausted. The cannons fell silent, and the spinning barrels turned red-hot, unable to fire any more.

The three gunners were gasping for breath. Operating such multi-barrel cannons required a vast amount of primordial force. Despite their combat prowess, after firing at full power, their primordial force was nearly depleted, leaving them exhausted.

They looked up, and in an instant, all three of their eyes widened in shock!

In mid-air, Qian Ye slowly unfolded his body. His battle armor was shattered, but the exposed skin had a metallic sheen of red and gold, dotted with specks of blood, like ant bites. And these blood spots were rapidly disappearing before their eyes!

The three gunners felt as if they were in a dream, unsure if their eyes were deceiving them. These were Level 5 multi-barrel cannons, and there were three of them! Firing simultaneously and exhausting their rounds, they could only barely break Qian Ye’s skin?

As his body stretched, Qian Ye’s entire form ignited with a crimson-gold flame, and his joints emitted a series of sharp cracks. He finally opened his eyes, coldly surveying the gunners below.

The three gunners were terrified and turned to run, but suddenly, a thunderous roar filled their ears, followed by a dizzying sensation, and a series of violent collisions left them seeing stars, nearly fainting.

Qian Ye instantly pulled out the three gunners, along with seven support personnel, throwing them into the middle of the street, piling them together.

At a glance, Qian Ye knew they were Gao Hu people. After all, body modifications with machinery were a signature feature of the Gao Hu.

Before Qian Ye could even ask, one of the Gao Hu gunners snarled, “Qian Ye! You’d better release us and swear never to interfere in our Gao Hu affairs again. Otherwise, Lady Hong Lian will not spare you.”

Qian Ye’s face remained calm as he asked indifferently, “Where is Hong Lian?”

He didn’t bother asking who Hong Lian was, which surprised the gunner. The gunner spat and growled, “You’ll never know!”

“Is that so?” Qian Ye smiled faintly and casually picked up one of the cannons. He held the barrel, still glowing dark red from the intense heat, but Qian Ye seemed unaffected by the burn.

This primordial force cannon was a meter and a half long and weighed several hundred kilograms. Even a combat general would find it difficult to handle, let alone aim accurately. Although it was only a Level 5 primordial weapon, its power was comparable to a Level 6 weapon.

However, Qian Ye had no intention of studying it. Instead, he swung the cannon and brought it down heavily!

The gunner screamed as his left leg, along with its mechanical parts and flesh, was crushed. Even with the best medical skills, his left leg could not be regenerated. The Gao Hu people, despite their expertise in mechanical enhancements, needed a physical foundation. Pure mechanical parts were of little value without it.

“Where is Hong Lian?” Qian Ye asked again.

Though drenched in sweat from the pain, the gunner gritted his teeth and snarled, “You are now an enemy of the Gao Hu. There will be no place for you in the neutral territories… Not just you, but your… ah!!”

Qian Ye swung the cannon, smashing the gunner’s limbs, and said, “Still being tough, huh? What about my family?”

The gunner, in excruciating pain, still glared fiercely at Qian Ye. A Gao Hu nearby threatened, “Qian Ye, these three lords are important figures in our clan. If you kill them, you will incur a blood feud with us, and we will never stop hunting you! You should release us, and forget today ever happened.”

“Bloody feud?” Qian Ye smiled faintly, and with a swing of the cannon, crushed the speaker’s head, then turned to look at the others.

The Gao Hu man, with gray hair, was about Level 8 in primordial force, and his body was covered in mechanical parts. Evidently, nearing the end of his life, he chose to completely transform his body to boost his combat power. Now, his face twitched with pain and anger, and his eyes nearly shot flames at Qian Ye.

Qian Ye didn’t bother to talk anymore, and with a swift blow, sent the Gao Hu man to his death.

Qian Ye then approached the second gunner and asked, “Where is Hong Lian?”

A flicker of hesitation crossed the gunner’s face, but he quickly hardened and said, “Just kill me. I won’t tell you anything!”

Qian Ye nodded, “Fine. But I still need to ask.”

He repeated the question, “Where is Hong Lian?” Each time he didn’t get an answer, he smashed the gunner’s limbs, and finally, took his life.

The other Gao Hu people shouted, trying to stop Qian Ye, but they were all severely injured and unable to move.

These three gunners were all combat generals, and in the Gao Hu, where no divine generals had ever emerged, they were the backbone. The death of each one would greatly weaken the Gao Hu.

Qian Ye approached the last gunner and asked quietly, “Where is Hong Lian?”

The last gunner finally showed fear, wanting to say something tough but couldn’t bring himself to. He knew that if he did, his limbs would be crushed. Saying more would only lead to his demise. Qian Ye killed without mercy, swiftly and efficiently.

Seeing the gunner waver, the other Gao Hu people were enraged, shouting threats and curses, even threatening the gunner’s family.

Qian Ye, expressionless, turned the cannon, and under the drive of primordial force, the barrels began to spin.

At this moment, a high-ranking city guard officer rushed out from across the street, shouting at Qian Ye, “Stop! Otherwise…”

Before he could finish, Qian Ye’s cannon roared, firing a dozen rounds, turning the remaining six Gao Hu people into corpses.

The officer, shocked and furious, pointed at Qian Ye, “You! How dare you…”

Qian Ye’s cannon was still spinning, and with a boom, a shell flew toward the officer’s head. Startled, the officer threw himself to the ground, feeling a searing heat and warm blood flowing down. He was relieved, as long as he felt, he was still alive.

But the near-death experience was horrifying. He decided to stay on the ground, pretending to be unconscious. The other city guards, equally terrified, dared not approach Qian Ye.

“Where is Hong Lian?” Qian Ye repeated the question.

Finally, the gunner gave in, “She is currently at the City Lord’s residence, in Madam Ho’s courtyard.”

“Take me there,” Qian Ye said, lifting the gunner, and with one hand, he carried the multi-barrel cannon, striding toward the City Lord’s residence.

His speed was incredible, and in a blink, he was at the gates of the residence, ignoring the guards, and headed straight for the back garden.

From the side, a burly, stern man appeared, shouting, “How dare you trespass in the City Lord’s residence! Die!”

The man exhaled, stomped his right foot, and his body erupted with orange primordial light. A massive fist-like shadow appeared in the air, striking directly at Qian Ye.

This man was Guan Zhongliu, the city guard of Nan Qing, whom Qian Ye had met once before. Enraged, his attack was indeed formidable.

But Qian Ye was no ordinary opponent. This kind of attack, where primordial force left the body to form a shape, actually weakened its power against Qian Ye.

Qian Ye did not evade, charging forward, and with a single punch, shattered the giant fist. Then, he slammed into Guan Zhongliu.

With a thud, Guan Zhongliu was sent flying, crashing through two walls before stopping. His face was filled with horror, staring at Qian Ye, unable to believe he could not withstand a single hit.

Qian Ye’s collision was devastating. Guan Zhongliu, known for his powerful techniques, was utterly defeated in the direct confrontation.

At this moment, Ji Rui appeared in the air, his right hand outstretched, pressing down on Qian Ye.

Ji Rui’s attack seemed to block Qian Ye, but as his hand moved, sharp whistling sounds filled the air. The entire residence was enveloped in a faint green, the air becoming stagnant like mercury. A green light shot from Ji Rui’s hand toward Qian Ye.

This was almost Ji Rui’s full strength!

Despite his usual amiable demeanor, Ji Rui was a Level 17 expert, just a step away from becoming a divine general. This frontal attack was perhaps the strongest opponent Qian Ye had faced.

Seeing the green light approaching, Qian Ye anticipated it, dropping the gunner and the multi-barrel cannon, and channeling primordial force. A deep, oceanic roar echoed, and a terrifying pressure emerged within dozens of meters, causing buildings and walls to collapse. The green around him became stagnant, then shattered. Though the green soon intensified, fighting against Qian Ye’s domain, it could not change the stalemate.

Ji Rui was secretly surprised. His domain was evenly matched with Qian Ye’s. The green suffocation domain was famous in the Eastern Sea!

Qian Ye accelerated his Great Profound Troop Conquest Technique, the oceanic roar growing louder, destabilizing the space. Primordial force surged around him, forming a massive, faintly visible vortex.

This was the first time Qian Ye used his Great Profound Troop Conquest Technique at full strength, facing an opponent head-on.

Qian Ye struck with a slow, heavy punch, as if carrying the weight of mountains.

The primordial vortex tilted, like the ocean itself, crushing down on Ji Rui!