Chapter 47: Speaking Loudly

Qian Ye’s behavior only made Xue Ding more perplexed. He circled around Qian Ye several times, scrutinizing him from all angles, but could not discern his true strength. A chill ran down Xue Ding’s spine, making him even more cautious.

As Xue Ding paced around Qian Ye, the mysterious entity did not slow its manipulation of the void primal force. However, all the primal force was directed away from Xue Ding, sometimes even using him as a shield, appearing behind him to resonate with Dong Yue.

Qian Ye, on the other hand, remained unperturbed and continued carving. The mysterious entity seemed to be reaching its limits, and despite Qian Ye’s wooden sculpture nearing completion, it failed to muster any more void primal force to stop him.

Both sides had given their all, much like two fierce beasts locked in a struggle, paying no heed to a buzzing fly nearby.

However, this fly, persistently hovering, was truly annoying. It even appeared eager to strike, as if preparing to pounce.

By the time Xue Ding circled for the seventh time, Qian Ye couldn’t bear it anymore. He paused, cast a glance at Xue Ding, slightly releasing some aura, then resumed his carving. With a flick of Dong Yue, a wafer-thin slice of wood fell away.

In Qian Ye’s mind, this was like swatting at a fly. Though he didn’t squash it, it should have been enough to drive it away. A smart fly would know to retreat far away.

Unexpectedly, upon sensing Qian Ye’s aura, Xue Ding was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter, nearly doubling over. Holding his belly and pointing at Qian Ye, he stammered, “Two, two primal vortexes? Are you trying to scare me? Haha, haha!”

Qian Ye was also taken aback, suddenly remembering that this was the Neutral Grounds, not the Blood War or Floating Land battlefields. Before leaving the Empire, Qian Ye had risen to fame in the Blood War and gained renown in the Floating Land battles. Many powerful figures from the Evernight side knew of his prowess, and many opponents below the rank of Earl Cadet would quietly retreat upon encountering him.

To Qian Ye, a mere thirteenth-level human was not far from being a pushover. Having revealed his power, he expected Xue Ding to back off and save his own life. But Qian Ye forgot that in the Neutral Grounds, he was not well-known, and a mere two levels of primal force difference was not significant. No wonder Xue Ding laughed so uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, the Black Wolf Guards, bored, decided to kick open the courtyard gate. The kick was somewhat measured, not too forceful, and the gate opened, though the wooden door remained intact, not punctured as they had imagined.

The Black Wolf Guard stared at his foot, then knocked on the door, looking bewildered. In his life, he had never seen such sturdy wood. Lifting his foot, he hesitated, considering another kick.

With a thud, he kicked the other door, managing to nudge it slightly, but the door still showed no cracks.

As the Black Wolf Guard started questioning his life choices, another guard patted his shoulder and whispered, “Hey, look, a beautiful woman!”

Lifting his head, the guard saw Nighteye and Zhu Ji in the courtyard. Nighteye was calmly scaling a large fish, while little Zhu Ji perched at the table, eyeing the fish and occasionally swallowing saliva.

When the gate opened, Nighteye merely glanced up and continued her task. Little Zhu Ji, disturbed, raised her eyebrows and suddenly pounced towards the gate.

Her leap was lightning-fast, creating a gust of wind! The Black Wolf Guards saw Zhu Ji disappear in a flash, followed by a gale that sent them stumbling, with the weakest two knocked to the ground.

The guards were shocked, but the anticipated blow did not come. When Zhu Ji reappeared, she was back in her original spot, though clearly not of her own volition, as Nighteye held her by the neck.

“Behave and watch the fish,” Nighteye said, tapping Zhu Ji’s head.

Little Zhu Ji nodded, feeling wronged, glaring fiercely at the Black Wolf Guards, planning how to deal with them later.

The guards, finally recovering from the whirlwind, exchanged bewildered looks, unsure of what had just happened. Did Zhu Ji move, or not?

But they had their own methods. One guard shouted, “Young Master, there’s a beautiful woman here!”

Xue Ding, still laughing, impatiently replied, “In this dump? What beautiful woman? Haven’t you ever seen a woman?”

“But we’ve never seen one like this!” the guard insisted.

Xue Ding waved his hand, “No matter what she is, set her aside. I’ll deal with this idiot first, then check her out.”

Leaving two guards at the gate to prevent Nighteye from escaping, the rest rushed over to cheer Xue Ding on.

“Boy, do you really think so little of me?” Xue Ding reached to pat Qian Ye’s shoulder, but his hand froze mid-air, struck by an inexplicable sense of dread. His smile instantly vanished, replaced by an awkward expression.

At that moment, Dong Yue emitted a clear chime, and the nearly completed wooden sculpture crumbled into dust.

This round, Qian Ye had lost. Including this, Qian Ye now had four losses and one win, squandering his advantage.

Qian Ye’s gaze toward the fly became menacing.

Xue Ding, startled, took an involuntary step back, realizing he had lost his composure. Embarrassed and angry, he roared, “Try my Wind Splitter!”

A green whirlwind formed around Xue Ding, engulfing the area within dozens of meters, and he punched at Qian Ye. Green primal force swirled around his fist, clearly powerful.

Qian Ye extended his left hand to grasp Xue Ding’s fist. Before their hands touched, the green primal force shot out, encircling Qian Ye’s hand like a chainsaw, slicing through his flesh.

The green primal force was formidable, sharp enough to cut through steel. Many had fallen victim to this punch, often losing their hands or even forearms.

Seeing Qian Ye not using primal force to defend, Xue Ding sneered. But his smirk froze.

Qian Ye easily grasped Xue Ding’s fist. The green primal force sliced at his skin, producing a screeching sound, yet his arm remained unharmed, only showing faint red marks.

Xue Ding’s eyes nearly popped out, wondering if Qian Ye was even human.

But Xue Ding was no pushover. Reacting quickly, he roared again, channeling all his primal force to overwhelm Qian Ye, leveraging his two-level advantage.

Green primal force surged from his multiple vortexes, forming a storm aimed at Qian Ye. Qian Ye, undaunted, roared low, and a rumbling sound echoed. He countered with the power of a sea vortex.

Xue Ding’s vision darkened as a hammer-like force struck his chest. The green storm dissipated instantly. He staggered back seven or eight steps, barely stabilizing, and blood trickled from his nose.

“You, how could you…” Xue Ding’s voice trailed off, turning hoarse.

Qian Ye also retreated two steps, steadying himself by planting Dong Yue in the ground. Besides his pale face, he showed no signs of injury.

Xue Ding glared at Qian Ye, waiting for any sign of weakness. But Qian Ye’s color quickly returned, and his aura stabilized.

“Impossible!” Xue Ding exclaimed.

The clash was a direct collision of primal forces, with no room for tricks. Xue Ding had expected to severely injure Qian Ye, but the green storm was shattered. Although Qian Ye looked worn out, he was still in control, having suppressed Xue Ding completely.

Qian Ye felt a bit helpless. After five consecutive battles with the mysterious entity, his primal force and blood energy were depleted. The remaining force was just enough to defeat the green storm. If at full strength, one blow would have severely injured Xue Ding, and a second strike would have ended his life.

But now, it would just take a bit more effort. Despite his depleted primal force, Qian Ye’s robust body and skilled swordsmanship were enough to dispose of this fly.

Thinking this, Qian Ye raised Dong Yue, ready to strike.

Xue Ding shivered, his face changing, and immediately retreated, hiding behind the Black Wolf Guards.

Qian Ye was surprised; this man’s danger sense was astonishing, perhaps a natural talent.

But as Xue Ding backed away, someone else was eager to try.

Sensing the killing intent, Qian Ye turned to Iron Bear and asked, “Did you bring these people?”

“So what if I did? You’re out of primal force, right?” Iron Bear snarled, slowly drawing his curved knife.

Knife pulled Iron Bear, pleading, “Think it over?”

Iron Bear shoved Knife away, sneering, “What’s to think about? We can’t let this opportunity slip. If not today, when will we have such a chance?”

Xue Ding, seeing the opening, motioned to the Black Wolf Guards, “Attack!”

The guards lined up behind Iron Bear, forming an imposing array. Bolstered, Iron Bear strode towards Qian Ye.

Qian Ye sneered, “You’ve forgotten the lesson from the other night, haven’t you?”

“No, I remember. That’s why I won’t let this chance pass. In this town, only one person speaks loudly, and that’s me, Iron Bear!”