Chapter 273: Gentle Touch

Apart from the initial gasp when the blood mist splattered onto his head, the young man stood transfixed, watching Qian Ye. With three consecutive punches, Qian Ye pulverized the remaining three guards into a gory mist. The young man momentarily forgot to breathe. No matter how the guards tried to evade or counter-attack, whether with swords or by fleeing, none could escape Qian Ye’s devastating blows. Each punch reduced them to a spray of blood, no matter where it landed.

As the four once-proud guards fell, the young man was now drenched in blood, a ghastly sight despite it not being his own.

“Ah!! Aahhh!!” The young man finally reacted, screaming hysterically as he slapped at his body, trying to shake off the bloody remnants.

Overwhelmed and unstable, the young man’s original force faltered, unable to levitate, and he plummeted downward. At a height of several dozen meters, such a fall would injure even a seasoned warrior.

Suddenly, a rooftop below exploded, and an old man shot up. With a wave of his hand, a gentle original force cushioned the young man, gently lowering him to the ground. The old man then appeared before Qian Ye in a flash, his face contorted with rage. “At such a young age, how can you be so ruthless?”

Qian Ye calmly met the old man’s gaze. “Anyone who has those four guards must have a true powerhouse for protection. It’s just that your self-control is commendable, even I was surprised.”

Qian Ye’s words were dripping with sarcasm. The old man wasn’t displaying self-control; he simply hadn’t anticipated Qian Ye’s ability to obliterate the guards in moments, leaving him no time to intervene. Amid his shock and fury, the old man felt a lingering fear. Had any of Qian Ye’s punches been aimed at the young man, the blood and flesh scattered in the air would have belonged to him.

The old man’s face turned a dark shade, his aura rising. He laughed bitterly, “Good, good! You people from the Empire have seen great things, indeed impressive! We, from the small places, have no other skills but to kill!”

Qian Ye, however, didn’t move. He sneered, “Since I can return, so can those who ventured into the Great Vortex with me. Dare you kill me? Do you not fear the day the Imperial army descends and obliterates your so-called powerful faction?”

The old man’s expression changed slightly. He snorted coldly, “Last time was an exception; we let you enter the East Sea. This Neutral Ground is not a place you can dominate!”

Qian Ye let out a long, mocking laugh. “It’s the Blood Throne that blocks outsiders. You call yourself a Heavenly King, yet when it comes to significant matters, you hide behind the Blood Throne? Aren’t you ashamed to speak of Zhang Buzhou this way?”

The old man’s face turned pale, his anger palpable. “How dare you mention the name of Heavenly King Zhang! You seek death!”

He ceased speaking to Qian Ye, raising his palm like a blade. With a deep growl, he slashed through the air from a distance of over ten meters. A sharp, blinding blade light, bright as the sun, cleaved toward Qian Ye.

To a divine general, ten meters was practically arm’s length. The old man moved with lightning speed, and his blade light reached Qian Ye’s forehead in an instant!

Just as he thought he had struck, Qian Ye’s figure blurred, vanishing from the spot. The brilliant blade light cut only empty air.

Void Flash was Qian Ye’s signature move, and the old man was clearly prepared. He immediately sensed the surroundings. Within seconds, his divine senses encompassed hundreds of meters. He found Qian Ye standing thirty meters to his side.

Only thirty meters!

The old man’s heart twisted in scorn and anger. Was Qian Ye arrogant enough to think he could appear so close without consequence? Did he believe the old man lacked the skill for close combat?

A murderous intent flared in the old man’s heart. He turned to Qian Ye, his hands already filled with multiple blade lights, ready to strike with all his might and kill Qian Ye in one blow.

Just as he was about to unleash his attack, he saw a clear image of himself reflected in Qian Ye’s eyes!

The old man’s movements paused for a fraction of a second, like a car hitting a small stone. This slight hesitation triggered a sudden sense of alarm. As he began to flee, a faint black light feather pierced through the air!

“Why is it black, different from the rumors…” The old man’s thoughts were cut short as he watched the black light feather pierce his chest.

The Primordial Gun was Qian Ye’s signature killing move, having severely wounded the Wolf King several times. In the Neutral Ground, especially in the East Sea, it was no longer a secret among the top powerhouses.

Struck by the Primordial Gun, the old man didn’t panic immediately. He gathered his original force, trying to protect his vital points and use his cultivation to consume the gun’s power. After all, the Wolf King had survived and even pursued Qian Ye, so some did not view the Primordial Gun as terribly fearsome.

Confident that his strength matched the Wolf King, the old man intended to withstand the gun’s power. All he needed was a chance, and he could end Qian Ye. He wanted Qian Ye to know the difference between the two worlds beyond the Divine General threshold.

But as his vitality began to wane, the old man’s face drastically changed. “How can this be!”

The speed of his vitality draining far exceeded his expectations, like spilled water, half of his life force disappeared in a moment! His aura plummeted, unable to sustain his divine general state.

And the Primordial Gun’s power was not yet exhausted.

At that moment, another faint black light feather coalesced in the barrel of Qian Ye’s origin gun!

The old man’s heart sank, and with a scream, he flashed away and reappeared, doing so three times in rapid succession. Each time, he appeared several hundred meters away. After three flashes, the old man was already two kilometers distant. He did not look back, vanishing in an instant, even abandoning the young man.

Qian Ye was taken aback, shaking his head in disbelief. “Can it really be like this…”

The old man’s technique, at first glance, resembled Void Flash. With three consecutive flashes, he could instantly escape thousands of meters, a masterful survival technique. However, each flash covered only a few hundred meters, and he needed to perform three consecutive flashes. The flexibility and power were incomparable to Qian Ye’s Void Flash.

Caught off guard, Qian Ye allowed the heavily injured old man to escape. For the first time, Qian Ye understood the frustration and helplessness of his enemies when facing him.

The old man was quick to act, sensing danger and fleeing immediately, not giving Qian Ye a chance to fire a second Primordial Gun. It was less about adaptability and more about cowardice, fleeing at the slightest hint of danger. But if he hadn’t, he likely would have perished under a second blast from the Primordial Gun.

Shaking his head, Qian Ye let go of his regret and surveyed the city.

His gaze roused the other powerhouses in Nanqing City from their shock, causing chaos. Some tried to sneak away, others hid, while some disguised themselves as ordinary people. Faces paled, some cowered, and others were overjoyed.

Several figures flew towards Qian Ye, bowing respectfully. “Sir, you’ve finally returned.”

Qian Ye recognized them: the mercenaries’ leader from Dark Flame, and two stewards brought by Song Zining—one for the workshop, one for the merchant guild. They seemed unhindered, indicating they hadn’t been restrained or tortured, which was suspicious.

The middle-aged man from Ningyuan Heavy Industries, now in charge of the merchant guild, noticed Qian Ye’s concern and explained, “Young Master Song advised us before departure that this trip was perilous. If we couldn’t return immediately and the Imperial forces had withdrawn, and if something happened in Nanqing City, we should temporarily surrender. Whoever took over the city would need our help to keep the workshops and merchant guilds running smoothly.”

“Ah, it was Song Zining’s orders,” Qian Ye mused, relieved.

Song Zining, always cunning, left no room for error. Those who tried to scheme against him often had both brains and luck issues.

“You, reorganize Dark Flame immediately. Arrest all outsiders, and execute anyone who resists on the spot,” Qian Ye ordered.

They nodded, their expressions serious, and left to carry out the orders.

Qian Ye remained suspended in the air, his aura at its zenith after destroying four high-ranking guards and forcing a divine general to flee. Seeing him, no one dared entertain any ill intentions.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qian Ye spotted a shadowy figure. “Hmm?” He patted Little Zhu Ji. “Go catch him.”

Despite changing clothes, the person’s original force was unchanged. In Qian Ye’s True Sight, it was like a beacon, making it impossible to escape.

Little Zhu Ji, who had been eager for a fight, let out a cheer and darted down.

Alarmed, Qian Ye called out, “Be gentle, don’t kill him!”

But it was too late. A thunderous boom echoed as Little Zhu Ji crashed into the ground like a meteor, the shockwave toppling buildings within dozens of meters.

The figure was agile, dodging Little Zhu Ji’s attack and causing her to hit the ground instead. However, he soon stopped laughing. The impact launched him into the air, crashing through several walls before stopping.

Though he was highly skilled, the impact made him spit blood, leaving him weak. Mustering his remaining strength, he tried to run, but Little Zhu Ji’s voice sounded behind him. “Ha! Got you! Thought you could run, did you?”

She grabbed his leg, lifting him and swinging him around like a human whip. After a few swings, he passed out, unmoving.

Little Zhu Ji looked concerned. “Oh, he’s dead? I haven’t even started playing yet!”