Chapter 89: The Strength of Xu Shaodong

The fireball spell cast by Ye Yun was blocked by the protective light screen conjured from Xu Shaodong’s talisman. Xu Fa let out a sigh of relief and immediately leapt into the dense forest with Xu Shaodong in tow.

“Young man of the Ye clan, I will meet you again!” As they disappeared into the thicket, Xu Shaodong’s gaze lingered on Ye Yun, his eyes full of hidden meaning.

“You won’t get that chance,” Ye Yun replied coldly. Unleashing his movement technique, he immediately gave chase. Xu Shaodong was clearly a vengeful sort—if he were allowed to escape, he would surely become a source of endless trouble.

Although Xu Fa was indeed a martial cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, his speed was no match for the Roc Totem movement technique. Burdened as he was with a passenger, the distance between pursuer and quarry quickly narrowed.

Ye Yun formed hand seals, firing several fireball spells in rapid succession. The protective screen around Xu Fa and Xu Shaodong finally collapsed entirely.

“To think a minor Ye clan would have someone so skilled,” Xu Shaodong’s eyes flashed with sharp light. The talisman he had used was a Golden Core-level defensive charm—by rights, a Foundation Establishment cultivator should never have been able to break it.

“Prepare to die!” With a sudden burst of speed, Fang Tuo—Ye Yun—appeared behind Xu Fa and Xu Shaodong in the blink of an eye.

“I hail from the Xu clan—a far cry from you, a mere cultivator from some remote frontier in the northwest.” Throughout it all, Xu Shaodong’s face remained composed. Even as Xu Fa carried him away in flight, he did not show the slightest hint of panic.

He formed a hand seal, then pressed his joined fingers forward in a sword gesture. With a flick of his wrist, a blade of light shot forth, so fast it seemed to leave an afterimage.

A resonant hum filled the air as Ye Yun summoned his Golden Bell Treasure. The sword light struck the bell, sending out ripples that caused Ye Yun’s expression to change suddenly.

“It seems Xu Shaodong is no mere wastrel after all. Though only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, his power exceeds even Xu Fa’s, who is at the peak.” Ye Yun’s pupils contracted slightly.

The two stopped. Xu Fa wore a look of shock, staring at his young master as if seeing him for the first time.

“Heh, everyone has always taken me for a good-for-nothing scion, but that’s merely the mask I wear. If I didn’t hide my true strength, my own brothers would spend every day plotting my death.” Xu Shaodong’s lips curled in a faint smile as he looked at Ye Yun with interest. “You possess only early Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet your strength rivals the peak. If you are willing to submit to me, I can spare your life.”

“Just you?” Ye Yun sneered. “If you kneel and beg for mercy, I might consider letting you live like a dog.”

Ye Yun despised those who held themselves above others, the likes of Xu Shaodong who looked down on everyone. He made no attempt at politeness.

Stung by Ye Yun’s words, Xu Shaodong’s brows furrowed, anger surging in his heart. Coldly, he barked, “Since you wish to die, I’ll grant your wish! Xu Fa, kill him!”

“Yes, young master!” Though Xu Fa knew he was no match for Ye Yun, he dared not defy the order. Channeling true energy into his long sword, he unleashed crackling arcs of lightning.

Meanwhile, Xu Shaodong stood nearby, hands weaving incantations, clearly poised to strike with a thunderous blow at any moment.

Ye Yun frowned. With the dual amplification of the Crimson Flame Demon Body and the mysterious arts, he possessed unrivaled might—but it could not last. If he wished to slay his foes, he needed to finish this quickly.

“Heaven-Scorching Seal!”

As Xu Fa charged in, Ye Yun unleashed his most powerful technique. Blazing flames erupted, like a primordial beast devouring all, engulfing Xu Fa’s form.

With a metallic clang, the long sword slipped from Xu Fa’s grasp and fell into the grass. Xu Fa himself was hurled through the air, his body charred black, life or death uncertain.

At that instant, Ye Yun felt a force lock onto him. Xu Shaodong had unleashed a long whip, which snaked toward him.

Ye Yun’s first instinct was to dodge with his movement technique, but Xu Shaodong’s spiritual sense tracked him unerringly. No matter how he darted or changed direction, the whip followed relentlessly.

He summoned the Golden Bell Treasure to shield himself and stopped evading. The whip coiled tightly around the bell, and Ye Yun felt his connection to the treasure severed. The artifact fell to the ground.

“A fine mid-grade treasure,” Xu Shaodong remarked, a smile playing at his lips. With a wave of his hand, the whip retrieved the bell and brought it flying to him.

Clearly, this was no ordinary whip. Ye Yun refrained from summoning any other treasures. Spreading his arms wide, he launched himself at Xu Shaodong like a crimson flame roc.

“Overestimating yourself,” Xu Shaodong said disdainfully. Forming his sword gesture, he sent a blade of light, over three meters long, piercing toward Ye Yun’s chest.

The sword light was formidable, but Ye Yun was unfazed. Still airborne, his hands blurred in swift seals.

With a roar, blazing flames erupted, igniting everything nearby. Xu Shaodong felt the scorching wave surging toward him and his face changed dramatically.

Under the gaze of the Infinite Divine Eyes, the sword light Xu Shaodong released seemed to slow to a crawl, every nuance and shift laid bare to Ye Yun.

Even so, suspended in midair, Ye Yun could not evade completely. He managed to avoid his vitals, but the sword light still pierced his left shoulder, sending a spray of searing blood into the air.

In contrast, Xu Shaodong was blasted away by the Heaven-Scorching Seal, swallowed by a rolling cloud of dust. Yet Ye Yun’s spiritual sense clearly sensed that Xu Shaodong remained unharmed.

In the moment of crisis, Xu Shaodong had crushed another talisman—a Golden Core-level defensive charm—which absorbed most of the Heaven-Scorching Seal’s force. Though battered and disheveled, he suffered little true harm.

“You dared to risk your life in a battle of mutual injury?” Xu Shaodong emerged from the dust, face grim. Had he not possessed so many life-saving treasures, that Heaven-Scorching Seal would have been fatal.

Ye Yun said nothing. He flipped his hand, swallowing a true energy pill and a healing elixir, ignoring the wound in his left shoulder. Then, transforming into a crimson flame dragon, he charged toward Xu Shaodong once more.

Though Xu Shaodong’s cultivation was not high, his endless array of methods made him far more formidable than Xu Fa at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Ye Yun knew he had to give this everything he had!