Chapter 65: Withstanding Heavenly Thunder Curse

## Chapter 65: Hard Resist Heavenly Thunder Curse

Upon the stage, Ye Chen had already turned, his gaze fixed forward. An icy killing intent radiated from his core, its intensity palpable. Many onlookers shivered, feeling as though a chilling wind swirled around them.

"Where are Little Eagle and Senior Zhang Fengnian?" Before the inevitable clash, Ye Chen's voice, though tinged with steel, held a hint of desperation as he sought the whereabouts of his companions.

"Slain by me."

"Since you refuse to speak, then we shall fight until you do." With a sudden roar, Ye Chen unleashed the full force of his eighth-level Condensation Qi realm cultivation. His black hair billowed upwards, caught in the sudden surge of power.

"So… so powerful an aura." Those watching from below were momentarily stunned.

*Bang!*

Ye Chen's foot shattered the bluestone slab beneath him as he surged towards Qi Hao like a raging beast.

"Kill!"

Qi Hao roared ferociously, a faint light gathering on his index finger. He thrust it forward.

What he hadn't anticipated was Ye Chen's complete refusal to dodge.

*Puff!*

Qi Hao's finger tore a bloody hole in Ye Chen's shoulder, yet Ye Chen, like a charging lion, closed the distance, his fist landing squarely on Qi Hao's face.

*Puff!*

Qi Hao spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, more than half his teeth scattering on the stage. His face was grotesquely twisted by the impact.

"Ah…!"

Stumbling back, Qi Hao roared hysterically. How could he have imagined that even after advancing his cultivation level, he would be so utterly humiliated by Ye Chen? He, the self-proclaimed Son of Heaven's Pride, felt an unprecedented sense of defeat in this moment.

"I refuse to believe it." Qi Hao's hair was dishevelled, his true qi surging madly within him. It coalesced on his palm, forming a dominating palm print that he slammed towards Ye Chen.

"Thunder Rush!"

Ye Chen didn't retreat; instead, he advanced, meeting the attack head-on with his Thunder Rush palm.

*Boom!*

The air exploded as the two palms collided. Qi Hao was once again sent flying back, spitting blood. His peak strike had been utterly defeated. With every step he took in his retreat, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet cracked and splintered.

"How did he become so strong?" A roar of astonishment rippled through the crowd below.

"A head-on confrontation, and Qi Hao of the Human Yuan Realm was defeated so cleanly? Is that Ye Chen a monster?"

"It's only been a few days! How could he...?"

Little did they know, after breaking through to the eighth level of Condensation Qi, Ye Chen already possessed the strength to contend directly with those of the True Yang Realm. Even without activating his Demonic Path state, a typical Human Yuan Realm cultivator would find it difficult to overcome him.

*Bang!*

Amidst the murmuring, Qi Hao was once again sent flying by a kick from Ye Chen.

"Speak, where are they?" Ye Chen's killing intent soared, his black hair dancing in the wind as he strode towards Qi Hao.

"Slain by me." Qi Hao's face was a bloody mess, his expression as ferocious as a vengeful spirit. Ye Chen wanted to know, and he, out of sheer spite, would not reveal the truth.

"Very well." Ye Chen scoffed, his foot employing the Speed Shadow Thousand Illusion steps. He was upon Qi Hao in an instant, his arm swinging out with another Thunder Rush palm.

*Puff!*

Qi Hao spat blood again, sent flying. His falling body cracked the very core of the Wind Cloud Battle Stage.

"Hahaha...!"

"Ha ha...!"

Unexpectedly, after staggering back to his feet, he let out a ferocious, almost mad laugh. "Ye Chen, today, you shall die!"

Hearing these words, Ye Chen's eyes narrowed, a chill running down his spine. A power that even he found unsettling was rapidly recovering.

"Boy, it's the Heavenly Thunder Curse!" Xiong Er below urgently shouted a warning.

"Heavenly Thunder Curse?"

"The Wind Cloud Confrontation doesn't forbid the use of the Heavenly Thunder Curse? This Qi Hao is too audacious! Is he not afraid of the sect's punishment?"

"You fool, his master is the chief elder of Human Yang Peak, and he's also the young master of the Southern Border Qi Family. With such a formidable background, even if the sect were to mete out punishment, they would still have to consider his master's and the Qi Family's influence."

"That Ye Chen's prospects are grim this time."

*Boom!*

A deafening boom from the stage silenced all discussion below.

The power of the Heavenly Thunder Curse was extraordinary, capable of shattering stone and splitting mountains. The entire Wind Cloud Battle Stage was engulfed in rolling dust.

"Ye Chen!" Xiong Er's face changed. He lunged forward, intending to rush onto the battle stage, but stopped after taking just one step.

Through the swirling smoke and dust, a blurry figure could be seen staggering to its feet. Then, with steady steps, it slowly walked out.

"This..." The crowd below was filled with gasps of shock.

"That was the Heavenly Thunder Curse, and he's not dead?"

"He actually endured the Heavenly Thunder Curse head-on? Is he truly a monster?"

"This... this is impossible." Seeing this, Qi Hao on the stage stared at the slowly emerging Ye Chen, his eyes filled with disbelief. He knew the power of the Heavenly Thunder Curse; even he couldn't withstand its full explosion. Yet, Ye Chen, at the Condensation Qi realm, had endured it.

"Boy, you're formidable enough!" Xiong Er's meaty fists clenched tightly, his excitement causing him to roar.

Under the gaze of thousands, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated. Ye Chen, covered in blood, slowly walked out, leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind him.

When they saw his current state, everyone drew a sharp breath.

He was no longer in a human form. His robes were tattered beyond recognition, soaked in fresh blood, making him look like a figure bathed in crimson. His back, especially, was a mangled mess of flesh and blood due to the explosion of the Heavenly Thunder Curse. Vaguely, one could see exposed bone beneath the torn flesh.

In this moment, he resembled an Asura that had crawled out of hell itself, a terrifying sight.

"Impossible, this is impossible." Qi Hao's voice broke the silence, utterly unwilling to believe what he saw before him.

*Zheng!*

The clear sound of a long sword rang out. Ye Chen, opposite him, was already charging forward, his Chixiao Sword in hand.

He hadn't used any other techniques; he had indeed endured the Heavenly Thunder Curse head-on. It was all thanks to his dominant physical body; otherwise, the curse alone would have been enough to blow him to pieces.

*Puff!*

*Puff!*

Despite his severe injuries, Ye Chen's speed remained elusive and strange. The Chixiao Sword was even more incredibly sharp, continuously leaving bloody gashes on Qi Hao's body.

"Ah...!"

Qi Hao roared in anger. He couldn't accept that Ye Chen could withstand the Heavenly Thunder Curse, and he certainly couldn't accept the fact that even a half-dead Ye Chen was still too much for him.

However, no matter how unwilling and enraged he was, he couldn't block Ye Chen's dominating offensive.

*Boom!*

Along with another boom, Ye Chen grabbed Qi Hao by one leg and slammed him fiercely onto the battle stage. The hard stage was indented in the shape of a human figure, and Qi Hao's internal organs were all shaken from their positions.

*Puff!*

He spat out another mouthful of fresh blood, this time mixed with small fragments of internal organs. Qi Hao's defeat this time was even more thorough than the last.

"Where did you hide them?" Ye Chen grabbed Qi Hao's collar, effortlessly lifting the nearly paralyzed man.

"I won't tell you." Qi Hao laughed ferociously, a terrifying sight. As a disciple of the Southern Border Qi Family, he displayed unexpected resilience at this moment.

"Very well." Ye Chen's laugh was cold.

*Puff!*

Along with the splash of fresh blood, the cold-blooded Ye Chen ripped off one of Qi Hao's arms.

*Hiss!*

Gasps of cold air filled the entire field. Even Xiong Er below involuntarily swallowed hard, silently acknowledging Ye Chen's ruthlessness.

Today's Wind Cloud Confrontation might be the bloodiest one the people present had ever witnessed.

"Ah...!"

Perhaps not expecting Ye Chen to tear off his arm, Qi Hao was startled, immediately followed by a painful wail.

"Speak, where are they?" Ye Chen's blood-red eyes stared fixedly at Qi Hao. If Qi Hao still refused to speak, he wouldn't hesitate to tear off his other arm. If he still remained silent, Ye Chen would likely eliminate Qi Hao on the spot.

A dragon has reverse scales that must not be touched. Qi Hao had truly crossed Ye Chen's bottom line. Driven by righteous anger, he was already prepared to be buried alongside Qi Hao.

However, just at that moment, a powerful pressure surged from afar, covering the entire Wind Cloud Battle Stage, pressing down on Ye Chen and causing him to stagger.

"Audacious brat, how dare you!" An icy shout echoed from far away, growing closer, followed by a chilling killing intent.

A ghostly black shadow flickered onto the battle stage, rapidly solidifying into a figure. Upon closer inspection, wasn't it none other than Qingyang Zhenren, the chief elder of Human Yang Peak?