Chapter 68: Challenge of the Two Peaks

## Chapter 68: The Trial of Two Peaks

"Ye Chen, I await you at the Wind Cloud Platform." Early the next morning, before dawn could fully break, a voice echoed from the direction of the Wind Cloud Platform of the Heng Yue Sect.

"Another major conflict at the Wind Cloud Platform?" The Spirit Mountain of Heng Yue immediately erupted in murmurs.

"Ye Chen again? What is it with this inner disciple? Ever since he arrived at our Heng Yue, not a single day has been peaceful."

"The one challenging Ye Chen should be Tang Chao from Person Yang Peak, right!"

At this very moment, the object of the challenge, Ye Chen, had just set down his bowl and chopsticks at the dining table.

"Big Brother, don't go." The Tiger Cub lowered his head, his lips pressed together in a pout. "They're just targeting you."

"Young man, a moment's patience can calm a storm." Zhang Fengnian also looked at Ye Chen, his eyes filled with worry.

"Senior, a tree may desire tranquility, but the wind will not cease." Ye Chen gently wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth, then slowly rose to his feet. "The mundane world is just such a place. Since I have embarked on this path, thorns on the road ahead are destined. Even if I refuse to fight today, they will still devise other means to force my hand."

"It's all my fault." The simple and honest Tiger Cub buried his small head even lower, clenching his small fists tightly.

"This has nothing to do with you, don't blame yourself." Ye Chen stroked the Tiger Cub's small head, then slung Tian Que onto his back. He suddenly turned around and strode out with large steps.

By this time, the Wind Cloud Platform, usually bustling with activity, was already a convergence of people from all directions.

On the combat platform, a youth clad in a white robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His long hair was jet black, his eyebrows thick. Suspended before him was a large, ghost-headed sabre. His aura was formidable, and his presence even more oppressive. His gaze, directed at the onlookers below, sparkled with intensity.

"Is he Tang Chao?"

"Qing Yang True Man of Person Yang Peak actually allowed him to emerge from seclusion. He is a genuine fifth-level True Yuan realm cultivator!"

"I think Ye Chen is likely done for this time."

Listening to the exclamations from all directions, the youth named Tang Chao took a deep breath, lifting his chin even higher. He seemed to relish the flattery of the numerous disciples. Truly, he was a disciple taught by a master; this fellow was even more arrogant than that Qi Hao.

"Ye Chen is here." As a voice rang out, all gazes turned towards one side.

There, Ye Chen, with the Tian Que sword slung on his back, was slowly walking in. His expression was like an ancient well without ripples, his steps steady and firm. It seemed as though no matter how the world around him stirred, it could not shake his upright figure.

As he walked, a stout figure suddenly rushed out from the side. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Xiong Er.

"Come with me." Xiong Er rushed forward and, without a word, pulled Ye Chen away from the area.

"Do you have so little confidence in me?"

"You understand nothing!" Xiong Er moved closer to Ye Chen and gave him a wink, gesturing for him to look at the two sides beneath the Wind Cloud Platform.

Hearing this, Ye Chen followed his gaze and discovered two jade stone tables, over ten *zhang* in length, located on the east and west sides of the Wind Cloud Platform. In front of each table sat several disciples leisurely drinking wine. When Ye Chen's gaze swept over them, those individuals also cast playful, teasing glances back.

Ye Chen's eyebrows furrowed. "Why so many True Yuan realm cultivators?"

"You see it now, right!" Xiong Er said quietly. "On the east side are the true disciples of Di Yang Peak, and on the west are the true disciples of Person Yang Peak. Every single one of them is someone that fellow Qi Hao cannot compare to."

"All new faces, yet their cultivation is one more terrifying than the last." Ye Chen's eyes flickered with uncertainty. Especially among them, there were several individuals whose auras were very obscure, and their cultivation was already infinitely close to the True Yang realm.

"They were all in seclusion before." Xiong Er explained. "These disciples are the most stunning group of disciples from Di Yang and Person Yang Peaks. The reason they were in seclusion was to shine brilliantly in the Outer Sect Grand Competition."

"To deal with someone at the Qi Condensation realm, this battle array is too grand."

"It's because you, this fellow, are too strong. Can ordinary disciples take you down?" Xiong Er said with exasperation.

Saying that, he again wanted to pull Ye Chen away. "Let's go! Being a coward once or twice is nothing. You can't defeat this group of people."

However, before Ye Chen could act, Tang Chao's playful voice transmitted down from the platform. "What, admitting defeat so soon? Ye Chen, can you hide for a while, but can you hide for a lifetime? If you don't step onto the platform today, we have ten thousand ways to deal with all of you."

*Buzz!*

As these words were uttered, Ye Chen's mind buzzed.

"They" – this did not only refer to Ye Chen himself, but also included the Tiger Cub and Zhang Fengnian.

Tang Chao's words were very clear: if Ye Chen did not respond to the challenge today, then they would resort to every trick to persecute Zhang Fengnian and the others.

A dragon has a reverse scale that cannot be touched. Tang Chao's words truly angered him.

"Battle." The word was sonorous. Ye Chen shook off Xiong Er's obstruction and suddenly leaped onto the combat platform.

"This is more like it!" Tang Chao smiled playfully.

*Buzz!*

Ye Chen did not reply, drawing out the Tian Que sword.

With one step, he cracked the green stone platform beneath his feet. He then utilized the profound steps of Speed Shadow Thousand Illusions to swiftly close the distance to Tang Chao, leaping into the air and splitting down with force.

Tang Chao coldly snorted, gripping his large sabre. He executed an upward strike.

*Pound!*

Sabre and sword collided, the sound crisp yet also piercing.

Looking at the platform again, Tang Chao was staggered by Ye Chen's sword strike, shocking the entire field.

"A Qi Condensation realm cultivator can possess such overbearing combat power?"

"Facing off against a fifth-level True Yuan realm cultivator head-on, he actually holds the upper hand steadily."

Not only the spectators below the platform, but even the true disciples of Person Yang Peak and Di Yang Peak revealed astonished expressions.

On the scene, Tang Chao felt the deepest impact. His arm was shaken with pain.

He was confident that his cultivation strength far surpassed Ye Chen's, yet he did not expect that in this head-on clash, his self-proclaimed powerful combat strength and cultivation would be completely defeated by a Qi Condensation realm cultivator.

Before this, he had been in seclusion and did not know what had happened in the outside world.

It was not until his master, Qing Yang True Man, called him out of seclusion the day before that he heard about the events that had transpired in Heng Yue in recent days. Conceited as he was, he had not taken the inner disciple Ye Chen seriously, thinking that Ye Chen was merely slightly stronger than an ordinary Qi Condensation realm cultivator.

But at this moment, he truly, truly felt Ye Chen's extraordinary nature. This inner disciple indeed possessed the strength to battle across realms.

*Buzz!*

Aside from his shock, Ye Chen swung the Tian Que sword to attack again, and his speed was unusually fast.

Seeing this, Tang Chao tapped the ground with his toes and retreated swiftly.

"Stay!" A shout rang out as Ye Chen threw the Tian Que sword from the air, the sword tip pointing directly at Tang Chao.

Tang Chao saw this and raised his hand, letting the sabre fall, deflecting the Tian Que sword that was shooting towards his face.

However, just as he was about to take his next action, Ye Chen pounced towards him like a male lion, exhibiting the extreme manifestation of the Beast Heart Rage Art.

He was sometimes like a fierce tiger, sometimes like a fierce ape, sometimes like a male lion, sometimes like a blue wolf. He used grabs, slaps, tears, his hands and feet, knees, and shoulders – every joint on his body became a ferocious weapon.

*Roar!*

*Roar!*

With every move he made, it was accompanied by the roar of a beast.

"I heard that Qi Hao was also beaten into submission by Ye Chen's fighting style." Under the platform, in front of the jade stone tables, the crowd of true disciples exchanged whispered comments.

"Mere basic close combat killing techniques, yet they are so strong."

"No wonder the junior brothers were defeated."

*Ah......!*

On the platform, Tang Chao roared in anger continuously, being forced to retreat step by step. His body was covered in fist prints, palm prints, and foot prints.

He was a genuine fifth-level True Yuan realm cultivator, but at this moment, the surging true qi within him had nowhere to be unleashed because Ye Chen simply did not give him an opportunity. Every time he tried to use a secret technique, it would be forcefully interrupted by Ye Chen.

*Boom!*

Along with the transmission of a loud *boom*, Tang Chao, who had been constantly suppressed, was grabbed by Ye Chen's arm and heavily thrown onto the combat platform. The hard combat platform was smashed into a human shape.

This was his consistent fighting method: with the most barbaric posture, he would throw those who considered themselves high and mighty onto the ground. Indeed, it brought unprecedented pleasure.

*Ah......!*

Tang Chao roared hysterically, but the next moment, his body was again swung up by Ye Chen.

*Bang!*

With another *boom*, Tang Chao was again heavily thrown onto the combat platform. His entire five internal organs and six bowels were thrown out of place. A mouthful of old blood spurted over a *zhang* high. No matter how strong his cultivation was, at this moment he was half-dead from the throws.

"This is too fierce!" The disciples watching the battle under the platform looked on with twitching mouths.

"I haven't even seen Tang Chao use a profound technique, and he's already crippled by Ye Chen's throws?"

"Truly a beast!"

"Impudent fellow, why haven't you stopped!" A stern shout already rang out. A true disciple of Person Yang Peak could not sit still. A disciple holding a golden light spirit sword charged onto the combat platform.

"I'm going to grass! Do you want face or not!" Under the platform, Xiong Er roared at the top of his lungs. "Wind Cloud duel prohibits the participation of a third party! Are you going to ignore the sect rules of Heng Yue?"

However, his angry shout did not make that disciple stop his steps. Instead, his attack became even more swift and fierce. From the start, he pierced a long rainbow with his sword, aiming directly at Ye Chen's spine.

Feeling a cold wind attacking from behind, Ye Chen followed the movement and flung Tang Chao over, then leaped three *zhang* away with a tiger's pounce. Then, using the ground's rebound, he again pounced like a male lion.

*Puff!*

Fresh blood splattered. That disciple's sword piercing the long rainbow did not hit Ye Chen. Instead, it poked a blood hole in the body of the flying Tang Chao.

"Damn it." That disciple said coldly.

"You should die even more." A cold voice, carrying a chilling wind, rolled forth. Ye Chen had already attacked. The true qi within his body surged, refining itself to the extreme into ultimate yang true qi, then pouring into his fingers.

"One Yang Finger." Ye Chen pointed a single finger.

Perhaps Ye Chen's move was too fast, and that disciple had not yet had time to react because he had accidentally injured Tang Chao. His shoulder was poked out with a blood hole by Ye Chen.

*Thunder Rush!*

Ye Chen had no intention of giving him a moment to breathe. The Thunder Rush palm, accompanied by the sound of thunder, struck forcefully, landing solidly on that disciple's chest.

*Puff!*

That disciple spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, staggering backwards.

*Shake Mountain!*

Stepping with the profound steps of Speed Shadow Thousand Illusions, Ye Chen closely followed up. And the strong and overbearing Shake Mountain Fist exploded outwards. That disciple from Person Yang Peak, who had not yet managed to regain his footing, again received a solid blow.