Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Beware the Lightning Strike

Silence fell over the martial arts arena. You could have heard a pin drop.

Looking at Chen Kun lying prone on the ground, his shoulder split open, the hearts of the crowd trembled violently. Ye Wushuang was truly vicious. They had reason to believe that if he had been any stronger, Chen Kun would have been sliced in half.

Fortunately, Chen Kun was already dead. Otherwise, he would have gone down as the most pathetic Steward in the history of the Ancient Spirit Sect.

Staring at this unexpected outcome, even Anx Shijie and Ba Ziyun, the two who wanted Ye Wushuang dead the most, were completely stunned and in disbelief.

’No wonder the kid dared to accept the challenge. So he had an ace up his sleeve.’

The Elders standing beside Anx Shijie also came to their senses, shaken by Ye Wushuang’s sword strike. Its bone-chilling, murderous intent still had them reeling in shock.

Before, they had all underestimated Ye Wushuang!

Ye Wushuang wasn’t being arrogant or suicidal. He had calculated everything from the start, confident he could kill Chen Kun. That was why he played up his own disadvantage, using the gap in their Cultivation to successfully trap his opponent.

’This boy... he’s so calculating!’

Thinking about Ye Wushuang’s scheme, the Elders broke out in a cold sweat.

It wasn’t just them. Even Duan Yu and Yangg Hao, hiding at the back of the crowd, were so shocked their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. ’He’s a monster who can kill someone in the Qi Vortex Realm, and we wanted to kill him? Weren’t we just courting death?!’

’How is that possible? How could a mere Body Tempering Realm ant kill someone in the Qi Vortex Realm? I don’t believe it! Ye Rou is already a step ahead of me. Can’t I at least feel a little superior to her younger brother?’

Cai Hongmei shook her head in disbelief, a savage look twisting her beautiful face.

Both Cai Hongmei and Ye Rou were disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak, but Ye Rou’s talent was slightly better and her strength was greater. She was suppressed by Ye Rou in every aspect, and she deeply resented it. She often tried to cause trouble for Ye Rou, but the result was always her own humiliation.

Now, she finally had a chance to even the score. If Ye Wushuang died, it would make Ye Rou suffer a fate worse than death. Only then could she get her revenge on Ye Rou and wipe away her past humiliations.

But Ye Wushuang didn’t die. Reality had slapped her in the face once again, turning her schemes into nothing. As a result, she came to hate Ye Wushuang as well.

Of course, it wasn’t just Cai Hongmei who was in disbelief. Even Ye Rou, who had been frantic with worry, found it incredible. She was the closest to Ye Wushuang and knew that just one month ago, he was only at the Body Tempering Second Layer.

How long had it been since they last met? Yet now, Ye Wushuang had the power to slay a Qi Vortex Realm cultivator. This completely overturned her entire perception of him.

After a long moment, the crowd gradually began to come to their senses.

"Fuck, you guys, look!"

At that moment, an extremely shocked cry exploded from the crowd, as if someone had just witnessed the most unbelievable thing.

Hearing the shout, everyone turned in unison toward the Disciple, only to see him pointing at the stage. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

In an instant, following the Disciple’s finger, the crowd’s gaze locked onto the stage. Their pupils contracted, their faces mirroring his shock.

"Damn it, he’s not dead!"

Someone, it wasn’t clear who, let out a startled cry as if they’d seen a ghost. Within their line of sight, Chen Kun, who had been lying on the ground, "rose from the dead" and got to his feet. He groaned in pain, his shoulder slumping to one side as streams of crimson blood gushed out, staining the battle stage.

"Ye Wushuang, I’m not dead yet!"

"If you want to kill me, come and try!"

"Hahaha, too bad you can’t!"

"You must have used up all your strength with that last strike, didn’t you? You don’t have a shred of energy left, do you?"

"Right now, you’re just an ant for me to crush."

Suppressing the tearing pain in his shoulder, Chen Kun’s eyes filled with a grim coldness as he walked toward Ye Wushuang one step at a time, leaving a long trail of blood behind him. His face was twisted beyond recognition, whether from pain or fury, it was impossible to tell.

His bulging eyes, filled with savagery, stared at Ye Wushuang. A cruel and ferocious smile spread across his face, making him forget the pain in his body.

Ye Wushuang’s brow furrowed. He was inwardly surprised. ’He was nearly sliced in half but still didn’t die.’ He hadn’t expected Chen Kun’s Life Force to be so tenacious.

Of course, it was just as Chen Kun had said. After using the Life-Taking Sword, the strain had damaged Ye Wushuang’s meridians. Combined with the impact from forcibly clashing with the "Collapse of Mountains and Rivers," he was now severely injured. Even moving a muscle was extremely difficult.

Down below, the crowd also noticed this. Their hearts skipped a beat as they wondered, ’Don’t tell me Chen Kun is going to turn this around and kill Ye Wushuang instead?’

Everyone was a bit dazed by this reversal. They could see that Ye Wushuang was indeed unable to move, while Chen Kun, despite being severely wounded by the sword strike, still had some strength left.

Just as Chen Kun had said, Ye Wushuang was now no different from an ant to him. Even a three-year-old child could kill him.

Seeing this, the previously overjoyed Yangg Qing’er and Ye Rou’s expressions changed drastically. Even Dii Qingxue and Elder Yunn’s gazes tightened, a flicker of change appearing on their otherwise calm faces.

"Chen Kun, kill him! Quickly!"

Seeing the situation turn, the gloom on Anx Shijie’s face vanished, replaced by ecstatic urgency. He screamed, wishing he could kill Ye Wushuang himself that very instant.

"Lord of Law Enforcement, I will kill him," Chen Kun said venomously. "But before he dies, I’m going to make him wish he were dead." His current miserable state was all thanks to Ye Wushuang. He swore he wouldn’t rest until he had tortured Ye Wushuang to death; only that could vent the hatred in his heart.

"Ye Wushuang, you must regret this now!"

"Even with your amazing tricks, you still couldn’t kill me."

"And you, in the end, will die by my hand."

"Of course, don’t you worry. I won’t let you die so quickly. I’ll chop off your limbs and carve your flesh off piece by piece, making you suffer a fate worse than death."

Chen Kun’s expression grew more savage as a terrifying power began to brew in his palm, like a lurking Fierce Beast about to choose its prey and devour it.

"Don’t act so tough in front of me. Heaven is watching. Be careful or you might get struck by lightning," Ye Wushuang said, calm and composed. He wasn’t the least bit flustered. Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into a meaningful smile.

"Hahaha, Heaven?"

"Right now, to you, *I* am Heaven!"

"If there’s really going to be a lightning strike, then let it strike me—!"

CRACK!

However, as the word "me" left his lips, it was as if he had truly angered the heavens. The sky above the martial arts arena suddenly darkened. The clouds roiled and a fierce wind began to blow.

With a loud CRACK!

The sound of thunder abruptly exploded in the void, and in an instant, a violent Thunderbolt appeared. Centered on the battle stage, it rampaged forth like a frenzy of writhing dragons and snakes, blasting black holes into the void along its path.

"Fucking hell, he’s really getting struck by lightning! Everyone, run!"

Watching the Thunderbolt spread across the stage, the crowd’s eyes went wide with shock, and they cursed inwardly.

As sharp, ear-piercing screams erupted, the disciples all fled in a frenzy, getting as far away from the battle stage as possible.

However, they didn’t get far before a group of Elders jointly formed a series of Hand Seals, creating a barrier of light that protected the crowd.

The bowl-thick bolts of silver Thunderbolt crackled and slammed against the light barrier, a terrifying sight that made everyone’s scalp tingle with fear.

BANG!

Chen Kun’s maniacal laughter came to an abrupt halt, the smile frozen on his face. Before he could even react, he was engulfed by the lightning. In an instant, his body exploded into a mist of blood, leaving not even a speck of dust behind. His blood essence was secretly devoured by Ye Wushuang, transforming into a strange power that began to repair his body.

On the battle stage, Ye Wushuang was also protected by a peculiar silver light, which prevented the Thunderbolt from getting near him. It remained until all the lightning had dissipated.

"I told you not to act tough in front of me. Otherwise, even the heavens wouldn’t let you go." Gazing at where Chen Kun had been blasted to smithereens, Ye Wushuang let out a cold snort. He then secretly put away the Evil Moon Thunder Order in his hand. ’How could I have dared to step onto the stage without a life-saving trick up my sleeve?’