"He’s mine. Leave him to me!" Ye Feng’s domineering voice swept across the entire Martial Arts Stage.

The crowd froze, all eyes turning to the high platform. Was Ye Feng actually telling Ye Ba to leave Ye Wushuang for him, just as Ye Ba was about to teach him a lesson?

’Could it be that Ye Feng wants to personally thrash Ye Wushuang?’

’When did Ye Wushuang ever get on Ye Feng’s bad side?’

The crowd wondered. They didn’t believe Ye Feng would demand Ye Ba leave Ye Wushuang to him for no reason at all.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan’s expression, seated in the center of the high platform, turned frigid, his eyes filled with indifference.

"Father, don’t worry. Xiaoshuang isn’t the man he used to be," Ye Rou said from the side. She knew exactly what Ye Feng was up to—he just wanted revenge for his severed arm.

But Ye Rou wasn’t worried. Ye Feng and his cronies had already returned to the clan by then, so they knew nothing of Ye Wushuang’s exploits in the Endless Wilderness.

She, on the other hand, knew everything. Ye Wushuang had slaughtered Cultivators of the Qi Vortex Sixth and Seventh Layers as easily as butchering dogs, as if it were child’s play. Why would he be afraid of Ye Feng, a man he had already defeated?

"Father, just watch and see how Xiaoshuang teaches them a lesson!" Ye Rou gave Ye Xuan a reassuring look, and he couldn’t help but feel a spark of anticipation for what his son would do.

"Ye Feng, what did you just say?" Ye Ba frowned, also looking toward Ye Feng.

"Forfeit this match and leave him to me. I’ll owe you a favor. How about it?" Ye Feng said in a low voice, glancing at his severed arm.

’Ye Wushuang was the one who took this arm. I didn’t tell anyone in the clan to save face, but this debt must be settled today! I’ll repay him tenfold in front of everyone and wash away this humiliation!’

"Ye Ba, step down," Ye Xiong also called out. He had learned about his son’s severed arm a few days ago, so his own hatred for Ye Wushuang was no less intense.

"Step down!"

Seeing that Ye Xiong had spoken, the rest of the crowd also shouted in disappointment.

Ye Xiong had the most support for the position of next Patriarch. If Ye Cheng won first place, as everyone expected, then all Ye Xiong would need was a little push to secure the title.

Offending Ye Xiong wasn’t worth it.

Ye Ba knew this full well. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded reluctantly.

He then turned his head, staring at Ye Wushuang with contempt. "You’re lucky to have escaped me. But I figure you’ll have it even worse when you face Ye Feng."

With that, Ye Ba turned and walked off the fighting stage. He didn’t concede; in his eyes, admitting defeat to a piece of trash would be utterly humiliating.

"Wait a minute!" Ye Wushuang suddenly called out.

"What is it?"

At these words, Ye Ba halted in his tracks and whipped around, his gaze as sharp as a blade as he stared at Ye Wushuang.

"A match has to have a winner and a loser. If you don’t want to fight, you can concede. But just walking off without saying a damn thing? What’s that supposed to mean?"

Ye Wushuang asked coldly, striding toward Ye Ba. This was a competition. For Ye Ba to just swagger off without conceding was to show him no respect whatsoever.

"You got the guts to say that again?"

Ye Ba’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint within them. ’I already let him off the hook, but this idiot doesn’t know what’s good for him. He actually wants *me* to concede? As if!’

"Forget it. I’m done talking to you," Ye Wushuang sighed. His figure blurred, moving like a fleeting shadow, too fast for the eye to follow as he instantly appeared before Ye Ba.

"Why don’t I just send you off myself!"

The moment the words left his mouth, a cold light flashed in Ye Wushuang’s eyes. He raised a hand and swung.

Ye Ba was caught completely off guard and tried to dodge, but Ye Wushuang’s hand was impossibly swift, as if locked onto its target. A crisp SLAP landed squarely on Ye Ba’s face.

BAM!

Ye Ba’s head snapped back as if struck by a hammer. His body crashed heavily onto the fighting stage, the force of the impact sending him skidding toward the edge. A sickening SCRAPE echoed as his face ground against the floor, tearing the skin away and leaving behind a bloody, mangled mess.

HSSSSSS!

The horrifying, grating sound made the crowd’s hair stand on end. Men instinctively clamped their thighs together, their butt-cheeks clenching as a cold dread washed over them.

Instantly, everyone looked up, their gazes fixed on the figure on the stage. He was dressed in white robes—not luxurious, but clean, tidy, and utterly spotless.

His eyes were clear and bright, yet held a profound depth that could make one lose themselves in a momentary trance.

The more observant members of the crowd also noticed the slight curl at the corner of his lips, which surprised them. They felt that something about Ye Wushuang was different from before.

But this nascent thought was quickly drowned out by a furious roar.

"You bastard! You ambushed me! You’re courting death!" Ye Ba scrambled to his feet, dizzy and disoriented but absolutely enraged, and charged back onto the stage like a madman.

"That’s enough!"

Seeing this, Ye Xuan immediately let out a cold shout. "Ye Ba, you have already lost! What more do you want?"

"I don’t accept it! Ye Wushuang ambushed me! Otherwise, how could a piece of trash like him possibly beat me!" Ye Ba roared, his face twisted with fury. He couldn’t accept it. Being slapped, and by someone he considered trash, had made him lose all face.

"An ambush?" Ye Wushuang scoffed. "That slap wasn’t an ambush. You were just taking too long to get off the stage, so I helped you on your way. You should be thanking me. Besides, you’re not even worthy of me using a sneak attack on you."

"You should be thanking me!"

These words nearly made Ye Ba spit blood. The crowd was utterly speechless. ’Who sends someone off like that?’

Meanwhile, on the high platform, the Elders all wore grim expressions, mixed with a look of astonishment.

Having lived for many years, they naturally understood that this "ambush" wasn’t so simple. While they didn’t know the true extent of Ye Wushuang’s strength, anyone with a discerning eye could see that his speed was blindingly fast.

’At the very least, Ye Wushuang’s speed is astounding. No wonder he was able to defeat Luo Wu and save Ye Xue. He must have relied on this speed to do it!’

The Elders thought to themselves, their curiosity about Ye Wushuang’s true strength piqued.

Nearby, Ye Xiong’s face darkened as he watched, a murderous glint appearing in his eyes.

"Father, rest assured. No matter how strong Ye Wushuang is, he’s only at the Qi Vortex Fifth Layer. I’ve already reached the Fifth Layer Peak, and besides..."

Ye Feng trailed off, as if holding an ace up his sleeve, and sneered, "In any case, he will pay the price."

Ignoring the strange looks from the crowd, Ye Wushuang walked onto the high platform and calmly sat down beside Ye Xuan.

"Well done!"

Looking at his son, Ye Xuan was overjoyed. All his previous frustration and helplessness had been swept away in an instant.

Ye Wushuang gave a faint smile, not letting any of this get to him. In truth, at this clan assembly, there was no one he took seriously—except, perhaps, for Ye Cheng.

Besides, his true goal wasn’t this clan assembly. It was the competition for the City Lord. He wanted to win the title of City Lord for his father with his own two hands, to fiercely avenge the grievances his father had suffered. That was the real reason he had returned.