Chapter 23: Would You Rather I Live or Die?

"Insolence! Branch descendants dare to disrespect the main family, the crime of rebellion, deserves death!" 

All of Ye Long's guards stepped forward, including Ye Cang. Although Ye Cang didn't want to stand against Ye Chen, he had no choice in the main family.

Because he was Ye Long's attendant.

There were seven of them in total: one Lingwu Eighth Layer, three Lingwu Seventh Layers, and three Lingwu Sixth Layers.

"Do you want to protect your master?" Ye Chen looked disdainfully at the seven men.

"Rebellion against superiors, punishable by death," the Lingwu Eighth Layer attendant coldly shouted, his voice filled with killing intent.

"In this world, there's no one who dares to judge me, let alone sentence me to death," Ye Chen smirked coldly, looking at the seven attendants. "You'd better think carefully. If you want to protect your master, you'll have to bear the consequences."

"Arrogant! Let me capture you and await the young master's punishment."

The Lingwu Eighth Layer attendant stepped forward, his expression fierce. In his hand, a long blade appeared, its blade cold and filled with spiritual energy.

Seeing that Ye Chen remained unmoved, he rushed forward, the long blade in his hand slashing upward, a sharp blade burst forth, as if intending to cleave Ye Chen in two.

"Young Master Chen."

Wu Qingxue stepped forward, wanting to intervene.

With her cultivation at the True Martial Peak Realm, there was probably no one in the Xuantian Empire who could suppress her. Even the master of the Xuantian Empire might not be able to.

"I'll take care of this myself."

Ye Chen waved his hand lightly, signaling Wu Qingxue to step back. His aura surged immensely at this moment, and he stood as firm as a mountain. Only a slight fluctuation could be seen in the palm of his hand.

"Seeking death!"

Ye Chen remained motionless, seemingly disdainful of taking action. This infuriated the attendant even more. As his upward slash descended, another blade of air followed, attempting to shatter Ye Chen.

The first blade arrived, but Ye Chen merely extended his palm and shattered it with a flick. Then, with a simple grasp, he caught the attendant's long blade.

A harsh clang rang out, piercing the eardrums of the onlookers. They were left dumbfounded.

"He... he's catching a blade with his bare hands?!"

"Ye Fei is at the Lingwu Eighth Layer, and his strike was filled with momentum. Yet he actually caught it with ease, making it impossible for the blade to advance."

"This..."

The crowd was in shock, staring at the scene before them. Ye Chen's strength seemed to exceed their imagination.

"For attacking me, you'll pay the price."

Ye Chen exerted force in his palm, shattering the attendant's long blade. Then, he pinched off a broken piece of the blade and stabbed it into the attendant's lower abdomen. With a powerful push, he sent the man flying.

"Bang!"

Ye Fei fell to the ground, a loud crack resounding from his lower abdomen as blood sprayed out like a blossoming blood mist.

"Ah, my dantian, my dantian is shattered..." A painful scream erupted from Ye Fei's mouth, sending shivers down the crowd's spines.

With just one strike, Ye Chen had crippled Ye Fei's dantian, making him a cripple from that moment on.

Such ruthless methods.

Silence.

The scene fell silent in an instant, with only Ye Fei's agonizing screams echoing through the air.

Everyone's hearts sank, and their gazes toward Ye Chen changed drastically.

There was even fear.

This guy wasn't just crazy; he was a lunatic who, right in front of Ye Long, had crippled one of the attendants.

"Do you still want to make a move?" Ye Chen raised his head, his icy gaze and cold words causing the other attendants to tremble violently.

Especially Ye Cang, in the depths of his pupils, there was not only fear but also profound shock.

Half a month ago, in Tianyou City, Ye Chen was only at the Lingwu Fifth Layer. But the aura he exuded just now was that of the Lingwu Eighth Layer. In half a month, he had broken through three levels.

How could his cultivation speed be so terrifying!

"Lingwu Eighth Layer, no wonder he's so arrogant."

Ye Long's pupils contracted briefly, but soon returned to normal. His face showed only endless coldness and killing intent.

"But even so, you still don't have the qualification to be arrogant in front of me."

Ye Long took a step forward, his gaze locking onto Ye Chen, his killing intent overflowing. "I won't kill you. I'll spare your life and let you live like a dog. I'll make you understand how foolish your choice today is."

As his words fell, Ye Long drew his long sword. The edge of the sword seemed to flow with sword intent, sharp and terrifying.

Feeling Ye Long's aura and killing intent, the people outside the hall regained some composure. Their gazes toward Ye Chen seemed to be looking at a dead man.

"He's very strong. He actually crippled Ye Fei with just one move. Even in the main family, few can match him. But he's too arrogant, completely provoking Ye Long. Is there any hope for him to survive?"

"Yeah, Ye Long is at the peak of the Lingwu Realm, and he's even stepped into the True Martial Realm with one foot."

The crowd discussed.

Ye Chen had indeed brought them too much shock.

He defeated Ye Fei with just one move.

Perhaps Ye Fei underestimated him, but it couldn't be denied that Ye Chen was indeed very strong.

And his age seemed relatively young.

In the entire main family, there seemed to be no one of his age with such achievements.

Even the strongest prodigy, Ye Long, was far from achieving such success.

Ye Chen's brilliance was dazzling enough, but his madness was even more profound. Making the wrong decision at the wrong time would inevitably result in irreversible consequences for his madness.

"It seems that you have already given up the chance I gave you," Ye Chen said to Ye Long, his words equally cold.

"It's you who gave up the chance to live," Ye Long replied.

"Are you, Ye Long, even qualified to say such words about giving up the chance to live?" Ye Chen stared at Ye Long, his killing intent reaching its peak. Since his rebirth, this was the first time he had wanted to kill someone so badly.

Ye Long's footsteps faltered slightly, and Ye Chen's gaze suddenly made him feel a tremor of fear. It was as if he were facing an enraged lion or tiger.

As if he were a sheep about to be devoured by a fierce beast.

As if he were a boat about to be swallowed by a storm.

This feeling made him uneasy.

"Nonsense, how could I tremble in front of a mere Lingwu Eighth Layer?" Ye Long gritted his teeth and suppressed the trembling sensation.

"Ye Chen, I want you to suffer a fate worse than death!"

Ye Long's voice was heavy, and his long sword suddenly thrust forward, the sword light flashing like a tidal wave, roaring towards Ye Chen.

"A fate worse than death?" Ye Chen's eyes narrowed, his killing intent reaching its peak.

"It's been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me like this."

"I roam the world, who dares to take me as their attendant? Who dares to wish for my life to be worse than death?"

Ye Chen stepped forward leisurely, gathering his energy in his hand. With a roar, he directly shattered Ye Long's sword energy, and the shockwave spread out towards the outside of the hall.

However, it seemed that no one felt the terrifying shockwave, as they all stood still in a daze.

Just because of Ye Chen's words.

"I?"

"Roaming the world?"

This Ye Chen was not only crazy but also delusional.

At such a young age, he dared to call himself "I"? What qualifications did he have to call himself that?

And roaming the world?

Even in the Ye Family Mansion, he dared not be so presumptuous, let alone roam the world?

"Perhaps I shouldn't bother with you, because you're already insane. But even if you're insane, today, you must pay the price you deserve."

Ye Long's figure flickered, his sword light refracting like cold light, chilling to the bone, intending to annihilate both body and soul.