The moment the dark-red sword light appeared, the temperature in the courtyard suddenly rose.
Zhao Gang was a First-Rate expert, so he felt the terrifying power of this sword most clearly. This sword held no variation whatsoever—only one word: heavy! It was as heavy as an entire mountain bearing down, leaving him unable to dodge or retreat. He could only meet it head-on.
"You little bastard, I'll fight you to the death!"
Zhao Gang roared, pouring all his internal force into his new longsword before unleashing the Iron Sword Sect's most powerful technique, Iron Sword Cleaves the River.
The sword descended, its sword aura seeming capable of cleaving an entire river in two.
But when his sword aura collided with Ye Chen's dark-red sword light...
Crack!
There was no earth-shaking explosion, only the crisp sound of something breaking.
Zhao Gang's new longsword broke in two once again. The dark-red sword light did not stop, cleaving straight downward.
"Aaah!"
Zhao Gang let out a scream of agony as his left arm was sliced off by the sword light, fresh blood gushing like a spring.
The entire courtyard fell deathly silent.
With one move, a First-Rate expert had lost an arm.
Ye Chen wasn't faring well either. After unleashing this sword, his face turned as white as paper, and his body staggered. He had to brace the Broken Sword against the ground to keep from falling. The internal force he had only just gained in his dantian had been completely drained.
Yet he remained standing, his eyes fixed on Zhao Gang, who was writhing on the ground.
"This sword is payment for the innocent people of Ye Family Manor."
He spoke, then struggled to raise the Broken Sword again.
"You... don't come any closer!" Zhao Gang fearfully crawled backward. "Sect Master, save me! Sect Master, save me!"
Only then did Tie Wufeng recover from his shock. He stared at the Broken Sword in Ye Chen's hand, the greed in his eyes impossible to conceal.
"The Broken Sword Art! So it really is the Broken Sword Art! Good! Very good! Today, this old man must have it!"
He abandoned the grievously wounded Li Qingshan. His figure flashed forward, and he struck toward Ye Chen with a palm strike. He had used all his strength in this blow. Before the palm force even arrived, Ye Chen already felt as if a heavy hammer had smashed into his chest, leaving him unable to breathe.
The gap between Force-Throughput and Half-Step Grandmaster was simply too great.
"You want to lay a hand on my little brother? Did you ask me first?"
A clear voice rang out. At some point, Little Fox had broken free of Ye Ling and appeared beside Ye Chen. She snapped open the red parasol, blocking Tie Wufeng's palm force.
Boom!
The palm force slammed into the parasol, sending Little Fox and Ye Chen flying several yards backward. A trace of blood also seeped from the corner of Little Fox's mouth.
"Big Sis!" Ye Chen cried out in alarm.
"I'm fine." Little Fox wiped away the blood and glared coldly at Tie Wufeng. "You old bastard, how dare you launch a sneak attack?"
Tie Wufeng sneered. "You little brat from Dark River, this old man has put up with you long enough. Today, even if the Dark River Leader came personally, no one could save you!"
He raised his palm again, preparing to strike.
Just then, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out from the shattered main gate. The laughter boomed like a bronze bell, echoing throughout Qingyang Town.
"Tie Wufeng, we haven't met in ten years, yet your bluster is still as great as ever, eh? You want to lay a hand on an old friend's son? Did you ask the saber in this old beggar's hand first?"
Everyone turned to look.
At the gate, a wild-haired, unkempt old man dressed in rags like a beggar was slowly walking inside, a chipped woodcutter's saber in his hand. With every step he took, the ground trembled faintly.
When Ye Chen saw the old man, he froze. Then tears streamed down his face once more.
"Old Man Sun... Grandpa Sun!"
The one who had arrived was the crippled old beggar who had saved him ten years ago—the man Ye Chen had believed died of a winter illness.
Old Man Sun was not dead!