"I'm not arguing with you because I couldn't be bothered with someone as boring as you. You actually think you're a character worth noting? In my eyes, you're not even as good as a dog at being human."
The youth's icy words instantly echoed throughout the Salary Hall, drawing astonished looks from all the clansmen.
Who could have imagined that the always self-deprecating, timid loser Ye Chen would dare to slap Ye Hua across the face? It truly came as a surprise to everyone, and even Ye Zhengyang was stunned by what unfolded before him.
Since Ye Chen had fallen from the Genius Altar, his nature radically changed; he was no longer spirited and had become weak and self-deprecating. Even as the Family Head's son, he didn't dare to speak loudly to other clansmen, let alone provoke or slap someone.
This was an unimaginable scene; no one could have envisioned a day when Ye Chen would strike another person.
Ye Hua covered his swollen cheek, but more than the pain on his face, the humiliation of being slapped by the constant object of his bullying, in front of so many clansmen, was greater. His eyes, filled with rage and bloodshot, were like those of a feral dog as he bellowed furiously, "Ye Chen, you waste! How dare you hit me? Today, I will completely cripple you, you good-for-nothing!"
He leaped forward with bared teeth and claws, aiming to tear Ye Chen to pieces. Even Ye Chen's status as the Family Head's son was forgotten amid his humiliating fury; he remembered only his desire to beat Ye Chen as a means of venting his rage.
Although Ye Hua wasn't an Acquired Ninth Realm master like Ye Zhengyang, he was still a minor master of the Acquired Fifth Realm.
Acquired Ninth Realm; the first three realms didn't show much notable change, focusing mainly on tempering the flesh, muscles, and bones. But starting from the Fourth Level, each advancement would significantly increase one's strength, sometimes by hundreds of pounds, with extremely noticeable effects.
Acquired Fifth Realm, strength of five hundred pounds.
Acquired Sixth Layer, strength of one thousand pounds.
Acquired Seventh Layer, strength of one thousand seven hundred pounds.
Acquired Eighth Realm, strength of two thousand five hundred pounds.
Acquired Ninth Realm, strength of four thousand pounds.
Ye Hua, possessing a strength of five hundred pounds that could lift huge boulders and crush a common tiger or wolf with a single punch, was attacking Ye Chen, who had yet to reach any of the Acquired realms—a few broken bones would be the least of the damages.
Ye Zhengyang, standing nearby, had no intention of intervening. When he had heard Ye Chen laugh earlier, he had already become angry and intended to teach this waste a lesson. If questioned by the elders, he had the excuse of being too slow to react.
Furthermore, because his grandfather was the Great Elder of the clan and had always had a strained relationship with Family Head Ye Ao, the cousins were not on good terms.
As for this waste in front of them, he looked down on him from deep within his heart—why would he bother to save him? Watching the excitement unfold was more than enough.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Ye Chen didn't seem to have the slightest intention of dodging. To all onlookers, it seemed as if he was petrified with fear, too terrified to move, merely standing there, waiting for Ye Hua to pounce on him and deliver a beating.
Some of the girls couldn't help but cry out in shock, covering their faces with their hands, as if they could already foresee the bloody scene about to unfold.
"You're too weak, simply full of flaws," Ye Chen shook his head, unfazed.
Though he was nowhere near as strong as in his previous life, his rich combat experience remained intact—a precious treasure accumulated through fierce battles with truly invincible figures, unmatched by anyone.
The ferocious moves that Ye Hua seemed to be making were full of flaws in his eyes, and he saw through them instantly, also immediately devising a way to counter.
Furthermore, he had cultivated the Domineering Refining Saint Technique, which had enhanced his entire body—both the strength of his physical form and flexibility were beyond what they once were. Ye Hua's speed was trivial in his eyes.
As Ye Hua was about to pounce, Ye Chen lightly stepped half a step to the left, deftly angling his body to perfectly avoid the attack. Following this, he swept a foot across, striking Ye Hua's knee joint from behind, causing him immediate pain and buckling to the ground.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, but with his absolute combat experience, Ye Chen took down Ye Hua, an Acquired Fifth Realm cultivator, with surprising ease.
This was astonishing. No one expected not only for Ye Chen to avoid Ye Hua's attack but also to knock him to the ground. It was truly unbelievable.
Even Ye Zhengyang was surprised—since when had this waste become so formidable? However, he soon shook his head, concluding that it was merely luck and certainly not something a waste could accomplish.
"My God, did I see that right? Ye Hua was actually defeated by the family's waste? Incredible."
"Motherfucker, he must have just gotten lucky, definitely, it's just a fluke." The surrounding clansmen were all exclaiming and whispering among themselves.
Ye Hua was equally startled, but like Ye Zhengyang, he believed that this piece of trash had merely gotten lucky. With a loud shout, he lunged forward again.
Unfortunately, the outcome was not going to change. Ye Chen had already seen through all of Ye Hua's flaws, smoothly sidestepped with a small shift, and in the blink of an eye, smashed a heavy punch into Ye Hua's temple.
That punch was incredibly powerful, sending Ye Hua tumbling to the ground in pain, his head spinning, unable to recover for quite some time.
The temple is everyone's weak point, even though he was at the Acquired Fifth Realm and had a strong physique, strong enough to withstand a hundred-pound force without injury, just pain. However, the temple remained a vulnerable spot, and a heavy hit there would inevitably cause dizziness.
Moreover, after cultivating the Domineering Refining Saint Technique, Ye Chen's physical condition had greatly improved. This punch was enough to daze Ye Hua for a good half of the day.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Chen never missed a chance to take down his adversaries, and this lifetime was no exception.
He rushed forward in three or two steps, straddled Ye Hua, raised his fist, and delivered three lightning-fast punches; each one landed heavily on Ye Hua's temple, brutal and violent, hitting the critical spots and knocking Ye Hua unconscious on the spot, his eyes rolling back, eliciting shocked gazes from the entire hall.
Was this the same Ye Chen who used to bow his head and sidestep whenever he saw a clan member? But now, he had rendered the Acquired Fifth Realm Ye Hua unconscious on the ground, and the impact on everyone was tremendous.
Suddenly, everyone felt that at this moment Ye Chen's figure seemed to have grown much taller.
"Is there anyone else who is dissatisfied and wishes to make a move?" Ye Chen glanced over the other clansmen present and asked indifferently. As his words fell, almost all the clansmen involuntarily stepped back half a step.
It was evident that the thunderous takedown of Ye Hua had a great impact on them, and they were still not over it; otherwise, they would not recoil from an individual who could not cultivate.
Ye Chen was very pleased; this was the effect he wanted—killing one to warn the others. He did not wish to create many troubles, and to establish a stable foothold in the Ye Family, it was necessary to command respect through fear, and Ye Hua was the chicken slaughtered to show his resolve.
However, their reluctance to make a move did not mean others wouldn't step forward—there was one exception—Ye Zhengyang!
At this moment, a cold gleam flashed in the depths of Ye Zhengyang's eyes, for he felt that Ye Chen had challenged his authority. Considering himself the future Family Head, his dignity was not to be challenged; he believed it was necessary to suppress Ye Chen.
A series of clear applause rang out, and Ye Zhengyang clapped his hands, looking very happy as he laughed loudly, "Brilliant, cousin Ye Chen, impressive. I haven't seen you for a while, and your strength seems to have increased a lot. Try taking a palm from your brother."
As his words ended, he didn't wait for Ye Chen to refuse but made his move directly. The palm strike created a fierce wind, and it was fast, accurate, and ruthless, much better than Ye Hua's and so much faster that it stirred up a gust of wind.
The palm hadn't even reached him yet, but the breeze from it already caused a burning pain on his face.
Taking this palm strike head-on would likely break more than five bones given his current condition.
Ye Chen's expression darkened slightly. He had never offended Ye Zhengyang, but now he was being vicious towards him—truly ruthless.
Of course, Ye Chen could not just take the hit, even if he had cultivated the Domineering Refining Saint Technique; he was no match for Ye Zhengyang. The underlying issue was that he had not been cultivating for long enough to be truly powerful.
Ye Chen's figure shifted sideways, narrowly avoiding the palm strike, and said, "Ye Zhengyang, I don't want to fight with you."
Ye Zhengyang was slightly surprised to see Ye Chen dodge. Although the palm strike wasn't his full strength, it was still extremely fast. Generally, even an Acquired Seventh Realm Cultivator would not be able to evade it, yet somehow Ye Chen managed to dodge, which surprised him. But it only intensified the anger in his heart, and he struck out with another palm, "But your cousin would like to spar with you."
Yet again, Ye Chen sidestepped, surprising everyone. One time could be dismissed, but the same thing happening twice was a bit strange.
"Cousin, your ability to dodge is not bad, so let your cousin test your mettle," said Ye Zhengyang, his face darkening after failing twice, especially since it occurred in front of so many clansmen — a great humiliation to fail against such a trash of the family.
He then unleashed a flurry of strikes, his palms whipping up fierce winds, full of power, strong enough to leave palm prints on steel—he was truly going all out.
However, Ye Zhengyang's attacks, though fierce, were easily anticipated by Ye Chen's sharp senses and rich combat experience, allowing him to calmly evade the blows.
And so, the following scene unfolded—
Ye Zhengyang's attacks were fast, accurate, and ruthless, yet he couldn't lay a finger on Ye Chen, not even the slightest touch.