"I can't believe my eyes."
"My heavens, Ye Chen, that useless guy, actually dodged Cousin Zhengyang's attack, and not just once."
"How did Ye Chen suddenly become so powerful!?"
The crowd was filled with amazed exclamations, the more they watched, the more shocked they felt.
Because Ye Zhengyang was ruthless and fast in his attacks, many moves which seemed undodgeable to them were easily evaded by Ye Chen, as if he could predict Ye Zhengyang's every move, leaving the onlookers agape and unable to recover.
Compared to Ye Chen's eerie method of dodging, Ye Zhengyang was even more shocked and angry. He considered himself the top among the younger generation of the Ye Family, with a cultivation at the Acquired Ninth Realm, and he always deemed himself superior.
Although Ye Chen had once been so impressive that he had to look up to him, that was in the past. Now, he was just a useless person who needed his contempt and condescension, but now he couldn't even get close, using all his methods. What did that amount to?
At this moment, he felt like he was being played in the palm of someone's hand, and that person was a despicable useless person in his eyes. How could he endure that?
Right after Ye Zhengyang threw a punch, thinking that Ye Chen would dodge as usual, with a whoosh, under the stunned gaze of many, Ye Chen did not retreat but advanced instead, stepping forward and facing Ye Zhengyang's fierce fist with his face, throwing a heavy punch in return.
With a bang, a black eye immediately appeared on Ye Zhengyang's handsome face, making him look both ridiculous and comical.
After the punch, Ye Chen quickly retreated, filling Ye Zhengyang with rage.
He not only failed to hit Ye Chen, that useless person, but was also made to look foolish, and surely this was done on purpose to humiliate him.
Ye Chen just sighed lightly. It wasn't that he didn't want to knock down Ye Zhengyang, but the physical prowess of Ye Zhengyang at the Acquired Ninth Realm was far superior to Ye Hua at the Acquired Fifth Realm. With his current strength, he simply couldn't injure the opponent, only the face was the most vulnerable where he could strike, hence such a scene occurred.
"Ye Chen, what kind of man are you, hiding instead of facing me head-on in a real fight." Finally, after at least fifty attacks, Ye Zhengyang shouted angrily, his eyes wide with a frustration he had never felt before.
His proud martial prowess at the Acquired Ninth Realm couldn't genuinely harm this useless member of the Ye Family, wasn't that suggesting he was no better than this trash?
This was utterly intolerable.
Behind him, other clan members also shouted: "Right, Ye Chen, you coward, you're not a man if you can't face a fight head-on."
"Have the guts to fight Cousin Zhengyang fair and square."
Many clan youths sneered at Ye Chen, accusing him of not being a man, only dodging and not daring to face a direct fight, using provocations.
But these so-called provocations seemed extremely trivial in his eyes, unable to stir a ripple in his heart. After dodging another fierce punch from Ye Zhengyang, he quickly retreated ten steps away and looked at him from a distance, suddenly asking, "Ye Zhengyang, how old are you this year?"
"Twenty," Ye Zhengyang replied reflexively, a bit dazed.
"And how old am I?" Ye Chen asked again.
"So, you know I'm only sixteen! And you're making a kid four years younger than you fight you. Don't you feel ashamed of such a demand?" Ye Chen sneered, making Ye Zhengyang's face turn alternately red and white, quite embarrassed.
Indeed, Ye Chen was just a sixteen-year-old boy, while Ye Zhengyang was already twenty, the difference in age made the so-called manly challenge seem more like bullying the younger.
Those present were all astonished, only then realizing that Ye Chen was merely sixteen, having always bullied him out of habit, and recently he seemed so mature and detached, it was easy to overlook his real age.
So once reminded, Ye Zhengyang then remembered that Ye Chen in front of him was only sixteen...
Ye Zhengyang's face turned from green to white, and he sneered, "You are indeed sixteen, but a real man should be unafraid of challenges. If you can't even accept a challenge, what kind of man are you?"
"Sorry, I'm just sixteen. Until I've held my coming-of-age ceremony, I shouldn't even be considered a man yet, just a boy," Ye Chen replied indifferently, causing almost everyone present to burst into laughter.
Indeed, Ye Chen was still just a boy. The so-called manhood could only be claimed after the coming-of-age ceremony...
In this world, the real coming-of-age ceremony was held at the age of seventeen.
"However, since you demand it, then I—" In an instant, Ye Chen's words left everyone's hearts hanging, thumping in suspense. Could he really be accepting the challenge?
Ye Zhengyang clenched his fists, ready to give this shameful young man a profound lesson, to make him realize that his place in the Ye Family was to be looked up to, not to be desecrated.
But the next moment, Ye Chen took a turn in his speech, under the astonished gaze of all, "Then I—will ask my father to compete with you."
The crowd was baffled, not understanding his intention.
Ye Zhengyang almost shouted, "Ye Chen, what do you mean by that?"
"Weren't you saying that a real man should be fearless in facing challenges? I think you should challenge my father. Or do you admit that you are not a man?" Ye Chen replied with a faint smile, leaving everyone else dumbfounded.
What a clever retort from Ye Chen, turning the tables by using the opponent's tactic against him.
This left Ye Zhengyang stumbling over his own scheme.
Ye Zhengyang's handsome face darkened completely, challenging Ye Ao—was simply suicidal.
Though he prided himself as the foremost among the younger generation of the Ye Family, Ye Ao was truly the number one in the Ye Family, an Innate Realm Super Expert; his cultivation was incomparably superior to Ye Zhengyang's.
A single slap from him would be enough to kill him.
Ye Zhengyang sneered, "Hmph, that's all you can say. Without your father, you are nothing."
Ye Chen glanced at him, saying, "Would you have dared to say these words three years ago?"
Ye Zhengyang was suddenly at a loss for words, as were the others present. Three years ago, Ye Chen was the youngest Innate Strong Person in Xiafeng Country, a heavenly pride unparalleled. Not only three years ago, even now Ye Zhengyang wouldn't dare to challenge the Ye Chen from three years back.
The difference between the Acquired Ninth Realm and the Innate seemed minimal but was indeed as vast as heaven and earth, unbridgeable.
"Unfortunately, times change; what was true three years ago might not hold today. You're no longer the genius of the past; now, you're nothing but a failure," Ye Zhengyang said coldly, suddenly smiling coldly as if recalling a crucial fact, "I remember your coming-of-age ceremony is in six months. If you were still the genius of the past, no one would dare challenge your claim to the position of Family Head, but now... Even if I were to challenge you, I don't think anyone would have objections."
"Heh heh, although it might seem like bullying the weak in everyday circumstances, when it's about the position of the Family Head, anyone can challenge. Of course, you must understand that accidents can happen during challenges. If you accidentally get crippled, Cousin, don't blame me."
Listening to these overtly threatening words, Ye Chen's mouth slowly curled into a smirk, looking at Ye Zhengyang, causing his supposed triumphant expression to twist into an ugly grimace. It was as if he was being looked down upon by an adult, an unsettling gaze.
"Ye Chen, what is that look in your eyes?" Finally, after locking eyes for a moment, Ye Zhengyang couldn't help but roar.
Ye Chen shook his head, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing even more mysterious, "Nothing much, I'm just pondering over the most satisfying way to beat you."
With those words, the hall fell silent!