Zeng Shuheng's expression froze. He had not expected the man to be so decisive!
Sweeping his divine sense through the storage bag, he found that the contents inside matched what Ye Tianying had claimed almost to the letter. In fact, the spirit herbs alone were worth two hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones, yet they had been discounted to two hundred thousand.
A sharp glint flickered in Zeng Shuheng's eyes. He sneered, "Ye Tianying! What I asked for was one million spirit stones, not this pile of scrap lumped together!"
With that, he hurled everything back at Ye Tianying.
Ye Tianying understood then. The man was thoroughly determined to force Ye Qing'er to become his son's concubine.
Clang!
Ye Tianying drew his longsword with a sharp ring. Facing two Core Formation cultivators without a shred of fear, he said in a deep voice, "You truly refuse the face offered to you!"
Zeng Shuheng and the old man beside him drew their swords at the same time, their terrifying spiritual pressure instantly blanketing the area.
"Heh. Wouldn't it be far better to take the way out you were handed? A marriage between our two families brings only benefits and no harm."
Ye Tianying's face darkened, his voice turning cold. "So you intend to use force?"
At the same time, Ye Tianying sent an urgent voice transmission to Ye Feng and Li Guanqi. "Protect Qing'er! I fear they are going to make a move!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The moment Li Guanqi and Ye Feng sprang into motion, the old man beside Zeng Shuheng took to the air, transforming into a streak of light that shot directly toward the villa's inner grounds!
Ye Tianying moved to intercept him, only for Zeng Shuheng to step across his path.
With a sullen expression, Zeng Shuheng swung his blade. "Giving you face and you don't take it!"
Watching the streak of light shoot toward the inner estate, Ye Tianying roared, "Zeng Shuheng! If you dare touch my daughter, I'll exhaust every bit of my family's wealth to hire a Nascent Soul powerhouse to wipe out your entire clan!!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Clang! Boom!
Blinding sword light flashed as the two clashed dozens of times in an instant before violently recoiling from each other.
Zeng Shuheng gave a cold sneer. "Trying to scare me?"
Behind them, Ye Feng flew upon his flying sword, swiftly forming hand seals to channel his yuan power and throwing out several talismans!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The talismans burst into golden rays, streaking toward the old man.
The old man merely smirked. With several quick slashes of his sword, he shattered the golden light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions rang out as the three rapidly neared the front courtyard!
Su Xi was currently shielding Ye Qing'er, her eyes filled with panic.
Seeing this, Li Guanqi's yuan power surged within him. He leaped off his flying sword, sustaining himself in brief flight through the air. Gripping the hilt tightly with his right hand, lightning-attributed yuan power crackled across the blade. Twisting his waist, he hurled it forward with all his might!
The longsword shot forth like a spear!
Swoosh!
A piercing sonic boom rang out as the blade flew straight for the old man's throat!
At the same time, thick, dark clouds began gathering in the sky above Qiongtai Mountain Villa.
Li Guanqi bellowed, "Spirit incantation! Thunder Spear!"
Boom!
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly, and he praised, "Fine skill!"
With a precise tip strike, he deflected the flat of Li Guanqi's sword, sending it hurtling downward as a beam of light.
Crash!
The sword smashed through a side courtyard, and in that same breath, a bolt of thunder from the sky crashed down toward the old man!
Yet in the very next instant, the old man's figure vanished, reappearing right behind Ye Feng. Taking note of the robes Ye Feng and Li Guanqi wore, the old man withdrew his sword and threw a vicious kick instead.
Bang!
Ye Feng was sent hurtling downward like a cannonball, smashing into the ground.
Li Guanqi felt the hair on his neck stand on end. He spun violently to strike behind him!
Yet he had barely turned when a colossal force slammed into his back. His body plunged from the air, crashing straight through a roof and leaving a deep crater in the ground.
With his shoulder dislocated, Li Guanqi pulled out a jade slip and spoke through gritted teeth, "Master, if you don't come now, I'm going to be beaten to death!!"
By then, the old man had already swept into the front courtyard, reaching out to seize Ye Qing'er!
Boom!
A pitch-black fissure abruptly tore through the sky!
The azure heavens looked as though they had been ripped open from within, revealing a tear roughly ten feet wide!
Boom!
A terrifying spiritual pressure descended, brutally slamming the airborne old man straight into the earth!
Zeng Shuheng suffered the same fate. He had still been locked in battle with Ye Tianying, bearing several sword wounds on his body, but the moment the rift appeared, a massive palm print smashed him out of midair!
Several figures stepped slowly out from the spatial rift.
At the lead was Li Nanting, and standing beside him was Tu Kui, who had just emerged from seclusion.
A Nascent Soul powerhouse!
The terrifying pressure cowed the surrounding space. Tu Kui's expression turned frigid as he said in a heavy voice, "Who dares bully my disciple?"
Li Guanqi used one hand to pop his dislocated shoulder back into its socket. Moving in a flash, he reached Ye Feng's side and helped him up. The boy had broken two ribs, but it was nothing severe.
Li Guanqi whispered, "I took the liberty of finding you a backer. Don't go blaming me for it~"
Ye Feng frowned. "You want the Peak Master to accept me as a disciple? Isn't that a bit..."
Supporting him as they ushered Su Xi and Ye Qing'er into the room, Li Guanqi said, "Given the current situation, the Zeng family clearly won't stop until your sister is forced into their household. We don't even know which sect they're hiding behind. Having Elder Tu take you as his disciple and crushing them with overwhelming prestige is the only way to break this deadlock! Besides, your talent isn't weak. You possess a king-grade spiritual root and have awakened a seventh-grade sword ruin. If Elder Tu takes you in, neither of you loses out."
Li Nanting flashed over to Li Guanqi's side and asked softly, "Are you all right?"
Li Guanqi whispered, "Master, I'm fine. But Elder Tu... is he willing?"
Li Nanting smiled faintly and looked toward Ye Feng. "Willing? Why do you think he broke through his seclusion and tore through space to rush over here?"
Up in the sky, Ye Tianying stared at Tu Kui in profound shock. He hastily bowed in salute. "Ye Tianying, head of the Ye family, greets all the seniors."
Tu Kui nodded slightly and asked in a quiet tone, "What happened here?"
Ye Tianying hurriedly recounted everything to Tu Kui, his mind still reeling. He had only known that Ye Feng had joined the Great Xia Sword Sect, never imagining that a Nascent Soul powerhouse from the sect would arrive in person!
Tu Kui made a grasping motion toward the ground with one hand. A golden palm print dropped down, hoisting Zeng Shuheng into midair.
By now, Zeng Shuheng was trembling like a sieve, his face utterly pale. Strangled by the invisible grip on his neck, his face flushed crimson, his eyes wide with sheer terror! Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the Ye family had a Nascent Soul powerhouse backing them!
With a flick of his left hand, Tu Kui drew the contract jade pendant into his grasp.
At that moment, Meng Linhai recognized Zeng Shuheng and leaned in to whisper a voice transmission.
Tu Kui sneered, and with a sharp crack, shattered the jade pendant to dust!
"To think you were a medicinal herb supplier for the Great Xia Sword Sect? Very well."
Tu Kui's eyes turned sharp as daggers, his voice chillingly cold. "Starting today, the Great Xia Sword Sect severs all medicinal herb transactions with your Zeng family! Going forward, all requirements will be handled by the Ye family.
"Furthermore... I may spare your life today, but if even the slightest misfortune befalls the Ye family in the future, I will lay the blame entirely on your Zeng family! For every member of the Ye family who dies, I will slaughter a hundred from the Zeng family to keep them company. Do you understand?"
Breathing raggedly, Zeng Shuheng nodded in frantic agreement.
Bang!
Tu Kui slammed a palm into Zeng Shuheng's dantian. The Core inside instantly shattered!
"Pfft!"
Zeng Shuheng's eyes bulged as blood sprayed from his mouth, his aura plummeting rapidly!
Tu Kui casually hurled him aside, the terrifying force smashing through a small hilltop. He barked coldly, "Get lost!"
The miserable state of the Zeng family group stood in stark contrast to their earlier arrogance.
Ye Tianying's heart surged with profound emotion, his fists clutched so tightly inside his sleeves that his knuckles turned white. Guiding the newcomers forward, he said softly, "Seniors, please come inside the villa to rest."
Tu Kui smiled faintly. "Of course we will sit. After all, I came here to take a disciple. I only hope Patriarch Ye will give his consent."
"Hahahaha! For Feng'er to take you as his master is entirely his great fortune!"
The matter was resolved smoothly, and Qiongtai Mountain Villa held a grand apprenticeship ceremony. Ye Feng thus successfully became Tu Kui's closed-door disciple!
Chapter 80