The sheer pressure radiating from the rainbow was enough to make the red-robed old man’s heart leap in terror. He wouldn’t dare face such a blow head-on, not even if he had the courage of ten men.

"ROAR!"

The instant the rainbow descended, the red-robed old man suppressed the fear in his heart. With a great shout, his body abruptly transformed into a ball of red light and shot backward.

The red-robed old man’s reaction was fast, but he had still underestimated the rainbow’s speed. He had just retreated ten feet when the rainbow swept across his shoulder.

"AH—"

Struck by the rainbow, the red-robed old man let out a bizarre moan. The sound was so peculiar it made Zhaang Ye’s skin crawl.

"CRACK!"

After the moan faded, the red-robed old man’s rapidly retreating body came to a sudden stop. A strange look flashed in his eyes. He looked at Zhaang Ye as if he wanted to say something, but before he could, his body let out a bizarre ’kaka’ sound. Blood sprayed wildly from all over him, and with a soft thump, he collapsed to the ground.

Zhaang Ye took a few steps forward and glanced down. He found that the single lash of his whip had completely tenderized the old man’s flesh and blood, reducing his entire body to a pile of mangled pulp. He was so unrecognizable that even those closest to him would not have been able to identify him.

’What a shame,’ Zhaang Ye inwardly lamented. ’An expert of the old man’s caliber must have been carrying some valuables. If I could have gotten my hands on his things, I could have made a small fortune. Unfortunately, my whip turned him into a pile of pulp, and all his belongings were surely destroyed along with him.’

Zhaang Ye shook his head slightly, put away the Long Whip, and retrieved his Heavy Saber. Then, he pressed a palm against the stone wall and shot out of the alley like a blur.

"BOOM!"

The wall Zhaang Ye had struck collapsed with a roar, burying the red-robed old man beneath it.

Zhaang Ye left the alley and sped toward the City Lord’s Mansion. As he moved, he replayed the earlier battle in his mind. He recalled the old man’s strange expression after being struck by the whip and felt a nagging sense of puzzlement. He kept analyzing that final look, but for the life of him, he couldn’t decipher the emotion it held.

Zhaang Ye shook his head slightly and thought, ’There must be a secret hidden within this whip. Too bad I have no way of knowing what it is. That big fellow just tossed me this whip without even telling me its origin.’

Arriving at the City Lord’s Mansion, Zhaang Ye discovered that the eight other youths and Zhaang Yijian were already standing scattered about the Inner Mansion, apparently waiting for something.

When they saw Zhaang Ye walk in, all nine pairs of eyes focused on him.

Zhaang Yijian nodded at Zhaang Ye.

The other eight youths, however, were not so courteous. They stared at Zhaang Ye with icy expressions. One of them, a black-clothed young man who looked to be eighteen or nineteen, even stepped forward, glared at Zhaang Ye, and said coldly, "You must be Zhaang Ye. What took you so long?"

This black-clothed young man had sharply defined features, and his gaze carried a natural air of dominance, as if the entire world ought to revolve around him.

Zhaang Ye couldn’t be bothered with such a self-centered guy. He simply nodded to Zhaang Yijian and started walking toward him.

Seeing how Zhaang Ye completely disregarded him, the black-clothed young man grew angry. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Zhaang Ye, I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Zhaang Ye gave a slight, dismissive smile. "Of course I heard you," he said. "But I don’t know you, and I don’t feel like talking to you."

The black-clothed young man’s eyes narrowed again, a cold, harsh glint flashing within them. "Zhaang Ye, I didn’t expect you to be even more arrogant than I am. Draw your saber. I’d like to see what you’re really made of."

Zhaang Ye frowned slightly.

Just then, Zhaang Yijian spoke in a low voice from the side, "Zhaang Ye, that guy’s name is Lin Chong. The Inner Power he cultivates is called the Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique. People who practice this Cultivation Technique naturally develop an overbearing aura and are extremely belligerent. In the three days he’s been at the City Lord’s Mansion, he’s challenged every single one of the young geniuses. And he’s incredibly strong; every genius he challenged was defeated by his hand, without exception..."

"Oh? He’s that strong?" Zhaang Ye’s interest was piqued. He asked in a low voice, "Have you fought him?"

Zhaang Yijian replied nonchalantly, "I have. We exchanged three moves, but neither of us could defeat the other."

After a pause, Zhaang Yijian added, "Zhaang Ye, be careful. This Lin Chong is a true genius. He will likely become a powerful rival for you in the future."

"Oh?" Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but be surprised. He knew how strong Zhaang Yijian was. Don’t be fooled by Zhaang Yijian’s Cultivation being only at the Martial Arts Fifth Layer Middle Stage. With his wondrous Swordsmanship, even experts at the Martial Arts Fifth Layer Late Stage couldn’t gain an upper hand against him. Zhaang Ye was truly surprised that someone of Zhaang Yijian’s caliber was still unable to defeat Lin Chong.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort filled with a domineering aura echoed through the Inner Mansion.

It turned out that when Lin Chong saw Zhaang Ye ignoring his challenge to chat with Zhaang Yijian, he became consumed with rage and coldly interrupted their conversation.

Zhaang Ye’s gaze shifted to Lin Chong, meeting his eyes directly.

Seeing the two facing off, the other youths in the Inner Mansion all turned their attention to them. These young men were all geniuses from their respective regions, and it went without saying that they were proud and arrogant. Unfortunately for them, as outstanding as they were, Lin Chong was even more so. Over three days of dueling, every single one of them had been defeated by him.

Lin Chong had defeated seven of them in a row. As proud as these youths were, they had no choice but to admit his superiority. Now, seeing Zhaang Ye actually confronting Lin Chong, several of them immediately shook their heads.

Zhaang Ye looked to be only fourteen or fifteen. No matter how much of a genius he might be, they didn’t believe he could defeat Lin Chong.

Lin Chong stood there coldly, a domineering pressure bearing straight down on Zhaang Ye. The Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique that Lin Chong cultivated was a Cultivation Technique that placed extreme emphasis on one’s aura. With it, Lin Chong could suppress his opponents and gain the upper hand without even making a move, rendering him undefeated among his peers.

Now, Lin Chong planned to first use his aura to suppress Zhaang Ye. Then, in the instant Zhaang Ye’s Heart Spirit wavered, he would strike like lightning, defeat him in a single move, and utterly crush his pride, forcing Zhaang Ye to submit to him.

The Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique was just that domineering. It imperceptibly influenced the Cultivator’s state of mind. After practicing this Cultivation Technique, their domineering air would grow stronger and stronger. As this aura intensified, they would become increasingly self-centered, demanding that others submit to them. If anyone refused, they would feel dissatisfied, and their will would be obstructed.

Feeling the full force of Lin Chong’s aura, the faces of the seven onlooking geniuses all paled slightly. Lin Chong’s pressure was like a towering mountain; just by standing there, he made them feel an immense sense of oppression, so much so that they could only use seventy or eighty percent of their full strength. In the end, they could only be defeated by his hand.

Now, seeing Lin Chong unleash this terrifying aura once again, the seven geniuses all shook their heads slightly. They felt that in the face of such pressure, Zhaang Ye probably wouldn’t even last three moves.

Faced with the full force of Lin Chong’s aura, Zhaang Ye just chuckled inwardly. Ever since he entered the Mammoth Cemetery and experienced the terrifying pressure of the Ancient Mammoths, he no longer feared any kind of aura. Lin Chong’s pressure was decent, but it was nothing compared to that of an Ancient Mammoth. In the face of this, Zhaang Ye didn’t even bat an eye.

He was like a person strolling in a spring breeze, calm and composed.

"Huh?"

"Wait? How is that possible?"

"Hm? He’s not afraid of the pressure?"

Zhaang Ye’s relaxed appearance was a huge surprise to the seven geniuses, and they all stared at him with astonishment.

Unlike the seven geniuses, Zhaang Yijian simply nodded slightly. He had fought Zhaang Ye before and knew his strength was extraordinary. Even if Zhaang Ye wasn’t his equal, the gap wasn’t large. With that level of power, of course he wouldn’t be overwhelmed by a mere display of pressure.

Seeing that Zhaang Ye was completely unafraid of his aura, a grave look flashed in Lin Chong’s eyes. He snorted coldly and took a step forward.

"RUMBLE!"

When Lin Chong’s foot landed, it made a thunderous sound, and the very ground seemed to shake.

After that first step, Lin Chong didn’t stop, but continued walking toward Zhaang Ye, one step at a time.

Lin Chong’s steps were extremely rhythmic. Combined with the aura emanating from his body, the rumbling sound of his footfalls was filled with an oppressive weight. It sounded as if an Ancient Fierce Beast were slowly approaching. For a person with a weak will, their fighting spirit would be crushed to its lowest point within a few steps.

The seven geniuses’ expressions changed slightly once more. As Lin Chong advanced step by step, his aura was immense, yet his entire body seemed completely invulnerable, without a single opening. Even if they wanted to launch a preemptive strike, they wouldn’t know where to attack.

They couldn’t handle it, but could Zhaang Ye? All the youths turned their gazes to him.

Zhaang Ye watched Lin Chong with great interest, feeling a flicker of admiration. ’This Lin Chong is using the power of his steps to push his aura to the absolute limit. With every step he took, his pressure rises, creating a seemingly endless climb that is incredibly shocking to witness.’

’To be able to utilize one’s aura to such a degree, Lin Chong could indeed be considered a genius. But against me, this kind of pressure is completely useless.’ Amidst everyone’s gazes, Zhaang Ye’s calm voice was heard. "Lin Chong, if you want to defeat me, you’d better show some real skill. These little tricks to scare children won’t work on me." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)