Volume One, Chapter 14: Senior Brother, You Can't Hold Him Back

“You, a despicable man who used poison to drastically weaken my cultivation, dare to lecture me on behalf of our master?” Upon hearing this, a cold gleam flashed in Ye Chen’s eyes, his tone firm and unwavering.

Without hesitation, he retorted, his voice echoing through the empty courtyard like a hammer striking fiercely against Jiang Wu’s heart.

Jiang Wu’s expression shifted slightly but soon regained its composure.

He sneered, as if mocking Ye Chen’s naïveté and ignorance.

“Haha, senior brother, don’t speak recklessly without proof,” he said with a hint of derision, as though toying with prey on the verge of falling into a trap.

Yet, he feared Ye Chen might reveal more truths unfavorable to him.

With that, Jiang Wu moved swiftly, advancing toward Ye Chen, his golden sword gleaming brilliantly, ready to cleave any obstacle in two.

However, Ye Chen showed no trace of fear. Though aware his cultivation was inferior to Jiang Wu’s, he knew the goal was not to fight but to buy time until the onlookers arrived.

Ye Chen’s figure flickered lightly, employing lightness technique, drifting in the air like a feather, avoiding direct confrontation.

He skillfully used the terrain and agile movements to parry Jiang Wu’s attacks, evading the sharp edges while seeking an opportunity to counterstrike.

Though knowing the true battle was inevitable, Ye Chen remained calm and composed, for he understood that once the spectators arrived, a turning point would emerge.

Jiang Wu, however, was no ordinary opponent and quickly sensed Ye Chen’s intention.

His gaze sharpened, lips curling into a cold smile: “Senior brother, do you really think you can hold me back?”

With these words, his aura suddenly surged violently, like an enraged lion ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Meanwhile, footsteps drew nearer, growing clearer in Jiang Wu’s ears. He knew the crowd eager for spectacle was rapidly approaching.

“Senior brother, do you truly believe your plan will succeed? I won’t let you have your way,” Jiang Wu’s voice brimmed with resolve and ruthlessness.

He had already made up his mind—no matter the cost, he must defeat Ye Chen before the others arrived and extract the secrets hidden within.

In the next moment, Jiang Wu’s figure shot upward, feet rising a meter from the ground, hovering like a deity descended to the mortal world.

His gaze blazed like a torch, fixed on Ye Chen with undeniable authority: “Senior brother, as time flows, it must have been long since you witnessed the splendor of my sword. Today, I shall open your eyes.”

“Golden Sun Radiance.”

He slowly raised his right hand, clutching a longsword that radiated fierce golden light. The blade bore faint flame patterns—proof of years of arduous cultivation where his true energy and sword intent had reached perfection.

With a thought, the sword exploded with dazzling brilliance. At its tip, a golden sun the size of a wheel slowly condensed. This sun was no mere ornament; it radiated boundless heat and light like the real sun, swelling until it formed a golden sword beam that nearly obscured half the sky, engraved with a vivid golden crow imprint, wings poised to soar, exuding overwhelming majesty.

On the ground, Ye Chen’s heart sank as he witnessed this, his eyes flashing with disbelief.

In his memories, when Jiang Wu wielded “Golden Sun Radiance,” the golden sun was only as large as a basin. Now it had grown to such a scale; the speed of his progress was staggering.

“Unexpectedly, in just a few years, he has refined ‘Golden Sun Radiance’ to such heights…” Ye Chen sighed silently, recalling his own past glory but knowing that with his current Tongmai Realm cultivation, even at his prime, he could hardly face this blow head-on.

“Boy, the situation is urgent—why haven’t you moved? What are you waiting for?” Suddenly, the voice of the Azure Elder within Ye Chen’s Cang Blood Pearl pierced the void, tinged with impatience and displeasure, striking directly at Ye Chen’s soul.

Faced with Jiang Wu’s imposing aura, Ye Chen’s feet seemed rooted to the spot, unmoving, prompting the watching Azure Elder to urge him on.

“Senior, I…” Ye Chen’s voice faltered. He knew his cultivation paled in comparison to Jiang Wu’s, like a firefly to the bright moon. Even his once-proud sword techniques now felt pale and fragile, as if they might shatter at the slightest touch.

After all, the Tongmai Realm and the Sky Mastery Realm were two whole levels apart.

This realization filled him with helplessness and inner struggle.

Just as Ye Chen was about to explain, the Azure Elder’s voice cut in again, tinged with mockery and dissatisfaction: “Boy, as a sword cultivator, where is your courage and resolve? Why so timid? Are you afraid?”

The words pierced through Ye Chen’s hesitation like a sharp blade.

He smiled bitterly, knowing the Azure Elder’s intention was not to trouble him but to urge him to face the challenge boldly.

As he prepared to clarify that his caution was not fear but concern, the Azure Elder interrupted once more: “You have mastered the Heaven-defying Blood Spear Technique, have you not? Perfect—use it now and test its power against Jiang Wu.”

Ye Chen’s heart churned with mixed emotions. He had indeed practiced the Blood Spear Technique but did not wish to reveal his secret to Jiang Wu.

As he hesitated, the Azure Elder’s voice rang with unyielding certainty: “You’ve trained it—use it. What’s the point of hiding it? Are you afraid others will see your hand?”

Ye Chen was shaken. He understood the Elder’s meaning and realized he could no longer delay.

Amidst swirling thoughts, a sudden resolve struck him like lightning. He lifted his head, eyes shining with unprecedented determination and resolve.

He looked at Jiang Wu, no longer with fear or retreat but with fierce fighting spirit and firm purpose.

At this moment, Jiang Wu’s gaze burned like fire, locking onto the unmoving Ye Chen. A playful, arrogant smile curled his lips: “Senior brother, are you conceding defeat, ready to surrender? If so, be sensible and reveal all the secrets you know. That Clear Breeze Sword—I might generously let it remain yours, as a token of your once being my senior brother.”

Ye Chen’s lips twitched into a calm, indifferent smile, seemingly unfazed by Jiang Wu’s provocation: “Hah, want it? Then see if you have the skill to take it with your own hands.”

Though his body remained still, the aura around Ye Chen shifted subtly—a profound and mysterious power, far beyond that of an ordinary sword cultivator, quietly brewing within him.

This surge immediately caught Jiang Wu’s attention, his eyes gleaming with a mix of surprise and delight: “Indeed, you have gained an extraordinary opportunity during this time.”

Jiang Wu pondered silently, knowing that against such an opponent, delay would only bring more trouble.

Without hesitation, he acted. The golden longsword, once pointing vertically at the sky, plunged sharply downward, its tip tapping the ground.

Instantly, golden ripples radiated outward, shaking the entire space with their power.