The Third Elder is an undercover agent from the Li Family!
Ye Qingchen was instantly horrified. He finally understood who was behind Ye Quan's troublemaking. But at that moment, he had no time for further thought, because the Third Elder's palm was already striking toward his face! He was in imminent danger. The Third Elder was a fifth-layer Martial Artist, far beyond what Ye Qingchen could currently contend with.
I can't fight him head-on! I have to run!
If he could just escape the courtyard and be seen by other Ye Family members, the Third Elder would hesitate to kill him, fearing the repercussions. He glanced at the courtyard gate, but it was blocked by Ye Quan and his three lackeys, making an easy escape that way impossible.
The back window of my room!
Ye Qingchen made a split-second decision, turning and pulling Xiao Xiao to flee with him. However, the Third Elder seemed to have anticipated his escape. With a stomp of his foot, he shot into the air, flipping over to land perfectly between Ye Qingchen and the room.
"Where do you think you're going!" the Third Elder sneered and charged at Ye Qingchen once more. He was a turtle trapped in a jar.
Ye Qingchen's heart sank. He's so fast!
With no way out, Ye Qingchen rapidly retreated. At the same time, his Dual Pupil Martial Soul trembled, and his vision shifted. Everything became crystal clear, making the Third Elder's movements appear to slow significantly.
But the Third Elder was simply too fast. Even as Ye Qingchen retreated with all his might, he could only watch the palm grow closer and closer to his chest. At his own speed, he couldn't possibly dodge the attack.
Gritting his teeth, Ye Qingchen rapidly mobilized all the energy in his body, concentrating it into his right arm before punching with all his might at the weakest point of the Third Elder's palm strike.
BANG!
When his fist met the palm, Ye Qingchen felt as if he had punched an iron plate. Excruciating pain shot up from his fist as an overwhelming force surged through his arm and into his body.
PFFT!
Ye Qingchen spewed a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, landing heavily on the ground. His right arm now hung limply, completely dislocated.
The Third Elder's brow furrowed slightly. Although he hadn't used his full strength, he had still exerted at least eighty percent of his power. That was more than enough to kill an early-stage Martial Artist, let alone Ye Qingchen, who was merely in the Martial Disciple Realm.
To his surprise, however, the palm strike hadn't killed Ye Qingchen. Furthermore, he discovered that Ye Qingchen's cultivation didn't match the intelligence from the Li Family. He wasn't at the fourth layer of a Martial Apprentice; he was at the sixth!
Even with the aid of the Spirit Gathering Pill from Li Zhe, raising one's cultivation by two layers overnight was definitely not something an average genius could achieve.
Clearly, the former genius of the Ye Family has returned! I absolutely cannot allow him to grow any stronger, or he will become a great threat to the Li Family!
With this in mind, a chilling gleam flashed in the Third Elder's eyes. He dashed fiercely toward Ye Qingchen again, his entire body radiating murderous intent.
Ye Qingchen endured the agonizing pain wracking his body and tried to get up to evade, but after struggling a few times, he couldn't even stand. He could only watch as the Third Elder drew closer and closer.
Damn it! I can't dodge this!
An endless aura of death enveloped him. Terrified, Ye Qingchen frantically unleashed the power of the Willow Wood Martial Soul from within his sea of consciousness. Strands of willow branches, visible to the naked eye, formed and snaked toward the Third Elder.
"Hmph, a mere mantis trying to stop a chariot!" the Third Elder scoffed. With a shudder of his body, he shattered all the willow branches entangling him.
At only the sixth layer of a Martial Apprentice, the Soul Power from Ye Qingchen's Willow Wood Martial Soul was nowhere near enough to stop the Third Elder.
The next moment, the Third Elder rushed in front of Ye Qingchen, slamming a palm down toward his head. Ye Qingchen hurriedly raised his left arm to block.
CRACK!
His left arm was dislocated on impact. The powerful force sent Ye Qingchen sliding backward at least seven or eight meters across the ground before he crashed heavily against the wall of a side room. A spiderweb of cracks appeared on the wall as he spat out another mouthful of blood. His face was deathly pale; he was on the brink of death.
The Third Elder moved swiftly, once again appearing before Ye Qingchen to deliver another palm strike aimed straight for his skull. If this palm landed, Ye Qingchen would undoubtedly die. And right now, he was completely unable to dodge. He could only watch in horror as the palm descended.
Just as Ye Qingchen had nearly lost all hope, a voice cried out.
"Don't hurt the Young Master!"
Xiao Xiao, appearing from nowhere, charged forward with a bundle of firewood she had grabbed. Her small, delicate face was filled with resolve as she crashed directly into the Third Elder's arm.
THUD!
Caught by surprise, the Third Elder's arm was knocked aside, causing the palm strike aimed at Ye Qingchen's head to miss its mark. Xiao Xiao, however, was caught by the force of the blow. The firewood she carried scattered everywhere as she fell into Ye Qingchen's arms, coughing up a mouthful of blood that splattered across his chest in a stark, harrowing pattern.
Without any cultivation, Xiao Xiao's injuries were even more severe than Ye Qingchen's.
"Xiao Xiao! Are you a fool?!" Ye Qingchen's eyes reddened instantly as he looked down at Xiao Xiao, who was barely breathing in his arms. Rushing out like that was suicide!
"Cough, cough... Without the Young Master, I would have died long ago," she rasped, a faint smile forcing its way onto her pale little face. "My life is yours. If you die, I won't live on alone... cough, cough..."
"Silly girl..." Ye Qingchen's nose tingled, and his eyes grew wet.
The Third Elder let out a cold laugh. "Since you wish to die, I shall send you on your way together!"
He raised his palm, a cold light flashing in his eyes, and struck toward Xiao Xiao's back.
Feeling the fierce wind at her back, Xiao Xiao showed no fear. Instead, a look of relief washed over her small face. I am content to die in the Young Master's arms...
"No! DON'T!" Ye Qingchen roared, his eyes looking as if they would tear apart with rage. He wanted to protect Xiao Xiao but was completely immobile, forced to watch helplessly as the Third Elder's palm drew closer and closer to her back.
"Cough, cough... Young Master, I'll go on ahead... We'll meet again in the next life..." Xiao Xiao murmured. Seeing the anger and concern warring in Ye Qingchen's eyes, she felt a sense of contentment and closed her eyes, waiting for death to claim her.