Chapter 284

Chapter 284: Chapter 283: Crack!

At almost the same instant, two clear snapping sounds rang out as Ye Tianchen had twisted the necks of two first-rate assassins, his face still wore an innocuous smile, but there was absolutely no trace of irreverence. He was entirely serious, having cast aside his ruffian demeanor to become an incarnation of the Death God. Not only was this the first battle for the Thirteen Heavenly Kings, a battle that had to be won, the elimination of the Xuanyuan family was imperative. More importantly, he sensed the person waiting for him ahead was extremely powerful, someone who made Ye Tianchen doubt for the first time whether he could defeat him.

The bodies of the two first-rate assassins lay on the ground, their eyes wide with terror, seemingly unable to close even in death. They probably hadn’t expected to be so easily overpowered by Ye Tianchen, not managing to block even a single move!

In fact, Ye Tianchen’s current strength wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful. His King-level Superpower Realm strength was comparable to the Martial King Realm of the Ancient Martial Sects. During his time on Earth, Ye Tianchen had encountered several Ancient Martial Sect powerhouses with Martial King Realm strength, like Hei Mian and Bao Tianglong, who were both masters of the Martial King Realm. So, Ye Tianchen wasn’t the strongest, but he was the one with the greatest potential for breakthroughs and advancement.

However, the moment Ye Tianchen set foot on the desolate island, he had already activated his peak King-level Superpower Realm strength. Since he had come with the Thirteen Heavenly Kings, there was no room for mercy. If they didn’t eliminate the Xuanyuan family tonight, the Ye family would face great disaster tomorrow. Thus, Ye Tianchen was also ready to embark on a massive killing spree.

All over the secluded island of the Xuanyuan family, the air was filled with the sounds of gunfire, battle cries, explosions, and even the flash of intense combat. If not for Ye Tianchen’s activation of the Superpower Isolation Net, which completely sealed off the island, the commotion would have likely alerted everyone around the Dead Sea.

The Thirteen Heavenly Kings operated independently, and Ye Tianchen had no worries about the strength of individuals like Wuxue—he trusted them completely. And based on his Superpower Perception, despite every first-rate assassin on this island being strong, they were still no match for the Thirteen Heavenly Kings. If the members of the Thirteen Heavenly Kings couldn’t handle a task like this, which was only the first battle, then how could they expect to expand their strength and carve out a great name for themselves in the future? This was training, a trial of life and death.

Ye Tianchen slowly advanced into the grove, where he felt the most powerful superpower aura. He was almost certain that the person inside the grove was the Xuanyuan family’s top general, so formidable that even he didn’t have absolute confidence in beating him.

And indeed, as Ye Tianchen arrived at the edge of the grove, he saw a man in his forties standing in the center, facing him. This man was Asura, who had also sensed Ye Tianchen’s power and was awaiting him there. A clash between masters was looming, and Ye Tianchen had a premonition this would be the most terrifying battle since his rebirth on Earth, with an unpredictable outcome between life and death.

"Are you Ye Tianchen?" Asura was cloaked in a black coat, with only his eyes visible.

"Yes, and what should I call you?" Ye Tianchen asked with a smile.

"Asura!" Asura replied coldly.

Ye Tianchen nodded without saying a word, and Asura fell silent too. Both sensed each other’s strength. Amongst high-level fighters, too many words were just boastful bluster courting death. True experts didn’t need to talk much—their actions spoke for them.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Asura and Ye Tianchen simultaneously sprang into action, each dashing towards the other like lightning, sparking a fierce battle within the grove. From the start, neither used showy techniques or superpower skills; they were conserving their own strength while gauging the other’s.

Bang!

Their fists collided, and both Ye Tianchen and Asura were sent flying. Ye Tianchen’s back slammed into a large tree, while Asura crashed into a nearby boulder. Both regarded each other seriously, not expecting the other to be so formidable.

"You’re very strong," Asura stated flatly.

"You’re very strong too," Ye Tianchen replied with a smile.

All the while, neither lost sight of each other. In a true master’s duel, victory could hinge on a blink of an eye. Even a mere second could decide the winner. Their brief exchange had lasted only two minutes, with both sides taking hits, but neither were fatal, largely because neither had yet deployed Superpower Skills or Slaughter Skills.

At that moment, Ye Tianchen took two steps forward, leaving the tree he had been backed against. When their fists had collided earlier, he had been knocked into the tree. As he stepped away from the tree, it let out a mournful groan and collapsed with a thunderous crash, snapped in two by the force of the impact.

Asura, too, straightened up. The massive rock that his back had hit was shattered into eight pieces, scattering as rubble on the ground. To an observer, their exchange might have appeared routine, with neither seeming hurt, but that was only because both were masters. Ordinary people—or even first-rate assassins—would have been killed instantly by such an attack.

"After tonight, the Xuanyuan family must be eradicated, but what I don’t understand is why a master like you insists on sacrificing your life for the Xuanyuan family?" Ye Tianchen asked with some confusion, feeling a sense of regret for the loss of a hero. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said anything more and would have just attacked ferociously.

"The Xuanyuan family has raised me. Even though it has done many bad things, I must protect it!" Asura’s eyes suddenly changed as he spoke.

"Then you and I will have the ultimate battle. If you win, you die and the Xuanyuan family will be destroyed. If you lose, I die, and ’Thirteen Heavenly Kings’ will end!"

Ye Tianchen was serious for the first time and also took an opponent so seriously for the first time. Up to now, he couldn’t find any weakness in Asura, whose strength was very powerful. He definitely could not defeat him without going all out.

While speaking, a Fangtian Halberd had already appeared in Ye Tianchen’s right hand. It was a weapon he was very fond of. In the times of the apocalypse star, he had a Fangtian Halberd made of Divine Gold, which was Ye Tianchen’s weapon. It was a pity that it shattered in a great battle with a Supreme Demon Beast. The Fangtian Halberd currently in Ye Tianchen’s hand was conjured with his powerful superpower, embodying the Superpower Skill of turning the intangible into tangible.

Asura frowned slightly, knowing full well that Ye Tianchen was formidable. He didn’t expect this twenty-year-old to be so powerful. It seemed he also needed to go all out.

Whoosh!

In Asura’s right hand appeared a large saber with a huge Azure Dragon on it. If it had a long handle, it would have truly been an Azure Dragon Blade.

This Azure Dragon Blade was substantial, unlike the Fangtian Halberd in Ye Tianchen’s right hand, which was made tangible by superpower. It was fundamentally different, with its power unknown but certainly much greater. Previously, Ye Tianchen had also thought of finding some "Divine Material" on Earth to craft a weapon for himself, so that the weapon could advance along with his own breakthroughs in realm. Unfortunately, as Zhang Yide said, Earth’s Spiritual Energy had long since become extremely thin, with the laws of nature changed, making it unsuitable even for cultivation, let alone finding Divine Material for tempering weapons. Hence, Ye Tianchen could only forcefully create weapons with superpower to fight powerful enemies.

Swish!

No superfluous words. In such a situation, talking more was just a waste of time and life. Asura swung out his saber, and a huge Sword Energy stretched for several hundred meters, cutting through the air and aiming to kill Ye Tianchen.

Ye Tianchen frowned, feeling the strong Sword Energy for the first time, even stronger than the power exerted by Lin Duan’s Seven Stars Saber, and this was just a casual slash by Asura, not his full power of slaughter.

Boom!

Retreating was certainly not in Ye Tianchen’s nature, especially when facing such a formidable enemy. If he retreated, it was very likely that the opponent would find a flaw, and the next moment your head could be on the ground. As the Fangtian Halberd’s light flashed, Ye Tianchen also gripped the handle with both hands and directly struck with the halberd.

Bang!

A thunderous explosion shook heaven and earth, and the tremendous energy from the clash of the huge Sword Energy and the attack from the Fangtian Halberd spread out. The energy that leaked from the Fangtian Halberd blasted a huge hole in front of Asura, while the blade energy knocked away by the Azure Dragon Saber actually sliced through several large trees, causing them to collapse with incredible sharpness and smoothness.

"It seems you cannot protect the Xuanyuan family. How about joining us ’Thirteen Heavenly Kings’?" Ye Tianchen truly wished for Asura to serve under him; such a master was coveted by anyone for his combat power.

"I have no choice unless I’m dead, only then can I watch the Xuanyuan family be destroyed with my eyes wide open!" Asura said coldly.

"It seems there’s no room for discussion, then. The ’Thirteen Heavenly Kings’ that I lead should have already begun their assault on the Xuanyuan family’s estate, and by holding you back, you cannot save the old Xuanyuan Xuanyu!" Ye Tianchen still wanted to keep a glimmer of hope as he spoke.

"Like I said, unless I die. If the Xuanyuan family is destroyed, it would be because I was dead," Asura said stubbornly.

Whoosh!

Ye Tianchen gripped the Fangtian Halberd tightly in his right hand, and suddenly the entire halberd became enormous, entirely a phantom formed by superpower, while the leaves around Ye Tianchen were already stirring as if by unseen wind, causing even Asura to take a step back. The young man’s impact was too great; his strength unfathomable. To wield such power from the tangible-made Fangtian Halberd, it seemed tonight Asura would face a battle of life and death. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)