"Ye Qingzhou, you actually didn’t run away!?"
Qin Haoyu stopped in his tracks, his eyes fixed steadily on the formidable adversary in front of him, while he silently began to mobilize his inner breath, ready to fight with full force.
As Ye Qingzhou’s fierce sword intent came rushing forth, everyone present felt waves of coldness in their hearts, and even their breathing seemed to halt.
The atmosphere was filled with a chilling sense of foreboding.
Lan Caidie held a dagger in her right hand and had a delicately crafted hand crossbow equipped on her left arm. She looked around suspiciously, afraid of an ambush: "Ye Qingzhou, where are your teammates?"
"To deal with you all, I’m enough on my own."
Ye Qingzhou held the Suspended Cutting Sword in hand, speaking arrogantly, yet his expression remained calm and composed, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, showing not a trace of disturbance even when facing the encirclement of nearly a hundred people.
"Arrogant!"
Luo Qingqing shouted crisply and drew out twin blades from behind her.
Meanwhile, Qin Haoyu stood in the center position, directly giving the order: "Everyone, attack together!"
"Niu Taijie!"
"Received!"
At the command, Niu Taijie instantly unleashed his momentum, exhaling the Fire’s Inner Breath, turning his skin from dark black to a red-black hue, with a metallic sheen appearing on the surface.
Niu Taijie himself began to emit two white vapors from his nostrils, and his body lit up with a searing flame, with sweat evaporating into steam swirling around his mighty body.
Fire Technique, High-Tier Martial Technique, risking life and limb!
This is a martial technique capable of greatly enhancing strength and speed. Although it cannot be sustained for long and consumes a lot of physical energy, its explosive power is astonishing.
Used at a critical moment, it can even deliver a decisive blow and change the course of the battle.
"Ye Qingzhou, come fight!"
In a state resembling madness, Niu Taijie pounced towards Ye Qingzhou.
During the last arena battle, he was defeated by Ye Qingzhou’s single sword stroke, and he still held a grudge, always yearning for the chance to avenge his honor.
Thud, thud, thud~
As Niu Taijie’s steps thundered, charging at full speed, Ye Qingzhou felt a tremor underfoot, a force akin to an earthquake, as if a landslide avalanche was happening right before him.
"Glorious fire, evident celestial destiny!"
At the same time, Qin Haoyu also began gathering power, lightly caressing the Flame Emperor Sword in his hand, and the Fire’s Inner Breath immediately flowed onto the crimson blade.
Instantly, flames burst forth, setting his body hair ablaze, making him appear like a divine spirit bathed in the fiery glow.
Fire Technique, High-Tier Martial Technique, swift as shooting stars!
Now, Qin Haoyu, with all his body hair aflame, moved as swiftly as a meteor, and as he flashed by, the Flame Emperor Sword in his hand struck first although he acted second, slashing toward Ye Qingzhou’s left side.
Where the sword blade reached, the flames soared, and the intense heat capable of melting gold and iron turned the Flame Emperor Sword’s blade red-hot. This strike’s power could easily slice through a several-hundred-millimeter thick steel plate with a single slash from Qin Haoyu.
"Is Niu Taijie’s frontal strong attack merely a distraction, and Qin Haoyu’s flank assault the real kill?"
Ye Qingzhou stood with sword in hand, facing the encirclement. Observing everything around him, calculating quickly in his mind, he had already seen through his opponents’ combined attack strategy.
Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~
Three poisoned arrows shot from the right, forming a perfect triangle pattern and completely blocking Ye Qingzhou’s movements.
It was Lan Caidie’s hand crossbow shooting, the arrowheads glowing with a multicolored black gloss, clearly a poison she had concocted specifically for Ye Qingzhou.
"Is this all?"
A hint of disappointment flashed across Ye Qingzhou’s eye, then he swiftly slashed his sword horizontally, the flow of his qi forming an invisible barrier around him.
And just as the barrier formed, Niu Taijie’s fortress-breaking iron punch, Qin Haoyu’s mountain-burning sharp blade, and Lan Caidie’s soul-capturing poisoned arrows all came crashing down, colliding fiercely like a cosmic smash.
Bang~
The barrier shattered in an instant, yet the massive force of the impact not only failed to affect Ye Qingzhou, it instead rebounded back towards the attackers.
"Ah!"
Qin Haoyu bore the brunt first, followed by Niu Taijie, and both were sent flying backward by the rebounded force, landing awkwardly.
Lan Caidie, who was a bit further away, had her cheek grazed by a rebounding arrow. Fortunately, the cultivation technique she practiced granted her immunity to poison, so she remained unharmed.
The three of them, having joined forces, were repelled by a single sword stroke, and their expressions turned serious.
This was because the sword skill used by Ye Qingzhou was none other than the renowned High-Tier Forest Martial Technique, Sword Return!
Sword Return represents the pinnacle of swordsmanship technique. A swordsman who masters this sword skill can effortlessly reflect the attacks of opponents, making it extremely formidable.
Ye Qingzhou was already difficult to deal with, and now that he had mastered the high-tier martial technique of Sword Return, which required exceptional talent and skill, the three felt even more despair.
Their numerical advantage was nothing but a joke in the face of Sword Return.
They feared their own attacks would backfire before even reaching Ye Qingzhou, causing casualties among themselves instead.
"Everyone, let’s go together. We need to create an opportunity for Niu Taijie and the others!"
Luo Qingqing wielded twin blades, her movements nimble as a bird, leading the charge against Ye Qingzhou, intending to use a sea of people strategy to wear down his stamina and spirit.
"All together now!"
Inspired by Luo Qingqing’s courage, many others were moved, and soon knives, spears, staffs, axes, hooks, and forks all swung into action.
Dozens of martial arts newcomers, each showing off, wielding their weapons, and using their most adept martial techniques, charged towards Ye Qingzhou, the Great Demon King blocking their path.