CHAPTER 449: CHAPTER 319: HER STRENGTH

When the Poison Sand was thrown, everyone present saw it.

In the Public Zone of Yan City No.9, a life and death duel was being conducted, and it was not a big deal if a few people died.

But, Yan City had its own rules—you couldn’t use poison, you couldn’t use hidden weapons.

Zhan Gang took out the Poison Sand, its color peacock green and sparkling with light, clearly indicating its extreme toxicity.

He only dared to act so recklessly because his older brother was a Yan Yi Envoy.

"Little Infinite Finger second style, Sky-shattering Stone." Seeing this, a hint of concealed anger flashed between Ye Lingyue’s eyebrows, as Zhan Gang only saw her sleeve flicking.

From within her sleeve, a sticky force emerged, and the Poison Sand that had already reached in front of her suddenly disappeared.

With another flick, the Poison Sand suddenly changed direction and was thrown right at Zhan Gang’s face.

In that same moment, dozens of gold and black finger winds, like ghostly shadows, shot out explosively.

Ye Lingyue had only recently advanced to the Primordial Elixir Realm, but during this period, having absorbed a lot of Evil Drop, her Primordial Power was quite bizarre.

With this one finger strike, not to mention someone in the Great Primordial Dan Realm, even a Martial Artist in the Reincarnation First Path would find it hard to endure.

"Ah!" Zhan Gang screamed in agony as countless grains of Poison Sand hit his face and eyes.

But before he could even touch his face, Zhan Gang’s fingers...

All ten of his fingers, struck by the Infinite Finger, rolled to the ground, blood gushing like a fountain.

Zhan Gang had his fingers severed by someone!

When the two made their moves, due to Zhan Gang’s status, most people in the Basic-level Public Area had already stopped fighting, all watching the scene unfold.

Everyone thought it would be another case of a bully picking on a newcomer, but who knew that the one called Hong Shisan was so ferocious.

He hadn’t made a move until then, but once he did, he directly severed all ten of Zhan Gang’s fingers.

His hands barren, only palms remained, his face, nose, mouth, all covered in the toxic Poison Sand, his blood quickly turning green, he looked not at all human.

People who witnessed this scene were all shocked.

"Big brother." Wu Yue, who had been gleefully watching earlier, trembled, not daring to step forward after seeing such a ghastly scene.

"You lost," Ye Lingyue said resolutely.

Just a single sentence drained all traces of color from Zhan Gang’s face.

"Wu Yue, give him everything."

Ye Lingyue’s eyes glanced towards Wu Yue.

Scared, Wu Yue swiftly handed over all the valuables from Zhan Gang, and in the end, also surrendered his own Elixir Pills and silver, all in haste.

"Now get lost," Ye Lingyue barked, and Wu Yue hurriedly helped Zhan Gang escape like a madman.

Only then did Ye Lingyue weigh with satisfaction the two coin purses she had just obtained.

Inside Zhan Gang’s money pouch was indeed full of surprises for Ye Lingyue, containing fifty Candle Dragon Elixirs, his earlier palm technique stone carving, a shield Xuan Artifact, several poisoned hidden weapons, and tens of thousands of silver notes—the hidden weapons he hadn’t even had a chance to use in the flurry.

Ye Lingyue packed away the coin purses, contentedly tugged the corner of her mouth, only then did she realize she was surrounded by people standing in inner and outer circles.

With one glance from Ye Lingyue, these people were frightened into taking a big step back, looking at her with bafflement and fear.

"Hey, I originally planned to keep a low profile and silently make a fortune," Ye Lingyue innocently touched her nose with an unavoidable expression on her face.

After this battle, it seemed unlikely that she would be able to continue trading in the Basic-level Public Area.

Looking at these people’s faces, they treated her as if she were the plague.

It didn’t matter. She had already siphoned off nearly all the benefits from the Basic-level Public Area.

Ye Lingyue pouted, tidied up her belongings, and strode out of the Basic-level Public Area.

In a corner of Yan City No.9.

Zhan Gang was sobbing and sniffling.

Before him stood an alchemist, clad in a black Yan Yi robe.

This person was none other than Zhan Gang’s older brother, Zhan Feng.

"Big brother, this time you must avenge your little brother. That bully, he broke all ten of my fingers, you must seek justice for me."

Any other time, hearing the word ’bully’ from Zhan Gang’s mouth might have made the Yan Yi Envoy scoff.

But after seeing his own little brother’s hands reduced to merely two fleshy palms, his annoyance turned into towering rage.

"Who dares to hurt my little brother? What’s that person’s background?"

"That person is called Hong Shisan. He’s not very well-known on the mainland and his background is unknown. He hasn’t been in Yan City No.9 for long, spending his time in the Basic Level Public Zone. Big brother, you may not have heard of him," Zhan Gang said, his bleeding now stopped, but those ten severed fingers could no longer be reattached.

Ruined—his cultivation was at least half-destroyed.

"A newcomer?" Underneath his mask, Zhan Feng’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.

Zhan Gang was his little brother. Although not as strong as his older brother, he was unexpectedly defeated by a newcomer in the Basic-level Public Area.

"He’s a newcomer, likely only a Martial Artist in the Small Yuan Dan Realm and also an Alchemist," Zhan Gang recalled his exchange with Hong Shisan, who needed only a few moves, especially that last finger strike with Primordial Power bursting instantly, its power not to be underestimated.

An Alchemist and a Martial Artist practicing dual cultivation, that was quite uncommon on the mainland.

Hearing this, Zhan Feng understood in his heart.

An ordinary Martial Artist in the Small Yuan Dan Realm couldn’t possibly possess such terrifying Primordial Power.

After much thought, it seemed the only reason could be that Hong Shisan was dual cultivating as both a Martial Artist and an Alchemist, so the Cultivation Techniques he learned were different from ordinary people.

"But even so, big brother, he’s no match for you," Zhan Gang thought of his older brother’s strength with a vengeful pleasure.

Even within Yan City No.9, his big brother was ranked among the top ten beneath the city masters.

"It’s just a shame he’s always been lurking in the Basic-level Public Zone. If he were in the Intermediate Public Zone, it would be within my territory." Zhan Gang was Zhan Feng’s only brother, and although this little brother was worthless, being crippled by someone, Zhan Feng must seek revenge.

A Martial Artist in the Elixir Realm, Zhan Feng didn’t bother to act personally; he’d let his subordinates deal with it, preferably on his own turf.

"Big brother, that’s not an issue. I’ve looked into it; that guy didn’t come alone, he has several comrades, among them two women, likely to be Hong Shisan’s confidantes. They are in the Intermediate Public Zone," Zhan Gang suggested, to first teach those two women a lesson, preferably capturing them, then Hong Shisan wouldn’t be able to resist being caught.

"Let’s proceed this way, you go heal for a few days. That Hong Shisan, I will handle him myself," saying so, Zhan Feng’s figure flashed, as if he had never even seen Zhan Gang.

Zhan Gang’s predicament accelerated Ye Lingyue’s departure from the Basic-level Public Area.

That night, after leaving Yan City No.9, Ye Lingyue decided to head for the Intermediate Public Zone in a few days and rendezvous with Lan Cai’er and the others.