CHAPTER 1039: 1039 POWERFUL! (FIRST RELEASE)

The sword lights danced chaotically in the air. Every strike Ye Qiu delivered was blocked by Ji Changtian, who countered with the power of a Human Monarch, forcing Ye Qiu to retreat step by step.

As expected of the leader of the Ji clan, Ji Changtian’s strength was indeed at the Human Monarch realm.

Ye Qiu, countering with the early stages of the Legendary realm, found himself utterly outmatched against Ji Changtian.

It was Ji Changyu’s presence that gave Ye Qiu room to fight back. In dealing with the Myth realm, Ye Qiu feared no one.

The three of them were entangled in combat. Ye Qiu exploited Ji Changyu as a weak point, preventing Ji Changtian from displaying his full strength against him.

Elsewhere, the owner of the Book Pavilion and Ji Bairi were engaged in a duel that was difficult to comprehend, as both were at a high level. Their attacks weren’t overly flashy but rather clashes of fists and feet. Yet, even missed blows appeared terrifying, capable of destroying even a Myth realm fighter with a single punch.

The ancient tribes watching from afar felt chills in their limbs. Both the Book Pavilion owner and Ji Bairi were among the strongest in the ancient lands. To the weaker Martial Artists, watching their fight was like witnessing gods battling.

The Book Pavilion owner grew increasingly shocked as the battle progressed. Ji Bairi’s strength unexpectedly matched his own, especially his eyes, which repeatedly put him in dangerous situations, capable of bewitching hearts and entangling one in illusions.

"Weren’t you curious about why my eyes became so good? I’m not afraid to tell you, I dug these eyes out from Dugu Qiujian."

"The eyes of the Dugu clan are indeed unique; they can confuse others. Our martial levels are quite similar, but with these bewitching eyes, you are not my match," Ji Bairi said calmly.

His words were clearly intended to provoke the Book Pavilion owner, considering the owner once wished to take Dugu Qiujian as his disciple. Hearing Ji Bairi’s words now only fueled his anger, causing his attacks to grow fiercer.

Yet, Ji Bairi’s eyes gleamed, causing the Book Pavilion owner’s attacks to occasionally go astray.

At the Book Pavilion owner’s level of cultivation, it was nearly impossible for Ji Bairi to completely bewilder him, but he could still exert some influence. Thus, every time the owner launched a powerful attack, Ji Bairi’s eyes disrupted it.

As time went on, the Book Pavilion owner became increasingly frustrated with the fight.

Ye Qiu struck Ji Changyu with a palm, sending him flying, but also took a punch from Ji Changtian. However, this punch did not harm him, as he was wearing soft armor, which dispersed a large portion of the force.

On the other hand, Ji Changyu suffered significantly, spitting out fresh blood.

Ji Changtian felt a tremor in his heart; he witnessed Ye Qiu willingly endure injury to land an attack on Ji Changyu. Despite Ji Changtian’s punch using Human Monarch level power, it merely sent Ye Qiu flying without killing him.

How could this kid’s defensive power be so strong?

Ji Changtian was astonished; this was the first time he had seen a Mythical Martial Artist withstand a Human Monarch’s strike without injury.

No wonder Ji Lingchen was defeated by Ye Qiu; this Ye Qiu was exceptionally peculiar.

In the distance, Tang Heshan watched the scene with a pounding heart, and Elder Tang Li beside him was similarly unsettled. Back then, Elder Tang Li personally brought Ye Qiu to the ancient lands. At that time, Ye Qiu was just a minor figure in his presence, but now, in the face of the Ji clan leader Ji Changtian’s attack, Ye Qiu still stood robust and lively.

Even Elder Tang Li couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, amazed by Ye Qiu’s monstrous talent as a Martial Artist.

Tang Heshan looked at the ongoing battle and sighed, "If this youngster is given enough time, even veteran Martial Artists might not be his opponents."

Hearing this, Elders Tang Li and Tang Yu, the only remaining elders of the Tang clan, nodded in agreement. They realized that if Ye Qiu had enough time to grow, he would certainly become a terrifying presence.

Listening to these words, Tang Surou fell into a daze. She recalled Ye Qiu’s near-death encounter with the Legendary realm. If she hadn’t used a Crystal Stone to save him, there wouldn’t be the Ye Qiu of today. It had only been a year, yet Ye Qiu’s presence stirred up a mighty storm in the ancient lands.

Such a notion was something Tang Surou never expected.

Tang Ze, Tang Hao, and Tang Lu remained silent. Though they didn’t wish to admit it, they all realized Ye Qiu had far surpassed them.

In fact, many Martial Artists from the surrounding ancient tribes were amazed, such as Yue Clan’s Yue Lun. It was now that he realized the true extent of Ye Qiu’s power, daring to contest with Ji Changtian. Even the Yue clan youths familiar with Ye Qiu, who used to refer to him as Master Ye, were left in awe.

"Worthy of Master Ye, a paragon of our generation. If he survives, there will be a place for him in the ancient lands in the future."

Representatives from the Sun clan’s Sun Baichi, Wu clan’s Wu Gang and Wu Chengdao, Zhan clan’s Zhan Xiao, and others from the preeminent youths of the ancient lands were all shaken by Ye Qiu’s power. Many finally understood that Ji Lingchen’s defeat at the hands of Ye Qiu was only natural because Ye Qiu was a prodigy, unmatched by his peers.

For those Martial Artists who shared an era with Ye Qiu, it was undeniably a lamentable truth that Ye Qiu’s brilliance overshadowed every other prodigy.

Further away, the Jin clan also watched the battle, as this significant event had spread across the ancient lands. Jin Wanshan, observing the chaos ignited by Ye Qiu, felt a deep-seated concern. His son Jin Shanshun had chosen to follow Ye Qiu, and if Ye Qiu were killed by the three major ancient clans, Jin Shanshun would also not escape retribution.

Yet, regarding all these developments, all Jin Wanshan could do was watch helplessly. He dared not intervene, lest he doomed the Jin clan to irreparable disaster by opposing the three major ancient clans.

Clans like the Jin, Ba, Shan, Bu, and other less prominent clans couldn’t participate in such conflicts between the major clans, as even those in the Myth realm would only be cannon fodder.

"He’ll be fine, and so will my brother," Jin Zhimo silently prayed. Beside her, Elder Jin Huang also watched quietly, muttering, "Benefactor Ye will surely overcome this crisis."

Boom, boom...

Various attacks flew in all directions, leaving nearby trees shattered. A ten-mile radius was flattened, transformed into a vast battlefield.

This confrontation shook the entire ancient land as people from the three major clans continuously arrived, providing a steady stream of reinforcements.

Meanwhile, on the Yun Shang Palace side, apart from a few top experts, there weren’t many intermediate Martial Artists, causing the few present to feel immense pressure, akin to ants biting an elephant.

Although Ye Qiu was engaged in battle with Ji Changtian, his mind was constantly attending to all the experts on his side.

Since the Book Pavilion owner and Mo Lao were blocked by two top experts from the Ji clan, it was only the one top expert, Respected Wu Yang, along with Boss Yun and himself, Ye Qiu, countering the three major clans. The mounting pressure on the three of them from the increasing number of Martial Artists from the three major clans was palpable.

Even an expert like Respected Wu Yang was now panting from exhaustion.

"Are we truly going to be exhausted to death here?" Ye Qiu murmured, his eyes flashing as he pondered how to withstand the forces of the three major clans.