Chapter Forty-Five: Spear and Shield

  PS: So far, there have been over 180 votes, I don't know if it can break through 300, thank you very much for everyone's support.

  "Ye Hai has lost, it seems that among all the younger generation of the Ye family, only Ye Chen can rival Ye Xuan."

  "To be honest, I don't think Ye Chen is that great. It's not that his strength isn't on par with Ye Xuan, but rather he can't attack from a distance. You also saw Ye Xuan's swordsmanship earlier, it was relentless and impossible to get close."

  "This makes sense, but Ye Chen may also have an ace up his sleeve, let's keep watching."

  "It's too early to conclude now."

  The bigwigs of Los Angeles who came to watch the game were whispering to each other and expressing their own opinions.

  On the judge's bench, the three elders nodded in approval. With a daughter like Ye in their family, even if they couldn't rise to greater heights, they wouldn't decline either.

  "Ye Xun wins, the last match is the final, the first place will receive a low-grade storage spirit ring, one hundred low-grade spirit stones, and ten thousand gold. Ye Xun, Ye Chen, I hope you two will go all out in the next match and strive for no regrets. Of course, the second and third places will not get the low-grade storage spirit ring, but the spirit stones and gold are the same."

  "Take a rest for a moment now."

  One hundred inferior spirit stones, how can it be so little? Ye Chen was somewhat puzzled.

  Actually, Ye Chen had already taken the lead. In his opinion, the deceased senior had left over 10,000 low-grade spirit stones, and as one of the eight major families, the Ye family must have more. Indeed, the Ye family's low-grade spirit stones were counted in units of ten thousand, but the Ye family had over 600 warriors, with over 300 above the Condensing Reality realm. Even if each person only used 100 low-grade spirit stones per year, it would still consume 30,000 pieces, a staggering amount that could bankrupt an ordinary major family within a few years.

  Moreover, in the early stages of the Cong Zhen realm, a martial artist's consumption rate of spiritual stones is one piece every five days. In a year, they would only need over 70 pieces. Any more than that can only be used for other purposes and has no significance for their own cultivation. Therefore, rewarding 100 low-grade spiritual stones was a well-thought-out decision, not something to be taken lightly.

  As for the 10,000 taels of gold, it's not too much or too little. In Ye Chen's memory, his father Ye Tianhao's personal assets were no more than 100,000 taels of gold. Of course, as the head of the Ye family, he didn't need to spend his own money at all; everything was reimbursed by the Ye family, such as buying elixirs, weapons or secret manuals. However, if there were other private matters, he would have to pay out of his own pocket.

  Under the stage, Ye Xuan took out a low-grade spirit stone and tried hard to recover his lost true energy.

  As the true energy gradually became robust and full, Ye Xun's gaze turned to Ye Chen, silently saying: No matter how strong you have become now, I will defeat you. The disciples of Fei Cui Valley are not allowed to fail, past, present, or future, none are permitted.

  Right!

  The bronze bell rang out in the final match. The three elders let out a heavy breath and shouted, "Time's up, the match begins!"

  Ye Xuan put away the Ling Stone and walked step by step to the center of the arena, standing ten meters away from Ye Chen.

  Ye Chen looked at Ye Xuan and said, "It's been a few months since we last met, I didn't expect you to make further progress and reach the early peak of the Condensed True Realm." The last time they met, the other party was about the same as Ye Tang, with unstable true energy. But after a few months, everything had changed.

  "My cultivation speed is probably the best in Liuyun Sect, but in Feicui Valley, it's nothing. There are many people who progress faster than me." As soon as she spoke, Ye Xuan used her words to strike at Ye Chen's confidence.

  "Whatever," Ye Chen smiled and said, "Let's get started!"

  "Your swordsmanship is not bad, I wonder how it compares to mine."

  As the voice fell, Ye Xuan's figure suddenly appeared five steps in front of Ye Chen, like a wisp of green smoke. His long sword shook casually, and it began to vibrate violently. The tip of the sword burst forth with a series of dazzling, crackling sword lights that resembled fireworks, enveloping the space before him.

  "Good!"

  Ye Xuan's swordsmanship was extremely impressive, but it provoked Ye Chen's battle intent. The fine steel sword flashed out of its scabbard and counterattacked at an even faster speed, stabbing out thirty-six swords in an instant.

  Pffft... Pffft... Pffft...

  The tips of the swords collided, emitting a dazzling spark that obscured both figures, only to see sparks flying everywhere.

  Ye Xiang had been famous for his swordsmanship in the Ye family three years ago. In the three years since he entered Fei Cui Valley, his swordsmanship had made rapid progress. At this time, he was displaying it with all his might, and the naked eye could no longer capture the trajectory of the sword, like lightning flashing across the sky, or starlight twinkling in the dark night, flickering and jumping endlessly.

  Ye Chen used to be called a waste and a useless piece of wood, but after merging with another Ye Chen's soul, his comprehension ability greatly increased, no matter what martial art he got his hands on, he could break through to the highest realm in a short period of time, and was considered an extraordinary being.

  With a sword in hand, Ye Chen unleashed the Lone Peak Thirteen Swords, his swordsmanship was as effortless and traceless as a heavenly horse galloping through the air, retracting and extending at will. Like a goat hanging its horns, he made a divine stroke, often able to counter his opponent's three swords with just one of his own, roaming freely and unrestrainedly.

  Two men fought from the center of the field to outside, and then from outside to the school's auditorium stage, their intense and stunning swordsmanship left the younger generation of the Ye family aghast, not blinking an eye, staring blankly, afraid to miss the most exciting moment.

  The VIPs in the audience all took a deep breath of cold air.

  "It's unbelievable, are they still fourteen or fifteen-year-old youngsters? They're even more skilled than some of the older generation who have been practicing swordsmanship for a long time."

  "Green comes from blue and surpasses blue, indeed the future belongs to young people."

  "It was worth coming here just to see this match."

  The gossip of the crowd did not affect the two people, and the battle became even more intense.

  "Reach new heights!"

  With his powerful strength, Ye Chen fearlessly withstood the impact of his opponent's true energy, and a brilliant sword suddenly shot out, as if he had ascended to the highest peak and was gazing out at all the mountains.

  Ye Xiangxiu's eyes widened, her long sword gleaming with a glassy sheen. With one swift stroke, she met the attack head-on, her voice low and menacing as she growled: "Shatter for me."

  Creak!

  The fine steel sword in Ye Chen's hand let out a whining sound, that was the omen of its impending collapse.

  It's no wonder, though - Ye Xuan's long sword was the famous Luliu Sword of Feicui Valley, while Ye Chen's was just an ordinary fine steel sword. The two were fundamentally not on the same level, and naturally couldn't last for too long.

  Inner energy surged to its limits, Ye Chen's right hand suddenly released the fine steel sword, and immediately drew a complete circle in mid-air, fiercely slapping out.

  Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...

  The fine steel sword shattered into thousands of pieces and pounced on Ye Xuan like a swarm of locusts.

  "How cunning! But it's ineffective against me." Surprised by Ye Chen's strange move, Ye Xuan felt a surge of anger in her heart. Her left hand also drew a complete circle in front of her body, unfolding a layer of crystal-colored true energy barrier that completely blocked the fragmented attack.

  "Haha! Catch this punch!"

  Having lost his long sword, Ye Chen's momentum did not decrease but instead increased. The blood and energy inside his body surged forth with a whooshing sound. In the instant he charged out with his arrow steps, he threw a punch that thundered over.

  Pffft!

  A sound like breaking bamboo shoots rose up, and the true energy shield shattered.

  Ye Xiang took advantage of the brief moment, his body flew out in a reverse direction, his sword switched to his left hand, and his right hand's middle and index fingers simultaneously rose, swiftly wiping across the sword.

  "It's the Stellar Sword Technique, this time Ye Chen is in trouble."

  "It seems that this indirectly proved that Ye Xuan's swordsmanship was inferior to Ye Chen's."

  "What does it matter? A warrior's duel is decided by outcome, not process."

  "That's also true."

  Among the crowd's cries of surprise, blade-like starlight shot out in all directions, sealing off Ye Chen's escape routes from all sides. There was no other way but to resist head-on.

  Ye Chen remained calm and composed, his body radiating a jade-like glow. He shouted loudly: "Let's see whose spear is sharper, or whose shield is stronger!"