Chapter 539: Deceived

Ye Chen was hurt!

Qing Lian’s face fell, and her heart clenched.

‘Just as I thought. When facing someone like the Mountain Dweller, the slightest mistake can be fatal!’

Seeing this, the members of the Luo Race broke into joyful expressions. Those who had been kneeling all got to their feet.

Even for a Cultivator, the neck was an extremely vulnerable spot. An injury there would almost certainly impede Ye Chen’s movements.

As far as they were concerned, the Mountain Dweller’s odds of winning this fight were now incredibly high.

“Oh?”

“It seems you’re hurt, young friend?”

Seeing his sneak attack had landed, the Mountain Dweller secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

His murky eyes stared grimly at Ye Chen as he spoke in a raspy voice, “It looks like you won’t last much longer, young friend.”

He had to admit, the youth before him had put him under immense pressure during their earlier exchange.

Even with his opponent grievously wounded, he didn’t dare let his guard down for a second. His aura remained locked firmly onto Ye Chen. It seemed the slightest move from the young man would be met with his most powerful attack.

“Won’t last much longer?”

“Is that what you think?”

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. He clutched his throat tightly, his expression still calm and composed.

But to the Mountain Dweller, Ye Chen’s composure was clearly just a front.

“Am I wrong?”

The Mountain Dweller chuckled. “Well, whether I’m right or not, we’re about to find out, aren’t we?”

With that, he lunged forward. A powerful aura erupted from him as his withered palm shot brazenly toward Ye Chen’s throat.

The young man’s previously displayed combat prowess had frightened the Mountain Dweller. He certainly wasn’t going to miss this golden opportunity, so he immediately launched a powerful offensive aimed at Ye Chen’s wound.

It looked as if Ye Chen was about to die at the hands of the Mountain Dweller.

Just then, Ye Chen suddenly took away the hand that was pressed against his throat.

At the sight, the Mountain Dweller’s pupils contracted violently.

He was shocked to see Ye Chen’s throat was perfectly fine. Where was the injury?

‘I was tricked?’

The thought had barely crossed the Mountain Dweller’s mind.

In the next instant, Ye Chen’s fist was already upon him.

“BOOM!”

The Mountain Dweller was caught completely off guard. He barely managed to cross his arms to defend himself, but the punch still sent him flying. He slammed hard into an old tree behind him, snapping the massive trunk.

“How could this be?”

The members of the Luo Race were all dumbfounded.

At first, they thought Ye Chen’s throat had been injured by the Mountain Dweller’s sneak attack.

But now, it was clear his throat was completely unharmed.

‘Then where did all that blood come from?’

In the swirling dust, the Mountain Dweller struggled to his feet, a vicious glint in his eyes as he looked at Ye Chen from afar.

“You brat! You were toying with me?”

He spoke in a low voice, which sounded even more raspy than before, a testament to his age.

“Toying with you?”

“You simply misunderstood. I never once said your sneak attack had worked.”

Ye Chen smiled nonchalantly.

Of course, he knew the Mountain Dweller’s throwing knife was meant to be a fatal strike to his throat.

But at the last possible second, he had managed to get his palm in front of his throat.

He had to admit, the throwing knife was incredibly sharp, imbued with a piercing aura. It was clearly no ordinary spiritual weapon.

Even with his powerful physique, his palm was still cut by the blade.

The wound wasn’t actually that serious, however. Ye Chen had simply manipulated his qi and blood to make it bleed more profusely.

By doing so, he deceived everyone, including the Mountain Dweller.

With his hand clamped firmly over his throat, they couldn’t see the actual wound. They all assumed the Mountain Dweller’s sneak attack had succeeded, and inevitably, they let their guard down.

Then, just moments ago, Ye Chen had suddenly erupted, catching the Mountain Dweller completely by surprise.

“Damn it…” The Mountain Dweller’s expression was ghastly. He glared at Ye Chen as the aura around him surged erratically.

“SWISH!”

But before he could act, Ye Chen struck first. A faint purple light emanated from his arm, and phantom dragon scales could be vaguely discerned upon it.

Evidently, the battle had stimulated Ye Chen’s potential. His injuries healed even further, and his physical power grew stronger!

“BOOM!”

The Mountain Dweller could no longer withstand Ye Chen’s assault. After just two clashes, he was sent stumbling back, coughing up blood, his face a mask of horror.

‘How is it that the more we fight, the more ferocious this kid becomes instead of showing any sign of giving up?’

He couldn’t figure it out, but he had no time to dwell on it.

“BOOM!”

“BOOM!”

“BOOM!”

…

Ye Chen hammered the Mountain Dweller with a flurry of punches.

The Mountain Dweller was beaten so badly he couldn’t fight back. He could only defend passively, his Spiritual Power surging to form a massive barrier of light in front of him.

But after only a few punches, the barrier rippled violently before shattering with a bang, dissolving into a shower of light.

The backlash struck the Mountain Dweller, and blood trickled from his lips once more.

Ye Chen pressed his advantage, unwilling to miss such a perfect opportunity. His qi and blood surged like a volcano as a vast, unparalleled power erupted from his palm and slammed viciously into the Mountain Dweller’s chest.

The Mountain Dweller’s old face contorted. His entire chest nearly caved in, his body was drenched in blood, and his aura rapidly faded. He was now grievously wounded.

“Stop… stop!”

He rasped, pleading with Ye Chen.

But Ye Chen turned a deaf ear, intent on finishing the Mountain Dweller off.

Just then, another glint of cold light shot from the Mountain Dweller’s mouth. A blade-like energy, sharp enough to sunder the heavens, tore through the air, revealing its peerless edge.

Unfortunately, Ye Chen was prepared this time.

Moreover, with his current strength, he no longer needed to fear the Mountain Dweller’s sneak attack techniques.

“BOOM!”

Ye Chen shattered the cold light with a single punch. The force from his fist surged forward like a tidal wave, its momentum unchecked, and slammed heavily into the Mountain Dweller’s head in the next instant.

“SPLAT!”

The Mountain Dweller’s head exploded on the spot, splattering red and white across the ground.

And so, the infamous expert of this region met his end.

After killing the Mountain Dweller in a single blow, Ye Chen slowly retracted his fist. His indifferent gaze swept across the members of the Luo Race.

This time, however, before Ye Chen could even speak, everyone from the Luo Race fell to their knees in unison. “We are willing to submit!” they cried out.

Their voices were perfectly synchronized, as if they were terrified that speaking a moment too late would displease Ye Chen.

One look at their faces revealed they were scared out of their wits.

Without a doubt, the Mountain Dweller’s death had struck terror deep into their hearts!