Chapter 319 - 291: The Butcher of Jinyun Valley

Chapter 319: Chapter 291: The Butcher of Jinyun Valley

Ye Juming’s voice was low:

"Valley Master Chen, a man of your stature..."

Chen Che let out a soft laugh. "If you’re too scared, then let’s just forget it."

’When it comes to cunning, I admit I’m no match for these old geezers who have lived for hundreds of years,’ he thought. ’They’ve spent their entire lives scraping and clawing their way up. Aside from Cultivation, all they do is scheme and plot. Of everyone present, only Chen Yin could outwit them.’

However.

’Who doesn’t have their own advantages?’

WHOOSH—

As these words were spoken, even the sound of the wind seemed to die down within Jinyun Valley. It was only then that the many Loose Cultivators realized something was wrong.

The air was thick with tension.

’Everything was fine just a moment ago. How did they suddenly turn hostile?’

The atmosphere grew more and more oppressive.

They looked up.

Only to find that, at some unknown point, a layer of dark clouds had gathered over Jinyun Valley.

Now, it was the Ye Family’s turn to fall silent. A palpable stir went through their ranks as they exchanged glances, their eyes all turning to Ye Juming. The smile was gone from Ye Juming’s face, replaced by a cold expression as he glanced sideways at a person behind him.

Everyone’s gaze followed instinctively. They saw a man nearly nine feet tall, carrying a huge, wrapped bundle on his back that looked like a greatsword.

’Who is he?’

As confusion arose in everyone’s minds, the man announced himself in the very next moment.

"I am Lu Ruan. I have long heard of Valley Master Chen’s great name. I knew you were a rare genius of the Alchemy Dao, but I was unaware you were also a formidable Sword Cultivator. I’ve come today to request a demonstration of your skills. I hope you will oblige me."

"Lu Ruan?"

Hearing his name, the Qi Refining Loose Cultivators had no reaction, but many of the Foundation Establishment Major Cultivators were shocked, their heads snapping toward the burly man.

Lu Ruan’s moniker was Ghost Cry Sword. He was not well-known here, but under the jurisdiction of the Star-Picking Sect, he was a fearsome figure.

His story was somewhat similar to Xiao Chan’s.

It is said.

He came from a humble background, a stable hand for a wealthy mortal family.

In his youth, he was lucky enough to obtain a Cultivation Technique. After it was accidentally discovered, his master’s family tried every trick to seize it from him. In a fit of rage, he rose up and slaughtered the entire clan in a single night. Unfortunately, a scion of that family happened to be cultivating in a Sect. Having massacred the family, Lu Ruan naturally faced retaliation.

From then on, killing the young brought out the old.

He carved a name for himself through slaughter, wiping out many clans and Sects, and felling numerous famous and venerable cultivators. His Heavy Sword was especially famous; he had practically taken the offensive path of a Sword Cultivator to its absolute extreme.

However, he was very clever and never provoked the Star-Picking Sect, remaining free and unfettered. But he disappeared decades ago, and many believed he had already died. No one expected him to be hiding with the Ye Family.

Lu Ruan had been famous for over a hundred years. He was an existence that had walked out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, with few opponents at the Same Tier.

Seeing him step forward, a wave of whispers immediately spread through the crowd below:

"It’s actually him?"

"This Lu Ruan is no easy opponent! Did the Ye Family really need to send out such a renowned figure right from the start?"

Everyone was deeply puzzled.

BOOM—

A battle between two Foundation Establishment Major Cultivators was naturally too much for the original dueling platforms to handle.

Hu Yao simply clenched his hand, and with a tremendous roar, the ten platforms rapidly merged into one, forming a White Jade stage a hundred zhang wide. Lu Ruan took a great leap and landed on it, while Chen Che strode through the air, his steps ascending as if on an invisible staircase.

"Swords have no eyes!"

The one who spoke was, once again, Chen Yin. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a brilliant, multi-colored Treasure Bead into the air. The bead unleashed streams of light that quickly enveloped the entire Jinyun Valley.

For a moment.

An image of the Valley’s landscape, its mountains, waters, and plants, as well as the sea of people, appeared within the Treasure Bead.

This was a Tier Two High Grade Impression Bead.

It was a more advanced existence than a Memory Bead, capable of recording both sound and image.

Chen Yin glanced at both parties.

"Since this is a duel, injury and death are inevitable. If you’re worried about accidents, there’s still time to back down. This will prevent anyone from using this as an excuse to seek revenge later. If anyone violates this agreement, I will hand this bead over to the Primordial Sect."

As soon as these words were spoken,

the already tense atmosphere became even more taut.

Everyone realized.

This next battle was very likely to end in bloodshed...

"Good!"

Ye Juming sneered.

This was a shackle, preventing both sides from seeking revenge later. But it also meant that once on the stage, life and death were left to fate. Even if one died, it could only mean their skills were inferior.

"If I had known this would happen, I would have sent someone else up."

Ye Xingwang said with considerable regret.

"There’s still a chance."

Ye Juming replied flatly, his expression unchanging as he sent a voice transmission, "Lu Ruan is also a Major Cultivator who has been famous for a long time. Even if he can’t kill Chen Che, he can still test his strength, giving us a better idea of what we’re up against. When the time comes, we can also make it so he can’t leave the stage..."

"Then let us begin."

Seeing no objections from either side, Chen Yin sat back down.

The crowd quickly turned their eyes to the stage.

Lu Ruan had already gripped the Heavy Sword on his back. His legs were slightly bent, his body coiled and nearly parallel to the ground. When he was standing still, he was like a mountain, exuding immense pressure. Now, in this posture, he was more like a Fierce Beast descending a mountain, his presence terrifying to the extreme.

Chen Che stood on one side of the stage, hands hanging at his sides, looking for all the world like his opponent’s prey.

GULP~

The sound of people swallowing nervously echoed all around.

"HAAH!"

Suddenly.

Lu Ruan let out a deafening roar that was like a clap of thunder, and with a single bound, he was in front of Chen Che.

At the same time, as the Heavy Sword left its sheath, the crowd felt as if a bolt of black lightning had flashed before their eyes. The shriek of the blade was like the roars of countless vengeful ghosts, causing the Loose Cultivators in the Valley to frantically circulate their True Essence and cover their ears.

SCREECH—

On the stage, Sword Qi erupted, and a black wind raged.

As the Heavy Sword was swung, twelve black, Half Moon Sword Auras, each dozens of zhang long, flashed through the air in an instant.

RRRRIP—

A tearing sound erupted, and for a split second, everyone felt as if their very vision was being split in two.

It seemed as if nothing in its path could remain whole, that it could sever anything!

"What kind of Swordsmanship is that?!"

As this strike was unleashed, many Foundation Establishment Major Cultivators cried out in alarm.

If it were them on the stage, they feared they wouldn’t even have a chance to react before being diced into several pieces on the spot.

But on the stage, Chen Che did not counterattack. Instead, he paced unhurriedly. It looked perilous, but his body moved like a willow in the breeze, precisely shifting just outside the arc of the Half Moon Sword Aura every single time.

SWISH SWISH SWISH—

Lu Ruan’s assault grew fiercer, pressing Chen Che with every step. The entire stage seemed filled with Half Moon Sword Auras, seemingly sealing off the space, yet he was always just a hair’s breadth away from landing a hit.

"What kind of Body Technique is that?"

Chen Che’s effortlessly casual Body Technique left the crowd stunned.

But as his opponent, Lu Ruan only felt a massive headache. Before he could even think of a countermeasure, the next scene sent a chill down his spine. Chen Che took a step forward, accompanied by a faint clap of thunder, and instantly appeared right in front of him.

’Not good!’

Lu Ruan cried out internally and hastily retreated.

With a wave of his hand, a crystal-clear leaf flew out, spinning. It expanded in the wind, growing to seven or eight zhang in size in the blink of an eye, like a green wall bisecting the stage.

And at that exact moment, Chen Che suddenly stopped. He reached back and grabbed the Ruyi Wind and Thunder Sword, his five fingers clenching around the hilt.

DING!

The sword sang.

In the next instant, a loud BANG echoed across the stage!

CRACK—

Power surged from Chen Che’s body. His muscles tensed as he held the sword in one hand, whipping it downwards from above as if it were a long lash.

CLANG!

The might of this single strike was beyond the imagination of anyone present.

The light of the sword condensed, appearing like a faint Firefly, but it then accelerated, tracing a clear trajectory as it flew.

The Firefly struck the green leaf blocking its path, and the leaf exploded into fragments in mid-air.

The Sword Momentum did not diminish. It swept aside the scattered fragments and dust, continuing toward Lu Ruan as if carrying the weight of a mountain.

Lu Ruan was terrified to his core. Not only did he raise his sword to block, but his True Essence also burst forth, clearing the air in a ten-zhang radius and creating a vacuum. Amidst the surging True Essence, a faint light shimmered as a suit of black Armor emerged from beneath his robes.

"What’s going on?"

The crowd couldn’t understand why Lu Ruan was reacting as if he were facing a mortal enemy, but in the next moment, they understood why.

BOOM—

When the Ruyi Wind and Thunder Sword fell, both his True Essence Shield and his Spiritual Armor were split in two like a knife through butter. Lu Ruan, raising his Heavy Sword to block, looked like a praying mantis trying to stop a landslide with its arms.

They were cleaved apart in an instant.

THWACK!

The sword light flashed, its edge slicing through and striking the stage.

BANG!

Flesh exploded and stone fragments flew.

The dread in Lu Ruan’s eyes had yet to turn into terror before his entire body exploded amidst the dust. His shredded flesh and the flying stones were caught in the shockwave and forcefully scattered, wiping away all traces of him.

PATTER PATTER.

The shattered stones of the stage rained down with a continuous patter, but all of Jinyun Valley had fallen into a deathly silence.

Chen Che slowly sheathed his sword, looked across the stage, and said with a hint of apology,

"I couldn’t hold back..."

"It’s fine. The terms were stated before you stepped onto the stage. Fellow Daoist Ye will not blame you."

Chen Yin glanced over, seeing that Ye Juming hadn’t even fully processed what had happened. He spoke slowly, "However, that Lu Ruan was far too careless, wasn’t he? Surely the sons of the Ye Family are not all like this. I wonder if there is anyone else who dares to come up and ask for a lesson?"

The sound of falling stones ceased, but a clamor rose from the surroundings.

"Hiss..."

"Just one strike."

The disciples from the Valley stared with wide eyes.

They had always heard of their Valley Master’s reputation but had never seen him in action. This single strike was completely beyond their expectations.

The faces of everyone in the Ye Race had turned utterly grim, especially Ye Juming’s.

Seeing Chen Che volunteer himself, he had already guessed his opponent was strong, but he had never imagined he would be *this* strong.

Moreover.

The most hateful part was that Chen Yin and Chen Che were working in concert, one leading and the other echoing, effectively roasting the Ye Family over a fire. Now, they either had to admit their skills were inferior and leave obediently.

But.

For a Golden Core Influence to back down before a Foundation Establishment Influence was more than just a loss of face; it would make them a laughingstock. It was like an adult being beaten bloody by a child; no matter how great your future achievements, you could never wash away such a stain.

Or, they had to bite the bullet and keep sending people up.

Even if they died in battle, others would praise them as brave heroes, and they would have to continue until they finally defeated their opponent.

However, the people of the Ye Family clearly chose the latter.

"Of course there is!"

Ye Juming took a deep breath. ’How can the glory of our race be so shamefully lost in my hands?’

Clenching his fists, his voice grew cold.

"Ye Gui!"