Chapter 156

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Chapter 156: Seizing the Opportunity

Ye Yun looked down at Zhong Ying with superiority, his eyes filled with mockery.

Zhong Ying’s fingers twitched weakly. The third technique of the Thundercloud Lightning Sword, Divine Thunder Annihilation, had nearly pierced through his body. His true qi scattered within him, his qi sea nearly gone, leaving him unable to condense true essence.

This strike had far exceeded Zhong Ying’s expectations, nearly extinguishing his life force entirely.

"What… are you planning?" Zhong Ying wheezed, struggling to speak.

Ye Yun pressed his foot harder on the man’s face. "What do you think? I’ll follow your example—kill and plunder."

Suddenly finding a shred of energy, Zhong Ying screeched, "You can’t kill me! Senior Brother Yang’s people will hunt you endlessly! Even as inner disciples, you’ll find it impossible to move a single step!"

Ye Yun laughed, grinding his foot until Zhong Ying’s cheekbones creaked. "Senior Brother Yang? Who’s that?"

The pressure lessened slightly as Zhong Ying gasped, "He leads Junzi Hall in the inner sect! Kill me, and Junzi Hall’s hunters will pursue you till your last breath!"

"Junzi Hall? Explain." Ye Yun’s eyes narrowed with interest.

"The inner sect doesn’t control Shadowless Peak’s disciples—they form their own factions. Dozens exist, but three dominate: Junzi Hall, Sword Alliance, and Qingxiao Group. Yang Hualong leads Junzi Hall at seventh-level Qi Refinement, unmatched among peers. Kill me, and his wrath will consume you!" Zhong Ying rattled off hurriedly, fearing the foot might crush his skull.

"Seventh-level Qi Refinement? Impressive." Ye Yun tilted his head. "And this Yang Hualong?"

"He’s reached the true fire realm—half-step from Foundation Establishment! A genius! Let me introduce you to Junzi Hall! Under Yang’s protection, none would dare challenge you!"

"Seventh-level… truly admirable." Ye Yun lifted his foot slightly.

Zhong Ying gulped air. "Most spend lifetimes reaching that stage! Yet Senior Brother Yang approaches Foundation Establishment in his twenties! Even Murong Wuhen—that seventeen-year-old at fifth level Qi Refinement—can’t compare!"

"Murong Wuqing?" Ye Yun’s voice turned gentle.

"You mean Murong Wuhen! That brat’s fifth level is nothing compared to Senior Brother Yang!" Zhong Ying sneered, gradually regaining strength though his qi remained dormant.

Ye Yun hid a cold smile. This fool didn’t even know Murong Wuqing’s name. Yet Murong Wuhen’s progress chilled him—body refinement to fifth-level Qi Refinement in months? At this rate, the boy might reach seventh-level before eighteen. Unthinkable.

"The other factions?" Ye Yun crouched eye-level.

"Sword Alliance’s leader claims all blades but his are trash. Qingxiao Group appeared last month, fought Junzi Hall twice without losing ground. Their leader’s a masked woman who survived thirty exchanges against Senior Brother Yang."

"A woman?" Interest sparked in Ye Yun’s eyes. The inner sect sounded far more entertaining than he’d imagined.

"Ye Yun!" Zhong Ying wobbled upright, extending a shaky hand. "Join Junzi Hall! With my recommendation, Senior Brother Yang will—"

Ye Yun’s eyes became slits of amusement. "Will he now?"

“Of course!” Zhong Ying raised his left hand and slapped his chest.

*Slap!*

A sharp crack suddenly rang out. Zhong Ying screamed as his body flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

“Who said you could stand?” Ye Yun’s icy voice cut through the air as his foot pressed down on Zhong Ying’s face again.

“If you kill me, Senior Brother Yang will hunt you down! You’ll regret this!” Zhong Ying shrieked.

“Senior Brother Yang? How about Senior Brother Yin? Rest in peace.” Ye Yun snorted. His foot slammed down, unleashing a burst of true qi that pierced Zhong Ying’s skull and destroyed his soul instantly.

Zhong Ying, a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi refining, died beneath Ye Yun’s boot. All his past glory vanished like smoke.

Ye Yun flicked his wrist, and Zhong Ying’s storage ring flew into his palm. He shattered its final restrictions with his true qi, laying bare all the treasures Zhong Ying had hoarded over the years.

Nearby, Duan Chenfeng and Yu Minghong stared at Ye Yun, their eyes wide with shock.

“Quit gawking. Strip the bodies,” Ye Yun barked.

The two snapped out of their daze, chuckling as they rushed to loot Qin Chong and Qin Tian’s corpses.

Soon, a mountain of treasures—spirit stones, pills, unusual flowers and herbs—lay piled before them.

“So many resources! This could fuel my cultivation for years!” Yu Minghong’s eyes glittered greedily.

Duan Chenfeng glanced at Ye Yun, who remained silent while sifting through the hoard.

“A token!” Duan Chenfeng held up a pale blue token marked with a golden character. “They’ve been stealing from others.”

“Another one here,” Yu Minghong called, pulling a blue token from Qin Chong’s body.

Ye Yun scanned the pile and casually plucked seven more tokens. “Nine tokens total. With thirty assessment quotas, we’re set for the inner disciple assessment.”

“Since Zhong Ying and Zhen Huacheng wanted fewer token holders, let’s eliminate them after slaying the Divine Feather Vulture King,” Duan Chenfeng said, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Yu Minghong eyed the resources nervously. “What about this mountain of loot?”

Ye Yun shrugged, grabbing a jade bottle. “I’ll take these Spirit Nourishing Pills. Split the rest.” The pills were trivial—he already owned superior ones crafted by Golden Pill master Hualun.

Duan Chenfeng grinned. “Let’s scramble for it. I’ll count: One… *three*!” He lunged at the pile before finishing the count.

“Cheater!” Yu Minghong yelped, diving after him.

As the two tussled, sending treasures flying, Ye Yun watched with faint amusement.