Chapter 116: The Madness of Tie Muqing

"The young man has stopped moving."

"Could he be so terrified by Tie Muqing's attack that he's lost his senses?" To the ordinary martial artists watching, Ye Cheng's stillness was clearly a sign of panic. However, to those with profound strength, it appeared quite different.

"I wonder where this boy gets his confidence. Even a martial artist who has just entered the Origin Realm would have to handle such an attack with the utmost caution, yet this kid is so arrogant?" Jin Cheng remarked, watching Ye Cheng's composure. It didn't look like a calculated front; there was a genuine air of self-assurance about him. But Jin Cheng couldn't fathom the source of that confidence.

"This youth's talent is far beyond that of Tie Muqing," Jian Nu, who rarely spoke, suddenly remarked.

"Oh? Master of the Flying Sword Sect, for you to hold a boy invited by the Nangong family in such high regard is surprising. Tie Muqing is the undisputed genius of our Yongle City. I fear only the monsters in the Nanyang Prefecture could rival his talent," Jin Cheng said, brimming with curiosity.

"This child possesses a vast and potent reservoir of vital blood. I suspect he hasn't even unleashed half of what he holds within. With such refined energy, he has likely already condensed Blood Crystals. I only wonder how many," Jian Nu said softly. He saw a future titan in the making; anyone capable of condensing Blood Crystals, provided they did not fall prematurely, was destined for greatness.

"Oh!" Jin Cheng was startled. He scrutinized Ye Cheng again, a heavy expression clouding his face. Without the reminder, he would never have noticed that the boy's internal blood energy was so dense it hummed like a beating drum, continuous and inexhaustible.

Jin Cheng glanced at Tie Muqiu not far away. Seeing the old man's grim expression, it was clear he too had realized the boy's potential. *That old fox, his eyes are truly sharp.*

Over on the Nangong family's side, Nangong Hao watched Ye Cheng, who stood like a boulder amidst the storm of Tie Muqing's onslaught. He turned to Xie Cang. "Old Xie, what do you make of young brother Ye Cheng?"

Xie Cang fixed his gaze on the platform and spoke solemnly: "This child is a dragon hidden in the depths. As long as he does not perish prematurely, he will shine brilliantly. Reaching the Ancient Dan Realm will be a certainty, and perhaps he might even touch upon that legendary realm."

"Indeed, my thoughts exactly. If possible, I would like to recruit him into the Nangong family. I notice the girl, Xue'er, seems quite concerned for him." Nangong Hao lowered his voice, using his internal energy to transmit the words directly, nodding toward Nangong Xue's direction.

Following the cue, Xie Cang looked over. Seeing the unusual agitation on Nangong Xue's face, his expression stiffened. A strange look crossed his eyes as he looked back at Ye Cheng. He chuckled bitterly, "This boy certainly has his ways."

As the crowd whispered, Tie Muqing's crescent-shaped blade aura descended. As the attack closed in, the spectators held their breath. Some young women, unable to bear the thought of seeing Ye Cheng dismembered, covered their eyes.

"What is he doing? Why hasn't he counterattacked yet?" Nangong Xue’s brows were knitted together, her cold voice laced with anxiety.

"Sister Xue is worried about Ye Cheng. No need to worry, Ye Cheng he...?" Nangong Lin’s sudden interjection caused Nangong Xue to realize her own state. A flash of panic crossed her beautiful eyes, but she quickly masked it, cutting him off with a cold, "I am not!"

Her icy retort silenced Nangong Lin instantly. He shrank back in fear, hiding to the side while muttering, "Stubborn..." Despite his grumbling, the little fatty couldn't help but admire Ye Cheng more and more. *Damn, even an iceberg like her can be melted by Ye Cheng. He really is a master.*

"He moved! He moved! The boy in black is moving!" Just as the blade aura reached within half a foot of his head, Ye Cheng finally acted. With his silver spear in hand, his body coiled like a bow. In a textbook "Cloud-Piercing Strike," his spear surged with blood energy like a rainbow, striking out like a viper to intercept the falling crescent of light.

"Thunderbolt..."

The low, crisp shout escaped Ye Cheng's lips. A triple-layered hidden force surged from his arm into the silver spear. Three muffled thuds echoed in rapid succession, and the spear shattered the crescent blade aura as if tearing through dry branches.

"Thunderbolt" had once been Ye Cheng's earliest trump card. As his strength grew, the technique no longer met his needs, but he had refined it to perfection. The triple-layered hidden force was now second nature to him.

"How? How could my attack be broken so easily?" Tie Muqing stared in disbelief. His powerful strike had been neutralized so effortlessly. But as a seasoned fighter, his shock did not last long; he quickly realized Ye Cheng was now unfolding a new spear technique.

"Thousand Shadow Spear."

Before Tie Muqing could recover, Ye Cheng and his spear transformed into a long, brilliant streak. Countless spear shadows manifested, filled with rolling blood energy that tore through the air as they lashed toward Tie Muqing.

The Thousand Shadow Spear had three stages: Entry, Minor Success, and Major Success. According to the records, Ye Cheng's thousand shadows were merely at the Minor Success stage. The Major Success stage was never clearly defined, only described as "Ten Thousand Shadows into One," a mystery Ye Cheng had yet to grasp.

As Tie Muqing watched Ye Cheng rapidly closing the distance, his face turned ghastly. He glared at the boy with cold malice. This was the most frustrating battle of his career; every one of his methods was easily dismantled, dealing a heavy blow to his pride.

A flicker of struggle crossed his face before Tie Muqing’s expression turned ruthless. A violent surge of blood energy erupted from his body, and sparks of flame ignited within the crimson haze. A wave of energy, several times stronger than his original, caused the very air to tremble.

Tie Muqing stomped on the bluestone floor, creating a spiderweb of cracks and leaving deep indentations where his feet had been. The crowd gasped at the sudden change and the raw power displayed by that single stomp.

Feeling the immense power within, Tie Muqing’s face took on a crazed look. "Haha! How could I lose to you? What does burning a little blood energy matter? As long as I defeat you, what does it matter if my cultivation regresses?"

"Burning blood energy?"