The First Battle of Xiao Ye

An Yi fell into silence.

Suddenly, inspiration struck him.

There was still Bai Xiu—that guy was normal.

"Brother Bai, time to wake up."

Fang Jueming nudged Bai Xiu, who had passed out beside him.

Forcibly roused from sleep, Bai Xiu lifted his head with great difficulty, revealing a face that looked as haggard as a drug addict's, before flopping back down with a thud.

"This one's the worst!"

His sickly appearance made everyone fear he might never wake up again.

The council chamber was eerily quiet.

"Is... is this the Asura Gate?"

"I'm sick—can I join them?"

Whispers and murmurs spread among the crowd.

Not far away, Liu Dachao and Fang Jueming locked eyes from their respective positions.

"Dachao, should we stand up?" Qin Shan asked hesitantly.

Liu Dachao grinned. "Nah, better keep a low profile."

"Hmph! You won’t escape responsibility for this, Asura Gate! You are the sinners of Daxia!"

Elder Ning’s voice was icy as he glared at An Yi.

He did have plans to exploit the Asura Gate.

The islands in the southeast boasted superior geographical advantages, home to one of Daxia’s three finest ports.

As a result, the East Sea Sect had amassed immense wealth, making them a frequent target of the Hundred Ghosts Sect.

"Oh? Sinners? So you’re saying exterminating the Hundred Ghosts Sect is a crime?"

From a corner of the chamber, a young man with glasses that reflected a cold light slowly rose to his feet.

His looks were decent—not strikingly handsome, but his composed demeanor exuded an unshakable confidence. His sharp eyes carried an indescribable, domineering aura.

Behind Elder Ning, a disheveled old man in tattered monk robes and long, unkempt hair stood up and roared, "Who the hell are you, kid?"

The young man adjusted his black-framed glasses and replied coolly, "Asura Gate—Chen Bing."

Ding!

[Thousand Mechanism] Chen Bing requests to join the Asura Gate. Accept?

The system’s voice abruptly rang out.

An Yi raised an eyebrow.

"Well, well. This glasses-wearing guy knows what’s up."

Then, with a casual flick, An Yi hit Accept.

"Asura Gate, huh? You’re everywhere! Do you really think you’re Daxia’s fifth major faction? Bunch of trash! Go crawl back into your mothers’ wombs!"

A burly man covered in scars, his aura sinister and ghostly, stood up and licked his lips with a crimson tongue.

Whoosh!

A streak of cyan blade wind slashed toward him!

The scar-faced man’s ears twitched, and he barely managed to duck.

Boom!

The blade wind struck the ceiling, carving a deep crack into it.

"Watch your tongue, or you’ll lose your life."

Lin Chen lifted his gaze, his cold eyes fixed on the man as he spoke indifferently.

"Damn it!"

The scarred man touched the blood trickling from his ear, his expression turning savage.

"Rank 44 on the Heavenly Rankings—Yu Conglong, the Wrathful Shark! Let’s see what you’ve got!"

With that, his body shot forward like a cannonball.

Those within the top 50 of the Heavenly Rankings were all Void Realm experts!

Yu Conglong, the overlord of the South Sea, had roamed the martial world for over thirty years. How could he tolerate such humiliation?

Lin Chen remained motionless, his gaze still icy as he sat calmly in his knockoff wheelchair.

Boom!

Xiao Ye, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly made his move.

With a flick of his sword-fingers, he intercepted Yu Conglong’s strike.

A violent shockwave erupted, sending nearby spectators scrambling away in panic.

"Brother Xiao!"

Fang Jueming’s expression shifted as he moved to intervene.

"Wait."

Lin Chen raised a hand to stop him, his deep eyes fixed on Xiao Ye.

He, too, wanted to see what this new Asura Gate recruit was capable of.

"Hey, baldy, they’re fighting over there. You really just gonna stand by?"

Jiang Cheng leaned against the wall, excitement flashing in his eyes as he quietly slipped on a pair of silver knuckle dusters.

Han Bing frowned at his disrespectful disciple’s words. "Shut your mouth, you little brat! Stay out of it!"

"Boring."

Jiang Cheng shrugged, his eager expression dimming.

He had just broken through to the Void Realm and was itching for a fight.

Yu Conglong’s face darkened as his attack was effortlessly blocked.

"Blind man."

Xiao Ye smiled faintly and nodded. "Mhm."

Yu Conglong’s expression grew even uglier.

Originally, his target had been Lin Chen.

Rank 25 on the Heavenly Rankings—undoubtedly stronger than him. He had planned to take advantage of Lin Chen’s wheelchair-bound state to cripple the Asura Gate’s second-in-command.

Yet now, some unremarkable blind man had stopped him cold.

"Kid, don’t blame me for bullying the disabled!"

Yu Conglong’s voice was icy as he unleashed a barrage of punches, holding nothing back.

"Tiger’s Roar Fist!"

Fang Jueming’s eyes lit up in recognition.

Having trained under Wu Tong in various fist techniques, he immediately recognized this style—and the name Yu Conglong, the South Sea’s master of fist arts.

Sparring with such an expert had always been his dream.

Lin Chen’s expression darkened slightly. His fingers rested on the wheelchair, a blade wind gathering at his fingertips, ready to strike at any moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Yu Conglong’s fists rained down like a raging tiger, each strike accompanied by the roar of a beast, his momentum overwhelming.

Yet Xiao Ye remained unfazed, his gentle smile never fading as he effortlessly intercepted every punch with precise sword-fingers.

"Damn it! Are you really blind or just faking it?!"

Yu Conglong retreated two steps, his face twisted in fury as he discreetly shook out his numb arm behind his back.

In front of all Daxia’s elite, he couldn’t even take down a blind man? As the South Sea’s top martial artist, this was beyond humiliating.

Xiao Ye chuckled. "Does it matter?"

"Then stop holding back, you coward! Fight me for real!"

Yu Conglong’s voice was frigid as he assumed a new stance.

"If I go all out, I might hurt you." Xiao Ye raised his sword-fingers leisurely.

Yu Conglong’s eyes narrowed.

He knew the man wasn’t lying.

This guy was clearly a swordsman. Even with just his fingers, the sharp sword energy had left his entire arm throbbing in pain.

If he had an actual sword—how terrifying would he be?

"Arrogant bastard! Die!"

With a furious roar, Yu Conglong erupted with power, sending tables and chairs flying as he charged like a raging rhinoceros, fist aimed for Xiao Ye’s head.

Xiao Ye’s smile didn’t waver.

In an instant, his figure blurred—ghostly afterimages trailing behind him as he flashed past Yu Conglong.

The two men swapped positions, then froze.

The crowd stared in stunned silence.

"What just happened? Did anyone see that?"

"No clue. That kid’s done for. With speed like that, why would he go head-on with Old Yu?"

"Tiger’s Roar Fist is all about brute force. Even someone in the top 30 of the Heavenly Rankings would think twice before taking it head-on."

Cangqiong Daoist glanced thoughtfully at An Yi, who looked utterly unfazed, and mused, "The Asura Gate has gained another fierce warrior."

Then, cuts appeared all over Yu Conglong’s body, blood seeping out as he collapsed with a heavy thud.