Chapter 129: The God of Slaughter Emerges

Qiu Xiang had no desire for the finals to end in a fatality. He hurriedly opened his mouth to call out, but at that same moment, Zong Yunjin had already surged into action. With a sweep of his arms, sword shadows a foot long shot toward Ye Xin like a torrential downpour.

Ye Xin moved as well. He unleashed the first form of the Greedy Wolf Battle Art: Thunder Strike.

Ye Xin’s thinking was never confined by convention. Had anyone else obtained the Greedy Wolf Battle Art, they might have spent their efforts seeking the perfect sword to maximize its power, but such a thought had never crossed Ye Xin's mind. He focused only on how the Greedy Wolf Battle Art channeled his vital energy. Whether wielding his Slayer Blade or relying solely on his fists, he could release the art all the same.

A massive wolf's head manifested before Ye Xin's fist. Like a bamboo shoot being crushed by a falling mountain, it shattered the incoming sword shadows. Zong Yunjin, unable to react in time, was struck squarely by Ye Xin’s fist.

Zong Yunjin’s chest immediately caved in, his body sent hurtling backward. Ye Xin lunged forward, initiating the second form of the Greedy Wolf Battle Art: Rolling Mountains and Rivers.

In Ye Xin’s hands, Rolling Mountains and Rivers transformed into a Rising Dragon Punch. The momentum of Zong Yunjin’s backward flight was instantly reversed, sending him soaring into the air like a discarded sack.

Terrifying fluctuations of vital energy swept across the arena, leaving the previously excited spectators stunned into silence. High in the stands, Tie Xinsheng stood up abruptly, staring blankly as Ye Xin transformed into a giant dragon, shooting straight toward the sky.

This was the combat power of a Pillar-State warrior! Ye Xin actually possessed the strength of a Pillar-State warrior! And at the peak, no less!

Zong Yunjin was like a firework arrow, trailing a rain of blood as he flew. The immense pressure of the punch had shattered his internal organs; one of his eyes had even been forced out by the sheer pressure, landing right toward the spot where Qiu Xiang had just opened his mouth.

In truth, Qiu Xiang’s reaction had been swift. Seeing the murderous glint in Ye Xin’s eyes, he had rushed to stop the fight and offer a warning, never imagining that Ye Xin’s offensive would be as swift as a violent thunderbolt—too fast, unimaginably fast.

"Stop—" Qiu Xiang finally managed to shout a single word.

At this moment, Ye Xin had already launched his third strike: Drunken Clear Wind.

Technically, the Drunken Clear Wind required a twist of the waist and a diagonal sweep, gathering the power of the vital energy channels to prepare for the fourth form, Instant Slash. However, lacking a weapon, Ye Xin simply twisted his waist and delivered a whip kick, striking Zong Yunjin from below.

Boom... Zong Yunjin’s body traced a long arc through the air, flying over fifty meters away before crashing onto the stadium steps. Another spray of blood erupted; the spectators within a seven or eight-meter radius were all splattered with a fine mist of gore.

Ye Xin descended from the air, landing as steady as Mount Tai. However, his eyes were slightly dazed. The obsession of the former Ye Xin, hidden within his energy reservoir, had manifested at this moment—and it did so by consuming itself, momentarily seizing the majority of control.

The entire arena was deathly silent. Not to mention Shen Wangji, Wen Yuanren, and Wen Hongren, even Ye Ling and Wen Rong, who should have been overjoyed by Ye Xin’s victory, were unable to regain their composure for a long time. They realized that the violent aura radiating from Ye Xin was far more powerful than anything on a battlefield. Had Ye Xin made another breakthrough in such a short time? But he was already at the peak of the Pillar-State!

In the corner of the stands, an old man who had been resting with his eyes closed suddenly opened them. He looked at Ye Xin with an expression of astonishment, muttering, "Star Sovereign Thunder Breath..."

Tie Xinsheng had intended to stand up and cheer for Ye Xin after his victory, but now, he could not utter a single word.

Stupefied, Qiu Xiang suddenly felt something collide with him. He snapped out of his trance and looked down, only to see an eyeball. He involuntarily retreated a step, unsure if he was trying to get away from the eyeball or from Ye Xin.

"Aren't you all the elites of the Longteng Martial Arts Academy?" Ye Xin suddenly let out a roar. "Don't you think that because you can cultivate martial arts, you can mock ordinary people with impunity? Why aren't you saying anything now?!"

The current Ye Xin would not have issued such an immature challenge. But the original Ye Xin had been deeply insecure; his past debauchery was merely a psychological outlet for his self-destruction. He knew countless people mocked him behind his back; he knew those around him were mostly insincere, and that in other places, his name was spoken with nothing but contempt.

Yet, what could he do? His body was born with an Yin-Yang barrier, making cultivation impossible. Time and again, he had summoned the courage to try, only to be met with despair.

His greatest dream was to one day stand on the academy’s arena, defeat opponent after opponent, win the championship, and announce to the world that he, Ye Xin, was not a piece of trash, but the pride of the Ye family. For this, he was willing to pay any price. Even if he could only enjoy one second of glory before dying, he would be satisfied.

This frantic impulse was something even the powerful Ye Xin could not suppress!

"There are nearly six hundred notices posted around the academy. Fine! Don't you think I, Ye Xin, am shameless? Come out! I’ll take on all six hundred of you, right here, right now! Let’s fight to the death! Do you dare?" Ye Xin roared again, exhausting every ounce of his strength: "Get out here!!!"

Boom... An aura centered on Ye Xin exploded in all directions. Qiu Xiang, standing on the arena, bore the brunt of it and was forced back several steps, nearly falling off the stage.

Over a dozen battle flags planted around the arena were torn to shreds by the aura, their poles snapping. The instructors patrolling below fared even worse, with some being knocked directly to the ground.

Beside Tie Xinsheng, Ning Gaowu, the Duke of Poshan, suddenly stood up and cried out in horror: "Killing intent?!"

From a superficial physical perspective, the effects released by innate skills, killing blows, and ultimate techniques were different. Innate skills could only produce light and shadow, which had the lowest lethality and could not damage hard metal. Thus, soldiers on the battlefield wore heavy armor as a second life, as it could effectively resist the impact of innate skills.

Once the light-based manifestation transformed into a gas-based one, it signaled that the innate skill had sublimated into a killing blow.

The killing intent Ye Xin had just released had condensed into a physical form!

Ning Gaowu already knew Ye Xin was only eighteen. He had been shocked to see him possess the strength of a peak Pillar-State warrior, but seeing the condensed killing intent caused him to lose his composure and cry out in public.

Zhou Polu and Wu Qiushen were equally shaken. An eighteen-year-old Upper Pillar-State warrior? It was too inconceivable! How could someone possess a killing blow without over a decade of tempering?!

Shen Wangji, Wen Yuanren, Guan Hanyu, and the others were all Upper Pillar-State warriors. They understood what condensed killing intent meant, but this far exceeded their expectations, leaving them unable to believe the truth before their eyes.

"Third Brother? Am I dreaming?!" Wang Meng, sitting with Tie Shudeng, nearly bit his tongue. "Brother Xin... actually possesses the combat power of an Upper Pillar-State?!"

Tie Shudeng nodded incessantly, his cheeks flushed with excitement, his hands clenched into tight fists. In a sense, Ye Xin was his own man—the true combat power he could control.

Elsewhere, Wei Qingfan let out a soft sigh. He felt fortunate, though he wondered: if it were him, would Ye Xin have gone for the kill? After all, he had always avoided direct conflict with Ye Xin, and even when forced into a confrontation, he had never been disrespectful.

Tie Renhao’s face was bloodless. He let out a pained groan, his posture seemingly shrinking as he huddled into his chair. In his entire life, he had never imagined he could be so insignificant. The target he had been determined to humiliate was actually infinitely more powerful than him. If not for the protection of his royal status, he would likely have been finished off by Ye Xin long ago.

Beside Tie Renhao, Tie Huizhen’s eyes sparkled. Her mind filled with the words her father had told her. Watching Ye Xin, who stood on the stage like a towering pillar, her gaze became resolute.

Deng Duojie lowered her head, eyes fixed on her toes. Her body was trembling slightly. She hadn't realized it before, but now she understood everything. Ye Xin had known about her all along, which was why he had deliberately humiliated her; it was a warning. If Ye Xin had wanted to kill her, she wouldn't be alive today.

On the arena, Ye Xin’s eyes gradually cleared. He looked past the stands toward the horizon, murmuring, "So you're leaving... finally handing your life over to me completely... I wondered why I could never temper a killing blow. So, it was only when you let go that I had hope... Fine. From today on, I am you, and you are me. We share the same family and the same blood..."

The killing intent dissipated. The Ye Xin of now was a different person entirely. Yet, the surrounding crowd remained spellbound. Even Tie Xinsheng did not speak; it seemed everyone instinctively knew that the only one qualified to break this silence was Ye Xin, and it could only be Ye Xin.

"Since none of you dare to fight, I won't force you. My opponents are lions and tigers, not lambs." Ye Xin smiled, then turned to look at Qiu Xiang: "Headmaster!"

"Young Commander!" Qiu Xiang lowered his head and said respectfully. Just minutes ago, he had been addressing Ye Xin by his name, but he could no longer do so. Ye Xin had proven with his strength that he was a commander of the Wolf Army in every sense of the word.

"Leave those notices in the academy," Ye Xin said slowly. "Let them see them every time they come and go, so they can finally understand how shallow and ignorant they are."

"As you wish, Young Commander," Qiu Xiang sighed.

Only then did Tie Xinsheng regain his senses. Just as he was about to speak loudly, he saw the veteran generals of the Heavenly Wolf Army, who had come to support Ye Xin, dismounting their steeds one after another and kneeling in unison on one knee.

Ever since Ye Xin had taken command of the Heavenly Wolf Army, they had followed his orders, but they had never shown such a gesture. Even when Ye Xin had beheaded Zhuang Buxiu, they hadn't done this, because Ye Xin had still been missing that one crucial step to becoming a true commander.