13: Chapter 13 Defeating the Enemy in One Move

Ye Chen didn't answer, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's.

Seizing the moment when Wang Teng's blood and Qi were stagnant, his defense wide open, and his old strength exhausted while new strength was yet to arise, he took a step forward!

This step seemed small, but it precisely jammed into the node of Wang Teng's breath transition, his figure closing in like a ghost.

His right hand's fingers were joined like a sword, True Qi condensing at the tips and emitting a faint, almost imperceptible blue glow that didn't travel in a straight line.

Instead, it moved with a subtle curve, appearing slow but actually fast, pointing directly at Wang Teng's Shanzhong point!

This finger strike already carried his deeper understanding of True Qi control.

He highly compressed and condensed that wisp of pure cold Qi, obtained from Lin Qingxue and refined by himself, into a single point, striving to break through a surface with a point.

Wang Teng was horrified, his pupils shrinking abruptly.

He hadn't expected Ye Chen's counterattack to be so sharp and precise; it was too late to change moves or dodge.

In his haste, he could only desperately circulate the little remaining Blazing Sun Art True Qi in his body, forming a thin and unstable crimson halo shield in front of his chest.

"Sizzle—"

A faint sound, like hot oil meeting ice, rang out.

Before Ye Chen's fingertips even touched Wang Teng's body, the highly condensed, piercing cold Qi had already struck the crimson shield first.

Due to the conflict of elemental attributes, Wang Teng's hastily condensed protective True Qi was easily torn and melted like paper.

The cold Qi drove straight in; although most was neutralized, the remaining force, mixed with bone-chilling coldness, still slammed firmly into Wang Teng's vital Shanzhong point.

"Ugh, ah!"

Wang Teng felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer; his chest tightened suddenly, as if even his heartbeat had skipped a beat.

A bone-chillingly cold aura instantly invaded his Meridians, causing his blood and Qi to flow backward and his True Qi to become chaotic.

He stumbled backward uncontrollably, retreating seven or eight steps in a row.

He only barely stopped when his back slammed into a vermilion pillar in the hall with a thud.

A sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a small mouthful of blood, unable to even say a complete sentence, only able to stare fixedly at Ye Chen with eyes full of resentment and fear.

The victory was decided!

And it was a clean, almost crushing victory!

The hall instantly fell into a dead silence.

One could hear a pin drop.

Only Wang Teng's heavy and painful gasps were particularly harsh to the ear.

No one expected that, being also at the Meridian Opening Fourth Level, Wang Teng—the son of the Wang Family Clan Chief and a man of some reputation—would be defeated so quickly and thoroughly!

Especially being defeated while his attribute was completely countered!

When did this obscure youth from the Ye Family, who was once even considered Trash, possess such strange and powerful icy True Qi?

Countless gazes focused on Ye Chen, filled with shock, doubt, and inquiry.

"Teng'er!"

Wang Mang suddenly stood up from his armchair, his face ashen, both shocked and furious.

The powerful aura of his Wheel Sea Realm surged out uncontrollably, making the air in the hall feel a bit more heavy.

His eyes blazed with fire as he locked onto Ye Chen, looking as if he were about to disregard his status and strike out in punishment.

"Patriarch Wang."

Just as the situation became tense, Lin Qingxue's cold voice rang out at the right time.

She was still seated in the main seat, her posture unchanged, only looking at Wang Mang with a calm gaze.

"A sparring match between juniors, victory and defeat are common occurrences. Since we spoke beforehand and signed a document stating life and death are irrelevant, is the Wang Family going to go back on its word and break its promise in front of Steward Chen and Deacon Zhao?"

Hearing this, Steward Chen immediately cleared his throat and took the opportunity to smooth things over.

"Ahem, Patriarch Wang, calm down, calm down. Your son's injuries seem serious; it's better to prioritize healing first and not delay. Today's matter was just an accident during sparring. In my opinion, let's stop here and turn hostility into friendship, how about it?"

As he spoke, his gaze glanced toward the guard captain beside him, Enforcement Hall Deacon, who had remained silent.

Enforcement Hall Deacon crossed his arms, his square face expressionless, but his eyes were sharp as knives as they swept between Wang Mang and Ye Chen. Finally, he nodded slightly and said in a deep voice.

"Since the contract was signed, one must bear the consequences. Patriarch Wang, you should look after your son first."

His statement blocked another outlet for Wang Mang's momentum.

Wang Mang's expression shifted uncertainly, his chest heaving violently. He stared fixedly at Ye Chen, then looked at Lin Qingxue, who sat above, composed and calm.

He then glanced at the two from the City Lord's Manor, who were clearly siding with the Lin Family, staying out of it yet subtly applying pressure.

Knowing that today the situation was against him, he realized that if he forcibly lashed out, he wouldn't gain the slightest advantage; instead, he would completely lose face and damage the Wang Family's reputation.

He suppressed the anger that was almost bursting through his head, squeezed a heavy cold snort from his throat, and flicked his sleeves.

"We're leaving!"

The group left dejectedly, not even having time to say a single harsh word to save face, their hurried departure revealing a hint of embarrassment.

After the Wang Family left, the atmosphere in the hall eased slightly. Steward Chen put on a professional smile again and cupped his hands to Lin Qingxue.

"Miss Lin, now that this matter is settled, we also need to go back and report the situation to the City Lord. We shall take our leave now."

"Thank you, Steward Chen and Deacon Zhao, for your hard work."

Lin Qingxue nodded slightly, her tone flat but not to be ignored.

"Scarface, see our two distinguished guests out for me."

"Yes, Young Miss." The Scar-faced Guard bowed and took the order, respectfully leading Chen and Zhao outside.

After seeing off the people from the City Lord's Manor, only Lin Qingxue, Ye Chen, and the Scar-faced Guard standing by the door remained in the large main hall.

The way Scarface looked at Ye Chen had completely changed. Previously, it might have been just politeness based on the Young Miss's orders, but now it carried a hint of subtle, heartfelt admiration.

With a Meridian Opening Fourth Level cultivation, he had so cleanly, even cleverly, defeated Wang Teng, who was in the same Realm and whose Cultivation Technique was an attribute counter.

This on-the-spot reaction, control over True Qi, and precise grasp of combat opportunities were definitely not something an ordinary disciple could possess.

"You should also go down first. Wait outside the door. Without orders, no one is allowed to approach this hall."

Lin Qingxue gave a faint instruction to Scarface.

"Yes, Young Miss."

Scarface responded respectfully, gave Ye Chen a deep look, and then backed out quietly, carefully closing the heavy hall doors.

With a creak, the hall doors closed, cutting off the light and sound from the outside.

Sunlight streamed through the high carved window lattices, casting patches of mottled, swaying light and shadow on the smooth bluestone floor.

The hall became completely quiet, so quiet that one could hear the faint sound of dust floating in the beams of light, and Ye Chen's slightly rapid breathing due to the short but high-intensity burst just now.

Although he won easily, highly condensing cold Qi into a single point for an explosion

required extremely high mental exhaustion and True Qi control. At this moment, the blood and Qi in his body were also churning slightly.

Lin Qingxue slowly stood up from the main seat, moved with graceful steps down the stairs, and came before Ye Chen.

She was tall, but still slightly shorter than Ye Chen, needing to slightly raise those clear, cold eyes to look directly into his.

As she approached, a faint fragrance, like winter plums after the snow had cleared, mixed with the cold scent of medicinal herbs, quietly drifted into Ye Chen's nose.

It formed a subtle contrast with the faint heat radiating from him due to his cultivation.

"Are you alright?"

She asked, her voice seeming imperceptibly softer than her usual coldness when handling affairs, carrying a faint, almost inaudible trace of inquiry.

"I'm fine."

Ye Chen shook his head, secretly circulating his True Qi to quickly calm the churning blood and Qi in his body.

"It was just a momentary burst; the consumption was a bit high. A moment of meditation will suffice."

Hearing this, Lin Qingxue said no more and instead reached out her hand.

Her fingers were long and fair, with rounded tips that had a healthy pale pink hue.

At this moment, those fingertips quietly condensed a point of lustrous, soft white light that carried no hint of coldness, lightly resting on the pulse point of Ye Chen's wrist.

The movement was natural, as if it were only right.

Ye Chen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Except for his sister Xiaoyu, with whom he had depended on since childhood, he had never had such close, even intimate, contact with any member of the opposite sex.

Lin Qingxue's fingertips were slightly cool, but the touch was exceptionally delicate and smooth.

Immediately after, a wisp of cool and pure True Essence from the Wheel Sea Realm, far exceeding the quality of his own, flowed into his Meridians like a trickling stream.

This wisp of True Essence was extremely gentle, carrying a strange soothing power.

Everywhere it passed, it quickly smoothed over the slight burning pain and vibrational discomfort in the Meridians caused by Ye Chen's forced and extreme activation of the cold Qi.

It made him subconsciously relax his tensed muscles.

After investigating for a moment, Lin Qingxue withdrew her finger, and the lustrous white light faded away.

She raised her eyes to look at Ye Chen, her gaze clear as autumn water, carrying an undisguised trace of inquiry.

"The speed at which you refined and mastered that cold Qi is much faster than I imagined. Moreover, you used it very cleverly, especially that final finger strike, which highly compressed and condensed the cold Qi into a single point to attack where he must defend.

Breaking a surface with a point is definitely not something that can be done purely by relying on Physique or instinct; it's more like having an extraordinary understanding and control over True Qi. It seems my previous judgment still underestimated you."

Ye ChenAfter a moment of silence，Meeting her probing gaze，Thoughts raced through my mind，Ultimately, a version that was half true and half false was chosen..

"Perhaps it's because my Physique is quite special and naturally attuned to this type of cold Qi. As for the application, besides instinct, there might be a bit of... accidental realization."

He couldn't explain the existence of the Beauty Record System, so he could only gloss over it vaguely like this.

Lin Qingxue looked at him deeply, her gaze seeming to want to see into the depths of his heart, but in the end, she didn't probe further.

Everyone has their own secrets; excessive inquiry is not good.

She turned around, her steps light as she walked to the window, looking at the green bamboo shadows swaying in the breeze, standing silently for a moment.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting fine spots of light on her moon-white dress.

"Today, thank you."

Lin Qingxue suddenly spoke, her voice light and slow, yet clearly reaching Ye Chen's ears.

Ye Chen was secretly meditating and was slightly startled upon hearing this. He stepped to a position slightly behind her side, where he could clearly see the profile of her fair, almost transparent face in the sunlight.

As well as the curve of her long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly with her breath.

"Thank me for what?"

He was somewhat puzzled.

"Isn't there already an agreement between us? I took the Lin Family's benefits—Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and the status of a Guest Elder—so naturally, I should contribute when needed. This is just part of the deal."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingxue suddenly turned her face to look at him, her gaze clear and piercing, as if to see through his feigned calm.

"Just a deal?"

Ye Chen met her clear and deep gaze, and his heart skipped a beat for no reason.

The girl before him was not just the favored daughter of heaven that everyone in Qingyun City looked up to, the eldest Young Miss of the Lin Family.

She was also a person of flesh and blood who was in the center of the whirlpool of Family interests, enduring the torture of a strange cold illness and immense pressure alone.

The image of her fragile and pale appearance when her cold illness flared up flashed through his mind, and he also clearly remembered the gentleness and comfort of that wisp of True Essence from her fingertips just now.

"Not entirely," Ye Chen heard his own voice, sounding steadier than he expected.

"You've also helped me a lot, far beyond the scope of our deal. You've carefully guided me on the key points of cultivation, given me precious ice heart pills and clear spirit powder, and provided me with a place of refuge when I was in danger... All of this, Ye Chen keeps in his heart."

He paused and added.

"Moreover，Wang Teng's matter，It all started because I represented the Lin family in the competition.，I have a responsibility to handle this.."

Lin Qingxue listened quietly, her face expressionless.

But if one observed closely, they would find that the lines of her mouth seemed to soften for an imperceptible moment, so slight and faint that it was gone before one could be sure it wasn't an illusion of light and shadow.

She didn't respond to Ye Chen's words but instead turned her gaze back to the swaying green bamboo outside the window.

As if speaking to the bamboo, her voice regained its usual coldness.

But listening closely, it seemed to have lost a bit of its customary distance:

"Wang Teng suffered a crushing defeat at your hands today. Given Wang Mang's vengeful nature, the Wang Family might care about their reputation and the City Lord's Manor's attitude in the short term and won't dare to cause you trouble openly, but their secret methods will definitely not be few.

The attitude of the City Lord's Manor is ambiguous; today they seemed fair, but in reality, they are wavering. You still need to be careful in everything and must not relax in the slightest."

"I know."

Ye Chen nodded solemnly, feeling the implicit warning in her words.

"I will improve my strength as quickly as possible. Only when I am strong enough can I be fearless of these monsters and demons."

"Mm." Lin Qingxue gave a soft response, acknowledging him.

She was silent for a moment, as if weighing her words, before she spoke in that characteristic tone that betrayed no emotion.