Ye Tian's resolute words echoed through the air.
The crowd immediately erupted in discussion.
"Did I hear that right? Ye Tian actually dares to fight Yan?!"
"As expected of the Holy Maiden's husband—truly courageous!"
"Unfortunately, Ye Tian is no match for Lord Yan."
"A mere ordinary person fighting against a Spirit Saint? He doesn't even have a one percent chance of winning."
Under everyone's gaze, Ye Tian remained calm and slowly extended his left hand.
His eyes passed over Yan's head as he spoke in a light tone:
"I have never been fond of conflict. But since you insist on forcing my hand, I will let you have the first three moves."
The moment these words were spoken—
Dai Ya, standing not far away, was stunned. She walked up to the Sea Witch and whispered:
"What kind of cultivation has my little brother reached? He's facing a Spirit Saint and doesn't seem afraid at all."
"This…"
The Sea Witch gave Ye Tian a surprised glance, momentarily at a loss for words.
To her knowledge, Ye Tian did not have the strength to defeat a Soul Saint.
So why was he so confident today?
"I honestly don't know."
The Sea Witch forced a smile at Dai Ya.
"Oh." Dai Ya nodded doubtfully, her gaze fixed on Ye Tian.
Meanwhile, Yan's chest heaved violently.
"Hmph! Ye Tian, are you mocking me?!"
He knew very well that Ye Tian wasn't even a Soul Master.
The only reason Ye Tian would say such a thing was to provoke him into making an oath not to use his soul power in battle.
Realizing this, Yan let out a cold laugh.
He wasn't going to fall for Ye Tian's trap!
However, there was no way he could agree to Ye Tian's words just now.
He already had the upper hand in cultivation—if he accepted Ye Tian's handicap, the crowd would surely mock him for winning unfairly.
That was precisely what Ye Tian wanted.
Yan would never allow such a thing to happen.
No matter what, he had to teach Ye Tian a lesson today.
Pointing his silver spear at Ye Tian, he said coldly:
"There's no need for you to let me have three moves!"
"If there's nothing else, then draw your weapon and—"
"Good!"
Before Yan could finish his sentence, Ye Tian made his move.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Luring Yan into anger and carelessness would only dull his reaction speed.
In terms of cultivation, Ye Tian naturally couldn't compare to Yan.
But when it came to instant-kill capability in a short period—who here could match him?
Ye Tian flicked his right fingers.
A golden Taiyi Divine Needle shot out instantly.
As soon as it flew forward, the needle split into four, each one darting toward Yan.
Seeing Ye Tian suddenly attack, Yan was shocked.
He had only intended to let Ye Tian draw his weapon!
He never said the battle had begun!
Watching the ultra-thin, lightning-fast Taiyi Divine Needles zoom toward him, a rare flicker of panic crossed Yan's face.
The distance between him and Ye Tian was merely an arm's length.
It was too close—far too short for him to react in time.
Forget blocking with his silver spear—he didn't even have time to summon his soul power and activate a soul skill!
Yan braced himself.
"I refuse to believe that just a few needles can be fatal to me!"
"As long as I have even a sliver of strength left, all I need is a single attack to cripple Ye Tian!"
After all, Ye Tian had struck first. Even if Yan retaliated with a heavy hand, no one could blame him.
However—
In the next second, the needle tips pierced his body.
Yan instantly felt as if he had been struck by lightning, an unbearable agony spreading through his entire being like countless swords piercing his flesh.
Then—he lost consciousness.
He collapsed to the ground.
The moment Yan fell, the crowd erupted.
"Hiss! Ye Tian took him down in a single move! This is unbelievable!"
"Now I understand why the Holy Maiden chose him as her husband!"
"Even a Spirit Douluo couldn't have defeated Lord Yan in one move!"
"Who was it that said Ye Tian wasn't even a Soul Master? That's a scam!"
In the crowd, Golden Crocodile Douluo turned to his companion with a smirk.
"Looks like I was right, Qianjun."
Qianjun Douluo snorted coldly.
"It's just a cheap trick with poison. If this were a fair fight, Ye Tian wouldn't have stood a chance against Yan."
Hearing this, Golden Crocodile Douluo burst into laughter.
"But on the battlefield, only victory matters—who cares about the methods?"
He folded his arms and gazed at Ye Tian from a distance.
"Now I understand why Qian Daoliu holds Ye Tian in such high regard."
"He's indeed a terrifying man."
"If someone like him cannot be used by us… he will be our greatest enemy."
Qianjun Douluo scoffed in disdain.
"Why overestimate a mere Ye Tian? Even if Bibi Dong's Pope's Palace takes him in, do you really think he can overturn the heavens?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo gave Qianjun Douluo a meaningful glance and said softly:
"Let's hope so."
With that, he shook his head and walked away.
…
On the other side—
Hu Liena glanced at the fallen Yan, then winked at Ye Tian in amazement.
"Husband, when did you gain the ability to defeat a Spirit Saint with your bare hands?"
Ye Tian chuckled and pinched Hu Liena's cheek.
"I've always had this ability."
"It's just that I'm not good at fighting—only at taking lives."
The moment these words fell, the knights behind Yan were shaken.
"What?! You killed our Lord Yan!"
"Do you know how high Lord Yan's status is in the Spirit Hall?"
The Sea Witch stepped forward coldly, glancing at the knights with disdain.
"And? Is his status higher than the Holy Maiden's husband?"
Hearing this, the lead knight's face turned pale with regret.
If Lord Yan died, Ye Tian, as the Holy Maiden's husband, might be fine.
But they, his subordinates, would certainly be blamed for failing to protect him—and be buried alongside him.
At that moment, Ye Tian casually tossed a pill toward them.
"Give this to your master. If he dies after taking it, don't blame me."
The Taiyi Divine Needle was coated with Mandala Toxin.
Even a Spirit Douluo would struggle to survive if poisoned by it.
Of course, the poison wasn't incurable.
As long as the dose was mild, it was treatable.
However, the pain it caused could not be alleviated.
This was merely a small punishment for Yan.
Did they really think Ye Tian was a toothless tiger?
"Where is Bibi Dong?"
After tossing the pill to the knight, Ye Tian ruffled Hu Liena's silky hair and asked.
Hu Liena pouted and muttered:
"Be serious in front of others! You're my husband, but Teacher is a generation older than you. At least call her 'Aunt'!"
Ye Tian chuckled.
"Do you think she would accept being called 'Aunt'?"
Hu Liena hesitated for a moment.
No one had ever dared to call her teacher 'Aunt'!
"Fine, call her whatever you want. Anyway, Teacher likes you a lot."
She shrugged, then sighed helplessly.
"Three days ago, a Spirit Douluo named Xuan Miaoyin told Teacher you were in danger in the Star Dou Forest."
"So she left with Ghost Douluo and Yue Guan to find you."
Ye Tian smiled wryly.
So he had missed her.
This remark made Hu Liena's delicate face flush red. She didn't dare turn back and simply pulled Ye Tian straight into the Pope's Hall.
"Brother, look who I've brought with me!"
As she stepped into the Pope's Hall, Hu Liena poked her head inside and called out.
"Could it be Yan?"
A weary young man's voice responded from within the hall.
"But I remember that I had already arranged to meet Yan yesterday."
"Uh…"
Hearing her brother's words, Hu Liena suddenly felt a bit flustered.
After all, just moments ago, Ye Tian had beaten her brother's good friend, Yan, so badly that knights had to carry him back to his residence.
Hearing the conversation between Hu Liena and the young man inside, Ye Tian immediately understood—
The young man in the hall was none other than Hu Liena's elder brother, Xie Yue.
Ye Tian was not someone who would act reserved, and besides, sooner or later, he would have to face his brother-in-law.
Stepping forward into the hall, he raised his head and saw a young man with grayish-white hair, clad in white and gold-plated leather armor, engrossed in reviewing documents.
This must be Xie Yue.
Ye Tian slightly bowed and greeted him with courtesy:
"I am Ye Tian. I have come to pay my respects to my dear brother-in-law."
"Hmm?"
Hearing Ye Tian's words, Xie Yue abruptly lifted his head and looked at him, his brows slightly furrowing.
It was only half a month ago, when his sister returned to Spirit City for the Holy Maiden's coronation ceremony, that Xie Yue learned she had already gotten married.
To be honest…
At that time, Xie Yue was utterly shocked and dumbfounded.
He never expected that such a significant event as his sister's marriage had happened without him, her own brother, even being informed.
However, later on, their teacher, Bibi Dong, personally explained the situation to him.
Thus, Xie Yue knew that this brother-in-law before him was indeed someone extraordinary.
But regardless of how remarkable Ye Tian was, as Hu Liena's older brother, he had protected her for over a decade.
And now, the little cabbage he had painstakingly raised was suddenly taken away by a pig.
This was something no older brother could easily accept.
At this moment, Xie Yue felt exactly like that.
He slowly put down the scroll in his hand, his expression unreadable, and his tone devoid of any emotion:
"So, you are Ye Tian."
"That's right," Ye Tian answered again.
Yet, Xie Yue completely ignored him, instead turning to Hu Liena with a smirk:
"You didn't need to introduce him. Even if I object, I can't change your decision."
Hearing this, Hu Liena let out an awkward laugh.
She leaned toward Ye Tian and whispered,
"Looks like my brother is biased against you."
"I don't mind."
Ye Tian ruffled Hu Liena's hair and chuckled.
This action immediately irritated Xie Yue, who had been watching closely.
Recalling how Bibi Dong had praised Ye Tian's talents, Xie Yue remained expressionless as he tapped the stack of documents in front of him and said,
"Ye Tian, since you're here, help me deal with some issues."
"I'll check your work in the afternoon."
After saying that, he turned and walked toward the inner hall without looking back.
Seeing this, Hu Liena's heart skipped a beat.
She couldn't help but think—her brother really didn't understand just how important Ye Tian was.
Even their usually cold and indifferent teacher, Bibi Dong, behaved elegantly and graciously in front of Ye Tian.
Watching Xie Yue's departing figure, Hu Liena awkwardly smiled again and said,
"My brother isn't usually like this."
"No need to explain, I understand his feelings."
Ye Tian looked at Xie Yue with a deep smile.
Then—
Hu Liena led Ye Tian to a thick stack of documents and explained:
"These documents mainly concern the reassignment of the Spirit Hall's noble families within the Balak Kingdom."
She sighed lightly.
"Previously, my teacher and I managed to reclaim the Spirit Hall's public square project in the Balak Kingdom, which brought in a significant amount of financial resources."
"We thought that this income would be enough to perfectly resolve the issue of noble family transfers."
"But we never expected that the Elder Hall would suddenly go back on its word and halt the recruitment of talented noble children into Spirit City."
"As a result, without holding these talented children as hostages, the Pope's Hall doesn't dare to act rashly."
Seeing Hu Liena's troubled expression, Ye Tian pressed his fingers to his forehead in thought:
"The Elder Hall stopped recruiting talented children… can't the Pope's Hall take over that role instead?"
"There must be another reason behind this, right?"
Hu Liena smiled bitterly.
"Husband, nothing escapes your eyes."
"The truth is, Elder Hall's Qianjun Douluo is behind this."
"Under orders from Qian Daoliu, he used the Elder Hall's authority to reshuffle the heads of the Spirit Halls surrounding the Balak Kingdom ahead of schedule."
"As a result, most of the new Spirit Hall leaders have just assumed office, and transferring them again so soon would violate Spirit Hall's laws."
"That's why the Pope's Hall is unable to implement the reassignment policy in the Balak Kingdom."
"A classic move—cutting off our roots at the source."
Hearing this, Ye Tian couldn't help but sigh.
Indeed, the old foxes were still the most cunning.
"Before my teacher left, she told me that if we really couldn't find a solution, we'd have to relocate the reassignment plan elsewhere," Hu Liena said dejectedly.
That would be the same as letting the Elder Hall watch them make a fool of themselves.
However, Ye Tian simply waved his hand and confidently said:
"No need to relocate! I have a plan that can break this deadlock!"
The moment he said this—
Hu Liena's eyes instantly lit up!
(End of Chapter