Chapter 7: The Desperation of the Puppet
The silence that followed the disintegration of the Dragon-Testing Stone was absolute. The fine gray dust settled on the platform like a funeral shroud for the old status quo. City Lord Han Zhen had stood up, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles were white. He had known Ye Tianlang's talent, but this... this was something that defied the logic of the Azure Dragon Empire.
"God-Grade..." the proctor whispered, falling to his knees. "In ten thousand years of history, only the Founding Emperor was said to have touched the God-Grade root. This is impossible."
"Impossible is a word for the weak," Ye Chen said, stepping over the pile of dust toward the center of the platform. He turned his gaze toward Ye Kun, whose face had gone from purple to a deathly, waxen pale.
"Ye Kun," Ye Chen's voice resonated with the Sovereign's Aura, making the lower-level elders flinch. "The stone has confirmed my talent. My strength is at the peak of the Body Refinement Realm. According to the clan laws you so love to quote, I am the rightful heir and the acting Patriarch in my father's absence. Do you have anything to say before you vacate that seat?"
Ye Kun's eyes darted around like a trapped animal. He saw the doubt in the other elders' eyes; he saw the City Lord's growing respect for Ye Chen. He knew that if he stepped down now, he would be executed for the "Hidden Viper" assassination attempt within the week.
"Fraud!" Ye Kun suddenly screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. "This is a trick! You used some demonic treasure to destroy the stone! You are a waste who has sold his soul to an evil sect to faked his cultivation!"
Ye Feng, seeing his father's lead, drew his silver sword. "That's right! He's a demon in disguise! No human can grow from the 1st stage to the 9th in three days!"
"Demonic?" Ye Chen laughed, a cold, sharp sound. "You had your chance to prove me a waste. You failed. Now you resort to slander."
"I challenge you!" Ye Kun roared, stepping forward and unleashing the full pressure of his 9th-stage cultivation. The wooden floorboards of the platform groaned under the weight of his aura. "A Life-and-Death Duel, here and now! If you are a true genius of the Ye Clan, you will fight me. If you lose, it proves you are a fraud and a demon!"
"Ye Kun, enough!" Han Zhen shouted, stepping forward. "You are an elder of the previous generation. To challenge a youth to a life-and-death duel is a disgrace!"
"City Lord, stay out of this!" Ye Kun pulled a small, black pill from his sleeve and swallowed it before anyone could stop him. His eyes immediately turned blood-red, and his muscles swelled until his robes began to tear. "This is clan business!"
[Ding! Warning: Target has consumed 'Berserk Blood-Burn Pill'.]
[Target's Strength has temporarily reached: 'Half-Step Spirit-Sea Realm'.]
The air around the platform began to ripple with a scorching heat. The disciples in the front rows scrambled back, terrified by the murderous intent radiating from the Second Elder.
Ye Chen looked at the crazed man and then at the City Lord. "City Lord Han, let him. If I don't crush him here, the 'puppets' behind him will never show their faces. I accept the challenge."
"Brother Chen, no!" Ye Ling cried out from the crowd.
Ye Chen stepped into the center of the ring. He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't even drop his hands from behind his back.
"Three moves," Ye Chen said, his silver eyes flashing with a cruel light. "In my father's name, I will give you three moves to kill me. If I take a step back, the Ye Clan is yours."
"Die, brat!" Ye Kun roared, his voice more beast than man. He lunged, his fists wreathed in a dark, violent flame—the Blood-Fire Fist, a forbidden technique that burned one's own life force for power.
The first punch descended like a falling star. Ye Chen didn't move. He stood there as the fist slammed into his chest with a sound like a hammer hitting an anvil.
CLANG!
The shockwave blew the hair back from Ye Chen's face, but his body didn't even quiver. The Chaos Physique absorbed the impact, converting the violent energy into fuel for his own dantian.
"First move," Ye Chen whispered.
Ye Kun's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He roared again, spinning and delivering a flurry of kicks that could have leveled a small building. Each strike landed on Ye Chen's shoulders, neck, and ribs with bone-crushing force.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Ye Chen remained as still as a statue. His azure robes were torn, revealing skin that shimmered with a faint, obsidian luster.
"Second move."
"Impossible! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Ye Kun's logic had completely failed. He gathered every ounce of the pill's power into a final, suicidal strike. His entire body turned into a streak of red light, aiming for Ye Chen's forehead.
Ye Chen finally moved. His right hand came out from behind his back, his fingers hooked like a dragon's claw.
"Void-Breaking Dragon Claw!"
He didn't hit the punch. He reached through the punch. His hand vanished into a fold of space and reappeared directly against Ye Kun's chest.
CRUNCH.
The sound of shattering ribs was heard by everyone in the plaza. Ye Kun's momentum was stopped instantly. His red eyes faded to a dull gray as the Chaos energy flooded his system, systematically deleting his meridians.
Ye Chen leaned in close, whispering only for Ye Kun to hear: "The puppet's strings are cut. Who is your master?"
Ye Kun's mouth worked, but only blood came out. He looked at the blue dragon tattoo on Ye Chen's arm—the Azure Dragon Seal—and his eyes filled with a final, primal terror. He realized then that he hadn't been fighting a boy; he had been fighting the manifestation of the Clan's ancient will.
Ye Chen pulled his hand back, and Ye Kun collapsed into a heap, his life force extinguished.
Ye Chen stood over the body and looked up at the shocked audience. He raised his arm, the Azure Dragon Seal glowing so brightly it was visible even through his sleeve.
"The Second Elder is dead!" Ye Chen declared. "The traitors are purged! From this day forth, I am the Patriarch of the Ye Clan! Who among you dares to object?"
Across the plaza, thousands of disciples, led by Ye Ling, dropped to their knees as if hit by a tidal wave.
"Greetings, Patriarch!"
The roar of their voices shook the city, but Ye Chen's eyes were fixed on the far horizon. He could feel a new, powerful aura approaching the city—one far stronger than Ye Kun. The real war was just beginning.