Du Khun was seething with rage. His aura flared as he released his full power.
"You brat... I'll show you something far worse than death!" he growled. His body turned pitch black, the concentrated poison seeping from his skin. Compared to Du Yao, the venom in Du Khun's body was far more potent.
With a roar, he launched his ultimate attack—Poisonous Claw. His left hand twisted into the shape of a beast's talon, the entire limb glowing with a toxic black sheen.
"Die!" Du Khun shouted as he lunged toward Ye Chen.
Ye Chen responded calmly. Ten fire swords shot forward and formed a flaming circular shield in front of him.
BOOM! The Poisonous Claw slammed into the fire shield. Sparks flew, and Du Khun was blasted backward, stumbling several meters before regaining his balance.
He looked down at his left hand, now scorched and blistering. "What... what kind of flame technique is this?" he muttered in disbelief. "I've never seen anything like it—not even from the top sects I've encountered…"
The Poison Sect, known for its dark and ruthless methods, had long been hunted by righteous sects. To survive, they aligned themselves with other evil factions. Yet even among such company, Ye Chen's technique was foreign.
"If I engage him in close combat again, I'll lose for sure…" Du Khun clenched his fists. "I have no choice—I'll use that."
Dark energy surged as Du Khun performed a strange series of hand seals. Ye Chen narrowed his eyes but remained silent, curious.
Du Khun's body convulsed before violently vomiting a thick stream of black liquid onto the ground. The liquid twisted and expanded, forming the shape of a monstrous creature—a massive black scorpion, six meters long and three meters tall. Du Khun climbed onto its back, pale and weakened from the effort.
"How do you like my summon?" Du Khun sneered. "This is my pride—an apex poison beast. You're finished."
The scorpion roared and began its advance, each step shaking the earth. Its giant pincers snapped toward Ye Chen with murderous intent.
Ye Chen reacted instantly. His flame swords slashed forward, severing both claws in a flash of searing fire.
The beast screeched in pain, but almost immediately, its limbs regenerated.
Ye Chen's brow lifted. "Fast regeneration... annoying."
The scorpion's tail lashed out, coated in deadly venom. Ye Chen weaved around the strikes effortlessly, narrowly dodging each one.
Du Khun, frustrated, barked, "Spray him! Cover everything!"
The monster obeyed, spewing a massive wave of poisonous mist that enveloped the entire area. Buildings melted. Trees crumbled into ash. The ground itself hissed and bubbled under the corrosive fumes.
Du Khun laughed triumphantly. "There's no way he survived that!"
But his laughter died in his throat.
As the smoke cleared, Ye Chen stood tall in the center of the destruction. His upper garments had melted away, revealing his unscathed skin beneath. His expression was calm—unbothered.
Du Khun stared, dumbfounded. "Even high-tier Earth Realm cultivators wouldn't dare take that poison head-on…"
Ye Chen stepped forward, his voice steady. "Your monster's poison is decent. But that's as far as it goes."
He clenched his fist—and punched.
BOOM!
The impact sent shockwaves through the air. The giant scorpion exploded into chunks, its body torn apart like paper. Du Khun was hurled dozens of meters, crashing into a collapsed building.
Weak and trembling, he tried to sit up, only to meet Ye Chen's eyes approaching.
"How... how did he destroy it with one punch?" Du Khun whispered, horrified. "Why isn't it regenerating...?"
Ye Chen stopped in front of him and opened his palm. Inside, he held a glowing orb—the life core of the monster.
"Looking for this?"
Without the core, regeneration was impossible.
Ye Chen grabbed Du Khun by the collar. "Now talk. Why is your sect targeting Liu Yue's company?"
"I... I…" Du Khun stammered.
"Speak!" Ye Chen slapped him across the face.
Du Khun flinched and quickly spilled the truth. "We're running low on funds. Evil sects like ours don't have the backing of powerful families or the government like the righteous sects do. We survive by preying on weaker sects or wealthy targets without political power. Liu Yue's company is small, but rich. With her finances, we could sustain our operations for decades."
Ye Chen's expression darkened. "So it's just greed."
He released Du Khun, who dropped to his knees, panting.
Du Khun's eyes suddenly glinted with desperation. He pulled a hidden blade from his sleeve and lunged at Ye Chen.
Before the blade could even graze him, Du Khun froze—literally. His entire body turned to solid ice in a split second.
Ye Chen turned his head slightly. "Are you going to keep hiding?"
He wasn't speaking to Du Khun.
From the beginning, Ye Chen had sensed a third presence—someone hidden, silently observing the fight.
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