Chapter 2454: Chapter 2454
The three martial experts were sizing up Ye Liuyun at that moment.
The middle-aged man from the Black Kill faction spoke first, his voice sharp with suspicion. "Which faction do you belong to?"
Ye Liuyun had altered both his attire and appearance inside the secret realm, making it impossible for the three experts to identify his allegiance at a glance. Without a word, he simply flashed his identification token.
The Black Kill expert burst into laughter, his voice thick with triumph. "Hah! Excellent, just excellent!"
The military representative couldn’t hide his frustration. "Another one from Black Kill? Seriously?"
The elderly man from the royal faction narrowed his eyes, his tone dripping with skepticism. "You wouldn’t have rigged the trials, would you? How is it that only your people keep emerging?"
The Black Kill expert scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, please. If you’re so clever, why don’t *you* try pulling some tricks?"
Turning to Ye Liuyun, his expression shifted to one of command. "Report back to Black Kill first. Check in with your instructor." He gestured toward a nearby teleportation array, signaling for Ye Liuyun to proceed.
"Acknowledged," Ye Liuyun replied, already moving toward the array.
"Hold it right there!" The royal elder’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
The Black Kill expert’s face darkened instantly. "What’s your game now, Old Xiao?"
The elder smirked, his eyes glinting with malice. "I want to test his skills—see if he’s fooled the secret realm somehow. If your man is truly worthy of passing, he shouldn’t shy away from a little sparring, should he?"
"Spare us the self-righteous act!" the Black Kill expert snapped. "Since when do our people answer to *your* inspections?"
At this moment, the powerhouse from the military faction, clearly enjoying the drama, egged them on: "Could it be that your Black Kill really cheated? Old Xiao just wants to spar with him, not kill him. Are you seriously scared?"
"Enough from both of you!" the Black Kill expert snapped. "Our man just emerged—how can he compare to you two? How long have you both been cultivating since your return? Besides, our agreement never stipulated we had to submit to your inspections. If you have complaints, take them up with Black Kill’s leadership. But laying a hand on our member? Not a chance!"
He stood firm, convinced that Ye Liuyun, fresh out of the secret realm, was no match for them.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun studied the two men from the royal family and military with his golden pupils. Their cultivation had actually reached the third level of the Heavenly Human realm. Yet he estimated their grasp of spatial power might not be much stronger than his own—and their soul force was certainly inferior.
He was itching to test his skills against a true powerhouse and gauge the strength of the third-level Heavenly Human realm. Why not give them a try?
Just then, the royal expert spoke again: "Those who survive the Death March usually break through to the third level. But your last member only reached the second level. Now here’s another second-level cultivator—can you blame us for being suspicious? If we don’t test him, how can we know you’re not cheating? I’ll even hold back when facing him. But if you refuse inspection, we won’t accept the results."
"Fair point!" The military expert piled on the pressure. "Old Xiao’s offering to restrain himself. If you still won’t allow it, there must be something fishy going on."
"Hmph! Don’t play dumb, Old Xiao," the Black Kill expert retorted coldly. "I know exactly what you’re thinking. Our Black Kill is growing too strong, and you want to eliminate him while you can, don’t you? Drop the act. Your approval means nothing to us—we answer only to ourselves. If you insist on a fight, take me on instead!"
With that, he turned to Ye Liuyun. "Go on ahead. They won’t dare stop you."
But Ye Liuyun bowed deeply to him, his voice calm as still water. "If I end up killing him by accident during the fight... what would the consequences be?"
"Eh—?"
Ye Liuyun’s question sent a ripple of surprise through the three powerhouses present.
After a brief silence, the assassin from Black Kill suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Well said! That’s the spirit of Black Kill! If you can take down both of them, I’ll credit you 500 points for each kill! Hahaha!"
Old Man Xiao from the imperial faction glared with venomous eyes, while the military powerhouse wore a mocking grin, clearly doubting Ye Liuyun’s capabilities.
Ye Liuyun merely bowed again in gratitude. But the moment he straightened up—he vanished without a trace.
Old Man Xiao immediately erupted with his true energy, pressing it outward in all directions. He assumed Ye Liuyun was attempting a spatial ambush, but to his shock, it was *his own* position that shifted—suddenly materializing behind the military powerhouse.
The military expert, already on high alert, sensed the spatial disturbance behind him and instantly swung a full-powered palm strike backward.
Ye Liuyun knew he couldn’t take on both opponents at once. His only chance was to turn their strength against each other.
Old Man Xiao tried to warp away using spatial energy, but to his horror, his teleportation failed. The military powerhouse’s devastating strike landed squarely on him. Fortunately, the attacker recognized him at the last second and withdrew half the force.
Yet in that same instant, Ye Liuyun’s own palm strike—channeled with every ounce of his power—slammed into the military expert’s front.
"Damn it!"
The military powerhouse, already mid-retraction of his energy, had no choice but to redirect his force forward, unleashing another full-powered blast.
Old Man Xiao of the royal family was shocked to discover that his spatial abilities were no match for Ye Liuyun’s. Staggered by a heavy blow from the military powerhouse, he was still reeling when suddenly—his position shifted again. In a flash, he found himself face-to-face with the enemy once more.
The military powerhouse had just unleashed another surge of his barely recovered true energy. There was no time to pull it back now.
Cornered, Old Man Xiao had no choice but to channel all his strength into a desperate counterattack. Even if it meant injuring his opponent, he couldn’t afford to take the hit himself.
**BOOM!**
Their energies collided in a violent explosion. Though both strikes were hastily executed, the impact was devastating. The force sent them stumbling backward, each struggling to regain footing.
Seizing the moment, Ye Liuyun materialized soundlessly behind Old Man Xiao, dagger poised at his back—just in time for the old man to impale himself upon it. With a swift twist of his wrist, Ye Liuyun vanished again before the body even hit the ground.
**"Guh—!"**
Old Man Xiao froze, eyes wide with shock. He hadn’t even sensed Ye Liuyun’s presence. Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun had already reappeared, launching a palm strike straight at the military powerhouse’s face.
Still reeling from the earlier clash, the military warrior barely had time to react before another attack came. He swung his arm up in a desperate block—
But Ye Liuyun was already gone, teleporting behind him in the blink of an eye. Just as the man’s true energy surged forward, the silent dagger plunged into his back.
Gritting his teeth, the military powerhouse refused to go down without a fight. With his last ounce of strength, he twisted and lashed out blindly behind him—
Only for space to warp once more. His dying strike, instead of hitting Ye Liuyun, landed squarely on Old Man Xiao’s chest.
