The entire courtyard was swallowed by a vast shadow.
From the shape, it was a gigantic flying mantis.
The surging demonic power made it almost impossible to stand.
Thankfully, Ye Yu noticed and casually set a barrier, cutting off the oppressive aura.
Only then did Ye Xiang and Xiao Wen avoid collapsing to the ground.
As for Ye Gongqiang—he got no such treatment.
He was slammed flat by the pressure, unable to lift his head.
He still forced out a shout with all his strength: “We welcome the City Lord’s descent!”
In the next second, the oppressive force dissipated completely.
A strikingly tall woman descended.
Her hair was so long it nearly brushed the ground. One hand on her hip, she gave off a domineering air.
This was Tang Wushuang, the new City Lord of Jianyao City after Jiang Jinhe.
Her gaze swept across everyone and finally settled squarely on Ye Yu.
“You are Ye Gongqiang’s nephew?”
Before Ye Yu could speak, Ye Gongqiang scrambled forward to kneel and proclaimed, “Reporting to the City Lord, this is my nephew Ye Yu, a once-in-ten-thousand peerless genius!”
Those last four words were almost ground out between his teeth,
and the killing intent in his eyes was laid bare.
A teasing look flickered over Tang Wushuang’s face. So Ye Gongqiang held quite a grudge against this nephew.
Family strife? Personal vendetta?
It didn’t matter.
Tang Wushuang refocused on Ye Yu and said lightly, “A fine face indeed. I feel as if I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
“Since you please my eye, I’ll give you a chance. How about you become my husband?”
“Think about it—being the man of Jianyao City’s City Lord is something most demons wouldn’t even dare dream.”
Before the words finished, Xiao Wen shouted from behind, “No! Yu, you must not agree!”
“The mantis clan has a secret art. On the wedding night they eat the husband and gain his ability.”
“This City Lord has been in power barely half a year and has already gone through eight husbands. Not one lived to see the next day. Run!”
Xiao Wen was not like Ye Xiang, that “low-born ox.”
She was fairly sharp, had been to Jianyao City, and had heard stories of this City Lord.
To keep Ye Yu from becoming the ninth dead City Lord’s husband, she shouted without care for anything else.
The warning painted an instant image in Ye Yu’s mind:
Tang Wushuang gnawing on his severed head.
Hiss. Hard to keep a straight face.
Tang Wushuang stepped forward.
“Female demon, you talk too much,” she snapped coldly.
In the next second, a shockwave erupted from her as the center and spread at speed.
The nearest, Ye Gongqiang, was blown a hundred meters, smashing into the courtyard wall before he stopped.
With the earlier backlash from Soul Search, he spat a mouthful of blood on the spot.
Even so, Ye Gongqiang wasn’t angry—he smiled.
The stronger the City Lord, the easier it would be to kill Ye Yu.
Unexpectedly, not only did Ye Yu stand unmoved under the assault, but Ye Xiang and Xiao Wen were also completely unaffected.
The formation before them had sealed everything out.
Seeing this, Tang Wushuang’s brows rose slightly. “Heh, I didn’t expect you...”
She didn’t finish. An invisible force seized her and hoisted her high into the air.
As it tightened, Tang Wushuang let out a cry of pain.
Ye Yu said mildly, “You talk too much. And speaking to my mother like that—that’s rude. You need to be punished.”
He flicked his hand.
A colossal palm condensed in an instant and, with a single slap, knocked more than ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ a dozen of Tang Wushuang’s teeth flying.
The force was so great that one tooth happened to smack into Ye Gongqiang’s forehead, then clatter to the ground.
He stared down in disbelief. On the ground, that snowy tooth looked absurdly mocking,
as if loudly laughing at his naivete.
The City Lord he’d revered as a god—invincible in his heart—was like a toy before Ye Yu, utterly unable to resist.
It was hard to believe his eyes.
It wasn’t just him—Tang Wushuang found it unbelievable too.
What realm was this man, exactly?
Hadn’t Ye Gongqiang said his nephew Ye Yu was just over thirty in demon years?
Over thirty? Even thirty thousand might not reach this level.
Tang Wushuang didn’t dwell on it. Knowing Ye Yu was likely stronger than she was, the best plan was to break free quickly and leave.
The longer she delayed, the slimmer her chances of living.
With that settled, the runes on her robe flared, and she slipped free a moment later—
a technique very much like the demon clan’s Shedding Art.
Temporarily free, she didn’t flee at once but lunged at Ye Yu.
She knew that without forcing him back, she couldn’t escape across open ground.
Every mantis demon was a master of dual blades.
Tang Wushuang was no exception.
Only five meters separated her and Ye Yu.
At such close range, she had slain many foes above her rank.
“Within ten zhang, I am invincible.”
Once the Phantom Blades appeared, even if Ye Yu didn’t die, he would be wounded—
and that would be her chance to get away.
Her wrists snapped; two long blades flashed into being and hacked for Ye Yu, one before and one behind.
Keen blade intent locked Ye Yu completely.
The demonic power around him froze solid; he had no chance to cast a technique.
And then—
the two blades changed: two became four, four became sixteen, sixteen became two hundred fifty-six...
In an instant, the place became a world of blades.
In Tang Wushuang’s eyes, Ye Yu looked stunned, rooted to the spot, forgetting even to resist.
The next heartbeat, she sensed something wrong.
Ye Yu’s eyes held only disdain.
It felt as if the trump card technique, Phantom Blades, had been seen through entirely.
No. Impossible.
A mere bear—how could he possibly grasp the mantis clan’s secret profundity?
