Chapter 136: If You Do Not Wish to Marry, Then We Shall Not

"Oh?"

Upon hearing An Feng's refusal, Lei Zhan raised an eyebrow and said indifferently, "Do you have any idea what the consequences of refusing me are?"

As his words landed, the atmosphere in the arena turned completely rigid.

Yun Feilan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but as soon as she met Lei Zhan's cold, indifferent gaze, her body trembled, and she dared not speak further.

Lei Zhan was a genius rarely seen in a millennium in the Tianyun Continent. Blessed with both lightning and fire bloodlines, he was born with the "Flame Divine Thunder." By the age of twelve, he had already broken through to the Void Martial realm, carving out a massive reputation across the continent.

In the years that followed, Lei Zhan grew increasingly formidable. Every breakthrough in his cultivation brought him accolades of invincibility among his peers. By the time he reached the eighth level of the Void Martial realm, the people of the Tianyun Continent had already dubbed him the number one expert beneath the True Martial realm.

Yet, possessing such power did not satisfy him. After breaking through to the ninth level of the Void Martial realm, he challenged a first-level True Martial expert and earned the title of invincible; the second level followed, and he remained invincible.

It was not until the third level that rumors circulated of him being killed by a hidden master of the Tianyun Continent. A genius had fallen, and the continent sighed in regret.

Now, he was miraculously alive, displaying the power of a fourth-level True Martial expert while standing alongside her.

With a figure of near-mythical status speaking, what right did she have to interfere?

"Heh, I honestly don't know what the consequences of refusing you are," An Feng chuckled, his eyes devoid of fear. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Death, or becoming a cripple."

The indifferent reply spilled from Lei Zhan’s lips, causing the expressions of those present to shift immediately. An Feng, in particular, felt a chill emanate from his eyes.

"However, I only do that under normal circumstances. This, however, is not a normal circumstance." Lei Zhan spoke again abruptly. "Our condition for exchanging entry with the Tianyun Sect was to ensure your safety and guarantee you obtain benefits. Since that is the case, how could I possibly kill you or cripple you?"

"Then what do you want?" Sheng Xin asked, stepping into the conversation.

"Give him another chance," Lei Zhan stated calmly. "Hand over the items to me. I will find treasures more suitable for you later and provide sufficient compensation."

"And if my answer remains no?" An Feng asked coldly.

"Then, you are seeking your own death," Lei Zhan’s gaze flickered. "You will die, and your possessions will be mine."

As his words fell, Yun Feilan and the others felt their bodies shake, their eyes turning toward An Feng. Their gazes were filled with silent urging.

They had no choice. Lei Zhan was a legendary figure of the Tianyun Continent, and by standing with them, he had clearly become their leader. With their leader having spoken, what say did they have? They could only hope An Feng would take a step back and surrender the treasures.

"Heh, you people of the Tianyun Continent are truly interesting," An Feng sneered, as if ignoring the gazes of persuasion. "You are either arrogant and conceited or self-righteous."

"Shall I interpret that as a refusal?" Lei Zhan asked flatly.

"Don't interpret it as a refusal; it *is* a refusal."

Sheng Xin’s tone also grew icy. "You talk a good game about protecting our safety, but it seems you are no different from that bunch of trash earlier—you just want the treasures. Most importantly, you are even worse than they were. At least they were open about it, attacking directly. You lot have to hide behind grand-sounding slogans. It’s pathetic!"

Hearing these blunt words, the expressions of the young people surrounding Lei Zhan turned dark. To be told they were worse than the people they had chased off was a humiliation; to be told they were "trash" was akin to having their faces stripped bare. They preferred to keep a low profile and avoid the spotlight, but that did not mean they would silently accept such insults!

"Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Brother Lei spoke kindly to negotiate with you, yet you dare refuse and insult us. I think you've grown tired of living!"

A young man in yellow standing beside Lei Zhan spoke coldly. In the next moment, he stepped forward, standing directly before the two of them.

"Since you are tired of living, I will be the one to send you both on your way!"

Boom!

As he spoke, the aura on the yellow-clad youth exploded. An incredibly heavy pressure surged forth, slamming directly into Sheng Xin and An Feng!

"To rob others and claim it’s justified—as someone from the Tianyun Continent, I am truly ashamed of you!"

Before Sheng Xin and An Feng could reply, a voice suddenly echoed from beside Yun Feilan. A moment later, a young man in white robes stood before them—it was Zhou Yuan!

"Brother Zhou!"

Sheng Xin and An Feng were startled to see him, while the group with Yun Feilan changed expressions, never expecting Zhou Yuan to intervene!

"Hmm?" Lei Zhan frowned, his gaze shifting abruptly to Yun Feilan. "Miss Yun, what is the meaning of this?"

"Zhou Yuan, come back!" Yun Feilan urged urgently. "There is no point in opposing Brother Lei at a time like this..."

"Enough. I said before, I will not stand by and watch my friends be harassed!" Zhou Yuan waved a hand, his cold gaze fixed on the yellow-clad youth. "If you want to kill my friends, you must go through me first."

His words were resolute and unyielding. Yun Feilan and the others were left speechless, and even Lei Zhan’s gaze flickered with a hint of surprise.

"I didn't expect that, while your power is not great, you are so loyal. A pity—you have chosen the wrong friends."

Following this indifferent remark, Lei Zhan’s eyes flashed. "Brother Huang, solve them all together. For us, those who do not listen are no longer under our protection."

"Haha, I had that intention all along!"

The yellow-clad youth laughed, his fists suddenly clenching. Two streams of earthy-yellow energy began to rise, and a vast, overwhelming aura slowly radiated from them.

Feeling this aura, the expressions of An Feng and Sheng Xin changed. They both knew this aura had far surpassed the Void Martial realm; it had even surpassed the first level of True Martial, reaching the peak of the second level!

To be at the Void Martial realm but possess the aura of a peak second-level True Martial expert—this alone was enough to prove the yellow-clad youth was a peerless genius!

"Strike first! Kill, kill, kill!"

Sheng Xin let out a sudden roar, the white longsword in his hand slashing toward the yellow-clad youth. The white sword light seemed to cleave the heavens at that moment, causing the complexions of Yun Feilan and the others to shift. They felt as if they saw countless exquisite martial arts techniques contained within that single stroke!

"Oh? A sword of ten thousand arts combined?"

The yellow-clad youth raised an eyebrow and sneered. "That sword is indeed quite good, but unfortunately, your power is too weak. You cannot compare to me. Earth Emperor Fist!"

Boom-crack!

As he spoke, the youth's fist slammed into Sheng Xin's sword light. A heavy, earth-like pressure exploded, the resulting powerful fluctuations causing cracks to appear on the ground for ten thousand miles around. Under the force of the youth's power, Sheng Xin's "Ten Thousand Martial Sword" was shattered into pieces!

Pfft!

With his sword light broken, Sheng Xin coughed up a mouthful of blood. The yellow-clad youth laughed heartily, "Since you dared to strike at me first, I will take your life. Come here!"

Whoosh!

A sound of tearing air rang out. The youth's other fist transformed into a claw, wreathed in earthy-yellow light, causing the very ground to glow as it swept toward Sheng Xin!

Just as it seemed Sheng Xin would fall into his enemy's hands, another roar echoed out!

"Weight of the Earth!"

Buzz!

A matching earthy-yellow light erupted from An Feng's body, instantly colliding with the yellow-clad youth. The youth’s body shuddered, and the light on his fists dimmed significantly.

"Oh? You are also a possessor of the earth bloodline! And a special one at that!"

Seeing his aura weaken, the youth raised an eyebrow, though he remained unruffled, his sneer growing even sharper. "Good. Your earth bloodline will soon be mine."

"Circle of Heaven and Earth!"

At that moment, Zhou Yuan’s roar also sounded. A glowing white light began to radiate, propelling his body to spin. With every rotation, Zhou Yuan's aura grew stronger; in a flash, he spun a hundred times, crashing toward the youth!

"Borrowing force to strike back? Hmph, that is indeed a good technique, but unfortunately, even if the three of you combined, you cannot borrow my strength! Earth Emperor Divine Art: Master of the Earth!"

Seeing Zhou Yuan's attack, the youth snorted. His body shook abruptly, and the earthy-yellow light on his fists, which had been shrinking, suddenly erupted into an even more powerful radiance!

Boom-crack-crack!

A deafening explosion rang out. Between that contraction and expansion, Zhou Yuan's attack, An Feng's technique, and the already injured Sheng Xin were all sent reeling back dozens of paces!

When they looked back at the yellow-clad youth, they found that his physical form was gone. In its place stood a massive, earthy-yellow humanoid figure clad in armor of the same color. Its feet were rooted in the earth, it had no eyes or face, and its aura was terrifying!

The aura suggested that the youth before them was no longer human; he had transformed into a deity—a god who ruled the earth!

The expressions of the three changed. They realized that the youth's energy intensity had surpassed the peak of the second level of True Martial, reaching the strength of the third level!

A peak Void Martial expert with the power of a third-level True Martial! This was the opponent they faced.

"Do you feel my power now?"

The massive earthy-yellow figure emitted a vast, booming voice. "Indeed, this is my true energy intensity. To die under such power, you should feel honored."

Buzz!

As he spoke, the humanoid figure raised a massive fist, terrifying energy surging from it, before it crashed down!

The space itself was torn by the fist, and in the next instant, it was directly above the three of them!

Sheng Xin and the others looked grim. They knew they could not dodge this blow, nor could they block it. Perhaps, they were about to die.

Nearby, Yun Feilan sighed, her eyes full of regret. Whether it was Zhou Yuan, Sheng Xin, or An Feng, all three had left a deep impression on her. They had performed excellently from start to finish and were candidates she had intended to recruit. Now, it was all over.

At this very moment.

At the moment when everyone, including Sheng Xin and An Feng themselves, believed they were about to die, a roar suddenly erupted!

"You are courting death!"

Swish!

An incredibly brilliant sword light exploded from the distant void. In less than a blink of an eye, it had crossed the distance and slashed down upon the earthy-yellow figure!

Boom!

A thunderous explosion erupted from the figure. The next moment, the massive humanoid split into two halves. The powerful aura dissipated, and a spray of blood erupted from within!

Everyone present gasped, their mouths hanging wide open as they watched the yellow-clad youth's body split in two!