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墨書 Inktalez
Elder Dou has a secret, but what exactly is it?
It is a secret that could compel someone to sacrifice their dignity and endure humiliation. If achieved, its impact would undoubtedly be extraordinary.
What can be confirmed is that this secret must be related to Cloudscroll Pavilion; otherwise, Elder Dou would have no reason to deliberately endure and create the illusion of being weak and easily bullied in front of younger individuals like Hong Zhi. But what use are these people to him?
"Do you really want to die?" Elder Dou's stern voice interrupted Ye Tian's thoughts.
"Of course not," Ye Tian replied with a smile, shaking his head. He understood one thing well: in the face of a formidable enemy, the more worried and fearful you appear, the lower your chances of survival.
"Actually, I don't want to kill you either." Elder Dou paused, then sighed, "With such talent and opportunity, it would be a pity to kill you."
"Hehe, Elder Dou is too kind," Ye Tian said, tilting his head with a smirk, his mind filled with words to spar with Elder Dou.
If one were to ask what Ye Tian's greatest ability truly was, it would definitely not be his martial arts skills but rather his expertise in banter.
Having experienced numerous life-and-death crises, Ye Tian's banter had evolved from mere verbal sparring into a strategy for countering enemies. This strategy has a formal name—provocation.
Many people find themselves at a disadvantage even when they hold the upper hand against an opponent. Why does this happen? A significant part comes from underestimating the enemy, while another part stems from losing composure.
Underestimating an opponent can be induced through deception, but it largely depends on a person's nature. However, causing someone to lose their composure is less complicated; you simply need to provoke them, incite their anger, and trigger an impulse to destroy everything in front of them—then you've succeeded.
Of course, provoking an opponent who is stronger than you is undoubtedly a double-edged sword; it can help you turn the tables but also increase your chances of being brutally defeated.
Ye Tian excels at provoking others. His quick reactions allow him to engage in banter rapidly, easily irritating his opponents. Just imagine: every time you finish saying something, your opponent immediately counters with a retort—wouldn't that make you feel frustrated?
"Hehe, kid, I've crossed more bridges than you've walked roads; how could I stumble in the same place twice? Save your breath; your childish tactics are useless," Elder Dou sneered. He understood that when someone is angry, they often make many mistakes. Underestimating Ye Tian had already led to his secret being uncovered. Therefore, he would not allow such a thing to happen again.
"Oh, you truly have keen insight," Ye Tian said with admiration while giving Elder Dou a thumbs up.
Elder Dou understood the principle of provocation, but a trace of anger still flashed across his face, which he quickly suppressed. He let out a cold laugh and said, "That's not the main point. You're so clever; you should know what the main point is."
Ye Tian pretended to think for a moment before tilting his head and smiling, "The main point is that you want to kill me to silence me?"
"Since you know, it would be better to keep it to yourself. If you say it out loud, wouldn't that hurt our feelings?" Elder Dou was also a master of this art, skilled in verbal sparring.
This showed that his earlier underestimation of Ye Tian was indeed due to carelessness. He had never imagined that a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth could possess such cunning, which was vastly different from the disciples he usually interacted with.
A prime example was Hong Zhi. Although he had considerable ambition and schemes, those schemes were always riddled with flaws. For instance, in this operation, he rashly acted based solely on the fact that Ye Tian was a Three-Stage Martial Artist, leading to the current outcome. The reason for this? Two words—details.
A plan without details can only be called a goal; goals are vague. If one starts acting based solely on a goal, the chances of success are minimal. Hong Zhi was like this; he acted impulsively and overlooked every detail that could have been the reason for his demise. As it turned out, if it weren't for the unexpected factor of Elder Dou, Hong Zhi's life would have already been firmly in Ye Tian's grasp.
In contrast, Ye Tian excelled at discovering and utilizing details, which allowed him to notice Elder Dou's unusual behavior and catch glimpses of his secrets.
If this were the Cloud Viewing Stone Platform, and if Xuanyuan Changfeng were nearby, it wouldn't be hard to imagine what kind of fate awaited Elder Dou.
Fortunately, this was not the Cloud Viewing Stone Platform. Even if it were, Xuanyuan Changfeng was not present. While Elder Dou sincerely acknowledged Ye Tian's intelligence, it was ultimately useless because under such a vast disparity in strength, cleverness did not play a significant role.
"Elder Dou, must you kill me to silence me?" Ye Tian maintained his cheerful demeanor, appearing carefree.
"Haha, good question." Elder Dou, not one to be easily outdone, mirrored Ye Tian's expression and countered, "What do you think?"
"If you ask me, of course you can spare me. We have no grievances against each other; why must we meet in death?" Ye Tian stretched lazily as if chatting with an old friend.
"You’re right. To be honest, I admire you very much, so I’ve decided not to kill you... for now." Elder Dou smiled at Ye Tian, his eyes glinting with a mysterious light.
"Thank you very much," Ye Tian laughed heartily. However, his tone suddenly turned serious as he said, "But I have one more request."
"Feel free to speak," Elder Dou said with his hands clasped behind his back, adopting an air of wisdom.
"He must die!" A burst of golden light suddenly erupted from Ye Tian's eyes, shining like a cluster of golden feathered arrows, piercingly fierce.
Hong Zhi was initially stunned by the conversation between the two, but when his gaze met Ye Tian's, he immediately trembled all over, sensing something stubborn in that sharp look.
"You really are quite stubborn," Elder Dou said as he glanced back at Hong Zhi, then turned to Ye Tian and asked, "Why must you kill him?"
"Stop with the nonsense. Should I or shouldn't I?" Ye Tian retorted, his voice returning to its cold tone. After several rounds of confrontation, he realized that provoking Elder Dou was futile; since it was useless, there was no need to waste words. He intended to kill Hong Zhi and engage in a life-and-death battle with Elder Dou.
"Do you think you have the right to negotiate with me?" In this contest of provocation, Ye Tian withdrew first, giving Elder Dou the advantage to press on.
In fact, Elder Dou didn't need to use provocation against Ye Tian; he did it simply to vent his previous frustrations.
Ye Tian looked up at the sky upon hearing this. It was already past noon, and the Wine Kid's Apprenticeship Ceremony was about to take place.
"We have at most half an hour. If we can't make it to the Cloud Viewing Stone Platform, it will surely raise Master’s suspicions." Although Ye Tian didn't fully express his thoughts, the confident expression on his face was evident.
"Half an hour is enough time to kill you," Elder Dou scoffed dismissively.
"Haha, not to mention whether you can actually kill me in half an hour, even if you do manage it, do you have confidence in doing it cleanly?" Ye Tian raised an eyebrow at Elder Dou.
The two locked eyes, their gazes seemingly ready to ignite flames.
What Ye Tian meant by his earlier statement was that he could drag out half an hour under Elder Dou's hands without dying. By the time Elder Dou killed Ye Tian and headed for the Apprenticeship Ceremony, he would inevitably be late. When Xuanyuan Changfeng discovered Ye Tian's disappearance the next day, he would surely suspect Elder Dou. Moreover, Ye Tian's mention of doing it cleanly was clearly a threat to Elder Dou because he had already devised a countermeasure; even if he died, he would leave behind a clue pointing to Elder Dou.
The Cloudscroll Pavilion was not very large, and Ye Tian was Xuanyuan Changfeng's most valued new disciple; his future prospects were limitless. If he mysteriously disappeared, Xuanyuan Changfeng would likely search every corner of Rolling Cloud Peak for any trace.
"Very good... very good!"
With a pronounced emphasis on "good," Elder Dou suddenly moved. His figure shot up into the sky, no longer showing any signs of age; his momentum was as fierce as a hawk diving for its prey.
Ye Tian slightly raised his neck and retreated instead of advancing. The Yuqi Tayan Jue was activated by both spiritual energy and Martial Origin Power. Suddenly, Ye Tian's figure also surged forward with speed that matched Elder Dou's and an extraordinary aura. If Elder Dou was a hawk soaring through the air, then Ye Tian was a cheetah striking like lightning!
"Unaware of your own mortality!" Elder Dou sneered coldly as he gathered his arms in Ling Kong. With a howl from Whispers, two massive Martial Origin Power Whips materialized out of thin air.
Ye Tianqing let out a roar, remaining unflinching as he charged forward. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light erupted from his body, with dozens of golden Bagua Patterns protecting vital areas. At first glance, it resembled a Golden Battle Armor, exuding an extraordinary aura.
"Such trivial skills dare to show off!" The Bagua Xuan Yuan Shield failed to attract Elder Dou's attention; for someone of his strength, this level of defensive martial arts was beneath his notice.
"Go!"
At this moment, the two were less than five zhang apart. Elder Dou suddenly swung the Martial Energy Whip. He did not employ any martial arts; this Martial Energy Whip was purely a manifestation of his mastery over Martial Origin Power achieved through Martial Unity.
As the long whip struck, Ye Tian felt a fierce energy rushing toward him. If hit, his head would likely explode on the spot.
"Uh!"
Jujutsu was unleashed as Ye Tian executed an incredible twist in mid-air. His trajectory shifted from diagonally upward to suddenly downward, and his target instantly changed from Elder Dou to the stunned Hong Zhi.
In fact, Ye Tian had calculated this move before taking action. He wasn't foolish enough to think he could gain any advantage in a direct confrontation with Elder Dou. Thus, the Bagua Xuan Yuan Shield was merely a distraction; charging forward was just to confuse Elder Dou's judgment.
Ye Tian's true target was Hong Zhi. He took a risk, aiming to eliminate Hong Zhi in one swift move!
His palm glowed with golden light, now less than half an inch from Hong Zhi's head. However, the Whispers behind him suddenly intensified; Ye Tian could even feel the impact of the Martial Origin Power Whips striking against his back.
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