The energy converged.
At the critical moment, Zhang Yuge felt a surge of power coursing through his entire body.
Within dozens of meters around him, the spiritual energy instantly condensed inside him.
Before him, a faint yet solid barrier materialized, forcibly blocking Ye Tianlu’s fierce palm strike.
“What?!”
Ye Tianlu’s expression changed drastically—his full-force blow had actually been stopped by this yellow-haired brat.
The other members of the Ye family all showed expressions of disbelief.
Surprise flashed in Zhang Yuge’s eyes as well, but he knew this was Yun Lan’s doing, so he quickly calmed down.
“Master, thank goodness you intervened in time, or else your disciple’s life would’ve been forfeit.”
“Don’t celebrate too soon. It’s inconvenient for me to appear personally, so I’ve transferred my current cultivation to you. You must fend them off yourself.”
“Huh? This isn’t what you promised, Master! I don’t know how to use your spells.”
“If you want me to step in, that’s fine, but I will slaughter them all without leaving a single survivor. Are you sure you want me to act personally?”
“QBg?……”
“Ding, the system deems it necessary to notify the host. Currently, Ye Xichen’s Fate Points stand at 694, possessing [Heaven’s Destiny’s Blessing]. Until Ye Xichen’s Fate Points fall below 100, he cannot be eliminated by any means.”
“Uh… then I guess this task falls to me.”
Zhang Yuge only intended to suppress the protagonist a little, not to wipe out an entire family.
Moreover, even if Yun Lan acted, he couldn’t kill Ye Xichen—only the others in the Ye family would die.
That’s the nature of a Destiny Child.
At that point, Zhang Yuge feared he’d truly become mortal enemies with the protagonist.
“Just use the martial arts you secretly learned from the Zhang family. With the cultivation I’ve lent you, it’s enough to handle them.”
However, Yun Lan’s refusal to show himself also confirmed Zhang Yuge’s earlier suspicion.
He believed Yun Lan’s assistance came with a hidden motive—most likely revenge.
Whatever the reason, one thing was certain:
Yun Lan did not want outsiders to know of his existence.
At present, only Zhang Yuge and Zhang Qingyao knew of this lingering remnant soul.
Feng, Hua, Ji, Ye, Yun—the five great families of the capital—with Yun Lan carrying the “Yun” surname.
Zhang Yuge had heard from Lin Yi that members of the five families often interacted and intermarried as a matter of course.
If Yun Lan truly had ties with the Yun family of the capital, it would explain why he preferred to remain hidden.
The many younger members of the Ye family swarmed forward, encircling Zhang Yuge and Zhang Qingyao tightly.
The gates were shut firmly, guarded by many.
Zhang Qingyao had never faced such a situation before; she was always the one doing the surrounding, never the surrounded.
Fear clutched her as she gripped Zhang Yuge’s sleeve tightly, trembling.
Ye Tianlu thought Zhang Yuge had used a magic artifact or talisman to barely block his palm strike.
“I want to see if you can block my second strike.”
No sooner had he spoken than Ye Tianlu lunged forward with a heavy step, shaking the ground beneath him.
The overwhelming momentum brought him right before Zhang Yuge in an instant.
Yet Zhang Yuge didn’t even dodge, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he raised his fist.
“Bang.”
The punch was thrown.
A spray of blood splattered into the sky.
The previously roaring Ye Tianlu now flew back like a kite with a broken string, finally crashing heavily onto the ground.
Just one move—only one!
Ye Tianlu, head of the Ye family’s first generation and mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, couldn’t even withstand one strike from Zhang Yuge.
“Nephew Tianlu!”
“Family head!”
“Father!”
At that moment, the Ye family’s main hall descended into chaos.
They were all stunned by Zhang Yuge’s strength.
Several elder Ye family members also couldn’t stay seated; it was absurd that Ye Tianlu couldn’t defeat a Foundation Establishment Second Stage yellow-haired kid.
Even the Ye family’s strongest elder, nearly at the Nascent Soul stage, couldn’t defeat Ye Tianlu with a single punch.
Could it be that this brat’s martial arts concealed some divine power?
“What kind of martial art are you using that’s so overwhelmingly fierce?”
“Zhang family’s beginner-level martial art, Pine Crane Fist, first level, second form,” Zhang Yuge withdrew his fist and assumed a ready stance.”
“How is this possible? Beginner-level martial arts can’t have this kind of power!”
“If you don’t believe me, I can’t help it. That’s just how it is,”
Zhang Yuge shrugged helplessly.
Beside him, Zhang Qingyao looked utterly shocked.
“This is a martial art only inner disciples of the Zhang family learn. Zhang Yuge, when did you learn it?”
“Call me Young Master,”
Zhang Yuge glared at her.
“Young Master…”
“I’ve served as a Zhang family servant for so many years and never tasted pork, but I’ve certainly seen pigs running around.”
Zhang Yuge transmitted the words across the space, audible only to Zhang Qingyao.
“You… so the Young Master secretly learned the inner family martial arts, and no one else ever noticed…”
A servant secretly learning the inner family’s martial arts was a grave offense punishable by caning to death.
Zhang Yuge remaining unscathed proved how serious the matter was.
“Let me put it this way: by mastering every servant’s schedule in advance, perfectly avoiding all eyes isn’t hard. The Zhang residence is vast, with rockeries, trees, and shrubs providing cover. Sneaking into the inner courtyard isn’t difficult.”
As if boasting, Zhang Yuge shared this with Zhang Qingyao just to savor her shocked expression.
The more Zhang Qingyao thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
She had thought Zhang Yuge was just lucky to have met Yun Lan and was now riding high on that.
Now she realized he’d been scheming for a long time.
Staring incredulously at Zhang Yuge’s profile, a strange sense of dread gripped her.
“Heh, all thanks to the Second Young Master taking good care of me, which encouraged me to secretly learn the Zhang family’s martial arts.”
Zhang Qingyao was speechless.
The elder Ye family members, unaware of Zhang Yuge’s true strength, only surrounded him without attacking, not daring to act rashly.
Ye Xichen helped the injured Ye Tianlu up, anxiously asking,
“Father, are you alright?”
Ye Tianlu’s face was pale, one hand clutching his painful chest.
He raised a trembling finger toward Zhang Yuge, who faced off against the crowd.
“Nascent… Nascent Soul stage…”
He spoke, then his hand went limp as he collapsed, unconscious.
“Father! Father, wake up!”
“Ding, Ye Xichen lost thirty Fate Points, host’s Destiny Points increased by 300.”
The Ye family was shocked by this news, staring at Zhang Yuge in disbelief.
“He’s Nascent Soul stage?”
“This brat is actually a Nascent Soul cultivator?”
It must be known that there wasn’t a single Nascent Soul cultivator in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.
Including all secular kingdoms in the Southern An Continent, Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely rare.
Many elders from the five great families held official posts in the imperial court and were greatly respected.
Even princesses and princes had to yield to them.
If Zhang Yuge truly possessed Nascent Soul cultivation, he would be the first in five centuries in Great Zhou.
Not only would the Zhang family skyrocket, but the Emperor might also appoint him as Great Zhou’s protector, overshadowing the other four great families.
Seeing the Ye family’s wary expressions, Zhang Yuge understood.
“Master, I didn’t expect you to be this powerful. The qi you lent me scared off the Ye family.”
“Heh, your master is quite capable. Scaring them like this with only Nascent Soul cultivation? I haven’t even unleashed my full power yet.”
Hearing Yun Lan’s words, Zhang Yuge immediately gained confidence and sneered coldly.
“You all have just this much ability? Pretending to be weak and playing along with you old bastards has really exhausted me.”
“This is impossible! When I attacked him, this guy was clearly only Foundation Establishment Second Stage!”
Ye Xichen shouted angrily, unable to understand how a spoiled brat inferior to him in everything could have such high cultivation.
“Oh, Lord Ye, don’t you get it? I was just playing with you. You really thought I was a useless whelp like you? Hahaha…”
As he spoke, Zhang Yuge grabbed the girl beside him with a waist hug.
Zhang Qingyao, caught off guard, was buried in Zhang Yuge’s arms.
“W-what are you doing?”
Zhang Qingyao struggled to break free, but Zhang Yuge’s strength was too great.
Zhang Yuge’s humiliation and provocation pierced Ye Xichen’s heart like a knife, burning painfully.
“Ding, Ye Xichen lost 50 Fate Points, host’s Destiny Points increased by 500.”
“Lord Ye, you should understand now the gap between you and me. Your fiancée is now part of my Zhang family. If your Ye family wants her back, you’ll have to defeat me first.”
Ye Xichen glared fiercely, eyes bloodshot with rage.
His clenched fists bled.
“Ding, Ye Xichen lost 40 Fate Points, host’s Destiny Points increased by 400.”
Seeing the steady influx of Destiny Points, Zhang Yuge grinned inwardly.
Since that was the case, he decided to increase the pressure.
“Today, I will take Zhong Bailing away. Who dares stop me?”
The true qi transformed from spiritual energy radiated outward.
The presence of a Nascent Soul cultivator pressed down on everyone present.
At this moment, the Ye family, including Ye Xichen, truly felt the difference in strength—absolute crushing dominance.
A deep sense of helplessness swept through his heart.
“Ding, Ye Xichen’s mind is unstable; lost 60 Fate Points, host gains 600 Destiny Points.”
Yet the Ye family elders did not falter in the face of Zhang Yuge’s might.
“Arrogant brat, even if you are Nascent Soul stage, so what? There are so many of us here, afraid of you alone? Impossible!”
“Be careful! This one is no good, prepare talismans!”
As he spoke, the Ye family’s second elder, a master of talisman arts, summoned several talismans floating around him.
The talismans glowed faint red.
With a wave of his hand, the talisman papers shot toward Zhang Yuge and Zhang Qingyao.
The talismans flew at lightning speed, arriving in an instant.
The runes on the papers flared bright red, then roared with blazing flames, forming a ring of fire sweeping the surroundings.
Boom—
Just as the fire ring was about to reach them, Zhang Yuge condensed spiritual energy which exploded outward.
A shockwave scattered the flames.
Ye Xichen’s third uncle, martial cultivator Ye Tianyang, shouted loudly.
He raised a circular shield artifact before him and charged forward with intimidating force to draw Zhang Yuge’s attention.
Above Zhang Yuge, the Ye family’s fourth elder, Ye Qianhu—a sword cultivator—looked for a chance to land a killing blow.
Seeing Zhang Yuge blocking Ye Tianyang and the others with his fists, Ye Qianhu didn’t hesitate.
He circled behind Zhang Yuge, his speed surging as he thrust his sword straight at the back of Zhang Yuge’s head.
Unfortunately, they underestimated Zhang Yuge’s reaction speed.
Zhang Yuge stretched backward and delivered a solid kick to Ye Qianhu’s abdomen.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time the Ye family reacted, Ye Qianhu had fallen to the ground, mouth full of blood, rolling and crawling toward the Ye family’s older generation.
“Disciple, your fist and foot skills are impressive. Perhaps the path of martial cultivation suits you better.”
“It’s all thanks to the cultivation Master lent me.”
Yun Lan observed Zhang Yuge’s performance but, not being a martial cultivator himself, couldn’t offer more guidance.
Zhang Qingyao watched dumbfounded.
She thought Zhang Yuge had only learned some beginner’s martial arts secretly but never imagined he knew advanced inner family techniques too.
While Zhang Yuge moved with ease, he could also see what Zhang Qingyao was thinking.
“You inner disciples of the Zhang family train all day in the inner courtyard, yet your martial arts are still inferior to a half-baked servant who learned secretly halfway through. Truly a house full of talents.”
“…Ah, yes, yes, I get it, you’re powerful enough already.”
Zhang Qingyao turned her head, unwilling to speak with Zhang Yuge anymore.
After some time, the Ye family suffered successive defeats.
Some were unconscious, others sprawled on the ground.
“Anyone else?”
Zhang Yuge scanned the surroundings arrogantly.
The Ye family glared at him with hostility but no one dared step forward to challenge.
Just as Zhang Yuge was about to leave, a figure rushed toward him.
It was Ye Xichen.
He threw himself into an attack with all his might, a fierce punch rushing toward Zhang Yuge.
Zhang Yuge intended to casually take Ye Xichen’s punch, so he could insult him and gain more Destiny Points.
Yet he hadn’t considered—what if he couldn’t catch it?