Chapter 498: Making a Move

"Go ahead and try."

Ye Chen stood his ground, hands clasped behind his back, unmoved.

"You're courting death!"

A cold glint flashed in the brawny man's eyes. He ordered in a low voice, "Take him down! If Young Master Qiyun tries to protect him, I'll back you up!"

These words undoubtedly showed he had no regard for Lin Qiyun.

He, a common guard, was actually confident enough to challenge Lin Qiyun, the daughter of a former Clan Leader!

"Yes, sir!"

The other guards immediately swarmed forward, intending to subdue Ye Chen.

They were all Cultivators of the Bone Forging Realm, their strength above the Sixth Layer. It was highly likely they would be groomed into elite guards of the Blood Coagulation Realm in the future.

"Be careful!" Behind Ye Chen, Lin Qiyun's expression changed slightly as she cried out in alarm.

Even though Ye Chen had easily knocked down Zhang Qiao, that really didn't count for much.

In the end, Zhang Qiao was just an ordinary Third Layer Bone Forging Realm Cultivator, and his foundation was far from comparable to the tribe's own people.

The difficulty of dealing with Zhang Qiao and the difficulty of dealing with the tribe's guards were on completely different levels.

THUD!

...

After a series of three dull thuds, three towering figures were sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

Only Ye Chen remained standing, his hands still clasped behind his back, looking completely unfazed.

"You…" The brawny man's eyes widened as if he'd seen a ghost.

'Wasn't Young Master Qiyun's husband supposed to be a cripple? Not only severely injured, but with his entire foundation damaged, unable to ever set foot on the path of cultivation again?'

'How did he just casually subdue several guards in the blink of an eye?'

Of course, he didn't know that Ye Chen wasn't relying on Spiritual Power, but on raw physical strength.

Ye Chen's injuries were indeed severe.

But as his physical body was nourished and repaired, his frame—tempered by the True Dragon Jade Emperor Scripture—could now exert a sliver of impressive power.

Although it was still a far cry from his peak, dealing with a few mere Bone Forging Realm Cultivators was child's play.

Lin Qiyun and Xiaohe, who had just arrived, were also stunned.

Xiaohe's face was filled with amazement, her heart pounding with shock.

'The Young Master is actually this ferocious?'

'Even while seriously injured, he can easily subdue the tribe's guards?'

"It seems I've underestimated you."

"However, I won't give you another chance!"

The brawny man lunged forward, throwing a heavy punch straight at Ye Chen's face.

Accustomed to power comparable to the Peak of the Divine Power Realm, Ye Chen was still a bit unaccustomed to this kind of hand-to-hand combat.

But he quickly adapted, catching the brawny man's sandbag-sized fist and giving it a vicious twist!

"Ngh…"

The brawny man clenched his jaw, nearly screaming in pain.

His arm was twisted into a horrifying angle, a sight that would make anyone wince in sympathetic pain.

"You…"

He stared daggers at Ye Chen, finding it impossible to imagine that with all his strength, he was completely helpless against a cripple!

"I'll be waiting for your young master to come and apologize in person."

"If he doesn't show up, don't blame me for paying him a personal visit."

Ye Chen smiled faintly, then abruptly flung his arm, slamming the brawny man onto the ground and sending up a cloud of dust.

The brawny man was thrown into a daze.

He lay sprawled on the ground for a good while before coming to his senses, still shaken.

"Still here? Get lost."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

The brawny man's body trembled. Without even a thought for his companions, he scrambled away and fled the courtyard.

Only then did Ye Chen dust off his hands and stroll leisurely back into the room.

"Young Master, is this really okay?"

"Letting him go just like that… he'll go back and get more people. It'll be difficult for us to handle!"

Xiaohe said, worried sick.

Ye Chen gave Xiaohe a peculiar look.

'I thought this girl was simple and kind, naive about the ways of the world. Turns out she understands the principle of not letting a tiger return to the mountains.'

But Ye Chen just smiled and said, "I let him go call for backup on purpose."

"On purpose?" Xiaohe was confused.

"If he doesn't go get people, how am I supposed to blow this matter up?"

Ye Chen glanced at Lin Qiyun and said, "If we want to establish a foothold in this tribe and gain some authority, the first thing we need to do is display sufficient strength!"

"As long as you are strong enough, they won't dare to bully us again!"

"This is the first thing I'm doing for you," Ye Chen said to Lin Qiyun. "From now on, if anyone dares to bully you or Xiaohe again, they'll have to first consider whether they can bear the consequences!"

Lin Qiyun's heart trembled, and her delicate body couldn't help but shudder.

She looked at Ye Chen with a complicated expression and said softly, "Husband, your injuries…"

"They haven't fully recovered."

"But it's more than enough to deal with these small fries!"

Ye Chen said nonchalantly.

"Oh my gosh, Young Master, how did I never notice you had such a domineering side to you?"

Xiaohe said with feigned surprise.

Lin Qiyun was also stunned.

'Could it be that before he was injured, Ye Chen was an incredibly powerful Cultivator?'

'But he can't even walk the path of cultivation anymore, so how can he still display such immense strength?'

Lin Qiyun hesitated for a moment before saying, "Husband, since your injuries haven't healed yet, you should focus on recuperating…"

"Don't worry." Ye Chen shook his head and chuckled. "This *is* how I recuperate."

After the earlier clash with the tribe's guards, the effects of the Essence Replenishing Pill in his body were circulating faster, continuously mending his injuries as it flowed through him.

In just that short amount of time, he could already fight a Cultivator at the Eighth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm!

Without a doubt, the current Ye Chen already possessed enough strength to dominate the Vermilion Bird Tribe.

What he needed to do now was help Lin Qiyun seize control of the tribe as quickly as possible.

This wasn't just helping Lin Qiyun; it was also helping himself.

Only then could he comprehend the Vermilion Bird totem on the bronze pillar without any reservations.

Although he didn't need to cultivate the power of the Vermilion Bird totem, he needed to use it to stimulate a certain resonance within his body to accelerate his recovery!

...

"Hm?"

"What did you say? Zhang Qiao was killed by that cripple, and you guys were also beaten to a pulp by him?"

In a spacious courtyard, a handsome youth was sitting cross-legged under an ancient pine tree.

He looked up at the brawny man before him, his expression flickering.

"He actually wants me to go apologize in person?"

"He's got some serious nerve!"

The youth sneered and shook his head. "Could this cripple have been some powerful figure before he was injured?"

"But at the end of the day, he's just a cripple. Even if he can handle Bone Forging Realm Cultivators, those in the Blood Coagulation Realm can use Spiritual Power to fight. He has no Spiritual Power, so how could he possibly fight someone from the Blood Coagulation Realm?"

"Going to see him is fine."

"But I want him on his knees, begging for forgiveness!"