Chapter 121: Kowtow

At this moment, Ye Tianyou emitted a formidable aura, his black robe billowing wildly in the wind. His eyes had completely turned an ethereal blue, and blue runes now crawled across his dark clothing.

The powerful aura radiated far and wide.

Even the martial artists fleeing in the distance sensed the change, each turning back in astonishment and doubt. Yet some fled in the very direction the golden-armored warrior pursued.

“Run faster! Don’t look back, if the golden-armored warrior catches you, you’re dead for sure!” someone shouted in warning. The scattered martial artists quickened their pace, while the golden-armored warrior followed behind steadily, occasionally releasing crimson blades that sliced the ground.

Here, around Chu Jie, only Duan Kun, Wu Long, Ye Tianyou, and a few others remained; the surroundings were steeped in a deadly silence.

The glow surrounding Ye Tianyou grew ever more intense, the blue light flickering incessantly as blue runes spread across his body, boosting his strength to the pinnacle of the Spirit Convergence Realm’s eighth tier.

“Now it’s your turn to run,” Ye Tianyou said, hovering three feet off the ground.

Bizarrely, there was no shadow beneath him.

Ye Tianyou’s soul had been devoured by that dagger. Though he still controlled the body, Ye Tianyou was effectively dead.

As long as Chu Jie survived, Ye Tianyou would remain in this state.

Before Chu Jie could react, a streak of blue light flashed like lightning. Ye Tianyou had already arrived before Wu Long, raising his foot to strike.

Wu Long was instantly encased in iron armor, shielding him. Still, Ye Tianyou’s kick sent Wu Long flying.

Wu Long’s body crashed far away, carving a deep trail across the earth.

“I see now...” Ye Tianyou’s gaze lingered on the iron armor, realization dawning.

His body hovered in midair.

“You two... are the golden-armored warriors who battled at the start, aren’t you?” Ye Tianyou’s voice held a trace of sudden understanding, deducing this solely from the armor on Wu Long.

“That’s right,” Chu Jie replied calmly.

With no other martial artists nearby, Chu Jie no longer feared exposure. Golden light radiated from him. Moments later, his body was clad in golden armor, floating in the air.

Except for the absence of the starry river coiling around his body, he looked exactly like Zhou Jie.

“I should have realized sooner...” Ye Tianyou’s voice betrayed regret, as if he lamented not discovering this earlier, which might have spared him his current plight.

Chu Jie remained silent, hovering.

“What exactly is your connection to the golden-armored warriors?” Ye Tianyou did not attack immediately, his eyes shimmering with blue spectral light.

In the distance, Wu Long struggled to rise. Li Yao helped him up, then glared furiously at Ye Tianyou.

Wu Long spat blood; though he had hastily donned the iron armor, Ye Tianyou’s kick had left him severely wounded — a testament to Ye Tianyou’s lethal strength.

Chu Jie stared coldly at Ye Tianyou. “You’ll soon know what ties me to the golden-armored warriors... But since you sought to kill me first and grievously wounded my men, I will kill you no matter what. The dagger you carry, I will take it.”

Hearing Chu Jie’s words, Ye Tianyou laughed uproariously.

“You want my Blue Soul Dagger? Then fight me for it!” His aura surged again, and behind him appeared a phantom formation of blue light, resembling a gate from which countless skulls tried to emerge.

Piercing howls echoed from within the spectral blue array, as immense power gathered around Ye Tianyou.

Chu Jie stood midair, his Wolong Blade instantly drawn. Though not at his best, he still possessed fighting strength.

Clad in golden armor, his defense was at its peak.

In truth, even without prior enmity, Ye Tianyou had to be slain, and that dagger must be secured.

Earlier, from Ye Tianyou’s aerial movements, Chu Jie knew that upon Ye Tianyou’s death, the dagger would return to their clan’s tomb, possibly recording everything that occurred here, revealing Chu Jie’s identity. To prevent exposure, the dagger had to be taken.

Chu Jie poured his spiritual power frantically into the Wolong Blade, most of his energy now concentrated within it.

Meanwhile, he sent word for Zhou Jie to return swiftly. With Zhou Jie, a Star Dan Realm warrior, present, no matter how fierce Ye Tianyou was, he could be contained.

Before Zhou Jie’s arrival, Chu Jie intended to test Ye Tianyou’s strength himself.

The Wolong Blade transformed into a blue dragon coiling behind Chu Jie. It had no effect on Zhou Jie due to his golden armor and Star Dan Realm cultivation, but it remained effective against Ye Tianyou, whose strength, though enhanced by the Blue Soul Dagger, had not yet reached Star Dan Realm.

After circling briefly, the blue dragon lunged toward Ye Tianyou.

As it struck, a pillar of blue energy erupted behind Ye Tianyou. The collision shattered the pillar, releasing countless malevolent souls — some ordinary, some martial spirits.

Chu Jie’s eyes narrowed. The Blue Soul Dagger was far more terrifying than he had imagined. How could it imprison souls within itself, forging such a weapon?

Moreover, if his guess was correct, the dagger was incomplete — though loaned to Ye Tianyou’s family, it was still being forged using their souls.

Who conceived such a method was beyond comprehension.

Under the attack of these vengeful spirits, the blue dragon emitted a dragon’s roar before its might diminished greatly.

Yet it still struck Ye Tianyou, sending him flying.

A contemptuous smile curled Ye Tianyou’s lips. The blue spiritual array behind him swiftly moved ahead, and with a mere spin, it strangled the blue dragon to death. Within the array, a faint shadow of a dagger was visible.

Once the dragon was crushed, the dagger’s shadow merged back into the array.

“It’s useless. This is a supreme magical artifact forged over generations of my clan. It’s no longer a mere treasure, but a true magical weapon!” Ye Tianyou’s expression turned frenzied. “And you, forcing me to take this step, deserve to die. I will slay you blade by blade, consigning your soul to eternal darkness within the dagger!”

The Wolong Blade failed to harm Ye Tianyou. Chu Jie realized that in his current state, he was likely unable to continue fighting. His recent battle had exhausted him severely.

Had he been at his peak, he could have fought on; now, depleted and fatigued, he could not.

Zhou Jie had yet to return, and he had flown far to chase away the fleeing martial artists.

The Wolong Blade in Chu Jie’s hand emitted a faint azure glow; his spiritual energy was insufficient to wield it fully.

Seizing this, Ye Tianyou flickered beside Chu Jie.

“I thought you were formidable, but you’re just mediocre,” Ye Tianyou said coldly.

The blue spiritual array surged toward Chu Jie.

Countless wailing souls encircled him, surrounding him with a hellish vision of terrifying phantoms.

Chu Jie closed his eyes. Protected by golden armor, he expected only minor injuries from this attack.

But when the dagger within the array began to stir, he realized his grave error. This dagger had reached the level of a magical artifact; if it kept constricting, it might soon crush his golden armor.

At that moment, Zhou Jie arrived. Under Chu Jie’s command, his blood sword slashed directly at Ye Tianyou.

Ye Tianyou’s blue light flared, the spiritual array withdrawing instantly, sparing Chu Jie.

Opening his eyes, Chu Jie found the surroundings restored to normal. Moments ago had been perilous, placing him at a grave disadvantage.

Ye Tianyou’s strength surprised him greatly.

“Unbelievable... the golden-armored warrior actually aids you. What have you done?” Ye Tianyou’s expression showed suspicion.

He had sensed something strange before; now, that feeling deepened.

Chu Jie sneered, “There are many things you don’t know.”

Under Chu Jie’s control, the golden-armored warrior knelt midair before him in submission.

Ye Tianyou’s shock was profound — his soul seemed on the verge of shattering from disbelief.

Why would the golden-armored warrior kneel to Chu Jie? Though both wore golden armor, the golden-armored warrior was a Star Dan Realm cultivator. How could such a powerful figure bow to a mere Spirit Convergence Realm sixth-tier warrior?

Ye Tianyou clearly sensed Chu Jie’s cultivation was only at the sixth tier of the Spirit Convergence Realm, yet he commanded the respect of a Star Dan Realm warrior.

The golden-armored warrior was a nightmare for all in the abyss, yet now knelt before Chu Jie! This was utterly unacceptable to Ye Tianyou.

The blue spiritual array behind him blurred, losing its clarity.

His time was running out, and he lacked sufficient time to kill Chu Jie. Under these circumstances, his foremost thought was to ensure the Blue Soul Dagger returned intact to his family’s tomb.

Though the dagger would fly back on its own after his death, with Star Dan Realm golden-armored warriors present, he doubted its safe return.