Su Yang’s entire body jolted when he saw Ye Ling emerge. He abruptly leaped from his chair and stammered, "Ye Ye Ye… Ye Ling? Wh-what is he doing here?"
Ye Ling's name had already spread across the globe. Any cultivator in the circle who was anyone had likely seen a photograph of Ye Ling.
The impact of a living legend suddenly appearing before all the cultivators was immense.
However, the sycophants around Su Yang were quick-witted. After a moment of shock, they quickly reacted and reminded Su Yang, "Young Master Su, there's no need to be afraid! Rumor has it Ye Ling has lost all his cultivation, and the Demon Palace has fallen apart. It seems the rumors are true! Ye Ling is a cripple now, someone we don't need to concern ourselves with!"
Hearing his lackey's words, Su Yang also reacted. He immediately scanned Ye Ling, confirming that there was no spiritual energy within him. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, regaining his confidence. A smile reappeared on his stiff face.
He puffed out his chest and stared at Ye Ling, saying, "Ye Ling, I've always thought you were just a guy with a reputation. I wanted to challenge you, but sadly, you've lost your cultivation. I'll never get the chance to see what you were like at your peak. Truly pathetic… Hahaha!"
Su Yang burst into laughter. The other cultivators who had been fearful of Ye Ling's appearance also recovered. Noticing the absence of any spiritual energy within Ye Ling, their eyes filled with mockery.
"So the rumors are true, he's a cripple now."
"So what if he's Ye Ling? I could probably crush him with a single finger now!"
"Haha, I want to try the feeling of stepping on the former number one of this era!"
In an instant, jeers directed at Ye Ling erupted from all sides.
So what if he was the number one of his era? So what if he was the master of the Demon Palace? So what if he could kill gods?
Wasn't he just a cripple without any cultivation now?
The cultivators present were opportunists who had joined the four great families in kicking the Demon Palace while it was down. If the Demon Palace had been strong before, they would have feared it and remained silent, obediently submitting to the rules set by the Demon Palace.
But now that the Demon Palace was in decline, and the four great families had directly replaced the Dragon Department, becoming a dominant force in China's cultivator circle, the situation in China had undergone a complete transformation. Naturally, all sorts of scoundrels dared to step on the Demon Palace and try to get a piece of the pie.
Zuo Yuan, standing behind Ye Ling, heard the mocking words directed at Ye Ling and clenched his fists in anger, gritting his teeth. He clearly couldn't stand it and said in a low voice, "These arrogant fools…"
Ye Ling glanced at the angry Zuo Yuan, a subtle curve forming on his lips. He asked Zuo Yuan, "Are you angry?"
Zuo Yuan looked at Ye Ling, confused, and asked, "They look down on you, Emperor, so much. Aren't you angry at all?"
Ye Ling smiled and said, "Why would a giant need to care about the opinions of ants?"
Hearing Ye Ling's reply, Zuo Yuan was slightly stunned.
Su Yang, seeing that Ye Ling seemed to be completely ignoring him, felt a surge of annoyance. He muttered, "He's just a cripple who lost his cultivation, what's he being so arrogant about?"
Su Yang wanted to rip Ye Ling's head off right then and there. However, Wang Liren had not yet emerged from the farm. Fearing that Ye Ling might be a trap, he dared not venture forth himself. Thus, he instructed a lackey beside him, "You go and test Ye Ling's strength. See how much power he still has."
Su Yang's lackey also had a cultivation of the fourth rank. While not particularly strong in the cultivator circle, dealing with a cultivator who had lost all his cultivation was child's play.
Upon hearing Su Yang's command, the lackey knew this was his chance to shine. He immediately patted his chest and assured Su Yang, "Don't worry, Young Master Su. I'll go and twist Ye Ling's head off and use it as a ball!"
With that, the lackey stomped on the ground, shooting towards Ye Ling like a bullet!
His fingers formed a claw, a sinister grin on his face. Within moments, he was in front of Ye Ling, his claw striking towards Ye Ling's face with extreme ferocity.
However, before the lackey could even touch Ye Ling, a line of blood appeared on his neck.
*Hiss!*
The next moment, the lackey's head flew off. His headless body lost its balance and fell before Ye Ling.
Crimson blood stained the ground.
The flying head then slammed into Su Yang's face, splattering blood all over him.
Su Yang stood frozen, staring at the smashed head before him, vaguely seeing the sinister grin still plastered on its face.
It was clear that this lackey didn't know what had happened even in death.
Not just this lackey, but all the cultivators present hadn't figured out what had transpired!
"Is there really a trap?"
Su Yang blinked hard. He was certain that Ye Ling hadn't moved at all, and there were no fluctuations of spiritual energy within him. Yet, his lackey's head lying on the ground was a fact!
Su Yang's first thought was that Wang Liren was secretly playing tricks from behind the scenes!
"It must be! A cripple without cultivation absolutely couldn't do this. He's just Wang Liren's bait!"
Su Yang had already convinced himself that Ye Ling had no cultivation. He casually grabbed a follower from beside him, kicked him in the backside, and sent him flying. He sternly ordered, "Go and take Ye Ling's head!"
The follower had already witnessed the fate of the previous lackey and had no confidence in taking down Ye Ling. After being kicked out by Su Yang, he immediately knelt before Su Yang and begged for mercy, crying, "Young Master Su! Please spare me! I'm just a third-rank cultivator, I have old parents and young children, really…"
"Useless!"
*Bang!*
Su Yang cursed and kicked the follower's head, exploding it. The surrounding cultivators turned pale, and they all fell silent, not daring to draw Su Yang's attention.
Ever since Su Yang's cultivation had surged and he had been transformed into a robot, his humanity had become increasingly weak, and he had become exceptionally brutal.
The cultivators present all knew that once Su Yang became enraged, if they didn't follow his orders, they would suffer the same fate as the unlucky fellow just now!
Ye Ling watched with amusement as Su Yang dealt with his own people. He tutted and sighed, "Tsk tsk… his brain has been damaged by the machine modifications. Those people from the Shadow Hall really went overboard. What a pitiful fellow."
Su Yang grabbed another follower, threw him before the headless corpse, and roared, "Go and take Ye Ling's head!"
"Yes, yes…"
The follower dared not defy Su Yang. He turned to look at Ye Ling and shakily pulled a dagger from his back.
However, before the follower could take a single step towards Ye Ling, his head exploded with a bang, and blood sprayed out!
Another headless corpse appeared, and all the cultivators around stared with wide eyes!
They looked at the headless corpse slowly falling to the ground in terror, their minds blank.
What in the world was happening?
Everyone's minds became a chaotic mess, unable to comprehend what was happening.
They weren't even sure if Ye Ling had done this!
Seeing another of his followers die, Su Yang realized that the people he brought couldn't harm Ye Ling. He couldn't help but curse, "What a bunch of useless trash! I have to make a move myself!!"
As Su Yang's words fell, he directly activated the energy device within his body. The miniature nuclear reactor in his chest lit up with a blue glow, and his entire aura began to surge madly. The surrounding cultivators immediately felt an unimaginable pressure emanating from Su Yang!
"Young Master Su is finally serious, such terrifying power!"
"With Young Master Su's current strength and the help of the nuclear reactor, even a Red Dust Immortal might not be his match!"
"The era has long since changed. Once Young Master Su makes a move, Ye Ling's strange tricks will be useless. He'll surely lose his head!"
As Su Yang's aura climbed, the surrounding crowd became boisterous. All the cultivators Su Yang had brought became excited.
The cultivators of the Dragon Department behind Ye Ling also faced a formidable opponent, their expressions grave.
They had seen Su Yang unleash his full power!
All the cultivators present had seen Su Yang in action. Even the mighty Wang Liren was no match for Su Yang in a single move. How could Ye Ling, who had lost all his cultivation, possibly be Su Yang's opponent?
Feeling the spiritual energy and nuclear energy flowing through his meridians, Su Yang took a deep breath. With a confident look, he faced Ye Ling and said, "Ye Ling, I'll let you have a good look at what 'nuclear energy ahead' means!"
Ye Ling smiled slightly, beckoning Su Yang with a finger. "A good toy. Come over and let me have a look."