497: Chapter 497 Golden Core Stage!

Tong Sanqian's pupils suddenly constricted!

He actually hadn't seen how the other party managed to pass through those twelve human puppets!

"You!!!"

Just as Tong Sanqian was about to say something, Ye Chen's right foot had already lifted.

No gathering of strength.

No running start.

He simply kicked out casually...

But it was this casual kick that made the hairs all over Tong Sanqian's body stand on end.

He felt an irresistible force within that kick.

That was not a power that someone in the late stage of the Tianyi Realm should possess.

It wasn't even the peak of the Tianyi Realm.

That was...

Tong Sanqian had no time to think. Subconsciously, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, pushing the black energy around his body to its limit for protection.

BOOM!!!

Ye Chen's sole kicked firmly against his crossed arms.

The next second.

An astonishing scene occurred.

Tong Sanqian's left arm snapped directly, the forearm bone bending at a bizarre angle.

Next was the right arm.

The force of that kick penetrated the obstruction of both arms and slammed solidly into his chest.

Tong Sanqian's face turned pale instantly.

He felt as if his chest had been hit head-on by a train; his internal organs were vibrating violently, and a metallic sweetness welled up in his throat.

Then.

Like a kite with a broken string, his feet left the ground, and he flew backward!

BOOM!!!

Tong Sanqian's body smashed through the front wall of the hall, sending broken bricks flying as dust filled the air.

His momentum did not slow as he crashed through a second wall, then a third...

It wasn't until he smashed through the fourth wall that his body finally stopped, embedded in a pile of rubble and debris.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the four human-shaped holes that lined up one after another, their minds completely blank.

They weren't seeing things, were they?

Tong Sanqian, a late-stage Tianyi Realm expert, couldn't withstand a single kick from this young man???

Ye Chen shrugged and said with a relaxed expression, "Isn't that it?"

The surrounding members of the Soul Hall all looked ashen-faced.

In their hearts, there was only one thought now...

The Hall Master is finished.

The Soul Hall is finished.

To be able to one-shot Tong Sanqian, that strength must be at least beyond the Tianyi Realm.

At that level, never mind Tong Sanqian not being a match, even if the entire power of the Soul Hall were combined, they wouldn't be a match either...

Ignoring everyone, Ye Chen lifted his foot to walk toward the ruins, but after just two steps, he suddenly paused.

Then.

He glanced sideways at the pale-faced Venerable Vermilion Bird and spoke indifferently.

"You, go drag him back."

Venerable Vermilion Bird trembled all over and instinctively took half a step back. "I... I..."

"What? Unwilling?"

Ye Chen tilted his head. "Then I can switch to someone else; it's the same regardless of who goes."

"I'll go! I'll go!"

How could Venerable Vermilion Bird dare to hesitate? She dropped the short sword in her hand and turned to run toward those human-shaped holes.

What kind of joke was this?

How could she dare to refuse now?

If she refused, she might end up like the Hall Master, kicked flying through the walls...

She quickly passed through that series of human-shaped holes and rushed into the pile of rubble.

Watching this scene, no one dared to speak.

Everyone's gaze was waiting for a result.

Although they already had an answer in their hearts, without seeing it with their own eyes, they still harbored a sliver of hope.

What if?

What if the Hall Master still had the strength to fight?

A moment later.

After exerting a tremendous amount of effort, Venerable Vermilion Bird finally managed to shoulder the blood-covered Tong Sanqian and walked back to the hall step by step.

Tong Sanqian's arms hung limply at his sides like two hoses that had lost their skeletal support.

With every step, his arms swung powerlessly along with his stride.

What was most terrifying was...

A large area of his chest was caved in. If he were an ordinary person, he likely would have been dead by now.

When Venerable Vermilion Bird dragged Tong Sanqian back to the hall and placed him before Ye Chen.

Everyone finally fully believed the reality before them...

Their supreme Hall Master of the Soul Hall had truly been defeated by a single kick from this young man!

Tong Sanqian struggled to lift his head, spitting blood as he looked at Ye Chen in horror. "You are... a Golden Core expert???"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present gasped.

In the path of cultivation, first there are the first, second, and third-rate ranks, followed by the Huang, Xuan, Di, and Tian ranks, and then above that are the Heaven Realm, Heavenly Master, and Tianyi Realm.

And above Tianyi, that is the Golden Core!

In the entire Kunlun Ruins, Golden Core experts belonged to the top-tier combat power.

Each one was an ancestor-level figure presiding over a region.

But this twenty-something young man before them was actually a Golden Core???

The faces of Venerable Qinglong, Venerable Baihu, and Venerable Vermilion Bird instantly turned as white as paper. Their legs went soft, and they knelt on the ground one after another.

"Instructor Ye, please spare my life!"

Venerable Vermilion Bird was the first to speak, her voice carrying a hint of a sob. "This little girl didn't do anything; I was just following orders. Everything was the Hall Master's command!"

Venerable Qinglong's withered old face was full of fear as he kowtowed like a woodpecker. "Yes, yes, yes! It was all Tong Sanqian's idea! We were just his errand boys; we never thought of opposing Instructor Ye!"

The smile on Venerable Baihu's round face had long since vanished without a trace, replaced by deep terror.

"Instructor Ye, you are a great man with a large heart; please spare our dog lives!"

"We are willing to atone for our crimes with service!"

The three of them knelt on the ground, and without even waiting for Ye Chen to question them, they began talking over each other, desperate to push all the blame onto Tong Sanqian's head.

Seeing this, how could the surrounding Soul Hall members dare to remain standing?

Thud!

Thud!!

Thud!!!

In an instant, a large crowd knelt in the hall.

Hundreds of Soul Hall members knelt on the ground in unison, their faces pale.

"Spare us!"

"It has nothing to do with me!"

"It was all the Hall Master who forced us!"

However.

Amidst this sea of pleas for mercy, there was a group of people who remained motionless.

Lin Biao and his group stood in the crowd with calm expressions.

Behind him, over a dozen Soul Emissaries not only didn't kneel but instead stepped forward in unison, passing through the kneeling crowd and walking straight behind Ye Chen.

Then.

They stood in a row.

At first glance, one would think they were Bodyguards!

Elder He had originally breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't have to kneel and beg for mercy so pathetically, but when he saw this scene, he was completely stunned.

"Lin Biao... what do you mean by this?"

Lin Biao glanced at him and gave a dry cough.

"Venerable Xuanwu, at this point, we're laying our cards on the table."

"Just like you, we are the Master's people."

As those words fell.

The entire hall fell into a dead silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, looking at Lin Biao and the dozen or so Soul Emissaries behind him in disbelief.

Master?

They called Ye Chen 'Master'?

Doesn't that mean...

This group of people had already defected long ago?

Elder He suddenly realized.

He finally understood why Ye Chen knew the Soul Hall's situation like the back of his hand and why Ye Chen could precisely find the stronghold in Guang City.

He understood even more...

From the moment they first sent news back and took news out, they had already been exposed within Ye Chen's surveillance range.

It turns out...

They were all damn traitors!

And it wasn't just one or two; it was all the Soul Emissaries who had returned alive and held actual power!

Tong Sanqian lay paralyzed on the ground, watching the dozen Soul Emissaries standing behind Ye Chen. The expression on his face changed from shock to anger, and from anger to despair.

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words one by one: "You... you all... are very good indeed!"

Lin Biao cupped his hands, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Hall Master, 'a wise man submits to circumstances'; you were the one who taught us that phrase."

"It was also because of that that we joined the Soul Hall to risk our lives for you."

"Otherwise..."

"In a situation where resources are scarce, why should we risk our lives for you?"

Tong Sanqian's face turned completely black.

He never expected this.

After coming out of seclusion, not only were the Left and Right Dharma Kings dead and the stronghold wiped out, but even all the Soul Emissaries under his command had become someone else's dogs.

What do you call this?

This is called being deserted by everyone.

This is called a total defeat.

His throat bobbed, and a mouthful of blood surged out.

The next second.

His whole person became weak.

Ye Chen glanced at the three Venerables kneeling on the ground and spoke indifferently: "I haven't questioned you yet, so don't be in such a hurry to beg for mercy."

Venerable Vermilion Bird and the other two stiffened, the words at the tips of their tongues forced back down.

Ye Chen continued, "Save some face for your Hall Master. He is at least a regional hegemon; if you shift the blame like this, he won't be able to hold his head up."

The three of them looked embarrassed, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Ye Chen turned around and looked back at Tong Sanqian.

"Tong Sanqian, right?"

"You know very well in your heart how many atrocious things your Soul Hall has done over the years."

"Human trafficking, organ harvesting, devouring souls, refining human puppets, even cannibalism..."

"Which of these isn't utterly devoid of conscience?"

"Your Soul Hall shouldn't exist."

Tong Sanqian trembled all over, suddenly looked up, and roared.

"Ye Chen, don't get too ahead of yourself!"

"Once those old fogies in the Kunlun Ruins find out you are in the Golden Core Stage..."

"Then you will surely die!"

Ye Chen smiled. "I don't know if I'll die, but you are definitely going to die today."

Pausing for a moment, a golden light rippled from his right hand as he prepared to strike with his palm.

Tong Sanqian's pupils shrank, and he spoke in fear: "Wait... I'll tell you a secret in exchange... for my life!"