Chapter 23

"Has the Liu family already made their move so early? Don't they fear Uncle Tian? I don't think this is the Liu family's doing. They will eventually make a move, but at this stage, acting rashly would invite criticism, so they should wait a bit longer." Ye Qingshao shook his head, analyzing the situation with great insight.

"Could it be the people from the 'Kuai Yi Tang'? Yes, I did sense a terrifying killing intent from the black-clothed man. It's somewhat like the style of the 'Kuai Yi Tang'." Ye Jun Tian said. The 'Kuai Yi Tang' is a well-known assassin organization. As long as they are paid, they will take the job, and they have many experts. It's said that they even have a branch in Qingzhou.

Of course, the price for killing someone varies based on the target's cultivation level and the difficulty of the task. Even the lowest price is quite astonishing. To hire someone to kill a disciple from a major family like Ye Jun Tian, one would need to pay at least a million lower-grade blood crystal coins, or they wouldn't even glance at you. After all, killing a disciple from a major family also means worrying about the family's retaliation.

Of course, the Ye family in Greenwood City is not considered a major family in the eyes of the 'Kuai Yi Tang'.

"You should stay at home more in the future. I believe that even the 'Kuai Yi Tang' wouldn't be so reckless as to kill someone in the Ye family compound. The Zhao Kingdom still has the Yellow Guards to manage them." Ye Qingshao said.

But he lacked confidence. Those high-ranking Yellow Guards wouldn't care about the life and death of a small family like the Ye family. They would only intervene if something major happened in the residences of princes or ministers.

What does the life and death of ordinary people have to do with them?

However, at five in the morning, Ye Jun Tian was woken up by his father.

"What happened?" Seeing his father's serious face.

"All the people of the Ye Tongtian lineage have fled." Ye Qingshao's face was dark.

"Fled? There are over a hundred people in his lineage. Where could they have gone?" Ye Jun Tian was also surprised.

"They did indeed flee. The place is empty. All the valuable things were taken away. I just received a message from the family head. He has called an emergency meeting, and I need to go." Ye Qingshao said and hurriedly left.

At around six, Ye Qingshao hurried back, shook his head, and said, "They fled, and they were well-prepared. The Ye family's forces searched a hundred-mile radius but found no one. Some speculate that they might have sought refuge with someone. It's said that Ye Tongtian's wife's family is also quite powerful. So, Jun Tian, our opponents will become increasingly formidable in the future."

"Understood. Since it has happened, we will just have to face it." Ye Jun Tian's eyes were resolute.

The next morning at eight, the people of the Ye Jun Tian lineage arrived at the training ground. Today, the ranking tournament for the Wood-level disciples was to be held. Only the top two new Wood-level disciples have the chance to compete with the old Wood-level disciples for ranking. Therefore, the new Wood-level disciples must first go through another round of ranking matches.

Six people were competing for the new disciple ranking: Ye Xin, Ye Xiangyao, Ye Hu, Ye Xiaosheng, Ye Jun Tian, and Ye Hui.

Ye Hui had the best luck. Originally, he should have been at the bottom of his group. However, Ye He was seriously injured and withdrew, and Ye Jun, who was also seriously injured, fled with his father Ye Tongtian. So, even being at the bottom, he 'qualified,' giving Elder Ye Yue a pleasant surprise.

Among the six, only Ye Xin and Ye Jun Tian entered the ranking tournament with an undefeated record. Moreover, the recent series of events made Ye Jun Tian's reputation even more prominent. Ye Xin's position as the top new disciple seemed to be threatened. Cai Qiang, Li Qingyue, and others also brought their family's disciples to observe.

Whether Ye Xin or Ye Jun Tian would ultimately prevail became the 'focus' of today's arena tournament. Most of the disciples and clan members were discussing it privately.

"Before the competition, I have an announcement to make. After discussion by the family's elders, it has been decided that the second elder, Ye Tongtian, has rebelled. The clan has decided to expel his entire lineage. Moreover, anyone who encounters the Ye Tongtian lineage can kill them on the spot. To encourage all clan members to strive for excellence, the elders have also agreed that the vacant elder position can be filled by a regular elder. However, it must be through the arena tournament. The stronger one will enter the council of elders. Here, there are no backdoors." Ye Tianhao announced with a grim face.

"Clan Head, you should have had Elder Qingshao eliminate them yesterday. This is a great disgrace to our Ye family. When we see the Li and Cai families tomorrow, we won't even have a place to hide our faces." Ye Jinghe grumbled.

"Alas, what's the point of talking about it now? I misjudged this old scoundrel. I just hope I don't run into him." Ye Tianhao was gritting his teeth. After all, a clan member's defection is a disgrace to the family, especially for the clan head, indicating his incompetence. The pressure on Ye Tianhao was unprecedented.

The first round of the ranking tournament did not require a draw. The first place in each group faced the third place, and the second place faced the second place. Thus, Ye Jun Tian's first opponent was Ye Hu, who was ranked third in the second group.

As for Ye Xin versus Ye Hui, these two matches were essentially a foregone conclusion.

"The first match of the new disciple ranking tournament: Ye Xiaosheng versus Ye Xiangyao." Elder Ye Jinxiong announced from the arena, personally overseeing the match.

Tiger Fist, Dragon Palm...

Ye Xiaosheng and Ye Xiangyao exchanged blows, and the battle became intense. However, in the end, Ye Xiangyao was knocked off the arena by Ye Xiaosheng's peculiar fighting style. Ye Jun Tian carefully observed Ye Xiaosheng's techniques.

He found that Ye Xiaosheng's attack angles were extremely tricky, often coming from unexpected directions. Moreover, his attack speed was very fast, which was the reason for Ye Xiangyao's defeat. Ye Jun Tian was seriously analyzing and summarizing Ye Xiaosheng's attack methods.

The second match: Ye Xin versus Ye Hui.

In just a few moves, Ye Hui was knocked off the arena by Ye Xin's three punches. The boy waved his fists arrogantly on the arena and shouted at Ye Jun Tian, "Ye Jun Tian, we will meet soon. You should be prepared to be injured."

"Ha ha, I have a cane here." Ye Jun Tian smiled.

"What do you mean?" Ye Xin looked puzzled.

"It's for you, the injured one!" Ye Jun Tian drawled, which made Ye Xin's nose flare in anger.

"The third match: Ye Jun Tian versus Ye Hu." Ye Jinxiong announced.

Ye Hu, with a tiger-like appearance, was only fourteen years old. His bloodline test level reached grade B, not inferior to Ye Xin. He lost to Ye Xin only due to lack of experience.

"Brother Jun Tian, I concede!" Unexpectedly, Ye Hu bowed and admitted defeat on the arena.

"Ha ha, no problem. You can try again next year." Ye Jun Tian nodded and smiled.

"Boring." Cai Qiang grumbled, somewhat dissatisfied.

"Ye Hu was wise. It must have been an adult's instruction. Rather than getting injured, it's better not to fight. After all, he is still young and can try again next year." Li Qingyue smiled.

"The fourth match: Ye Jun Tian versus Ye Xin. It will begin after a half-hour rest." Ye Jinxiong announced with a stern face.

"Ye Jun Tian, I've already thrown a few punches, and you haven't even moved. Why rest? Let's fight now; I can't wait to stomp on someone." Ye Xin looked at Ye Jun Tian with a taunting expression.

"Since you want to be punished early, I don't object." Ye Jun Tian said indifferently and walked onto the arena.

"Will you use weapons?" Ye Xin looked at Ye Jun Tian.

"Oh, you want to use weapons?" Ye Jun Tian asked. Fighting with weapons is completely different from fighting without them; it could easily result in death.

"Use them! Those who dare not use them are cowards." Ye Xin looked at Ye Jun Tian arrogantly.