Ye Wuchen coldly swept his gaze over the remaining Martial Artists, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
He suddenly extended his hand, and a scorching golden light and flames erupted from his palm, causing the surrounding air to rapidly heat up, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.
"Want to live? It depends on how capable you are!" Before Ye Wuchen finished speaking, the golden-fire mixed Spiritual Energy in his hand had transformed into dozens of blazing golden swords, shooting towards the remaining Martial Artists.
Several Martial Artists activated their protective Special Abilities, barely resisting this wave of attacks.
A nimble Wind Element Martial Artist roared, his figure blurring into an afterimage, skillfully flashing behind Ye Wuchen, the sharp blade in his hand, accompanied by a biting wind blade, slashing towards his neck.
However, Ye Wuchen reacted extremely quickly; with a flick of his palm, the flames in his palm exploded, forming a golden-fire barrier that blocked the attack head-on.
"Hmph, still too weak!" Ye Wuchen sneered, and the golden-fire barrier suddenly expanded, engulfing the Wind Element Martial Artist, instantly reducing him to ashes.
The other Martial Artists, seeing this, all showed expressions of horror, but with no way to retreat, they could only fight with all their might.
The fierce battle continued, with the remaining few Martial Artists desperately ganging up on Ye Wuchen. Metal and flames intertwined, Martial Skills and Special Abilities collided, and the entire battlefield was enveloped by terrifying power.
Even though Ye Wuchen was incredibly powerful, facing several opponents of comparable strength, he gradually felt his strength waning and began to pant slightly. However, the few Martial Artists also suffered heavy casualties, with some severely wounded and lying on the ground, their breaths weak.
Just then, the Spiritual Fire floating in mid-air suddenly began to tremble violently. The remaining people looked and found that it was actually absorbing the Mental Energy dissipating from the surrounding battle, gradually changing from dark purple to a deeper hue, its flame growing more intense, faintly revealing a bizarre blood-red color.
"Is it finally going to complete its upgrade and transformation?" A flicker of excitement appeared in Ye Wuchen's eyes. He actually took a few steps back, temporarily giving up the fight, and focused his gaze on the Spiritual Fire.
The surrounding Xu Family Martial Artists also noticed the Spiritual Fire's anomaly, showing confused expressions, not understanding why Ye Wuchen had suddenly stopped fighting.
The Spiritual Fire's aura gradually grew stronger, as if devouring all Mental Energy around it, even drawing the last trace of Mental Energy from those dying Martial Artists into its body, its scorching flame becoming even more oppressive.
"So... this Spiritual Fire is actually Ye Wuchen's. He released news of the Spiritual Fire's appearance to lure us here, all to feed it with our Mental Energy!" A Martial Artist, lying on the ground, murmured weakly, his eyes filled with despair.
After absorbing a large amount of Mental Energy, the Spiritual Fire finally completed its upgrade and transformation. Amidst the flickering flames, its form gradually condensed into a dark blue core, and the surrounding air twisted due to the powerful fluctuations of its Mental Energy.
Ye Wuchen smiled slightly, opening his palm, and the Spiritual Fire actually floated towards him on its own, fusing with him.
At this moment, Ye Wuchen's aura surged dramatically, his Mental Energy spreading out, carrying an unparalleled sense of oppression. His eyes were cold, as if the God of Death had descended.
"Since you've come, don't leave." He sneered softly, and the power of gold and fire instantly swept across the entire field, carrying the Spiritual Fire's unique Mental impact. In an instant, Ye Wuchen's figure flickered like a ghost, each strike incredibly precise, carrying a fatal Mental attack.
"Ah—!"
"No—!"
"We don't want the Spiritual Fire anymore, please, spare us—!"
"It turns out, we were the prey." The leader of the Northwest Mercenary Group, who was already injured in the previous struggle, saw this scene and was filled with unwillingness. "I never thought the famous Northwest Mercenary Group would be destroyed by my hand!"
"I hate it—!"
Facing this unstoppable Mental Might and flame attack, the Martial Artists in the arena screamed and fell to the ground, their consciousness completely shattered, their bodies turning to charcoal. Tragically, their dissipated Mental Energy also became nourishment for the Spiritual Fire.
The remaining Xu Family members on the battlefield, seeing this, showed fear in their eyes, but were able to cling to life due to Xu Liyuan's protection.
A few breaths later, the battlefield was utterly silent. Except for the Xu Family members, all Martial Artists lay on the ground, dead. Ye Wuchen surveyed his surroundings, his cold laughter echoing in the empty Secret Realm, carrying an indescribable eeriness and arrogance.
In the Dimensional Space, Shen Han and Li Muhua watched all this quietly, unable to recover for a long time.
"I always heard that the world of Martial Artists was about the survival of the fittest. Now I've finally seen it," Li Muhua sighed.
Shen Han gazed at the battlefield, his eyes deep, his heart also stirring.
His gaze lingered on the dark purple Spiritual Fire, feeling its merciless consumption of life and Mental Energy. He said in a low voice, "In the face of strength, so-called justice and rules often become fragile. The weak simply have no right to choose."
"Huazi, can the communicator still be used? Record all of this; it might come in handy," Shen Han reminded him.
"Okay."
In the West Forest Secret Realm,
Ye Wuchen stared at the remaining four Xu Family members, his voice cold and carrying an undeniable Divine Might: "You're from the Mingzhu Xu Family, right? Are you interested in joining my Star Eclipse Council?"
Xu Liyuan and the others' faces turned pale, and a chill ran through their bodies. They knew full well that once they became involved with the Star Eclipse Council, it meant becoming enemies with the entire Martial Artist world.
Xu Liyuan gave a bitter smile, his tone full of helplessness: "Do we have any other choice?"
"Very good, I believe you are all sensible people," he said, then offered four dark black pills. "Eat them. As long as you obey the Star Eclipse Council and have no ulterior motives, I guarantee your safety. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
The four exchanged glances, and in the end, had no choice but to swallow the pills with resentment.
"Very good. From now on, you are my informants. After leaving here, your mission is to completely control the Mingzhu Xu Family within one year. If needed, the Star Eclipse Council will proactively contact you," Ye Wuchen's voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.
"Yes," Xu Liyuan lowered his head and responded, his tone filled with deep humiliation.
"Senior, I have something I'd like to report." Everyone turned around and found that it was Xu Haojie who had stepped forward.
"Oh?"
"Senior, among the Xu Family members who came to retrieve the Spiritual Fire this time, two others are unaccounted for. I'm worried they might reveal everything here and ruin your plan." Xu Haojie was very displeased with Shen Han and his group, so he certainly wouldn't miss an opportunity to kick them when they were down.
"Interesting. So, these two people have already run away?"
"Yes, they quietly left before you arrived. It was also he who warned us of your presence," Xu Liyuan added.
Ye Wuchen snorted lightly, his eyes cold: "Interesting. It seems they are two rather bold rats. You all go back first. If you encounter them, just kill them. If they are still in this forest, they will never escape my grasp."
"Don't worry, they certainly won't," the four Xu Family members assured him.
In the Dimensional Space, Li Muhua was already furious: "Han-ge, you saved their lives! Yet they actually turned on you. These people are truly ungrateful!"
Shen Han, however, remained calm, his gaze deep as he watched the four Xu Family members depart. He said faintly, "I hope they aren't truly that blind. Luckily, I had you record these events beforehand."