Chapter 139: Intimidation
This man appeared to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a tall, slender build and unusually long arms. His palms, in particular, were a full size larger than an ordinary person's, like two small winnowing fans.
His skin was crystalline, as if starlight had coalesced upon his body, and those exceptionally thick palms were as translucent as white jade—not only delicate but nearly transparent.
Beside him, the several cultivators whose weapons Ye Fan had shattered and whom he had kicked into the underbrush now showed a flicker of excitement. A cultivator at the peak of the Divine Bridge realm was undoubtedly lofty and unfathomable compared to them.
"Senior Brother Yang must teach him a proper lesson, or else he'll truly think our Star Peak has no one. Let him understand how high the sky is and how thick the earth is."
"Senior Brother, with your Divine Bridge peak combat power, you could step into the Other Shore realm at any time. Don't strike too hard and flatten him into a meat patty—that would be no fun at all. Be careful, just shatter his palm. Spare his life; we very much want to see her expression."
They seemed already to envision Ye Fan with broken bones and shattered tendons, his palm crushed into a gruesome sight. Before the fight had even begun, they felt as if they had already vented their frustration.
Senior Brother Yang smiled faintly, said nothing, and strode forward. His tall frame, a full two heads taller than an ordinary person, looked down at Ye Fan, who appeared only about fourteen years old. "Actually, you're quite impressive. Your physical body is truly formidable. If you confess your faults now, I won't make things difficult for you. After all, we are both disciples of Tai Xuan—we'll see each other often."
Ye Fan nodded. "That's true. Clumsy Peak and Star Peak are neighbors. If I accidentally smash you to pieces, it would indeed be hard to justify."
"This guy is too arrogant! How dare he speak to Senior Brother Yang like that? He's asking for death!"
"Senior Brother Yang, shatter every bone in his body! Don't hold back. No Star Peak disciple has ever been so belittled!"
"In the history of Tai Xuan, half of the sect masters have come from our lineage. Even if Clumsy Peak is about to rise, it can only hope to stand alongside us in the future. For this brat to be so reckless now is truly infuriating."
Li Xiaoman stepped forward and spoke to Ye Fan, "You're no match for Senior Brother Yang. Hurry up and apologize."
Ji Ziyue, on the other hand, smiled brilliantly, clapping her jade-like hands. "Hurry up and fight! I can't wait any longer."
Ye Fan glanced at Li Xiaoman but said nothing. Calmly, he took two steps forward.
"Junior Sister Li, you see how it is. I'm sorry, but since he's like this, I have no choice," Senior Brother Yang said, his smile thick with satisfaction.
Ye Fan approached him and said, "Three punches—isn't that too many? I think one punch will be enough to finish you off completely."
Senior Brother Yang did not grow angry. A trace of a smile lingered on his face. "Since you're so confident, I'll grant your wish. One punch to end the fight, and you can spend a few years in bed reflecting on how to be a more restrained disciple."
"Senior Brother Yang, crush him!" the disciples behind him shouted, unable to contain themselves.
"Fine. I'll make him understand that Star Peak is not to be defiled!" Senior Brother Yang extended his right palm, flawless as white jade, and shouted, "Go spend a few years resting in bed!"
His long arm swung forward, his palm completely transparent. The blood vessels and bones inside were clearly visible, and divine power could be seen flowing, weaving into a curtain of light.
Around his jade-like palm, the air quaked with fierce energy. The surrounding grass and trees were uprooted, and rocks tumbled with a rumbling sound, as if a wall of divine force was pressing in, intent on crushing Ye Fan.
Ye Fan was utterly composed. Without any visible exertion of divine power, he simply raised his hand and slapped forward, as if swatting away a mosquito.
Behind him, the Star Peak disciples all smiled. Such casualness was practically suicidal. Many were already clapping, convinced there was no suspense.
Only the white-robed man frowned and shouted in a low voice, "Senior Brother Yang, be careful!"
But it was too late. Ye Fan's palm instantly turned golden, as if cast from refined gold—extremely divine and otherworldly, no longer resembling a fleshly hand. It gleamed brilliantly, dazzling to the eye.
*Bang*
The golden palm collided with the transparent one. First came a dull thud, then the continuous sound of bones cracking, like beans popping in a pan—crackling without end.
"Hahaha... How dare a firefly's light compete with the brilliance of the moon?"
"Though our Star Peak disciples are known for their formidable physiques, and at high realms our bodies rival spiritual treasures, he actually dares to trade palms with Senior Brother Yang? He doesn't know his place!"
But their comments stopped there. The voices cut off abruptly, the words swallowed back, because the result left them stunned!
It was not Ye Fan's bones that had shattered. The popping sounds came from the tall Senior Brother Yang.
Now, everyone stared in shock, witnessing an unbelievable sight.
Senior Brother Yang's clothes instantly turned to ash. His body was nearly transparent—a sign that Star Peak's body-forging technique had reached a certain level.
Inside that nearly transparent body, white bones cracked and fissured continuously, starting from his right palm and spreading rapidly upward. His entire right arm looked like porcelain struck by a heavy hammer, covered in cracks.
Then, the cracks spread to his neck, surged into his chest, and quickly split downward. The bones of his legs were covered in fine lines like a spider's web, dense and thick, extending all the way to his toes before stopping.
Finally, his spine, his other arm, and his skull also cracked all over, like porcelain struck by a heavy blow.
It was a terrifying sight. Within the transparent body, everything was clearly visible. The sound of bones shattering throughout his body rang without pause, every detail witnessed by all.
Many were petrified on the spot, feeling a suffocating pressure.
Ye Fan calmly stepped back, then exhaled a breath. The airflow vibrated, and Senior Brother Yang fell backward, letting out a scream: "Ahhh..."
At that moment, all his bones were completely shattered. As he fell face-up, every part of his body had deformed; the broken bones could no longer support his flesh and blood.
This result stunned everyone. A cultivator at the Divine Bridge realm had been shattered—every bone in his body—by a single slap. Just thinking about it sent chills down one's spine.
Behind him, a female cultivator rushed forward quickly, enveloping his body with divine light to keep it from hitting the dust. Otherwise, the body would be completely ruined.
Even so, she was extremely nervous, afraid that his head might deform, carefully controlling the light.
"This..."
"How could this be?!"
No one could remain calm. Such palm force was horrifying—shattering a Divine Bridge realm cultivator was no different from crushing a scarecrow.
The few cultivators Ye Fan had kicked earlier felt a wave of terror. A person like this was no ordinary mortal. Killing them would be as easy as taking something out of a pocket.
"Such a physical body is too terrifying! Our Star Peak uses starlight to refine the body, making it extremely strong. How could he shatter Senior Brother Yang's bones with one palm? How much power did that strike contain? It's almost comparable to an Other Shore realm cultivator."
Ye Fan stood there quietly. He looked only about fourteen, with a clear, even somewhat youthful face, carrying a hint of innocence and sunshine. This appearance made the scene feel utterly unreal.
The Star Peak disciples felt chills running down their spines. This was nothing less than a human-shaped savage beast—a legendary exotic beast with divine strength that struck fear into all.
Li Xiaoman stared blankly. She could never have imagined that Ye Fan would cripple Senior Brother Yang with a single slap, and he still seemed to have strength to spare. That had been a casual strike. It made her heart churn, unable to accept this fact.
If anyone remained the calmest, it was undoubtedly Ji Ziyue. She grinned and said, "How boring. Was that big guy made of paper? He couldn't even take a hit."
At these words, many glared at her angrily.
"Senior Brother Yang's skills are lacking. No one else is to blame. All of you, step back." The white-robed man, who had been standing at the very back, calm and composed, now walked forward.
He was the calmest person besides Ji Ziyue. He looked at Ye Fan and said, "You've repeatedly injured our Star Peak disciples. You do have some skill. They weren't wronged."
"Spend a few years resting in bed and reflect on how to be a more restrained Tai Xuan disciple," Ye Fan said to the screaming Senior Brother Yang, then turned to face the white-robed man.
This man was not old—about twenty years old. He had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, very heroic. Dressed in white from head to toe, spotless, his eyes even seemed to have starlight flowing within them.
"I take it you came to Tai Xuan with prior training. What kind of mystical art have you cultivated?" the white-robed man asked calmly.
"The Great Dao of Nature," Ye Fan replied casually.
Behind him, the Star Peak disciples, seeing the white-robed man step forward, all calmed down. Upon hearing this, they spoke up.
"Clumsy Peak's Great Dao of Nature only recently began its inheritance. It couldn't possibly be such a method."
"The power we just saw was like an abyss or a sea—completely different from the Dao of Nature."
They felt humiliated, anger surging within them. Having been suppressed repeatedly today, they felt they had lost Star Peak's face.
"If you won't say, I won't ask," the white-robed man said calmly. "I'll test you myself."
"As an Other Shore realm cultivator, you have the nerve to say that?" Ji Ziyue stepped forward, pouting slightly, revealing a hint of sparkling white teeth. "Why don't you go challenge a Dao Palace realm expert?"
"He can cripple a Divine Bridge peak cultivator with one slap. Sparring with him is not bullying."
"Easy for you to say. He's only strong in physique. As an Other Shore realm cultivator, you have divine techniques to use. How can he compete with you?" Ji Ziyue wrinkled her nose and asked.
"The moment he crippled Senior Brother Yang with one slap, the outcome was sealed. He has no choice left," the white-robed man said without emotion, somewhat coldly. "If he wants to live, he can kneel before Senior Brother Yang, kowtow in apology, and shatter his own bones. Otherwise, I will personally take action."
"These legs of mine have never knelt even to the heavens. Is he worthy of such a gesture? Are you worthy?!" Ye Fan stared down the white-robed man.
"Are those legs of yours really that tough? Then I'll break them first," the white-robed man said calmly, as if discussing something trivial.
Not far away, Li Xiaoman moved gracefully and said to the white-robed man, "Senior Brother Chen Feng, there's no need to lower yourself to his level. A minor punishment will suffice. There's no need for a major conflict. Clumsy Peak has risen—don't harm the relationship between our two lineages."
White-robed man Chen Feng smiled faintly and asked, "Oh? Junior Sister Li, what punishment do you think is appropriate?"
Ye Fan glanced at Li Xiaoman but said nothing. He strode forward directly and said to the white-robed man, "Do you really think I'm meat on a chopping block, to be kneaded as you please?!"
"Let me see what waves you can stir up," white-robed man Chen Feng said calmly, spreading his palm. Immediately, starlight rippled out, as if several stars were fixed in his hand. He looked at Ye Fan and said, "I'll give you one last chance. Shatter your own bones and kowtow in apology. Otherwise, if I act personally, whether you live or die will be uncertain."
"Can't you stop being so high and mighty, so self-righteous, or will you die?" Ye Fan's voice was very calm. "Your legs—I'll break them. Your head—I'll step on it!"