Chapter Seventy-Four: Resolution!

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Whoosh!

Two identity tokens spun through the air. The two young men’s faces lit up with joy as they reached out to snatch the tokens.

“As long as I get hold of their identity tokens and crush them, there’ll be nothing left to worry about!” The youth in blue mused, a hint of pride rising on his face. Yet in the very next moment, his expression changed abruptly.

In that instant, Yang Yan suddenly opened his mouth and let out a clear, piercing cry, like metal splitting the waves, shaking the soul. At the same time, an invisible wave of energy burst forth from Yang Yan, rapidly spreading toward the two young men.

In that moment, both youths felt as if their souls had been struck with immense force; their heads buzzed and a wave of dizziness swept over them.

“Now!”

With a low shout in his heart, Yang Yan flickered forward, unleashing his Shadowstep technique. In a single breath, he arrived before the stunned youth in blue. His right hand surged with overwhelming water-attribute spiritual power, and he struck the youth’s chest with a heavy palm.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhengqing acted even more directly. The instant Yang Yan made his move, Liu Zhengqing abruptly raised his right hand, extended two fingers, and pointed fiercely at the other youth across the air.

A beam of dense golden light shot out from Liu Zhengqing’s fingertips, brushing past Zhang Fei and striking the shoulder of the youth behind him with terrific force.

Thud! Thud!

Two muffled bangs resounded. The two young men, like birds with broken wings, were sent flying in utter disarray, blood gushing from their mouths as if their lives were worth nothing.

“How... how is this possible?!”

The youth in blue was stunned. Although Yang Yan’s earlier display of sharp perception had put him on his guard, he had believed that with Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei in his grasp as hostages, Yang Yan would be forced to comply, regardless of his own inferior strength. Once the identity tokens were in hand, everything would be under his control.

Only now did he realize he had kicked a steel plate this time.

Just as he was cursing his own misjudgment, his expression shifted again—for Yang Yan, face cold and indifferent, was closing in swiftly.

“He’s going to kill me!”

Sensing the icy killing intent in Yang Yan’s eyes, a chill surged up within the youth in blue, freezing him to the core.

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He had been struck by Yang Yan’s soul attack and was dazed for just a moment, but in that moment he’d taken a full-force blow and was now gravely wounded. If he didn’t run, his life would truly end here.

A look of unwillingness flashed across his face. With a resentful glare at Yang Yan, he reached into his robe, pulled out his identity token, and crushed it…

“Alas, he got away…” Regret flickered in Yang Yan’s eyes as he spoke. He glanced over at Liu Zhengqing and saw the air there ripple as well, the other youth’s figure growing indistinct.

“Damn it, they’re quick to flee!” Liu Zhengqing cursed aloud.

“Forget it, let them go. At least our gains weren’t bad…” Yang Yan pointed at the various orbs of light floating before him and smiled.

“Thank you for saving our lives, Third Young Master!” Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei dropped to their knees before Yang Yan with a thud, their voices quivering with gratitude.

“Get up, we’re all family—there’s no need for such formality…” Yang Yan was startled by their sudden gesture. Though he was the third young master of the Zhang clan, even the servants had never been overly deferential to him since his childhood. Times had changed, but Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei’s abrupt show of respect still left him flustered and at a loss.

In that moment, Yang Yan truly felt the warmth of his great clan for the first time. And at the same time, the burden of revitalizing the Zhang family settled silently onto his shoulders.

“Not a bad haul—three hundred Soul Hunt points. How about you?” Liu Zhengqing walked over with a broad smile, waving his identity token excitedly.

After a brief hesitation, Yang Yan absorbed all the Soul Hunt points left by the youth in blue, then turned to Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei.

“I’m sorry. I really need these points. Next time, we’ll split them evenly—”

“Third Young Master, don’t say that! You saved our lives—what are a few Soul Hunt points in comparison?” Zhang Lin’s gratitude was undiminished, and Zhang Fei nodded in agreement.

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With a flash of cold light, the Spirit-Binding Ropes on Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei’s wrists snapped apart. These ropes, high-grade mortal tools, were remarkably tough and could continuously drain the spiritual power of those bound. Once ensnared, escape was nearly impossible without outside help.

Yet against the razor-sharp Moonshadow Frostblade, even such treasures were as fragile as paper.

Freed from their restraints, Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei flexed their numb limbs, then turned to thank Liu Zhengqing.

“We should rest here for the night…” Yang Yan suggested, retrieving healing herbs from his storage bag and tossing them to Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei.

Though they looked battered, the pair had suffered only superficial wounds and were in no real danger.

As night fell, the glowing orbs on the Top 100 leaderboard scattered more widely. With darkness descending, everyone grew wary, for they all knew—a single misstep could spell disaster, and there would be no one to weep to.

“We’ll follow your lead, Third Young Master!” Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei now looked to Yang Yan for every decision, and Liu Zhengqing nodded his agreement.

At their level, going days and nights without sleep posed no problem; in fact, cultivating was the best way to stay energetic.

The four of them sat back-to-back in a circle, cultivating while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Yang Yan’s spiritual sense continuously radiated from his brow, rippling outward like formless waves, reflecting every disturbance back into his mind.

“This soul power is truly remarkable. I must devote more time to mastering it in the future!” Ever since his duel with Sun Zhixin at the All-Clans Tournament, Yang Yan had been fascinated by this intangible yet real force. Each time he used it to escape danger or turn defeat into victory, his obsession grew.

He was convinced that if he could fully develop and master soul power, it would be no less formidable than reaching the pinnacle of spiritual cultivation.