Chapter Sixty-Five: What Is a Genius?

"Zhou, do you have any shame left?" Jiang Ziyang exploded with anger when he saw that the first to step out and challenge was none other than the head of the Zhou family. He shouted, "You, a family head already at the third level of the Qi Gathering Realm, bullying a child! If you want to fight, fight me!"

Jiang Ziyang strode forward at once. Even though everyone had just realized Su Ye's cultivation was far from simple, facing the cunning master of the Zhou family would surely leave Su Ye at a disadvantage.

The Zhou family head sneered coldly and barked, "As a father, it's only natural I avenge my son! Did he think about shame when he killed my son?"

Clearly, the Zhou family head no longer cared about appearances. As long as he could kill Su Ye, nothing else mattered!

He turned to Su Ye, sneering, "Weren't you arrogant? Come accept my challenge!"

"Truly, they're all the same. Fine, I'll start with you," Su Ye replied with a cold laugh, then turned to Jiang Ziyang. "Please, Family Head. In a moment, keep the Jiang family from interfering. This is my business; I will settle it myself! I was once a genius, and today I will reclaim the honor that belongs to me!"

"You—alright! Just be careful!" Jiang Ziyang, seeing Su Ye's insistence, could only watch closely from nearby, ready to intervene at any moment.

Jiang Liuying was also shocked, but she knew Su Ye too well. His demeanor showed absolute confidence. She clenched her fists tightly and watched.

None of the formidable enemies expected Su Ye to actually step forward to accept the challenge. They all jeered, mocking his ignorance.

"This little bastard actually dares to step out and die! Hmph, watch how I torment you!" The Zhou family head strode forward impatiently, seeing Su Ye still conversing with Jiang Ziyang. He snapped, "Any last words? Hmph, Jiang family, stop your pretenses! If you want to cry, save it for his funeral!"

"Seeking death—" Su Ye suddenly turned, heroic energy radiating from him. He leapt into the air, and with a resonant hum, a visible wave of energy surged from his body.

This wave rolled outward in all directions, causing the leaves and plants to rustle loudly.

The Zhou family head's expression changed drastically as he cried, "Qi Gathering Realm!!"

The onlookers were all stunned. It had only been half a month since Su Ye's duel with Yu Zhisha. Back then, hadn't he only opened twenty-three meridians? How could he have already opened one hundred and eight, stepping into the Qi Gathering Realm?

Many martial artists never manage to open all one hundred and eight meridians throughout their entire lives!

"Impossible!!" the Zhou family head roared, unleashing a powerful surge of energy. His robes billowed as if a great wind were blasting into them.

Su Ye was already upon him, fist crashing down, blazing with fierce light and trailing arcs of energy.

Boom!

The Zhou family head raised his arm to block, but his expression shifted as, at the center of his feet, the ground caved in, forming an oval depression two meters wide, as if struck by a ten-thousand-pound force.

"What? Projecting internal energy? Impossible!" The Zhou family head trembled, his voice quivering with disbelief.

This was the hallmark attack of those in the Qi Gathering Realm!

How could Su Ye know such a move?

"Truly impossible?" Su Ye shouted, arcs of lightning flickering around him. His fist pressed down once more, striking straight at the Zhou family head's chest.

"Arrogant brat!" The Zhou family head, having lost the initiative, could only block with his palm, taking the punch head-on. But as Su Ye's fist landed, a torrent of force surged through, nearly shattering his own energy wave.

With a wild shout, the Zhou family head bounced back, forcibly repelling Su Ye.

Swish—

Su Ye was flung away, but before he had flown two meters, he twisted in midair. The energy surging around him spun into a vortex, pulling him back.

With a single kick, he struck the Zhou family head squarely in the chest!

Bang—

At the point of impact, a visible blaze of light burst forth.

"Ah..." The Zhou family head cried out in pain, his energy shattered by the kick. He stumbled back more than ten meters, his bulky frame swaying before he finally stopped, staring at Su Ye in shock.

Su Ye, using the force of the rebound, landed gracefully back in the arena, his face set and determined as he looked down at the Zhou family head with pride.

For a moment, neither side uttered a word.

It was as if no one had yet recovered from the shock of the recent clash.

"Did... did the Zhou family head lose?"

"Su Ye—he's in the Qi Gathering Realm? Did he not only recover, but also break through? How is this possible?"

"The greatest genius in Yang City—this is the true prodigy! Even Yu Zhisha didn't reach this realm! If someone like him grows unchecked, won't Yang City be his alone one day? Hmph!"

Everyone was rapidly reconsidering their positions, and even some neutral families began to waver.

If they could support Su Ye through this crisis, they might well secure an alliance with the Jiang family.

At this moment, not only were the enemies stunned, but even members of the Jiang family were in shock.

Jiang Liuying's beautiful eyes widened as she cried, "Su Ye, you're so strong now? Good, teach these old fools a lesson!"

Jiang Ziyang was just as stunned. He knew better than anyone what Su Ye was like three years ago—no amount of elixirs or cultivation manuals from the Jiang family had helped him. Yet in just a few months, Su Ye had reached this level.

Even the Jiang family's core members were barely at this stage!

"Good! Su Ye—well done! Hahaha, Zhou, how do you show your face now? You always call yourself one of Yang City's Five Tigers, but I see only a sickly cat! You all wanted to see the Jiang family fall, but now do you see? Su Ye's reputation as a genius is well-deserved! You're nothing but a rabble who can never challenge him!" Jiang Ziyang shouted.

Yan Tian was left dumbfounded, unable to utter a word.

He, too, could not understand when Su Ye had attained such cultivation. This was truly the Qi Gathering Realm! At Su Ye's age, Yan Tian himself had barely opened forty meridians.

Su Ye's gaze was resolute, his eyes burning with fury. He shouted, "Zhou family head, will you admit defeat and compensate, or will you continue to throw your life away?"

"Murderer, you want me to compensate you? Unforgivable! Tiger Roar Technique!" Furious, the Zhou family head realized that if he backed down now, he would lose all standing in Yang City.

Spinning, he formed his hands into tiger claws.

With a roar, he shattered the ground beneath him and pounced again.

His towering, burly frame, now frenzied, exuded an imposing aura. He moved with the stride of a great tiger, charging like a beast unleashed from its cage.

The famed "Tiger Roar Technique" was the Zhou family's ultimate skill. Once mastered, its practitioner was unstoppable, like a tiger descending the mountain.

"Tiger Roar, is it?" Su Ye charged forward with a boom, the ground cracking beneath his feet. Twisting his body, he issued a strange, thunderous sound from his throat.

Within the surging energy around him, a qilin-shaped aura took form!

Roar—

Su Ye, lightning crackling in his grasp, met the Zhou family head's attack head-on. With a punch, he once again sent the Zhou family head reeling.

In a flash, Su Ye followed up, seizing the Zhou family head's wrist and twisting sharply.

At that instant, all the energy around them spun. With a sharp crack, he broke the Zhou family head's wrist, then his left hand transformed into a blade, a bolt of lightning bursting forth.

He chopped down!

Crack!!

He severed half of the Zhou family head's forearm.

"Ah..." The Zhou family head screamed, his body struck again, crashing heavily to the ground.

Roar!!!

A beastly howl erupted as Su Ye leapt upon him, pinning him to the ground with a foot on his chest.

Behind Su Ye, the image of a flaming qilin, wrought from swirling energy, loomed—fierce and terrifying...