Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 292 - 289: Coercion and Bribery

Chapter 292: Chapter 289: Coercion and Bribery

Just when everyone thought Ye Xuan was undoubtedly doomed to die, the latter suddenly raised his right hand and struck out as if feebly, colliding with the fist of the opponent.

Boom!

An impactful and heavy sound resounded, and a ripple of power radiated in mid-air. In that instant, the ground behind Ye Xuan cracked open, yet Ye Xuan himself remained motionless.

"Hmm?"

The punch from the opponent felt as if it had hit a mountain; with his strength, he couldn’t budge Ye Xuan in the slightest.

"Scram!"

Ye Xuan’s eyes suddenly changed, and the Qi Force in his palm burst forth. Immediately, with a "crack" sound, the opponent’s wrist twisted grotesquely, and in the next moment, he was sent flying backward, blood spewing from his mouth, leaving a trail behind.

"This..."

The guards behind Bi Rou were dumbfounded. The previously fierce and unstoppable opponent had been nonchalantly blasted away by Ye Xuan with a single move.

"Demon strength!"

The youth in green was also shocked, his reliance on the guard proving to be no match for Ye Xuan.

Swoosh!

Just as the guard attempted to rise, Ye Xuan had already flashed in front of him, pressing his sword sheath against the opponent’s throat.

"I concede!"

The guard felt an intense killing intent locking onto him as if even with the sword sheath, Ye Xuan could still kill him. The words of surrender seemed to slip out involuntarily.

Seeing the guard concede, Ye Xuan wasn’t planning on dealing a ruthless blow. However, just as he was about to sheathe his sword and turn away, the guard’s gaze hardened. His nose began to shift, extending rapidly into an elephant-like trunk, which coiled around Ye Xuan’s right leg and violently yanked him backward.

"You brat, do you think I need your pity? Die!"

Securing Ye Xuan, the guard smirked and threw a vicious punch toward Ye Xuan’s chest, aiming for a lethal blow.

"Pathetic boy, showing mercy like a woman," the youth in green said with a smile of derision, looking forward to seeing Ye Xuan crushed by the punch.

Yet just as Ye Xuan was about to be blasted with the fatal punch, a streak of sword light suddenly unsheathed, piercing toward the guard at an inconceivably fast speed, decapitating him before the fist could hit Ye Xuan, sending a head flying through the air.

"What?"

The youth in green watched incredulously as Ye Xuan displayed such formidable strength that he killed the guard with a single stroke of his sword.

"Well done, Ye Xuan."

Bi Rou had been quite displeased with Ye Xuan at first for not killing the guard on the spot, but seeing Ye Xuan’s action, her expression softened, and a hint of joy appeared in her eyes.

"You wretch, it was just a spar; why take his life? Be ready to pay the price for daring to kill my man," the youth in green said, glaring at Ye Xuan with murderous intent. The guard had cost him a great deal, and he had been easily slain by Ye Xuan.

"You’re taking this too seriously, big brother. When the guard was killing earlier, why didn’t you stop him? He was no match for Ye Xuan. Such a useless wretch, why keep him around? I got rid of him for you, so as not to waste the resources of Heavenly Cloud Island," Bi Rou said with a faint smile, her eyes holding a cold edge as she confronted the youth in green.

"Very well, Bi Rou, I admit defeat today but hope you don’t give me an opportunity," the youth in green left those threatening words and strode away.

Bi Rou watched the retreating figure of the green-clad youth, her lips curling into a cold smirk. By killing the guard, she had cut off one of her brother’s arms, and she didn’t believe he wouldn’t be upset about it. She had finally quelled his arrogance and regained the upper hand from their past disadvantages.

"Ye Xuan, I didn’t expect you to be so powerful. With you as my guard, I can truly be at ease," Bi Rou said, beaming at Ye Xuan.

"I’ve already said I won’t be your guard."

Ye Xuan picked up on the underlying assumption in her words and his gaze sharpened slightly, "Acting on your behalf just now was fulfilling our agreement."

"Is that so?"

Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Bi Rou’s pretty face instantly turned cold, and her voice also grew colder, "Do you know how many people within a hundred thousand li of these waters wish to be my guard but can’t? You should reconsider it."

"No need to reconsider. No means no," Ye Xuan stated decisively.

"Then don’t blame me for not showing mercy."

Bi Rou’s face turned cold, and suddenly in her hand appeared a black bell. The next moment, as she shook it, the bell tinkled, emitting a strange sound that dispersed into the surroundings.

Back when she fed Ye Xuan the pill, she had already anticipated that he might not be under her control, so she had implanted the Heart Erosion Gu Worm to ensure nothing went wrong. Now, as expected, she had no choice but to stimulate the Gu worm. If there was anyone to blame, it was only Ye Xuan for being too young and naive to have so easily swallowed the pill she had given him.

However, after the bell rang for several minutes, Ye Xuan remained indifferent, unaffected by anything, which made Bi Rou’s complexion change, and she shook the bell even more urgently.

"There’s no need to waste your effort anymore. Your Gu worm is right here."

With a light flick of his palm, a distorted Qi Force wriggled along his arm and shot out from the center of his palm, landing on the ground.

Among a pool of dark blood was a leech-like black Gu worm struggling and writhing, but within an instant, it turned into a puff of black smoke and dissipated.

"You!"

Bi Rou’s beautiful eyes filled with shock. She hadn’t expected the Heart Erosion Gu Worm to be utterly ineffective against Ye Xuan, having been forced out directly.

"Miss Bi Rou, in consideration of you saving me, I can let this matter go. However, I hope you understand that there are some people you can’t control, and you don’t have the capability. If you still wish to use any means to bind me, it’s better to dispel the thought sooner."

Ye Xuan merely cast a cold glance at Bi Rou before striding away. He could let today’s incident slide, but if there were a next time, he would never indulge her again.

"This kid, a mere guard, dares to disrespect the young lady. He’s utterly lawless." Watching Ye Xuan leave, one of Bi Rou’s guards also started to speak out.

"Indeed, had it not been for our young lady saving him, he would have already died in the sea. Yet he is so ungrateful."

"He’s truly heartless and ungrateful."

The other guards immediately echoed, seemingly having deep animosity towards Ye Xuan.

"Shut up, you useless bunch."

Bi Rou’s sharp rebuke startled the guards into silence as they hastily closed their mouths. Then her gaze followed the direction Ye Xuan had left, "Ye Xuan, sooner or later, I will make you submit to me."

Her eyes flickered with resolve as Bi Rou clenched her fists tightly.

...

Three days later.

Inside the central building of Heavenly Cloud Island, a great number of the island’s higher-ups were gathered, and because of his recuperation, Ye Xuan, who should have already left the island, came here due to summoning by the Island Master.

Inside the great hall, numerous high-ranking members of the Demon Clan were present, mostly only the Demon King level experts who had the qualification to enter.

The Island Master of Heavenly Cloud Island, Shen Feng, himself a Fourth Grade Demon King, was just one step away from advancing to the Fifth Grade and the strongest person on the island.

"Father, this is Ye Xuan, whom I always mention to you. He’s the one who defeated the top-class expert of substantial strength with just one move."

Bi Rou stood on the right side of the great hall and suddenly addressed Shen Feng, who sat in the main seat.

"Oh? So this young friend is the one. The one of substantial strength was a Second Grade Demon King, yet you managed to kill him with a single sword strike. It seems, young friend, your strength is not to be underestimated," Shen Feng looked at Ye Xuan with a smile, yet a strange flicker crossed the depths of his eyes.

"Father, originally I intended for him to be my guard, but he is not content to hold the position of a guard. I hope you can promote him to a commander to fulfill his wishes."

Bi Rou surmised that Ye Xuan’s refusal to serve her was surely due to dissatisfaction with the status of guard. Thus, she no longer insisted on Ye Xuan becoming her guard, as long as she could keep him serving on Heavenly Cloud Island.

A commander, in Heavenly Cloud Island, was a position second only to that of the Island Master. With such a high title, she felt it should be enough to interest Ye Xuan.

"What? A commander? Such a high position for a newcomer without sufficient assessment—it’s hardly appropriate," a youth in green on the other side shook his head and sneered.

"As long as he has the strength, isn’t defeating the one of substantial strength in a single blow proof enough?" Bi Rou replied indifferently.

"Alright,"

Shen Feng seemed to have already made up his mind. "I’ve heard about young friend Ye Xuan’s abilities from Rouer. As it turns out, there’s an open spot for a commander. Would you be interested?"

"Sorry, but I already made a deal with Miss Bi Rou to perform a task for her in exchange for settling our scores. Heavenly Cloud Island is not a place for me to stay for long, I ask for your understanding," said Ye Xuan, his face expressionless, fully aware that this scene was surely prearranged, all for the purpose of making him join Heavenly Cloud Island—a concept he had never entertained from the start.

With that statement, the atmosphere within the hall suddenly tensed, as the high-ranking members of Heavenly Cloud Island looked at Ye Xuan in amazement. They did not expect him to outright reject Shen Feng’s invitation, despite such favorable terms.

"Young friend Ye Xuan, there’s no need to rush your decision. You can think it over," Shen Feng’s expression sank, a shadow crossed his eyes, but he still maintained a faint smile on his face.

"No need to think it over. I will leave Heavenly Cloud Island tomorrow, and I thank you for the care I’ve received during my stay," Ye Xuan frowned, cupped his hands in thanks, and turned to walk towards the hall’s exit.

Seeing Ye Xuan’s disrespect, Shen Feng’s expression turned markedly frigid, "Hmph, such arrogance. Our Heavenly Cloud Island is not a place you can simply come and go as you please."