CHAPTER 607: CHAPTER 0525: TWENTY-FOUR EARTH PUNISHMENTS

Ye Qingfeng shrugged, looking indifferent.

"I’ve heard this so many times, but until now, I have yet to meet someone extraordinary, and that someone isn’t you either!"

"If you want me not to take the dragon energy, fine, defeat me, and I’ll turn around and leave immediately!"

"But if you lose, then sorry, the dragon energy is mine!"

A powerful aura burst forth from Ye Qingfeng’s body, shaking the entire mountain belly, causing countless rocks to fall and a tremor to ripple through the ground.

The middle-aged man’s pupils contracted slightly; initially, he didn’t consider Ye Qingfeng worth his attention, but now Ye Qingfeng’s revealed aura was of such shocking magnitude that he couldn’t help but feel astonished.

"Who exactly is this young man? How could he possess such formidable strength? After decades away from the world, when did such a young expert appear? Even if I go against him, I fear my chances of winning are no more than thirty percent!"

The middle-aged man thought inwardly, his gaze flickering.

"Are you trying to seize by force?"

Though wary, he was still unwilling to let the Earth Dragon’s dragon energy be taken.

"And if I am? If you want to stop me, see if your fists are hard enough!"

Ye Qingfeng wasted no more words, his foot stepping forward, his figure flashed and appeared before the middle-aged man.

"What?"

The middle-aged man’s face was startled, his body slightly leaning back in an instant, a hand shot forward at a very strange angle, striking Ye Qingfeng’s incoming fist.

"Crack!"

He retreated repeatedly across the square, his face filled with shock, the immense force from Ye Qingfeng’s arm was both fresh to him and terrifying.

Ye Qingfeng stopped in place, gazing indifferently at his own fist.

His entire hand was now sealed in cold ice, the moment the middle-aged man made contact with his fist, an ice power more extreme than Long Yuntian’s surged onto his palm. Not only was his hand frozen, but the ice was creeping up his arm, freezing a larger and larger area.

The middle-aged man leaped back, finally dissipating Ye Qingfeng’s fist power.

His arm trembled slightly as he said in a deep voice, "I underestimated you!"

Ye Qingfeng hadn’t spoken yet, but he continued, "Unfortunately, you’ve already been hit by my Ice Cold Palm, the Ice-breaking Force will continually extend along your arm, eventually freezing your heart meridian."

"Under my Ice Cold Palm, three Peak War King level experts have been frozen stiff and severely injured, their cultivation greatly harmed. If you retreat now and find a natural hot spring before the Ice-breaking Force reaches your heart meridian, you can dissolve it. If you linger here, you will lose all your cultivation."

The middle-aged man’s tone was proud, clearly pleased with himself. This Ice Cold Palm was the ultimate secret art of his Gu family, very few could master it, and he was the only one in nearly a hundred years.

Two Peak Battle Kings had fallen to this move at his hands, it was something to be proud of.

He thought Ye Qingfeng would back down and leave immediately to find a solution. After all, compared to his cultivation, the Earth Dragon’s dragon energy seemed insignificant.

But Ye Qingfeng did not meet his expectations.

"I said I won’t leave, today the dragon energy, I must obtain it!" Ye Qingfeng smiled, "Mere Ice-breaking Force, trying to stop me?"

"Swish!"

The next moment, a golden-red Leaving Fire surged from Ye Qingfeng’s finger, instantly melting away the ice that was difficult to dissolve, expelling the Ice-breaking Force completely.

"What?"

The middle-aged man’s gaze tightened, clearly not expecting Ye Qingfeng to have such means.

"If that’s all you can do, you won’t be able to stop me!"

Ye Qingfeng stepped forward, eyes cold; the Earth Dragon was right before him, if he missed this opportunity, who knew when he’d find another, he couldn’t let it slip by.

The middle-aged man’s face turned serious, Ye Qingfeng’s abilities were beyond his imagination, he was seeing for the first time someone who could dissolve his Ice Cold Palm so thoroughly and swiftly.

"If we truly fight, this mountain belly might just collapse!"

He hesitated, looking at the Earth Dragon once more, unwilling to let its dragon energy be taken.

"Young man, do you really want to take the Earth Dragon’s dragon energy?"

He suddenly asked.

Ye Qingfeng’s expression remained unchanged, calmly saying, "That’s right!"

"Sigh!" The middle-aged man sighed, his eyes suddenly looking two steps in front of Ye Qingfeng.

"Since you wish to take it, I won’t stop you!" He waved his hand, a strange green energy instantly infused the ground beneath him.

This green energy turned into countless thin threads that wrapped around the edge of each stone slab, instantly causing the whole square to glow green.

"The square where you stand is a powerful array called the Twenty-four Earth Punishments; it was created by my Gu family ancestors, combining the essence of martial arts with twenty-four different solar terms."

"Hundreds of years ago, during a Demon Beast invasion that included numerous Emperor Beasts and many King Beasts, yet they were all slaughtered by this array unleashed by my family ancestors."

"Today, if you can break this array, you can take the Earth Dragon’s dragon energy, but you can also withdraw immediately. For entering the array, life and death cannot be reversed!"

The middle-aged man’s voice was clear, the green light on the square became increasingly intense.

"Oh?" Ye Qingfeng’s gaze swept across the twenty-four copper statues around, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"It can even entrap and kill Emperor Beasts?"

Seeing the twenty-four copper statues, once emitting a dead aura, now brimming with life, Ye Qingfeng grinned.

"Since this array can slay Emperor Beasts, I’m quite curious to see for myself!"

Indomitable spirit arose within him, shouting loudly.

"The Gu family’s Twenty-four Earth Punishments? Very well!"

"Today, let me, Ye Jiujie, learn how much this array capable of hunting Emperor Beasts weighs!"

His voice roared like a fierce dragon, shaking the air, and the twenty-four copper statues suddenly awoke at this moment.

"Hmph, young man, you’re far too arrogant, even daring to belittle an array that can suppress Emperor Beasts?"

The middle-aged man’s tone was low, this array condensed the Gu family’s essence, its power immense, but hearing Ye Qingfeng’s tone was not taken seriously, he truly became angry.

"Since you’re so insistent, don’t blame me; your life will be in the hands of the Twenty-four Earth Punishments!"

He shouted in a low voice, "Rise!"

In an instant, the entire square sparkled with green light, the twenty-four silent copper statues opened their eyes, emanating a dense green light, releasing an ancient and imposing aura.

Ye Qingfeng’s gaze slightly narrowed; the internal power contained within the twenty-four copper figures was extremely formidable, and the green light released by the middle-aged man was vibrant with life, like a key unlocking a treasure, instantly activating all twenty-four copper figures.

He stood at the center of all the copper figures, the green eyes of the twenty-four copper figures scanning him, positions began to change, and the aura, not at all weaker than that of a Peak Battle King, instantly locked onto him.

"Twenty-four Earth Punishments? Let me see what you’re capable of!"

Ye Qingfeng’s figure flipped, shooting directly at the closest copper figure, his fist shining with golden light, aiming to shatter the copper figure with one blow.