Chapter Twenty-Three: Confronting the Innate (First Update!)

Ye Tianya was entangled with his opponents. With three innate-level masters going all out, he, who was concealing his true strength, couldn’t resolve the battle quickly, let alone come to anyone’s aid.

But did Ye Feng need help? The answer was a resounding no.

Vast spiritual energy surged as he unleashed all his might from the onset. Ye Feng knew that the quality of his spiritual power was inferior to his opponent’s, but as for quantity… he prided himself on being second to none among cultivators below the mid-innate stage.

His right hand swept out with the massive hammer, the head gleaming with a dazzling golden light, crashing down like a raging bull toward the Zhou family elder.

It was his first time facing an innate expert in battle, and Ye Feng dared not hold back in the slightest. This was a true master—those earlier skirmishes were nothing more than a warm-up!

With a swish, the Zhou elder floated away like a drifting leaf, gliding several yards in the blink of an eye.

Ye Feng’s hammer, brimming with force, struck nothing but air. He was a little surprised. It had always been he who used his speed to bully others, but today, the situation was reversed.

“Your strength is decent, but far too slow. Boy, today I’ll show you the true power of an innate master,” the Zhou elder sneered, launching himself into the air. Suddenly, his spiritual energy surged, and the fabric of his trousers billowed as he swept a leg toward Ye Feng on the ground.

Even without invoking a spirit technique, a blow from an innate master was not to be underestimated.

Those legs, forged like steel, would surely shatter bone and tendon if they landed.

Yet Ye Feng chose to meet it head-on.

“Dragon-Grasping Hand!”

With a furious shout, the sleeve of his left arm instantly burst apart, and a giant golden palm materialized in the air.

Boom—

Like a comet crashing into the earth, there were no frills—just raw power against raw power. The shockwave swept outward in an instant, sending dust billowing and tightening every heart.

Half the Ye family’s hearts turned cold; many cursed, “You fool! That’s an innate master—are you out of your mind to take him head-on?”

Their words were harsh, but stemmed from genuine concern. After this upheaval, even the most scheming among them had come to realize—strength in a clan depends first on unity. Too many families have rotted from within…

As the dust settled, two figures appeared before the crowd.

“He blocked it… he really blocked it…” Those most anxious now blurted out in excitement. The same ones who had just cursed in worry, now cheered in delight.

All this only went to show how deeply they cared for Ye Feng.

“Brute strength! Did you really think you could withstand me with power alone?” The Zhou elder was shocked to see Ye Feng, a mere postnatal cultivator, withstand his blow, though what he felt more was anger.

Innate masters had always stood above the rest. Postnatal cultivators were, in their eyes, nothing more than strong laborers. Yet today, here he was, entangled by one.

“Zhou Li, stop dawdling and finish that brat quickly. Come give me a hand—this beast is strange!” came an irate shout from the bald man fighting the monkey.

Because Ye Feng was dueling an innate master, everyone’s attention was drawn to that side of the field, no one paying the other battle any mind.

After all, what kind of threat could a little monkey pose? They all chose to ignore that side of the fight.

Only when the bald man called out did the crowd look over. No one thought the Zhou patriarch could be at a disadvantage—at worst, it might just take some effort.

But… something wasn’t right.

“Is Old Zhou actually hurt?”

“His face is all scratched up—looks like he’s being chased and beaten by that monkey… How is that possible?”

Strange things happen every day, but today was exceptional. A monkey, of all things, had an innate master on the run.

By now, everyone realized things were amiss. Some from the two great families were already slipping away. Such a promising situation, upended by a fool and a monkey.

“Old bastard, don’t get distracted! I’m your opponent.” Ye Feng was not surprised by the state of things. A monkey unafraid even of a demon king’s aura—how could it lose to an innate cultivator?

The hammer swept out again, simple and direct, with no tricks. The fierce spiritual energy made even Zhou Li, an innate master, wary.

Of course… that was all. In the eyes of an innate master, Ye Feng at this moment was little more than a wild ox—brimming with power, but lacking the technique to match.

Zhou Li soared into the sky again. He would have to give his all, or risk stumbling badly today. Not that he feared for himself, but for the success of this mission.

He had seen through Ye Feng’s style—utterly wild, powerful, and direct, relying on overwhelming, domineering spirit techniques. To handle such a foe, one mustn’t clash head-on, or risk being dragged into his rhythm; it called for finesse.

So, even with his superior cultivation, Zhou Li refused to meet Ye Feng’s attacks directly.

He stood suspended in midair, his legs like twin pillars to the heavens, sending forth a cascade of leg shadows—Zhou family’s “Invisible Leg.”

Everything happened in a flash; many felt as if they’d only blinked, and suddenly the field was filled with countless afterimages of legs.

This time, Ye Feng did not choose to meet force with force.

Wildness and folly are not the same.

He now resembled a lone boat in a storm, rocking and swaying, at the mercy of the waves, seeming as if he might capsize at any moment.

Under the relentless barrage of “Invisible Leg,” pits opened in the ground one after another, yet Ye Feng remained unscathed… each time evading by a hair’s breadth, dangerously close but always slipping through.

“Zhou—ah—Zhou Li, what the hell are you doing? If you don’t get over here, I’m going to die to this monkey—ah…” The bald Zhou patriarch’s cry for help sounded again, even more desperate than before, as though struck twice more in the process.

“So this is the power of an innate cultivator? Is that all? Not as formidable as I imagined.” Ye Feng felt a little disappointed, deciding not to hold back any longer.

In the next instant, another figure appeared in midair—it was Ye Feng, having chosen to let loose.

“You’ve let me down! I’ll give you one more chance—show me your full strength. This is your last opportunity!”

Zhou Li finally lost his composure. Ye Feng’s attitude infuriated him. He’d only been distracted for a moment—did this brat really think the strength of an innat