Chapter 30: Suffering a Setback

"Cooperation?" Hearing this familiar word, Chen Xianyun looked at Li Ye with a strange expression.

"With me? Not the entire Dongming Military District?"

Li Ye nodded, his tone sincere. "Of course. If you do not agree with what I am about to say, you can also consider this a personal request."

Yan Fenghua stood up briskly, watching this young man who dared to speak almost as an equal to Legion Commander Chen with curiosity.

Chen Xianyun pondered for a moment before saying, "Tell me what it is first."

Yan Fenghua said nothing, but the glimmer in his eyes clearly showed he shared the same sentiment.

"I would like to ask the two of you to lie in ambush and watch the battle when I confront that Fallen God. If I lack the strength to slay that beast, I ask the Legion Commander and this young master to intervene and save my life."

Li Ye cupped his hands in a salute, looking at them earnestly.

"What?! You want to fight that nine-headed monster? Are you insane?"

As soon as Li Ye finished speaking, Yan Fenghua cried out in astonishment, for he knew nothing about Li Ye.

Chen Xianyun, however, frowned. He knew Li Ye well enough; even the wily old fox Shen would often sigh in his ear about how bizarre this young man was.

So, the fact that this young man intended to challenge the Fallen God in the University Town... should have been reasonable... as if!

That gargantuan creature—a human barely six feet tall wanted to challenge that?

Was he joking?

It wasn't as if the Dongming Military District hadn't sent reconnaissance squads to monitor the monster. It was a giant that stretched dozens of meters when fully unfurled, a beast straight out of myth. Could this young man really handle such divine power, which crushed zombies like ants?

But just as Chen Xianyun was about to offer some earnest, painstaking advice, Li Ye cut him off.

"Legion Commander, there is no need to dissuade me. My mind is made up. If this succeeds, not only will the survivors of Jiangning benefit, but the entire Dongming Military District will be able to enter the urban area with minimal casualties. When we build a fortress city for humanity, our Dongming will undoubtedly be the greatest hero!"

This righteous, death-defying tone left Chen Xianyun silent.

Yan Fenghua, who had never met Li Ye before, felt a surge of respect and immediately promised, "Don't worry, I will do everything in my power to help you."

Li Ye hurriedly corrected him, "You only need to save me; you don't need to help me fight."

Yan Fenghua was taken aback, his beautiful eyes looking blankly at Chen Xianyun.

Chen Xianyun put his hands behind his back and sighed. "Just weigh your own strength carefully."

Li Ye looked at them with dissatisfaction, his youthful edge finally showing through.

"So pessimistic? Did I ever say I would lose?"

Chen Xianyun glanced up at Li Ye and suddenly laughed—the kind of appreciation an elder feels for a promising youth.

At that exact moment, Chen Xianyun stepped forward and lunged, delivering a swift knee strike toward Li Ye. The explosion of speed at such close range even triggered a sharp sonic boom!

"If you can't even get past me, don't bother going to be a snack for that beast."

Li Ye was not surprised. His mouth curled into a manic grin as he watched the incoming knee strike.

Keeping one leg as steady as Mount Tai, he swung his other leg from below like an iron axe, lashing out directly.

A dull thud echoed, causing Yan Fenghua, who had retreated to the side, to widen his eyes.

No abilities used, leg against knee, and he hadn't lost ground!

There was no comparison without suffering; Yan Fenghua had used his God-Chosen ability earlier and still hadn't truly withstood a single strike from this old man.

Li Ye’s lips hooked up. Trying to compete in physical strength against a dual-type God-Chosen with an unranked [Demon Body] was never going to be easy.

"Good lad!"

Chen Xianyun shouted with delight. He withdrew his leg, took a small step, and in the blink of an eye, closed the distance to Li Ye. With a shift in his posture, he pressed his shoulder and elbow against Li Ye, leaning into him like a small mountain.

The movements happened in a split second. Though they looked unhurried, when the impact finally hit, Li Ye was sent flying back three or four paces like a discarded sack.

By the time Li Ye managed to steady himself, he was busy soothing his aching, numb muscles and bones.

But Chen Xianyun wouldn't give him the chance. Lightly tapping his feet, he seemed to drift like an immortal descending to earth. Though his frame was lean, he emitted a heavy, crushing pressure.

Li Ye bared his cold, white teeth and took the initiative to step forward. His feet moved like falling stars, and he stretched out his arms in a "Black Tiger Steals the Heart" maneuver, aiming for Chen Xianyun's shoulder blades.

The Legion Commander did not dodge or parry. He swung his right arm in a wide arc, slamming it toward Li Ye’s arms.

Another head-on collision.

A split second before the impact, Li Ye’s left hand suddenly formed a claw, gripping the Legion Commander’s wrist. He immediately leapt into the air, twisted his waist, and hooked his right leg toward the old man's temple.

Just then, the strange phenomenon Chen Xianyun had used against Yan Fenghua occurred again.

His left arm, which had been hanging loosely at his side, suddenly defied common sense and whipped out, colliding with Li Ye’s shin.

"Snap!"

The force of that strike was nothing like a random, unpowered punch.

'Even without being ranked, he's this monstrous. What happens when he is?'

With this thought, Li Ye stopped holding back. Golden light erupted from his right arm; he even took a moment to decide what weapon to manifest.

The light solidified, and a short staff appeared in his hand.

Seeing the "weapon" in Li Ye’s hand, Chen Xianyun couldn't help but feel puzzled.

'Did this kid not see how I beat that Yan brat just now? He’s still using abilities?'

Li Ye offered no explanation. He was determined to make this old man suffer today!

His thoughts turned in a flash.

While still mid-air, golden threads appeared at Li Ye’s waist, helping him pivot and channel force into the tip of the staff. Though it was a short stick, it carried the momentum of an army.

Chen Xianyun remained indifferent, simply holding one arm horizontally in front of him to defend.

He suddenly raised his right leg, meeting attack with attack, like a dragon emerging from the sea!

Faint threads of light appeared on Chen Xianyun's shin, attempting to dampen the force of the kick.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard those solidified threads tried, the force behind the kick remained unchanged. All of the power was contained within, with not a drop leaking out—a feat that completely exceeded Li Ye's understanding.

Li Ye spat internally and forced his body to commit. The staff’s momentum held, and the golden weapon finally slammed into Chen Xianyun’s arm. It didn't pass through like it had with Yan Fenghua; this was a solid, physical blow!

Under the force of the staff, a bruise instantly appeared on the Legion Commander’s flesh.

Having landed the hit, Li Ye pulled back with a light, agile flip, retreating to a safe distance. He looked at Chen Xianyun, who was staring at his arm with a dark expression, and nearly laughed out loud.

"What's wrong, Legion Commander? Do you need to fetch your Eight-Slaying Blade? I wouldn't want the soldiers of the Dongming Military District to say I'm bullying you."

Yan Fenghua stood to the side, his beautiful eyes practically bulging from their sockets. His mouth hung open, and he inadvertently inhaled quite a bit of red mist. As Li Ye’s mocking words faded, he reflexively cursed in amazement:

"Holy sh*t..."