Chapter One Hundred Twelve: Invincible

A black curtain of fabric unfurled downward. Ye Ran stepped back two paces, patiently awaiting Delis to pass through the curtain. Suddenly, several plumes of white mist rose, and the enormous black curtain split into three smaller sections, dispersing to Ye Ran’s left, center, and right. Only then did Delis press close, launching a rapid succession of punches and palm strikes.

Ye Ran summoned strength throughout his body, standing calmly in place. Using stillness to counter movement and slowness to overcome speed, after Delis’s rapid assault, he stepped forward and struck with a palm that sent her flying backward.

In terms of energy force, the two were evenly matched; in martial skill, Ye Ran feared no peer. Hence, from the very first exchange, Ye Ran gained the upper hand.

Delis had barely retreated when two feathered arrows shot swiftly toward them. Robin fired a volley of three arrows, targeting Ye Ran and two others. Ye Ran brushed aside the arrows with a wave of his hand, stepped forward, and pressed a fist down on Geraldon.

Geraldon was skilled in both martial and magical arts, possessing a water element affinity. He had once subdued a giant troll through sheer strength alone, a testament to his formidable power.

Seeing Ye Ran’s heavy fist descending, Geraldon smirked arrogantly, neither dodging nor retreating. His sword traced two graceful arcs, summoning a flowing stream of water that surged forward alongside the blade’s edge, both aiming straight at Ye Ran.

“Bang.”

Ye Ran’s palm-blade moved in a continuous strike, first shattering the water flow, then using the sword’s edge. Amidst the swift movements, a punch landed, sending Geraldon reeling.

“Crash.”

The protective water shield around Geraldon was nearly shattered by Ye Ran’s punch. Geraldon flew past him, glancing back with admiration in his eyes.

At the same moment, two water pillars burst forth from the ground, entwining around Ye Ran’s ankles.

His water magic differed greatly from Yunmeng’s—where one relied on gentleness overcoming hardness, his was sharp and relentless.

“Whizz, whizz.”

Two more feathered arrows flew in. Robin clearly regarded Ye Ran as the greatest threat, determined to defeat him first.

Geraldon also bristled with fighting spirit toward Ye Ran, and in this ebb and flow of combat, Delis was left unattended.

“Damn it, you underestimate me.”

The girl’s anger flickered. She clapped her hands, and the black curtain split again, its three pieces dividing into six, each hovering a meter above the ground, spinning gently. She tilted her body and, with a sharp “swish,” slipped into the fabric. Her palm flashed beneath the curtain, and when she reemerged, she wielded a curved blade.

“Clang.”

Ye Ran reacted swiftly, his pale jade-colored short knife clashed against hers midair. The force was immense; Delis was forced to retreat as she had come.

“Damn it, what kind of power is this?” she grumbled after two failed attempts.

Twice rebuffed, Delis could not help but complain—this fellow’s strength defied logic. Yet her changes in tactics were quick. She slashed beneath the black curtain, drawing out a boomerang and flinging it at Ye Ran.

With a “clang,” Ye Ran’s short knife deflected the white boomerang. His posture remained steady. Delis weaved beneath the curtain twice, now wielding a short sword in one hand and a blade in the other. On her third rapid assault, combined with the boomerang’s relentless attacks, the clashing of steel echoed as she pressed Ye Ran back step by step.

Knowing rapid offense was her forte, Ye Ran crossed his short knife horizontally, forcefully breaking through her blade and sword. Delis smiled slyly and slipped behind Ye Ran.

“Bang.”

Before Ye Ran could turn, the black curtain ahead suddenly exploded with a roar, white mist billowing as countless dark weapons scattered like a swarm of locusts.

“Whizz, whizz, whizz.”

This time the attack was indiscriminate; Ye Ran, Geraldon, and Robin were all within range. Ye Ran was the first to face the dense rain of projectiles.

“So this is your ultimate move?”

With the dark weapons advancing and Delis’s blades close behind, Ye Ran stood firm, lifting his right foot and stomping the ground with a thunderous crash.

“Bang.”

The stomp infused his energy into the swamp beneath. A deafening explosion followed as a massive surge of mud and water shot upward. Delis groaned, thrown backward by the overwhelming force. Beneath the mud’s cover, only a few of the dense dark weapons managed to penetrate, all of which Ye Ran deflected with his short knife.

The mud splashed two meters high before settling. Ye Ran turned to see Delis sprawled, covered in mud, her expression sullen.

Since entering the cursed land of Ibo, this was the first time she had suffered such a complete defeat. No matter her cunning, she found no opening against his overwhelming power.

“Hmph, what are you staring at? Losing is losing,” the girl snorted, standing and retracting the black curtain. Her blades and the boomerang vanished like a magic trick into the white mist.

Ye Ran asked, “Do you know the Owl, the Man-Eating Rat, and the Tyrant Rabbit?”

Delis blinked. “Why should I tell you?”

Ye Ran shrugged and turned toward Geraldon.

“Hey, I know them. The Owl is my subordinate. And I know your name—you’re Ye Ran, right?” Delis called out.

“Your subordinate...” Ye Ran mused thoughtfully. “Then we will meet again.”

He bent down to pick up a ring.

Robin’s feathered arrows and Geraldon’s sword tip simultaneously aimed at him. Clearly, obtaining the ring now meant facing two enemies at once.

Ye Ran smiled, beckoning with a hand. “Come on, both of you.”

Robin and Geraldon exchanged a glance, each seeing the other’s fury. The man before them appeared calm as still water, yet his gesture brimmed with provocation.

Geraldon was especially incensed. He was used to taking on multiple foes alone—when had he ever been so underestimated? Without a word, he dragged his fingers along his sword blade, summoning a water dragon that charged fiercely at Ye Ran.

Robin’s arrows flew in rapid succession, each shot accompanied by a howling gale. Ye Ran caught the first arrow with a sword, feeling the searing heat in his palm.

“Bang.”

Ye Ran punched and shattered the incoming water dragon. He caught the second arrow, then the third, then the fourth. By the time he caught the fifth, blood began to seep from his palm.

Gripping the five feathered arrows in two hands, he easily snapped them in half, then continued breaking them into quarters with a series of sharp snaps. Spreading his hands, twenty broken arrow fragments floated before him, suspended by his energy.

Looking at Robin, Ye Ran asked, “Do you still have a chance to win?”

Robin’s forehead was slick with fine beads of sweat. Although a master archer of the elven race, he had no stamina advantage over Ye Ran or Geraldon. The recent skirmish had drained much of his strength.

What demoralized him further was this cold, stern youth’s immense strength, exquisite martial skill, and lightning speed. For a moment, it seemed Delis’s rapid attacks had pressured him, but in truth, Ye Ran’s every move was far more precise.

Such a person was the bane of every archer.

“No.”

After a long standoff, Robin finally admitted defeat. He exhaled, sheathed his arrows, and without another glance at the chaotic battlefield, leapt away, vanishing into the underbrush after several bounds.

At last, the melee had thinned to three: Ye Ran, Geraldon, and Delis remained in the swamp.

Delis gathered a pile of branches from the nearby bushes, stacking them half a meter high, then sat atop the makeshift seat, watching Ye Ran and Geraldon. From behind her back, like a magician, she produced a bag of potato chips.

Ye Ran and Geraldon each glanced back at her, their expressions as if looking at a fool. Geraldon sighed, shrugged, formed hand seals, and approached Ye Ran.