The Dao Market resembled a sea of blood. Two terrifying forces erupted into battle, churning crimson waves akin to a relentless storm. It was an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight.

The two clashed ferociously, and the surroundings trembled with each thunderous blow.

After what seemed like an eternity of battle, a burst of fist energy shattered the blood sea, sending waves soaring into the sky.

Ye Guan and Old Zhao reappeared in the skies, ready for more.

Ye Guan stood tall, surrounded by the pulsing energy of his bloodline and a sharp sword intent.

Across from him, Old Zhao's gaze burned fiercely. The phantom behind him emitted a malevolent aura that shook even spacetime itself.

Old Zhao's expression darkened. He couldn't have expected that Ye Guan's bloodline would be so strong—strong enough to challenge even the might of his divine phantom.

Old Zhao started regretting what he had done. The fact that Ye Guan was so talented meant that a superpower was backing him.

However, with no retreat in sight, Old Zhao could only steel himself for the battle. He had to eliminate Ye Guan once and for all.

Old Zhao's gaze was unwittingly transfixed on Ye Guan. With a will on his end, the phantom roared to life, launching a furious punch toward Ye Guan.

Boom!

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, echoing like thunder across the battlefield. Undeterred, Ye Guan met the attack head-on. He thrust his sword forward in a resolute manner using Space Overlap.

Kaboom!

Their clash unleashed a wave of energy that rippled outward with devastating force. Thankfully, the supreme elites in the area managed to take advantage of the ancient seals protecting the Dao Market to keep the shockwaves in check.

Witnessing Ye Guan's resilience, Old Zhao's desperation grew. He waved his hand and sent a drop of his blood essence into the phantom.

Bom!

The phantom surged with newfound strength.

"Be careful; that was a blood sacrifice," Shen Ye warned, "It is an ancient technique that uses one's own blood as a sacrificial piece for the divine phantom. While it can greatly increase the strength of the phantom, it takes a huge toll on the user. He is going to fight to the death with you."

Ye Guan's eyes slowly closed, and his mind ignored Shen Ye's voice. He was gradually succumbing to madness. Having absorbed waves of killing intent, the Mad Demon Bloodline reached another level, and it was becoming even stronger as time ticked by, pushing Ye Guan closer to madness.

In the shadows, Qi Mu and others watched the two combatants with unprecedentedly solemn looks. Their concern deepened further as they realized that Ye Guan had yet to summon his backers. They knew well that many prominent families would leave talents out to fend and train by themselves, but such individuals were typically accompanied by guardians. Qi Mu had just scanned the area with his divine senses, but he found no one else lurking in the shadows.

Is Ye Guan really an abandoned talent?

Qi Mu's brow furrowed deeply.

Meanwhile, in the Dao Market, the phantom behind Old Zhao emitted a faint crimson glow. The phantom had become even stronger, but Old Zhao's face grew a shade paler as if he had aged considerably in the blink of an eye.

With his eyes half-closed, Ye Guan gripped his blood-stained sword in silence. He resembled a monk in deep meditation.

The battlefield was plunged into an eerie calm—a rare tranquility amidst chaos.

However, it didn't last long.

The phantom behind Old Zhao took a step forward, and the Dao Market trembled violently as it charged straight at Ye Guan with a bunch.

Kaboom!

A colossal fist light erupted, sundering the skies.

The fist light contained an unprecedented might that sent shockwaves rippling through the entire Dao Market.

Qi Mu clenched his fists tightly as he watched the scene unfold from the shadows. He knew the climax of the battle was imminent, as both sides had unleashed their ultimate moves.

Ye Guan opened his eyes slowly in the face of the oncoming fist. His eyes seemed to reflect a crimson sea of blood.

Against the formidable punch, Ye Guan opted for a head-on confrontation.

He thrust his sword forward without any embellishments whatsoever. Bloodline power surged from his sword, and it was a power containing both his Mad Demon Bloodline and Mortal Bloodline.

BOOM!

The phantom’s fist froze in place, and cracks spread rapidly along its right arm. The radiant fist light had dissipated into nothingness.

Old Zhao was in disbelief. "How...how is this possible? Two bloodline powers...?"

He couldn't quite comprehend that the young man before him had not one but two terrifying bloodlines.

This was simply absurd!

Qi Mu was taken aback, too. The coexistence of two bloodline powers hinted at a lineage far more remarkable than he had ever imagined.

Ye Guan had not one but two incredible top-tier supreme elites. The rest of the Qi Clan members were stunned as well.

After the powerful strike, Ye Guan’s figure blurred, and he transformed into a towering pillar of blood light that descended upon the shattered phantom

Old Zhao, refusing to concede defeat, urged the phantom to retaliate. Upon contact with Ye Guan's sword, however, the phantom crumbled.

Blood burst out of Old Zhao's lips; he suffered a backlash at the destruction of his phantom.

Old Zhao cried out urgently, "Qi Mu, seize this opportunity. He's at his weakest!"

However, Qi Mu remained unmoved. Qi Mu stared deeply at Ye Guan in the distance without saying anything.

Although Ye Guan had suffered injuries, he didn't look like he was at his weakest at all!

Is Old Zhao trying to deceive me?

Qi Mu silently pondered.

Old Zhao became anxious at Qi Mu's silence, and he hurriedly shouted, "Qi Mu, attack him now! You can have seventy percent of his Ancestral Veins! The Dao Markey will only take thirty…”

Casting a stern gaze toward Old Zhao, Qi Mu shouted, "Old Zhao, you better keep your mouth restrained! My Qi Clan's investigation has revealed that the fault lies solely on you.”

Qi Mu nodded respectfully toward Ye Guan and said, "Young Master Ye, on behalf of my clan, I deeply apologize for the disrespect we've shown to you. I hope you'll forgive our younger generation for their ignorance."

"Qi Mu!" Old Zhao roared, "You despicable bastard! Do you think that by stepping back now, he'll spare your Qi Clan? This man is a monstrous talent. Once he grows, your Qi Clan will be nothing but lambs to the slaughter in his presence. By then, it'll be too late for regrets—"

"Stop the nonsense," Ye Guan interrupted, "The Qi Clan merely had a misunderstanding with me. The misunderstanding has already been cleared up, so there is no need for revenge.”

Hearing Ye Guan's words, Qi Mu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly responded, "Young Master Ye, you truly are more mature than your age..."

"Shall we join forces to destroy this Dao Market?" Ye Guan proposed.

Qi Mu was taken aback.

Join forces? What?

Ye Guan added, "What do you think about joining forces to destroy this Dao Market?"

Qi Mu glanced at Ye Guan and chuckled awkwardly. "Young Master Ye, surely, you jest, right? But... I can't make that huge of a decision by myself. I must report back to the clan leader first..."

Qi Mu didn't outright refuse, afraid of angering Ye Guan.

Ye Guan didn't insist on the matter. Instead, he turned to Old Zhao in the distance and said, "You can leave."

With that, Ye Guan turned around and walked away.

Both Old Zhao and Qi Mu were dumbfounded.

What's going on? Is he not going to fight anymore?

Realizing that Ye Guan was serious, Qi Mu hurriedly exclaimed, "Young Master Ye!"

Ye Guan turned back to face Qi Mu.

Qi Mu hesitated slightly before saying, "You must resolve the problem at its roots...”

Old Zhao glared at Qi Mu with a grim expression.

This bastard actually wants to use that young swordsman to kill me.

Old Zhao no longer resented Ye Guan.

After all, it wasn't strange that Ye Guan and him were enemies.

However, Qi Mu's actions were simply despicable. Old Zhao swore to avenge himself one day if he ended up surviving today's ordeal.

He knew Ye Guan had spared him for that reason, but he couldn't care less. He just wanted to kill Qi Mu to die and destroy the Qi Clan.

At Qi Mu's words, Ye Guan furrowed his brows. "Resolve the problem at its roots?"

"Yes, yes, Master Ye," Qi Mu said, nodding hastily. "If you don't eradicate the problem completely at its roots, it will resurface later. So... please do not hesitate and address the issue at its roots!"

However, Ye Guan shook his head and said, "My father and grandfather taught me that mercy is imperative when possible. Spare others when you can, and leave a path for reconciliation. Following their teachings, I'm... not going to kill him."