Chapter 35: Thunder in the Palm!

"Ye Tian, you killed my men and stole my woman."
"Today, you must die!"
Xu Manjin showed no intention of reasoning. A fierce bandit stepped forward, handing him a massive saber.
"Go!"
As soon as he spoke, his figure blurred, vanishing from sight!
At the same time, countless bandits surged into the encirclement, rushing toward Ye Tian in unison!
"It seems they plan to use this encirclement and a rotating assault to wear us down until we're dead," Gu Qingcheng, who had faced countless dangers, couldn't help but pale.
These three thousand bandits were not ordinary fighters; even the weakest were trained martial artists—each one a master in their own right.
Surrounded by three thousand such fighters, all shouting to annihilate them, only a hero like Tang Zhen Guo could remain unfazed.
"Don't panic, I'm here."
Ye Tian smiled calmly, stepped back, and pulled Gu Qingcheng into his arms. With a single motion, he drew his saber and performed a dazzling circular dance around himself!
Crack!
The blade sliced through flesh and splintered bone, a chilling sound echoing in unison. Within five meters, over a dozen bandits were cleaved in two, their organs spilling across the ground. Instantly, the air was thick with the scent of blood.
Ye Tian's expression remained unchanged as he flicked the saber in his hand.
"If you wish for death, step forward!"
His words rippled outward, and within a hundred meters, the bandits’ faces changed drastically. Some dropped to their knees outright.
Sheer terror!
"What sort of man is the boss trying to kill? Just looking at him makes me want to run!" one bandit shouted, trembling and dropping his weapon.
"His blade is too fast. He killed over a dozen brothers with a single swing."
"If this goes on, even if we kill him, we'll suffer heavy losses!"
The bandits were so frightened by his aura that none dared approach.
At that moment, Xu Manjin, who had concealed himself moments ago, reappeared. Even the night couldn't hide the gash in his suit at his abdomen, with blood seeping through.
His sneak attack had failed.
Xu Manjin's face was grim, though he forced a casual tone as he shouted,
"Why are you afraid? His cultivation is similar to mine. We'll attack together, and when he's overwhelmed, I'll cut off his head myself!"
Tonight, he would not leave without killing Ye Tian.
This man had brazenly stolen from him on his own turf, killed dozens of his men, and escaped unharmed!
How could the underground emperor endure such humiliation?
If he failed to take Ye Tian tonight, his reputation would be ruined, and the death arena would be deserted.
Without financial support, the three thousand bandits would eventually disperse.
Victory was the only option!
"Oh, so there's nothing to discuss?" Ye Tian smiled lightly, setting Gu Qingcheng aside.
"Ye Tian, you've killed dozens of my men. Do you still dream of peace? Ridiculous!" Xu Manjin laughed in fury.
He hadn't expected Ye Tian to remain so composed even now.
Laughable!
Blind to the grave, deaf to the warning!
"Very well, that's your decision."
Seeing there was no hope for negotiation, Ye Tian sighed and handed his saber to Gu Qingcheng.
With an enigmatic gesture, Ye Tian began to chant,
"Mother of Lightning, Lord of Thunder, descend swiftly, grant me power to dispel pain..."
"Not good, he's summoning thunder again!"
The bandits who had witnessed Ye Tian's powers before panicked.
The sight of Ye Tian summoning thunder from the sky that night was still etched in their minds.
Such divine might was terrifying!
Tonight, seeing him chant and gesture again, the bandits hesitated.
"Boss, run! This guy can summon thunder!"
They shouted in fear, scattering rapidly and opening a huge gap in the encirclement.
"Fools!"
Xu Manjin cursed furiously.
"You idiots! He's only at the Mount Tai realm—how could he possibly unleash thunder to kill?
I've told you, what he did that night was just a trick to scare us!"
These blockheads forgot his warning as soon as they heard it.
The underground emperor was almost driven mad by his own men.
"Right, didn't the boss say this guy only pretends to be powerful?"
With these words, the bandits regained some composure and stopped fleeing, though none approached.
Xu Manjin glared at his worthless men, cursing inwardly but powerless.
There was no choice. The threat of heavenly thunder was real. If he didn't expose Ye Tian's trick himself, none of his men would dare fight alongside him.
"Watch closely! See if this so-called thunder harms me at all!" Xu Manjin took a deep breath, dragging his saber as he charged forward.
Just then, Ye Tian finished his incantation.
"Kill!"
Ye Tian shouted, and everyone looked up at the sky.
Yet after a moment, the night remained calm and clear—nothing happened.
"Hahaha, I told you it was all bluff!"
Xu Manjin grinned wickedly and, in an instant, was before Ye Tian, his saber slashing down.
Rip!
The next second!
Blinding electric serpents exploded before his eyes, replaced by intense paralysis and agonizing pain throughout his body!
Hiss!
The crowd gasped.
In their eyes, countless bolts of lightning twisted from Ye Tian's palm, growing larger, illuminating the space ahead like a celestial net.
Xu Manjin, who had charged at Ye Tian, was enveloped by these writhing electric serpents!
The three thousand bandits heard a single scream, followed by several seconds of terrifying flashes.
When darkness returned, Xu Manjin lay on the ground, the acrid smell of charred flesh slowly spreading through the air.
It seemed the former underground emperor was now nothing but roasted meat.
Dead beyond hope.
At that moment, a single thought rose in the minds of the three thousand bandits.
Was this the illusion you spoke of?
"I like your stubbornness—it makes you perfect for setting an example," Ye Tian patted his hands, then formed another gesture to unleash thunder, shouting at the crowd,
"Who else wishes to try their luck?"
His words threw the three thousand bandits into panic; their once orderly ranks dissolved into chaos.
They were terrified.
But who could blame them?
A man who could summon heavenly thunder from his hands—was he even human?!