Chapter 261: Sparring

“Actually, I don’t know how to fight.”

Ye Qingfeng shrugged, then smiled expectantly and beckoned with his finger toward Leikain.

“Wanna try?”

So this gentleman wants to spar?

“Delighted!”

Leikain bowed gracefully.

He found no reason to refuse: emotionally, he couldn’t watch Ye Qingfeng walk to his death; rationally, he’d been seeking just such an opportunity.

Someone who can catch Ai Lian’s blade bare-handed must be at least Level Four?

If true—this is monumental!

Level Four and Level Three are the difference between elite and boss, the dividing line among elites—in short, ordinary people reach Level Three.

That’s already a rare existence.

Ye Qingfeng gripped his neck, tilted his head, and heard a series of cracks as he silently activated bullet time.

He didn’t rush to attack; instead, he began to think.

Strength earns respect, but not too much—Ether manipulation clearly couldn’t be used.

How frustrating—!

Feeling restrained is awful; this is the one time I really need a weapon.

Under bullet time, Ye Qingfeng struck with lethal precision, yet still gave face—he couldn’t let too many people see him humiliate Leikain.

So first, exchange a few blows, then seize the opening for a decisive strike.

Show enough strength without making Leikain lose face.

Hmm. That’s how it’ll be done.

“You strike first,” said Leikain.

“Alright.”

Ye Qingfeng responded, lunging forward with a swift, straight punch aimed at Leikain’s face.

So fast! Almost as fast as a physical augmentation.

Leikain barely tilted his head to dodge, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead; he immediately launched a powerful spinning kick, his foot device activating instantly, tracing a graceful arc in the air as the surrounding temperature dropped several degrees.

His near-maximum kick, fast enough to tear the air, was effortlessly sidestepped by Ye Qingfeng.

He looked at Leikain’s foot device with faint excitement.

So cool~! I want one!

Unlike Ye Qingfeng’s brightening eyes, Leikain’s gaze held a flicker of surprise.

Leikain’s Ether device granted him powerful propulsion and could convert Ether into ice elements.

Combined with the Luanxi’s innate advantages, he could even escape from a Void Hunter-level opponent—if he didn’t escape, he’d likely be Yidaomiaole ...

He’d guessed he might dodge—but seeing it happen still shocked him.

Leikain stopped thinking and launched a relentless barrage of attacks, yet Ye Qingfeng slipped left and right like an eel.

He took a deep breath and silently accelerated his pace; each strike was swift and powerful—a Level Two Yihai hit by one would barely draw breath.

Ye Qingfeng dodged with calm ease, even feeling a hint of boredom.

Since gaining bullet time and Ether manipulation, all his opponents were low-level Yihai—he never needed to fight himself, just pull out his gun and fire a peanut bullet, ending battles effortlessly.

He felt zero combat pleasure—this wasn’t even combat.

It was like when he sparred with Anbi in the park back then—he was barely Level Two, and she, relying on brute strength and a touch of technique, made him struggle (and get beaten) for one or two minutes.

That’s what happens when combat power skips a level—the fight is like an adult beating a child, the outcome never in doubt.

At this moment, Ye Qingfeng truly felt how strong he was.

Round it off—he could take on a thousand Nicos without trouble.

The clash of blows continued, quickly drawing attention; Lina, Ai Lian, and Kelin all gathered nearby, confused, staring blankly at the central figure—Ling.

“S-s-s-s—Master Jiang, why are Mr. Leikain and Lord Ye Qingfeng fighting?! Do you need my help? Kelin will do her best!”

Kelin looked anxious, asking first.

Ling blinked slightly—normally timid Kelin had spoken up first? Clearly, she cared deeply about Ye Qingfeng and Leikain.

“That’s right, Master Jiang, what’s going on?” Lina followed up.

Ai Lian had none of their patience; she lifted her shears—taller than herself—and charged forward aggressively.

Ling saw the danger and quickly blocked her path, explaining the whole situation in rapid fire.

The three listened while keeping their eyes locked on Ye Qingfeng and Leikain; Ai Lian gripped her weapon tightly, ready to intervene at the first sign of trouble.

Ye Qingfeng noticed the spectators near Leikain and thought: constantly dodging won’t do—others might misunderstand him, think he’s just playing with a dog.

But he really had no choice!

Which man doesn’t love the sound of clashing blades? The problem is Leikain uses his legs, and he has no weapon.

Who spars by pulling out a gun?

Forget it… end this quickly. This spot isn’t far from the Hollow—he should be able to manipulate some Ether energy, just enough to wrap his limbs.

Besides… there’s no need to hide his strength anymore.

If he had no intention of revenge or other ulterior motives, and simply wanted a better life, joining the openly righteous side was the wisest choice.

He didn’t believe all the high-ups were monsters—even if they were, with his power, he could at least protect himself without issue.

If he could choose, he’d prefer to become Zhu Yuan and Qingyi’s direct superior—or at least a nominal one—ideally one where he could just lie back and collect pay.

Assuming Leikain recognized it, Ether manipulation was still too conspicuous; drawing in Ether energy for personal use might be a better way to end this.

Ye Qingfeng exhaled, and a faint purple glow appeared around his limbs; he shifted from defense to offense, prioritizing evasion but still forcing Leikain into retreat.

Leikain gasped, his rhythm shattered by Ye Qingfeng’s sudden assault; he barely raised his arms to block.

He knew full well the true purpose of this sparring: winning or losing was least important—he wanted to observe Ye Qingfeng’s real strength and that same purple energy from before.

At such close range, Leikain couldn’t miss it—even if the concentration was low, it was undeniably real Ether energy!

How is this possible? Unbelievable!

Leikain’s inner astonishment was immense, but his expression remained unchanged—on the surface, nothing seemed amiss. Too bad Ye Qingfeng had a cheat: he simply opened Leikain’s panel to check.

In the emotion section, several new words appeared, all variants of “astonished.”

Ye Qingfeng knew his plan had succeeded—among Victoria’s household, everyone except Leikain now had a close bond with him.

In other words, Leikain had to either pretend ignorance or join his ship.

Even if he went ten thousand steps back, after this period of observation, Leikain clearly belonged to the righteous or neutral side—if his brain wasn’t broken, he’d never pass up a powerful ally.

Moreover, so far, the system’s identified targets had never included any villains.

The plan was complete. Ye Qingfeng no longer needed to prolong the fight—he swung a powerful punch, knocking Leikain back and withdrawing his assault.

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Hungry~~ Food~~ (｀Δ′)!