Chapter 168: A One-Man Performance

Sui Yi appeared beside Ina in the blink of an eye, grabbing the sharp horn on the head of the armored winged beast at the critical moment and forcefully stopping it in its tracks!

"You..." Ina stared at Sui Yi in a daze, finding it hard to believe what was happening right before her eyes. To suppress a Tier 2 magical beast with just one hand?! And he was a teenager not even twenty years old?! Yet the reality unfolding before her left no room for denial. She never imagined that the young man she had continuously looked down upon possessed such strength, and what was more, he had just saved her life!

"Just call me Sui Yi." Sui Yi kept a firm grip on the armored winged beast's horn while speaking.

"Little brother... er... Sui Yi, thank you so much for your help..." Shiyan snapped out of his shock and hurried over, supporting Ina, whose legs had gone slightly weak. He then offered a wry smile and said, "Actually, back in Changling City when you saw through our strength at a single glance, I figured you were extraordinary... But it seems I still underestimated you..."

An equally astonished and shocked expression appeared on Yao Fei's face. She had not sensed any battle-qi aura from Sui Yi, leading her to believe he was merely an ordinary person. But looking at the situation now, he must have concealed his cultivation. She had experienced firsthand just how powerful this armored winged beast was! For a teenage boy named Sui Yi to subdue the beast so effortlessly—something like this was probably beyond the capabilities of even average sixteen or seventeen-starred battle-qi cultivators.

"Could it be that because his cultivation is extremely high, no battle-qi aura could be sensed from him?" Though deep down she still found it hard to believe there could be such a young powerhouse, Yao Fei's gaze finally lingered longer on Sui Yi, evidently harboring a trace of interest in a peer whose strength and talent surpassed her own.

"I actually misjudged him!" Of the four, the most displeased was undoubtedly Yanyan. While also somewhat startled by Sui Yi's strength, he came from the Yan family and was no stranger to powerhouses; it was just that after he had struggled so bitterly for so long, Sui Yi had come along and completely stolen the thunder. Although the current situation remained unclear, the gloomy-faced Yanyan was already plotting how to deal with Sui Yi. Accustomed to being arrogant and domineering, how could he let Sui Yi off so easily?! Regardless of whether this person possessed some strength, what did that amount to in the face of the Yan family and the Imperial Pole Gate standing behind them?

*Hehe, since you stepped in, you can deal with this magical beast all by yourself... Even for you, it won't necessarily be an easy task...* Yanyan sneered inwardly as he looked at Sui Yi. In his view, a ferocious armored winged beast by nature would never willingly submit to being controlled like this!

Sure enough, seemingly feeling deeply humiliated, the armored winged beast let out a sudden, angry roar and violently whipped its body around, forcibly lifting its head! With this abrupt turn of events, the others instantly tightened their grips on their weapons and raised their guard!

"Watch out!" Seeing the armored winged beast break free from Sui Yi's control, Ina felt a tight constriction in her chest and, for some reason, blurted out a warning. Only after she came to her senses did her face flush red, as she herself could not fathom why she would suddenly worry about this fellow...

Somewhat surprised by Ina's warning, Sui Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, though he felt no real concern. While this creature possessed a certain degree of strength, it was far inferior to his own. He pressed down firmly on the horn with his hand once again!

A formidable burst of explosive power erupted instantly. With a deafening crash and amid a billowing cloud of dust and debris, the greater part of the armored winged beast's head was forcibly driven straight into the ground!

"Good heavens!" All four of them stared wide-eyed at the scene, having never witnessed anyone fighting an armored winged beast in such a manner. It was simply too brutal! Yet before they could recover their wits, the armored winged beast roared in fury and lifted its head once more!

Sui Yi immediately pressed down again, slamming the beast's head back into the earth with another booming crash. This time, almost its entire head was buried underground!

"Awooo—!"

"Boom—"

"Awooo—!"

"Boom—"

"..." Watching the man and the beast repeat the exact same motion back and forth, the four were utterly speechless. The monster that the four of them combined could not handle was reduced to nothing more than a punching bag in Sui Yi's hands! This was simply too outrageous...

With the final deafening impact, the armored winged beast's head was driven deep into the earth and finally fell completely still, with only crimson blood slowly seeping out from the ground and trickling away.

Exhaling a breath, Sui Yi stood up and dusted off his hands. He was somewhat surprised by the hardness of the armored winged beast's skull—or perhaps one could say its tenacious vitality, as it seemed to retain the strength to fight back as long as its head wasn't completely smashed to pieces.

He nudged the beast's body with his foot to confirm it was thoroughly dead, then turned around to look at the four individuals, who still wore dazed expressions. Shrugging, he said, "It's out of breath."

The shocked group nodded blankly and unconsciously. Looking at Sui Yi's relaxed demeanor, this could no longer be called a battle; it was simply a one-sided personal performance. That being the case, just how vast was Sui Yi's true strength?

Due to their status and backgrounds, Yanyan and Yao Fei were not overly intimidated by Sui Yi, especially since their families boasted numerous powerhouses far more formidable than him. However, the immense growth potential Sui Yi displayed at this moment filled them with secret alarm. In Yunzhou City, they were considered individuals of extraordinary talent, yet standing before Sui Yi, they were utterly eclipsed! Moreover, there remained a crucial issue: from the very beginning until now, none of them had detected even a shred of battle-qi aura from Sui Yi!

"Big Brother Shiyan, are you alright?" Sui Yi smiled, glanced briefly at Ina, and then turned to Shiyan.

"Hehe, as for calling me 'Big Brother'... I really don't dare to accept such a title anymore... Brother Sui Yi, now that this armored winged beast is dead, it's best to stay a bit further away from it..." Shiyan glanced at the beast's corpse, speaking with lingering apprehension.

"Hmph, Sui Yi, since you're so... amazing, why didn't you make a move earlier?" Before Sui Yi could fully comprehend the meaning behind Shiyan's words, Ina glared at him and spoke up.

"Well... Miss Ina wasn't in any danger just yet, was she..." Pausing slightly, Sui Yi replied.

There was a casual tone to Sui Yi's words, yet upon hearing them, Ina's face flushed slightly, and she felt too embarrassed to speak further. Such a reaction appearing on this wild beauty was a truly rare sight, prompting even Shiyan beside her to cast an odd look in Sui Yi's direction.

Observing the shift in Ina's attitude before and after, Yanyan felt a surge of intense displeasure in his heart, along with a latent murderous intent toward Sui Yi! In Yunzhou City, anyone who dared to cross him or displease him invariably met a bloody end!

Yanyan's brow twitched slightly as his gaze shifted to the magical beast's corpse nearby. A cold, sinister smile crossed his mind, and he spoke up, "Sui Yi, seeing as your physical strength is so remarkable, I wonder if you could lift this armored winged beast?"

"Oh?" Though unsure why Yanyan would ask such a question, Sui Yi felt a tinge of curiosity and reached out to place his hand on the carcass of the armored winged beast. It certainly looked quite heavy, but given his own physical prowess, it shouldn't pose any problem, right?

Upon hearing this, Yao Fei's expression shifted drastically, while Ina and Shiyan hurriedly changed color and shouted in alarm, "Don't!"

However, their warnings came a fraction too late. Sui Yi's right hand had already made contact with the magical beast's corpse. The moment he touched the scales on the carcass, a strange sensation washed over him. The scales, which should have been completely dry, had turned strangely damp. Sensing something was amiss, Sui Yi immediately withdrew his hand, only to discover that his fingers were stained with some sort of black substance...

*It's not just some black stain... it's poison!* Inspecting his internal condition to grasp the essence of the matter, Sui Yi felt a flicker of surprise. In the mere span of this moment, his entire right hand had turned pitch black!

Upon witnessing the condition of Sui Yi's right hand, the color drained completely from Ina's face, leaving her dead white!

"Haha! I'm truly sorry, Sui Yi, I forgot to mention this to you. The armored winged beast has one terrifying trait: upon death, it secretes a highly toxic substance. Even ordinary Douluo-realm powerhouses will find themselves in quite a bit of trouble if they come into contact with this virulent poison!" Yanyan spoke with an expression of feigned remorse and self-blame, though his eyes and tone clearly betrayed gloating satisfaction and malicious glee.

No matter how formidable Sui Yi might be, it was impossible for him to withstand a poison capable of intimidating even Douluo-realm powerhouses!

Frowning slightly as he glanced at Yanyan, a thought flickered through Sui Yi's mind. As the Blood of Heaven and Earth circulated within him, a cool sensation surged into his right hand, whereupon the dark qi gradually dissipated under the shocked gazes of everyone present!

The smile on Yanyan's face instantly froze. He stared in disbelief at Sui Yi's completely unharmed right hand. *Did my eyes play tricks on me? Such a terrifying poison was neutralized just like that?! Just what kind of person is this Sui Yi?!* A heavy, gloomy weight settled deep within Yanyan's heart!

In contrast, Yao Fei gazed at Sui Yi with an unusual expression. This young man brought her surprises again and again. Though she deliberately suppressed it, he had already sparked her interest and curiosity...

"Although this poison isn't weak, it pales significantly compared to the toxic gas inside that cavern..." Ignoring the expression on Yanyan's face, Sui Yi shook his right hand and walked over to where Shiyan and Ina stood.

"Sui Yi, you've truly opened our eyes once again..." Shiyan clicked his tongue in wonder, staring at Sui Yi's right hand in marvel. Beside him, Ina kept her captivating eyes fixed on Sui Yi, a brilliant splendor shining within them as she lost herself in thought.

"By the way, Big Brother Shiyan, how did you all end up coming to this place?" Sui Yi chose not to dwell on the matter and instead changed the subject.