Ian Song swept his gaze over Evelyn Nangong and the other two, asking, "Why are you here?"
"Master, Kyle 'Madman' Lee from the Lee Family has come to the Nangong estate. He ordered us to bring you back!" Evelyn Nangong said worriedly. Although she knew Ian had some extraordinary abilities, Madman Lee was a peak Innate Fourth Layer powerhouse who had even killed an Innate Fifth Layer expert. In her eyes, even if the four of them joined forces, they might not be his match.
After all, the martial arts and cultivation arts Madman Lee practiced were far superior to theirs.
The stronger the cultivation art, the more powerful and pure the true essence it produces; the higher the grade of the martial technique, the greater the destructive force it can unleash.
Hearing Madman Lee's name, Ian's eyes narrowed slightly. "Didn't expect him to arrive so fast. In that case, I'll go with you and see what this Killing Star is made of!"
Edward Nangong tried to persuade him, "Master, maybe you should reconsider! Madman Lee is, after all..."
Ian waved his hand. "Relax, your Master isn't as weak as you think! Let's go!"
Seeing Ian insist, the three Nangong experts didn't try to persuade him further and all went together by car to the Nangong estate.
On the way, Ian instructed the three not to make a move, so as not to reveal their true relationship. Right now, he's still weak; if the secret of Puppet Mastery Divine Art leaks out, even the Zhao Family might not be able to protect him. After all, an ability that can enslave others is just too heaven-defying and terrifying.
With the three Nangong experts 'escorting' him, Ian arrived in the Nangong estate's reception hall.
"You're Ian Song?"
Kyle 'Madman' Lee grinned, revealing two rows of sharp white teeth.
"And you're Madman Lee!" Ian replied, completely unafraid, meeting his gaze head-on.
"I hear you're a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy?" Madman Lee said playfully. As he spoke, a vicious, beast-like killing aura erupted from his body and surged straight at Ian, enveloping him completely.
Instantly, Ian felt an icy chill all over, as if he'd fallen into a frozen cellar; his muscles stiffened up.
At that moment, the true essence in his dantian suddenly erupted, circulating through his body in an instant. His body quickly returned to normal, and when he looked at Madman Lee again, his gaze was much more serious—this guy was even stronger than he'd expected.
Seeing Ian recover so quickly, Madman Lee was surprised. The kid could actually break free from his aura's pressure. That aura was honed through countless kills—anyone with a weaker mind would have their spirit crushed and collapse on the spot.
For a moment, a murderous intent welled up in his heart.
Among the younger generation, Madman Lee dared to claim second place—nobody would dare claim first. Yet this kid was only seventeen and already at Innate Second Layer. His talent was so monstrous it made even him jealous. If he hadn't obtained that demonic art, he probably would've only reached Innate Second Layer himself by now.
If this kid keeps growing, he'll definitely become my fiercest rival. No way—today, no matter what, I'm going to destroy him.
Thinking of this, a cruel smile appeared on Madman Lee's face. He stared at Ian Song with a look that seemed to look down on the whole world and said, "Ian Song, I'll give you a chance to live. Kneel down and kowtow to me three times, and I might spare your life!"
Martial artists have strong wills. They might endure humiliation or torture, but they absolutely cannot surrender without a fight.
If your heart grows weak or you become afraid of death, you'll never reach the peak or become a true powerhouse in this life.
A playful smile appeared at the corner of Ian's mouth. "Madman Lee, don't you think you're being a little too arrogant?"
"Ha!"
Madman Lee laughed wildly, his eyes full of contempt as he stared at Ian. "Arrogant? That's just who I am! What can you do about it? Sure, you're a genius, but right now you're weak. Killing you would be easier than squashing an ant! Over the years, I've killed at least eight hundred, maybe a thousand people—one more doesn't make a difference!"
"Anyone can talk big!" Ian shook his head, looking at Madman Lee with eyes that seemed to see right through him. "You don't dare kill me, do you? Because the Lee Family can't afford to go to war with the Zhao Family. All you really want is to humiliate me, break my spirit, and crush my will to improve!"
Bang!
Madman Lee slammed his palm on the solid wood table, instantly shattering it into pieces. His gaze turned vicious and cruel, like a beast ready to devour its prey, as he glared at Ian. "You really think I don't dare kill you?"
"See? You're furious now!" Ian laughed. "But let's be real—can you even kill me? And if you really wanted to, why bother with all this talk? Am I right?"
Ian's mind was razor-sharp. The moment he saw Madman Lee, he analyzed the whole situation based on the positions of the Lee and Zhao Families and Madman Lee's attitude.
Having his intentions exposed, Madman Lee became furious. Suddenly, he pointed at Evelyn Nangong and barked, "Go break this kid's leg!"
Evelyn Nangong's face changed drastically, and Nathan Nangong's expression also shifted. "Young Master Lee, that's not a good idea!"
"Madman Lee, you're even more pathetic than I thought!" Ian stepped forward, his voice full of mockery. "If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one!"
"What?"
Madman Lee couldn't believe his ears—Ian actually dared challenge him! But then he was overjoyed.
If he attacked Ian for no reason, the Zhao Family might use it against him. But now, since Ian was the one to issue the challenge, he didn't have to worry. As long as he didn't kill Ian, the Zhao Family couldn't do anything to him!
"If you want to walk the road to hell, that's your choice! Kid, let me ask you—are you really challenging me?" As he spoke, Madman Lee suddenly stood up, his nearly two-meter height giving everyone in the room a crushing sense of pressure.
"Cut the crap. Let's see what you've got!" Ian said coldly.
"Fine! I'll grant your wish!" Madman Lee narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "Don't say I'm bullying you—go ahead, you attack first!"
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Ian unleashed the Ninefold Dragon Step to its limit, darting across the hall like a phantom. In an instant, he appeared in front of Madman Lee, chaining together the first three forms of Raging Tidal Surge.
Boom!
Waves surged and thundered, and a powerful pulling force appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Madman Lee. At the same time, Ian's palms rose and fell within the waves, appearing and disappearing, making it impossible to track their true trajectory.
"Hmm! Interesting!"
Seeing Ian's moves, Madman Lee was truly surprised. He was sure this palm technique was the most exquisite he'd ever seen.
Still, he didn't panic. Taking a deep breath, surging true qi flooded his body, and his arms instantly swelled by a third.
Military Killing Fist!
Boom! Boom!
Madman Lee's fists were like two unstoppable cannonballs, crashing straight into the surging waves.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amid the flurry of blows, Ian was sent flying several meters back. He steadied himself, his face slightly flushed, while Madman Lee stood in place, completely unmoved.