The training grounds.

Facing Jian Ziheng’s spiritual pressure, Su Ye showed no fear and strode forward.

His Magical Power surged, revealing a cultivation level of Late-stage Foundation Establishment and drawing a wave of astonished and envious gazes.

"Late-stage Foundation Establishment..."

"He’s... he’s already a grandmaster of the Foundation Establishment Stage..."

Beginning from the Foundation Establishment Stage, cultivators who reached the late stage of any given realm were respectfully addressed as "grandmasters" of that realm!

After all, late-stage cultivators possessed abundant Magical Power and formidable strength.

They held an overwhelming advantage over ordinary early- and mid-stage cultivators.

Furthermore, once a cultivator entered the late stage, reaching the Perfection Realm was merely a matter of time!

This meant that a late-stage grandmaster, no matter what, had at least a sliver of a chance of breaking through to a higher realm!

"This Mr. Su is brimming with vitality, in the prime of his life..."

"From what I can tell, he doesn’t seem to be even fifty years old yet?"

Among the Foundation Establishment cultivators present, an old man with a goatee stroked it, his eyes flashing with spiritual light as he spoke in amazement.

Hearing this, the expressions of everyone present shifted, and the way they looked at Su Ye changed drastically.

For such a young late-stage grandmaster, the hope of reaching the Core Formation realm was quite high...

One could say his future was limitless!

HISS... ’I can’t afford to offend a character like this.’

Realizing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivators all became wary.

They tacitly retracted their spiritual pressure and looked at Su Ye with friendly smiles.

Foundation Establishment cultivators were no fools; they all knew how to read a situation.

Jian Ziheng’s provocations had a negligible effect on them.

They had been willing to release their spiritual pressure to help Jian Ziheng suppress Su Ye purely because of Jian Ziheng’s status and position!

They were just going with the flow, doing him a small favor.

However, as Su Ye revealed his power and displayed his Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, that favor was no longer worth it!

WHOOSH.

As the Foundation Establishment cultivators retracted their spiritual pressure one by one, the raging, invisible spiritual pressure on the training grounds receded by more than half within just a few breaths!

’Dammit... He actually managed to advance to Late-stage Foundation Establishment...’

’Is this the effect of the High-quality Chongyuan Elixir?’

’I hate this...’

Jian Ziheng’s face turned ashen, and he felt as if he were riding a tiger, unable to get off!

A late-stage grandmaster of this age... with such strength and potential, he was definitely not someone Jian Ziheng could easily push around!

’I have to find a way to end this...’ Jian Ziheng’s mind raced.

But just as he was thinking of a way to save face and end the confrontation...

...Su Ye’s eyes shifted, a cold glint within them.

He had no intention of letting this go!

Su Ye’s mind spun, connecting the dots.

’This man stirs up trouble for no reason, which shows his cruel nature. Even if we reconcile, it would only be superficial...’

’And the upcoming cleanup of the Reverse World is already risky enough.’

’If I also have to watch out for a villain’s backstabbing, won’t that be just ’interesting’...’

’Besides, during the Reverse World cleanup, I’ll definitely need to collect monster corpses. When that time comes, it’s highly likely this man will use that to make an issue of things...’

’Rather than having friction later, it’s better to... resolve the problem all at once, right here and now!’

And how was he to solve the problem?

Among cultivators, strength was naturally what did the talking!

Defeat Jian Ziheng.

Seize command of the Reverse World cleanup!

It would be greatly beneficial for his subsequent actions and would also make Weiyuan Immortal City value him even more!

’Besides... he isn’t even a Canghai True Inheritor? What’s he putting on airs for?’

A guy with decent strength but an insufficient background was the perfect stepping stone for him!

In the past, Su Ye needed to lie low and bide his time to grow stronger.

But now that his strength and potential could no longer be hidden, he needed to be assertive and aggressive, seizing resources to achieve his next critical breakthrough!

At this thought, a fierce, cold light surfaced in Su Ye’s eyes, dark and profound!

However, his smile only grew warmer.

Such a gentle, sunny smile, paired with Su Ye’s handsome and otherworldly features, naturally inspired a favorable impression.

Su Ye smiled. "Jian, it feels as if we are old friends at first sight. I am fortunate today..."

Hearing this, Jian Ziheng’s expression softened slightly, and the tension in his heart eased.

He thought Su Ye was extending an olive branch, intending to reconcile...

Jian Ziheng composed himself, forced a smile, and sneered inwardly.

’Hmph... a temporary truce, then.’

’With his strength and the importance the Immortal City places on him, I can’t do much to him openly.’

’However, the Reverse World is incredibly dangerous, especially those terrifying monsters occupying the nodes...’

’During the cleanup, there will be plenty of opportunities to set him up...’

A venomous glint in his eyes, Jian Ziheng plotted his revenge.

Such was his nature: cruel, malicious, and vengeful over the smallest slight!

Once, in the outer city, the young patriarch of a Qi Refining family had unintentionally offended Jian Ziheng.

Afterward, the terrified Qi Refining family quickly gathered a lavish gift to offer as an apology.

Jian Ziheng accepted the gift but remained unforgiving.

Using the Jian Family’s power, he annihilated the small family.

He even went so far as to humiliate the young patriarch’s mother and sister right in front of him...

And just as Jian Ziheng was contemplating how to get his revenge...

...Su Ye, with an air of casual indifference, continued speaking.

"...I am fortunate today. Why don’t we have a little spar? What do you say?"

As he spoke, a surging spiritual pressure, like a Flood Dragon bursting from the sea, swept over Jian Ziheng in a tempestuous wave!

"You..." Jian Ziheng’s smile froze on his face.

Caught off guard and intimidated by the aura, he involuntarily took two steps back!

Immediately, everyone present turned to look at him.

"Dammit!" Jian Ziheng grit his teeth.

He could almost feel the meaning behind their gazes...

’Little Jian, how did you get so weak?’

’Has he lost his edge?’

These gazes made him flush with anger, and his face instantly darkened!

HUFF... Jian Ziheng took a deep breath.

"Heh..." He laughed in fury. "You think reaching Late-stage Foundation Establishment by relying on elixirs means you’re my equal?"

Sensing the explosive tension between the two, Bai Xiuying’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly intervened.

"Fellow Daoists... please calm down..."

"The Reverse World cleanup is imminent. You are both vital assets to our side. If either of you were injured in a spar, it would be detrimental to the overall situation..."

Bai Xiuying tried to smooth things over, but to little effect.

Once Su Ye had made a decision through rational analysis, he rarely changed his mind.

As for Jian Ziheng, he had long been a famous and prominent figure in Weiyuan Immortal City. And yet, today, under the watchful eyes of all, he had been forced back two steps by Su Ye’s aura!

In this situation, if he didn’t dare to accept the challenge and chose to back down...

...he would not only lose his own face, but also the face of the Jian Family!

Su Ye smiled and added, "A simple spar is boring, anyway..."

"The Reverse World cleanup is upon us, and the mission is dangerous. As the saying goes, an incompetent general works his army to death..."

"This spar will decide who holds command over the cleanup. Do you dare?"