These fellows, of course, had no idea what their companions had endured before their deaths, nor did they understand how Ye Ningze had accomplished all this.
After all, their tracking methods were unparalleled; otherwise, they would not have cloaked themselves in darkness.
Yet now, they had completely lost Ye Ningze's trail. This could only mean that Ye Ningze's overt methods were even more superior than theirs, but did such a person truly exist?
Once devoid of emotion, they now felt a ripple of feeling within their hearts, a ripple born of fear.
After a long while, they seemed to understand how their adversary had achieved this. However, even with understanding, they could not break free.
This was because Ye Ningze had employed potent spiritual energy, which had utterly distorted their five senses.
In essence, their current state was akin to being in an alternate dimension. Though in the same space, they were no longer truly present.
It was difficult to describe the sensation, but they knew that their opponent's methods were far superior to their own.
Despite their reluctance to admit it, they understood another truth: if their opponent wished to eliminate them, it would be as easy as slaughtering chickens or butchering sheep.
"It seems you've begun to grasp how I achieved this, but what good is understanding? While your combined strength may rival mine, your spiritual energy is vastly inferior. A mere fraction of it has ensnared you completely."
The voice seemed to echo within their minds, leaving them with no recourse to refute its claims.
As this voice faded, another companion collapsed to the ground. The fall of their comrade stirred no emotion within them, as if they had long grown accustomed to such scenes.
Their minds began to search for a solution, but no matter how they searched, they found no way to break free from this predicament.
And being unable to break free meant they could only await their deaths passively.
Meanwhile, in reality, Zhao Chunhua was utterly stunned. He had never imagined Ye Ningze to be so formidable.
The twenty individuals before him had completely halted their movements at the very instant the blades were about to touch Ye Ningze's body.
Instead, they stood frozen in place like puppets. Zhao Chunhua had never witnessed such a scene before, leaving him standing dumbfounded and bewildered.
Ye Ningze, on the other hand, strolled out of the encirclement of the twenty men as casually as an elder taking a leisurely walk through a supermarket.
After a considerable pause, Zhao Chunhua spoke to Ye Ningze beside him:
"How did you manage all this? I couldn't discern any method you employed. I am deeply curious; your methods can truly be described as unfathomable."
Ye Ningze placed his hands behind his back and replied like an elder:
"It's quite normal that you don't understand the methods I used. It's because my current spiritual energy is far beyond your comprehension."
"It is precisely for this reason that you fail to grasp that I have ascended to a new level. To put it bluntly, even if my physical body were destroyed, my spirit could independently exist as an entity in this world."
Upon hearing Ye Ningze's words, Zhao Chunhua was completely dumbfounded. A spirit existing independently in the world after the destruction of the physical body.
Then, was Ye Ningze even human?
Although Zhao Chunhua desperately wanted an answer to this question, he knew that asking it might deeply displease Ye Ningze.
Zhao Chunhua was no fool; he understood that Ye Ningze was a powerful asset, and his task was to firmly cling to this asset.
Only by doing so could Zhao Chunhua achieve his goals.
After a long moment, Zhao Chunhua suddenly recalled something and said to Ye Ningze:
"Right, how do you plan to deal with these fellows? Killing them all seems like a waste. I am confident I can control a portion of them to serve me, though perhaps not all."
Ye Ningze understood that if only a portion were controlled, their value would be greatly diminished.
This was because their true combat strength was unleashed only when all twenty stood together, forming a formation. Without the support of this combat power, they were merely ordinary individuals.
However, something was better than nothing. After all, Zhao Chunhua required formidable power, and such power could only be accumulated bit by bit over time.
"Actually, I have a more intelligent and less strenuous method. I can directly alter certain information in their minds using my powerful spiritual energy, and then you can continuously brainwash them, turning them into mere pawns in your hand. However, this process would take at least half a year, and I doubt you have such patience."
To his surprise, Zhao Chunhua slowly shook his head and replied to Ye Ningze:
"You underestimate me too much. You must understand that over the years, to accumulate even a little power, I have sometimes had to plan for one or two years. A mere half a year is nothing. Sometimes, I've had to spend four or five years to gain even a small amount of strength."
Indeed, the best hunters are adept at waiting, at disguising themselves, and at seizing opportunities.
Thus, this man was an excellent hunter. Ye Ningze, after eliminating four members of the Zhao clan, finally ceased his actions.
With a gentle snap of his fingers from Ye Ningze, these members of the Zhao clan collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
They were still under the control of Ye Ningze's potent spiritual energy, so Ye Ningze was not worried about them disobeying Zhao Chunhua upon waking.
With these matters largely settled, Ye Ningze's next objective was to find Zhao Chunfeng.
Zhao Chunfeng possessed a batch of resources that had been pre-arranged as a fifty-fifty split between him and Zhao Chunhua.
These resources were Zhao Chunhua's capital for recruiting soldiers and building his forces. Had it not been for limitations in resources and other factors, Zhao Chunhua would likely have already begun to seize control of the entire Zhao family.
Ye Ningze's figure gradually vanished into the darkness of the night, and tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.