Invincible Under Heaven

Life-and-Death Struggle

"Damn it! How can this be!?"

Yan Ruxue, being dragged by Yan Lian, showed both shock and anger on her face, and her eyes were filled with disbelief!

Li Xian!

He was supposed to be nothing more than a commoner who, apart from reading a few books, would at most help the Yan family govern a territory in the future—useless in every other way!

How could he suddenly become so formidable!

A martial artist at the fourth stage of Internal Viscera Refinement was not even his match for a single round!?

"Commander Liu!?"

On the other side, Cao Zhi also let out a terrified shout.

Especially when he saw Li Xian, carrying a blade, charging straight toward them, he felt a suffocating pressure rolling in.

An unprecedented fear swept through his body with bone-chilling cold, freezing every cell in his body, making him nearly unable to move at that moment.

"No!"

"Your Highness, run!"

Amid terrified cries, the six people in the field scattered like startled birds.

Gone was their earlier composure and noble bearing—they each wished they had more legs to flee for their lives.

At this moment, shen Hong, who had an arm severed, suddenly realized something and shouted, "Yan Lian! His target is you!"

Yan Lian, who was taking Yan Ruxue toward the Canglang Sword Sect's mountain gate, was shocked, instantly understanding what Shen Hong meant.

Even though he knew what fate awaited him, Yan Lian, who was wholeheartedly loyal to the Duke of Yue's Residence, did not hesitate for even a moment: "Take care, Your Highness!"

In the next instant, he swiftly pivoted and sprinted desperately in the direction opposite to the mountain.

Sure enough...

Li Xian barely paused.

He quickly changed direction, striding in pursuit of Yan Lian.

Taking advantage of this, another guard and Shen Hong immediately took Yan Ruxue, ignoring Cao Zhi and the other young lord, and dashed desperately toward the interior of the Canglang Sword Sect.

With explosive force in his steps, Li Xian closed in on Yan Lian in just a few breaths.

Sensing the chilling danger at his back, Yan Lian also made a decisive choice in his heart.

"Li Xian! I don't care who you are! If you want to kill me, I'll make sure I take a piece of your flesh with me!"

Turning his body, he opened all his blood pores, abandoning all defense and unleashing his full power, forming a knife with his palm, charging at Li Xian with desperate life-and-death resolve.

"Resistance is your right; killing you is my right."

Facing Yan Lian's desperate counterattack, Li Xian swung his blade.

Marrow Cleansing—nearing the human body's limits!

But in the end, the body was still flesh and blood!

As long as one is flesh and blood, they can't fight against steel blades with their bare bodies.

Under Li Xian's precise and flawless strike, Yan Lian's knife-hand attack was shredded, his entire hand pulverized by the blade light.

However, Yan Lian seemed to have expected his barehanded attack to fail, and was determined to use one hand as the price to get close to Li Xian.

As his palm, wrist, and even half his forearm were shattered by the blade, he suddenly thrust his left hand forward, like a python coming out of its hole.

His thrust, slightly spinning, carried spiral power as it crashed toward Li Xian's torso.

"Die!"

His exhalation roared like thunder!

A murderous aura soared skyward!

Unfortunately...

Li Xian was now a different man.

Having already initiated Marrow Cleansing, his explosive power was a cut above Yan Lian's.

On top of that, the Blood Jade Art granted his Ki and Blood a boiling quality, making it easy for Li Xian to strike faster.

As Yan Lian's spiral force reached him, Li Xian's five fingers opened wide, switching fist to palm, enveloping the accomplished Viscera Refinement master's fist in his palm.

With a twist of force, he not only neutralized Yan Lian's spiral attack, but also completely twisted Yan Lian's whole arm.

"Tzzzk!"

His sleeve shredded!

Yan Lian's radius and ulna twisted and snapped like a rope being wrung, and his humerus was dislocated and broken from his shoulder blade.

The agony turned the Viscera Refinement master's face pale as paper.

Yet through sheer will, he clenched his jaws tightly, mustering his last ounce of courage to arch back and then fiercely headbutt Li Xian.

But, as he leaned back preparing to strike with his head, Li Xian had already seen through his intent.

Taking three quick steps back, he twisted his body.

With Yan Lian's fist still tightly grasped, as Li Xian stepped back and twisted, Yan Lian's whole body was pulled forward, thrown off balance, and toppled forward uncontrollably.

At a glance, it looked as if Yan Lian was being dragged and, with Li Xian's twisting and waist power, swung violently forward.

With this swing, he would be thrown at least four or five meters away.

"Not good!"

Yan Lian immediately realized how dangerous the situation had become!

He gathered his strength, using a snake-twisting technique to try to regain his center of gravity.

But before he could dissolve the force tugging and throwing him, Li Xian spun around a full three-hundred-sixty degrees, switching his palm to claws, and with a pouncing step like a tiger, seized Yan Lian's face just as he tried to turn around mid-air.

Especially as Li Xian's momentum hadn't faded, carrying the force of his charge, Yan Lian was lifted off his feet by Li Xian's iron grip.

In Yan Lian's terrified, horrified gaze, Li Xian's powerful hand pressed down hard on Yan Lian's face.

"Li Xian!"

In a desperate scream, Yan Lian's massive head was smashed hard onto the bluestone slab outside Canglang Sword Sect's mountain gate.

"Bang!"

The bluestone cracked instantly at the point of impact!

Stone fragments flew and dust filled the air!

Yan Lian's eyes widened in shock, staring fiercely at Li Xian, seemingly determined to figure out what kind of monster this was in his final moments.

Fresh blood spread from his completely cracked, shattered skull.

Li Xian let go and calmly stood up.

As he stood upright, the divine light in the eyes of this accomplished Viscera Refinement master gradually faded away.

"He was much braver than Liu Fu, that other martial artist."

Li Xian offered rare praise.

At least...

When forced to the end, this person had the courage to stake his life and fought to the last moment.

And Li Xian...

He gave him his due, refraining from killing him right after tossing him away, but instead used his own strength to smash his head open, letting this man die at his own hand.

After watching for a moment, Li Xian turned his gaze toward the Canglang Sword Sect.

Immediately, several disciples who had rushed over became tense and vigilant.

But...

Yan Ruxue, Cao Zhi, and the others had already fled.

As the host of the Sword Assembly, the Canglang Sword Sect was naturally responsible for keeping guests safe.

Killing someone outside the sect was one thing.

But if Li Xian killed someone inside the sect...

That would be outrageously out of bounds.

Li Xian was not unreasonable.

"The Duke of Yue's Residence must be full of powerful experts..."

He had no doubt that some would try to stir up trouble.

"I won't be disappointed, I'm sure."

He sheathed his blade, returned to the mid-mountain pavilion, and sat down in unhurried ease, as if nothing had happened.

But the martial artists who had witnessed everything firsthand finally snapped out of the shock of this fierce but brief fight.

"Li Xian!? Who is he!? I've never heard of him! But he's so terrifyingly strong!"

"I thought Young Master Zhang was already the outstanding talent among Jiangzhou's youth—who knew this man is even fiercer! Give me an hour—I want everything about this man!"

"He fought two Viscera Refinement masters and a top-level muscle and bone expert at once, killing two and making one flee! That kind of battle power... Even Marrow Cleansing couldn't do better!"

"So what if it's Marrow Cleansing... This move will definitely make him an enemy of the Duke of Yue's Residence, and they won't let this go easily."

"Not let it go? Never mind that the commandery princess herself can't really represent the Duke of Yue's Residence—the key is... two dead Viscera Refinement martial artists are enough to build his reputation for Marrow Cleansing-level strength. And his age—he looks barely over twenty! Marrow Cleansing in your early twenties... surely that's high enough to get on the Hidden Dragon Ranking!? And once he's on the ranking, powerful factions will invest in him and befriend him!"

"Exactly! At this age and with this combat power—if he can't get onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking, who can!? As for offending the Duke of Yue's Residence... that's not a flaw but a strength! Which great power wouldn't take this chance to win over a martial arts genius who could become a dragon among men in five years?"

All sorts of discussions erupted instantly.

In the martial world, identity, background, resources, and wealth were important—but the most important thing was still strength!

As long as you had strength, identity and resources would come in time!

Now, with Li Xian killing two Viscera Refinement masters, this achievement was a league above friendly duels between Zhang Yunsheng, Bai Zhanfeng, and other Viscera Refinement-level fighters!

With this single battle, his name was destined to resound throughout the Sword Assembly.

As the many spectators discussed fervently, the disciples of the Canglang Sword Sect, seeing that Li Xian didn't invade the sect itself and had given them face, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, they sent a steward to approach quickly.

"Hero Li, it's an honor for our Canglang Sword Sect to host you at the Sword Assembly. Some disciples failed to recognize a rising dragon earlier and offended you—I apologize on their behalf. Allow me to escort you into the sect to meet Pavilion Master Zhou."

The steward spoke quickly.

"Oh? There's no need to wait?"

Li Xian was a bit surprised.

"You must be joking. With your strength and reputation, how could we let you wait outside? That's our mistake. On behalf of our sect, I apologize again for our poor hospitality."

As the steward spoke, he made a gesture of invitation: "Please, hero Li, come inside. The Canglang Sword Sect will certainly offer a formal apology later."

Seeing this, Li Xian didn't waste time and stood up to leave the pavilion.

But as he walked out, he saw someone approaching from the Canglang Sword Sect.

It was Zhou Juechen.

However, this Pavilion Master of the Canglang Sword Sect didn't head directly for the pavilion.

Instead, he pulled two young martial artists aside, questioning them with incredulity.

And those two—their earlier conversation and current description were none other than the glorious feat of Li Xian taking on three enemies, slaying two Viscera Refinement masters in succession.