Invincible Under Heaven

Corpse

"Li Xian, you really don't know you're on the verge of death, do you!? Beg for mercy!? You'll see soon enough!"

Yan Ruxue gnashed her teeth, and even added, "You will definitely see it! You'll be begging me to kill you on your knees!"

"If someone wants to kill me, I will kill them as well. Are you all so confident because you think the one dying today will be me, and not you?"

Li Xian replied, "Life-and-death combat—anything can happen! Maybe I'm the one to die, or maybe it's you! Besides, if I choose to risk everything and go all out, giving up everything just to cut you down, do you think I wouldn't be able to kill you?"

Once he said this, not only Yan Ruxue, but even Ma Fu and Daoist Xuan Tie tensed up.

Yan Ruxue couldn't even handle the pain of Tendon Transformation and Bone Forging, and didn't even count as a Bone Forging martial artist.

If Li Xian really fought desperately...

As long as he slashed at her even once, she would die for sure.

Even the two Marrow Cleansing martial artists might not be able to protect her.

But immediately after, what Li Xian said next was like a calming pill, almost making Yan Ruxue choke herself into an internal injury.

"However, I'm not going to kill you today."

His gaze turned to Yan Kaigui: "I'm keeping you alive to use you as hostages. Hurry and call for your Duke of Yue's Residence's security chief, Zhang Shuheng! If you don't call for help soon, next time, I'll take your heads!"

He added again, "You'd better call quickly. Right now, he might still be able to kill me. Wait ten days or half a month longer, and you'll have no chance at all."

"You..."

Yan Ruxue's chest heaved, her whole body trembling with rage.

But after yesterday's brush with death, and with Li Xian's threat just now, she really didn't dare risk her precious life gambling on the ruthlessness of this bumpkin.

However, Yan Kaigui, who knew that Zhou Juechen had given Li Xian several servings of Jade Decoction last night, immediately realized something.

"You're about to break through in martial arts!?"

"Yes."

Li Xian replied calmly.

With the effects of Blood Spirit Powder, in ten days or half a month he could reach perfect Marrow Cleansing.

He had already comprehended Primordial Unity.

Once he achieved perfect Marrow Cleansing, progressing to the leakless realm would be a natural step.

This would allow his martial arts realm to break through once again.

"You want to use the Heir Apparent of King Yue and the little commandery princess as your hostages?"

At this moment, daoist Xuan Tie spoke up.

"Young man, aren't you taking us a bit too lightly?"

"Heh, youngsters nowadays talk big and aren't afraid of biting their tongues. We're not dead yet."

Ma Fu snorted coldly.

"You two are no match for me. If it really comes down to a fight, you'll both end up as corpses."

Li Xian swept his eyes over the two and spoke directly: "I know you may not believe me. In fact, I know you're both here to kill me, but judging by your actions rather than your intentions, you haven't made a move yet. And I'm not one to kill indiscriminately, so I can give you a chance—leave now, and I'll let bygones be bygones."

"Two corpses?"

Daoist Xuan Tie slammed the table and rose.

"Li Xian! You are far too arrogant!"

"Heh."

Ma Fu leaned back, spreading his legs in arrogance.

"I'm just going to sit right here and not leave. Come, let's see what you can really do!"

"Nothing special. I'll just kill you."

Li Xian nodded with satisfaction.

"Everyone has to be responsible for their own decisions. You want to kill me, so I will kill you. There's no mercy in a fight—life and death are up to fate."

He included both Daoist Xuan Tie and Ma Fu in his gaze: "Which of you wants to go first?"

Then he added, "Or will you come together?"

Ma Fu and Daoist Xuan Tie exchanged a glance.

They'd already agreed that Ma Fu would hold off the perfected Marrow Cleansing Zhou Juechen, so the task of attacking Li Xian fell to Daoist Xuan Tie.

Immediately, daoist Xuan Tie shouted sternly.

"Arrogant brat!"

The next second, he struck directly.

Prepared for mortal combat, he carried his sword.

As he struck, his treasured sword flashed out of its scabbard, bringing with it a cold, piercing swordlight, stabbing toward Li Xian as swift as lightning.

Nearly at the same moment Daoist Xuan Tie shouted and drew his sword, Li Xian, who had been watching for a chance to kill them, also sprang into action.

Exploding with force from his feet like a coiled spring, Li Xian lunged forward.

Just as Daoist Xuan Tie drew and stabbed with his sword, Li Xian kicked the table in front of his previous seat.

The whole table was kicked up, instantly blocking the space between them, with the teacups and snacks on the table scattering in all directions.

But such a trick posed no real threat to Daoist Xuan Tie.

With a swipe of his sword, the airborne table was shattered and splintered, before he thrust his longsword forward like an unstoppable force...

"Bang!"

Sparks flew.

Li Xian, drawing his own sabre, slashed out a cold glint that struck Daoist Xuan Tie's sword with pinpoint precision.

As sparks burst forth, Li Xian immediately rushed in, his left hand moving like a dragon—lightning-quick—as he deftly snatched a sharp wooden splinter from the exploded table, wielding it like a dagger.

In the instant their weapons clashed, he stabbed straight at Daoist Xuan Tie.

His speed was so swift, and his attack so fierce, that by the time Daoist Xuan Tie saw it clearly, the splinter was already less than a foot from his wide-open eyes.

"So fast! Such explosiveness..."

Daoist Xuan Tie felt a chill.

At his fastest, he twisted aside.

Though he dodged the wooden shard, Li Xian's sprint didn't stop for a moment.

Quick from the start, fast all the way!

With his right foot pounding the floor, Li Xian charged again, his shoulder driving forward like a ram and smashing into Daoist Xuan Tie's chest.

Though Daoist Xuan Tie reacted quickly, spreading his left hand before his body in defense, the sheer strength from Li Xian's shoulder sent the Marrow Cleansing martial artist flying backward five or six meters, crashing heavily into the wooden guardrail behind, smashing it to pieces.

As the railing broke, daoist Xuan Tie staggered, almost falling to the first floor.

But his reflexes were extremely sharp. He pushed off the floor in a spectacular jump and, despite weighing over seventy kilograms, soared-nimbly to the other side.

Almost at the same moment he leapt, Li Xian was hot on his heels.

Li Xian hadn't even used the Heavenly Demon Dismemberment Art yet, but the explosive power from Blood Jade Art let him move even faster than Daoist Xuan Tie, who had achieved perfect Marrow Cleansing.

So, as Daoist Xuan Tie jumped for the opposite side, Li Xian leapt above him in mid-air.

Sabre whistling through the void!

The chopping power of a blade, as opposed to a sword's thrust, lent this downward slash the force of a thunderclap tearing the sky, smashing down on the sword Daoist Xuan Tie held before him.

"Bang!"

Sparks burst as the immense force of the blade shook Daoist Xuan Tie's sword arm.

The violent Shock Force sent a jolt through his wrist, almost making him lose his grip.

And since Daoist Xuan Tie was already airborne, he was sent plummeting downward by the blow.

As he lost altitude, there was a clear difference in position between him and Li Xian.

Taking advantage of the moment, Li Xian stomped down, his foot landing fiercely and precisely on Daoist Xuan Tie's chest before he could recover.

A surge of force rocked Daoist Xuan Tie's viscera.

Even though he had completed Marrow Cleansing, it felt as if Li Xian's wild power pierced right through him.

But—

That was only the beginning!

The moment his foot struck Daoist Xuan Tie in mid-air, Li Xian used the railing for leverage with his left leg, summoning energy to flip, and pounced straight toward the falling Daoist Xuan Tie.

His frigid sabre, twirling with his body, slashed down ruthlessly.

"Not good!"

Ma Fu, seeing this, realized just how dire Daoist Xuan Tie's situation was.

He jumped up immediately, ready to drop all pretense and come to his comrade's aid.

However, as he took a step, Zhou Juechen stopped him, voice steady. "Master Ma, stay calm."

"You—"

Ma Fu's expression shifted.

But Yan Kaigui understood—in terms of skill, Ma Fu was slightly inferior to Zhou Juechen, who had completed Marrow Cleansing.

That Zhou Juechen could tie him up was already a blessing.

Yan Kaigui immediately signaled Luo Teng with his eyes.

At the order, luo Teng quickly stood and strode toward the shattered railing, leaping down to the first floor.

But from the moment Ma Fu stood up and was blocked by Zhou Juechen, and with Yan Kaigui's signal, a moment had already passed.

First floor.

Li Xian pounced down, his entire body's Ki and Blood surging, boiling, igniting.

More dazzling and stunning than before, his sabre slashed toward the falling Daoist Xuan Tie like lightning.

He wasn't foolish.

He had been prepared from the start to face two, even three, Marrow Cleansing experts at once!

But that didn't mean he had to fight them head-on, all at once!

Using tactics to separate and defeat them one by one—that was true combat wisdom.

Forcing Daoist Xuan Tie onto the first floor was all part of his plan.

Only when his enemies were truly separated could he risk everything, ignite his Ki and Blood, and strike with thunderous power!

"Whoosh!"

The sabre sang!

Daoist Xuan Tie, only just recovering from Li Xian's aerial kick, could barely steady himself before the blazing, storm-like blade filled his vision.

Such heat, such speed, such ferocity...

"Blood Jade Art!"

Daoist Xuan Tie roared, furious and alarmed, mustering all his strength to block again.

"Bang!"

How could a sword hastily raised hope to block such a thunderous strike?

Daoist Xuan Tie's arm went numb, the skin at his thumb split, blood spraying.

His treasured sword was violently shaken from his grasp by the wild force.

In the very next instant, the blade twisted, swift as a bolt of silk, and slashed straight for Daoist Xuan Tie's throat.

"Spare him!"

"Li Xian! Stop!"

Shouts of fear and panic erupted all at once.

Indeed, a sword came howling from behind, but a breath too late.

But—

None of this could shake Li Xian's resolve.

"No—"

As Daoist Xuan Tie stared in terror, trying to retreat, the blade slashed across him like lightning.

The next second—

He thought he was retreating remarkably fast!

It even felt like he was flying.

Flying?

He was flying!?

At that moment, daoist Xuan Tie realized something, and looked downward in horror...

Below him was a headless corpse, blood gushing from its neck in countless streams.

It looked just like a human-shaped fountain.

"I... I'm dead?"

A kind of unprecedented grief and agony overtook his mind.

Then the world began to spin...

Very quickly, the vision of this Marrow Cleansing master was engulfed in boundless darkness.