Invincible Under Heaven

Obsession

"Bang!"

The blade flashed sharply.

It drew a crescent arc, blocking a sword slashing from behind.

Sword and blade collided.

Compared to Internal Viscera Refinement, the explosive power of the Marrow Cleansing stage was far greater, causing Luo Teng, who wielded the sword, to feel his palm tremble violently, almost unable to grip the sword hilt.

In the very next instant, as the two clashed and left themselves wide open, Li Xian's left hand formed a sword with his fingers and stabbed out like lightning.

"Not good!"

Sensing danger, Luo Teng's pupils contracted sharply as he immediately tried to turn his head aside.

But Li Xian's finger-sword was too fast and too precise.

It was as if, even while beheading Daoist Xuan Tie, he had already prepared a combat plan for anyone coming for him from behind.

A slightly higher level in skill, yet that was all it took.

Life and death duels are contests within a hair's breadth.

With a slight movement of his arm, Li Xian's finger-sword struck with peerless accuracy at the point below Luo Teng's chin—his throat—right as Luo Teng dodged desperately.

"Bang!"

Power exploded!

Luo Teng's Adam's apple and thyroid cartilage shattered like an eggshell, his cricoid cartilage snapped, collapsed, and punctured his trachea, the fractured bone slicing a three-centimeter gash along his carotid artery!

As blood mist sprayed from his nose and mouth, his cervical vertebra had already crushed his spinal cord, destroying the internal vagus nerve.

Luo Teng's eyes widened in horror, reflecting the calm face of Li Xian.

Breath and heartbeat stopped instantly.

And, right after he fractured Luo Teng's cervical spine with the finger-sword, Li Xian seamlessly turned his hand into a fist and struck out violently.

The force of the punch, exploding at close range, sent the Captain of the Guards—who had mastered Internal Viscera Refinement—flying several meters back, crashing heavily to the ground.

A double kill!

Only now did the exclamations of Yan Kaigui and Ma Fu on the second floor break out again.

"Daoist Xuan Tie!?"

"Stop!"

But their shouts were destined to be futile.

Seeing the decapitated corpse, and Luo Teng—the Captain of the Guards killed by a single finger—Yan Kaigui, Heir Apparent of the Duke of Yue's Residence above, felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.

Daoist Xuan Tie...

He was a master who had perfected Marrow Cleansing, and he actually died at Li Xian's hands!?

A scholar who was weak and feeble just three months ago—how could he become so powerful in such a short time!?

Impossible!?

How could such a thing happen in this world!?

While the Heir Apparent's worldview was collapsing, Li Xian had already raised his head, his gaze falling upon them.

Just one glance made Ma Fu's hair stand on end, reminding him of the terror he felt as a youth, before his muscles and bones were trained, when faced with a tiger in the forest.

No!

It wasn't just a feeling!

Even Marrow Cleansing expert Daoist Xuan Tie had died under Li Xian's blade, and Ma Fu's own progress in Marrow Cleansing was still below that level.

Facing the ruthless Li Xian now would be like an ordinary man facing a tiger.

"Heir Apparent! Run!"

Ma Fu made a snap decision, ready to take the Heir Apparent and escape through the window.

Almost at the same moment as he moved, Li Xian below vaulted into the air.

With a few strides, he leapt, took off at least two meters by stepping on the stair railing for leverage, and was about to land upstairs.

"Stop him!"

Yan Kaigui reacted instantly and shouted sharply.

It was clearly an order to the guards in the room.

Yet he himself rushed toward the window at the first opportunity.

Seeing this, Zhou Juechen leapt to intercept.

But Ma Fu, already prepared, extended his arm to block him.

"Zhou Juechen, do you want the Zhou family to be executed for your actions?"

Zhou Juechen didn't hesitate or slow down, and launched a fierce attack, enveloping Ma Fu in his onslaught.

But with Ma Fu intercepting him, Yan Kaigui—who had mastered Internal Viscera Refinement and was beginning Marrow Cleansing, one of the Lijiang Three Talents—climbed out the window and leapt down from Guan Tao Tower.

Elsewhere, though the guards knew they were no match, more than half bit the bullet, drew their blades, and charged at Li Xian, trying to stop him from getting upstairs.

None chosen as guards at the Duke's Residence were weak—most had already achieved muscle and bone refinement.

A dozen or so martial artists with solid physiques rushed in one after another, hacking wildly and creating a storm of blades, completely blocking Li Xian's path up the stairs.

Yet, facing so many skilled fighters, Li Xian's saber moved like a meteor from beyond the sky, a flash of lightning.

In an instant, he swept aside three blades in front of him, then used the second-floor railing for momentum, forcefully broke out from the encirclement of a dozen muscle-and-bone-refining martial artists.

Next, he threw his long saber, kicked it hard in midair to accelerate it, and the blade shot out like a beam of light, heading straight for Yan Kaigui—the Heir Apparent—who had just leaped from Guan Tao Tower.

Seeing this, Ma Fu went pale with fright and shouted, "Heir Apparent, watch out!"

Hearing the shout, Yan Kaigui glanced back and saw the saber shining through the air, terror overwhelming his eyes.

"No!"

"Whoosh!"

The saber whistled through the air, slamming viciously into Yan Kaigui's back!

However...

The expected scene of Yan Kaigui's body being pierced did not occur.

A beam of golden light suddenly burst forth from his body, instantly colliding with the flying saber.

Under the explosion of golden light, the saber was knocked away, spinning midair before embedding itself, half its blade sunk, in the wall of a shop over a dozen meters away, sending dust flying everywhere.

Such was the force of the golden light!

This turn of events made even Ma Fu, Zhou Juechen, and Li Xian pause with surprise.

"Golden Talisman!"

Yan Kaigui, whose life was saved by the golden light, didn't hesitate for a moment and broke into a run toward the street corner.

"Though I don't know what that was, it sure looked powerful."

Li Xian couldn't help but praise, "Life and death battles—anything can happen."

As he spoke, he sidestepped, dodging two swords slashing suddenly at his back, stepped swiftly, struck out with his right hand, instantly grabbed a guard's wrist, twisted forcefully...

With a scream, a saber flew into his left hand, and he swung it horizontally, deflecting two more blades.

As his force exploded further, the saber swept past both guards' throats at a speed far beyond their reactions.

He then strode forward, eyes firmly locked on Yan Kaigui—who tried to blend into the crowd—rushing to the windowsill to leap down after him.

"Li Xian!"

At that moment, a shout came.

Liu Yanran intercepted him, blocking his path.

"I won't allow you to harm Kai-ge! Step aside!"

Li Xian glanced at her, and swung the blade in his hand without hesitation.

The saber's light...

It slashed straight for Liu Yanran's throat.

This split-second decision left not only Liu Yanran stunned, but even Zhou Juechen—who was restraining Ma Fu—momentarily dumbfounded.

He... he would really use his blade!?

But just as the saber was about to decapitate Liu Yanran, a strong sense of reluctance surged up in Li Xian's heart, causing his strike to tremble.

In this split-second delay, Liu Yanran—though she had studied martial arts but hadn't succeeded in training her muscles and bones—screamed in terror.

"Ah!"

She retreated suddenly, narrowly dodging the saber's edge.

In that fleeting moment of hesitation, Yan Kaigui had already vanished into the crowd at the street corner.

Seeing this, Ma Fu too lost the will to fight.

"My dear nephew, let it end here. You and I are outsiders. Why risk our lives over the feud between Li Xian and the Duke of Yue's Residence?"

Zhou Juechen said nothing.

His martial arts were not pure.

Too easily influenced by the outside world.

Today, he only wanted to fight a good fight.

With no ulterior motives, not taking any sides, just a duel with a fellow Marrow Cleansing practitioner—thoroughly pursuing the essence of martial arts and savoring the excitement of a life-and-death battle.

Old friend Ma Fu was the perfect opponent to break free of all distractions and clear away the clutter in his heart.

So, his attacks did not cease for a moment.

His attack did not stop—but Li Xian's did.

He looked at the saber in his hand...

And felt the surge of strong, inexplicable reluctance that had just surfaced deep within him...

Was his body subconsciously resisting any act against Liu Yanran?

"Unresolved obsession?"

He was amazed.

This was an unprecedented experience.

But...

A soul transmigrated to another world, reborn in a new body—such experience was already bizarre enough.

The original "Li Xian" had already died, but there was still an obsession left behind—it didn't seem that strange.

At this moment, Liu Yanran seemed to have noticed something from Li Xian's sudden hesitation.

She was instantly emboldened.

"Li Xian! Are you crazy!? How dare you draw your blade against me!? Would you really hurt me!? Don't you remember what you promised me!? Now that you've mastered demonic arts and armed yourself, is this how you treat me?"

Liu Yanran glared fiercely at Li Xian and shouted sharply: "Put down your blade!"

"It's a bit strange, but Li Xian... you're dead."

Li Xian mused inside, "Now, I am Li Xian."

He looked up at Liu Yanran.

She truly was beautiful.

Among all the young women he had met—Hongyu, Li Hanbing, Yan Ruxue—none could compare to her.

She even carried the noble aura of a Marquis Residence lady.

The combination must have been indescribably enticing for the poor scholar "Li Xian".

Liu Yanran was made deeply uncomfortable under Li Xian's gaze; there was an unspoken terror in her heart.

However, this fear was quickly overridden by her years of accustomed dominance over the gentle "Li Xian".

This confidence emboldened her to keep commanding him: "Li Xian! I told you to put that blade down. How dare you ignore me!?"

"Yan Lian was just a servant—he wouldn't have dared to throw the identity-sensitive 'Li Xian' into the river without orders. So, two months ago, that command came from you?"

Li Xian spoke suddenly.

Two months ago that night?

At those words, a flustered look flashed across Liu Yanran's face.

But of course she would never admit it.

Instead, she tried to mask the truth by raging, "Li Xian, I'm the one asking the questions now! Answer me! Still refusing to put the blade down? Are you really going to kill me!? Go ahead! If you're so capable, just do it, kill me, I—"

Before she finished, Li Xian, who had never lowered his saber, suddenly drew it across.

"I have never heard such a strange request."

"Slice!"

A crimson line appeared on Liu Yanran's fair neck, and all her tough posturing and imperious commands came to an abrupt halt.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Stupid bitch...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】