by Gore, A. P.
“Fire Beast Sword.” Li Tun roared and slashed with his sword.
Their swords met in midair, one exuding the pressure of tidal waves and other fire. Technically, fire should have suppressed tidal waves, but the four-layer cultivation advantage meant Li Tun’s sword was pushed back as soon as they clashed together.
“Li Tun, as expected, you haven’t improved even a bit. I’ll kill you and tear apart your body to prove I’m superior to any trash the Li clan can produce.”
“Du Muan, don’t speak nonsense. I’ve beaten you many times, and I’ll do it again,” Li Tun roared, pushing his sword forward. His face twisted in pain, but he pushed with all his might.
Li Shua’s heart lifted. Maybe they had a chance after all.
Du Muan’s face turned grim as his sword was pushed back an inch.
“Impossible. How can you push my sword back?”
“Because you’re trash, and even after you increased your cultivation by eating pills, you’ll remain trash.” Shouting, Li Tun pushed forward until Du Muan’s sword touched Du Muan’s neck.
Sweat poured from Du Muan’s face, and death flashed in his eyes. “You trash. I’ll show you what it means to be powerful.” Shouting, Du Muan scratched Li Tun’s neck with his nails.
A green substance entered Li Tun’s body as soon as some blood appeared in the scratch.
It was poison.
Li Shua almost jumped onto the martial stage, but Du Tenjua stood close by and attacked with his fist. Li Shua had no other choice but to reply with a palm attack.
“Damn you, Du Tenjua. Du Muan used poison to affect Li Tun.” Li Shua cursed, but he couldn’t overpower Du Tenjua unless he used the forbidden technique Wei’er had taught him. But he couldn’t do that until it was his turn on the stage.
“You—you poisoned me.” Li Tun staggered back, his sword hand quivering. His sword fell as his hand turned black along with his entire body.
Du Muan emitted a villainous chuckle. “Poison is also part of my strength.” He dashed forward with his sword extended forward.
Li Tun tried to grab his sword, but his body spasmed and he was locked in his position, unable to do anything.
Chuckling, Du Muan stabbed his sword through Li Tun’s heart, taking his life in a swift motion.
“Li Tun!” The fourth elder roared and dropped on ground. Li Tun was the fourth elder’s only son.
Rage burned in Li Shua’s heart, but there was nothing he could do. He was tangled up with Du Tenjua, and he was helpless.
Li Tun had been a good sapling, but there was nothing Li Shua could do to save him. He lay there, dead.
“Li Tun, did you see how easy it was to kill you?” Du Muan chuckled evilly, pulled his sword out of Li Tun’s chest, and sliced Li Tun’s head off. Blood splattered across the martial stage, and Du Muan stood there laughing.
“Du Muan, I’ll kill you!” The fourth elder roared and jumped onto the martial stage, but as soon as he stepped in, the mysterious elder’s sword flashed and beheaded the fourth elder in a single strike.
Chapter 83
Last stand
Li Shua quivered like he’d been standing in an icy pool for a thousand years. His mind was in turmoil, unable to understand what was going on. In a flash, two of his clan members had died, and he could do nothing.
An uneasy feeling gripped his heart. How was he going to answer for this to his ancestors?
“Li Shua, are you an idiot?” Dan Kuang shouted, revealing his presence in the audience.
“How can you not tell your people that entering the martial stage before a fight is forbidden? Are you trying to kill your own people?” Dan Kuang roared. “I’m taking one fight from you.”
“But the fourth elder jumped in after Li Tun died,” someone from the Li clan replied.
“Insolent brat. Did I declare a winner?”
The person who had replied turned mute.
“Then how was match finished? Li Shua, if you keep bringing idiots like this, don’t blame me for being ruthless and disqualifying the whole Li clan from this challenge.”
Li Shua didn’t know how to answer this. Dan Kuang was a city lord, and he alone presided over the Devil Cicada Challenge. If he wished, he could disqualify the Li clan from the challenge and give all the benefits to the Du clan, including letting them kill the Li clan with no consequences. Even if Li Shua tried to justify the fourth elder’s actions, Dan Kuang wouldn’t listen to him.
This was a deadly trap, and the Li clan was caught.
“I declare Du Muan the winner of the first match. With the Li clan’s idiots breaking the rules, the Du clan is awarded a second victory. The next match can begin,” Dan Kuang declared in a calm voice, and it reached every corner of the martial ground. The audience had gone silent since the mysterious elder’s sword cut the fourth elder like a cabbage.
“Li Puan, you’re next.” One of the elders from the Li clan sent another youth with layer four Foundation Realm cultivation. When they had come to Old Martial City, they had left a few strong people in another city, but those too had come to Old Martial City for this challenge and Li Juan was one of them. He was only twenty-six years old and had already reached layer four of the Foundation Realm. He too had been groomed by the clan to be a future pillar, but now Li Shua had no hope that he would survive this ordeal.
“Li Puan, you’re dead today.” Du Kang jumped onto the martial stage and ate a Qi Enhancing Pill. His cultivation base shot to layer nine of the Foundation Realm.
Desperation occupied Li Shua’s heart, but he couldn’t do anything. He was helpless. Seeing his clan members dying in front of his eyes, he wished he had died before them so he wouldn’t have to bear witness to this humiliation. No matter what, he would kill Du Tenjua today. Even if it took his life, Du Tenjua would die.
“Eat my weapon.” Du Kang pulled out a long whip tied to his waist and struck at Li Juan.
Li Puan was instantly put at a disadvantage. He practiced palm arts, and he only knew the Fire Beast Palm attack. To execute his attack, he had to get close to his opponent, but when he tried to get close, Du Kang struck with his whip and Li Puan had to dodge it, preventing him from closing in.
Li Puan tried his level best to get closer, but Du Kang was a sly fox and wouldn’t let Li Juan get close at all. He kept entangling Li Puan with his whip while slowly exhausting Li Juan’s qi.
After a ten-minute cat and mouse game, Li Puan was panting, sweat permeating his blue robe.
“Li Puan, give up and accept your death.” Du Kang roared, chuckling. Compared to Li Juan, he was still fresh.
Li Puan’s eyes flashed with rage, and he charged forward. When Du Kang’s whip came, he rolled forward, taking the hit on his back. Blood flew from his back, but he had reached closer to his opponent.
Du Kang smirked, and when Li Puan went close, he spread a black powder in the air and jumped backward.
Li Puan froze in his tracks, and without taking a breath, he jumped backward. But some of the black powder still stuck to his clothes.
Li Shua’s heart leaped within his chest. That was Black Heart Powder, a substance that attracted Heart Devouring Worms. Heart Devouring Worms were demonic Ferocious Beasts that fed on others’ heart blood. It was a risky maneuver to use it in battle, but the worm liked Black Heart Powder, so if one could put some Black Heart Powder on their opponent’s body, the Heart Devouring Worm would go to that target. And without any suspense, Du Kang pulled a glass bottle out of his robe and threw it in front of Li Puan. When the bottle shattered, a dark red worm leaped out of it and attacked Li Puan.
Li Puan tried to attack the worm, but the worm stuck to his palm and entered it.
Clasping his heart, Li Puan cried out in pain and rolled around on the martial stage. He even begged for death after a few breaths.
“Du Kang, you bastard. Kill him.” Li Shua couldn’t watch a promising junior beg for death like this. He deserved a painless death, but Du Kang just sat there watching Li Puan go crazy
with pain. Adding to it, he attacked Li Puan with his whip, inflicting more injuries and pain.
“City Lord Dan. Li Puan admits defeat. Please let me kill him,” Li Shua asked in a defeated voice.
“Li Shua, it has to come from the participant’s mouth. We can’t allow you to jeopardize the Li clan’s survival,” Dan Kuang replied in a calm voice, but he didn’t hide the malicious smile plastered on his face.
“Juan’er, listen to me,” Li Shua said loudly. “Admit defeat, and I’ll free you from the torture.”
Clarity flashed in Li Puan’s crazy eyes, and he opened his mouth to say something but Du Kang’s whip flashed at his tongue and cut it to pieces. The whip had small metal blades attached at the end, and they cut through Li Puan’s tongue like tofu.
That was it. Today, either Li Shua would survive or Du Tenjua would survive. Li Shua slowly circulated his qi as per the forbidden technique Wei’er had taught him. He was going to annihilate the Du clan today, and no one could stop him.
His fire qi made a revolution through the qi channels Wei’er had taught him, and he was just about to break through when a voice spoke in his mind. “Grandfather, don’t. You’ll have time to do this soon. Wait for my cue.”
Li Puan wailed in pain, but a voice came out of his mouth. “I admit defeat,” Li Puan said despite his broken tongue.
Du Kang stared at Li Puan’s spasming body and bloody mouth. “How did he—”
“City Lord, Dan. Are you going to stop me from killing him?” A firm voice sounded in the martial ground, and everyone looked at the youngster with long black hair walking toward them.
Li Shua’s spirits rose for a moment. Li Wei was here, so there was a chance they might get past this ordeal. A tiny chance.
Chapter 84
Exploding Spear
“You cheated,” Du Kang shouted, pointing his finger at Li Wei. “How can he speak when I ruined his tongue?”
Wei’s insides boiled. By the time he arrived, Li Juan was spasming in pain and there was nothing he could do. Okay, truth be told, he’d arrived a little earlier and had to set up an array, but that meant he couldn’t save Li Juan. The moment he’d stepped on the martial stage, his fate was sealed.
However, he hadn’t expected Du Kang to use a Heart Devouring Worm. Wei wanted to peel off his skin and hang it outside the Du compound, but he suppressed this desire. The main issue was the people from the Destiny Mirror Sect, and he knew what they wanted. Making a single mistake would bring disaster to his clan, so he had to take this step by step and tackle this with a plan.
But he couldn’t watch Li Juan convulse in pain, so he’d asked Xue Qi to use her divine sense to speak on behalf of the tortured youth.
“City Lord Dan. Do you delay declaring a winner intentionally? Didn’t you say Li Puan had to speak for himself?” Wei said arrogantly.
Dan Kuang glared at him before turning his head to look at the Marrow Cleansing Realm expert seated behind the Du clan members. After the man with the mole nodded, he signaled Du Kang to go ahead.
Du Kang looked like he wanted to say something, but under pressure from Dan Kuang, he pulled out a dagger and sliced Li Puan’s throat cleanly.
Seeing his clanmate die peacefully, Wei felt humane relief. He regretted not having enough power to wipe out the Du clan after Du Su attacked his clan. Instinctively, his gaze jumped to Tiang Fu and the old man with the mole on his face. He had fought Tiang Fu before, and he knew he was powerful. Very powerful. With his layer six Bone Baptization Realm cultivation, he would be a difficult opponent. But he had no hope of killing the old man in the Marrow Cleansing Realm. The two-realm difference between them made it impossible. At least for now.
However, this wasn’t a royal rumble, so he still had a chance to flip this whole thing apart. And for the man with the mole, he had to think of something.
“Wei’er, where is your master?” Grandfather stepped closer to him, whispering.
“My master is in a critical phase of cultivation, so he couldn’t join.”
Grandfather shivered. “Then you shouldn’t have come here. I’ve implicated you, my grandson, and I can’t show my face to your mother anymore.”
“Grandfather, the challenge is not over yet.” Wei glanced at the representatives of the Li clan and the three bodies lying behind them. Many of them were crying, cursing the Du clan.
“Li Shua, send your next warrior,” Dan Kuang said arrogantly.
“Wei’er, we have already lost three matches, and there is no hope for the next three. Li Ti can’t fight, as he focused on alchemy, and Li Tang’s sickness has re-occurred, so he doesn’t have much chance.”
Wei glanced at the remaining people. Li Ti and Li Tang had layer one and layer two Foundation Realm cultivation, while the two remaining elders had layer four Foundation Realm cultivation, but they were too old to fight.
“Even if we both fight, we can’t win six matches and there’s no chance of winning this,” Li Shua said, then glanced around and leaned in to whisper, “After the next match, I’ll activate the forbidden technique and stall the Du clan. Take that chance and run away.”
Seeing his moist eyes, something moved inside Wei’s heart. Although he’d hated his grandfather all his life, since reincarnating he had learned to let go of his old perceptions. Things were different than they appeared. Since his grandfather had offered him a talisman to protect his life, he knew he was softy at heart.
“Grandfather, don’t worry,” he said, his eyes focused on a youth with a spear. “Let’s send Li Cang for the next fight.”
“Li Cang? He is only at layer one of the Foundation Realm. He’ll be crushed the moment he steps on the stage.”
Wei smirked. “Grandfather. Trust me on this. His spear will kill his opponent today.” He pulled a pitch-black spear from his storage ring. An intricate white design flashed at the tip of the spear when he poured some pure qi inside, and his smile deepened.
“Li Cang.” He patted the youth’s shoulder. “Use this spear instead. You just have to stab him with the tip, and you can leave everything to the spear.” Then he sent a divine message. “Remember, just stab it anywhere and it will do its job.”
Li Cang almost dropped the spear when Wei sent him the message, but he stabilized himself and then jumped onto the martial stage.
“Brat, you had a big mouth when we met last time, and now you’re already cowering away from a fight?” Dan Kuang glared at Wei. “Are you trying to feed sheep to a wolf?”
“Senior Dan, he just wants to get this over with.” Du Riu, a layer four qi Foundation Realm cultivator, opened his vile mouth and jumped on the stage. “He has no hope of winning this match, so he sent a rat to die. Li Cang. Today, I’ll let you experience the power of a great fiend. You’ll bleed until your death.” He popped up a pill in his mouth, and his cultivation level increased by two layers.
Seeing his cultivation jump, Wei rubbed the pendant on his chest. He had charged the pendant with his own blood on the way here, so that should give him the same effect whenever required. With the pendant he could power up by two minor layers in cultivation easily. It was one of his trump cards.
Li Cang remained calm, holding his spear tightly.
Di Riu uncoiled a whip from around his waist and struck at Li Cang.
Jumping to his right, Li Cang avoided the whip.
Wei had never seen Li Cang fight before, but if Grandfather had brought him here, he must have some skills. And some skills were all he needed to kill Du Riu.
Di Riu and Li Cang continued fighting like a cat and mouse for ten minutes, both remaining uninjured, but Li Cang was losing endurance, and his face had turned pale. Normal Foundation Realm cultivators had a limited amount of qi.
Wei was about to ask him to charge forward when Li Cang caught the whip in his left hand. It broke his skin, and blood sprayed out, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he wrapped it around his hand and dashed forward.
Du Riu panicked and tried to pull his whip out of Li C
ang’s grasp, but Li Cang held on like his life depended on it.
When Du Riu couldn’t pull his whip away, he released it and pulled out a packet of powder and blew it forward.
Everyone sucked in a deep breath, and Wei knew the next moment would define the outcome of the battle. He sent a divine message to Li Cang, hoping he would make the right decision.
To everyone’s surprise, Li Cang didn’t avoid the powder and stabbed his spear toward Du Riu’s heart.
Seeing the young man risking his life, complex emotions twisted around Wei’s heart. Li Cang could have jumped away and avoided the black powder if he’d wanted to, but instead he took injury for injury and charged ahead.
Di Riu panicked and twisted his torso to avoid the spear. At the same time, he pulled a glass bottle out of his pocket.
But Li Cang twisted his wrist and stabbed his spear into Du Riu’s left arm—the one that held the bottle.
Boom!
The spear tip exploded, and along with it Du Riu’s body. It was an immense explosion that sent Li Cang flying backward, but he had been five feet away from Du Riu, so the explosion didn’t affect him as much.
The crowd went deadly silent when Du Riu’s body exploded. The glass bottle exploded too, and the red worm inside it.
“City Lord Dan.” Wei smirked and drew another black spear from his storage ring. “Please announce the winner so we can send our next fighter.”
Chapter 85
Uneasy Feeling
The blasting spear surprised Tiang Fu. Just a moment before the explosion, he’d spotted a white light shining brightly on the tip of the spear. If he hadn’t been focused on the fight, he might have missed it.
“Senior apprentice brother Tiang, someone meddled with that spear tip. I don’t believe that brat Li Cang could do this,” Wen Shang whispered to Tiang Fu.
“It was a Qi Exploding Array,” Tiang Fu replied calmly. When the bright light had shone, he had seen through the white line. He was fifty percent sure that it was a Qi Exploding Array. Being a disciple of one of the top alchemy sects, he had to know arrays along with alchemy and martial paths. Although his knowledge was a bare minimum, gathered through a few books and lectures, he could identify common arrays.