“Hahaha, kill me?”
Li Xingyun seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world.
A peak Martial Vein Third Layer martial student actually saying he’d kill him, a Martial Vein Fourth Layer martial disciple?
Had he heard that right?
“Before I kill you, I just want to ask one thing, why did you slaughter those poor beggars?”
Ling Xiao genuinely couldn’t understand. The people from the Beggar Gang didn’t know any martial arts, they were just ordinary beggars, so what had brought about their deaths?
“Oh, just on a whim, my swordsmanship had a breakthrough, so I wanted to test it out!”
Li Xingyun said nonchalantly.
“What?”
Ling Xiao was stunned.
Just to test a move, he’d killed over twenty people?
Those were living human lives!
A chill flashed in his eyes, Li Xingyun had to die!
“Enough, if you want to avenge those beggars, come at me, but since you’ve killed so many of our Li family disciples, I won’t let you live.”
As he spoke, Li Xingyun suddenly struck with his sword.
No flair, just sheer speed!
Ling Xiao recognised this move, it was the same one from the Gale Sword Technique Li Xingyun had used against the Level 4 demonic beast back in the Fulong Mountain Range.
His opponent wasn’t weak.
Ling Xiao didn’t dare slack off.
His true qi surged, his body turned into the afterimage of a dragon, and he fully unleashed “Soaring Cloud Steps: Dragon Transformation,” dodging the strike with ease.
He didn’t use his gang qi, killing Li Xingyun wouldn’t be easy that way, gang qi could be his trump card.
A sudden burst would catch Li Xingyun off guard.
He wanted a one-hit kill, he couldn’t let Li Xingyun escape, so concentrating his power into a single point was essential.
He just needed the right moment.
“Huh?”
Li Xingyun paused, he’d always been wary of Ling Xiao’s movement technique, but he hadn’t expected it to have improved even beyond what he’d seen in the Fulong Mountain Range.
“Your movement’s gotten better, but it’s useless, you can’t comprehend the power of Martial Vein Fourth Layer!”
“Chain Sword!”
As they shifted positions, Li Xingyun spun around and thrust his sword.
This strike was clearly different from the last, not only was the gang qi denser, but it split into three sword qi streams.
The sword qi sliced through the air, nearby branches were severed, and a gust whipped up.
“Bull Demon Technique: Meteor Strike Fist!”
Ling Xiao unleashed his strongest attack move yet, “Barbarian Bull Strength” was fine for sparring, but for killing, Meteor Strike Fist was far more suited.
“Boom!”
With one punch, all three sword qi streams shattered into fragments of light, scattering everywhere, piercing straight through nearby rocks.
“Gang qi?”
Li Xingyun frowned slightly, “So you’ve condensed gang qi too, no wonder you’re so cocky, but it’s no use! Martial Vein Third Layer is still Third Layer, even with gang qi, you’re no match for me!”
Though surprised that Ling Xiao had smashed his three sword qi streams with one punch, and even more shocked that Ling Xiao had condensed gang qi, he wasn’t afraid.
The gap in their realms was the source of his confidence.
“Die!”
Ling Xiao’s attack didn’t stop.
“Soaring Cloud Steps: Dragon Transformation” wasn’t just for fleeing, it was perfect for combat!
Meteor Strike Fist Ninth Form—Meteor Fall!
Ling Xiao’s speed was blinding, he closed in on Li Xingyun in an instant.
Li Xingyun knew he couldn’t dodge, so he raised his sword to block.
“Hmph, nothing to worry about!”
He didn’t plan to go all out, intending to parry this punch and then counterattack, killing Ling Xiao in one fell swoop.
Gale Fury Strike!
The strongest move of the Gale Sword Technique erupted from Li Xingyun’s hands, though he only used seventy percent of his power.
In a flash, sword light glinted, the piercing sound startled nearby animals into fleeing, and gale-like sword qi surged from the blade, hurtling towards Ling Xiao.
This strike was undeniably powerful!
It could absolutely slay a low-tier Level 4 demonic beast in one blow.
A low-tier Level 4 demonic beast was equivalent to a low-tier Martial Vein Fourth Layer martial artist, after all.
Li Xingyun was indeed a genius, his strength far surpassed martial artists of the same realm.
As he unleashed this strike, a mix of excitement and ruthlessness gleamed in his eyes.
Finally, he could wash away the shame from the Fulong Mountain Range.
But moments later, his pupils shrank.
Terror spread across his face.
Ling Xiao’s punch was far, far stronger than he’d imagined!
It was a terrifying blow, the fist hadn’t even connected with the sword yet, but the scorching gang qi was already threatening to engulf Li Xingyun entirely.
“No—!”
Li Xingyun regretted it, he regretted not using his full strength.
But it was too late, this punch obliterated the so-called gale sword qi with unstoppable force, then shattered the sword in Li Xingyun’s hands.
Finally, both fists slammed into Li Xingyun’s body.
“Buzz!”
A massive boom rang out, Li Xingyun’s body didn’t fly back, instead, it was pierced clean through by the punch, dangling from Ling Xiao’s arms like a skewered kebab.
“You! You!”
Li Xingyun stared at Ling Xiao in horror, until his body ceased struggling entirely, his life snuffed out.
Ling Xiao flicked his hands, and Li Xingyun’s corpse hit the ground, he gave it a cold glance before quickly cleaning up the scene.
To be honest, the other Li family disciples didn’t have much worth looting, mostly silver, totaling about a thousand taels.
But Li Xingyun was different.
He gave Ling Xiao a massive surprise.
This guy actually had a storage ring!
Though it was just a common-grade storage ring, it was still incredibly valuable.
In a place like Tianfeng City, even among the four great families, such storage rings were rare, maybe ten at most.
Even with Li Xingyun’s potential, talent, and status as a mainline Li family member, he likely wouldn’t qualify for such a treasure.
Could someone have lent it to him?
Whatever, take it first!
Common-grade storage rings had no mental imprint or restrictions, so they were usable as soon as you got them.
Ling Xiao didn’t linger to check its contents, fearing trouble if he stayed too long, he swiftly left the scene and headed to the ruined temple.
There were too many bodies, burying them one by one would take too long, and even if he did, with so many wild and demonic beasts around, they’d likely be dug up and eaten.
Unless you were from a great family with a sealed tomb, people in this world generally opted for cremation.
Ling Xiao cremated his old begging companions together.
“Rest in peace! I’ve avenged you, I’ll take good care of Little Potato for you, I won’t let him suffer a single grievance.”
Though his heart ached deeply, Ling Xiao knew the dead couldn’t return.
He still had more to do, or else it might be his grandfather Hong Qi and Little Potato who’d die next.
He didn’t want this to happen again.
This was the last time!
Leaving the temple, Ling Xiao returned to the Ling family.
If anyone had witnessed his fight with Li Xingyun, their jaws would’ve hit the floor.
A peak Martial Vein Third Layer martial student killing a Martial Vein Fourth Layer genius in just two moves.
Sure, that Fourth Layer genius had underestimated him a bit, but the result was still jaw-dropping.
Not long after Ling Xiao left, beasts emerged from the woods, dragging the Li family disciples’ corpses away, leaving only bloodstains and tattered fragments behind.
