Half-Step Nascent Soul Fang Yishan!

Li Guanqi knew that if they kept running like this, the three of them would inevitably be run down. It was better to conserve their stamina now, turn back, and face the enemy!! The moment the words left his mouth, Ye Feng drew his longsword, settling instantly into a defensive stance. Cao Yan also donned his flame gauntlets, his aura surging wildly!! At the same time, Cao Yan waved his hand and tossed several spirit talismans toward the two of them, speaking with rapid haste. "These are talismans I drew earlier! Slap them on!" Li Guanqi glanced at Zhao Yang on his back, gritted his teeth, and directly opened the sword casket, drawing him into its internal space! This sight left both Ye Feng and Cao Yan stunned. By common knowledge in the cultivation world, save for extremely special spaces, no spatial storage could ever hold living beings. This was an ironclad law known to everyone, yet right now... However, this scene was also witnessed by Fang Yishan several hundred zhang away. A sharp glint instantly flashed across Fang Yishan's eyes, and he murmured, "That sword casket... is no ordinary thing!" *Boom!!!* The sounds of wind and thunder roared in their ears as Fang Yishan's figure closed the distance in the blink of an eye! *Clang!!!* A ringing sword cry resounded as Red Lotus cleared its scabbard in a flash! The moment Li Guanqi gripped Red Lotus, his entire bearing shifted abruptly. Torrential surges of primal energy churned within all three of them, their combined pressure permeating the surrounding void. Li Guanqi had only just broken through to the mid Core Formation realm, yet his aura was already rock-solid, showing not the slightest hint of someone who had newly stepped into the stage. Li Guanqi gritted his teeth, a cold gleam flaring in his eyes as he bellowed in a deep voice, "Kill!!!" *Boom!!!* In an instant, the three moved in a pincer formation, rocketing toward Fang Yishan together. Murderous intent churned in Fang Yishan's eyes, his face twisting into a savage grimace as he snarled, "Worthless curs! Were you the ones who killed my son?" "No matter who you are, I will make you pay in blood!" *Boom!!!* With a violent snap of the Wind Thunder Wings, Fang Yishan vanished from their sight. Within Li Guanqi's divine sense, there was only a faint, blurred afterimage. Realizing what was happening, Li Guanqi snapped his head around and roared, "Cao Yan, look out!!!" More than a dozen zhang away, Cao Yan had already twisted his body around before Li Guanqi even shouted. Raging, explosive fire primal energy surged through him as he threw a savage punch straight behind him!! *Thud!!!* A distinct halo of flame erupted in midair, expanding out in all directions. The sheer momentum of this blow would peel the skin off any cultivator in the same realm, if not kill them outright! Furthermore, bolstered by several spirit talismans stuck to his body, Cao Yan was extraordinarily swift, making this strike terrifically ferocious. *Boom!! Bang!!!* Fang Yishan abruptly materialized behind Cao Yan, but before his sword could slash down, that fist had already smashed into him, carrying immense power. A flicker of astonishment crossed Fang Yishan's eyes. With no time to counter, the wings on his back snapped shut, wrapping tightly around him for protection. The punch slammed squarely into the Wind Thunder Wings. Beneath the terrifying eruption of brute force and searing fire, Fang Yishan was knocked out of the sky like a kite with a severed string. Yet without anyone noticing, Ye Feng had already circled behind him. Golden sword light flickered around his blade as he unleashed several slashes in rapid succession!! A tremendous burst of power surged from Fang Yishan's body, forcibly steadying himself in midair. With a dark, chilling face, Fang Yishan thrust his sword directly at Ye Feng!! The milky-white sword light struck with blinding speed, trading dozens of blows with Ye Feng in mere moments!!! *Clang! Clang! Clang! Crash!* *Bang!! Bang, bang!! Clang, clang!!!* The two figures blurred into a tangled melee. As their blades clashed, neither gave up any chance to attack, mixing in punches and kicks. Yet whether in cultivation realm or raw physical power, Ye Feng was inferior to Fang Yishan, and he was suppressed after only a brief exchange. More importantly, Fang Yishan had fought and slaughtered in countless battles throughout his life, possessing far more combat experience than Ye Feng. In many strikes and psychological exchanges, Ye Feng could not match him. Right at that moment, Li Guanqi, sword gripped in his left hand, instantly stepped in to take Ye Feng's place!! Beneath Li Guanqi's feet were remarkably profound footwork patterns, driving him forward at blinding speed! This movement technique was none other than the Traceless Nether Step, which Li Guanqi had learned upon leaving the Great Xia Sword Sect. A technique bestowed by Northern Heavenly King Long Qu was naturally formidable, and its movement steps allowed Li Guanqi to keep pace with Fang Yishan's speed. Fang Yishan narrowed his eyes. He could faintly detect the lingering presence of Fang Hao's aura upon Li Guanqi. *Boom!!!* Fang Yishan's aura suddenly skyrocketed!!! *Clang! Clang! Clang!!! Clang! Clang!!!* In an instant, Fang Yishan's sword grew another fraction faster, his murderous intent completely bared. The surrounding mountains were gouged with countless deep craters by stray sword energy, while towering ancient trees collapsed in vast swathes. His features hideous with fury, Fang Yishan glared at Li Guanqi and snarled viciously, "Bastard dog!!! It was you who killed my son!!!" Li Guanqi's expression remained unchanged as his sword momentum grew even sharper. His strikes came faster and faster, faintly beginning to press down on Fang Yishan. He barked back without mercy, "And what if I did?" "Let me tell you, old cur! From the moment you captured a disciple of my Great Xia Sword Sect, the doom of your Changfeng Villa was already written!!" *Rumble!!!* With the shuddering of the Wind Thunder Wings, Fang Yishan's figure turned ethereal. Beside him, Ye Feng and Cao Yan rejoined the battle one after the other. Joining forces, the three of them actually managed to suppress Fang Yishan, a late Core Formation cultivator. The man narrowed his triangular eyes, which glinted with the venomous chill of a viper. Suddenly, Fang Yishan smiled. That chilling grin sent shivers down the spine, his blood-splattered face filled with manic madness. "If I'm not mistaken... that shadow-casting stone and the message left behind were all your doing, weren't they?" As he spoke, Fang Yishan's eyes remained fixed on Li Guanqi. His blade wheeled through several blossoms of sword light to parry the trio's assaults. Seeing Li Guanqi say nothing, Fang Yishan broke into wild, unbridled laughter. "Hahahahaha!!!!" "You killed my son, and provoked my foolish brother." "Now I, Fang Yishan, have lost my son, and slaughtered my own brother and second uncle with my bare hands." "To think all of this was thanks to you!!!" *Boom!!!!!* An incomparably domineering pressure abruptly erupted from Fang Yishan's body. His aura, originally only at late Core Formation, actually showed signs of loosening!!! In a flash, his aura surged straight into the half-step Nascent Soul realm!! At this moment, Fang Yishan was just one step away from having the golden core within his body transform into a nascent soul. The terrifying pressure unleashed violent shockwaves of air, blasting the three of them back dozens of zhang! All three turned pale with horror. Li Guanqi had never anticipated that Fang Yishan's true strength would be so terrifying!! It was too late to run now! Yet Ye Feng and Cao Yan were still too weak. Relying on himself alone... Merely contending with Fang Yishan at late Core Formation had already stretched the three of them to their limits.