Killed in One Strike

Li Weiyi knew very well that Li Ling had pursued him with some underlying purpose, but so far, she had shown no obvious malice. It seemed as though she had merely come to see whether any of his companions were also newly transformed Pure Immortal Physiques. Yet the performance she had just put on caught him completely off guard, leaving him almost defenseless. It was like a sword forged of tender sentiment—lethal, and catching him entirely unawares. Still, what was the point of such a victory? Didn't she know that those who loved acting, once they played their emotions too convincingly, often ended up ensnaring themselves? "Things pieced together from bits and scraps are never the truth. Li Ling, can we talk alone?" Li Weiyi knew that if they stayed right under everyone's watchful eyes, she would keep up her earnest act. Therefore, he took the lead and walked off toward the distant mist. Li Ling bade the others a gentle, courteous farewell before following after him. Li Weiyi paced their distance carefully, not daring to wander too far. If they slipped completely out of sight of the others, who knew what wild scenes Zhao Meng and the rest would conjure in their imaginations? "What exactly are you trying to do? Putting on such an elaborate show—what do you gain from it?" Knowing the people over there could not hear them, Li Ling drew close to his side, letting slip a smug, playful smile. "Who told you to leave me behind all alone at the Coffin Dock ferry port without saying a single word before you left?" Li Weiyi did not beat around the bush and spoke the plain truth. "Even though you’ve rarely shown any malice, you’re far too deliberate. You give me this sense of... falseness. I can’t see through your motives, so I can only keep you at arm’s length." "Then what if I’m more sincere from now on?" Li Ling widened her eyes, adopting a look of pure innocence. "How about you just be more direct?" Li Weiyi truly had a headache. He immediately added, "Didn't we agree that once we left the Mist Domain of Departed Spirits, all our past grievances would be wiped clean? If you won't state your purpose in approaching me, how can I believe your sincerity?" Li Ling replied, "I really just wanted to see whether you had any precious medicine that transforms one into a Pure Immortal Physique. You can understand my yearning for a Pure Immortal Physique, can't you? But having seen your companions—they’re either mutants or ordinary mortals—that near-obsessive longing in my heart has already faded." "It had better be so." Li Weiyi said, "Come back with me and explain everything clearly to everyone. Stop stirring up trouble. That way, we might at least have a chance to get along as friends in the future." "I can do that, but I have to talk serious business with you first." Li Ling's expression grew solemn, regaining the noble, aloof poise she had displayed when they first met. "Shi Jiuzhai's three disciples have chased us in! As you know, that canine mutant woman has an extraordinarily sharp sense of smell. She tracked our scent right through the Mist Domain of Departed Spirits. "While you went to fetch your companions, fortunately I kept leading them in circles to tie them down. Otherwise, the first person they pursued would definitely have been you, because the dharma artifacts are all on you, making you the most likely to have taken the Immortal Dharma Star. "Now that we’ve converged in one place, it won't be long before they track us down." When fleeing earlier, Li Weiyi had shouted Shi Jiuzhai's name, and the two had discussed the matter later in the Mist Domain of Departed Spirits. Shi Jiuzhai was a prominent figure recorded in the Jiazi Register, renowned like thunder across the southern realm. Thus, Li Ling already knew that the force attacking the Cangling Tribe was not necessarily the Fodu Bandits, but very likely the Earth Wolf King's Army. "It doesn't matter much to me; I can escape fast enough anyway. But she caught your scent long ago too. If they track you here, what will happen to them?" Li Ling pointed toward Zhao Meng and the others in the distance, speaking with earnest urgency. "Lend me a hand so we can slay them. At the very least, we must kill that canine mutant." A hundred thousand Fodu Bandits; ten banners of Earth Wolves. Both factions were utterly heinous and brutal, packed with countless formidable experts. This matter was of grave significance, potentially affecting the safety of all Lizhou. Therefore, Li Ling had to capture at least one alive to take back. At the very least, she had to return with the severed head of someone of significant standing within the Earth Wolf King's Army. Li Weiyi understood Li Ling's objective. Yet her coming here clearly showed she was banking on the fact that he would have no choice but to cooperate with her. And right now, that was indeed the case—they had to eliminate this latent threat before the pursuers caught up. Li Weiyi said, "We can cooperate one more time! But first, you must tell me how you tracked me down so accurately." "A formidable enemy is right in front of us; stop dragging your feet. Didn't I say we'd treat each other with sincerity from now on? Once we deal with the enemies, I will definitely tell you." When Zhao Meng and the others glanced over from afar, Li Ling lightly punched him in the chest. Li Weiyi's biggest issue at the moment was that he could not accurately gauge his own strength. Still, considering his four-spring cultivation paired with several dharma artifacts, fleeing for his life shouldn't be much of a problem. Back when he was only at three springs, bolstered by the scripture belt, his speed had already surpassed that of Xing Wanxing, who had opened six springs. Li Weiyi said, "With my cultivation, I might not be of much help. I'll do my best to stall that fat man who opened six springs for you." "If you unleash that blood sacrifice summoning technique here, I imagine it would be even more spectacular than in Immortal Burial Town," Li Ling remarked. Recalling the scene in Immortal Burial Town and looking out at the countless floating coffins before them, Li Weiyi felt lingering dread. "I really don't know any blood sacrifice summoning method." "Fine. Either way, try not to hold back. We have to weather this crisis together. I'll also show my true trump card. In truth, my martial cultivation is quite high as well. For now, you're the only one who knows this secret. I'm telling you only because I trust you." Li Ling spoke this way simply to appear more sincere. In truth, the martial cultivation she referred to stemmed from Chanhai Guanwu inside her body. Li Weiyi gave her an odd look. Cultivating both spiritual soul and dharma-martial arts simultaneously—she actually possessed such a hidden reserve? Remembering Chanhai Guanwu's instructions, Li Ling asked, "After this cooperation, will we count as friends?" ... With time pressing, Li Weiyi could not explain much. He said to Zhao Meng, "Senior Brother, she and I have an urgent matter to handle. We'll definitely be back before dawn. I leave everything here to you!" Watching their receding backs, Zhao Meng muttered, "One moment it's life-and-death melodrama, and the next they're flying off like a pair of lovebirds. What on earth is going on?" "Matters of the heart are beyond this old man. But if a woman can be driven to dramatic tears and fits like that, one of those two must be a master." After offering this cryptic remark, Master Jar immediately began bouncing vigorously up and down. "Time to cultivate! Time to cultivate! Everyone, circulate your breathing methods! "Zhao Meng, you drank massive amounts of Golden Crow blood and Black Flood Dragon blood. With this physique and raw physical strength, even without opening a single spring orifice, your combat prowess already outstrips an ordinary four-spring dharma-martial cultivator. But you must cultivate dharmic power so that in the future you can endure the blood of a third kind of ancient immortal behemoth. With each beast you drink from, you will gain another ancient beast trait. Those ancient legends of transforming into a true dragon require drinking nine types of blood—that is the lifelong pursuit of every mutant!" ... Across the boundless, stacked layers of floating coffins, Li Weiyi and Li Ling advanced swiftly like two blurred phantoms. One had blue misty light swirling about her legs, while the other had silvery dharmic power wafting from his feet. One following right behind the other, neither paused for an instant. "How strange. In the past, the Blood Sea Coffin Dock was never this tranquil. Corpse ghosts would wail and howl, coffin lids would rattle, and all sorts of humanoid and aberrant evils were everywhere. What happened recently?" she murmured to herself. Li Weiyi strongly suspected that the Bronze Ship had suppressed the entire Blood Sea Coffin Dock into dead silence. But now that the ship was gone, with only lingering majesty left behind, it likely wouldn't be long before this place reverted to its original state, turning dangerous and terrifying. Li Ling's perception was extraordinarily sharp. Sensing that they were already very close to Shi Jiuzhai's three disciples, she immediately slowed down alongside Li Weiyi, taking care not to make the slightest sound. She acted decisively, slipping into the turbid, foul-smelling Blood Sea to conceal all traces of her aura. Li Weiyi inwardly marveled at her. Only fifteen or sixteen years old and born of noble status, yet completely devoid of squeamishness—she was unquestionably someone cut out for great undertakings. Masking his face, Li Weiyi also held his breath and submerged himself beneath the blood-colored waters. ... Gradually, three figures sped through the gloomy mist, each radiating thick dharmic power. "We've been chasing for a whole day! What on earth is that girl thinking? Even if she's running, she should be fleeing toward the Lingxiao Realm of the Living! Legends say the Blood Sea Coffin Dock is extremely dangerous," Xing Wanxing grumbled resentfully, bringing up the rear. He was already exhausted to the bone, wanting nothing more than to hurry back to the realms of the living. Neither the Mist Domain of Departed Spirits, the Blood Sea Coffin Dock, nor the Nether Realm of the Dead was a place meant for the living; staying here too long was intensely suffocating. Fang Tong kept observing their surroundings and said, "Perhaps she fears Master is still back at Immortal Burial Town, so she doesn't dare flee back that way." Yan Qingqing halted her steps, having sensed something. She once again channeled dharmic power into her nose, vastly enhancing her olfactory senses. Amid the pungent, rank odors of rot and decay, she searched for the solitary wisp of human scent that belonged exclusively to Li Ling. This was an innate talent possessed by only a tiny fraction of the mutant race. Even if a person had left an hour earlier or was tens of li away, she could still pick up faint traces of their scent. A moment later, she said, "Strange... the scent of that mysterious man who vanished has reappeared here..." Fang Tong instantly grew vigilant. The seven spring orifices within his body surged, and billowing dharmic power enveloped his entire form. *Swish! Swish! Swish!—* Seven bright beams of light, each thirty meters long, erupted from the water. Resembling seven meandering, razor-sharp whip-swords, they slashed simultaneously toward the three pursuers. A radius of thirty meters turned into a lethal domain in an instant. Except for Fang Tong, the other two were caught off guard and scrambled in panic to defend themselves, both sustaining bloody sword wounds across their bodies. Xing Wanxing suffered worst of all; a foot-long slash tore open his back, the wound scorched black and oozing blood, nearly slicing into his spine. He immediately engaged his movement technique and fled toward the perimeter thirty meters away. *Splash!* Li Weiyi leaped out from the sea, sword in hand, water droplets flying everywhere. Cutting off Xing Wanxing's path of retreat, he stirred the four springs within his body and drove dharmic power into the Yellow Dragon Sword. With a sharp hum, yellow light flared like a soaring azure dragon, blazing swift and blindingly bright. No matter what, he had to tie down Xing Wanxing to buy time for Li Ling, so he had to go all out. Too fast! The glare of the Yellow Dragon Sword pierced Xing Wanxing's eyes so sharply he couldn't even keep them open. By the time he forced them open, his throat had already been run through. The sword's tip protruded from the thick, fleshy folds at the back of his neck. Killed in a single strike! Li Weiyi felt a flicker of surprise as he pulled back his sword. Xing Wanxing's corpse crashed heavily to the ground with a thud, blood gushing from both his mouth and neck. In the distance, Fang Tong and Yan Qingqing, who were fending off the seven streaks of light, noticed the situation. Though shocked, they assumed Li Weiyi had merely succeeded through an ambush, compounded by Xing Wanxing's prior severe injuries. "Leave Li Ling to me! You go deal with him—and be careful!" Fang Tong hoisted an iron-plated coffin weighing seven or eight hundred jin, his muscles and bones creaking with raw power, and hurled it toward the patch of bloody sea from which the seven streaks of light had emerged. Li Ling burst out from the water a step ahead of it. Blue mist enveloped her long, fair legs as she struck out with a palm, smiting the oncoming iron-plated coffin squarely. *Boom!* The iron-plated coffin rebounded through the air, crashing down hard upon the "landmass" of floating coffins. Fang Tong scrambled aside to dodge, utterly astonished. "You cultivate dharma-martial arts as well?!"