Can You Take This Punch of Mine?

When Nangong Meng'er appeared, Li Daochen's face showed no trace of emotion. "Are you that eager to kill me?" he asked coldly.

"It seems you really did know I was going to make a move against you." Nangong Meng'er gave a chilly smile. "May I ask why?"

"More than anything in my life, I hate bitches," Li Daochen sneered.

Nangong Meng'er's face instantly turned cold.

"Very well. All the more reason I can't let you live," she said coldly. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Huang Zongyuan was a good friend of mine. He's the main reason I want you dead!"

But just then—

"Meng'er, stop gathering your strength! He's recovering at a terrifying speed!" Zhu Lingye suddenly shouted.

As it turned out,

Nangong Meng'er had kept him talking to give Zhu Lingye time to recover. Zhu Lingye really had put everything she had into that sword strike.

Nangong Meng'er's expression changed slightly. "Attack together!"

Li Daochen's terrifying strength had indeed frightened them. Had he not been gravely injured, they would never have shown themselves.

Whoosh!

Zhu Lingye burst into action again, while Nangong Meng'er unleashed a divine ability that made the world in all directions turn illusory.

She had also been secretly using a divine ability just now.

As Yunmeng Ancient City's strongest prodigy, Nangong Meng'er was naturally formidable in her own right!

However,

Zhu Lingye led the attack.

She was worthy of being a Sacred Physique, far stronger than Xie Tianfu and the others.

Whether in strength, explosive power, or divine abilities, she surpassed that group of prodigies.

Boom!

Zhu Lingye charged up to Li Daochen in an instant, her sword strike unleashing red lotus karmic fire.

Bang!

Sword met sword!

Li Daochen was sent flying backward, a suffocating heat washing over him.

This kind of flame could corrode and burn anything. If the Dragon-Slaying Sword hadn't been a half-step sacred weapon, it would surely have been destroyed.

But it caused too great a disturbance, which was why Zhu Lingye hadn't used it in her earlier sneak attack.

Whoosh!

Zhu Lingye closed in, giving Li Daochen no chance to catch his breath.

One charged forward while the other retreated, covering a thousand zhang in an instant.

"Slash!" Zhu Lingye shouted, ancient phoenix markings appearing on her face.

At that instant, her strength at least doubled!

Nangong Meng'er's support also brought her speed to its limit, making her even more elusive and ethereal.

But at that moment,

Imperial might flashed through Li Daochen's eyes and vanished.

Boom!

In the nick of time, the Fleshly Body Phenomenon, the Azure Emperor Demon-Planting Lotus, erupted.

The Azure Emperor's phantom struck at Zhu Lingye with a palm.

Boom!

Zhu Lingye froze in an instant, as though struck by lightning.

The next moment, the demon lotus bloomed, enclosing Zhu Lingye within it.

"Emperor's Burial!"

Li Daochen roared, killing intent surging in his eyes.

Boom!

The Azure Emperor's phantom struck out with another palm, carrying the intent to blot out the heavens as it descended on the demon lotus.

Bang!

The demon lotus exploded, along with Zhu Lingye inside it.

Crack, crack, crack!

Even Zhu Lingye's Sacred Physique cracked continuously.

Boom!

She fell to the ground on her back, her face horrific, all its former delicate beauty gone.

"Flesh... ly Body Phenomenon..." Zhu Lingye struggled to open her eyes, then screamed with all her strength, "Meng'er, run!"

Hmph!

Li Daochen snorted heavily.

Although he hadn't noticed the two women following him, keeping a trump card up his sleeve had become a habit, allowing him to turn the tables and kill her now!

Bang!

Li Daochen killed Zhu Lingye with a single punch, put away her corpse, and charged at Nangong Meng'er.

"You!" Nangong Meng'er was beside herself with terror. She turned and ran!

Even Zhu Lingye had been killed by Li Daochen!

For a moment, Nangong Meng'er thought she was dreaming, but the fear filling her entire body told her it was all real.

Ten breaths later.

"Spare my life. Name any condition..." Nangong Meng'er's path had been blocked, and cold sweat streamed down her face.

"You can ask my fist if it agrees," Li Daochen said coldly.

"My father..."

"I've already slaughtered a Sacred Physique. Would I care about your father?" Li Daochen sneered and attacked without another word.

Nangong Meng'er's face turned deathly pale, but she could only fight back. Her strength was a shade below even Xie Tianfu's, and she had no chance of victory against Li Daochen with his Fleshly Body Phenomenon unleashed.

In just ten breaths, Li Daochen had beaten Nangong Meng'er bloody from head to toe, her consciousness growing hazy.

Bang, bang, bang!

After three punches, Nangong Meng'er fell to the ground and passed out.

Li Daochen walked up to her. Facing such an exquisite beauty, his eyes showed no trace of emotion.

"Yunmeng Ancient City chose Nangong Meng'er the moment she was born." Li Daochen turned her over and pulled aside her clothes. A miniature depiction of Yunmeng Ancient City was painted on her beautiful, snow-white back, now stained with blood.

Just as he thought!

Even if I kill Nangong Meng'er and strip off her skin, I won't be able to obtain Yunmeng Ancient City. On the contrary, it'll only make the ancient city choose another master.

Li Daochen turned Nangong Meng'er back over and looked at her pale face.

After a moment's silence,

Li Daochen brought his fist crashing down.

Bang!

Blood splattered, carrying a trace of the intent of the Sea of Bitterness.

The Sea of Bitterness Devil Phoenix Fist has an extremely terrifying effect. If the Sea of Bitterness is allowed to seep into a life soul, it can beat its owner into a devil puppet. This is no easy task, and it certainly can't be accomplished overnight!

As Li Daochen thought, he struck her with another punch.

But once it succeeds, Nangong Meng'er will die, yet her body will remain completely intact, under my control, just like a living person! As long as I handle it properly, there may yet be a chance to obtain Yunmeng Ancient City in the future!

With that thought, Li Daochen made his decision and began raining down punch after punch.

Bang, bang, bang...

In the silent, deserted wilderness, Li Daochen crouched beside a woman, hammering her over and over with an expressionless face, deliberately aiming for her face. The sight was rather eerie.

Nangong Meng'er twitched instinctively.

Her face, the most beautiful in Yunmeng, had been smashed into a bloody pulp, to the point that even her parents wouldn't recognize her.

A long while later.

"Phew, that's enough for this time. I'll come back and beat her again next year." Li Daochen let out a breath.

Even Li Daochen didn't know how many beatings it would take. In any case, he would keep at it until Nangong Meng'er's life soul was completely corroded by the intent of the Sea of Bitterness, leaving her soul dead and her body alive.

But he couldn't do it too often. Otherwise, her life soul would explode outright, and Li Daochen wouldn't be able to control her body.

At worst, he would come to Yunmeng Ancient City and beat Nangong Meng'er once a year from now on!

With that thought,

Li Daochen kicked Nangong Meng'er into the cave from before, so that spirit beasts wouldn't eat her.

The cave held lingering dragon might, so spirit beasts didn't dare approach it.

Once he had done all that, Li Daochen left the area in an instant.

On the way, Li Daochen searched for a secluded place.

He had gained a great deal this time and needed to digest it.

But the next moment, Li Daochen stopped and looked coldly ahead.

A young man came rushing toward him. It was Lü Chunyang of the Four Seasons Soul Sect.

At the sight of Li Daochen covered in blood, Lü Chunyang shuddered.

Damn it!

Did I get lost again?

I was clearly walking in the opposite direction from him!

Lü Chunyang wanted to turn and run, but he felt that would make him lose too much face, so he steeled himself and walked over.

"You too..." Li Daochen said coldly.

"Don't! I'm just passing through! Brother, don't attack, I'm really just passing through!" Lü Chunyang shouted.

Li Daochen: "..."

"Your injuries look serious. I have some healing pills. Want any?" Lü Chunyang added.

"No need."

"Then I'll go?" Lü Chunyang blurted out.

"Am I stopping you?" Li Daochen asked.

Lü Chunyang felt utterly spineless, so ashamed he could have dug a hole with his toes. But instinct told him he absolutely couldn't lose his temper!

He was arrogant and overbearing, but he was also famous for bullying the weak and fearing the strong!

"No, I'll go right now..." Stiff as a board, Lü Chunyang immediately ran off into the distance.

Li Daochen watched him and murmured to himself, "Four Seasons Soul Sect, Lü Chunyang!"

He did know this kid!

Come to think of it, the kid was a real oddball, and he lived quite a long time. Li Daochen had still heard news of him right up until he was beaten to death in his previous life.

Lü Chunyang possessed the extremely ancient Four Seasons Soul Physique, which had a strange trait: its strength rose and fell with the changing seasons.

Weakest in spring, strongest in winter!

Later, for some unknown reason, Lü Chunyang appeared only in winter. He was nowhere to be seen in spring, summer, or autumn, and even his closest relatives didn't know where he hid.

In his own words, he was the prince of ice and snow, the most handsome lad in winter, and the other three seasons weren't worthy of his appearance.

Li Daochen shook his head, thought no more about it, and left in a flash.

Meanwhile,

On the fourth level,

A group of major figures had just emerged from a hidden place. Most wore smiles, clearly having gained quite a bit.

This place was extremely dangerous, so most of them traveled together.

"Sect Master Liang, you've made quite a haul this time," said an old man with purplish-red hair and beard. He was Wu Aocang, sect master of the Karmic Fire Lotus Sect.

The Sect Master Liang he spoke of was Liang Yuzhou, sect master of the True Talisman Profound Sect!

Liang Yuzhou smiled. "Nothing special."

"Go on, gloat to yourself," Wu Aocang snorted.

Liang Yuzhou was indeed pleased. He began, "I didn't..."

Halfway through his sentence,

Liang Yuzhou froze. His expression changed slightly as he reached into his robes and pulled out a jade talisman split into several pieces.

It was Xie Tianfu's life-bound spirit talisman.

As Liang Yuzhou watched, his face contorting, the jade talisman turned to ash.

"Who was it? Who killed my sect's prodigy?" Liang Yuzhou roared.

How long had it been? And Xie Tianfu was already dead?

Everyone present was either a sect master or a grand elder, and they all looked at Liang Yuzhou sympathetically.

Wu Aocang was startled, but for some reason his mood improved. Liang Yuzhou had snatched quite a few treasures from him earlier.

Serves you right. Karma's come for you...

Wu Aocang chuckled inwardly, but offered words of comfort. "Sect Master Liang, life and death are unpredictable. You must take it in stride..."

Before he could finish,

His expression also changed abruptly, and he reached into his robes.

A red lotus visibly withered before his eyes, until it turned to ash.

"Who killed my sect's Sacred Physique?" Wu Aocang roared.

Everyone: "..."

The corner of Liang Yuzhou's mouth twitched, and for some reason his mood improved too.

And at that moment,

Wu Aocang abruptly looked at Xu Nantian, the unperturbed sect master of the Northern Nether Dragon Fish Sect. "Was it your Sacred Physique?"

Xu Nantian's heart skipped a beat.

"And my Tianfu!" Liang Yuzhou's gaze also turned hostile.

"How is that possible? You don't have a shred of evidence, so stop spewing slander!" Xu Nantian shouted angrily, though he did not sound very confident. After all, Zhao Jiuxiao had never taken the eastern region's favored geniuses seriously, and he had been chosen by the Saint Sect. With that backing, he had nothing to fear, and he certainly would not hesitate to kill.

"Other than Zhao Jiuxiao, who has the strength to slay my sect's Sacred Physique?" Wu Aocang grew even angrier.

Xu Nantian also began to wonder whether it had been his own disciple who killed them, and his head began to ache.

The Northern Nether Dragon Fish Sect was strong, but the Karmic Fire Lotus Sect and the others were not weak either. He could not very well offend them all.

At that moment, Xu Nantian even prayed in his heart that the little ancestor had killed fewer of them...