A Fight to the Death

Upon hearing his master's words, He Li was overjoyed. His cultivation was clearly far superior to Yue Qianchou's, and his master's actions were obviously biased towards him. But before he could even finish rejoicing, Yue Qianchou made his move without any hesitation, acting without even a word.

Yue Qianchou's actions could be described as a sneak attack, but the difference in their cultivation levels was too great; it was no wonder the sneak attack failed. He Li roared, "Despicable!" Simultaneously, he conjured five claws and deflected the incoming flying sword with a wave of his hand.

The two were close together. After deflecting the flying sword, He Li casually grabbed Yue Qianchou's shoulder. Yue Qianchou wasn't stupid; he knew the chances of this strike harming his opponent were slim. As he released the flying sword, he slapped the ground with his other palm, causing the kneeling man to stand up and be launched into the air. The flying sword that He Li had deflected instantly returned, catching the launched Yue Qianchou and carrying him high into the sky.

"You feathered beast, you dare use the word 'despicable' with me? After you've been despicable, can't I be despicable too? Bah! I misspoke. How could I be the father of a feathered beast like you?" Yue Qianchou cursed loudly in the air, while nearly a hundred flying swords shot out from his Storage Bag with continuous "whoosh" sounds, circling and dancing around him, creating a spectacular sight in the sky. As soon as the flying swords appeared, he could immediately feel that after reaching the late Core Formation stage, his control over them had become increasingly effortless.

For He Li, this was a battle with no suspense, an opportunity given to him by his master. Looking up at Yue Qianchou in the air, he sneered, "You asked for death, don't blame me!"

The hands slowly rose into claws, and the swirling malevolent energy reappeared between them, solidifying into scale-like structures. The hands became two lifelike claws. The malevolent energy spread from the claws, swirling around the arms and slowly covering the entire body, forming a thin, almost imperceptible film on the surface.

Yue Qianchou narrowed his eyes as he looked down. This was his third encounter with a mid Tribulation stage Transcending expert. The first time was when he caused trouble at the 'Newcomer Tournament' on Fu Xian Island and was severely injured by Dongfang Changao, forcing him to flee. The second time was not long ago, when he had a minor test with Wu Zhenggang. He hadn't expected the third time to come so soon. This time, unlike the previous two, it would be a fierce battle. Although he didn't know Bi Changchun's intentions, he wouldn't give up easily until the very end. He only had one chance to rely on Bi Changchun, and how could he know the outcome without giving it his all? Therefore, he wouldn't run away easily and was destined to fight to the bitter end. He had never fought with his full strength before, and today he would finally get his wish.

Upon noticing the changes in He Li's hands, Yue Qianchou suddenly had a thought: This birdman had never been seen carrying any weapon before. His original form was a crane, so perhaps he was used to using his own claws. The thin membrane on his body was naturally his protective Gang Qi. He wondered if his flying sword could break through his Gang Qi.

"Go!" Yue Qianchou opened his eyes wide and pointed his Sword Control Art downwards. Amidst the flying swords around him, light and shadow rose, and fifty flying swords flashed in all directions, drifting erratically around He Li. They appeared and disappeared at an unpredictable speed, approaching their target silently.

With improved cultivation, controlling the flying sword has become so effortless and exhilarating... This was Yue Qianchou's thought at that moment.

He Li unmoved, his eyes darting left and right, wary of any sudden attacks from the flying swords dancing around him. He had never seen anyone like Yue Qianchou before, who could control so many flying swords at the same time. However, he showed no sign of panic. No matter how amazing Yue Qianchou's sword control technique was, he was still only at the Core Formation stage and posed little threat to him.

However, he wasn't one to underestimate his opponent. He remained stationary to gauge Yue Qianchou's true strength, since Yue's escape from Twilight Valley might not be as simple as Yue claimed. If he was indeed nothing special, he would quickly end the battle.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Bi Changchun had already stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, calmly watching the duel between the two men before him.

He Li's calm and vigilant attitude allowed Yue Qianchou to guess his plan. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze flashing, and pulled out a stack of yellow talismans from his Storage Bag with both hands. With a wave of his left hand, a group of yellow shadows shot towards He Li below.

He Li glanced quickly upwards, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Yue Qianchou to be able to control so many flying swords simultaneously while also having other things to do. His gaze returned to the flickering, cold light around him, and his protective Gang Qi surged, rapidly thickening. At that moment, a group of yellow figures rushed in and exploded, flames shooting into the sky, engulfing He Li in fire. He Li, engulfed in flames, sneered. So it was just a Fire Talisman; how dare such a thing try to harm him?

As the fire spread to the surrounding houses, Bi Changchun's long beard moved without wind, and the raging fire was stopped just in front of the houses.

Just as the flames ignited, Yue Qianchou sent out a pile of talismans from his right hand. A group of yellow figures darted into the sea of fire, immediately followed by First Company deafening roars that could be felt throughout the entire Shuntian Island. These were the "Armor Piercing Talisman" made by Chen Feng, but it seemed to have some effect on those in the Nascent Soul Early Stage, but little use on those in the Tribulation Transcendence stage.

Yue Qianchou naturally knew this; the effect he wanted was to confuse their eyes and ears. With the sound of the "Armor Piercing Talisman," Yue Qianchou made a hand seal, and cold light flashed incessantly amidst the sea of fire and smoke below, followed by First Company rapid, persistent explosions. However, after a short while, the sounds gradually faded until they ceased altogether. Yue Qianchou's expression changed in the air; the fifty flying swords he had released had all coalesced and were no longer under his control. What was going on?

Before long, the flames died down, and the smoke and dust from the "Armor Piercing Talisman" gradually dissipated, revealing He Li's ferocious smile. He held up a large handful of flying swords gathered together, the very swords released by Yue Qianchou. Yue Qianchou was greatly surprised; the flying swords were moving at such a high speed, yet He Li had managed to capture them all.

"Is that all you've got? Stealing chickens and dogs?" He Li sneered, then twisted his hands together, and fifty flying swords, tempered by Profound Gold Sand, creaked and crunched as they were quickly twisted into a ball and tossed to the ground.

"Damn it! What kind of crappy claws do you have? They're insane!" Yue Qianchou's eyelids twitched. He had suffered a loss in the fight, but he still wanted to gain the upper hand verbally.

"Then I'll show you the power of my Crane Claw!" He Li sneered, his figure vanishing in an instant, as if he had teleported away. He felt he had figured out Yue Qianchou's true strength and immediately launched his attack.

Yue Qianchou's pupils contracted sharply. Could it be late Tribulation Transcendence stage? No! He vaguely saw a blurry figure; it couldn't be teleportation, but rather the result of excessive speed. Yue Qianchou immediately sensed a deadly threat. With a thought, the flying swords around him swirled in a cold light, protecting him.

With a crisp clang, several flying swords were knocked away. Due to the obstruction from the swords, He Li appeared not far away, slipping through the sword net and lunging forward with his claws. Yue Qianchou was greatly alarmed. With a thought, the surrounding flying swords spun rapidly, shooting towards He Li like a storm. Unfortunately, they all bounced off He Li's protective Gang Qi, unable to break through Gang Qi at all. Indeed, someone who excels in close-range attacks but not long-range combat is bound to have much stronger self-protection.

Yue Qianchou was chased and dodged through the air, his flying swords repeatedly regrouping to continue the attack, creating a series of rapid explosions. Although He Li was not afraid of these flying swords, they still slowed his flight, making it difficult for him to catch up with Yue Qianchou for the time being. As time went on, he naturally became annoyed. With a flurry of afterimages, he caught every flying sword that came his way. Once caught, Yue Qianchou cultivation level, had no chance of retrieving it.

Aside from those in the late Tribulation Transcendence stage Realm, this was the first time Yue Qianchou had ever witnessed someone move with such speed. His flying sword was already fast enough, but the opponent could actually catch it with his bare hands—this was ridiculously fast. He didn't know that He Li was a crane among the Demon Race, whose greatest strength lay in speed, far surpassing that of ordinary people, especially his claws. Although he didn't use Law Treasure, his claws were no less powerful than Law Treasure, and they could even evolve along with his cultivation level.

He Li caught four or five flying swords, twisted them with both hands, and threw them away. After several repetitions, there were hardly any flying swords left in the air. But Yue Qianchou had no choice! If the flying swords didn't reach him, he would be caught.

"Damn it!" Yue Qianchou yelled as the last few swords in the air were twisted into a pretzel, He Li shot towards him like lightning. Yue Qianchou didn't dodge anymore, knowing he couldn't avoid it with his speed, so he jumped off the flying sword, looking like he was committing suicide. The flying sword beneath his feet served its last purpose of blocking the enemy, whistling as it shot towards He Li. As Yue Qianchou fell, he cried out, "Elder Bi, save me!" His cries were extremely pitiful.

With a creak, the last sword was also sacrificed. He Li grinned sinisterly and pounced on Yue Qianchou, who had already landed. He extended a claw, aiming straight for the top of Yue Qianchou's head. Looking down, he suddenly saw Yue Qianchou looking up at him coldly, raising one hand diagonally, pointing two fingers at his claw.

"You're courting death!" He Li's smile widened as his five claws fiercely gripped the two fingers that Yue Qianchou was pointing at. If nothing unexpected happened, a bloody mess and a miserable scream would soon follow.

But an unexpected event occurred. The moment the fingers and claws intersected, Yue Qianchou's two fingers flashed with an eerie blue light, and He Li immediately felt a burning pain in his claws. The Gang Qi covering the claws was instantly shattered.

"Ignorant fool!" Yue Qianchou snorted coldly. This finger strike was delivered with the highest temperature of the Azure Flame. He had spent half a day putting on a show, just waiting for He Li's carelessness. This battle was either life or death; there was no room for negotiation. He couldn't run away. Although the Azure Flame was powerful, given his opponent's superior cultivation, if he missed his first strike, it would be difficult to get close again. He simply couldn't catch up. No matter how powerful the Azure Flame was, it was useless if he couldn't hit his opponent.

Having witnessed He Li's speed, Yue Qianchou became even more determined to lure the enemy. Only when the opponent was careless would it be the best opportunity for him to unleash his Qinghuo power, and this attack was indeed effective.

The azure flames unleashed by his two fingers instantly shattered He Li's Gang Qi, incinerating the outstretched claw into ashes. Yue Qianchou would not give him a second chance; his painstaking efforts to lure the enemy would not allow He Li another opportunity to turn the tide.

"Ah!" Yue Qianchou roared, his raised finger still outstretched, when a burst of vibrant azure flames surged from his body, the incomparably intense heat quickly engulfing the He Li above him. The azure flames swirled and roared, and a pillar of azure fire shot into the sky, engulfing the writhing He Li with a mind-shaking aura...

"Ah! It's Azure Flame..." He Li screamed in agony. Realizing what was happening, he twisted his body, but before he could escape, he vanished into the flames. Ultimately, he couldn't withstand the burning Azure Flame that had annihilated Yue Qianchou in a single battle. Bi Changchun, watching from under the eaves, his eyes flickered, but he remained silent...

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