He Couldn't Be Killed

"What are you doing here? You're no match for him!"

Zhou Xue gritted her teeth. Seven days after her rebirth, aside from her adoptive parents, Fang Wang was the only person she had any goodwill toward. She did not want this young man to be buried here tonight.

Fang Wang held Zhou Xue in one arm, his feet moving through Shadowless Steps as he constantly shifted his footing and dodged the attacks of golden beams. He did not flee outright, instead weaving back and forth through the area.

"I may not be, but does that mean you are now?"

Fang Wang did not glance at Zhou Xue in his arms. He answered calmly, his gaze fixed tightly upon the Daoist in Green standing in midair.

Zhou Xue fell silent, unable to refute him.

At that moment, the Daoist in Green's attacks stopped. Fang Wang landed atop a broken wall, and Zhou Xue naturally slipped from his arm, keeping a suitably measured distance from him.

"Is this magic? The bottom rung of the Immortal Cultivation world is this strong? You weren't lying to me?"

Fang Wang stared at the Daoist in Green and asked in a low voice.

The golden beams were terrifyingly destructive. While dodging them just now, Fang Wang had sensed an unprecedented aura of danger. His mind had been taut, and he had not dared let down his guard.

Zhou Xue took a deep breath and said, "His realm truly is at the bottom of the Immortal Cultivation world, but he holds two magical artifacts. At his level, he can indeed be considered a first-rate expert. Still, with his spiritual power, he cannot keep using attacks like that forever."

The moment Fang Wang heard that, he had a clear understanding.

Under his watchful gaze, the Daoist in Green descended from above. Standing in the air might have looked impressive, but apparently, it consumed a great deal as well.

"Who are you?"

The Daoist in Green stared intently at Fang Wang and asked in a deep voice.

Fang Wang's movement technique differed from every martial arts expert he had seen, even surpassing most cultivators in the Qi Nurturing Realm. For the moment, he could not see through Fang Wang's identity, but Zhou Xue's poison confirmed that this woman was an Immortal Cultivator.

Fang Wang raised his sword and said, "When asking someone else's name, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"

The Daoist in Green revealed a sinister smile. "Then let me see what gives you the nerve to resist!"

He suddenly charged toward the two of them, far faster than the black-clothed men from before.

Rather than retreat, Fang Wang advanced, sword in hand as he charged at the Daoist in Green.

The two moved like arrows from a bow. In the blink of an eye, less than seven paces separated them. Fang Wang swung his sword, while the Daoist in Green turned sideways and swept his whisk.

So fast!

They both had the same thought. Fang Wang was astonished by an Immortal Cultivator's extraordinary bodily reaction speed, while the Daoist in Green was shocked by his footwork. Just which level of the Qi Nurturing Realm was this brat at?

They dodged each other's attacks and began a fierce, lightning-fast duel in the open courtyard. Sand flew and stones scattered, yet neither could injure the other in a short span of time.

Seeing Fang Wang fight the Daoist in Green to a standstill, Zhou Xue could not help but be moved. She realized that she had underestimated this brat.

"With strength like this, he can already rival cultivators at the seventh or eighth level of the Qi Nurturing Realm. Yet he is merely a martial artist. Could he have reached the mythical realm of martial arts?"

Zhou Xue was secretly shocked. She knew Fang Wang's age very well.

To be this powerful at sixteen...

His comprehension and aptitude were simply outrageous!

Though the martial path and the immortal path differed, they shared some similarities. A martial arts prodigy would not have poor talent on the road of Immortal Cultivation either, especially in terms of comprehension.

Zhou Xue's admiration for Fang Wang deepened. At the same time, some of Fang Manor's experts hurried over. The moment they saw Fang Wang fighting the Daoist in Green, they all stopped in their tracks unconsciously.

Dressed in white, Fang Wang was swift as a phantom, his sword light chilling beneath the night sky. The Daoist in Green was like an immortal crane. At first glance, he seemed slower than Fang Wang, yet he always managed to evade Fang Wang's attacks with ease.

"So fast!"

"Is that even human speed? Is that Young Master Fang Wang?"

"I never expected the Thirteenth Young Master's martial arts to be so formidable. I heard from Ahu that quite a few experts were killed by the Thirteenth Young Master."

"Is that fellow human or ghost? It feels like he's floating!"

"Let's not act rashly, lest we distract Young Master Fang Wang!"

The Fang Manor experts discussed among themselves. Some were Fang Wang's clansmen, and they were the most shocked of all. They had never imagined Fang Wang could be so formidable.

The Daoist in Green swept his whisk against Fang Wang's treasured sword, and a tremendous force knocked Fang Wang back.

"There isn't a trace of spiritual power in you. Could it be that your martial arts are merely impressive, and you only excel in techniques?" the Daoist in Green said coldly.

Fang Wang had not used True Qi. He was fighting solely with swordsmanship and footwork. This was his first time battling at full strength, and both his body and mind were stretched taut.

He had underestimated Immortal Cultivators. He had thought that Immortal Cultivators spent all year meditating and might possess weaker bodies than martial artists. Now, it seemed that was not the case. Still, after exchanging blows, he had gained a certain understanding of the Daoist in Green's strength.

The Daoist in Green raised his left hand, and the yellow talisman burst forth with beam after beam of golden light that shot toward Fang Wang. Fang Wang immediately dodged.

More and more Fang Manor experts arrived. Even Fang Hanyu, who had been injured earlier, came.

They had all been stunned when they previously witnessed the Daoist in Green use magical artifacts. Now, seeing the wonder of the yellow talisman from up close filled them with even greater fear.

"Demonic Daoist..."

A middle-aged servant clutching a long staff said in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with terror.

Fang Hanyu wanted to go help Fang Wang, but his father, Fang Zhe, stopped him. Fang Zhe's expression was grave as he said, "You cannot take part in their battle."

Stormy waves roiled in his heart. He had traveled far and wide for years and visited many great martial sects, yet he had never seen such wicked sorcery.

He suddenly recalled a legend he had heard long ago.

The legend said that deep within the mountains and the Five Sacred Peaks, there were people who practiced Immortal Cultivation, and the martial arts of the mortal world had been created by them.

Fang Hanyu watched Fang Wang continuously evade the golden beams. That footwork and bearing filled him with complicated emotions—admiration, but also unwillingness.

From childhood to adulthood, he had always held a sense of admiration for this cousin of his. Fang Wang knew far too much and could always say things that amazed him. Even after leaving home for years to practice martial arts, he often thought of this cousin. He had always felt Fang Wang would grow into an extraordinary figure, but he had never expected Fang Wang to reach such astonishing heights in martial arts.

What he was unwilling to accept was not that Fang Wang was stronger than him, but that he could not help Fang Wang.

Fang Wang swiftly dodged the golden beams while continuously closing in on the Daoist in Green. Seeing that the yellow talisman could not harm Fang Wang, the Daoist in Green did not panic. His expression remained cold and stern.

When Fang Wang came within eight paces of the Daoist in Green, he threw the treasured sword in his hand.

His strength was immense. At such a distance, the sword was almost about to pierce the Daoist in Green the moment it left his hand. Yet with a clang, the treasured sword was knocked away.

A flash of yellow light appeared before Fang Wang's eyes. Golden-yellow radiance burst from the Daoist in Green's entire body, forming what looked like a suit of light armor that protected him and repelled the sword.

Fang Wang looked closely and saw the edge of a yellow paper talisman protruding from the Daoist in Green's chest. It was burning, and visible light poured from it to cover his entire body.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...

A series of piercing whistles sounded. Six silver darts streaked past Fang Wang's ears and flew straight toward the Daoist in Green.

This time, the Daoist in Green did not receive them head-on. Instead, he flashed aside to evade them.

Before he even landed, he rapidly cast a spell. His whisk curled and spun, and snake-like bolts of lightning appeared from thin air, charging irresistibly toward Fang Wang.

Fang Wang leaped aside. The bolts of lightning shattered the silver darts before striking the ground, where they actually pierced through the earth with terrifying destructive force.

He turned his head and discovered that Zhou Xue had joined the battle. She had already reached the Daoist in Green, a dagger in hand as she fought him. Her movements were nimble, preventing him from shaking her off.

"She has only been reborn for seven days, yet she possesses such skill..." Fang Wang thought in secret.

Before her rebirth, Zhou Xue had merely been a frail young woman who never left her home. Yet now, her skills had already surpassed those of ordinary first-rate experts.

Could Zhou Xue, like him, have secretly practiced martial arts?

Or were an Immortal Venerable's methods beyond his imagination?

The Daoist in Green unleashed lightning magic again. Because they were too close and Zhou Xue's skills fell short of Fang Wang's, she was struck in the back while dodging. Blood burst forth, and she immediately swept her sleeve, scattering a cloud of pale green powder that instantly enveloped the Daoist in Green.

After Zhou Xue fell to the ground, she immediately looked toward Fang Wang.

Fang Wang understood. His feet moved through Shadowless Steps as he rushed over. He raised his palm and struck out. Surging True Qi rose with the roar of a dragon, and dragon-shaped True Qi blasted forth, carrying the force of ten thousand jun. It slammed into the Daoist in Green and sent him flying. Like a kite with its string cut, the Daoist in Green flew more than a dozen zhang before crashing into the ruins.

"That was... the True Dragon Palm that once carved out a resounding reputation in the martial world?"

Fang Zhe's eyes widened as he cried out in disbelief. Beside him, Fang Hanyu was equally moved.

The True Dragon Palm was not some peerless secret art. Anyone could obtain it with enough money if they sought it out. But it was exceedingly difficult to cultivate, and in the current martial world, no one had mastered the True Dragon Palm to great completion.

Fang Wang withdrew his palm and quickly arrived before Zhou Xue. A pool of blood had already formed beneath her, and she looked utterly miserable.

"A martial artist's True Qi cannot kill him. Find a way to scatter this poison over his wounds... poison him to death..."

Before Fang Wang could speak, Zhou Xue propped up her upper body and said in a trembling voice. Then she pulled a small paper packet from her clothes.

Fang Wang did not take it. Instead, he asked, "If I cannot kill him, can I injure him?"

Zhou Xue frowned. "Of course you can. He is only a Qi Nurturing Realm cultivator. It is simply very difficult for me now..."

Before she could finish, a deafening boom came from behind them, followed by a wild gust of wind.

Fang Wang narrowed his eyes and looked over. Zhou Xue turned her head as well. Billowing black qi rose from the ruins, followed by a black banner ascending into the air. Numerous stones and splinters of wood floated around it, and ghostly figures could vaguely be seen.

The black banner rose into the sky, and the Daoist in Green slowly stood up, trembling. His hair was disheveled, his body covered in blood, and his robes were torn to shreds. He looked utterly bedraggled. Black blood continuously seeped from the exposed wounds on his body. He stared fixedly at Fang Wang and roared furiously, "Mortal, you dare injure me!"

After being struck by the True Dragon Palm, he had completely confirmed that Fang Wang was not an Immortal Cultivator at all, merely a martial man!

Being injured by a martial man was a profound humiliation to the Daoist in Green. Burning with rage, he stepped forward. The black banner hovering above his head followed him, and waves of ghostly wails and howls rang out, plunging Fang Manor beneath the night into terror.

"That is the Soul Burning Banner. You cannot let its ghostly qi touch you, or it will seize your mind and steal your soul, leaving you at its mercy!"

Zhou Xue gritted her teeth as she spoke anxiously. At the same time, she racked her brains, trying to devise a countermeasure.

"And you, you vicious little wench—what poison did you scatter on me? Very well, I will repay it a hundredfold!" The Daoist in Green stared venomously at Zhou Xue. His body trembled as poisonous blood continuously flowed from his wounds. Clearly, he was enduring pain beyond ordinary imagination.

Fang Wang watched the other man's trembling steps, and his eyes became exceptionally dangerous. He slowly raised his right hand.

"The fact that you can be injured by a mortal proves that you are only a mortal too."

Fang Wang mocked him, his voice loud and clear. The killing intent in the Daoist in Green's eyes grew even stronger.

The Daoist in Green said coldly, "Very good. I will not let you die so easily. I will skin you, pull out your tendons, torment your soul, and make you..."

As he spoke, he closed in on Fang Wang and Zhou Xue. Before he could finish, however, Fang Wang suddenly raised his right hand, extending his index and middle fingers together. Using his fingers as a sword, he pointed through the air at the Daoist in Green.

The Daoist in Green revealed a mocking smile. Then his pupils suddenly contracted. He instinctively turned his head and saw the treasured sword that had been knocked away earlier suddenly shoot up from the ground. It became a streak of cold light and shot toward him at a speed beyond what mortal eyes could catch.

Severely injured, the Daoist in Green had no time to dodge.

Bang—

The treasured sword struck from behind the Daoist in Green, shattering his skull. Sword light flashed, and it flew back before Fang Wang, stopping in midair. Then it swiftly turned, its hilt facing Fang Wang's right hand as though it were alive.

Zhou Xue stared blankly at the sight. In the distance, the Fang Manor people watching the battle all stared at Fang Wang's treasured sword with expressions as if they had seen a ghost, dumbstruck.

Fang Manor fell silent.