Tragic Ma Hongjun, Li Zhixian's Ruthlessness

Blazing Sword Slashes Evil Phoenix!

The Azure Lotus Sword trailed a crimson tail of flame several meters long.

Ultimate sharpness, layered with blazing crimson flames, further amplified by Three Sword Splendor—this strike had already glimpsed half of White Jade Capital.

Li Zhixian swung his sword.

Facing the rain of fire that filled the sky.

He aimed straight at Ma Hongjun in midair.

There was no earth-shattering roar.

Only a faint yet soul-trembling hiss.

Like a searing blade of utmost sharpness slicing through thick paper soaked in grease.

The Azure Lotus Sword, burning with crimson flames, treated the fire rain filling the sky as though it were nothing.

Where the sword edge passed—

Puff—!

Puff—!

Puff—!

One fireball after another burst like bubbles being pierced.

Before they could even explode, they were silently annihilated by the ultimate sharpness and heat the instant they touched the blade.

The rain of fire became wisps of green smoke, only to be devoured in an instant by the crimson flames coiling around the sword body.

The crimson sword light did not slow.

It shot straight through the sky, locking onto Ma Hongjun.

The fury and arrogance on Ma Hongjun's face froze, and fear surged into his eyes for the first time.

He frantically beat his phoenix fire wings, trying to rise higher and flee.

But it was too late!

Li Zhixian's sword was unbelievably fast!

A flash of red light streaked past!

Squelch—

A dull yet distinct sound of flesh being pierced echoed through the silent Soul Fighting Arena after the fire rain vanished.

One phoenix fire wing, along with half an arm, was severed in response.

The fire wing shattered into sparks that filled the air, burning the blood splashed into the sky.

"Aaaahhh—!"

Ma Hongjun crashed onto the arena platform, his remaining hand clamped tightly over the stump of his arm.

Smoke still rose from the wound. Veins bulged across his forehead as he let out a heart-rending scream.

And Li Zhixian's Blazing Sword.

Even after cutting down Ma Hongjun, still carried terrifying residual force.

Boom—!

The Blazing Sword slammed heavily into the arena platform.

It left behind a sword scar several feet deep yet barely an inch wide, its edges resembling molten glass.

The sword scar began beneath Li Zhixian's feet and tore all the way to the edge of the platform, giving off curling wisps of smoke.

Though the blade had not touched the Soul Power barrier.

The energy shockwave it released nevertheless made the barrier groan under the strain.

Several areas where cracks had already appeared exploded like glazed glass, their fragments turning into specks of light and scattering away.

The heat wave surged outward like floodwaters bursting through a dam. The spectators in the front felt hot wind rush at their faces, their skin sting, and their hair singe and curl.

Seats were blown away, leaving utter chaos behind.

After a brief disturbance.

Whether spectators or familiar faces in the VIP boxes, all of them held their breath as they watched the frozen scene on the arena platform:

The white-robed swordsman stood with sword in hand, the flames on the sword body gradually fading.

Ma Hongjun clutched his severed arm as he rolled around on the ground, screaming hoarsely.

One sword strike.

The victor had been decided.

"Hongjun, surrender now!"

Below the platform, Zhao Wuji roared himself hoarse.

Had he not been held back by the Soul Fighting Arena's Soul Masters, he would have charged onto the platform long ago.

Hearing Zhao Wuji's voice.

Ma Hongjun's pale lips trembled as he was about to speak.

Hiss—

A sword aura suddenly swept across.

It sliced off his lips along with his teeth.

The agonizing pain nearly made Ma Hongjun pass out.

Witnessing such a bloody scene, everyone stood stunned, staring in shock at the white-robed swordsman whose aura was icy cold.

"Hmm?"

Dugu Bo frowned.

"What is that brat Banished Immortal trying to do?"

Dugu Yan hurriedly said:

"Grandpa, that fat fire chicken has elders accompanying him. You have to protect Little Brother Banished Immortal."

Dugu Bo nodded.

"Don't worry."

In the other two VIP boxes.

Mother Ye had already ordered her aides to keep a close watch on the arena platform.

At Xue Qinghe's side, Stingray Douluo had vanished at some point.

On the arena platform.

Ma Hongjun's right arm had been cut off at the shoulder. Half his body was covered in blood, his fat face was mangled, and half his gums were exposed.

The pain made his whole body convulse.

He wanted to surrender, but could only let out muffled whimpers.

Under gaze after gaze of shock and horror.

Li Zhixian walked toward Ma Hongjun step by step.

"You vicious brat!"

"How dare you!"

Below the platform.

Zhao Wuji finally could not hold himself back.

He flung Qin Ming aside, who had been holding onto him.

With an angry roar, his mighty Level 76 Soul Power erupted, blasting several Soul Masters from the Soul Fighting Arena away.

He was about to leap onto the platform.

Whoosh, whoosh—

Several figures suddenly flashed into view.

They blocked Zhao Wuji's path.

"This is a dispute between juniors. Outsiders are not to interfere."

"Get the hell out of my way!"

Zhao Wuji threw an enraged punch.

Yet he only fought one of them to a draw, and was instead sent staggering backward by the impact.

Dugu Bo and Stingray Douluo, who had been watching from the shadows, withdrew their gathered Soul Power.

"You..."

Zhao Wuji swept his gaze toward the white-robed swordsman on the platform. Bloodshot veins burst in his tiger-like eyes as he roared hoarsely:

"Brat!"

"If you dare harm Ma Hongjun in the slightest, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

On the arena platform.

Li Zhixian ignored Zhao Wuji's threat.

He walked up to Ma Hongjun and looked down at the wretched figure in the pool of blood.

Nothing but fear remained in Ma Hongjun's eyes. Dragging his broken body across the ground, he desperately crawled away, trying to get as far as possible from this executioner.

"Beasts like you, plagued by evil fire."

"Only by making you wish you were dead can I make up even slightly for the evil consequences of what you've done."

The girls Ma Hongjun used to vent his evil fire on had all been innocent commoners.

According to Yu Xiaogang and Flender, they had willingly become intimate with Ma Hongjun, even dating him like normal couples.

Heh...

In a fantasy world where strength ruled above all else.

How could commoners possess any true willingness when facing Soul Masters?

How could they dare choose as their hearts desired?

Ma Hongjun possessed the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, one of the highest-grade beast martial souls.

How could commoner girls who had never cultivated possibly withstand his ravaging?

Reality was crueler than the original novel.

Their experiences and fates were easy to imagine.

"This matter originally had nothing to do with me."

"But since you've provoked me, I'll have to involve myself."

"I only seek to remain true to my sword, my heart, and my conscience."

Li Zhixian brought two fingers together in a sword gesture.

A chilling sword aura swept toward Ma Hongjun's vital area between his legs.

"An evil root must repay its evil debts."

"Since you cannot control the evil fire of that evil root, today I will cut it off."

"Aaaahhh—!"

Ma Hongjun threw back his head and howled. The veins in his neck writhed like earthworms, while web-like blood vessels burst across his eyes.

"Hongjun!"

"Brat, you're dead!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes nearly split open in fury. He tried to rush forward again, only to be stopped by Ye Family guards.

Li Zhixian did not even spare Zhao Wuji a glance.

Nor did he seem to hear the thunderous cheers of the spectators.

Under countless fervent, worshipful gazes, he walked off the arena platform one step at a time.

As he passed through the backstage passage.

His footsteps halted, and his gaze casually swept over a patch of shadow in the corner.

There, a hunched figure in green robes trembled with excitement, frantically recording something on a wooden board with a charcoal pencil.

A glint of gold flashed between his fingers.

A gold coin, accompanied by a faint whistle through the air, lodged precisely in the storyteller's lapel.

"Make sure to praise me properly tomorrow."

The storyteller abruptly raised his head.

All he saw was a plain white figure disappearing at the end of the passage.

"Today's grand spectacle will surely spread throughout Heaven Dou tomorrow!"

The storyteller excitedly put away the gold coin and recording board.

Then quickly vanished into the crowd.