One Slash, Instant Kill!

"Captain, someone's up ahead!"

On a small mound about five or six hundred meters from Wang Dali.

The red-haired woman peered through the sniper scope at Wang Dali's figure, then turned back with a grave expression to speak to the middle-aged man behind her, who was clad in black combat gear.

Hearing this, the man pressed his eye to the sniper scope.

Under the magnification of the high-power scope, the Martial Artist Badge on Wang Dali's chest was clearly visible.

The middle-aged man's expression soured, his brow furrowing tightly:

"A Peak Level 1 Martial Artist, and by the looks of it, he's definitely up to no good—probably here to rob people!"

"Damn, this bastard looks like a seasoned pro. This spot is just outside the city guard's patrol range, and it's the only way back to the city! Killing someone here would go unnoticed!"

"Then what do we do, Captain?"

The red-clad woman's face also darkened as she asked.

The middle-aged man thought it over, rubbed his temples, and helplessly spat out a single word:

"Wait!"

"A Peak Level 1 Martial Artist—there aren't many in Xujiang City. We're no match for him. We can only wait for him to leave on his own."

"Let's just hope no unlucky fool passes through here."

As the middle-aged man finished speaking, he saw the red-haired woman fall silent, wearing a speechless expression.

He looked at her with confusion and asked:

"What's wrong?"

The red-haired woman pointed at the scope and shrugged helplessly:

"Captain, about that unlucky fool you mentioned... he's already here..."

"And it's that young man we just saw..."

At dusk, at the end of a winding path.

A figure with an upright bearing and a long blade strapped to his back appeared there.

The youth had eyes like stars, sharp brows, and a tall, slender frame that cast a long shadow under the glow of the setting sun.

It was Li Ziyu, making his way back from the Wilderness Area.

In the end, he had chosen not to drag the mutated beast's corpse back alone, planning to find Tang Xuan and have him arrange for someone to retrieve it.

"Huh? Why is this guy sitting on the car? And blocking the road?"

Li Ziyu frowned unconsciously as he looked at Wang Dali perched on the off-road vehicle.

Still, where someone chose to sit was their own business, and Li Ziyu wasn't one to meddle.

He shifted to the side, ready to walk around him.

But just as he took a step, Wang Dali, sitting on the roof of the off-road vehicle, suddenly snapped his closed eyes open, fixed a burning gaze on Li Ziyu, and spoke slowly:

"Li Ziyu, you're finally here. I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

As he spoke, Wang Dali picked up the horse-slaying blade in front of him and pointed its tip at Li Ziyu.

"Hand over the secret manual on you, and I'll spare your life!"

"Don't think that just because your blood energy test was 5.99, you can even dream of resisting!"

"I'm a Peak Level 1 Martial Artist, with blood energy of 11 and Combat Power of 1300. Killing you is like killing a chicken!"

As if to prove his strength, Wang Dali pointed at the Peak Level 1 Martial Artist badge on his chest, then stomped his foot.

A loud crash rang out.

The wreckage of the off-road vehicle beneath his feet, as if crushed by some immense force, let out a strained groan and twisted out of shape.

"See that? That's the power of a Peak Level 1 Martial Artist!"

Wang Dali's expression was vicious as he threatened, pointing the blade at Li Ziyu while steadily closing in.

Li Ziyu watched Wang Dali, who was getting closer and closer, his face expressionless.

When Wang Dali was less than ten meters away, Li Ziyu suddenly spoke flatly:

"I saw it. It's really weak..."

"Hmph! Good, you saw it, so just obediently—what?!"

Wang Dali's lips had already curled up in smug satisfaction.

But when he caught Li Ziyu's words, he seemed to think he'd misheard, his expression freezing:

"What did you just say? I didn't catch that."

"I said..."

Li Ziyu's face remained blank as his right hand, hanging low, reached behind him and gripped the hilt of his blade.

Then he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes blazing as he looked at Wang Dali, and in one swift motion, drew his blade!

"Peak Level 1 Martial Artist—how weak!"

"Gale Slash!"

Clang!

Li Ziyu's arms suddenly exploded with force.

Advanced Bull Body Tempering!

Intermediate Blade Technique!

Intermediate Movement Technique!

Battle skill: Gale Slash!

Li Ziyu's blood and qi surged like a torrent within him, thunder rolling, all the power of his blood and qi converging into his arms.

This was his first time going all out!

Under the enhancement of the Advanced Body Tempering Method, his blood and qi had been refined to a terrifying degree!

Under normal circumstances, he could shatter rock with a single punch and kill an Arm Blade Tiger—whose defense rivaled steel—with one slash.

Let alone now, wielding a blade, and striking under the combined boost of Intermediate Blade Technique + Intermediate Movement Technique + Advanced Bull Body Tempering!

Li Ziyu himself didn't know how powerful this strike had become.

As the blade light, like a flash of lightning in the night, slashed toward Wang Dali, Wang Dali's face filled with shock, and every hair on his body stood on end!

This strike from Li Ziyu gave him a feeling of being impossible to dodge!

Wang Dali hurriedly raised his blade to block.

But before he could lift it, he felt a chill at his neck.

Then, he saw a pair of booted feet, and above the boots, a headless corpse spraying blood.

"This... why does it look so much like my boots?"

"Why can I see my own boots from this angle?"

That was Wang Dali's last thought before darkness took him.

Wang Dali.

"What a broke loser! And he calls himself a Peak Level 1 Martial Artist."

Li Ziyu searched Wang Dali's body for a while.

Aside from a weapon forged from Level 1 Asma Alloy, there were only a few hundred-yuan bills in the wallet—nothing else.

He had no idea how Wang Dali had been getting by. A Peak Level 1 Martial Artist this poor?

Li Ziyu lifted his foot, ready to kick Wang Dali's corpse hard.

But just as he raised it, he stopped himself.

"Huh!? What's going on? I'm not usually this violent!"

"Desecrating a corpse after killing him????"

"I just gained at least a few hundred thousand—I should be happy, right? And this is my first time killing someone—why don't I feel anything???"

"Instead, I feel like I want more!!?"

Li Ziyu froze, a flicker of unease on his face.

He felt something was off.

Just as Li Ziyu was about to turn around, he suddenly lifted his head and stared in a certain direction, barking coldly:

"Who's there! Show yourself!"