Hands

Even before they exchanged blows, Li Yuan knew full well that Chu Han's Cold Cicada Autumn Speech was no ordinary technique.

Chu Han kindly reminded him, "Li Yuan, be careful."

"When the autumn waters meet the endless sky... when the cold cicadas cry!"

Chu Han's warning sounded poetic and picturesque, rich with artistic conception. Li Yuan froze for a moment and opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he had no idea what to say.

Then he silently exclaimed, Well, damn.

Was he really going to recite a few lines to set the scene or something?

If I weren't so uncultured, I'd have to throw out a couple of lines myself!

Before Li Yuan could respond, Chu Han had already charged over.

He wielded his palms like blades, sending streaks of marvelous blade light slashing toward Li Yuan!

The blade light was like water, while the cold cicadas' cries rang through the air, striking straight at Li Yuan's chest and abdomen!

Li Yuan's gaze sharpened. The dragon flood's shadow behind him let out a tremendous roar as well, and his palms swept through the air, striking toward Chu Han.

The two men's palms collided head-on. The air around them seemed to freeze for an instant before violently exploding!

Wave after wave of True Qi erupted between their palms. The immense palm force sent both men flying backward.

Li Yuan's legs plowed through the ground like plowshares, carving two deep furrows as he retreated more than seven zhang.

Chu Han retreated even farther—fully ten zhang.

During the first exchange, Chu Han felt his internal organs tremble, his blood and qi roil, and a wave of discomfort surge through him.

He froze as well.

He had retreated farther than Li Yuan!

Li Yuan's True Qi was not the slightest bit weaker than his, and the other man's physical strength far exceeded his own!

Li Yuan's body was astonishingly powerful, and his strength exceeded five thousand jin!

That outrageous physical might alone was difficult for him to withstand!

Originally, Chu Han had intended to rely on the fact that he had entered the True Qi Realm many years ago and suppress Li Yuan directly with his deep cultivation. But he had never expected that in that exchange... he would be the one suppressed!?

Chu Han's expression turned solemn. His figure moved with agility as he approached Li Yuan using swift and nimble footwork. Since he could gain no advantage through brute force, he would win through technique instead.

The Martial Dao True Intents behind both men circulated ceaselessly. Cicada cries and dragon roars rose one after another. Li Yuan's palm shadows flashed like lightning, overlapping layers of them weaving together before him as they blasted toward Chu Han.

Chu Han wielded his palms like blades. A blade shadow flickered in and out of existence within his palm, its edge razor-sharp and its chill radiating in all directions.

Li Yuan's palms were wrapped in a dense mass of tiny snake shadows. Each one was a manifestation of Fist Intent, and being struck by one of his palms was no small matter.

The two men's fists and feet clashed. Snake shadows and blade shadows collided again and again, the blade shadows and tiny snake shadows in their palms shattering and vanishing, only to continuously take shape once more!

For a time, the two men reached an impasse.

Both sides possessed incomparably abundant True Qi, so neither would run out of strength anytime soon.

As for the ceaseless collision of their Martial Dao True Intents, it was a contest of spiritual power—and Chu Han was no weaker there either.

Li Yuan had mastered multiple Martial Dao True Intents, and his spirit had long since been tempered to astonishing strength. Chu Han discovered that no matter how he displayed his Martial Dao True Intent, he could not shake Li Yuan's spirit!

In Chu Han's perception, Li Yuan's spiritual power was as hard as bedrock!

Li Yuan displayed his Martial Dao True Intent repeatedly and also noticed its many strange properties.

Martial Dao True Intent could not only amplify a cultivation technique, raising the power of the perfected Poison Dragon Palm to another level, but could also be used to suppress an opponent!

Martial Dao True Intent was both a realm of martial dao and a power originating from the spiritual domain. Once unleashed, it could suppress an opponent within that spiritual domain!

This suppression was extremely difficult to resist, as well as mysterious and hard to guard against. It had an effect strikingly similar to the illusion attacks of the Blood Robe Evil Ghost!

If one were oppressed by Martial Dao True Intent, one might not be able to bring out even half of one's strength. Before a martial artist possessing Martial Dao True Intent, an ordinary martial artist would find it extremely difficult even to fight back, and could only await slaughter.

However, Chu Han was no ordinary True Qi Realm martial artist. Both sides possessed Martial Dao True Intent and were trying to suppress each other in the spiritual domain, while the Martial Dao True Intents behind them grew stronger and stronger!

The dragon flood's shadow behind Li Yuan became increasingly distinct, almost as though it were real. It was lifelike, with every scale on its body clearly visible!

The cold cicada's shadow behind Chu Han also grew increasingly distinct!

That cold cicada beat its wings and cried without pause, and the chill it unleashed grew stronger and stronger!

Watching Li Yuan and Chu Han fight, Zong Wencheng and Zong Lin kept retreating as the shockwaves erupting between the two grew increasingly violent.

To avoid being accidentally injured by the two men, Zong Wencheng even used a Golden Light Talisman. Golden light transformed into a shield that firmly protected the two of them.

"I really didn't expect Li Yuan's strength to have grown to this point!"

Zong Wencheng's eyes widened. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

He knew exactly how strong Chu Han was. He had sparred with Chu Han many times and was familiar with all of Chu Han's methods. But he had never imagined that the strength Li Yuan had displayed would be in no way inferior to Chu Han's!

That was terrifying.

How old was Li Yuan?

He wasn't even twenty!

Zong Lin stood to the side, watching Li Yuan without blinking as she muttered to herself,

"Li Yuan, is this your true strength?"

Chu Han unleashed move after move. Even after using seventy percent of his strength, he found that he still could not defeat Li Yuan and could only let out a long sigh.

"That's enough. Let's stop here."

Chu Han called a halt. Both sides ceased their attacks, and this sparring match came to an end.

He breathed slowly, calming the expenditure from just now. Li Yuan, by contrast, looked perfectly composed, as though the battle had not affected him in the slightest.

"Monster."

Chu Han cursed inwardly. Only after his breathing had evened out did he say, "I understand your strength now."

"It's no longer appropriate to have you continue as a First Class Division Member. From this day onward, you will be one of the Jiujiang Special Capture Division's executive officers."

Li Yuan could fight him, the Young Commander, to a standstill. Making him work as a mere division member would be ridiculous.

Chu Han immediately considered changing Li Yuan's position.

Hearing that he was about to receive another promotion and raise, Li Yuan smiled faintly. "Thank you, sir."

Chu Han nodded. "I'll send your records to the higher-level Special Capture Division. The appointment document should arrive in a few days."

Chu Han had no authority to decide on a Special Capture Division member at the executive-officer level. It required review and appointment by the higher-level Special Capture Division.

However, Chu Han was confident that Li Yuan would become an executive officer. The higher-ups were not so foolish as to let a True Qi Realm martial artist who had grasped Martial Dao True Intent continue serving as a mere division member. Thus, this promotion was practically a certainty.

Seeing that Li Yuan was likely to be promoted to executive officer, Zong Wencheng and Zong Lin stepped forward to offer their congratulations. Li Yuan thanked them one by one.

Looking at Li Yuan before him, Chu Han pondered for a moment before speaking.

"There were some things I couldn't conveniently tell you before, but it seems necessary to tell you now."

Seeing Chu Han's solemn expression, Li Yuan also became serious. "Please, go ahead."

Chu Han nodded. "You actually asked about this before... It concerns the Corpse Demon."

The Corpse Demon?!

Li Yuan was startled. Although he had not mentioned the Corpse Demon to anyone these past few days, that did not mean he had forgotten about the fellow.

During his trip to Mount Mei, he had personally come into contact with Evil Warriors. He knew all too well how vicious and treacherous those Evil Warriors were, and a top-tier Evil Warrior like the Corpse Demon naturally demanded his full attention!

"Now that you are a prospective executive officer of my Jiujiang Commandery, it's necessary to tell you about the Corpse Demon..."