On Their Doorstep

"Quick, Xiao He, go ask my senior brother for help... You two, come with me. Watch Uncle here help you earn great merit and rise to the top!"

Song Yuan immediately barked out his orders.

As he spoke, his movements were just as swift.

He instantly whipped off the specially made belt hidden around his waist and lashed it at the sword thrusting toward him.

The disciples of the Sword Tasting Hall specialized in swordsmanship.

But aside from his swordplay, Song Yuan had also mastered a set of whip techniques. He had even had a belt made from special golden thread so he could conceal it.

Now that he suddenly lashed it out, the force was so great that it seemed to unleash a peal of thunder in midair!

In an electromagnetic spark.

All the variations of the Nine Heavens Thunderclap Sword Art flashed through Li ChunJun's mind.

He changed the sword thrusting from his hand into a sweeping strike. As it vibrated at high frequency, it struck Song Yuan's belt with a vicious tap.

Bang!

The instant the two forces collided in midair, a deafening boom rang out, like a car tire suddenly bursting.

In truth, the result of this clash was not quite as dramatic as a tire exploding, but it was not far off.

The high-frequency vibrations of the sword shattered the belt Song Yuan had whipped out, bursting it into countless scraps of leather in midair.

As the scraps fluttered everywhere, Li ChunJun's thrusting sword paused for the briefest moment.

But his feet did not slow at all. He strode forward.

As he stepped, his body surged ahead with the momentum of a full-on charge, pouring all that force into the sword that had just paused for an instant.

Then the sword thrust again, ringing with a clear, crisp chime. As Li ChunJun charged forward, he and his sword became one, savagely stabbing toward Song Yuan, whose attack had just been shattered!

The entire sequence unfolded with blinding speed, without the slightest pause.

And thanks to his powerful physique and superior explosive strength, Song Yuan had no time to react precisely.

By the time he came to his senses, the million-yuan sword was already gleaming with a chilling light as it struck at the general manager of Da Fa Building Materials.

"Not good!"

Song Yuan's expression changed drastically as he reacted.

At that moment, he realized he had misjudged Li ChunJun's strength!

Li ChunJun...

Was nothing like the Jin Family's report had claimed. He had not relied on trading his life for his opponent's to kill Sun Yongxing!

This was unquestionably a true Martial Artist with peak Internal Strengthening combat strength!

And yet...

His speed, reflexes, and explosive power were beyond even those of a peak Internal Strengthening Martial Artist. They were—comparable to a Martial Master!

A Martial Master, who had attained Internal-External Unity and could found a school, earning the title of Grandmaster!

"Stop!"

Song Yuan roared, his breath thundering. He used the force of his shout to expel his breath, while whipping the half-broken belt in his hand around as if to snare Li ChunJun's lightning-fast thrust and pull it aside.

But almost the instant the belt wrapped around Li ChunJun's sword, the blade vibrated again.

The blade's resonance rang out in a piercing chime, sending ripples of shockwaves through the air and scattering all the force wrapped around it. Nothing could stop the sword now. Like a bamboo-splitting gale, it crashed toward Song Yuan and pierced straight through his chest.

The instant his chest was pierced, Song Yuan's eyes flew wide open.

The sudden loss of his ability to pump blood sent an unprecedented weakness flooding every corner of his body.

He stared fixedly at Li ChunJun...

And Li ChunJun met his gaze without the slightest attempt to look away.

One gaze brimmed with fear, rage, and unwillingness.

The other was cold, vicious, and...

Indifferent.

An indifference toward life!

It was as if he were not killing a person, but slaughtering some ordinary animal, like a cat or a dog.

Or perhaps...

Something even less worthy than an ordinary animal.

Like a patch of roadside weeds that could be crushed at will, representing nothing at all.

Bang!

The next instant, Song Yuan's body shuddered violently.

Li ChunJun had charged into him with sword and body as one, and his momentum carried him straight into Song Yuan. The tremendous force sent the man flying.

Shhk!

The blade that had pierced his heart tore free of his body, bringing with it a spray of scarlet blood.

Song Yuan flew backward and landed on his back, but his eyes remained fixed on Li ChunJun, glaring like an evil spirit.

But...

Li ChunJun's gaze did not linger on him for even a moment.

Because by then, he was already a dead man.

Soon, every trace of a dead man would be wiped from this world.

He was not worth another glance.

Thud!

Song Yuan's body flew three or four meters before slamming heavily into the ground. The violent impact left his thoughts reeling and his vision dimming.

As everything before him faded into darkness, he saw his two nephews and relatives collapse right after him, each with a bloody hole in the throat.

Those younger relatives, whom he had carefully trained until they had reached Outer Refinement Great Accomplishment, had not even lasted a single round against this fiend's sword.

At the same time, he saw his cousin, who had gone inside to fetch reinforcements and was now hurrying back, as well as...

The Sixth Disciple and Eighth Disciple he had counted on to save him.

He knew the strength of these two junior brothers. Though they were talented, and the Eighth Disciple was said to have a chance of attaining Unity in the future, they were still more than ten years younger than him and not quite as strong.

And they were supposed to face Li ChunJun, whose strength rivaled that of a Martial Master who had attained Unity!?

"Run! Hurry! Tell Master! Have Master come in person! Run!"

With the darkness about to swallow his thoughts, Song Yuan strained with all his might to shout those words.

But in the end...

They remained only in his heart, at the level of thought.

And as "darkness" swallowed the world before him, his active thoughts froze completely and quickly faded away.

"Level 1 creature killed, experience +1!"

"Level 5 creature killed, experience +124!"

"Level 3 creature killed, experience +13!"

"Level 3 creature killed, experience +14!"

Life Level: 7 (593/700)

At the entrance, "Xiao He," who had just gone out to fetch reinforcements, happened to meet Li ChunJun as he strode into the Sword Tasting Hall with his sword in hand.

Through the gate, he saw Song Yuan lying in a pool of blood, eyes wide in "death with his eyes open," and could not help letting out an enraged cry: "No!"

"Li ChunJun, we never went looking for you. How dare you come to our Sword Tasting Hall and run wild!?"

"Why waste your breath on him? Attack together! Kill him!"

The other two disciples of Han Shan drew their swords without hesitation and charged straight at Li ChunJun.

Like Song Yuan, their expressions held a trace of excitement.

They clearly understood what Li ChunJun, wanted by all four factions, was worth.

If the two of them could join forces to kill this fiend, the Sword Tasting Hall would make a huge splash in Guangzhou City.

And the two of them would become famous throughout the world for this battle.

Besides, they had the same confidence Song Yuan had.

They were in the Sword Tasting Hall. What was there to fear!?

Even if this fiend was vicious and they could not beat him, what was the problem with holding him off for a little while?

Once Master and their senior brothers arrived, they would still have earned great merit. Their contribution would simply be a little less than if they had killed the fiend themselves.

"Kill!"

The two shouted with high spirits. Neither dodging nor holding back, they charged head-on into Li ChunJun as he came storming through their doors.