Powerful

Seeing that the two Internal Strengthening martial artists from the Sword Tasting Hall not only refused to evade him, but even dared to strike back, Li ChunJun was somewhat surprised.

But his sword was not the slightest bit slower.

The Nine Heavens Thunderclap Sword Art emphasized speed, force, and momentum.

A sword strike of immense force and weight was unleashed through the martial artist's surging power, then its speed was pushed to the utmost through sheer strength.

Though it lacked finesse and adaptability, but...

Li ChunJun had always relied on overwhelming strength to crush his opponents. With enough force, miracles happened.

Thus, as the three swords struck almost simultaneously, the sword in Li ChunJun's hand slammed into the "Sixth Junior Brother's" blade with the force of a thousand bolts of thunder.

The swords collided. The Sharp Sword in the Sixth Junior Brother's hand felt as though it had been smashed by an iron hammer. The violent force nearly sent it flying from his grasp.

Even though he tightened his grip on the hilt, the sword in his hand inevitably veered off course, stabbing straight toward the sword of his "Eighth Junior Brother."

Clang!

Sparks flew.

He easily defused the attack of the two who had joined forces against him with this simple, direct, brutal, yet incomparably effective method.

After knocking the "Sixth Junior Brother's" sword aside, the tip of his own sword suddenly trembled, its icy edge slanting toward the vital point at the "Sixth Junior Brother's" throat.

This sudden, lightning-fast strike nearly scared the "Sixth Junior Brother" out of his wits. Without the slightest hesitation, he sprang backward.

That retreat...

Turned the battle from two men attacking together into the "Eighth Junior Brother" facing Li ChunJun's assault alone.

Just as the "Eighth Junior Brother" steadied the sword that the "Sixth Junior Brother" had knocked aside, Li ChunJun's blade flashed toward him like lightning.

This strike carried no particular technique.

Nor did he employ any sword art.

It was purely the instinctive swordplay Li ChunJun had accumulated over the past week, after killing dozens of people.

This instinctive, thoughtless strike was like an antelope's horn caught in a tree—beyond the "Eighth Junior Brother's" ability to react.

He had only just managed to follow the trajectory of Li ChunJun's sword when a glint of cold light rapidly expanded before his eyes. Then, something bone-chilling seemed to pierce his brow and pass through his skull, abruptly hitting the pause button on his control of his body.

Only when the chill faded did he finally see what had happened.

It was...

Li ChunJun's sword.

"I've been struck?"

A sword through the brow!?

A fatal strike!?

And the instant he realized this, his thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

Killed a level 4 creature, experience +47!

Life Level: 7 (640/700)

"Eighth Junior Brother!"

Seeing this, the "Sixth Junior Brother," who had leaped backward, could not help crying out in grief.

He suddenly let out a long shout. "Master, First Disciple, Second Disciple, Fourth Disciple! A powerful enemy has attacked! Hurry and come help!"

There were six Internal Strengthening martial artists in the Sword Tasting Hall.

Below the hall master, the strongest was naturally First Disciple Zhang Li, whose cultivation was just a hair's breadth from Internal-External Unity.

The Second Disciple and Fourth Disciple were the other two Internal Strengthening martial artists.

As for the External Refinement disciples, facing a murderous fiend like Li ChunJun would be nothing short of suicide.

The "Sixth Junior Brother," shouting at the top of his lungs, retreated at astonishing speed, driven by the shock of death.

But...

Li ChunJun, who had resolved to kill every last one of the Jin Family's allies, was faster.

Power erupted beneath his feet. Like a cannonball shot from its barrel, he blasted forward, his long sword cleaving through the air resistance as he reached the "Sixth Junior Brother" in an instant.

The icy sword edge rushing toward him made the "Sixth Junior Brother's" scalp go numb.

"No!"

"Stop!"

At that very moment, an enraged shout suddenly rang out.

Immediately afterward, a figure appeared at the main hall's entrance, charging toward Li ChunJun like a hunting leopard to intercept him.

The imposing force bearing down on him, along with the familiar voice, filled the "Sixth Junior Brother's" eyes with joy.

"Master!"

At that very moment, Li ChunJun suddenly launched himself forward. His already impossibly fast speed surged even higher, and before Han Shan, the Sword Tasting Hall's master, could reach him, his blade pierced through the "Sixth Junior Brother's" skull.

At once...

The joyful expression on the "Sixth Junior Brother's" face froze.

Killed a level 5 creature, experience +116!

The instant the "Sixth Junior Brother" died and his essence was refined by the Human Emperor Flag, a wave of heat burst through Li ChunJun's body, flooding his limbs, bones, and internal organs and strengthening every part of him.

He had leveled up.

Life Level: 8 (56/800)

In theory, Li ChunJun should have maximized his gains by waiting until he was on the verge of leveling up, then using a mutually destructive tactic to fight the Harmony Realm martial artist Han Shan. If he managed to kill him, he would gain over 600 experience at once, instantly completing most of the accumulation required for this stage of Life Level 8.

But he had never killed people for "experience."

He did it to kill everyone he believed deserved to die.

So his sword did not hesitate for an instant, and it never would.

"Beast!"

Seeing his disciple die right before his eyes, Han Shan, the master of the Sword Tasting Hall, flew into a rage!

Though he was over fifty and his physical condition had declined somewhat, and though he had launched his attack in haste without using his full strength, at that moment, carrying a fierce, baleful fury, he crossed the twenty or thirty meters between the main hall and the courtyard gate in a single bound. He pounced through the air toward Li ChunJun, fingers spread wide, all the strength in his body concentrated in his arm as he reached for Li ChunJun's head.

His claw attack contained more than a dozen variations, sealing off every possible way Li ChunJun might evade it.

But Li ChunJun had no intention of dodging.

His martial knowledge was so limited that he could not even tell what subtleties Han Shan's claw contained.

He also had no idea that if he dodged, the relentless follow-up attacks awaiting him would surely kill him.

All he did was thrust his sword.

Completely ignoring Han Shan's claw descending toward his head, powerful enough to crush his skull, he fearlessly drove his sword with all his strength toward the largest target on Han Shan's body: his heart.

Whoosh!

The swordlight tore through the air.

Accelerated by the explosive force of the Nine Heavens Thunderclap Sword Art, the blade emitted a piercing shriek as it cut through the air.

This suicidal fighting style...

Forced Han Shan, who had thought one claw would be enough to kill Li ChunJun on the spot, to swallow his Killing Move.

A life for a life!?

Trade his life for that of a nobody who had been a nameless peasant until recently, just for the sake of the Jin Family!?

It wasn't worth it!

Not worth it at all!

Besides, he didn't have the courage for it!

Rage and frustration surged through Han Shan at the same time.

He had no choice but to change his move in midair. The claw that had been reaching for Li ChunJun's head shifted at once, crashing down onto the wrist of the hand thrusting the sword toward him.

Such a swift change of technique, with power flowing without the slightest obstruction. This was...

Hundred Meridians Open!

Li ChunJun's eyes darkened.

He had changed his move too?

There was no time!

The Sword Tasting Hall's master, Han Shan, was even stronger than he had expected!

How fast were his reactions!?

Li ChunJun was no match for Han Shan in technique!

His only advantage was his willingness to risk everything!

He was ruthless toward his enemies, and toward himself...

Rrrip!

His sleeve burst apart.

Han Shan's claw tore a series of clearly visible gashes into Li ChunJun's sword-wielding right hand.

The tearing claw continued downward, crushing Li ChunJun's wrist. Then, with a twist of force, it wrenched the sword from his grasp, disarming him in less than a second.

He had been twenty or thirty meters away, seen his disciple die, then rushed forward in a sudden attack, launching a deadly strike from the start.

And when Li ChunJun countered with a sword strike that staked his life, Han Shan had still managed to change his move in time, tear open his arm, crush his wrist, and strip him of his sword...

This terrifying strength brought the might of the leader of Guangzhou City's strongest martial arts faction to life in all its glory.

If one did not count the Military Department, calling him Guangzhou City's strongest martial artist would be no exaggeration!

Yet just as Han Shan crippled Li ChunJun's sword arm and disarmed him, preparing to seize him again and crush his neck, Li ChunJun suddenly thrust out his left hand, pointing it at Han Shan.

And what he held in that hand was unmistakably...

A gun!?