Bai Shaofei was twenty years old that year, and the biological son of the Flying Flower Sect's leader.
Of course, he was only one of them.
But his terrifying martial talent had been apparent since childhood, so he had always been the one who drew the most attention.
Although he was born into the Flying Flower Sect, he looked down on the sect's Dual Cultivation techniques.
Techniques with a ceiling like that would only waste his martial talent.
So outsiders had no way of knowing that Bai Shaofei had, in fact, cultivated the hard way all the way to the Mid-sixth Grade.
And he was a Mid-sixth Grade cultivator who had mastered several martial arts.
His strength was extraordinary.
As for why he had taken the Huang family's young lady hostage, there was more to it than met the eye.
It was a test from a mysterious organization.
The Cao Gang had many disciples, but few were any good.
Most were Jianghu Rogue Cultivators who had joined the gang with some prior training, but their fighting skills were truly painful to behold.
At the very first exchange, one Hall Master died beneath Bai Shaofei's sword.
"Hahaha! Is this all the strength a Cao Gang Hall Master has?"
One Hall Master had a fiery temper. Despite suffering a grievous injury that cost him one arm, he gritted his teeth and punched Bai Shaofei in the chest.
A muffled thud.
Bai Shaofei was completely unharmed.
"You..."
Eyes wide, the Hall Master stared in shock at the Soft Armor showing beneath Bai Shaofei's clothes.
He was actually wearing Soft Armor under his clothes.
Then Bai Shaofei flicked his wrist. His sword swept across, slicing the man's entire head clean off.
They were outmatched in both strength and equipment. Continuing to fight would only mean throwing their lives away for nothing.
Seeing things go badly, the remaining Hall Masters immediately vanished into the vast darkness of the night.
"Hahaha! So the Cao Gang, which dominates Yangzhou City, is nothing but a bunch of useless fools. Bai is thoroughly disappointed!"
Bai Shaofei laughed aloud.
Then his expression turned serious. He glanced toward a tree not far away and said coldly,
"Friend, you've been hiding back there watching for quite a while. It's time to show yourself."
A tall, slender figure stepped out from behind the tree.
It was Li Xian.
Looking at the face, even younger than his own, Bai Shaofei asked in confusion, "Why aren't you running? Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Li Xian said, "I can't die. And your life is worth a hundred taels of gold."
"What a boast." Bai Shaofei narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Are you a Cao Gang Hall Master too?"
"No, I'm just an administrator," Li Xian answered honestly.
"An administrator?!"
At that, Bai Shaofei visibly paused, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha... You're just an administrator?"
"That's right."
Bai Shaofei threw his head back and laughed, his voice filled with mockery and disdain.
"If a master of the Cao Gang, at the level of External Affairs Envoy or above, had come, I, Bai Shaofei, would've turned tail and run. If it had been a Hall Master, I might've had to put in some effort to take him down. But if it's only an administrator..."
"What would happen?"
"How is that any different from coming here to die?"
Li Xian said, "You're so confident. You must be strong."
"I'm more than strong enough to deal with you." Bai Shaofei looked utterly proud.
"Since that's the case, I can relax."
"What do you mean?" Bai Shaofei frowned and asked in confusion.
Beneath the moonlight, the smile on Li Xian's face looked calm and eerie.
The next second, under Bai Shaofei's stunned gaze, Li Xian's body underwent a dramatic transformation.
He grew taller, his muscles bulged, and his skin turned a dusky blue-black, as though he had donned a thick suit of iron armor.
And that wasn't all.
Next, the skin exposed outside his clothes turned scarlet, like steel heated red-hot.
"Is that... the highest realm of the Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training... and... the Crimson Sun Nine Songs' Burning Body?"
Bai Shaofei exclaimed, his face full of shock.
He had also mastered several martial arts, but reaching the highest realm in even one of them took more than talent.
It also required opportunity, resources, and years of relentless cultivation.
Now he was seeing someone even younger than himself achieve the highest realm of the Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training.
Could his sword even pierce that body?
Bai Shaofei couldn't help wondering.
In the darkness, Li Xian grinned. "It's been a long time since I've fought with all my strength. Try not to die too quickly."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure became a streak of red light in the night, flashing toward Bai Shaofei like lightning.
"Tiger Cannon!"
A roar that shook West Ridge Mountain rang out, making the surrounding trees tremble and shower leaves to the ground.
"The highest realm of Tiger Cannon Fist? How is that possible?!"
Bai Shaofei roared in disbelief.
His eyes widened. It was as though he saw a mighty, spotted tiger appear behind Li Xian, raising its head, opening its bloody maw, and unleashing a silent yet earth-shaking roar.
Another technique at the highest realm.
Bai Shaofei had always thought himself one of the rarest geniuses in the world. He had always looked down on everyone, his eyes high above the rest. Only today did he discover that there was always a sky beyond the sky, and a person beyond the person.
"No!"
With a desperate cry, Bai Shaofei summoned all his strength and raised his sword in a defensive stance before him.
And yet...
The next second.
The sword snapped, the Soft Armor shattered, and his life ended.
Li Xian withdrew his fist, his expression unchanged.
Blood spilled from Bai Shaofei's mouth as he stared in disbelief at the transparent hole in his chest.
The hole was neither too big nor too small—just the size of a fist.
"I, Bai Shaofei, actually... am going to die... here..."
With that, his head lolled to one side. He collapsed onto the earth of West Ridge Mountain and breathed his last.
Before you continue