However perilous this battle was for everyone else, nothing could dim its dazzling brilliance.
The onlookers watched with blood boiling and couldn't help discussing it excitedly.
"These two... they're just too strong!"
"No wonder they're peerless prodigies who can lord it over their peers in Qingzhou Prefecture. They've truly opened our eyes!"
"I'd heard a little about this Buddha Son before, but I've never heard of this Li Xian from the Cao Gang!"
"I've heard people in the Cao Gang mention him. They said he was the most gifted of the younger generation, but I'd never had the chance to meet him."
"I've heard of him too, but only from stories circulating within the Cao Gang. Outside of it, you hardly ever hear about him."
"That proves he's a modest man, devoted to the Martial Dao. If the Cao Gang hadn't faced such a calamity this time, he probably wouldn't have made a move!"
"Who do you think will win?"
"Hard to say. They seem evenly matched; their strength must be about the same!"
"This is the kind of fight worth watching. Until the very last moment, you can't tell who'll emerge the true victor!"
Just then, someone raised a question.
"Why aren't the Demon Suppressing Division and Prefectural Army stopping them?"
Someone scoffed.
"The Demon Suppressing Division and the Prefectural Army want nothing more than to see both sides badly wounded."
"Why?" someone asked, confused.
"Because only then will the White Dragon Temple and the Cao Gang be gravely weakened. When that happens, those two forces will fall into certain people's hands!"
"Certain people? Who?"
"Can't say! Can't say!" The man shook his head and clammed up.
"I heard..."
At that moment, someone nearby spoke in a hushed, gloomy voice.
"Today's deadly battle between the Cao Gang and the White Dragon Temple was all arranged by Governor Zheng!"
"Shut your mouth!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone brusquely cut him off.
"Watch your tongue, or you'll bring trouble down on yourself!"
The man suddenly realized what he'd said. His face flustered as he looked around, only to find countless pairs of eyes fixed coldly on him.
Under those stares, he felt ice-cold, as if someone had doused him from head to toe with a bucket of cold water.
His face turned deathly pale. He didn't dare linger there and slipped away.
But by then, someone had already set their sights on him.
Someone hidden in the shadows issued an order.
"Send two men after him. Make sure he never speaks again!"
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, the battle in the distance had reached its boiling point!
Since emerging from seclusion, Li Xian had gathered the strengths of a hundred schools and made them his own. His strength had reached the terrifying peak of the Upper Three Ranks in the Martialist Realm.
In strength, speed, and defense, he far surpassed the Buddha Son.
But thanks to the superiority of his profound art, the Buddha Son had astonishing recuperative powers. Unless more than sixty percent of his body was shattered in a single blow, he could recover completely within a few breaths.
If he cultivated this profound art to its peak, he might even achieve the legendary state of rebirth from a drop of blood.
After exchanging several hundred blows, Li Xian had roughly figured out the Buddha Son's limits.
"A pity..."
Li Xian sighed. He blocked the Buddha Son's two head-on punches with one hand, then slammed his shoulder into the man's chest. Spinning around, he lashed a whip kick across the Buddha Son's neck.
For who knew how many times, the Buddha Son was blasted into West Lake by the force of the blow.
He struggled out of the water and had barely taken a few steps along the shore when, perhaps because the sand was soft, his footing gave way and he fell to his knees.
Even his profound art, wondrous as it was, had not yet reached the highest level.
He had suffered too many grievous injuries. The True Qi in his body was nearly exhausted, and even moving was now incredibly difficult.
Worse still, a great deal of reddish-black True Qi was raging inside him, destroying his meridians and organs.
His white monk's robe had been reduced to tatters. Blood drenched his body, and cracked skin and pulverized bones were visible beneath it.
"What tenacious vitality!" Li Xian couldn't help applauding in admiration.
"With injuries like these, an ordinary martial artist would have died countless times over. Yet you can still stand. You've truly opened Li Mou's eyes!"
As he spoke, the Buddha Son finally managed to stand upright, trembling.
Li Xian did not take the opportunity to attack.
"If you have any other means, use them now. This is your last chance."
The Buddha Son calmly shook his head. "This humble monk has already given his all and held nothing back. I am no match for Benefactor Li!"
Li Xian fell silent.
After a long while, he finally spoke.
"Then are you ready?"
"Amitabha." The Buddha Son pressed his palms together. "Ever since this humble monk chose to walk this path, I have been prepared to die. Benefactor Li need not feel burdened by it!"
"Very well!"
Li Xian set off, walking toward the Buddha Son one step at a time.
"I'll send you on your way!"
"Thank you, Benefactor Li!"
The Buddha Son smiled faintly, sat cross-legged, and pressed his palms together.
He closed his eyes and began reciting the first scripture he had memorized at the White Dragon Temple.
"Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha dwelt in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary, in the kingdom of Shravasti, together with a gathering of great bhikshus, one thousand two hundred and fifty in all..."
The Diamond Sutra
Li Xian extended his palm and gently placed it on Guan Miao's head.
The next moment,
True Qi surged forth with overwhelming force, completely extinguishing the Buddha Son's life.
The chanting stopped abruptly...
A peerless prodigy of his generation, the Buddha Son of the White Dragon Temple, had met his end!
The people watching from afar saw this and sighed one after another.
"It's over!"
"I never thought the Buddha Son of the White Dragon Temple would be the one to lose!"
"A peerless prodigy has met his end. What a pity!"
"What a waste. Give him a little more time, and he might have become a realm-extreme powerhouse of Qingzhou!"
"There are no 'what ifs' in this world!"
"Regardless, this earth-shaking battle that rocked all of Qingzhou is over. The victor is Li Xian of the Cao Gang!"
"Indeed. Li Xian of the Cao Gang is the number one among Qingzhou's younger generation!"
"Perhaps we're witnessing the birth of a new Martial Dao legend!"
"It's too soon to say that!"
Elsewhere, however, some people were growing anxious.
"Quick! Hurry back and report to the lord. Something's changed!"
"That man's incredibly strong. He still has much of his strength left after fighting the Buddha Son. Even if we attacked him now, we wouldn't stand a chance. We'd better retreat!"
"No time to waste. Let's go!"
Just as the group was about to withdraw, they looked up and saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure blocking the road ahead. No one knew when he'd appeared.
It was Li Xian!
"Li Xian of the Cao Gang, what are you trying to do?"
Someone asked, putting on a brave front despite his fear.
Li Xian stood half-turned, gazing vaguely into the distance as he said with a faint smile,
"I've just had a fight. I'm not in the mood to throw another punch right now!"
Then why not move aside? Why block our way?
The people facing him were tense. They cursed him inwardly but didn't dare let it show.
Li Xian continued, "But being used as a pawn like this and doing nothing in response—that's not Li Mou's style."
"What exactly do you want?"
"How about this?"
Li Xian smiled. "I'll give you a chance."
"You can fight among yourselves and see who's the strongest. I'll let the strongest one go back!"
Before you continue