The Might of a Qi and Blood Realm Cultivator, Wang Wu's Death

Deep within the manor, an icy voice exploded beside everyone's ears like a thunderclap.

In an instant, heaven and earth fell silent.

At some unknown moment, a figure dressed in mourning robes had appeared upon the eaves.

With his hands behind his back, he looked down at everyone present with indifferent eyes.

At the sight of that figure, the Li Family Members' eyes burst with hopeful light.

"Family Head—it's the Family Head!"

"The Family Head is here!"

"We pay our respects to the Family Head!"

The newcomer was naturally Li Xinge.

Wang Wu and the others raised their heads, looking up at the young man standing on the roof.

For some reason, although this young man seemed to possess no cultivation at all, his very appearance placed immense pressure upon them.

"You are the Li Family's new Family Head?"

Wang Wu forced himself to ask.

His words received no reply.

Wang Wu could not help growing annoyed.

He immediately mocked, "The Li Family truly has no one left. You actually made some wet-behind-the-ears brat your Family Head."

Everyone burst into laughter at his words.

Li Xinge remained unruffled by favor or disgrace as he slowly said, "My ancestor's bones have not yet turned cold, yet I never expected that a dog he once raised would turn around and bite its master."

Wang Wu flew into a rage at those words.

He was a mighty expert at Body Realm Great Accomplishment, yet this young man had compared him to a watchdog.

More than that, however, Li Xinge had struck a sore spot.

After all, when Li Xuanfeng had still been alive, everything Wang Wu did had made him seem more like the Li Family's loyal hound.

The Li Family had once thought that, after Li Xuanfeng's death, the first to leap out and target them would be the Li Family's enemies.

They had never imagined it would be Wang Wu, who had always been so respectful and deferential toward the Li Family—and that he would be so impatient to act.

"You insolent brat, your arrogance knows no bounds! This Sect Master has heard that you are a genius rarely seen in the Li Family for centuries. Today, I will seek your guidance and see whether you truly live up to your name!"

Blinded by rage, Wang Wu drew the great saber from his back and leaped straight toward Li Xinge.

He was incredibly fast.

In almost an instant, he had rushed before Li Xinge.

He raised the Ghost Head Severing Blade in his hand and viciously chopped down at Li Xinge's head.

Although Wang Wu did not believe Li Xinge could be his match, he never underestimated an enemy.

He had put every ounce of his strength into this strike.

Even an ordinary martial artist of the same realm, caught off guard by this slash, would have met a bitter end.

Seeing Li Xinge standing motionlessly in place as though frightened senseless, Wang Wu's lips curled into a cruel smile.

He could practically see this new Li Family Head, this famed Li Family genius, being split in two by his blade.

Hmph, what so-called once-in-a-century genius? A fame-seeking fraud, nothing more than another soul beneath my blade!

But soon...

The smile on Wang Wu's face froze.

In its place came a terror as though he had fallen into an abyss.

Li Xinge merely raised his hand at an unhurried pace.

That heavy slash, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, was effortlessly caught between two of Li Xinge's fingers.

Wang Wu used all his strength until his face turned red, yet no matter how he pulled, he could not wrench the blade free.

Looking at Wang Wu desperately struggling, his face flushed crimson, Li Xinge smiled faintly and shook his head. "Sect Master Wang, your courage is commendable, but the quality of your toy is rather poor."

Then, before Wang Wu's horrified eyes, Li Xinge applied a slight force with his fingers. The treasured blade, forged from hundred-times-refined steel and having accompanied Wang Wu for decades as it slew countless enemies, snapped with a sharp crack.

Then he seized Wang Wu by the throat with one hand.

A suffocating sensation instantly slammed into Wang Wu's mind.

Wang Wu desperately struggled with both hands, trying to pry Li Xinge's hand away.

Yet he discovered that Li Xinge's hand was like an iron pincer. No matter how much strength he used, it did not budge in the slightest.

Li Xinge still wore a smile.

That spring-breeze smile, to Wang Wu at this moment, was more terrifying than any evil ghost.

"Li... Family Head... spare... this dog's... life... I will never..."

Crack.

A hair-raising sound of bones breaking rang out.

Wang Wu's words came to an abrupt halt.

"In your next life, do not oppose my Li Family again."

His gentle voice spoke lightly.

Li Xinge released his hand, and Wang Wu's corpse crashed heavily to the ground.

The nearly two-hundred-pound hulk struck the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.

Wang Wu's head hung crookedly, his bulging eyes exceptionally savage.

Until the moment of his death, he could not believe that he, the dignified Sect Master of the Great Saber Sect and an expert at Body Cultivation Grand Completion, had been casually crushed to death by a young man like a lowly ant.

What had just happened...

Seemed to have taken a long time, but in truth, it had lasted only an instant.

From the moment Wang Wu charged forward to the moment he died, only a few breaths had passed.

No one had even seen clearly what had happened.

Wang Wu's corpse had already fallen to the ground.

The Zou Family Patriarch and the others widened their eyes, staring fixedly at Wang Wu's corpse on the ground, his eyes still open in death. Their faces were full of disbelief.

They never could have imagined that Wang Wu, who just moments ago had been overbearing and determined to kill the Li Family Head, would die on the spot the very next moment.

Wang Wu was the Sect Master of the Great Saber Sect—a dominant figure of his region, an expert at Body Realm Great Accomplishment.

Even across all of Baihe County, he had been a notable figure.

Yet he had been casually crushed to death like an ant.

On the Li Family's side—

After a moment, cheers erupted like mountains toppling and seas overturning.

Countless Li Family Members gazed fanatically at the young man atop the roof.

"Family Head is mighty!"

"Family Head is mighty!"

"Family Head is mighty!"

The earth-shaking, perfectly uniform cheers finally jolted the Zou Family Patriarch and the others awake. Their faces were filled with terror.

They had thought of everything, except for one person.

The Li Family's genius—the new Li Family Head.

He was the Li Family's true trump card!

His strength had already grown unfathomably deep.

It was even highly possible that he had broken through the Qi and Blood Heavenly Pass and advanced to the Qi and Blood Realm.

After all, Wang Wu had been instantly killed without even the strength to resist.

One had to know that even a cultivator at Body Cultivation Grand Perfection could defeat someone at Body Cultivation Grand Completion, but could never kill them so effortlessly!

Things had reached this point.

Everyone understood that destroying the Li Family was now nothing more than an idiot's dream.

Even with Su Yun, a Half-Step Qi and Blood Realm expert, holding the fort, it would not be enough.

Li Xinge's strength was simply too terrifying.

If they remained obstinate, Wang Wu's fate would be their warning from the cart ahead.

With thoughts of retreat taking root, everyone's feet began to edge backward in unison.

But behind them—

The open gates had quietly closed at some unknown moment.

Figures clad in black robes appeared one after another on the surrounding eaves.

Powerful bows and heavy crossbows were drawn and ready.

At a single command, a rain of arrows would be unleashed.

By now, how could they fail to understand that Li Xuanfeng's funeral procession today had been a colossal trap prepared for them, waiting for them to deliver themselves to the door and walk straight into the net?

Under the threat of death, the Zou Family Patriarch and the others felt their bodies trembling beyond their control.

Looking at the young man on the roof, the Zou Family Patriarch forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart and said, "Li... Li Family Head, today's matter is a misunderstanding. We were all egged on by that fellow Wang Wu. Please, Li Family Head, do not blame us."

Wang Wu was dead anyway. They could dump all the blame on him, and he would not come back to refute them.

As long as they could escape this calamity today, the matter of the Li Family could be discussed at length later.

On the roof.

Li Xinge stood with his hands behind his back.

He smiled. "I do not blame you."

At his words—

Everyone could not help releasing a sigh of relief at once.

It seemed Li Xinge still had reservations and did not wish to fight them until both fish and net were destroyed.

At that thought, a relieved smile bloomed across the Zou Family Patriarch's face.

"Since that is the case, we shall not disturb you any longer. On another day, we will come to the Li Family to offer our apologies in person."

With that, he prepared to turn and leave.

But the gentle words drifting from behind made everyone's steps stiffen.

"Whether to blame you or not is my ancestor's business. All I need to do is send you to meet the old man."

"Li Family Head, what do you mean by that?"

The Zou Family Patriarch demanded, his face iron-gray.

Seeing that Li Xinge remained unmoved, the Zou Family Patriarch added, "Li Family Head, I know you are powerful, but we are not made of clay either. If you truly intend to keep us here, the Li Family will have to lose a few teeth as well."

"Heh, ridiculous. Just you ants?"

Li Xinge pointed at them and gave a disdainful laugh.

"Or are you referring to that rat hiding in the shadows?"

Everyone's expressions changed dramatically.