Bloodstained Long Street

Yu Jinghong watched as the brocade-robed Player pressed his hand seal, golden light sinking into the back of his hand. The mocking curl at the corner of her lips had yet to fully form.

Suddenly, she felt a chill at her back.

It was not a feeling. It was truly cold. An incomparably sharp, tyrannical force struck from behind without warning, effortlessly tearing through the protective inner force she had only just raised to the Fifth Layer of the Post-Heaven Realm and had not yet fully stabilized.

Squish!

A hand with a faint yellow-jade gleam to its skin punched through her chest.

In its palm was a warm, twitching mass.

It was her heart.

Yu Jinghong lowered her head and stared at the hand protruding through her chest. Her mind went blank. She did not even feel pain, only bone-deep cold and utter disbelief.

The surroundings instantly fell silent.

Every Player, including the brocade-robed C-Rank Talent holder who had just signed the contract and still wore a complicated expression, froze with their eyes wide.

Wang Xuan stood behind Yu Jinghong. His face had blended into the crowd, and moments ago he had looked like an ordinary Player hesitating over whether to sign the contract.

Now, his face was expressionless. He merely clenched his right hand.

The heart was crushed into a lump of bloody pulp.

Yu Jinghong's body jolted violently. Her pupils instantly lost focus, and the life in her eyes receded like a withdrawing tide. Her body went limp and began to fall.

Wang Xuan pulled back his hand and gave it a slight shake. The blood and flesh staining it turned into a mist of blood and slowly dispersed.

Done, he thought, preparing to bend down and search Yu Jinghong for anything she might be carrying.

Just as his fingers were about to touch Yu Jinghong's collar.

Yu Jinghong's corpse suddenly turned into countless motes of light, like fireflies scattered by the wind, vanishing from the air in a flash.

Wang Xuan grabbed nothing but air. He abruptly looked up.

On the other side of the street, some five or six meters away, the air twisted as the motes of light gathered again.

Yu Jinghong stood there completely unharmed, her white robes still pure as snow. Aside from the hole in her chest exposing a hint of spring scenery, her face was deathly pale—not the pallor of injury, but the white of extreme shock, fury, and lingering fear.

She stared at Wang Xuan as though she wanted to devour him alive.

"You...!" Yu Jinghong's voice trembled, not from fear but rage. "You dare kill me?!"

Wang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

Revival? A substitute item? Or... a Talent?

Textbooks had mentioned that some high-level Talents or special items could indeed save one's life. But he had not expected a Royal Clan member from a first-layer world to possess something like that.

"Holy shit!" someone in the crowd shouted. "This kid has some nerve, daring to kill a Royal Clan member!"

"She revived? What kind of cheat is that?"

"Wasn't that just now... her heart getting crushed? She still didn't die? And this guy is so strong? How can he punch through someone with one hand right after entering?"

"The Royal Clan is even more ridiculous, okay? She got her heart ripped out and still came back intact. The loot is a bit stingy, though. Just what you'd expect from the Royal Clan—rich and cheap!"

Although the Royal Clan was a privileged class, this world never lacked people who challenged the rules. Especially in a Plot World, it was like netizens from his past life: no matter how accomplished you were, they would still say you were lacking and needed more practice.

Wang Xuan smiled indifferently and straightened up. He looked at Yu Jinghong. There was no turning back once the bow was drawn. Since he had acted, he could only fight to the end.

Yu Jinghong took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her surging blood and fury.

On the back of her hand, a faint Substitute Doll mark gradually dimmed and vanished.

Her A-Rank Talent, [Reincarnation Substitute], had its once-per-Plot-World flawless revival used up just like that.

As for those mud-legged nobodies watching and mocking her, once they left the Plot World, they would learn what a beating from society meant and what it meant for the Royal Clan's dignity to be inviolable. Whoever had looked at her would have that many eyes gouged from their family and friends.

"Good. Very good." Yu Jinghong's voice was cold as ice. "A mud-legged nobody who crawled out of some unknown corner dares attack me? You must be tired of living!"

Yu Jinghong's gaze sharpened. She said no more. With a fierce kick of her foot, she rose like a fluttering white butterfly. Her robes billowed as she became an afterimage lunging at Wang Xuan, graceful in posture yet hiding a lethal killing move.

Before she even neared him, fierce palm wind had already arrived, carrying sharp hissing sounds as it tore through the air, as if countless invisible little swords were weaving through the airflow.

Seven or eight overlapping palm shadows suddenly appeared before Wang Xuan's eyes, some real and some false, layered upon each other. Some struck at his chest, some locked onto his throat, and some targeted his shoulder well, sealing every route of escape.

Falling Blossom Divine Sword Palm!

As palm shadows whirled, Yu Jinghong's lower body launched its attack. Her left leg swept out like a steel whip with a howling gust, striking directly at Wang Xuan's lower leg. Her right leg followed close behind with an airborne side kick so fast only an afterimage remained, driving straight at his waist and abdomen.

As her legs alternated, dust was whipped into the sky, truly like a gale sweeping fallen leaves as it smashed down over him. It was the Whirlwind Leaf-Sweeping Leg, the technique paired with the Falling Blossom Divine Sword Palm!

One palm technique attacked the upper body, while one leg technique attacked the lower body. Palm shadows and kicking wind interwove into a net, blending hardness and softness. It was ruthless yet elegant. Though this was a fight to the death, it was as beautiful as a solo dance beneath the moon—but the killing intent hidden within that "dance" was enough to make experts of the same realm flee.

Yet Wang Xuan stood where he was without even lifting an eyelid.

Dodge? There was no need.

He even slightly closed his eyes. The Lesser Vajra Indestructible Body circulated at full force, and a nearly imperceptible yellow glow spread over his body. His muscles, tendons, and bones became like refined iron as he relied purely on his physical body to take the storm of attacks head-on.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dull impacts rang out in succession, like heavy hammers pounding thick oxhide drums, making the surrounding air tremble faintly.

The palm shadows struck solidly against his chest, shoulders, and arms. The kicking wind viciously swept across his lower legs and waist. Every blow contained Yu Jinghong's powerful inner force. An ordinary Post-Heaven expert would have long since suffered broken tendons and bones and been sent flying.

But Wang Xuan merely swayed slightly. His feet seemed rooted to the ground, utterly unmoving.

After the final sweeping kick passed, Yu Jinghong lightly retreated two steps and landed steadily. Yet her expression had become even uglier, her brows tightly furrowed.

She felt numbness spreading through her palms and leg bones. Her attacks had seemed not to strike a person, but crash into a solid iron block. The rebounding force made even her meridians feel faintly swollen.

Wang Xuan slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his clothes. Several places had been torn by palm wind and leg force, revealing the bronze-colored skin underneath.

Yet there was not even the slightest bruise, swelling, or red mark on that skin.

He raised a hand and dusted off his clothes, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather. "The loot is about to get flung away, and that's all the strength you've got?"

"Iron Cloth Shirt?" Yu Jinghong ignored the spring scenery exposed by her torn clothes, gritting her silver teeth. "You practice Iron Cloth Shirt? No... Iron Cloth Shirt can't possibly be this hard!"

It was not as though she had never seen body-hardening arts. The Royal Clan treasury contained quite a few low-grade and mid-grade external cultivation techniques.

But even a mid-grade hardening art trained to mastery should have at least made one's blood and qi churn and their skin turn blue and purple after being struck by her Fifth Layer Post-Heaven Bright Jade Art-enhanced Falling Blossom Divine Sword Palm.

This guy, however, looked completely unaffected.

"Iron Cloth Shirt! It's Iron Cloth Shirt!" A knowledgeable Player among the spectators shouted. "But... isn't this Iron Cloth Shirt a little too hard? Leader Yu's palm wind scares even me just looking at it, and he's actually fine?"

"More than fine. Look at his skin... it seems to have a yellow glow? Like jade."

"The hell is that Iron Cloth Shirt? That's Indestructible Diamond!"

At that moment, the doors of Iron Garment Martial Hall creaked open.

Master Qin had been alerted by the sounds of fighting outside and walked out with a frown.

Seeing the scene on the street, with a man and woman fighting amid flying dust, he was initially startled. But once he clearly saw their exchange, his eyes immediately widened.

"Falling Blossoms, palms containing sword intent... this, this is an exceptionally brilliant palm technique!" Master Qin stared at Yu Jinghong and muttered to himself. "Her leg technique is like wind sweeping leaves, unending and continuous. What excellent legwork! This young woman has reached the Fifth Layer of the Post-Heaven Realm at such a tender age? Truly... unbelievable. But this is far too indecent. No, I must criticize her seriously and make her reflect beneath the gaze of judgment!"

The Players who heard him nearly burst out laughing. They held it in so hard their shoulders shook, while another Player explained impatiently, "Master, that woman isn't decent. There's no telling how many little... ahem, male favorites she has beneath her skirt. She could change ten a day without effort. Shame probably flew off somewhere long ago, so you should focus on the martial arts instead!"

Master Qin's brain nearly crashed. He had not expected such a remarkable woman. Then he looked at Wang Xuan and became even more bewildered.

"Th-this young man isn't he the one who came this morning to learn Iron Cloth Shirt?" Master Qin rubbed his eyes vigorously. "What... what does it mean that he's standing there taking hits? Wait... his skin color..."

Master Qin had taught Iron Cloth Shirt all his life. He knew the Copper Skin Realm, Iron Skin Realm, and Iron Bone Realm like the back of his hand.

But Wang Xuan's current state—his skin warm and lustrous, faintly glowing with the pale sheen of yellow jade, not even bearing a white mark after such violent attacks...

This exceeded the bounds of his understanding.

"Iron Cloth Shirt... can be trained to this extent?" Master Qin was dumbfounded. Standing at the martial hall entrance, he could only repeat, "This isn't right... this makes no sense... the groin, throat, temples, navel, back of the head, even the eyes—none of these weak points work? Just close his eyelids and eye gouging becomes useless? How is that possible..."

On the street, Yu Jinghong grew more alarmed the longer she fought.

She unleashed her palm and leg techniques fully, circling Wang Xuan in a fierce assault. Her figure was as fast as a ghost, palm shadows and leg shadows almost wrapping Wang Xuan into a ball.

And Wang Xuan?

He merely stood there. Occasionally, he raised a hand to block something. His movements were plain and unadorned, even somewhat slow, but he did not care, allowing Yu Jinghong's flashy attacks to land on him.

Bang, bang, bang... The dull impacts continued.

Yet Wang Xuan silently counted in his heart. The palm technique blends feints with real attacks. After the seventh palm, there will definitely be a chain of kicks... the leg technique sweeps low before striking upward, and the rhythm is fixed...

He was like a patient hunter, waiting for his opponent to reveal an opening.

Unable to break through after attacking for so long, Yu Jinghong grew anxious and furious. She suddenly spoke, deliberately raising her voice so everyone around could hear.

"Kid, I admit you have some ability. You managed to train a hardening art to this level right after entering the world. The Talent you awakened must be at least A-Rank, perhaps even S-Rank?"

She attacked as she spoke rapidly. "But do you think that is enough? I am from the Yu Clan of the Royal Clan! Killing me means becoming an enemy of the Royal Clan! Once we leave this world, the Yu Family has ten thousand ways to make you wish you were dead!"

"Stop now and follow me. I can pretend what happened before never happened. With your Talent and my Royal Clan's resources, your future will be limitless! Why ruin yourself for a moment of satisfaction?"

She made it sound as though she were incredibly magnanimous.

Wang Xuan finally spoke, his voice very calm. "Are you finished?"

Yu Jinghong froze.

"If you're finished, then you can die." Wang Xuan said.

After their extended exchange, he had discovered that when her eighth palm form changed from a feint to a real strike, her right shoulder would dip slightly. When her chain kicks reached the seventh kick, her breathing adjustment lasted 0.3 seconds longer than before.

Although martial arts had been monopolized knowledge beyond his reach during his eighteen years of life, he had always excelled in ordinary combat studies. Since she had continuously displayed her techniques, he had figured out a rough idea of them in such a short time.

Yu Jinghong's expression changed drastically.

Before his words had faded, Yu Jinghong had just finished a move of "Falling Blossoms." Her palm shadows drew together as she prepared the opening stance for the Whirlwind Leaf-Sweeping Leg. At the instant when her old force had been spent and her new force had yet to arise.

Wang Xuan moved.

He was not fast at all. He simply stepped forward and threw a straight right punch at Yu Jinghong's chest.

The same spot as before.

Yu Jinghong wanted to dodge, but her body had just shifted its breathing and her movements were half a beat slow. She wanted to block, but Wang Xuan's punch looked ordinary while sealing every angle of escape.

She could only barely gather the inner force of the Bright Jade Art at her chest and take it head-on.

The fist smashed into her chest, and the modest swell there completely caved in.

Yu Jinghong felt as though she had been struck by a charging wild bull. Her protective inner force instantly collapsed, and her breastbone emitted a teeth-grinding crack as it shattered.

Her entire body flew backward, and she vomited a large mouthful of blood while still in midair.

Before she could land, Wang Xuan had already followed like a shadow. At the center of her back, he pressed two fingers together like a blade and lightly jabbed.

His fingertips easily pierced through her back and emerged from her chest.

The same place, the same method.

Yu Jinghong's body stiffened. The light in her eyes rapidly dimmed. She opened her mouth, blood foam spilling out in a rush. "I'll be... waiting... for you... outside the Tower of Heavens..."

Wang Xuan withdrew his hand.

Yu Jinghong's corpse fell to the ground. This time, it did not turn into motes of light.

She was dead.

He had truly killed the Royal Clan's young lady out of the Plot World!

The street was terrifyingly silent.

Every Player held their breath, looking at Yu Jinghong's corpse on the ground and then at Wang Xuan standing beside it with blood dripping from his hand.

Then, a sudden change erupted.

"Argh!

No!"

A shrill scream broke the silence.

It was the skinny young man who had signed the contract first. He suddenly clutched his head as blood poured simultaneously from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. His body convulsed violently, then he fell straight backward and hit the ground with a bang, lifeless.

Immediately afterward—

"No... the contract..."

"The Guild Leader is dead... we..."

"I'm not willing... I only just entered the Plot World...!"

Screams rang out one after another.

The more than twenty Players who had signed the "Servant Contract," including the brocade-robed young man with the C-Rank Talent, all seemed to have their throats gripped by an invisible hand. Their faces twisted as blood flowed from their seven orifices, and within two or three seconds, they thudded to the ground one after another.

In the blink of an eye, the more than twenty people who had been standing moments ago had all become corpses.

They lay scattered across the street.

Only Wang Xuan remained standing, Yu Jinghong's corpse at his feet and the Players who had died suddenly all around him.

When the wind blew, the stench of blood spread through the air.

Master Qin stood at the entrance of the martial hall, his face pale and his legs somewhat weak. He had never seen such a bizarre scene in his life.

Wang Xuan looked around, crouched down, and began searching Yu Jinghong's corpse.

In the distance, some Players who had not signed the contract and had kept far away looked at Wang Xuan as if he were a monster. But remembering the contract terms offered by the Royal Clan and the Players who had suddenly died in the street, they felt a chill shoot from their tailbones straight to their scalps.

"Sure enough, trying to take advantage of the Royal Clan will get you killed if you're even slightly careless..."