Who Exactly Was Li Qiming?!

Faced with A-Lian's terrifying strike, Liu Yun was horrified!

He had no time to explain. All he could do was muster every ounce of strength to defend himself.

Boom!

The massive black blade aura slammed into Liu Yun and sent the bearded old man flying.

Liu Yun staggered back dozens of steps before finally steadying himself.

Everyone looked over. The once-arrogant Demon Sect elder, Liu Yun, was now in a wretched state.

His body was covered in countless blade wounds, and his silk robes were torn to shreds.

Liu Yun's pair of hands were his weapons, his Iron Palms famed for being nigh indestructible. Now, even they trembled uncontrollably.

A-Lian looked a little surprised. "Li Qiming, I didn't expect you to block that strike."

As she spoke, she raised her blade again.

"Wait!"

Liu Yun was utterly shocked and hurriedly called out, "There must be some misunderstanding between us. Besides, I'm not Li Qiming. My name is Liu Yun!"

He was even more frustrated beyond words.

If she didn't know Li Qiming, how could she be so certain?

A-Lian was also taken aback. To her, it was easy to judge.

Li Qiming had killed Chen Ajiu, so he had to be at least at the Organ Refining Realm.

And she had a feeling that Li Qiming had to be quite old.

So the moment she entered the Ancient Temple, she'd fixed her gaze on the most likely suspect: Elder Liu Yun.

"Your name is Liu Yun, and you're not Li Qiming?"

A-Lian asked.

"That's right!"

"I don't believe you!"

"You!"

Liu Yun's eyes widened. He was so incensed he could have spat blood!

"I can vouch for him. Elder Liu Yun really isn't Li Qiming."

Just then, the silver-haired old woman stepped forward and spoke solemnly.

"Li Qiming is actually..."

The old woman was about to point beyond the broken wall, toward the young Xiao Se.

But before she could get the words out, A-Lian's Demon Blade came crashing down on her head!

The terrifying force of demonic energy pressed down on the old woman until her bones creaked.

"Pfft!"

The old woman fought back with all her strength, but still couldn't stop herself from spitting blood as she was sent flying.

"Why did you strike me?!"

Her face was ashen as she glared at the woman in white, feeling that she was utterly unreasonable.

"If he isn't Li Qiming, then you must be Li Qiming."

"I didn't expect Li Qiming to be an old woman... Die, Li Qiming!"

A-Lian looked at Liu Yun and the old woman and spoke coldly.

Her instincts told her that Li Qiming had to be one of the two.

Boom!

She swung her Demon Blade and struck.

This time, the silver-haired old woman's body was cleaved into pieces and blew apart!

"Elder Ji!"

Liu Yun and Chen Shuang stared in fury, their eyes nearly splitting.

A Demon Sect elder at the Organ Refining Realm had died so unjustly, taking a blow meant for Li Qiming!

It was all Li Qiming's fault!

"Holy Son, run! She's gone mad. Her thinking is rigid, and there's no reasoning with her!"

Liu Yun looked at the terrifying demonic energy surrounding A-Lian and spoke urgently.

Even the tiniest trace of demonic power in a Blood Demon Pill could affect a person's mind, making them bloodthirsty and murderous, and unable to judge right from wrong.

And the woman in white was bursting with demonic power.

The white-bearded old man finally understood: reasoning with A-Lian was like playing a lute to a cow!

Run!

With that thought, Liu Yun suddenly pulled out a blood talisman and activated it with all the Blood Qi in his body.

The Blood Shield Talisman!

He had found it in a Gods and Devils Secret Realm.

Usually, he couldn't activate it at all. But now Elder Ji was dead, so he could make use of her flesh and blood!

Liu Yun flung the talisman onto Elder Ji's corpse.

A divine-and-demonic aura descended over the area. The next moment, a gaping maw appeared out of thin air. Its foul-smelling tongue swept out and swallowed Elder Ji's remains.

Then Liu Yun grabbed Chen Shuang, and the two of them leaped into the maw and disappeared.

"Where do you think you're going?!" A-Lian slashed at them.

But her blade struck empty air.

The gaping maw had vanished.

A thousand miles away.

In a corner of a desolate mountain, a gaping maw appeared out of thin air and spat out two figures. Then it slowly faded away, leaving behind the faint sound of bones being crunched and chewed.

"Pfft!"

As soon as he hit the ground, Liu Yun spat out a mouthful of foul-smelling blood.

He was badly injured.

"Elder Yun! Are you all right?"

Chen Shuang supported him anxiously.

"I'm fine, Holy Son. Quick, let's get back to the Demon Sect!"

At the thought of the terrifying A-Lian, Liu Yun still felt a lingering fear.

"But..."

Chen Shuang hesitated.

He was unwilling to accept this!

If they ran away like this, all their efforts would go to waste!

Xia Bingbing, tenth on the Beauty Ranking... and Li Qiming, who had killed his younger brother—were they really going to let them go just like that?!

"Whether they're still alive is anyone's guess. Let's leave first. If that Demoness catches up, we're finished!"

"Don't worry. If they survive, we'll make new plans!"

Liu Yun urged him anxiously.

"Fine..." Chen Shuang nodded.

He looked back at the desolate mountain beneath the night sky.

His eyes were filled with hatred.

"Little brother..."

"Li Qiming, you'd better stay alive. I'll reach the Organ Refining Realm soon, and my Blade Momentum will take shape. When that happens, I'll take your worthless life and avenge my brother!"

Chen Shuang murmured, then helped Liu Yun along.

The two of them left in a sorry state.

Ancient Temple.

Liu Yun and Chen Shuang had used the divine-and-demonic maw to escape.

Only Shen Changsheng, Jiang Lianyue, and the barely surviving Murong Canghai remained in the temple.

And beyond the broken wall stood Li Qiming himself, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

Li Qiming was completely stunned.

He recognized the masked woman in white at first glance.

She was the same woman in white who had beheaded someone at the market and given him that strange smile!

Back then, A-Lian hadn't worn a mask, and she didn't seem nearly this strong.

In just a few days, she had killed that troublesome old woman in two strikes. That woman had been at the peak of Organ Refining!

But what sent a chill down Li Qiming's spine was the reason behind it.

A-Lian was looking for him. She wanted to kill him!

She had charged into the Ancient Temple and started swinging her blade, cutting the Demon Sect experts to pieces. Some were dead, and the rest had fled.

This turn of events had taken everyone by surprise.

"No, they really aren't Li Qiming."

Just then, A-Lian murmured.

She had remembered that Chen Ajiu had died from blade wounds.

Liu Yun used his palms, and the old woman used a cane. Of the three, only the boy who had been taken away used a blade.

But that boy's Blade Momentum was only in its infancy. He was far too weak to have killed Chen Ajiu.

So none of them were Li Qiming.

Then who exactly was Li Qiming?!

A-Lian's cold gaze swept over the people still in the temple.

She could have killed them all with a single strike.

But A-Lian had to make sure that Li Qiming was among those she killed.

Otherwise, the anger burning in her heart would never fade!

"Which of you is Li Qiming?!"

A-Lian asked.

"I'm Li Qiming."

Suddenly, Murong Canghai slowly stepped forward and spoke.

"I'm the Li Qiming you're looking for. Kill me, but please let them go!"

Murong Canghai was too badly injured. After that fierce battle, his battered body had fallen into an even worse state.

He had a feeling that even if he recovered, he would never be able to wield a blade again.

For a swordsman, the blade was his life! The very meaning of his existence!

Unable to wield a blade, he would become a feeble old wreck. Even if he made it back alive to the Qi Family Escort Agency, he wouldn't have a good end.

Rather than live on in disgrace, he'd be better off dying now.

He would be the good guy this time!