The Loser

Li Changgeng knew clearly that he was currently at a disadvantage.

He had assumed that as a master of hard-body cultivation, his muscles and bones were impenetrable. For an assassin from the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower to engage him in a direct clash was simply using a short-coming to strike at his strength.

Yet, to his surprise, after only a few exchanges, this brat displayed the phenomena of a peak physical state, not a whit inferior to his own. With his Jade Bone damaged, he was actually losing the head-on collision.

He could not fathom how this kid had trained; to achieve the Concentrated Spirit Realm at such a young age was already a sign of immense talent, but now he even manifested the power of the Mystic Realm, with bones and sinews that rivaled his own.

Even if he had started training from his mother's womb, it could hardly be better than this.

Having provoked such a Sha-filled monster, Li Changgeng could not help but feel a sliver of regret rising in his heart.

If only he hadn't killed Jin Shiyi back then.

As soon as this thought surfaced, Li Changgeng was jolted awake; in the midst of such a life-or-death struggle, he was actually letting his thoughts wander and spiral into chaos.

This was not right!

Bang—

Another massive shock!

Within Li Changgeng's Jade Bone, a faint, aching sensation began to rise.

Bad!

The foreign true qi that he had failed to fully purge from his Jade Bone seemed to have come alive, suddenly erupting.

Li Changgeng was forced to divert his true power to suppress it, but as he clashed with Chen Wu again, he lost his footing and retreated several steps for the first time.

There's a chance!

Chen Wu did not let up, pressing forward with his sword.

In his haste, Li Changgeng could only swing his hammer to parry, forcing another hard collision.

Unexpectedly, no massive force came from the impact; Chen Wu's sword strike was a feint. With a flick of his wrist, the blade bypassed Li Changgeng's Golden Melon Hammer and slashed diagonally toward his neck.

Li Changgeng was both shocked and furious, performing a desperate roll to barely dodge the strike.

He had lost all dignity as a Mystic Realm master!

Yet Li Changgeng did not care about dignity; he only felt that his performance today was utterly pathetic. Even with his wounds unhealed, he shouldn't have been so flustered; something must be wrong.

Scrambling to his feet and putting some distance between himself and Chen Wu, Li Changgeng focused his spirit and finally discovered the clue.

The foreign true qi within his Jade Bone actually carried a tiny sliver of Concentrated Spirit will. This will was extremely weak, yet difficult to purge, silently eroding his own spirit.

In the heat of a life-or-death battle, his spirit was damaged, his will scattered, and his energy unstable, making it naturally difficult to respond correctly.

What a Jin Shiyi!

Back then, he hadn't just broken my protective qi; he had broken my spirit as well.

Even in death, he still had to bite me!

Gritting his teeth, he knew it was best not to continue clashing with true power, opting to prioritize evasion instead.

In a flash, he pushed his movement technique to the limit, dodging Chen Wu's blade and refusing to engage again.

The patrol officers ahead heard the shouts from behind and all came to a halt.

Although Wu Chengyi's contribution was great, if something happened to Li Changgeng, they would not fare well either.

The patrol leader signaled to the others, "Go back—"

The group of officers turned and ran back toward Daya Hall.

Seeing this, Wu Chengyi knew that Chen Wu had already engaged Li Changgeng, and he could not let these officers return, so he turned back to pursue them, intending to stall the group.

The officers noticed this and left a portion of their men to block Wu Chengyi, while the rest rushed back to Daya Hall at full speed.

Chen Wu felt anxious; Li Changgeng's intent to dodge and stall for time was hitting his fatal weakness.

Although Li Changgeng was severely injured and could not fight for long, Chen Wu could hold out even less. Furthermore, those patrol officers could return at any moment.

He immediately pushed his power to the limit and pulled out a revolver.

When Chen Wu left the River-Viewing Tower, he had retrieved the revolver from the eaves and reloaded it on his way here.

He had only refrained from using it as his primary weapon because he had seen Guo Xuchu duel with a revolver and knew its power was insufficient to threaten a Mystic Realm master, keeping it only as a backup.

In the current situation, he had no choice but to treat a dead horse as if it were alive.

Old Jin, please watch over me!

Bang bang bang bang bang bang—

Chen Wu fired six shots in rapid succession.

Li Changgeng was in the middle of dodging when he saw his opponent pull out a gun, and his heart sank!

In his prime, this weapon would have been nothing, but in his current state, it was a dire threat.

Twisting and turning, he managed to dodge five shots, but just as he was about to evade the sixth, the foreign true qi suppressed in his Jade Bone erupted once more. Li Changgeng's movements faltered, and he took the final shot head-on.

After a single shot struck Li Changgeng in the lower back, his movements slowed instantly in Chen Wu's eyes!

Chen Wu was overjoyed!

He leaped forward to catch up to the slowed Li Changgeng, slashing his sword toward the back of Li Changgeng's head.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—

"Gunfire! Someone is firing!"

The patrolmen who had rushed back to the vicinity of Daya Hall suddenly heard the volley of shots and roared.

Knowing that Li Changgeng was in danger, they couldn't help but pick up their pace by another thirty percent.

Those with high martial arts skills prepared to vault over the walls, while those with lesser skills charged directly toward the main gate of Daya Hall.

As Chen Wu's sword descended, Li Changgeng gathered all his remaining strength, swinging his hammer backhand to block the strike.

Clang—

Yet, shaken by the immense force, Li Changgeng was sent flying involuntarily, crashing straight into the courtyard wall before coming to a halt.

That strike had not only sent Li Changgeng flying, but Chen Wu's Concentrated Spirit Realm had also surged, sensing a familiar power hidden beneath the layers of Li Changgeng's protective qi.

It was Old Jin's true qi!

Good, good, good—

Old Jin, you really are watching from above!

Before this, Chen Wu had come with the intent to assassinate, but he had no certainty of a guaranteed kill; he had only hoped to exhaust Li Changgeng's true power. Even if he couldn't kill him, he wanted to shorten his lifespan.

But now, Chen Wu was certain: Li Changgeng would undoubtedly die!

The Nine Evolutions Dragon-Expelling Art surged to its limit, and a spiral of qi surged up along the blade, vibrating the sword so intensely that it hummed even without being swung.

Guided by Chen Wu's Concentrated Spirit Realm, this sword hum surged directly toward Li Changgeng to distort his spirit; this was the Sound Transmission Soul-Searching Technique.

Chen Wu's sword followed his will, pointing straight at Li Changgeng!

As if in response to these two peerless martial arts, the true qi Old Jin had left behind in Li Changgeng's Jade Bone erupted completely.

Under this internal and external assault, Li Changgeng's Jade Bone felt as if it were being scorched, a sensation a hundred times more violent than the most intense tempering medicinal bath.

In an instant, Li Changgeng was unable to move, forced to watch helplessly as Chen Wu's sword pierced straight into his heart.

Chen Wu succeeded with one strike, the blade passing through Li Changgeng's heart and pinning him firmly against the courtyard wall.

"General Li—"

A patrolman who had just vaulted over the wall arrived in the backyard and witnessed the scene of Chen Wu stabbing Li Changgeng, letting out a terrified scream.

Hearing the shout, Chen Wu knew the assassination had reached its end. He immediately surged his true qi, twisting the sword as he withdrew it to shred Li Changgeng's heart, ensuring that the King of Hell would claim this Li Superman.

Then, he vaulted onto the wall and roared at the growing number of patrolmen.

"The one who kills is Chen Wu of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower—"

With that, ignoring the stunned patrolmen, he leaped away.

Only then did Li Changgeng, his heart shattered, slowly slide down from the courtyard wall and collapse onto the ground.