"Fine, fine. It's good for a young person to have backbone, but you also need to know that only those who adapt survive. I'd like to see just how hard your bones are."
With that, Yan Yun struck first, showing not the slightest trace of an elder's dignity.
Li Xingluo had been on guard against Yan Yun from the start. He raised a hand to block Yan Yun's attack, then immediately countered with a palm strike.
Yan Yun didn't take Li Xingluo's attack seriously at all. He used Dou Qi to form a protective shield and took Li Xingluo's palm strike head-on.
Yan Yun gave a sinister smile as his belly quickly swelled, as though he'd inhaled a massive amount of air.
Seeing this, Li Xingluo looked up and met Yan Yun's gaze. Sensing danger, he withdrew his palm and spun around 720 degrees to put some distance between them.
The recoil from the protective shield sent a wave of energy crashing into Li Xingluo. He gritted his teeth and barely managed to withstand it.
"Kid, you've got some skill."
Yan Yun praised Li Xingluo's quick reactions and his keen understanding of the fight.
"But that little bit of skill won't be enough."
Yan Yun casually condensed his Dou Qi, forming a palm that surged toward Li Xingluo. Quick as a flash, Li Xingluo grabbed a table and hurled it at him, then leaped out through the window.
Yan Yun pursued him and chopped down at him with another palm strike. Li Xingluo didn't dare take it head-on, so he could only use deft movements to evade the domineering attack.
Xiao Yi Xian came out of the room too, and saw Li Xingluo fighting someone in the courtyard.
Instinctively, she wanted to help, but Li Xingluo stopped her. Yan Yun was already a Dou Wang; even with Xiao Yi Xian's help, they wouldn't be able to win.
Besides, it was better for one person to get hurt than for both of them to. Xiao Yi Xian had no choice but to give up. She stood on the steps, brows tightly knit as she watched the two fight.
The courtyard had once been peaceful. Now two figures faced each other, empty-handed, yet radiating an invisible force of Dou Qi. Moonlight fell upon them, illuminating their resolute faces.
Li Xingluo moved with agility, his every step pulsing with power. His gaze was bold and decisive, and each of his movements was as swift as lightning.
Yan Yun stood as steady as a mountain, his breathing calm and even. His steps were firm, and every strike carried deep reserves of Dou Qi. His expression was composed, as if everything were under his control.
Their battle raged like a storm. Their fists and palms clashed with sharp cracks. Blue and red Dou Qi, each taking a different form, surged between them, sending wave after wave of energy crashing outward.
They moved with the grace of birds in flight, their techniques as exquisite as art.
Their Dou Qi enveloped the entire courtyard, as though they'd stepped into another world. This battle was not merely a contest of strength, but a clash of will and skill.
In the midst of this fierce battle, Li Xingluo displayed extraordinary strength and an unyielding spirit.
Watching from the sidelines, Xiao Yi Xian was full of worry, while Yan Gui wore a smug grin. He wished Yan Yun would grab Li Xingluo and slam him down right in front of him.
He could already picture Li Xingluo, bruised and battered, groveling at his feet and kowtowing as he begged forgiveness. The corners of his mouth kept curling higher.
Yan Yun hadn't expected Li Xingluo to last so long against him. The old man was clearly embarrassed.
"Kid, you're certainly impressive, but it's time to end this."
Yan Yun formed hand seals and murmured an incantation. Blue Dou Qi flowed around him, gathering at a single point.
A palm print, larger than the courtyard itself, hung above Yan Yun's head.
With a shout of "Go!" the palm print surged toward Li Xingluo, carrying immense Dou Qi.
Li Xingluo felt as though a tremendous force had pinned his body down. He couldn't move.
"Don't come any closer!"
As he fought Yan Yun, Li Xingluo noticed Xiao Yi Xian was about to take the blow for him. He shouted, and she froze mid-step.
Li Xingluo smiled and nodded at Xiao Yi Xian, signaling that he could handle it. Her brows drew together slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of worry.
Her lips pressed together as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated and stayed silent.
Her hands clasped together without her realizing it, trembling faintly as if she were struggling to contain her unease. Tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, betraying her tension.
Her breathing grew a little uneven, her chest rising and falling as if an invisible pressure weighed on her.
Red Dou Qi visibly wrapped around Li Xingluo's body, slowly forming a semicircle.
He raised his hands slightly and planted his feet on the hard ground. His gaze was resolute, without a trace of fear or surrender.
The palm print drew closer. In the courtyard, there seemed to be nothing but the sound of breathing and beating hearts.
The palm print crashed down onto the red semicircular shield with a thunderous boom. At the very first impact, Li Xingluo's arms began to tingle.
Yan Yun seemed to be enjoying himself. Rather than use a lot of Dou Qi from the start, he increased it bit by bit.
With every increase, Li Xingluo's arms bent lower. His right foot slid back slightly, using the ground to ease the growing pressure of the palm print.
The moment sweat emerged from his skin, it evaporated. His soaked clothes quickly dried amid the clash of Dou Qi.
The semicircular shield sank lower and lower. Li Xingluo's body bent until his upper half was parallel with the ground.
Cracks began to spread across the shield. As the sound of shattering glass rang out, a cloud of dust rose where Li Xingluo stood.
Dust billowed outward, and in an instant, the entire courtyard was shrouded.
Yan Yun looked down at his handiwork with satisfaction.
As the dust slowly settled, a gigantic handprint stood out clearly in the courtyard.
Xiao Yi Xian searched for Li Xingluo and suddenly spotted him standing inside the handprint. Forgetting the danger, she ran to him and jumped into the crater.
She reached out to help him, and this time Li Xingluo didn't refuse. Covered in dust, his clothes stained with a little blood, Li Xingluo lifted his head and stared at Yan Yun defiantly.
Yan Yun was shaken by Li Xingluo's unyielding spirit and resolute gaze.
Yan Yun flew down to the edge of the crater and looked at Li Xingluo below.
"Kid, will you submit?"
Li Xingluo wiped the sweat from his forehead and glared straight at Yan Yun, his eyes refusing to yield.
"No!"
"Kid, you still won't submit? Grandpa, beat him until he does!"
Yan Gui was overjoyed. He looked at Li Xingluo, who was filthy and clearly at the end of his strength, though his spirit remained unbroken, and felt utterly pleased with himself.
He spat out the most vicious words, yet a single look from Li Xingluo made Yan Gui suck in a startled breath.
"Kid, just hand over the item and I won't make things difficult for you. How about it?"
"Not a chance." Li Xingluo refused outright without a moment's thought.
Yan Yun hadn't expected Li Xingluo to remain so unyielding even after all this.
"Fine, fine. You really do have backbone. Then let me test your bones again."
As he spoke, Yan Yun prepared to strike once more. Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward and shielded Li Xingluo.
"Xiao Yi Xian..."
Before Li Xingluo could finish, Xiao Yi Xian turned back and answered firmly.
"This time, I won't listen to you."
Xiao Yi Xian's resolve was absolute, leaving Li Xingluo no chance to argue. He sighed inwardly.
The movement aggravated his injuries, and he couldn't help coughing. A thin trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Xiao Yi Xian hurried to his side and supported his swaying body.
Just as Yan Yun gathered Dou Qi, ready to strike, a voice cut through the night sky.
"Stop!"
Before you continue