Limit Break

Moonlight spilled down, only to be swallowed by the dense, towering trees.

Li Yi gazed at the pitch-black, unfathomable Hundred Trees Forest before him and slowly let out a breath.

Glancing back, he saw Cao Cheng and the other three still a hundred meters away.

"You want to kill me? Keep dreaming!"

After tossing out his usual taunt, Li Yi charged into Hundred Trees Forest without looking back.

By the time Li Yi's figure had been completely swallowed by the shadows of the forest, Cao Cheng had also arrived outside Hundred Trees Forest.

"Young Master Cao, you can't go in!"

"As the saying goes, don't chase a desperate foe, and don't enter a forest when you come upon one. This forest is unfathomably deep—who knows what might be inside? We should wait."

Seeing Cao Cheng about to rush into Hundred Trees Forest, the martial artist whom Li Yi had wounded earlier turned pale and hurriedly grabbed him.

Although Cao Li and the others had been killed, within Qinghe County, the Cao Family name was still a gilded signboard.

Once they had figured out Li Yi's background, they could gather more men and surround him to kill him. That would be the best course of action.

As one of the Chen Kingdom's seven great families, there were as many people eager to curry favor with the Cao Family as carp crossing a river.

Before setting out, the Cao Family steward had repeatedly instructed him to take good care of Cao Cheng.

Yet upon hearing his subordinate's advice, Cao Cheng merely flicked his sleeve.

"A piece of trash at Body Tempering Level Two and a patch of wilderness have scared you all stiff?"

"If you don't dare go in, then get lost. My Cao Family doesn't raise trash!"

After swallowing a pill and recovering somewhat, Cao Cheng strode straight into the forest.

Taking Li Yi's head to offer in sacrifice to Cao Li was the promise he had made to his family before leaving home.

If a forest frightened him off, then once word reached the clan, the other direct descendants who were at odds with him would surely make a great show of it and ruin his reputation!

What was more, during the pursuit, Li Yi had humiliated him again and again, even taking out Cao Li's personal jade pendant to toy with him.

At this point, Cao Cheng felt he had no way back.

"Steward, what do we do?"

Watching Cao Cheng charge into Hundred Trees Forest without looking back, the two martial artists cautiously looked to the steward.

For a moment, the steward cursed irritably.

"What else can we do? Chase him!"

"If anything happens to Young Master Cao, neither of us will be let off!"

After muttering a few curses, the steward led the two men after Cao Cheng, continuing their pursuit of Li Yi.

After entering Hundred Trees Forest, the [Hunting] skill quietly emerged.

Combined with the night vision granted by [Scout Concealment], Li Yi moved through the forest as easily as if he were at home.

Avoiding the venomous insects and savage beasts that had come out to hunt, Li Yi followed the markers Han Jia had left behind and ventured deeper into Hundred Trees Forest.

Along the way, Li Yi did not completely erase his tracks. Every so often, he would glance back to make sure Cao Cheng and the other three were still following him.

Half an hour later, Li Yi arrived at a deep valley.

This was a dangerous place, filled with venomous insects and poisonous miasma.

"Brother Yi!"

As soon as he reached the valley entrance, a low voice sounded. Han Jia, who had been hiding nearby, quietly appeared.

"The traps are set. We're just waiting for them to come!"

Li Yi nodded at this and walked directly into the valley.

A short while later, Cao Cheng and his group arrived at the deep valley as well.

There was something wrong with this valley!

The moment he inhaled, a sickly sweet stench entered his nose, and Cao Cheng realized that the valley was crawling with venomous insects!

"You, go in front!"

With a casual point from Cao Cheng, a Body Tempering Level Two martial artist was ordered into the deep valley to scout the way.

Cao Cheng, meanwhile, stayed far behind the scout with the steward.

The [Hunting] skill could not only hunt wild beasts and venomous insects—it was also an excellent assassination skill.

Using the [Hunting] skill, Li Yi hid behind a thicket and silently watched the scene unfold.

Before long, Cao Cheng's group arrived beside a stream.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, the martial artist walking in front screamed and clutched his leg as he fell to the ground.

"What happened?"

Cao Cheng immediately stopped and shouted.

"I think I've been bitten by a snake!"

The martial artist lying on the ground screamed miserably, but before Cao Li could speak, the man suddenly panicked, shrieking in terror as he writhed nonstop on the ground.

"So many bugs!"

"Save me! It hurts so much!"

Smack!

Cao Cheng hurriedly threw out a torch. In the firelight, they saw that the man was covered in poisonous creatures—centipedes, spiders, and more.

"Young Master, be careful!"

The steward hurriedly shielded Cao Cheng behind him and ordered his men to take out insect repellent.

Yet within those few breaths, the martial artist wailing in the distance suddenly stiffened. His face went pale, blood streamed from his seven orifices, and he breathed his last.

"This forest is too dangerous. We should retreat!"

Clearly, someone had deliberately drawn all these poisonous creatures together!

That person had to be Li Yi!

Traps had already been laid throughout this valley. If they did not leave now, things would only grow more dangerous.

The steward urged him in a low voice. Just as Cao Cheng hesitated, Li Yi silently appeared in the distance. After making a few sounds to draw Cao Cheng's attention, he vanished once more.

"Go!"

Seeing this, Cao Cheng knew he had fallen into Li Yi's trap, and the thought of retreat instantly rose in his heart.

But at that moment, a tremendous crash came from behind them.

Rocks came tumbling down one after another, sealing off the valley.

"This is bad—the way back is gone!"

The steward rushed to the entrance of the valley. Looking at the massive pile of boulders, he sank into despair.

Li Yi had clearly prepared this long ago. This valley was the hunting ground he had chosen!

The steward secretly glanced at Cao Cheng, who was barely past twenty, and sighed inwardly.

Still too young. He did not understand how treacherous the martial world was, and had fallen for the enemy's scheme!

"Young Master, the retreat route is gone. There must be other traps ahead in this valley. We cannot keep moving forward!"

Hearing the steward's attempt to dissuade him, Cao Cheng thought of Li Yi's figure from moments ago, his mind churning with countless thoughts.

"We'll stay here and remain still, responding to ten thousand changes with one unchanging stance. If the people at the inn see that we haven't returned, they'll definitely send someone to look for us at daybreak."

"We'll wait for rescue!"

Cao Cheng made his decision at once. He and the three others sat back-to-back, carefully watching their surroundings.

As a disciple painstakingly raised by the Cao Family, he possessed a measure of courage even in the face of mortal danger.

As time passed, Cao Cheng and the others grew unbearably tired.

It was already the fourth watch. In another two hours, dawn would break!

Cao Cheng gripped his long spear and leaned against a tree for a brief rest.

"What was that sound?"

The steward standing watch abruptly rose to his feet and cautiously looked around.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of objects slicing through the air suddenly rang out in the night sky. Cao Cheng darted several times, his long spear like a dragon. With a few swift swings, he knocked aside the objects shot at them from the darkness.

"What is this?"

"Why is it blood?"

As Cao Cheng's spear moved, streams of liquid rained down from above, drenching them all.

The steward dabbed some of the blood with his finger and sniffed it. His expression changed instantly.

"Young Master, it's wolf blood! Take off your clothes, quickly!"

Just then, with a smack, a pitch-black object flew out of the darkness.

Cao Cheng thrust out his spear and intercepted it.

"It's a wolf cub!"

Looking at the thing impaled on Cao Cheng's spear, a thought instantly surged into the steward's mind.

"It's a wolf pack!"

"Li Yi is going to use the wolf pack to kill us!"

"Run!"

At those words, Cao Cheng's expression changed drastically. He flung the wolf cub from his spear and immediately began climbing the mountain wall to one side.

Facing the wolf pack Li Yi was about to lure over, the treacherous mountainside had become their only escape route.

Whether Li Yi had laid traps on the slope no longer mattered!

The three scrambled frantically up the steep slope, but at that moment, a figure appeared in the distance.

"Trying to leave now? Did you ask me first?"

Li Yi stood on the slope and loosed an arrow, forcing Cao Cheng and the others back.

On the slope opposite, Han Jia stood beside a pile of bluestones with a nine-ring saber on his shoulder. From the look of it, if Cao Cheng dared to flee that way, Han Jia would immediately kick down a bluestone!

"Li Yi, if you've got what it takes, fight me one-on-one! What kind of man relies on these underhanded schemes?!"

Cao Cheng looked around and glared furiously at Li Yi.

Looking at Cao Cheng, now a trapped beast, Li Yi shook his head.

"You should tell that to the wolves."

Before long, pairs of gleaming green eyes emerged from the forest.

The lead wolf sniffed the air, then instantly let out a furious howl.

At the wolf king's command, dozens of wild wolves howled in rage as well, charging down the slope straight at Cao Cheng and the others.

After Han Jia had arranged this valley, he had followed the map to find a wolf pack and steal the wolf king's cub.

Now, under Li Yi's scheme, these wild wolves had become a blade in his hand against Cao Cheng.

"Protect the young master!"

Ignoring the wound in his chest, the steward swung his broadsword and forced several wild wolves back.

But upon seeing the wolf cub's corpse nearby, the pack fell completely into a frenzy and began tearing and biting madly.

"Ah! Young Master, save me!"

In no more than a moment, the Body Tempering Realm second-level martial artist was seized by seven or eight wolves and torn into several pieces.

Cao Cheng was indeed worthy of being a Body Tempering Realm fourth-level expert. In merely three to five exchanges, he killed several wild wolves.

Watching this scene, Li Yi took out his iron bow and quietly observed.

Perhaps because too many wolves under its command had been killed or injured, the wolf king could no longer sit still. It leaped directly into the battle and pounced at Cao Cheng.

"Now!"

Li Yi keenly caught that moment and instantly shot an arrow from his iron bow straight at Cao Cheng's face.

"Young Master, watch out!"

The steward cleaved apart a wild wolf with one slash, then turned to see the iron arrow Li Yi had fired.

At that moment, Cao Cheng was already entangled with the wolf king, and with wild wolves all around him, he had no time to dodge.

Seeing this, the steward had no time to think and threw himself forward.

Pfft!

The steward crashed to the ground with an iron arrow embedded in his shoulder.

The arrow had pierced straight through his shoulder, making it difficult for him to lift his arm.

"Young Master, break through!"

Feeling the severity of his wounds, the steward knew there was no way he would survive. He forced himself up, flashed forward several times, and locked the wolf king in a death grip.

Seeing the steward cling to the wolf king with no regard for his life, Cao Cheng had no time to grieve. He hurriedly swung his spear and thrust it at the wolf king.

Awooo!

Unable to break free from the steward's iron hold, the wolf king sensed death approaching. It hastily drove the pack to attack and bit straight for the steward's throat.

Wild wolves pounced one after another at Cao Cheng. One even clamped its jaws onto him and refused to let go as he dragged it along.

"Die!"

In a rage, Cao Cheng thrust his spear. Blood gushed from the wolf king's neck, and it instantly lost the ability to move.

After struggling briefly, it died completely.

After killing the wolf king, Cao Cheng entered a frenzied state. His spear moved like a dragon, sending wild wolves flying and killing them.

Without the wolf king's command, and after suffering heavy casualties, the wolves finally became fearful and fled into the forest.

Lowering his head to glance at the dead steward, Cao Cheng raised his gaze toward Li Yi on the slope.

"You think this is enough to kill me? Too bad—I'm afraid I've disappointed you!"

"I've changed my mind. I won't take your head. I'll carve your flesh off slice by slice—three thousand six hundred slices in all!"

Cao Cheng was drenched in blood, some of it already clotted into dark lumps.

To withstand the wolf pack's assault, Cao Cheng had been wounded all over, and more than half his vital energy had been spent. Of his strength, not even half remained.

Feeling his condition, Cao Cheng slowly walked toward Li Yi.

"Do you know why trash like you can only ever be trash for your entire lives?"

"Because you are ignorant!"

Cao Cheng pulled a porcelain bottle from his robe, crushed it outright, and swallowed the pills inside.

"You think this is enough to kill me!?"

"I'm telling you, that's nothing but wishful thinking!"

"My Cao Family has stood tall for a hundred years. How could ants like you dare entertain such delusions!"

As Cao Cheng stepped forward one pace at a time, the aura around him abruptly transformed.

The blood and vitality the wolf pack had drained from him were steadily recovering after he took the pills.

Watching Cao Cheng charge at him with his spear, Li Yi curled his lip.

"Do you know how Cao Li died?"

Cao Cheng froze for a moment, but his steps did not slow in the slightest.

"I don't want to know. Right now, I only want you dead!"

Seeing Han Jia rapidly rushing over, Li Yi casually swept his hand, nocking several arrows onto the iron-backed bow.

"Because he was just like you—arrogant and far too fond of talking!"

Before his words had even faded, Li Yi's fingers released!

Several arrows shot straight toward Cao Cheng.

"Three Stars in a Row?"

"What a pity. Such fine talent in archery is about to perish here!"

Cao Cheng violently swung his spear, knocking aside the three arrows.

But in the next instant, Cao Cheng's expression changed drastically.

Behind the three arrows, two more were flying close on their heels!

"What's going on?"

"What kind of archery is this!"

Staring at the two newly revealed arrows, Cao Cheng retreated again and again.

But the three arrows he had knocked aside had already thrown him off. Faced with these two arrows that defied all reason, he had no time to react at all.

Crack!

With a sharp sound, Cao Cheng barely managed to knock one arrow aside, but the final arrow still struck his left shoulder.

Li Yi gave a faint sigh at the sight.

As expected of a Body Tempering Level Four martial artist. His strength truly was extraordinary!

Five Stars in a Row combined with the Arrow-Fighting Art had only managed to injure one shoulder!

"Stay right there!"

After being held back by Li Yi's Five Stars in a Row, Han Jia had already closed in on Cao Cheng.

Han Jia swung the nine-ring broadsword in his hand, hacking relentlessly at Cao Cheng.

"You're nothing but Body Tempering Level One trash, and you dare stand in my way!"

Cao Cheng snapped the arrow shaft lodged in his shoulder, then flicked and smashed down with his spear. Han Jia was instantly sent flying three or four meters, crashing heavily into a tree.

"Try taking this arrow too!"

After Han Jia was sent flying, Li Yi once more loosed the arrows in his hand.

Five Stars in a Row!

Arrow-Fighting Art!

[Gale Breathing Method]!

[Hunting]!

With all four layered together, the sound of five arrows ripping through the air rang out in the depths of the forest as they hurtled straight at Cao Cheng!

The powerful force of the arrows formed an invisible net, directly enveloping Cao Cheng.