The silver-white sword light rapidly grew in Tang Lie's eyes. He tried to raise his Clear Sky Hammer to block it, but the searing pain in his mind kept him from even making out the figure before him.
Shhk!
Tang Lie's robes split open, blood spraying as the sword sent him flying backward. He slammed into the ground several yards away.
The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand dissipated, and the enormous hammer phantom behind him, which had yet to fade completely, collapsed with a crash into a scattering of dim specks of light.
"Cough..."
Tang Lie coughed up a mouthful of blood and struggled to rise, but the moment his remaining hand braced against the ground, a sharp pain shot through his chest.
His body swayed, and he fell back down.
He raised his head to look at Li Qingshan nearby, undisguised terror spreading across his face.
Since the fight began, his opponent had not even used his Martial Soul Avatar. He had merely dodged one hammer strike, then reduced Tang Lie to this state with two strokes of his sword?
Especially that Spiritual Power invading his mind-even now, he could not think of any way to defend against it.
How could a young man who had only just entered the Soul Saint realm possess such means?
"Level 99? Could he really be a Peerless Douluo?" Tang Lie's lips trembled. He seemed to want to beg for mercy, but everything before his eyes grew increasingly blurred.
Blood kept pouring from his severed arm and the wound in his chest, while waves of agony tore through his mind.
At last, the arm supporting him gave way, and he collapsed completely.
"He passed out already?"
Li Qingshan glanced at him and was about to approach when a familiar Light Curtain suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Tang Lie has personally witnessed the host's strength and fully believes in the host's identity as a Level 99 Limit Douluo with the title Love Sword!] [Belief Realization Progress contributed this time: 2%.] [Tang Lie's contribution to this identity has reached his individual limit. He can no longer provide further Reality Progress! Current Reality Progress: 62%.]
"Only two percent?"
"Well, that makes sense. This guy was just an NPC Titled Douluo in the original story."
Li Qingshan paused briefly.
He looked down at the unconscious Tang Lie and soon understood the reason.
The amount of Reality Progress depended not only on the strength of a person's belief, but also on their influence in the original story.
Although Tang Lie was the Clear Sky Sect's seventh elder, he ultimately could not compare to someone like Yu Xiaogang. Even complete belief could only provide this two percent.
"It's not much, but something is better than nothing."
"Once this guy returns to his sect and tells Tang Hao and Tang Xiao everything he saw, I should be able to harvest another wave of Realization Progress!"
Li Qingshan dismissed the Light Curtain and walked over to Tang Lie. Seeing that his chest still rose and fell faintly despite his unconsciousness, he felt somewhat relieved.
He had deliberately avoided vital areas with both sword strikes.
Still, if this fellow kept lying here bleeding, whether he could make it back to the Clear Sky Sect alive was anyone's guess.
Just then, Li Qingshan seemed to sense something else. He raised his head and looked in the direction he had come from, discovering another powerful presence approaching rapidly along the main road.
And it was even stronger than Tang Lie's!
"Someone else?"
Li Qingshan's gaze sharpened slightly. He stood up, put away the Passionate Sword, and said in a low voice.
"Most likely another member of the Clear Sky Sect."
He had already used that wisp of a Limit Douluo's Spiritual Power and expended two uses of spatial traversal. He had no desire to stay and get tangled up with another opponent right after fighting Tang Lie.
Since he had achieved his goal, it was time to leave.
As for the rest...
Li Qingshan glanced down at Tang Lie, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he said:
"I've spared your life. When you get back, make sure you tell them properly just how capable the Level 99 Love Sword Douluo you met today really is."
With that, he lingered no longer.
Soul Power surged into his legs. His figure flashed, and he sped toward Heaven Dou City.
A few minutes later.
A figure rushed along the main road.
It was Tang Wei, the Clear Sky Sect's fifth elder.
Having failed to stop Tang Lie earlier, he had remained uneasy. After questioning those disciples again, he had finally descended the mountain to follow him.
But as soon as he reached the vicinity, he spotted the stretch of ground beside the road that had been smashed into a depression.
Broken stones lay scattered everywhere, and the surrounding vegetation had been battered every which way by the impact of Soul Power.
Tang Wei stopped in his tracks. His gaze swiftly swept the surroundings before landing on the figure lying nearby. His expression changed abruptly, and he shouted:
"Seventh Elder?!"
In a flash, he reached Tang Lie and bent down to support him. Once he saw his injuries clearly, his heart sank even further.
One arm had been severed, the robes over his chest were almost soaked through with blood, and his face was deathly pale, without a trace of color.
"Seventh Elder, wake up!" Tang Wei called twice in succession, but Tang Lie showed no response.
He hurriedly placed a hand on him and sent in a wisp of Soul Power. He discovered that, beyond his physical injuries, Tang Lie's mental state was also in utter turmoil.
At even this brief examination, Tang Lie's brows knitted tightly in his unconscious state, and a low groan of pain escaped his throat.
"How did this happen?" Tang Wei quickly withdrew his Soul Power. His expression had grown utterly grim, and he could scarcely believe what lay before him.
"I arrived only a little later, and a Soul Saint nearing level 80, with the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, has already been beaten into this state?"
"Just who is the young man those disciples spoke of?! Could he truly be a Level 99 Titled Douluo?"
But right now, he could no longer spare any thought for such questions.
Tang Lie's breathing was growing weaker. If he delayed any longer, even if Tang Lie survived, there was no telling how many lasting complications he might suffer.
Tang Wei swiftly took out medicine and treated the wounds that were still seeping blood. He tore off strips of cloth to bind them tightly, then hoisted Tang Lie onto his back and raced toward the Clear Sky Sect.
As for pursuing the young man who had struck so ruthlessly? The thought never lingered in his mind.
To Tang Wei, the most urgent matter was bringing Tang Lie back alive for treatment!
Elsewhere.
The carriage continued along the main road.
Although Yu Xiaogang had followed Li Qingshan's instructions and had not asked the coachman to stop, he had never opened the booklet in his hands.
Every so often, he lifted the curtain and glanced behind them.
"What, are you still afraid your teacher won't make it back?"
A familiar voice suddenly came from outside the carriage.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly:
"Teacher!"
The curtain lifted, and Li Qingshan ducked inside, settling into his original seat.
Yu Xiaogang hurriedly looked him over. Seeing that his robes were a little dusty but he was uninjured, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Teacher, what about the people from the Clear Sky Sect?"
"It's taken care of." Li Qingshan casually picked up the book beside him and said evenly, "We can simply continue our journey."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang nodded and asked no further questions.
In his view, with his teacher's cultivation, handling something like this would surely take little effort.
Watching him reopen the booklet, Li Qingshan gradually settled down as well. Now he only had to see how much Realization Progress Tang Lie could bring him after returning to the Clear Sky Sect.
Several days later.
A majestic city finally appeared before the teacher and disciple. Towering walls stretched along both sides of the road, and an endless stream of merchant caravans and pedestrians passed through the broad city gates.
The carriage slowly reduced its speed.
The coachman turned his head and called into the carriage:
"Sir, we've reached Heaven Dou City!"
Yu Xiaogang lifted the curtain and gazed at the gates ahead, curiosity inevitably brightening his eyes. Li Qingshan also raised his head and glanced outside.
"Teacher, where should we go first?"
"Let's find an inn to stay in first." Li Qingshan closed his book and said slowly, "After spending so long on the road, you and Sanpao should have a proper rest."
"Tomorrow, I'll make a trip to Sunset Forest!"
With a light flick of the coachman's reins, the carriage followed the flow of people entering the city and slowly rolled into Heaven Dou City.
Before you continue