Memories of the Past, Slaying the Northern Barbarian Leader

Back then, Li Dao's memories had yet to awaken, and he was not the Earl of Anyuan. His father in this life held that title.

He was not as old as he was now, either. He was only seven.

He also remembered that he had not been alone.

Two little girls had stood beside him. One was his younger sister, and the other...

At this point in his recollections, Li Dao froze for a moment. The other girl had actually been his fiancée.

But none of that mattered now.

In his memories, his father had invited an elderly Daoist from outside, dressed in Daoist robes and carrying the air of an immortal.

Since his mental strength was now nearly five times that of an ordinary person, he could even recall his father's conversation with the elderly Daoist:

"Daoist Master, sorry for the trouble today."

"No trouble at all. Testing aptitude is part of this humble Daoist's duties."

"Then please proceed."

After speaking with his father, the Daoist had placed his hand on Li Dao's little sister's wrist.

A few breaths later, the Daoist withdrew his hand.

His father hurriedly asked, "Daoist Master, how is my daughter's aptitude?"

The Daoist smiled and nodded. "Your daughter has good aptitude. She can cultivate."

His father's face lit up with joy. "As long as she has aptitude. As long as she has aptitude."

Then the Daoist placed his hand on his fiancée's wrist.

This time, more than a dozen breaths passed without the Daoist withdrawing his hand. His expression kept changing, finally settling into astonishment.

"To think this humble Daoist would see the legendary supreme aptitude today."

The Daoist glanced at his fiancée, shaking his head with a sigh. "What a pity, what a pity. She's a girl."

His father was astonished by his fiancée's aptitude. Once he recovered, he could not help asking, "Daoist Master, why is Yue'er's aptitude a pity? Is there something wrong with her body?"

The Daoist shook his head with a rueful smile. "You misunderstand, my lord. I meant that it is a pity for my temple. Supreme aptitude is rarely seen even once in a hundred years, but unfortunately, my temple cannot accept female disciples. Isn't it a pity to miss out on such a disciple?"

His father asked, "Then what should Yue'er do?"

The Daoist reassured him, "Rest assured, my lord. Although White Cloud Temple cannot accept female disciples, I know a sect that accepts only women."

"It is called the Jade Pool, and it should be the most suitable place for her."

After understanding the situation, his father nodded, then finally turned his gaze toward the young Li Dao. "Sorry for the trouble, Daoist Master, but please test my son's aptitude as well."

"Of course."

The Daoist once again placed his hand on a wrist, this time Li Dao's.

A few breaths later, the Daoist's expression changed again.

But instead of his earlier astonishment, his expression was complicated.

After releasing his hand, the Daoist shook his head and let out a long sigh.

"Daoist Master, my son's aptitude..."

Seeing the Daoist's expression, his father felt a flicker of foreboding.

The Daoist shook his head. "My lord, forgive my bluntness. Your son has born severed meridians. He cannot cultivate."

"Born severed meridians?"

"To cultivate, the human body must have channels through which true qi can flow. Cultivators call these meridians. According to my examination, your son has no such meridians in his body, so naturally, he cannot cultivate."

"I see..."

His father sighed deeply, but soon accepted it calmly.

"If he cannot cultivate, then so be it. He can inherit my title in the future. Being an ordinary person isn't bad, either."

Li Dao's recollection more or less ended there.

He remembered that not long afterward, a veiled woman with an ethereal air had taken his fiancée away.

His little sister had also been accepted as a disciple by a woman in fitted martial attire who came later, and taken away to cultivate.

Only he remained, and from that point onward, his father and mother stopped disciplining him strictly. Instead, they seemed intent on letting him live freely.

This stretch of memories continued until his parents in this life died unexpectedly.

From then on, with no one left to discipline him, he let himself loose even further and became a wastrel.

Finally came the palace banquet, where he got drunk, his memories awakened, he ruined a woman's chastity, and he was thrown into the Death Row Camp.

In other words, Li Dao had encountered cultivation at the age of seven, but because of his aptitude, he had never been able to truly take it up.

That meant these so-called Houtian Martial Artists were real.

So this world actually had cultivators.

Li Dao's feelings were complicated. He had thought that, with his system, he would soon become unrivaled in this ancient world of cold steel. Now cultivators had been thrown into the mix.

Although he did not know exactly how powerful cultivators were, judging by the Northern Barbarians' leader's skills, they were certainly not weak.

At the very least, even with a physique nearly five times that of an ordinary person, he struggled against this so-called Houtian Martial Artist.

But Li Dao soon adjusted his mindset.

They were only cultivators. He had his system. Even if it could only improve his physique, his future would certainly be no worse than theirs.

All he needed to do now was grow stronger, steadily, bit by bit.

As for the future, he would deal with it when it came.

Centuries seemed to have passed in Li Dao's mind, but in reality, only an instant had gone by.

Before him, Squad Leader Liu charged straight at the Northern Barbarians' leader with his saber, the two commanders clashing head-on.

"Gale Saber Technique!"

The Northern Barbarians' leader roared, swinging his saber so fast it left afterimages as it swept straight toward Squad Leader Liu's face, fierce gusts riding its edge.

Facing this attack, Squad Leader Liu swung his own saber no less swiftly, their blades striking countless sparks in the air.

Their clash was like a gale sweeping away scattered clouds, leaving everyone around them afraid to approach.

Even with a physique nearly five times that of an ordinary person, Li Dao felt a faint stinging on his skin when he drew too close.

True qi?

Li Dao watched the currents of air bursting between the two men and wondered.

He soon snapped out of it. This was no time to wait. He needed to grow stronger quickly.

Panel!

[Master: Li Dao]

[Physique: 4.71]

[Available attribute points: 2.13]

Looking at the available attribute points on the panel, Li Dao decisively allocated all of them to Physique.

[Master: Li Dao]

[Physique: 6.84]

[Available attribute points: 0]

The next second, a familiar warmth arose within his body.

Because he had added so many points at once, Li Dao's skin flushed red from the surging blood and qi inside him.

At the same time, a terrifying sense of strength welled up inside Li Dao.

This sudden explosion of strength gave him the urge to unleash it without restraint.

Just then, a Northern Barbarians cavalryman noticed Li Dao's unusual state. Thinking he had found an opening, he charged straight over and slashed at him.

But a flash of steel reached him first.

Rip!

The blade flashed past, shattering the Northern Barbarians cavalryman's armor and scattering a bloody ripple through the air.

[One enemy killed. Attribute points gained: 0.24]

And this was only the beginning. Li Dao swung himself onto a horse and, saber in his right hand, plunged back into the thick of the fighting.

Without the Northern Barbarians' leader blocking him, Li Dao left cavalrymen and horses tumbling wherever he passed. After his latest increase in attributes, no one on the battlefield except Squad Leader Liu and the Northern Barbarians' leader could stop him. None could withstand even a single exchange.

As a result, he harvested attribute points faster and faster.

[One enemy killed. Attribute points gained: 0.21]

[One enemy killed. Attribute points gained: 0.18]

[One enemy killed. Attribute points gained: 0.23]

[One enemy killed...]

Li Dao's ferocious display drew the attention of many Great Qian soldiers.

They began following Li Dao into battle of their own accord.

In a short time, the Northern Barbarians cavalry, who had held a slight advantage thanks to their mounts, were scattered and brutally surrounded and cut down by the Great Qian soldiers.

The commotion soon caught the attention of both the Northern Barbarians' leader and Squad Leader Liu.

Squad Leader Liu caught sight of the scene out of the corner of his eye and grew excited.

By contrast, the Northern Barbarians' leader's face had darkened completely. He could not understand how the battle had reached this point when he had done everything so well.

Squad Leader Liu blocked a slash and laughed. "You barbarian! The outcome is settled. Why haven't you surrendered yet?"

"Surrender?"

The Northern Barbarians' leader roared through gritted teeth, "We Northern Barbarians cavalry would rather die than surrender!"

"Kill!"

With that roar, the Northern Barbarians' leader's aura suddenly surged.

The sight startled Squad Leader Liu, who could not help cursing, "You damned bastard, have you no martial honor? Breaking through right in the middle of a fight!"

Hearing that, the Northern Barbarians' leader came to his senses and froze as well. Feeling the changes inside him, he immediately burst out laughing. "Hahaha! The Bear God has blessed me and let me break through to acquired fifth grade!"

He looked at Squad Leader Liu with an icy smile. "Let's see how you stop me this time."

Once again, the Northern Barbarians' leader clashed with Squad Leader Liu.

Compared to before, his breakthrough had made his saber strikes heavier and faster.

Crack!

Squad Leader Liu's saber suddenly snapped in the middle, and his expression changed at once.

"Die!"

The Northern Barbarians' leader laughed and swung his saber straight down, as though determined to cleave Squad Leader Liu in two.

Seeing this, Squad Leader Liu's pupils contracted, and his face took on the look of a man about to die.

At that very moment, a saber thrust between them and blocked the blow, while someone pulled Squad Leader Liu out of the Northern Barbarians' leader's reach.

"Who?!"

With his kill thwarted yet again, the Northern Barbarians' leader roared in fury.

Once he saw who it was, he grew even angrier. The rescuer was the very man who had already ruined his plans.

Li Dao looked at Squad Leader Liu, whom he had just saved, and chuckled. "Squad Leader Liu, you saved me once, and I've saved you once. We're even."

After recovering, Squad Leader Liu laughed. "Not even. You still had room to dodge earlier. I was just waiting to die, so I owe you one."

With that, he glanced at the Northern Barbarians' leader, who looked ready to devour someone. "But if you want me to repay you, we'll have to deal with this fellow first."

"Leave him to me."

Li Dao answered him directly.

"Leave him to you?"

Squad Leader Liu froze. He had been about to suggest attacking together, never imagining that Nine Five Two Seven would want to fight alone.

Li Dao nodded. "Just leave him to me. I don't want you stealing my battle merit."

In truth, battle merit did not matter. He was mainly worried about someone stealing his kill.

Squad Leader Liu: "..."

He had seen people compete for battle merit before, but never like this. This was simply valuing merit over life.

Seeing that Li Dao had made up his mind, Squad Leader Liu could say nothing more than, "Be careful."

Meanwhile.

The Northern Barbarians' leader also knew his opponent had changed again, but he was not worried in the slightest. In his eyes, this pretty boy was weaker than the man before him.

He could have dealt with him even before reaching acquired fifth grade. Now that he had broken through, it would be even easier.

"Kill!"

Without another word, the Northern Barbarians' leader raised his saber and charged at Li Dao.

Gripping his saber, Li Dao met him without hesitation.

Whoosh!

The two sabers swiftly collided.

In that instant, both men froze, each sensing that the other's strength had grown greater than before.

Their distraction lasted only an instant. Soon, neither could spare another thought for it, and they plunged straight into close-quarters combat.

Not far away, Squad Leader Liu was also momentarily stunned by Li Dao's ferocity.

How does Nine Five Two Seven keep getting fiercer every time I look?

Li Dao and the Northern Barbarians' leader fought for a while, exchanging blow after blow.

Suddenly, after one collision, they used the momentum to separate.

Holding his saber in one hand and his horse's reins in the other, the Northern Barbarians' leader sneered. "If this is all you've got, you're not far from death."

Li Dao smiled faintly. "Try me."

"Then I will."

With that, the Northern Barbarians' leader charged at him again.

As he closed in on Li Dao, his movements suddenly changed.

Gale Saber Technique!

This time, the Northern Barbarians' leader's saber traced countless afterimages through the air, its strikes faster and heavier still.

At the sight, the Northern Barbarians' leader's smile grew even smugger. He had been preparing this move all along, ready to catch his opponent off guard.

Meanwhile.

Li Dao also noticed the change in the Northern Barbarians' leader's saber strike, but this was precisely the moment he had been waiting for.

Add points!

With a single thought, he poured all the attribute points he had harvested earlier into Physique.

In an instant, an explosive surge of power coursed through Li Dao.

With that power behind it, Li Dao's saber strike was blindingly fast, flashing past in the blink of an eye.

Clang!

Amid the clash of weapons, Li Dao and the Northern Barbarians' leader crossed past each other.

Rip!

A gash suddenly opened on Li Dao's right arm, and blood flowed from the wound.

Crack!

A saber blade snapped.

But it was not Li Dao's saber that had broken—it was the Northern Barbarians' leader's.

At that moment, the Northern Barbarians' leader's eyes went vacant, and he muttered, "I actually... lost!"

The next second, his armor split open all the way from his neck to his waist, and blood gushed from the fissure.

At the same time.

The system's notification also sounded in Li Dao's mind.