Chapter 50: The Beginning of Battle

“Whoosh!”

The chain formed from spiritual energy rippled like water, spreading golden waves, yet remained unaffected. After circling twice through the air, the chain, as if alive, once again surged toward the burly man with wild speed.

A few sharp noises sounded as three more chains of spiritual force erupted from Lu Li’s core, attacking the burly man from four directions.

Undaunted, the burly man wielded his twin axes with ferocious might, moving so fast it dazzled the eye.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The axes clashed constantly with the chains, but the axes were now battered and blunt, chipped and marked with black stains—nothing like their former sharpness.

With a mighty swing, he split the chain attacking from the right, then suddenly charged straight at Lu Li.

“Brother Yunfei, don’t!” Ye Yunlong cried out.

Everyone present could see that the burly man was no match for a cultivator at the Form-Condensing Realm. His weapons were falling apart, while Lu Li had not moved a single step from the start.

Lu Li stood calm and composed. As the burly man charged, Lu Li’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

With Lu Li so close, and the four chains still behind, the burly man seized the chance, leapt up, and swung his massive axe straight down at Lu Li’s head.

“Li’er!”

As Lu Wushuang shouted anxiously, Lu Li, who had stood unmoving, vanished.

It was true—in an instant, to everyone’s eyes, Lu Li seemed to disappear, only to reappear in front of the burly man in the blink of an eye.

The burly man’s pupils contracted sharply.

“You’re too slow,” Lu Li said, then lightly tapped the burly man’s chest with his palm.

A tremendous force sent the burly man, weighing hundreds of pounds, flying backward.

Thud! He crashed to the ground, rolled several times, and trembling, slowly managed to stand.

Blood gushed from his mouth. He staggered, wiped the blood from his lips, and said, “A Form-Condensing cultivator truly is formidable. I, Heifazi, admit defeat.”

“Brother Yunfei, are you all right?” Ye Yunlong rushed to support him.

The Ye family’s people grew tense. Their strongest fighter had been sent flying by a single effortless strike from Lu Li, and looking at him now, he was clearly gravely injured.

For the first time, the crowd truly grasped how terrifying a Form-Condensing cultivator was—their mysterious arts beyond anyone’s knowledge.

“Cough, cough! I’m not dead yet, don’t worry!” the burly man said to the gathering crowd.

“How dare you hurt our leader! I’ll cripple you!” A skinny, dark youth with red eyes grabbed a machete and charged at Lu Li.

“Insignificant ant,” Lu Li sneered, flicking his hand. A chain shot out from his core.

A spray of blood erupted as the chain pierced the youth’s chest, sending a shower of crimson into the air.

“Huzi!” the burly man bellowed in rage.

With a cold snort, the chain slowly withdrew from Huzi’s chest.

With a dull thump, Huzi fell to the ground, blood pooling around him and soaking the stone beneath.

“Huzi!”

“Huzi’s family!”

Roars of fury erupted from the men of Clearwind Stronghold.

“Huzi, I’ll see you avenged!” Another figure charged forward, only to be impaled by the whirling chain.

“Qiangzi!”

“I’ll fight you to the death, you bastard!”

Most of the stronghold’s men, eyes red with fury, surged forward, stirring up flurries of snow, falling one after another, fearless of death, pressing on as their brothers fell.

In a blink, a mound of corpses had piled up at Lu Li’s feet.

“Fall back!”

“Cough, cough!” The burly man watched his brothers fall one by one, tears of blood streaming down his cheeks.

“Third, take the men and get the boss out of here! We’ll cover you!” A bearded man with two bronze hammers turned to a bald giant beside him.

“Second, don’t you dare!” the burly man shouted, eyes wide.

“Boss, let’s go!” the bald giant said.

“Third, not you too—”

“Boss, you always said, as long as the green hills remain, we’ll never run out of firewood. That’s what you taught us,” the bald man said. “Everyone, help the boss! We’re breaking out!”

“Lark, take the others and follow Third Master. Watch out for each other!” Ye Yunlong called. “The rest of you, come with me—kill those Lu and Mu scum! If you can’t take down two, don’t call yourself a member of the Ye family!”

“Yes!” As Ye Yunlong and the bearded man prepared to give the order to charge, suddenly a burst of laughter rang from above.

“Hahaha! Sorry, I got carried away and overshot!”

In the sky, a small flying vessel, three meters long and half a meter high, hovered as a head peered out. “Who is Lu Wushuang?”

“I—I am! Are you Lord Shadowkill?” Lu Wushuang called up.

“So lively down there! Did I miss the main event?” The voice continued from under the black cloak, not answering Lu Wushuang directly.

The figure lounged on the edge of the boat, slowly pulled back his hood, and revealed a young man, strikingly handsome, around twenty. The black cloak set off his fair face, his slightly arched brows lending him a lazy, unrestrained air. His black hair fluttered in the wind, brushing his cheek, lending him an air of refined elegance.

“You’re Lu Wushuang? Who do you want killed?” the youth asked with a radiant smile, bright as fireworks. On the street, no one would suspect this charming, sunny youth of being an assassin.

“Lord Hidden Kill, I am the head of the Lu family. Please, I ask you to kill the Ye family and the men of Clearwind Stronghold!” Lu Wushuang said respectfully, pointing at Ye Ruyue, Ye Ruxue, and their group.

Shadowkill’s gaze drifted toward the Ye family and the stronghold. Spotting Lu Li at the center, he smiled.

“A Form-Condensing cultivator—I see you’ve brought help, Lu family head! I’m in no hurry. I’ll watch for now. Go on, don’t mind me.”

With that, Shadowkill lounged on his boat, ready to enjoy the show.

A collective sigh of relief escaped the Ye family and Clearwind’s men when they saw the newcomer truly had no intention of joining the fray.

“Lord Shadowkill, isn’t this against the rules?” Lu Wushuang called up, unable to hide his embarrassment.

He’d spent hundreds of thousands of gold on this assassin, only for him to become a mere spectator. How could he stand it? Yet he dared not show his anger. His own son had just broken through to the Form-Condensing Realm—he might not be a match for this man.

Assassins were notoriously temperamental. If he angered him, not only might Shadowkill refuse to help, but he might even side with the Ye family—an outcome Lu Wushuang dared not imagine.

“There are no rules here! Out in this remote corner of the world, what use are rules? If I killed everyone here, who could stop me? Am I right? Hahaha!” Shadowkill laughed wildly, waving a hand dismissively. “Pay me no mind—carry on with your fight!”

“Arrogant!” Lu Li, keeping an eye on the situation, now barked coldly at the young man on the boat.

“Arrogant? I always thought myself dashing, charming, and gentle—even when I kill, I do it with a smile. Where’s the arrogance in that?” Shadowkill replied, tossing his black hair and striking a pose he clearly believed was suave.

“And you—your clothes mark you as a Sunfire Sect disciple, right? That big ugly ‘chicken’ of a flying ship must be yours too?” he teased with a sly grin.

Lu Li’s face twitched at these words. “Big ugly chicken?” If their sect leader heard that, he’d be beside himself. The sect only had a few of those vessels, each treasured beyond measure. His master had pleaded with the sect leader to borrow one for this trip, just to look impressive—and now this man called it a big ugly chicken.

Shadowkill didn’t bother watching Lu Li’s reaction. Why should he? He could slap a dozen Form-Condensing cultivators to death without effort.

He continued, “That old man inside must be your Sunfire Sect elder? Not much, really. Of everyone here, he’s the only one who might get me to move. As for you—come back after a few more decades of training!”

“You dare insult my master!” Lu Li’s face turned livid.

“Enough, Li’er. Do not quarrel with this gentleman. If he’s unwilling to help, so be it. None here can defeat you. Finish quickly and return to the sect!” came an aged voice from within the ship.

“Yes, Master!” Lu Li replied respectfully toward the ship.

“Hmph!”

With a cold snort at Shadowkill, he turned to the Ye family, his core pulsing as radiant light burst from his body and four chains of spiritual energy began to dance wildly.

“Kill!” he shouted, charging at the Ye family.

Seeing his son charge alone into the ranks of thousands, Lu Wushuang hurriedly commanded, “Lu family, heed my order! Kill!”

Whereas previous confrontations had not erupted into full-scale battle, this time the two sides collided head-on.

Lu Li, wolf among sheep, spun his chains, sending fountains of blood flying. In moments, he had pierced more than a dozen from the Ye family and Clearwind Stronghold.

The Lu family now surged forward. Blades and swords clashed in a cacophony, screams echoing beneath the din.

The slaughter shook the heavens, the stench of blood thick in the air.

Lu Li pressed toward the Ye family’s Spirit-Gathering experts, moving so fast they could not react, instantly piercing the bodies of three clan elders.

“Grandfather!” Ye Ruyue and Ye Ruxue both cried, tears streaming down their faces. They had lost their mother as children, and their father, busy with clan affairs, seldom cared for them. These four elders had been as beloved grandfathers—playing with them, indulging their mischief, shielding them from punishment.

Furious, the sisters fought their way through the crowd toward Lu Li.

“Yue’er! Xue’er! Come back!” Ye Yunlong dodged Lu Wushuang’s long blade, glanced their way, and shouted.

“You’d better mind your own business!” Lu Wushuang chortled.