Great Li Martial God

In an instant, Han Cuiyuan’s entire body was engulfed in red-gold flame.

The pain of endless burning consumed his body, and the vast, powerful martial True Qi stored within him was utterly useless against it, offering not even the faintest resistance.

Visibly to the naked eye, Han Cuiyuan’s entire body turned to embers and ash bit by bit, slowly scattered by the gusting wind in the darkness of the night.

The expression of shock on his face was gradually hardening and going still.

Han Cuiyuan could not have imagined that Murong Xiaoya could be this powerful, and against the red-gold flame gnawing through him like maggots through bone, he had no recourse whatsoever.

Only death awaited him, burning in agony, leaving not a bone behind.

”To die in the midst of battle... at least I die as I should...”

Han Cuiyuan struggled to force the words out, yet from beginning to end he never once begged for mercy.

In only a few breaths, he was burned entirely to nothing by the red-gold flames. Only his heart dissolved into a blood mist, which then condensed into a thread of refined blood carrying a powerful aura and flowed into Murong Xiaoya’s body.

Beneath the black canopy of night, Murong Xiaoya stood suspended in the air, the lava-like fire wings behind her spread wide, her entire aura a raging tempest like a howling gale and crashing ocean.She watched Han Cuiyuan burn completely clean, until not even a fragment of ash remained, yet the killing intent in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

”Not enough. Not nearly enough.”

Blazing fire and crimson flame rose in Murong Xiaoya’s eyes. She spun sharply and looked toward the direction of the Han estate within the city.

Though the chief culprits who had moved against the Murong family had all been put to death, the killing intent within Murong Xiaoya burned only fiercer.

It was as though nothing but endless killing could briefly quiet the grief and fury raging inside her that she could not contain.

”For destroying my Murong family, I will make you pay back ten times, a hundred times over. I will slaughter every last one of you until nothing remains.”

In the next instant, Murong Xiaoya’s figure shifted, and carrying rolling, sky-scorching flames, she vanished from where she stood.

...

After the Han family household had left the city and traveled some distance along the main road, they turned onto a narrow forest path.

Inside the carriage, Han Cuiyuan’s eldest son Han Song and second son Han Fu sat facing each other. Beside each of them sat respectively an elderly man and Xu Qingcang.

”Father sent us out of the city through the night. Something must have come up that he could not deal with.”

Han Fu, his face etched with a sharp and spirited look, sat with his brow tightly furrowed. Across from him Han Song’s expression was equally grave.

”Young masters, do not worry. General Han plans and acts with foresight. He will handle matters in the city himself. We need only follow his arrangements and avoid being a burden to him.”

Xu Qingcang spoke to reassure them, while the elderly man across from him sat with his eyes closed in quiet rest and said nothing.

At that point Han Song looked at his younger brother and suddenly asked, ”Where has that fiend of a master you took up with halfway gone? He has not been seen throughout this journey.”

Hearing this, the expression on Han Fu’s face shifted several times, and he then said with cold indifference, ”The Formless Elder wants to avenge his dead disciple. He is not traveling with us for the time being. Though from what I understand, his enemy is extraordinarily capable. It seems to be the group that killed Bai Changfeng with a single finger this afternoon.”

Han Song narrowed his eyes slightly and said, ”Is that so? It appears this fiend truly does care about his disciples. Even when faced with someone so formidable, he is willing to take the risk and seek revenge. Little Brother has truly found himself a fine master.”

Faced with his elder brother’s cold mockery, Han Fu let out a cold snort and said, ”The Formless Elder’s strength is terrifying beyond measure. If I had not made the expedient choice to take him as my master in that desperate situation, both Xu and I would have died at his hands. If Elder Brother had been in the same bind, I doubt you would have done any better.”

Hearing this, the look in Han Song’s eyes gradually chilled. At that moment, the elderly man who had been sitting with his eyes closed in rest suddenly snapped them open, moved, and burst out through the side of the carriage.

Seeing this, Han Song and the other two were startled for a moment, then quickly leaped out as well. They found the elderly man already standing at the top of a tall tree, gazing in the direction of the city.

”This is bad. Something has happened to General Han.”

The elderly man spoke in a low, grave voice. At those words, all three of them changed expression at once, and immediately leaped up onto nearby rocky high ground, following the old man’s gaze.

From where they stood, they could see above the city the blue-green spear light that had shot skyward being extinguished by the red-gold flame, and the powerful, domineering, terrifying spear momentum along with it dissolving into nothing.

”Father!”

The two brothers Han Song and Han Fu cried out at the same moment, both wearing expressions of shock and fury, while Xu Qingcang’s face was filled with disbelief.

At the same time, in the Mei estate in Sheng Province, Hu Rui’an and the others all looked up together toward a part of the city in the distance.

Murong Xiaoya and Han Cuiyuan had clashed in the air above the city. Though Han Cuiyuan had been nearly finished in an instant, he had still managed to make his move, and the tremendous commotion of their exchange was visible to almost the entire city.

”That must have been Miss Murong acting. Truly terrifying!”

Wu Shang looked at the red-gold fire raining down from above in the distance and said with an expression of utter astonishment.

Hu Rui’an and the others felt much the same. They all found it difficult to believe that in the span of a single night, Murong Xiaoya had gone from a martial cultivation no higher than Grandmaster to a terrifying level of strength that even Hu Rui’an could not begin to approach.

But the fact had been confirmed by Li Musheng himself, so however hard it was to believe, there was no choice but to believe it.

”I do not know if it is just my impression, but I keep feeling that Miss Murong’s aura is even more powerful than it was a short while ago.”

Hu Rui’an furrowed his brow and turned to look at Li Musheng beside him.

Li Musheng looked out into the distance with a thoughtful expression, saying, ”That is not just your impression. Miss Murong is indeed growing stronger and stronger.”

He rubbed his chin and said, ”My guess is... she must have something of great value on her.”

At those words, Hu Rui’an and the others all immediately looked toward Li Musheng. Even the large black cat widened its green eyes and fixed them on him, its cat face seeming full of puzzlement and curiosity.

Seeing this, Li Musheng withdrew his gaze, swept a look over the group, and said, ”Do not look at me like that. Even if it is something of great value, it belongs to her. You may look, but that is all.”

Hu Rui’an’s gaze shifted, and he said, ”Your Highness, we are simply curious. What kind of treasure could have an effect so extraordinary as to give Miss Murong a transformation this world-altering?”

Li Musheng shook his head, saying, ”That I truly do not know. If the chance comes up later, you can ask Miss Murong yourself when you see her.”

At those words, Hu Rui’an’s expression became somewhat complicated.

The next time they met, the gap between his strength and Murong Xiaoya’s would be worlds apart. Things would likely never be the way they had been before.

In so short a time, the Murong family was destroyed and Murong Xiaoya was utterly changed. Everything felt as though the world had moved on while the people in it remained.

With that thought, Hu Rui’an let out a quiet sigh in his heart, then turned to look at Mei Yan and his wife, saying, ”Your Highness, all the deployment orders have now been issued, and the Sheng Province Tianjin Guards will depart for Lan Province at once. What is to be done with these two?”