High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 319: Chapter 182: A Mere Threshold Marquis (2)

Before he could land and steady himself, Li Wen was already on him like a shadow.

The terrifying blade techniques of the Five Forms unfolded in a relentless barrage. There were no complex skills, only blade paths that were the epitome of speed, weight, and precision.

Each slash condensed the resonance of a Dao-state capable of tearing all things asunder, accompanied by the spiritual pressure of a fourth-layer Primordial Spirit.

BANG! BOOM! CLANG!

Shocked and enraged, Viperfang was completely suppressed by the furious, storm-like assault.

He possessed a Marquis Level cultivation and a deeper well of energy, yet he was completely fettered by Li Wen’s extreme speed, ferocious power, and the perfect fusion of his Blade Intent Primordial Spirit.

Every one of Li Wen’s slashes was immensely powerful, precisely striking the weakest points in Viperfang’s defense and leaving him scrambling to cope.

He was actually being overwhelmed by a human at the Late-stage Great Sun Realm, repeatedly hacked back and sent flying. The vital energy in his body roiled endlessly, and even his Primordial Spirit ached faintly. A sliver of disbelief and panic finally bloomed in his heart.

’Damn it! Something’s wrong with this guy!’ Viperfang roared internally.

He was a Marquis! Even if he was only approaching the strength of a true Marquis, he should never be suppressed like this by someone in the Great Sun Realm.

Seeing that it was now impossible to kill Zhao Zheng as planned, Viperfang knew the mission had failed. He made a swift decision, casting aside all hesitation.

He braced himself and took a slash from Li Wen to his shoulder blade, using the impact to wrench his body around. Transforming into a distorted shadow, he fled madly toward the other exit of the canyon.

’Trying to run?’ Li Wen’s eyes turned sharp. His speed erupted once more as he gave chase like an arrow shot from a bow, relentless in his pursuit.

He was more than a cut above Viperfang’s escaping light in speed, and the distance between them closed rapidly.

As the chase unfolded, Li Wen’s thoughts raced.

The runes for the 7th Layer of the Shocking God Stab began to glow faintly in his sea of consciousness. A powerful spiritual attack was gathering, ready to be unleashed—one sufficient to deal a devastating blow.

But after a moment’s hesitation, he decided against revealing this trump card. He would stick to locking down his opponent with his absolute advantage in speed and strength.

Just as Viperfang was about to escape the canyon and Li Wen was preparing to accelerate for a final interception, the entire sky suddenly darkened.

It wasn’t the sky being blotted out by dark clouds, but rather a ”sinking” at the very level of reality’s laws.

A tall, burly figure appeared silently in the sky above the canyon, as if he had been there all along.

He wore archaic battle armor, his hands clasped behind his back, his presence as deep and still as an abyss.

Space itself seemed to freeze wherever his gaze fell.

It was the Mountain Rain King.

”Hmph. A mere viper, daring to cause trouble in my domain?” The Mountain Rain King’s voice was level, yet it carried an unquestionable authority, like a decree from heaven and earth itself.

He extended his right hand and, from a great distance, pressed down in the direction of the fleeing shadow.

In an instant, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi frantically converged, forming a massive, invisible hand.

Beneath the massive hand, the expression on Viperfang—who had just burst out of the canyon—froze into one of boundless terror.

He felt the space around him instantly become a cage, hundreds of millions of times stronger than the hardest abyssal steel.

He was like an insect trapped in amber, unable to mobilize even a shred of True Essence. Under the pressure of those invisible laws, his Primordial Spirit wailed as it began to disintegrate.

He didn’t even have time to let out a scream.

The invisible hand simply closed, as if snuffing out a tiny, weak spark.

PFFT...

With that soft sound, the Marquis Level aura that had filled the air, along with the fluctuations of Viperfang’s Primordial Spirit, was instantly and utterly annihilated without a trace.

Not even a speck of dust was raised.

The Mountain Rain King withdrew his hand, his gaze falling upon Li Wen and Zhao Zheng below. The latter was just now recovering from his shock.

When his gaze landed on Li Wen, his authoritative aura was tinged with unconcealed surprise and admiration.

”If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would find it hard to believe that you, Nephew Li, could so utterly crush a Marquis Level god-fiend while only at the Great Sun Realm. A talent like this... it’s even more terrifying than the Headmaster predicted.” The Mountain Rain King’s voice was filled with sincere admiration.

Just then, Zhao Zheng flew closer, his face a complex mixture of relief that followed the initial shock, along with a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment.

The Mountain Rain King looked at Zhao Zheng and nodded slightly.

”Nephew Zhao, well done. You played your part well, luring out a Marquis.” He revealed the truth directly.

Li Wen started, his gaze flickering between Zhao Zheng and the Mountain Rain King. Then, understanding dawned.

He looked at the very real injuries on Zhao Zheng, then thought about his own desperate rush to the rescue. He could only shake his head, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

”I was wondering why I never received a distress signal... So that’s what this was all about.”

The Mountain Rain King laughed heartily.

”These rats usually hide themselves too well. If we didn’t put out some genuine ’bait,’ how could we ever lure them out? It’s true that Zhao Zheng is consolidating his Primordial Spirit, and this trip is indeed a critical step for his breakthrough to the Marquis Level. We just spread the word and made his travel arrangements a little more... public.”

He turned to the composed Zhao Zheng. ”You did very well. How do you feel? Are your injuries a problem?”

Zhao Zheng circulated his energy to calm his roiling qi and blood before saying solemnly,

”Thank you for your timely intervention, Martial Uncle. My injuries are not serious; it’s mostly internal shock from clashing with a Marquis. I’ll recover after some meditation. And Junior Brother Li... thank you for rushing to my aid.”

He looked at Li Wen with sincere gratitude, his heart still reeling from the terrifying power he had witnessed.

Li Wen waved a hand, dismissing the thanks.

The Mountain Rain King looked in the direction of the Fire Hall.

”Good. There’s nothing left to do here. I will escort you to ensure you reach the Fire Hall and complete your final step. Nephew Li, Changning City still needs you to stand guard. As for what happened today, just tell everyone that you arrived a step too late. You must not casually reveal such an outlandish level of combat power.”