Unsheathed

The essence of the Deity Drumming Technique was its ability to link the astral energy between separate punches. This was a profound and destined regulation like the rising sun and moon and the cycle of life and death.

After advancing to the fifth tier and experiencing the battle in Bull Mountain, Chen Ping’an could already release his soul and split it into three. However, it was a shame that he could only maintain this state for a few seconds. Regardless, combined with his very unreasonable Deity Drumming Technique, just throwing one punch was enough. That would provide him with more than enough help.

Chen Ping’an’s fist struck the old eunuch, and it was as if a war drum had been beaten on the battlefield. More than ten punches rained down on the eunuch in an instant, each striking flesh and releasing a dull thud.

Chen Ping’an’s two souls returned to his body.

He wasn’t a legitimate Qi refiner, after all, so having his soul leave his body for too long would cause him fundamental injuries.

On the other hand, Jiu Niang, Yao Lingzhi, and the others from the inn were stunned when they saw the eunuch in bright red official garb attack. Apart from being astounded by his lofty cultivation base, they were also shocked at his ability to release his yin soul and yang soul at the same time. He was clearly an earth immortal.

In reality, these members of the Yao Clan found this inconceivable because they had always been told that the imperial guardian of the Great Quan Empire was a martial arts superior grandmaster. Now, however, he had somehow transformed into an immortal from the mountains who cultivated Dao and sought longevity?

However, this eunuch responsible for overlooking the imperial horses and reviewing and stamping imperial edicts had miscalculated one thing. He hadn’t imagined that Chen Ping’an’s immortal robe would be such a high-grade robe that was surprisingly capable of blocking attacks from his yin soul.

Several superior grandmasters in the Great Quan Empire had been killed by this attack, where the eunuch’s yin soul would reach out and scoop away their hearts. This wasn’t as bloody as it sounded; his attack would simply cause one’s heart to dry and crack, instantly severing its connections with one’s acupoints and meridians. After death, the victims would shrivel like rotten wood. In a sense, it was similar to shattering one’s bridge of immortality.

The eunuch wasn’t viewed as a martial arts superior grandmaster because he had employed some lowly illusion technique and purposely tricked his opponents. Rather, he genuinely had the makings of a superior grandmaster, with his energy vigorous and his body strong. In fact, his physique could rival those of pure martial artists at the peak of the sixth tier.

Thus, the eunuch was extremely skilled at both close-quarter combat and using immortal treasures and mystical abilities to fight from long range. Because of this, he wasn’t afraid of others rushing over to fight him or fighting him from a distance.

However, the eunuch quickly noticed something amiss after being struck by Chen Ping’an’s second punch. It wasn’t that Chen Ping’an’s fist aura was extremely powerful, but rather that he should have been able to dodge this attack with ease.

The eunuch came to a realization after being struck by Chen Ping’an’s fifth punch. He was able to roughly understand the patterns and principles behind his enemy’s attacks.

After being struck by the tenth punch, the eunuch seemingly abandoned all thoughts of trying to dodge these attacks. He didn’t shirk or retreat.

Instead, he chose to exchange wound for wound.

During this time, First and Fifteenth set their sights on the eunuch’s yin soul and yang soul.

On one side, there was a eunuch in bright red official garb who looked like a pure martial artist but was actually a Qi refiner. On the other side, there was a young boy in white who looked like a sword cultivator but was actually a pure martial artist.

Chen Ping’an and the eunuch stood extremely close to each other, with just one or two arm’s length between them as they engaged in an incredibly crude and basic fight. This was especially the case compared to Sui Youbian controlling her sword from the second floor to attack her opponent, Lu Baixiang and Xu Qingzhou swinging their sabers and causing flashes of murderous saber light to shimmer through the air, and Wei Xian standing outside the door and engaged in an epic battle as numerous immortal tools and a myriad of peculiar phenomena enveloped him.

In comparison, there was nothing special about Chen Ping’an’s fight with the eunuch apart from their speed. Their fight was bland yet incredibly deadly.

The two tables of young subordinates had already run to the stairway to seek shelter, keenly aware that they had absolutely no right to interfere in this chaotic battle taking place in the inn.

Only Zhu Lian remained idle, yet he didn’t stop the young subordinates from shuffling to the stairway. In fact, he didn’t so much as spare them a single glance.

Zhong Kui, the impoverished scholar, leaned on the counter and looked at Chen Ping’an.

He had traveled all around the world, yet he had never seen a pure martial artist assume a fist stance and attack in such a… smooth and flowing manner before.

This boy was still young, so how was he achieving this? He had definitely embarked on many long journeys and witnessed many majestic mountains and great rivers, right?

Killing intent, cruelty, and violence… He possessed none of these qualities, and even his will to fight for victory wasn’t very strong.

However, his aura was somehow still very powerful.

The impoverished scholar was slightly curious. What was the fundamental purpose of the young boy’s fist technique?

However, human strength had its limit, and suffering backlash from his own fist intent was also a destructive way of fighting his opponent. He would wound himself while wounding his enemy. Since this was the case, and if this were the limit of Chen Ping’an’s fist technique, then it would be far from enough. Even if he risked suffering severe wounds to eventually “kill” Li Li, the hugely renowned imperial guardian of the Great Quan Empire, this would still be far from enough.

Pure martial artists weren’t respected by the world, nor were they respected and feared by the imperial courts. Instead, everyone revered and bowed to those immortal cultivators. There was a very good reason for this.

A single sword could shatter a myriad of mystical techniques.

This was a popular saying in the mountains, and many people believed that it was an expression of apprehension toward the destructive ability of sword cultivators. However, this wasn’t entirely correct. The term “myriad” already described the impressive nature of cultivators.

Sure enough, Chen Ping’an’s final punch using the Deity Drumming Technique shattered Li Li into pieces, with even the eunuch’s bright red official garb seemingly transforming into something elusive and intangible.

However, Chen Ping’an immediately knew that he was in danger when he noticed the complete lack of blood. He immediately channeled the Deity Suppression Technique from the Proper Sword Scripture, using his fists instead of his sword to assume a defensive stance. He retreated once and once again.

Thankfully, First had already appeared in front of him after shooting forward and mysteriously piercing nothing but thin air. Add to that his Dao robe, Golden Sweet Wine, and Chen Ping’an could most likely take this opportunity to replenish his breath of True Qi.

Majestic World wasn’t the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, and both Qi refiners and martial artists here would pay close attention to their martial artist opponents and capitalize on the moment that they replenished their breath of True Qi.

Eunuch Li Li had avoided Chen Ping’an’s powerful final punch similar to how the formation cultivator outside the Flying Eagle Fortress had used a talisman to swap positions with his disciples. Both of their techniques worked in similar ways, and it was just that Li Li had sacrificed his yang soul instead of a disciple. Eunuch Li Li was standing where his yang soul had battled against First just then, and Chen Ping’an was already nearing the limit of his power after unleashing the Deity Drumming Technique without holding back.

Moreover, the destruction of Li Li’s yang soul only caused his incomplete golden core to lose a tiny bit of its luster.

Once again, Li Li’s yin soul reached forward with its hook-like fingers to grab Chen Ping’an’s heart. However, it was as if his hand had smashed into extremely tough rice paper as Golden Sweet Wine protected Chen Ping’an’s soul from being shattered and dispersed by this attack. The Dao robe protected the young boy’s heart, yet it was also unable to do anything else because of this. At the same time, First also became trapped inside the yin soul’s body after trying to block it. It was as if the flying sword were stuck in mud.

Li Li had already appeared beside Chen Ping’an, and he immediately launched a palm strike to shatter the Deity Suppression Technique’s fist intent. He then stepped forward and used two fingers to stab at Chen Ping’an’s temple.

Chen Ping’an slid horizontally away.

Li Li wasn’t powerful simply because he was a pseudo-earth immortal on the cusp of advancing to the Golden Core Tier, but also because he possessed both offensive and defensive prowess without relying on external tools.

As for whether Li Li possessed any immortal treasures and trump cards? This was very difficult to say.

Eunuch Li Li didn’t seize the opportunity to push forward. Instead, he stood still and clenched his palm—which he had used to shatter the Deity Suppression Technique’s fist intent—into a fist. He then rapidly unclenched his fist, revealing the squirming ridges on his palm as well as the threads of bright red. It was as if the ridges on his palm had transformed into a vermilion talisman. After striking Chen Ping’an’s temple with his two fingers, Eunuch Li Li drew his fingers across his palm and said in his mind,Talisman, activate.

Chen Ping’an was just about to replenish his breath of True Qi, yet he suddenly felt like a large mountain was bearing down and suppressing him. Many talismans glowing with spiritual light materialized on Golden Sweet Wine’s sleeves and shoulders.

Blood poured from Chen Ping’an’s temple.

“I can also throw a punch, and you can regard this as a welcome present from the Great Quan Empire,” Li Li said with a faint smile.

The eunuch in bright red official garb walked forward, with his large sleeves billowing as he spoke. During this time, he also cocked his head to the side to dodge First which was piercing toward the back of his head. He used his fingers to pinch the flying sword, and he gently tossed it away and coincidentally struck Fifteenth hovering nearby.

He arrived in front of Chen Ping’an with a single stride.

Li Li placed his left palm which contained the vermilion talisman on Chen Ping’an’s chest in a seemingly casual manner. Then, he threw a punch with his right hand, striking the back of his own hand.

It was as if a strong and heavy nail had been brutally hammered into Golden Sweet Wine.

Chen Ping’an retreated several steps.

Li Li followed him like a shadow, once again using his right fist to strike his left hand. Chen Ping’an’s Dao robe shuddered violently, with the spiritual energy and martial arts astral energy in its sleeves crumbling at the same time.

Chen Ping’an retreated again and again.

Li Li didn’t pursue Chen Ping’an this time, but simply raised his hand and grabbed the golden robe that had suddenly materialized around his neck. He tugged the golden rope forcefully, causing it to leave a bloody gash on his neck. However, Li Li paid no heed to this wound as he allowed the golden rope—most likely a demon-binding chain—to wrap around his wrist. The sleeve of his bright red official garb was already in tatters, and there was also a dark green imprint left around his arm.

Eunuch Li Li clicked his tongue in wonder and remarked, “You sure have a lot of treasures on you. This is another immortal treasure, isn’t it? However, it’s a shame that you’re neither a sword cultivator nor a Qi refiner, so your mastery over these immortal treasures is indeed quite poor. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to deliver my third punch so soon.”

As it turned out, Li Li’s left hand with the vermilion talisman had already clenched back into a fist after the golden demon-binding chain wrapped around his right hand. He simply pointed at Chen Ping’an’s forehead from a distance, and it was as if Chen Ping’an’s glabella had suffered a heavy blow, with his skin cracking and blood trickling down his face. Chen Ping’an’s head jerked backward, yet he forcefully stomped on the ground as he retreated to prevent himself from falling backward.

A dark look flashed across the depths of Li Li’s eyes. First and Fifteenth were flying around behind him and doing battle with his yin soul.

Li Li chuckled coldly and mused, “These two little swords are just as loyal as the Yao Clan. However, it’s a shame that they don’t appear to be bonded to you, resulting in their power decreasing drastically. Perhaps I can take them for myself if I erase their sentience and spirituality. This is truly an unexpected surprise.”

The yin soul surprisingly grew three heads and six arms in an instant, with each of its heads having a different appearance. They no longer looked like Li Li, but rather like three deities honored in the martial sage temples of the Great Quan Empire. There was a strong-looking man with a large beard, an elegant-looking Confucian warrior, and an expressionless old man. The three pairs of arms held a pair of truncheons, a pair of axes, and a spear, all of which were formed from incense smoke.

Even though Li Li turned some of his attention to the clash between his yin soul and the two flying swords, this didn’t hinder him from maintaining his guard against Chen Ping’an.

Even though he hadn’t gained the initial advantage, the imperial guardian of the Great Quan Empire renowned throughout all of the nations in the central region of Parasol Leaf Continent eventually managed to steady the situation and gain the upper hand.

However, Li Li hadn’t anticipated Chen Ping’an’s response. The young boy had been struck by so many punches, with blood still continuing to flow from his temple, yet he was acting as if he weren’t injured at all. Chen Ping’an’s injuries were grave, but his energy and spirit, which was even more mystical than his fist intent, didn’t plummet as a result. Instead, they were continuing to rise?

However, this didn’t matter; Li Li could still take things slowly and eventually exhaust the young boy. Even if Chen Ping’an threw those chaotic punches again, Li Li would at most lose his yin soul for a while. On the other hand, Chen Ping’an’s body and soul definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand this punishment.

It wasn’t that Li Li didn’t want to finish the battle as quickly as possible, but rather that he was unable to settle the battle with a single powerful attack. If his opponent were an ordinary martial artist at the seventh tier or an ordinary Qi refiner at the eighth tier, then he could have killed them twice already.

Elsewhere, Lu Baixiang was at a disadvantage as he fought against General Xu Qingzhou.

Firstly, Lu Baixiang had only just walked out of his picture scroll, unlike Wei Xian. As a result, he was still unfamiliar with the abundant spiritual energy in Majestic World. Secondly, Xu Qingzhou was wearing a suit of Golden Crow Armor, so Lu Baixiang would likely have been completely suppressed if it weren’t for Halting Snow. This saber was a relic left behind by a deceased Nascent Tier earth immortal from Peace and Tranquility Mountain.

There were deep saber wounds on Lu Baixiang’s chest and shoulders, so deep that even his bones could be seen. However, the founder of the demonic forces in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land remained calm and composed. It was as if he were far more interested in the saber techniques of General Xu Qingzhou from the Great Quan Empire rather than defeating this person and achieving victory.

Sui Youbian was fighting against Flora Convent’s Xu Tong, and even though she was a martial artist, the battle between them appeared more like a battle between two Qi refiners.

However, Xu Tong was clearly treating Sui Youbian as just a sword expert. Even though Sui Youbian was a tricky opponent, she wouldn’t prove too troublesome as long as she wasn’t a sword cultivator who could nurture bonded flying swords.

Meanwhile, Wei Xian was enjoying a hearty battle outside the inn.

He was filled with vigorous astral energy, and with the Dew Armor that Chen Ping’an had given him, he barely felt a tickle from the few attacks that leaked through his defenses.

In fact, all of them were paying attention to the battle between Chen Ping’an and Eunuch Li Li as they fought.

Sui Youbian was the first to speak, asking, “Young Master?”

The injury-riddled Chen Ping’an could only remain silent and shake his head.

He could only hold onto his breath of True Qi, not daring to replenish it.

“What, is that all you’ve got?” Li Li asked with a smile.

If it weren’t for Golden Sweet Wine, the smell of Chen Ping’an’s blood would have already suffused throughout the entire inn.

Li Li viciously smashed the vermilion talisman on his palm into Chen Ping’an’s chest, and Golden Sweet Wine was only able to block a bit more than half of the talisman’s power. The remaining power of the talisman seeped into Chen Ping’an’s chest.

It was as if his heart were being carved out.

The cold sweat on his forehead mixed together with the blood on his face, flowing down his cheeks and eventually pitter-pattering to the floor.

Li Li’s killing intent became even stronger.

He was waiting for Chen Ping’an to become genuinely exhausted. The young boy could rely on his grit and determination to forcefully suppress the agonizing pain of his wounds, so Li Li’s opportunity would only come when Chen Ping’an’s breath of True Qi finally started to weaken and disperse. He could afford to wait, but Chen Ping’an couldn’t afford to wait.

Due to these reasons, Li Li didn’t try to push his advantage or take any risks. He simply continued to engage in close-quarter combat with Chen Ping’an. In any case, releasing his yin soul and yang soul at once was no relaxing task.

If it weren’t for Li Li’s pseudo-golden core allowing his abundance of spiritual energy to far surpass those at the same cultivation base, then there was simply no way that his yin soul could have maintained its three-headed and six-armed martial sage form for so long and even fought against First and Fifteenth. It would have dissipated long ago and automatically returned to Li Li’s physical body.

Li Li glanced at the old man squatting on the second-floor railings out of the corners of his eyes.

He couldn’t help but feel slightly puzzled. Why was this person idly squatting there and observing the battles the entire time?

Seizing the fleeting opportunity when Li Li glanced at Martial Arts Maniac Zhu Lian, Chen Ping’an started to forcefully replenish his breath of True Qi.

Li Li chuckled coldly in his mind. Putting up a last-ditch struggle? You’re going to lose this gamble.

His yin soul charged over in a flash, arriving before Chen Ping’an and chaotically swinging its six arms and five weapons at the young boy’s head.

Meanwhile, Li Li personally dealt with the two flying swords. Countless streams of snow-white spiritual energy spilled out from his bright red official garb, transforming into something akin to a large spider web as it comprehensively blocked First and Fifteenth from rushing over to rescue their owner.

Even though these streams of snow-white spiritual energy were unable to trap the two flying swords, delaying them for a brief moment already gave Li Li enough time to stride over and arrive near them. He snapped his fingers and flicked his sleeve, striking one of the two flying swords with each motion.

Eunuch Li Li found the current situation slightly laughable.

His young opponent was truly seeking death. As it turned out, he wasn’t replenishing his breath of True Qi at all. Instead, he had only feigned doing so in order to trick him over. However, what was the purpose? His reckless decision to step forward and defend the Yao Clan served no purpose, and his current attempt to play a small trick also served no purpose.

This young boy was most likely a lofty individual from a large and wealthy clan, and the many powerful subordinates accompanying him had probably allowed him to enjoy a peaceful and smooth sailing life so far. Thus, he was oblivious to the profoundness of heaven and earth.

Since Li Li had already become enemies with this person who definitely possessed an astonishing background, it only made sense that he should kill him to avoid more troubles in the future. Otherwise, the entire Great Quan Empire might face a huge challenge in the future if Li Li allowed this tiger to return to its den.

Compared to the previous exchanges where Chen Ping’an and Li Li had swapped punches with each other, Chen Ping’an’s battle against the yin god appeared even more dangerous and startling.

Fortunately, Chen Ping’an was no stranger to this kind of battle. After all, had he not experienced a similar earth-shaking battle when fighting against Ding Ying’s Golden Dao Manifestation in Bull Mountain?

At that time, Chen Ping’an had only been able to defend but not counterattack. In the end, Bull Mountain had been ruthlessly shattered and destroyed by Ding Ying’s Golden Dao Manifestation.

And now, Chen Ping’an was exchanging blows with this “measly” yin soul, with neither side willing to dodge or retreat.