Who Comes

Li Yunzhi knocked the youth off the arena, but he had not dealt a killing blow.

In a sense, that was already an act of mercy.

To him, Tong Xiaoxiao could be a junior he had watched grow up, or even a daughter of sorts.

But there was absolutely no romantic feeling between them.

And yet, he had still stepped onto the arena.

That single move instantly ignited the long-suppressed murmurs below.

“What does this mean? The Tong family can’t accept defeat?”

“They set up the arena themselves, and now one of their own is taking the stage? Aren’t they obviously cheating us?”

“Who doesn’t know that Li Yunzhi is the Tong family’s chief enshrined cultivator and Tong Qiannian’s personal guard? What is this supposed to be? A thief guarding the treasury?”

The uproar surged like a tidal wave, nearly tearing the Treasure Pavilion apart.

“Boss Tong, this performance of yours is rather unsightly.”

On the elevated platform, Tong Qiannian stood beneath the condemnation of the crowd, yet his face showed not the slightest hint of panic.

He merely looked at those indignant faces below and suddenly smiled.

His voice was not loud, but the entire venue fell silent.

“Intelligent people come in all shapes and sizes. Fools, however, mostly look alike.”

“When I set up this arena, what exactly did I say?”

“I would not consider one’s background, cultivation, gender, age, or anything else!”

“Did I ever say that members of the Tong family were forbidden from taking the stage?”

His questions left the crowd speechless.

Tong Qiannian swept his gaze across the venue, his voice suddenly turning cold.

“It is true that Mr. Li is an enshrined cultivator of the Tong family, but he came up here of his own accord. It has nothing to do with me, and I did not instruct him to do so.”

“If he wins, the spirit stones, the sword, and that person will all belong to Li Yunzhi!”

“I, Tong Qiannian, always keep my word!”

“Of course, if you believe this is unfair, you can step onto the arena right now and defeat him!”

“The rules are right there.”

“Whoever has the ability can come and take what they want!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the arena once more fell into silence.

Indeed, from beginning to end, Tong Qiannian had not violated the rules he himself had established.

On the arena, Li Yunzhi cupped his fists toward the crowd. His scholar’s robe looked utterly out of place amid the scent of blood.

“Everyone, I have taken the stage tonight for the sake of a promise.”

“The Tong family once showed me kindness. They recognized my talent and gave me their trust. Now that an old friend is on the verge of death, if I do not fight for him, my heart will carry a lifelong blemish, and my path will never be clear.”

His gaze swept across the entire venue before finally settling in the direction of the Shu family on the second floor. His eyes were calm.

“So tonight, I, Li Yunzhi, shall guard this arena.”

He still did not draw his sword, but within that gentle, jade-like bearing was an unshakable resolve.

That was the wrath of a scholar. Though it did not show on the surface, it was weightier than Mount Tai!

“Good! Good! What a loyal and righteous Li Yunzhi!”

Shu Wanjuan laughed in fury and suddenly slammed his hand against the armrest.

A black shadow then appeared soundlessly in the center of the arena like a specter, standing firmly in front of Li Yunzhi.

It was Shadow One.

On the arena, Li Yunzhi looked at the man before him, whose entire body radiated a pure aura of slaughter. His expression finally turned grave.

“So you are one of the Shu family’s shadow guards? Your reputation is well deserved.”

Shadow One slowly rose to his feet. His emotionless eyes fixed on Li Yunzhi.

“You are strong, but you should not stand in the family head’s way.”

“The road is one I choose to walk. No one else decides that for me.”

“Then you can go die.”

Before the words had even left his mouth, Shadow One’s figure vanished from the spot.

Li Yunzhi’s pupils contracted slightly. His body did not move, yet a milky-white halo suddenly lit up around him.

The halo was gentle and serene.

“Vast Righteous Qi—Bane-Breaking!”

Clang!

A faint metallic ring rang out.

Shadow One’s figure appeared out of thin air three feet in front of Li Yunzhi. A pitch-black dagger in his hand was pressed directly against the milky-white halo, unable to advance even an inch farther.

“Interesting.”

Shadow One’s voice remained utterly emotionless.

He withdrew the dagger, and his figure vanished once more.

The next moment, dozens of black blades of light swept toward Li Yunzhi from every direction like splashed ink, sealing off every possible avenue of retreat.

Li Yunzhi remained standing where he was. He merely raised two fingers like a sword and drew a light stroke through the air before him.

“A gentleman is not a mere vessel; his path encompasses the circle.”

The milky-white halo instantly expanded, transforming into a perfect sphere that enclosed and protected him.

Clang, clang, clang!

A dense barrage of impacts rang out. Dozens of blade lights powerful enough to tear space apart struck the sphere, yet failed to leave even the slightest ripple upon it.

“Is that all you can do?” Li Yunzhi sighed. “It seems Shu Wanjuan has wasted these years raising you.”

“Enough nonsense.”

Shadow One’s figure appeared above Li Yunzhi without the slightest warning.

At some point, a long saber had appeared in his hands. Its blade was pitch-black, yet blood-colored radiance flowed across it, sending a shiver through the heart.

“A baleful weapon?”

Li Yunzhi’s brows furrowed.

“The dead do not need to know so much.”

Shadow One gripped the saber with both hands. Man and blade became one, transforming into a black line that seemed to pierce heaven and earth as it cleaved down from above!

That single strike drained all the light from the surrounding area, leaving behind only the purest death!

Li Yunzhi’s expression finally changed.

The ink-jade bookmark at his waist shot into the air and hovered above his head, casting down thousands upon thousands of azure threads in an attempt to block the fatal blow.

Boom——!!!

The black blade radiance collided violently with the azure threads.

The entire arena trembled violently. The platform, forged from black iron, was actually forced several feet downward by the terrifying shock wave, sinking into a deep depression!

Pfft!

Li Yunzhi grunted, a trace of blood escaping the corner of his mouth as he staggered half a step backward.

Shadow One was also blasted backward by the impact, landing at the opposite end of the arena. The hand gripping his saber trembled faintly.

Both had suffered injury!

No—that was not quite right.

Li Yunzhi was slightly inferior!

The entire venue erupted in an uproar.

No one had expected this clash between two top-tier experts to be so savage!

On the arena, Li Yunzhi steadied himself and raised a hand to wipe away the blood from his lips.

He looked at Shadow One across from him, a trace of solemnity flashing through his eyes.

“For the Shu family to raise a death soldier like you is not unworthy of the reputation of the number-one clan in Tianshui City.”

Shadow One did not respond. He merely slowly raised the long saber in his hand.

The blade was black as ink, yet blood-colored radiance flowed across it, as though countless vengeful souls were wailing within.

“This saber...” Li Yunzhi’s brows drew tightly together. “How much blood has it drunk?”

“I cannot remember.”

Shadow One’s voice remained emotionless.

“Ever since I could remember, it has been drinking.”

Before his voice faded, he vanished once again.

This time, it was not merely a matter of speed.

His entire body seemed to merge with the shadows, his presence disappearing completely.

Li Yunzhi’s pupils contracted. The Vast Righteous Qi around him erupted in an instant, transforming into rings of visible ripples that spread outward.

“A gentleman is broad and open; a petty man is forever troubled—”

Wherever the ripples passed, space warped faintly.

The next moment, Shadow One’s figure was forcibly revealed three feet to Li Yunzhi’s left. His long saber had already reached him in a sweeping slash.

Li Yunzhi formed a sword with his fingers and met the attack head-on.

Clang!

His fingertips collided with the blade, erupting with an ear-piercing metallic ring.

A terrifying shock wave spread outward from the two men as its center. The black-iron surface of the arena was forcibly gouged into a series of deep furrows.

“To clash with a baleful weapon using your bare flesh?” For the first time, Shadow One’s voice showed a hint of fluctuation. “Your Vast Righteous Qi certainly has some tricks.”

Li Yunzhi did not answer. He merely stamped one foot against the ground, shooting toward Shadow One like an arrow released from its bowstring.

His speed was not particularly fast, but with every step he took, the arena trembled a little more.

This was more than mere strength. It was momentum.

The momentum born from the mighty righteousness of heaven and earth!

Shadow One’s eyes narrowed. His figure once again blurred into an afterimage as he darted around Li Yunzhi at high speed.

One slash, two slashes, three slashes…

Dozens of blades of light came at Li Yunzhi from every direction, each one sealing off his escape routes.

Yet Li Yunzhi remained completely motionless. He merely raised his right hand and tapped the air before him repeatedly.

“Heaven and earth possess a mighty righteousness, which takes on myriad forms…”

Countless milky-white motes of light gathered at his fingertips before transforming into layer upon layer of transparent shields. Every blade of light was blocked.

The clanging of impacts rang out in a dense patter, like rain striking the ground.

Shadow One finally stopped and landed five paces in front of Li Yunzhi.

Seeing that Li Yunzhi remained completely unharmed, a trace of coldness flashed through his eyes.

“Looks like I won’t be able to kill you without showing my true strength.”

He slowly raised his saber. The blood-colored light covering its blade began to surge wildly.

A suffocating killing intent erupted from the saber, instantly shrouding the entire arena.

The cultivators below felt as though they had fallen into an icy hell. Even breathing became difficult.

“This is…” Li Yunzhi’s expression changed slightly. “You’re actually using that forbidden art?”

“For the clan master, I’m willing to do anything.” Shadow One’s voice had grown hoarse. “Including… sacrificing my own lifespan.”

As his words fell, the aura around him began to rise at an astonishing rate.

In just a few breaths, it faintly seemed as though he was about to break through the peak of the Mahayana Realm!

However, it seemed that a restriction in the heavens and earth prevented him from taking that final step.

“You’re quite the tough one,” Li Yunzhi sighed. He reached down and pressed a hand against the black jade bookmark at his waist. “Since you’re going this far, I can’t keep holding back either.”

The black jade bookmark began to hum, and a blue phantom drifted out from within.

It was none other than Old Ce, the page boy.

But at this moment, he was no longer wearing his former carefree, slovenly expression. His face was solemn.

“Old Li, are you sure you want to use that technique?” Old Ce asked in a low voice.

“Why don’t we just go down?”

“There’s really no need to fight over this.”

Li Yunzhi gave a bitter smile. “Man proposes, Heaven disposes.”

“But in the end, we still have to do something.”

He drew a deep breath, and the mighty righteousness surrounding him began to surge wildly.

“Old Ce, lend me your cultivation.”

“Fine.”

Old Ce transformed into a streak of blue light and plunged directly into Li Yunzhi’s body.

The next moment, Li Yunzhi’s aura began to soar as well.

Behind him, a massive phantom slowly took shape.

It was a Confucian scholar holding bamboo slips. His features were indistinct, yet he radiated an overwhelming aura of righteousness.

“That’s… a True Immortal Dharma Form?” someone below cried out in alarm.

“That isn’t a True Immortal Dharma Form. It’s Li Yunzhi’s… manifested book spirit!”

“His origins are actually quite extraordinary…”

Above the arena, two terrifying auras collided violently.

Shadow One struck first.

His entire body transformed into a streak of black light, and the saber in his hand cleaved out a blade of light powerful enough to tear space apart.

“Soul Severing!”

Wherever the blade passed, space shattered inch by inch, revealing the pitch-black spatial turbulence beneath.

Li Yunzhi advanced instead of retreating. The Confucian scholar’s phantom behind him raised its hand in unison and struck out with a single palm.

A gigantic palm print condensed out of thin air, carrying an overwhelming might as it met the blade of light head-on.

Boom—!!!

The two forces collided with a thunderous crash, and the entire arena was instantly swallowed by terrifying energy.

The blinding radiance made everyone instinctively close their eyes.

When the light finally faded, the arena had been reduced to a ruin.

The formerly sturdy black-iron platform was now covered in cracks, while a bottomless crater had appeared in its center.

Li Yunzhi stood at the edge of the arena, blood continuously spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Shadow One, meanwhile, lay in the middle of the arena, the saber in his hand broken into two pieces.

“Cough, cough…”

Shadow One struggled to rise, only to discover that the spiritual energy throughout his body had already been completely exhausted.

He raised his head and looked toward Li Yunzhi. A trace of unwillingness flashed through his eyes.

Li Yunzhi slowly straightened and looked at Shadow One, a complicated expression in his eyes.

“You’re very strong. If I hadn’t had Old Ce’s help, I would have been the one lying there today.”

Li Yunzhi stood upon the arena, his Confucian robes stained with blood, yet his back remained ramrod straight.

He raised his head and swept his gaze across the entire venue, finally resting it on the restless private rooms on the second floor.

“Who’s next?”

His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire Treasure Pavilion.

It was not a question.

It was a provocation.

A naked, brazen provocation.

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

Everyone could see that although Li Yunzhi had defeated Shadow One, he had been heavily drained by the battle.

At a time like this, taking the stage was undoubtedly the perfect opportunity to take advantage of him.

And yet, no one moved.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to.

They didn’t dare.

Li Yunzhi had won fame through that battle—and inspired fear as well.

Everyone knew that whoever went up first would have to bear the brunt of his final counterattack.

Who would dare withstand a deathblow from a desperate opponent?

If Li Yunzhi managed to drag them down with him before dying, it would be a terrible loss.

“Heh.”

Looking at the scene, Li Yunzhi curled his lips into a mocking smile.

He turned around, walked to the edge of the arena, took a pill from his storage pouch, and swallowed it directly in full view of everyone.

It was a completely crimson pill, its surface flowing with flame-like patterns.

“Is that… a Rejuvenation Pill?”

“No, it’s a Heaven-Returning Pill!”

An uproar of astonishment rose from the crowd.

The Heaven-Returning Pill—its name said it all.

People often said that once one had reached the point of being unable to turn the heavens around, there was no way back.

Yet a single Heaven-Returning Pill could truly turn the tide.

But what was the price?

Although it could restore nearly ninety percent of one’s combat strength in a short period of time, it would inevitably cause permanent damage to one’s Dao foundation.

Such pills were usually only consumed at the brink of life and death.

But Li Yunzhi had swallowed one directly in front of everyone.

He was telling them all—

I can still fight!

As the pill entered his stomach, the pallor drained from Li Yunzhi’s face at a visible rate, replaced by a healthy flush. The mighty righteousness around him began surging once more.

He returned to the center of the arena and swept his gaze across the crowd again.

“Who? Come.”

This time, someone finally could not sit still.

On the western side of the second floor, the door to a private room was pushed open.

An old man in black robes slowly stepped out. His face was withered, his eye sockets deeply sunken, and his entire body emanated a decaying aura of death.

“Black Mountain Sect, Ghost Hand.”

The old man’s voice was hoarse, like two rusted iron plates scraping against each other.

He took one step forward, and his figure appeared on the arena like a ghost.

Li Yunzhi looked at him, his brows furrowing slightly.

The Black Mountain Sect was a demonic sect renowned for refining ghosts and controlling corpse puppets.

And Ghost Hand was one of the most infamous figures in the entire Black Mountain Sect.

It was said that his pair of palms had once torn dozens of cultivators of the same realm apart alive.

“Mr. Li, I’ve long admired your reputation.”

Ghost Hand cupped his fists toward Li Yunzhi. His withered palms were faintly visible beneath his sleeves, his fingernails black as ink and gleaming with an eerie light.

“It is truly Ghost Hand’s great fortune to have the opportunity to exchange pointers with you today.”