Chapter 456: A Young Swordsman or a Pathetic Sycophant!? I Can’t Hold On! Surging Blood Qi! A Lunatic!

Cuihua was quickly forced into a disadvantage.

Suddenly, a woman with dull, dead-fish eyes appeared, and her body reeked of corpse stench as she abruptly threw herself into the fray.

With that, Cuihua’s situation became perilous at once. She couldn’t help glancing toward the cave, gritting her teeth!

That guy didn’t treat her with much respect, but their relationship was decent enough. She had promised to hold the line for him, so she had to keep that promise!

Cuihua’s aura surged again, her speed rising sharply as she clashed with the three cultivators, each wielding strange and sinister techniques.

More figures emerged from the surrounding forest as cultivators were drawn in by the blazing red radiance, a phenomenon so striking it shook heaven and earth. Among them were righteous path experts, ruthless killers who’d murder without blinking, and beasts that had cultivated into demon form. The moment they sensed that dense, vibrant life essence, their hearts stirred with greed.

A seductive young woman approached, her steps graceful, accompanied by a young man with sword-straight brows and bright eyes. He carried a longsword on his back, his gaze icy and distant.

“Senior Brother Wen, with life essence this dense, it must be some incredibly rare divine treasure.” The enchanting woman was none other than Liu Qingqing. She had been in Wei City to begin with, and her voice now was sweet and delicate, irresistibly charming.

“If my Qingqing wants it, then I’ll retrieve it for you.” The handsome young man inclined his head slightly as an unbelievably sharp razor-sharp surge of intent shot out from his eyes. His sword had not even left its sheath, yet the sword-qi had already struck!

A glow flared around Cuihua’s body, blocking it for only a heartbeat before being shattered by that sword-qi. Thankfully, Cuihua reacted fast enough to avoid being injured. She glared furiously at the young man, then transformed into a fleeting shadow and lunged to strike!

The handsome youth remained calm, drawing the ancient sword from his back with a reverse grip.

Clang

! A crisp dragon’s cry rang out, and the terrifying sword-qi condensed into a white dragon that charged at Cuihua.

The sword-qi dragon collided with her massive body, and shockingly, it was Cuihua who was forced back. If not for her extraordinary innate gifts, she would’ve been pierced through by that long dragon of sword-qi!

At this time, Cuihua’s expression darkened. The power within her had already shielded her from several attacks; once it was spent and fell dormant, she would probably die on the spot.

“Why hasn’t that drugged-up idiot come out yet!?” She cast a resentful glance toward the cave.

At this time, a gray-robed elder, a middle-aged man with a corpse-like face, a bizarre woman, the young swordsman, a hulking fat pervert built like a mountain of meat, and a tall, gaunt man dressed in black all attacked Cuihua at once.

The mountain-like fat pervert in particular, with skin like hide and monstrous strength, looked at Cuihua with mocking eyes. “What a fine cat demon, perfect to go with my wine!”

He threw a punch, the force violent and savage, as if he weren’t a man at all but some berserk primordial beast.

Wei City was now a gathering ground for hidden dragons and crouching tigers[1]. Because a Blissful Land had appeared, countless cultivators had rushed here.

The world was vast, and many powerful yet unknown experts roamed it unseen. Especially in this age of fierce contention, with vanished Blissful Lands emerging one after another, all manner of hidden forces appeared as well to fight over opportunities. Many ancient cultivation clans and secret sects had dispatched people into the world.

The old order was shattered; this was an age of rising storms.

Facing this siege, Cuihua had only one word in mind:

Shit

!

She hadn’t expected a tiny place like this to harbor so many competent fighters.

You bastard, if you don’t get out here, I’m really gonna die!

she swore inwardly.

Her temperament was indeed rough, but even now she didn’t shout to Li Yanchu in the cave, as she was afraid of disturbing him.

The heartbeat that had been steady and clear inside the cave suddenly grew powerful.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The fierce pounding echoed like a signal, and the air trembled as boundless blood and qi surged. A blazing tide of qi and blood, vast as the open sea, burned so hot it seemed to scorch the air. Then, terrifying ripples of energy burst outward layer upon layer. It was like tossing an explosive into an icy lake, everything roared to a boil!

The ground quaked as a young Daoist stepped out of the cave, his body emanating a violent force no ordinary person could withstand. His qi and blood roared like a raging furnace.

Seeing this, everyone instinctively ceased attacking. The moment the young Daoist glanced their way, their hair stood on end, as if a primordial beast had fixed its gaze on them. That torrential, searing blood-qi struck terror into their hearts!

“Third realm!!! He’s a third-realm expert!!! Get away from here!” someone screamed.

Suddenly, Li Yanchu raised his hand and threw a punch. The colossal fat pervert built like a mountain of flesh and famed for brute strength was instantly blasted apart by the violent force.

Boom!

With that, he vanished completely, and not even ashes remained.

Seeing this, everyone was stunned. That fat pervert was clearly the tank-type among cultivators, as his flesh and bones were immensely tough. Moments ago they had all witnessed it themselves: the cat demon’s sharp claws had done absolutely nothing to him. Yet this young Daoist had ended the toughest defender present, who was renowned for his monstrous durability, with a single punch, scattering his soul to the winds!

“Run!” the corpse-faced middle-aged man cried out. This was not an opponent they could contend with, and he didn’t even have the slightest intention of fighting back!

At this time, Li Yanchu moved with terrifying speed. In one stride, he appeared before the man and slapped him across the face. “You talk too damn much!”

Boom!

Half of the corpse-faced man’s body exploded into blood mist, which was instantly vaporized by the searing qi and blood around him. Li Yanchu hadn’t used any movement techniques; relying solely on his physical body, he achieved the same speed he once needed Godspeed for.

In the next moment, he appeared before the foul-smelling woman.

The woman had prepared herself. Her pitch-black hair writhed like countless serpents in the air, and she looked ghastly and horrifying. Her skin began to rot open, but her aura surged dramatically.

Boom!

Li Yanchu slapped her too. He didn’t care if she were some corpse-refined monstrosity, or how sharp her hair was, he blasted her to dust all the same!

Boom!

He appeared before the tall, gaunt man in black and slapped him as well. Immediately, the man shattered and was reduced to nothing.

In an instant, no one dared to move. Not only the cultivators who had surrounded Cuihua earlier, even those lurking around to watch with ill intent were frozen still.

No one dared to provoke this young Daoist overflowing with crushing blood-qi.

“Are you people idiots? You see a treasure and immediately try to rob it!? You’re like ants trying to shake a tree[2], pathetic!”

Li Yanchu’s voice boomed like thunder. He only wanted a quiet place to take his pills, and somehow it had turned into this mess!

Were these people insane!? Did they not realize he was incredibly strong!? Without great ability, could he have taken this Blood-Qi Pill!?

But confusion aside, Li Yanchu had no intention of showing mercy. He realized he’d been wrong, as suppressing his presence and hiding from heavenly insight didn’t make anyone wary of him.

Today, he would spill blood. He’d kill until none of these lunatics dared cause trouble again! Murderous intent flared in his eyes, and the world filled with his violent, overwhelming blood-qi.

The gray-robed elder’s eyes instead shone with madness. Such dense, vibrant life essence was enough to push this young Daoist’s body to such terrifying heights!

If it were mine... wouldn’t I regain my youth!?

The thought stirred in his heart.

Li Yanchu hadn’t misjudged them, these people really were insane in their pursuit of longevity and life.

1. I’ve explained this phrase in a footnote before, but thought I’d explain again to refresh your memory for those who have forgotten: 卧虎藏龙 (wò hǔ cáng lóng) is a Chinese idiom that literally means “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” It describes a situation in which extraordinary talent, skill, or power is concealed beneath a calm or unassuming exterior. The phrase suggests that someone who appears ordinary may actually possess great ability or potential, emphasizing the idea that true strength is often hidden from view. Originating from classical Chinese literature and martial arts culture, where tigers and dragons symbolize courage, power, and martial prowess, the idiom is now used metaphorically in modern contexts to describe people or situations with untapped talent or hidden danger. ☜

2. ‘An ant trying to shake a tree’ is a metaphor for overestimating one’s own strength, trying to use a tiny force to affect something powerful. This idiom originates from the Tang dynasty poet Han Yu’s poem Tiao Zhang Ji, in which the original line reads, ‘An ant trying to shake a great tree. How laughable, for it does not know its own limits.’ It was used to satirize those who vainly attempted to disparage or challenge the great works of poets like Li Bai and Du Fu. ☜