Surging!
The silver Human Emperor was fully stretched out, and the two-meter-long body of the spear was lifted up. Li Tianlan’s killing intent began to rise almost without end.
The feeling of being imprisoned was becoming more and more intense. He could clearly feel the existence of the shackle. It was as if he had been repressed or his certain memories were temporarily erased. It even affected his will, which he always considered perfect.
The feeling that he could touch but couldn’t break the shackle became more and more apparent. He also became more and more uneasy and manic inside, and vaguely, he even had a feeling of suffocation.
Breaking the shackle!
Li Tianlan suddenly let out a long cry. The killing intent, which had gone out of control, utterly raged and seethed in the mountain forest. In this state, Li Tianlan was mad, dangerous, and ferocious like a demon.
Ice Bird and Black Shield seemed to have got the signal. Li Tianlan’s long cry was so clear and undisguised. Without any hesitation, they directly pounced on him.
Li Tianlan did not move.
The two bolts of dim blue lightning that were extremely clear in the night broke through the forest, approached him quickly, and finally hovered in the air in front of him.
“I didn’t expect that you dared to stop!”
Ice Bird sneered, standing in front of Black Shield. She was a quite elegant and charming woman who was plump in shape and had soft features. Her beautiful eyes were glistening with cold light, looking stern and piercingly cold.
She spoke Chinese with perfect p.r.o.nunciation.
“You two really dared to come after me?!”
Li Tianlan’s voice was quiet, but his momentum was downright violent. The frenzied killing intent turned to sword intent as he opened his mouth, and the whole mountain forest seemed to shake gently under the sword intent.
“It’s just the two of us. So what? I admit that you have unlimited potential, but do you really think that you can get us into a fight with your current strength? If we weren’t afraid of you behaving like a cornered beast that will do something desperate, you would have fallen into our hands or been dead.”
Ice Bird said blandly. She was indeed a charming woman, confident and calm, and she maintained her poise even against her enemies. In the darkness of extremely poor visibility, the dim blue lightning made her indescribably dazzling. Her dress fluttered, making her a delight to the eye.
“Hehe…”
Li Tianlan smiled. The tranquility in his pupils had completely turned into deathly stillness, making his eyes look strange and deep.
“You are badly hurt. I don’t advise you to fight us. If you are willing to return to Dongdu with us, I can a.s.sure you that East Island will not hurt you at all, but will treat you exceptionally well. You can have whatever you want, be it power, status, or women. Even the royal princes are at your disposal.”
Ice Bird promised him solemnly and sincerely. What she said was absolutely true and even too general. Li Tianlan’s value was certainly worth the effort that East Island put into wooing him. If he wanted to join East Island, the royal family would do anything.
After all, even if this Young Governor of Sigh City from Zhongzhou State couldn’t change the stand of Sigh City, he could affect Samsara Palace to a great extent. Furthermore, his potential was frightening enough. If such a figure joined East Island, what he could change was not just the battle of Changdao, but the status of East Island in the Dark World in an age to come.
If such a figure were to join insincerely, he would be more significant in East Island than any prince in the royal family. In the future, he would also become one of the most core figures in the entire East Island.
Ice Bird continued, her voice growing more earnest. “As long as you are willing to join us, we are willing to help you investigate your father’s treason case. Moreover, we’ll declare war on Kunlun City and do everything we can to avenge you. Please trust our sincerity.”
When the time was right, with Li Tianlan and the treason case of that year as the lead, East Island was fully capable of setting off a storm in Zhongzhou State to seriously damage the strength of the latter. Ice Bird felt no pressure to make such a promise.
“Are you finished?”
Li Tianlan suddenly asked. As he spoke, his hands holding the Human Emperor suddenly steadied, without a tremor.
In a moment, the killing intent on his whole body climbed to its peak.
“You…”
Ice Bird frowned, but before her voice had died away, Li Tianlan had taken one step forward in her sight.
A few dozen meters away, a silver flash zoomed in.
Just one step.
The ferocious and exquisite body of Human Emperor already appeared before her chest, carrying raging fire.
Li Tianlan was definitely a straightforward person who preferred to engage in a fight rather than waste time. He managed to suppress the sharp pain all over his body. At the moment when his momentum was at its peak, he sprang into action without hesitation.
He went all out!
Guarded, Ice Bird backed away quickly. The blinding lightning whistled out of her body for a moment. The twisted electric arcs intertwined and spread through the air, and the firelight became falling sparks in the lightning. Only the silver spear still stabbed straight forward.
Going forward!
“Clang!”
A long thick knife hacked against the Human Emperor, and the bright blade light was wholly covered by lightning. The blade cut through the air, sounding like thunder.
The sound of gold and iron clashing rang out loud.
Large flashes of lightning bloomed where the knife and spear had clashed. Countless trees were completely shattered in great power. Ice Bird’s figure was blocked by the tall and strong Black Shield. Poker-faced, Black Shield grasped the long knife in both hands. Mighty power suddenly poured into his arms before his hands made a fierce downward move.
Li Tianlan did not dodge, but his figure suddenly faded, leaving only a shadow in front of Black Shield. Li Tianlan, however, had already appeared behind him.
The long spear roared through the air, and its huge shadow was hurled wildly at the back of Black Shield.
The knife pierced through the shadow. Black Shield growled, and his knife instantly swept back. The heavy blade went straight up. In the dazzling light and shadows, Li Tianlan pressed down the long spear in his hands like crazy, and at the same time, he kicked Black Shield hard in the chest.
“Swish…”
The sharp knife swept across the air, and the sound of air piercing resounded.
The sound seemed to come from afar, but in the blink of an eye, it was behind Li Tianlan.
Dark Ambush!
That was the most quintessential unique technique of Wuji Palace, incorporating hiding, killing, dodging, and a.s.sault into it. Ice Bird, who was previously forced to retreat by a strike made by the spear, seemed to appear in the void abruptly. Holding a dagger and combining with it as one, she directly hurled herself against Li Tianlan.
In the glaring light and shadows, a roar which was so loud that it rushed into the sky was suddenly heard. The sound was so sharp and clear that it contained madness and violence that ignored all.
The long spear whizzed along the blade from the tip to the hilt. Black Shield’s hands holding the knife slipped.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the ferocious and elegant spearpoint and spear blade of the Human Emperor swept across the void.
Rotating!
Reining the knife with the spear.
The Eighth Blade · Burning Sky!
Li Tianlan’s soaring aura suddenly rose again in a flash.
After successfully breaking through to the peak of the Ice-condensing Realm from its stabilization phase, Li Tianlan once again began to exert his strength at the summit forcibly. He never forced himself to return to the Thunder-shocking Realm, but the power of this move was infinitely close to that realm!
With Li Tianlan as the center, the violent sword intent was unscrupulously erupting around him. The raging flames rushed high in the sky, and like a diffusing halo, the Sword Energy swept across all sides. For a moment, both Black Shield and Ice Bird retreated involuntarily.
The two faced each other in opposite directions, and as they retreated, the distance between them was immediately enlarged.
Whistling!
Li Tianlan roared crazily as he bore in his body great force beyond his realm. The intense pain seemed to be tearing his flesh apart, and the will of absolute cohesion impinged on the shackle of his mind. The shackle shook, and his body wobbled.
At all cost!
Li Tianlan roared, and as the sword intent of the Eighth Blade had not yet settled, he violently leveled his long spear and rushed to Ice Bird.
Without the Shadow Formula or 24 Moves of Sword.
The silver light whistled in midair. That was Li Tianlan’s purest strength and speed.
Surging.
Wherever the silver spear pointed, everything there shattered!
The Sixth Blade · Flowing Clouds.
It was one move with the most profound essence and tranquility among the 24 Moves of Sword. In Li Tianlan’s hands, however, it had become an extraordinarily violent and mighty one.
Like a shooting star, the long spear moved in the air to pierce Ice Bird!
It was moving forward.
Li Tianlan’s figure seemed to have disappeared.
Only the image of a silver spear remained in Ice Bird’s eyes.
Pure and mighty, the spear was like a person who looked askance at everything in the world!
At this moment, Li Tianlan’s will was at its best ever since his birth. The solid shackle in his mind was finally beginning to crumble.
Crumbling!
Ice Bird’s long, sharp howl was harsh enough to pierce the eardrums. Facing this unavoidable blow, she didn’t step back even an inch. Her dagger, so different from that of Black Shield, was raised sharply.
She then let go of it.
The long knife was hanging in the air.
Ice Bird stretched out her arms with a sudden shock.
Lightning spurted like a waterfall.
A curtain of pure lightning appeared directly in front of Ice Bird.
The glare of the blue lightning was restrained to the extreme. Like a cloud of mist, the seemingly dim lightning completely hid Ice Bird’s figure behind it.
It was one of the most powerful defensive unique techniques in Wuji Palace, in the entire East Island, and even in the whole Dark World.
Invincible Guardian.
In terms of defensive power, it was definitely a unique technique that could give others a headache the most. But the biggest drawback of this technique was that it couldn’t last long. To be exact, this light curtain could only exist for a short time.
But this moment was enough for Ice Bird.
The moment the silver light in her sight was approaching.
The light curtain was formed entirely.
“Boom!”
The silver spear collided with the light curtain.
Li Tianlan’s pupils were as bright as stars. He unleashed all his power at once.
Advancing!
He would rather die than fall back!
The light curtain shook violently, and the almost all-conquering Human Emperor was constantly tightened. The body of the spear began to bend under the strong impact, as if it could not withstand gravity and was about to collapse.
“Ah, ah…!!! ”
Li Tianlan roared like crazy. The moment his will reached its highest point, a subtle and yet incomparably clear cracking sound rang out.
At this moment, Li Tianlan could clearly feel the shackle completely broken in his mind.
Multiple images suddenly appeared in his mind. They were his repressed memory, or rather, his repressed will.
“The Li family has two unique skills. The Map of G.o.d of War is known all over the world, and the other kind of skill that has nothing to do with Martial Arts is hypnosis.”
“That’s the pinnacle of hypnosis. It was left with the Map of G.o.d of War by the founder in those days. Like the Li family’s 24 Moves of Sword, I can suppress your will with this. If you can break the shackle one day, you will be likely to enter the Invincible Realm by the time you’re 30.”
Images that had been suppressed to the deepest recesses of his memory continued to emerge. Accompanied by the soft bell sounds in the depths of his memory that seemed to ripple into the depths of his soul, various pictures were constantly flashing.
The Human Emperor crashed against the light curtain ahead.
His will made breakthroughs in all aspects. Although his realm remained the same, his sword intent was several times purer and fiercer than before in an instant.
“You have to remember that what is truly invincible is not the unique skill, nor the realm. For the Li family, only the sword intent is invincible.”
I had a pearl.
“For me, my Martial Arts should not be limited by the sword alone. The 24 Moves of Sword represents the Martial Arts of the founder, but not all of mine. One day, I will surpa.s.s the founder.”
It had been long locked up in the dust.
“I have lived a moderate life. I seemed high-spirited and vigorous but indecisive. Tianlan, I am in a dilemma and cannot decide but to be impartial. You’re fighting for the Li family. If you have your body smashed to pieces one day, I hope you don’t blame me.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you can get out, you will know that.” It’s my fault.”
Today, the dust dropped away, and the light shone brightly.
“Don’t regret the things you have done. Remember, don’t look back.”
The light shed on the mountains and rivers.
“Boom!”
As the tip of the spear twisted in the light curtain, it stirred ripples spreading through the light curtain. The latter shook and eventually broke.
Images and a lot of memories flooded in his mind.
His memories were so clear.
Everything in sight was so clear, too.
The broken light curtain flew in all directions in the explosion. Absolute force erupted in the collision and directly turned into a wave of air filled with blue electric arcs.
The waves of air were spreading. And the mountain forest within a radius of tens of meters was wholly flattened in the deafening noise.
The Ice Bird in front and the Black Shield in the rear were entirely out of balance in the waves of air and flew backward.
Li Tianlan was wobbling in the center of the waves of air, but his eyes had gone from trance to clarity.
Ice Bird drifted away in the waves of air with an incredulous look on her face. This rare beauty in the Dark World, with her mouth open and her body struggling in the air, looked helpless and delicate.
“The light shed on the mountains and rivers…”
Li Tianlan whispered to himself and suddenly tightened his grip on the Human Emperor that had a shattered spear tip.
He lifted the spear as if it were a pen.
Then he flung up his hand.
The Human Emperor turned into a flash of straight silver light in the air and was hurled by him.
The silver spear with sharp edges glittered.
The Human Emperor drew a straight line in the air. Carrying overwhelming sharpness, the shattered tip of the spear went straight into Ice Bird’s mouth.
In an instant, the beautiful head wholly shattered in the darkest time before dawn and burst into a cloud of blood fog.
When the darkness was getting thicker.
Dawn was just around the corner.
Where there was night, there was morning.
—