"Hahaha, you think you can kill me?" Xiao Su laughed, his tone mocking. "Back then, I beat you until you fled like a stray dog. I thought you'd died in some forgotten corner. To think you'd return today."

Li Xiaotian swung the Heavenly Punishment Blade, his face filled with killing intent. "That beast Li Xiaofeng isn't dead yet," he said. "How could I dare to die first?"

"Hmph! And you think you're worthy of being compared to the High Priest?" Xiao Su said coldly. "Patriarch Yang, join me. Let's slaughter Li Xiaotian first!"

"Good!" the Patriarch of the Yang Family agreed with a nod, taking a box from within his robes. As he opened it, a Red Gold Scorpion dropped to the ground, burrowed into the earth, and vanished.

Xiao Su let out a low roar. "Die!" he bellowed, rushing toward Li Xiaotian.

"Xiao Tian, be careful!" Li Xuan cried out from the ground. Her expression changed drastically when she saw Li Xiaotian intended to fight two opponents at once.

"Grandmother, stay back!" Li Xiaotian declared without a trace of fear. "Leave these two beasts to me!"

The moment he finished speaking, Li Xiaotian's aura surged dramatically.

Inner Strength!

Late Stage Inner Strength!

Peak of Late Stage Inner Strength!

Half-step Grandmaster!!!

Not only was Xiao Su shocked, but even Li Xuan was stunned. Xiao Tian is a Half-step Grandmaster? On par with me? A wave of joy immediately washed over her.

"Die!" Li Xiaotian roared, infusing his True Qi into the Heavenly Punishment Blade.

VSSSHHH! A sharp blade aura scattered in all directions, pulverizing the weeds and rubble on the ground.

Carrying his blade, Li Xiaotian walked toward Xiao Su step by step. His pace didn't seem fast, yet each step appeared to cross several meters. One moment, he was still several meters away; the next, he was right in front of Xiao Su.

He brought the blade slashing down.

"This—" Xiao Su's expression changed drastically at Li Xiaotian's bizarrely sudden appearance. But as a Half-step Grandmaster himself, his reactions were swift, and he rapidly retreated.

SLASH! The Heavenly Punishment Blade descended.

"Aaargh!" A piercing scream ripped through the air. Xiao Su staggered to a halt. Looking down, he saw a long gash across his abdomen. While not fatal, the wound was severe enough to hamper his ability to fight.

What bizarre footwork! What terrifying bladework! Xiao Su was utterly shaken, his gaze toward Li Xiaotian now filled with dread.

Li Xiaotian frowned, disappointed that his first strike hadn't been fatal. The Heavenly Punishment Blade in his hand trembled, as if struggling to break free of his grasp. His expression flickered for a moment before he tightened his grip, holding it firm.

WHOOSH! Just then, a flash of golden light appeared at Li Xiaotian's feet. A tail shot up, its stinger aimed directly at his heel.

It was Patriarch Yang's Red Gold Scorpion! "Be careful! That's the ancestral Gu King of the Yang Family!" Li Xuan screamed in terror.

A bite from the Gu King could cost even a Grandmaster half their life, let alone a Half-step Grandmaster like Li Xiaotian.

"Hmph!" However, Li Xiaotian simply snorted. "Heavenly Emperor Nine Steps... One Step, Rivers Shatter!"

A vast aura erupted from Li Xiaotian, and in that instant, he looked like a Heavenly God descending to the mortal realm. With a fierce stomp, he brought his foot down.

BOOM! The ground caved in around Li Xiaotian. As for the Red Gold Scorpion Gu King, it was crushed under his foot, utterly obliterated.

PFFT! With his Lifebound Gu's death, the Patriarch of the Yang Family suffered a backlash, violently spewing a mouthful of blood.

Li Xiaotian's eyes flashed. The instant his foot landed, he shot forward. The Heavenly Punishment Blade in his hand blazed with a blinding light as he swung it at the Patriarch's head.

THWACK! A head soared into the sky before rolling across the ground. With a single strike, the Patriarch of the Yang Family was dead.

The entire battlefield fell silent. The Patriarch of the Yang Family, a leader from the Nine Villages and Eighteen Caves, was dead just like that? Everyone stared at Li Xiaotian, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Then, in the next moment, the members of Bai Miao Village erupted into cheers. "The Clan Leader is mighty!"

"The Clan Leader is mighty!"

"Kill them! Kill every last bastard from Heimiao Village!"

The morale of Bai Miao Village surged. For a moment, they managed to halt the advance of Heimiao Village's warriors. Xiao Su and the others' expressions turned grim. They hadn't expected that Li Xiaotian killing the Patriarch of the Yang Family would so effectively rally their enemies.

However, Xiao Su also noticed something else. Although Li Xiaotian had killed his opponent, the effort had taken an immense toll on him. His face was now pale, and his arm was trembling faintly.

"Let's see how long you can last!" Xiao Su snorted, then shouted at the stunned Li Xu, "Li Xu, don't just stand there gawking! Attack!"

Li Xu snapped back to his senses. He glanced around before his gaze locked onto Li Xuan. The Second Elder was currently tied up in his own fight and couldn't intervene. Li Xuan was severely injured. If he could kill her now, it would be a fatal blow to Bai Miao Village.

Putting thought into action, Li Xu slowly approached Li Xuan, raised his palm, and brought it slamming down.

"Grandma, run!" Li Lai screamed, rushing at Li Xu. She slammed into him with all her might, making him stagger backward.

"You're courting death!" Li Xu's expression darkened as he prepared to deliver a fatal strike.

"Sister Li Lai!" Seeing this, the Li Zhou brothers turned pale and immediately abandoned their opponents to rush over.

But they were no match for Li Xu. With two resounding smacks—BANG! BANG!—he sent both brothers flying.

"Don't be in such a hurry. You're all going to die," Li Xu sneered. "After I kill this old crone, I'll deal with you."

Li Xuan pushed Li Lai toward Lin Mu. "Lai Lai, run!" she pleaded, turning to him. "Mr. Lin, I was wrong before. I apologize. Now, I only beg that you take Lai Lai and leave this place of conflict."

"Grandma, I won't go!" Li Lai cried, tears streaming down her face.

Li Xuan shook her head. "Lai Lai, the situation is decided. Go! No matter what happens, we will ensure you escape!"

The Li Zhou brothers scrambled to their feet, shouting as they blocked Li Lai's path. "Go, don't let your grandmother's sacrifice be in vain! Sister Li Lai, hurry and run! We'll hold this traitor back!"

Li Lai just shook her head frantically, weeping in despair.

"Li Xu, capture that wench! The High Priest specifically asked for her!" Xiao Su, still battling Li Xiaotian, roared from a distance. "If she escapes, we're all dead!"

Li Xu's expression changed. He didn't know why, but since it was an order from the High Priest, he had to carry it out. He started walking slowly toward Li Lai.

"You won't lay a single finger on Sister Li Lai!" Li Zhou shouted, his hand trembling as he gripped his blade.

"Get out of my way!" With a single slap, Li Xu sent the brothers flying.

Li Lai instinctively stumbled backward, ending up right next to Lin Mu.

"Third Granduncle, why?" Li Lai asked, her face streaked with tears. "Why did you betray Bai Miao Village?"

"Every man for himself," Li Xu said, his expression icy as his gaze fell upon Lin Mu. "You're coming with me too. Since they say you killed someone from Heimiao Village, you can go confess your sins to the High Priest in person."

"No!" Li Lai's body trembled as she spread her arms to shield Lin Mu. "Let Mr. Lin go! I'll go with you! He's innocent!"

"Do you really think that's an option?" Li Xu slowly shook his head. "He killed Li Yin. He has to die."

"Mr. Lin, run! He won't dare kill me!" Li Lai said, her eyes flashing with determination as she bit her lip.

Just as she was about to lunge at Li Xu, a large hand rested on her shoulder. A calm, gentle voice reached her ears.

"When have I, Lin Mu, ever needed a woman to sacrifice herself to save me? Besides," the voice continued, "killing trash like this is as easy as slaughtering a chicken."

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