Upon seeing the various dense wounds covering Yun Feng's body, the crowd all sucked in a sharp breath.
Seven years ago, how old was this young man?
To have suffered such severe injuries and still manage to survive?
Li Fengtian's expression turned thoroughly gloomy.
"Very well."
"Little brat Yun Feng, I don't know how you survived seven years ago."
"But today, that same good fortune will certainly not be yours again!"
Yun Feng offered an amused smile.
"The me of today no longer needs luck."
A sinister voice suddenly drifted out from the Li Family courtyard, ringing out coldly:
"You are Yun Feng?"
"Do you still remember me?"
Hearing this voice, Yun Feng's pupils suddenly constricted, and he shifted his gaze to the front gate of the Li Family courtyard!
A man in a black robe with a somewhat delicate and feminine face, his eyes seemingly hiding daggers, stood quietly looking at Yun Feng.
This person had barely changed at all from seven years ago.
Except for a few imperceptible wrinkles at the corners of his eyes...
"It's you..." Yun Feng narrowed his eyes.
The Li Family retainer, Ghost Blade!
Seven years ago, it was this Ghost Blade, along with another Chen Family retainer, who had come together to hunt him down!
This man's feminine voice had once been the most terrifying presence in Yun Feng's midnight nightmares!
At that moment, Yun Feng's fists clenched instantly!
The ultimate mastermind might be someone else.
But this man had personally drawn a blade against him!
He must die!
Ghost Blade's sharp gaze swept up and down over Yun Feng, and in disbelief, he said:
"Seven years ago, my final strike pierced your heart meridian."
"And yet you still did not die."
"This is far beyond my expectations."
The corners of Yun Feng's mouth lifted into a mocking smile:
"With my Eldest Master around, even the dead can be snatched back from the hands of King Yama."
"A mere heart meridian is not worth mentioning."
"As for you, I still remember how you cowered and fled in terror before my Eldest Master, pissing your pants!"
In Ghost Blade's eyes, a ferocious intent to kill flashed abruptly!
Yun Feng's words stirred up the most terrified memories deep within Ghost Blade's heart!
That was a woman entirely shrouded in brilliant golden radiance.
The radiance obscured the woman's face, but Ghost Blade instinctively felt that she was an unmatched beauty in this world!
At that time, Ghost Blade was already a Nine-Stage expert; even when facing a Grandmaster, he had the ability to maneuver!
Yet facing that woman...
Ghost Blade did not even dare to throw a single strike!
A voice inside his heart told Ghost Blade that the woman before him was a terrifying existence he could never hope to reach.
He didn't even need to attack; the mere thought of killing intent would cause him to instantly turn to ash beneath the other's radiance!
Ghost Blade could only turn and run, leaving the other party to rescue Yun Feng, whose heart meridian had been injured.
"Damn you, brat!"
Ghost Blade's face darkened as he bowed deeply to Li Fengtian and said:
"Head of the Family."
"It was this subordinate's incompetence!"
"I beg the Head of the Family to give this subordinate a chance to redeem myself through meritorious service!"
Li Fengtian gave Ghost Blade a deep look and nodded.
"Very well."
"Kill this Yun Feng, and this Family Head will let bygones be bygones!"
Ghost Blade let out a ferocious laugh, reached to his waist, and pulled out a pitch-black dagger:
"Brat, the me of today is no longer the me of seven years ago!"
"I have broken through the Nine-Stage realm and advanced to Grandmaster!"
"Even if that so-called Eldest Master of yours appears before me again, I can cut her down!"
The smile at the corners of Yun Feng's mouth grew wider and wider, finally turning into two mocking laughs:
"Hahaha!"
"A frog at the bottom of a well!"
"You know nothing of power!"
"Make your move!"
Ghost Blade's figure leaped forward, moving in tandem with his blade.
His entire body transformed into an intensely sharp beam of blade radiance, slashing straight toward Yun Feng's face!
Zhou Ling sucked in a sharp breath and said in a low voice:
"This is the legendary integration of person and blade!"
"Xiaofeng, watch out!"
"Martial artists who have grasped the true intent of weaponry are often the most formidable among those of the same realm!"
Facing this intensely sharp beam of blade radiance, Yun Feng didn't even look, reaching out with his palm to grab it!
This plain and ordinary palm strike actually pierced directly into the blade radiance, grabbing Ghost Blade's dagger!
Yun Feng flicked his wrist, and with a single shockwave, Ghost Blade spat out a mouthful of blood, flew backward through the air, and crashed to the ground with a loud thud!
It was a full three seconds before Ghost Blade's miserable shrieks erupted from his blood-stained mouth:
"How is this possible?!"
"This strike of mine is unstoppable!"
"Even the Old Master, who is a Half-Step Great Grandmaster, can only retreat three hundred paces when facing this strike of mine!"
Yun Feng gave a faint smile and asked:
"Utterly ignorant."
"Are you ready?"
"Of the twenty wounds the Li Family inflicted on me, seventeen were dealt by your blade."
Today, I will also cut you seventeen times!
Chapter 26: Old Master, Save Me!
Watching Ghost Blade beaten to the ground by Yun Feng in a single move, Li Fengtian's eyelids twitched wildly!
The City Lord of Haicheng had previously said on the phone that the Wang Family Grandmaster had been killed by Yun Feng with a single blow straight to the heart.
At the time, Li Fengtian had assumed that a Grandmaster of Yun Feng's age possessed excessively vigorous Qi and Blood Power, which was why he was able to suppress a decaying Grandmaster like the Wang Family Grandmaster, whose Qi and Blood were nearly exhausted.
Yet Ghost Blade was only fifty-eight years old this year, making him a relatively young figure among Grandmasters!
And yet he was still defeated by Yun Feng in a single move?
Such terrifying combat prowess...
After the Old Master comes out of seclusion, can he truly defeat Yun Feng?
With a face full of coldness, Yun Feng slashed a blade through the air toward Ghost Blade!
The blade radiance swept across the sky like a bolt of lightning in an instant!
It landed on Ghost Blade's shoulder.
Slash!
Blood gushed forth!
"This is the first blade you cut me with seven years ago, right on my shoulder," Yun Feng's cold voice echoed in Ghost Blade's ear.
"Ah!!!" Ghost Blade screamed miserably, springing to his feet and running for his life!
Yun Feng strolled leisurely, pursuing Ghost Blade from behind, his dagger flashing down in continuous strikes!
"This is the second blade you cut me with, on my arm."
"This is the third blade..."
"The fourth..."
"The fifth..."
After a full sixteen cuts, Ghost Blade had been reduced to a bloody mess. Fresh blood spurted endlessly from his wounds, and the Qi and Blood Power all over his body had decayed to an unimaginable degree!
With a cold smile, Yun Feng drove his dagger fiercely into Ghost Blade's chest.
"This is the seventeenth blade, the one that pierces the heart meridian!"
Ghost Blade's bloodshot eyes widened instantly!
His heart meridian was completely destroyed by this strike!
Even for a Grandmaster, having one's heart meridian destroyed meant certain death with no chance of survival!
Thud!
Ghost Blade collapsed headfirst to the ground, convulsed, and died.
In front of the Li Family courtyard, there was dead silence.
No one had expected it.
Ghost Blade, a dignified Grandmaster, was actually so fragile before Yun Feng?
Yun Feng turned back, his cold gaze falling upon Li Fengtian.
Li Fengtian instinctively took three steps back before putting on a bold front and shouting:
"Yun Feng! I admit you are indeed very strong!"
"Grandmasters take Qi and Blood Power as the foundation of their existence, and an eighteen-year-old Grandmaster, with surging Qi and Blood, is indeed far more powerful than ordinary Grandmasters!"
"But this is Haicheng, and this is the Li Family!"
"This is not a place where a mere Grandmaster like you can run amok!"
Yun Feng smiled:
"When I cut off your head, I hope you can still say that."
With a flick of his hand, the dagger that had belonged to Ghost Blade transformed into a pitch-black streak of light, shooting straight toward Li Fengtian's chest!
Li Fengtian's pupils shrank violently!
Even Ghost Blade was no match for Yun Feng; this strike was something he could not withstand no matter what!
"Old Master! Save me!" Li Fengtian screamed in terror.
A surge of power suddenly erupted from the entrance of the Li Family gates.
Like a crashing wave, it instantly slammed into the dagger hurled by Yun Feng.
Thud!
A muffled sound rang out.
This pitch-black dagger, crushed between two forces, shattered instantly.
Yun Feng shifted his gaze toward the Li Family gates.
An octogenarian elder draped in white garments stepped slowly out of the courtyard.
A pair of dim, aged eyes looked at Yun Feng, and he sighed:
"Since you survived, why must you come back to Haicheng to court death once more?"
"Causing such an uproar across the city now may give you a momentary thrill, but in reality, you are already a dead man."
"My Li Family failed the Prince's great favor by letting you live seven years ago."
"Today, this old man shall mend the fold after the sheep is lost!"
"With your head, I will make amends to the Prince!"
Within the aged voice was an unquestionable, resolute intent to kill.
It was as if the words he spoke were bound to become reality.
Whether in status or realm, this Elder of the Li Family stood at the pinnacle of Haicheng, so his confidence was naturally different from ordinary people.
Yun Feng chuckled dismissively:
"Old man, your strength isn't much, but you certainly know how to put on a show."
"Do you dare to take out that hand behind your back?"
Elder Li's breathing hitched.
He had been hiding one hand behind his back the entire time.
That hand had previously been struck by the rebound of the power from Yun Feng's dagger, which he had been unable to neutralize; it had penetrated his tendons and bones, causing minor injuries.
At that moment, it was trembling slightly and refused to stop no matter what!
Elder Li narrowed his eyes:
"Impudent brat, not even wet behind the ears."
"Your Qi and Blood Power is indeed vigorous, but your experience and realm are both lacking!"
"Ultimately, you will just fade into the crowd!"
"Today, this old man will show you the gap between the realm of a Half-Step Great Grandmaster and yourself!"
Yun Feng laughed twice, as if he had just heard a joke:
"A Half-Step Great Grandmaster?"
"Relying on substandard pills refined by unorthodox Jianghu charlatans to overdraw your body's potential, you delusionally think you've made progress."
"In reality, you only have half a year left to live."
"When the half year is up, not even immortals can save you."
"As for the remaining half-step, you can forget about it in this lifetime."
Hearing Yun Feng's words, Elder Li's pupils shrank violently!
Aside from a few direct descendants of the Li Family, absolutely no one knew about him taking pills!
How did this Yun Feng see through it?
Since he could see that I took pills, then the half year to live that he spoke of...
Could it be true as well?
No! That's not right!
He is trying to shake my mental state!
A chill ran through Elder Li's heart, but he immediately regained his composure, smiling coldly and derisively:
"This old man has eaten more salt than you have eaten rice."
"Did you think this old man would fall for your psychological warfare?"
"Utterly ridiculous."
"Let's see the real deal with our fists!"
With that, Elder Li pushed out with his palms through the air, striking toward Yun Feng!
A surge of vital energy whistled outward, carrying an intimidating oppressive force as it rushed toward Yun Feng!
In front of the Li Family gates, the crowd scattered in all directions!
"So strong!"
"Is this the realm of a Half-Step Great Grandmaster?"
"Ghost Blade could never hope to catch a move like this!"
"Dammit, if our Old Master were ten years younger, he could definitely have killed someone like Ghost Blade in a single move!"
"Looking at it this way, Yun Feng isn't so terrifying after all!"
"He's nothing more than someone who just entered the Grandmaster realm, relying on his youth and physical vigor to fight recklessly and bully an old comrade!"
"That's right, what difference is there between Yun Feng's behavior and an ordinary person kicking a nursing home?"
"Utterly disgraceful!"
"Hahaha! But his nursing home-kicking behavior is about to fail!"
"Kicking a nursing home and getting savagely beaten by an elderly person turns from disgraceful into humiliating!"
The Li Family members were immensely excited, as if they had already witnessed the scene of Yun Feng meeting his doom at the hands of the Old Master!
Yet right before everyone's eyes.
Facing the vital energy blasted out by Elder Li, Yun Feng merely waved his hand lightly.
As if swatting away a fly.
The next moment, the vital energy rushing toward Yun Feng simply vanished into thin air!
It was as if it had never existed at all!
Elder Li frowned, sensing that something was not quite right.
Even if this fellow was a young and robust teenage Grandmaster...
To scatter his attack so effortlessly was simply too absurd!
He was a Half-Step Great Grandmaster!
Yun Feng asked indifferently:
"After throwing that palm strike, do you feel a dull pain near your dantian?"
Hearing this question, Elder Li's pupils shrank violently, and two drops of cold sweat broke out on the tip of his nose!
Had Yun Feng not mentioned it, Elder Li would have almost ignored that dull pain.
But once Yun Feng brought it up, Elder Li instantly realized that his physical state was wrong!
Chapter 27: Utterly Ridiculous!
"Nonsense!"
Elder Li shouted angrily:
"This old man's body is in prime condition!"
"Stop talking rubbish!"
"Take my second move!"
"I want to see if you, a teenage Grandmaster, have boundless Qi and Blood Power!"
"And whether you can withstand the methods of the Great Grandmaster realm!"
As he spoke, Elder Li pushed out with another palm. The vital energy roared like a dragon, once again surging toward Yun Feng!
The momentum surpassed even the first attack!
Li Fengtian sneered:
"What a ridiculous, impudent brat."
"He actually dares to delusional attempt to shake the Old Master's mental state."
"An eighteen-year-old youth wants to play psychological games with an eighty-year-old man?"
"Although the Old Master is still half a step away, the gap between a Great Grandmaster and a Grandmaster is already very obvious."
"While a Grandmaster can project their Qi and Blood Power outward, it remains restricted to their immediate surroundings—sufficient for defense, but lacking in offense."
"A Great Grandmaster, however, can sustain both offense and defense, and their self-preservation capability is far greater than that of a Grandmaster!"
"With such a gap, no matter how vigorous Yun Feng's Qi and Blood Power is, he can only defend passively and meet his doom on the spot!"
The Li Family members behind him chimed in unison:
"Indeed, indeed! Striking people from over a dozen meters away through the air is something ordinary Grandmasters simply cannot do!"
"Just like in the movies, it's too powerful!"
Yet Yun Feng wore a look of mockery, waving his hand once more to effortlessly disperse Elder Li's second vital energy attack.
He said leisurely:
"After throwing this second palm, the dull pain in your dantian has doubled, and a needle-like pain has begun spreading toward your back."
"Whether I am right or wrong, you know best in your heart."
Cold sweat streamed down Elder Li's forehead in beads.
If the previous pain was easy to ignore, the pain following this second palm had reached a degree that made Elder Li almost want to cry out.
Elder Li let out a cold snort, a weathered and ferocious smile crossing the corners of his mouth:
"Are you a medical Grandmaster?"
"So this is your weakness!"
"No wonder you didn't dare to make a move against me!"
"Afraid that once you got close, you'd be killed in a single strike by me, a Half-Step Martial Great Grandmaster?"
Before his voice had even faded, Elder Li had already blasted out his third palm!
As this third palm roared through the air, there were even sounds of dragons and tigers howling.
Leaves rustled down from the trees, and driven by Elder Li's surging vital energy, they swept toward Yun Feng as well!
Yun Feng chuckled lightly, having made three moves to sweep away the vital energy blasted by Elder Li.
He shook his head slightly and said:
"Is it really that I don't dare to get close, or that you don't dare to get close?"
"Attacking from such a long distance looks ferocious and mystical, but in reality, it requires effort without yielding results."
"You can't even display sixty percent of your true strength."
"You don't dare to engage me in close combat because you yourself know that something is wrong with your body."
"If I'm not mistaken, before me, you haven't fought anyone in a long time, have you?"
"Otherwise, you should know that your actual combat prowess is even worse than Ghost Blade's!"
As Yun Feng spoke, Elder Li's face gradually flushed red, and the clothes on his back were quickly soaked through with cold sweat.
The dull pain in his body became more and more pronounced.
It had climbed upward from his dantian position.
At that moment, his entire chest and abdomen were surrounded by a sea of torment!
Yun Feng's voice fell.
Elder Li suddenly let out a cry of pain, opened his mouth, and spat out a mouthful of dark, thick blood!
Beside him, Li Fengtian was startled, hastily rushing forward to support Elder Li's arm as he cried out with a trembling voice:
"Old Master!"
"What's wrong, Old Master?"
"Old Master, don't scare me!"
At that moment, Elder Li's eyes were bloodshot, looking exceptionally eerie.
He slowly raised his head, fixing his blood-red eyes intently on Yun Feng, and asked in a hoarse voice:
"Then according to you, a medical Grandmaster, what is wrong with me?"
"And why did it turn out like this?"
Yun Feng said calmly:
"Given your aptitude and encounters, you would have stayed at your so-called Grandmaster realm for the rest of your life."
"Accepting your endpoint in peace would have still allowed you to leave with some dignity."
"Driven by unwillingness, you insisted on taking a crooked path, consuming substandard pills refined by Jianghu charlatans. While it allowed you to break through this barrier to a certain extent..."
"Firstly, it squeezes your potential, exacting a heavy toll on your life force."
"Secondly, pill toxins have entered your body, blocking your meridians, making you die all the faster."
"And you still boast of being a Half-Step Great Grandmaster and the strongest in Haicheng?"
"A riddled, dilapidated body—a mere three palms were already more than it could bear, driving yourself into a dying state. It is utterly ridiculous!"
Elder Li pointed a trembling finger at Yun Feng and asked:
"You..."
"Do you have a way to cure me?"
Hearing his own Old Master actually ask an enemy for help, Li Fengtian lost his composure completely:
"This... Old Master... this is improper!"
"I beg the Old Master to go inside and rest; I will surely find the best doctor in Haicheng later to treat the Old Master's illness!"
"Shut up!" Elder Li shoved Li Fengtian aside with a single push:
"Brat, do you have a way to cure me?"
Yun Feng chuckled softly, nodding as he said:
"Of course I do."
"I only need one needle to save your life; otherwise, you will surely die within three quarters of an hour."
"With three needles, I can extend your life by ten days."
"With nine needles, I can eradicate all the pill toxins in your body."
"With eighteen needles, I can repair the damaged vitality within you."
"With thirty-six needles, I can let you directly break through to your so-called Great Grandmaster realm."
"But..."
Yun Feng smiled playfully:
"Why should I save you?"
As soon as Yun Feng spoke these words, the scene fell into instant, pin-drop silence.
He actually had the confidence to help someone break through to the Great Grandmaster realm?
Everyone's breathing grew a fraction heavier!
What this Yun Feng said—it better be false!
If it were true...