Chapter Thirty-Two: Battle of Blood!

Liu Ji held tightly to the soft body in his arms, his mind feeling as though it were a muddled paste, his entire body aching from being battered against the stony ground. He had no idea how far they'd rolled before finally coming to a stop; fortunately, the girl Xiaoya in his embrace was unharmed, though understandably frightened. Suddenly, he sensed a sharp pain on his left cheek. Reaching up to touch it, his hand came away slick with fresh blood.

Clearly, the arrow that had just been loosed at him had not pierced his skull as intended, but it had nonetheless left its mark.

"Young master, are you alright?" Xiaoya, regaining her senses, looked at Liu Ji with deep concern—and gratitude. Had Liu Ji not shielded her with his own body, she would likely be dead or gravely injured.

Liu Ji shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Enemy attack! Protect the heir!" Rain City bellowed, as Xu Man, Hao Qiang, Du Qiang, and Zhang Lin—five in total—rushed toward Liu Ji. But before they'd even closed the ten-meter gap, the ground before them erupted in a series of explosions.

Through the billowing dust, five masked figures in black surged forward, intercepting Rain City and the others, keeping them well away from Liu Ji. Meanwhile, two more figures, swift as shadows, darted straight for Liu Ji.

"Damn it!" Liu Ji's face twisted with ferocity as he watched the two black-clad assailants bearing down on him. He glanced at his third uncle. "Protect Xiaoya!"

The two attackers were terrifyingly fast. There was no way he could escape under their watchful eyes. That being the case, he would fight!

With that thought, Liu Ji rolled away, snatched up the Azure Steel Mystic Jade Saber he had painstakingly chosen from the armory—a blade famed for its ability to cleave metal and jade—and with a roar, launched himself at the approaching assailants.

"Overestimating yourself!" sneered one of the men in black. As he reached Liu Ji, his sword flashed in an artful arc, thrusting toward Liu Ji’s heart.

A savage sword intent surged forward!

Liu Ji’s expression shifted; the attacker’s mastery of the sword was evident—just this one simple strike radiated such fierce energy that Liu Ji’s skin prickled with pain.

With a furious shout, Liu Ji raised his saber to parry the incoming blade.

Clang!

Blade and sword collided, sparks flying. The tremendous force sent Liu Ji staggering backward, retreating dozens of steps before he could steady himself.

Shock colored his features—this man’s strength was extraordinary. To force back the legendary Azure Steel Mystic Jade Saber, without so much as a scratch, was no small feat.

The black-clad attacker eyed his own sword, which vibrated in his grip, then looked at Liu Ji in surprise. "Heh, worthy of your station, young master. You have quite the collection of treasures."

He sneered, "They say a hero deserves a worthy blade, but in your hands, this fine saber is only gathering dust. Perhaps you should hand it over to me!"

With that, he kicked off the ground, his body darting forward like a panther, closing the distance to Liu Ji in the blink of an eye. In an instant, his sword shot toward Liu Ji’s face.

Liu Ji sprang backward.

Just then, the other black-clad figure materialized behind him like a ghost, palm slashing for Liu Ji's back, golden spiritual energy swirling around his hand.

Sensing the imminent threat, Liu Ji twisted, meeting the attack with his own palm, which exuded a fierce, unyielding energy.

Bang!

Their palms collided, sending a ripple of energy blasting outward. Liu Ji was sent stumbling back, blood spurting from his mouth.

The attacker glanced at his own palm, now etched with bloody scratches, his gaze darkening. "The Holy Heavens Tyrant Art?!"

He looked at Liu Ji again, his killing intent surging a hundredfold. "So, all these years you’ve been putting on quite the performance! Even mastering the likes of the Holy Heavens Tyrant Art!"

Meanwhile, the swordsman appeared behind the retreating Liu Ji, thrusting his blade at Liu Ji’s back.

Yet, to his surprise, the blade did not pierce Liu Ji's heart. Astonished, he muttered, "Your father certainly spares no expense..."

Only armor of rare quality could have withstood his strike. He could not help but feel a stab of envy. To think, he had risked his life countless times for a single treasure, clawing his way from piles of corpses, his head always hanging by a thread. And Liu Ji, born to privilege, lacked for nothing—top-tier techniques, weapons, resources, all served to him on a silver platter. The thought enraged him.

He lunged at Liu Ji again, his sword stabbing at every vital point like a rain of death, each thrust brimming with murderous intent.

Liu Ji held his breath, focusing all his attention on the flashing blade. Though the sword moved with blinding speed, he could just make out its path, shifting his footwork to dodge the deadly blows.

But the swordsman was truly formidable; in his hands, the blade moved as if part of his own body, raining down attacks like a violent storm, each thrust faster and more lethal than the last—any one of them could take Liu Ji’s life.

Under such a ferocious onslaught, Liu Ji gritted his teeth, forced into a desperate, defensive retreat, barely managing to hold out.

In the end, his saber simply could not keep up with the speed of the sword; again and again, the blade grazed his head.

Even so, the sharp sword energy managed to shear off locks of his hair, or leave bloody scratches on his face and scalp.

The attacker was cunning, knowing Liu Ji wore powerful armor beneath his clothes, so he aimed only for Liu Ji’s unprotected head.

Just then, the other black-clad man appeared again like a specter behind Liu Ji, unleashing a vicious whip kick at Liu Ji’s head, spiritual energy forming a razor-sharp edge at his toes.

If that kick landed, Liu Ji’s head would surely shatter like a watermelon—this was a deadly blow.

Liu Ji quickly raised his right arm to block.

Bang!

In the next instant, the man’s whip kick struck Liu Ji’s arm with brutal force, twisting it unnaturally.

The pain in Liu Ji’s right arm was excruciating, the impact sending him flying as if struck by a raging bull. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he crashed heavily to the ground, dozens of meters away.

"Young master!" cried Xiaoya in distress. She moved to help Liu Ji, but Third Uncle seized her tightly. "Don’t go, Xiaoya! You’ll only get them killed too. We must leave now, or we’ll die here as well!"

With that, he carried the struggling Xiaoya away.

"Protect the heir!" Rain City, held at bay by one of the black-clad attackers, watched as Liu Ji was kicked through the air, his expression twisting in alarm. He shouted at Hao Qiang, who was nearest to Liu Ji.

"Get lost!" Hao Qiang roared, his voice booming like a tiger’s. He punched fiercely at the black-clad man, and for a moment, a spectral black tiger’s head formed around his fist, roaring in silent fury.

"The Black Tiger Art?!" the attacker exclaimed in shock, crossing his arms to block. The Black Tiger Art was the signature technique of the Southern Tiger Riders—savage and immensely powerful.

Bang!

Hao Qiang’s fist landed squarely on the man’s arms, sending him stumbling backward. Hao Qiang then sprang toward Liu Ji.

Reaching Liu Ji, he called out without turning his head, "Young master, go! We’ll hold these villains back and buy you time!"

"Die!" came a cold shout ahead of him. The swordsman appeared before Hao Qiang, stabbing at his face with his blade.

"Don’t be so arrogant!" Hao Qiang bellowed, his body trembling as black spiritual energy erupted around him. Within the dark aura, a spectral black tiger shimmered into view.

He threw a punch at the incoming sword.

...

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(End of second chapter.)