"Li Yao, you should go back and focus on preparing for your breakthrough," Li Yun said, finally stopping.
"Yes, Brother Li Yun. I won't waste the opportunity you've given me. I'll definitely work hard," Li Yao said, her cheeks faintly red as she looked at him.
With ten bottles of excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions in hand, she felt a burning determination in her heart. If she still failed to advance to the peak stage, then she wouldn't be worthy of her fourth-grade water attribute physique at all.
After parting ways with Li Yao, Li Yun returned straight to his small courtyard. He closed the door behind him and carefully drew out the Black Light Sword, the weapon he had won from Zhao Xiaotian.
"The family grand competition is in one and a half month," he murmured, his expression sharpening. "By then, I'll have to face Li Xian."
Time was short. Every breath mattered. Li Yun's eyes gleamed with determination as he raised his sword and began practicing the Crimson Sun Flame Sword Art.
He had already perfected the technique to the Perfection Stage and was now pushing further, striving to reach the elusive True Meaning Stage.
Days bled into nights as he immersed himself in relentless training. Between sword drills, he refined perfect-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions to fuel his cultivation. He also spared no effort in cultivating his fist art, hammering away at the Mortal Rank, Middle Grade Dragon Tiger Fist.
Half a month passed in this tireless rhythm. Then, one evening, the entire Li Family compound trembled as waves of fierce sword qi surged out, spreading like a storm. Elders leapt to their feet, alarmed, many believing their clan was under siege by a Xiantian Realm powerhouse.
But just as suddenly as it erupted, the terrifying sword qi dissipated, leaving only silence behind. Relief washed over the clan, though whispers and unease still lingered.
In one quiet courtyard, Li Yun slowly lowered his sword, sweat dripping from his brow. A smile tugged at his lips.
"At last… the Crimson Sun Flame Sword Art has reached the True Meaning Stage."
His eyes reflected newfound clarity, the path of the sword shining brighter than ever before.
"My understanding of the sword has deepened many times over," he whispered to himself. "But the realm of Sword Intent… that is still far away, like a distant horizon."
Just as he sighed, a crisp chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Quest Completed: Good Boy Martial Path.]
[Reward: 5000 gold coins, 300 Experience Points, and a clue to master Sword Intent.]
Li Yun blinked. He had nearly forgotten about that quest. Curiosity sparked, he quickly tapped the option for the reward. A few words appeared before his eyes.
[Clue: Top Grade Mortal Rank Sword Arts]
"What? Top-grade mortal rank sword arts?" Li Yun smiled wryly. His Li Family only had high grade mortal rank sword arts. Even in the entire Azure Wind City, there is not one top grade mortal sword art.
"I guess it will be a long time before I begin to comprehend Sword Intent." Li Yun thought as he began cultivating once again.
***
Just when Li Yun silently began cultivating one and a half a month ago…
Zhao Family Residence.
Zhao Xiaotian's blood-soaked corpse was carried back through the gates of the Zhao family estate. The sight alone left servants and disciples pale, their whispers trembling in fear.
The two guards responsible for protecting him looked like walking corpses themselves, their faces drained of all color. Their sole duty had been to safeguard Zhao Xiaotian's life, yet now, the Young Master was dead. They could already imagine the fury of the patriarch, and they did not know what punishment awaited them.
"Bastards!"
Bang!
In the patriarch's private courtyard, Zhao Lieyang's furious roar shook the walls. His hand lashed out, shattering a priceless vase into shards. His killing intent filled the room like a storm.
The guards knelt stiffly, Zhao Xiaotian's lifeless body lying at their side.
"WHO?! WHO DARES TO KILL MY SON?!" Zhao Lieyang bellowed, his voice raw, his eyes blazing red with grief and rage.
"P-Patriarch… it was Li Yun," one of the guards stammered, his body trembling. "When Young Master challenged him, we thought victory was certain. None of us expected that Li Yun had been hiding his strength all along. He revealed his true cultivation today, he's already at the late stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm."
The second guard quickly added, "When we realized something was wrong, we tried to rush up and stop Li Yun, but Lan Yueli blocked us. She is a Xiantian Realm expert, Patriarch. We had no chance of intervening."
They spoke quickly, desperately shifting the blame. And in truth, they were not lying, the situation had been far beyond their control.
"Useless! All of you are useless!" Zhao Lieyang roared, though it was unclear whether he cursed the guards, Li Yun, or even himself. His qi surged violently, shaking the air, making him look like a demon in human skin.
"Treasure Pavilion! Treasure Pavilion!" he gnashed his teeth, spitting the words as though they were poison.
"Patriarch! What happened?"
A group of elders rushed in, drawn by both the commotion and the news that Zhao Xiaotian's corpse had been carried back. Their expressions turned grim the moment they laid eyes on the bloodied body.
The air grew heavy. Zhao Xiaotian, the only son of the patriarch, was dead.
Who in Azure Wind City would dare commit such an act? Were they tired of living?
"You will tell the elders exactly what happened," Zhao Lieyang said coldly, his gaze sharp as a blade as it swept across the guards.
The guards recounted the battle in detail, from Zhao Xiaotian's challenge to Li Yun's shocking strength and Lan Yueli's interference.
The elders exchanged uneasy glances. Their disbelief was written plainly on their faces. That Zhao Xiaotian could be killed in a duel was already shocking, but that the killer was Li Yun, the seemingly insignificant boy of the Li family? It defied reason.
"This matter cannot be left alone!" Zhao Lieyang's roar was like thunder, his face twisted with grief and rage. "What was meant to be a mere sparring match, yet Li Yun killed my son! This hatred… I will carve it into their bones. I will take revenge even if it costs me everything!"
His killing intent spread through the courtyard like wildfire.
"Patriarch," the Grand Elder said carefully after a long pause, his voice heavy with caution, "if Xiaotian and Li Yun fought on the Treasure Pavilion's arena… then this matter may not be so simple."
The meaning was clear. The Treasure Pavilion's rules were absolute: once two martial artists willingly stepped onto the arena, life and death were left to fate. No matter who won or who died, it would be difficult to seek official accountability.
"Hmph! That little bastard Li Yun is far too ruthless. Even if it was on the arena, couldn't he have stopped short? Why did he have to kill my son?" Zhao Lieyang's voice dripped with cold fury, his chest heaving with suppressed rage.
Conveniently, he never once considered whether Zhao Xiaotian, if their positions had been reversed, would have spared Li Yun's life.
"No," Zhao Lieyang growled, clenching his fists. "I will not let this matter go. I will take it to the City Lord at once."
With a sharp whoosh, his figure vanished from the courtyard, leaving the Zhao elders staring after him.
The elders exchanged solemn glances. None of them tried to stop him. This was not a matter that could be brushed aside. If the patriarch's son had been killed in public and the Zhao family chose to remain silent, what would people think?
The entire Azure Wind City would whisper that the Zhao family had grown weak… that they feared the Li family. Such humiliation was unthinkable.