Chapter 23. Sudden Gust (3)

Minghulin clenched his fist.

Crack!

The shattered glass turned to powder.

This was not something possible without external martial arts training. To crush glass shards into powder with emitted internal energy was truly an extraordinary feat.

"A mistake?"

Lian Huozheng nodded.

Interest flickered in Minghulin's eyes.

"And you?"

"Focus on the person you're dealing with."

"What?"

Minghulin burst into laughter.

"A funny young man. Could you possibly be from Jiang Xiao Bishan?"

Lian Huozheng, without answering, took a new glass and poured himself a drink. He then slowly sipped it, even casually raising one leg, as if he were a leisurely visitor to a brothel.

Minghulin's eyes gleamed.

At that moment, Tang Yangxian spoke without turning around.

"Trash. If you do something useless one more time, I'll kill you first."

Lian Huozheng did not respond this time either.

Tang Yangxian did not expect a response. His focus was on Minghulin.

He took a step forward.

Swoosh.

A faint mist rose from under his feet.

It was the Tang Family's Three Yang Skill (三陽功). A highly advanced martial art that, when mastered, would naturally unlock the Tang Family's secret technique, the Reversing Three Yangs and Returning to the Origin Skill (導反三陽歸元功).

Even someone as composed as Minghulin could not remain relaxed forever. Due to the nature of poison, he could not ignore Tang Yangxian.

Tang Yangxian gritted his teeth.

"With a handful of blood..."

Suddenly, a sharp sound was heard again.

Pshew! Bang!

The powdered glass scattered in all directions.

Unlike before, Minghulin had extended his fist. The glass had turned to powder upon impact with his fist.

Minghulin's eyes deepened.

'Quite impressive.'

The fist that had shattered the glass was trembling slightly. There was no pain, but it indicated a force powerful enough to shake the internal energy of a renowned family.

Minghulin, unclenching his fist, asked with a smile.

"Another mistake, friend?"

Lian Huozheng showed his empty hands.

"A mistake."

"Haha! A friend who makes frequent mistakes. By the way—"

"..."

"I wonder if you've just made the wolf angry for nothing."

Rumble!!

A murderous aura emanated from Tang Yangxian, who had lowered his head.

It was not poison but a killing intent. And this killing intent was directed not at Minghulin but at Lian Huozheng.

"Trash of the Lian Family."

"..."

"Am I a joke to you?"

"..."

"Do I look like someone who can be mocked by trash like you?"

Lian Huozheng did not respond again. Looking around, he found no more glasses and picked up Zhuge Ayian's glass.

Nangong Xian, who had been calming the guards from a distance, saw this and his face twisted.

Han Hongming shouted.

"Master! Calm down your anger!"

Tang Yangxian turned around.

Zhuge Ayian flinched. Tang Yangxian's eyes, glaring at Lian Huozheng, were filled with madness.

"I'll make you pay for ignoring me."

Zhuge Ayian moved.

"No...!"

Crack!

Everyone's eyes widened at the violent sound.

Lian Huozheng shook his hand. Only a few drops of wine remained on his hand, the glass having disappeared.

Tang Yangxian's expression turned blank.

Drip.

Blood trickled down his torn forehead.

Thud!

Tang Yangxian fell backward, knocked unconscious by the wine glass Lian Huozheng had thrown.

Minghulin's face hardened.

Lian Huozheng, turning his hand, slowly stood up.

"Poisoning a drinking session is not polite."

A moment of silence followed.

Everyone was shocked by the sudden turn of events. Han Hongming, Tang Yangxian's guard, was even more surprised.

Tang Yangxian had fainted, struck by a wine glass.

The Tang Family's main skills were poison and hidden weapons. The fact that the eldest son of such a family could not block a mere wine glass was a significant shock to everyone.

Zhuge Ayian's eyes wavered.

"Are you, are you okay?"

Lian Huozheng did not respond again. Or rather, it was not a situation where he would respond to someone's words.

'Similar? Or not? I can't tell yet. But...'

The unpleasant fighting spirit emanating from Minghulin's refined aura.

An indescribable sense of unease.

The unique temperament hidden beneath the stable internal energy of the White Way martial arts, and the release of power.

The method of breaking the glass was unlike anything he had seen before.

It was neither the internal energy nor the release of power of the attackers who had raided the family. It was a color Lian Huozheng had never seen.

But one thing was certain.

The internal energy and release of power of Minghulin and the attackers shared a common point: darkness. This was a connection that could not be found in the Zhuge and Pang families.

Flash! Flash!

As the Walla Jin Skill was activated, Lian Huozheng's pupils turned a light blue.

Whirr! Whirr!

It felt like gears were grinding in his head.

His concentration improved at an alarming rate. His aura flowed through Minghulin's aura, piercing straight to his opponent's dantian.

'...?'

Minghulin's neck tensed.

'He's reading me?'

The sharp gaze felt like hundreds of venomous snakes coiling around his body.

'Suck!'

Minghulin involuntarily held his breath. As his breathing stopped, his qi stabilized, and his internal energy solidified.

Ssssh!

The snakes that had been slithering over his body raised their heads, flicking their tongues.

The reaction was immediate. Forcing his internal energy to stop, the probing aura of his opponent faltered.

Lian Huozheng's face contorted.

Sssss.

The Walla Jin Skill, which had been surging, fluctuated. He was not pleased with the opponent's response.

'Huff!'

Zhuge Ayian involuntarily held her breath. The change in Lian Huozheng was clearly felt by her, who was closest to him.

"Brother!"

From a distance, Lian Zhiping ran over.

Zhuge Ayian quickly blocked Lian Zhiping.

"Sister?"

"Wait."

Zhuge Ayian, with trembling eyes, looked at Lian Huozheng's back.

"Don't get close."

"But, but Brother!"

Zhuge Ayian instinctively realized that she could not stop Lian Huozheng now.

Lian Zhiping also knew that his brother was different now.

'With our current skills, we can't stop Huozheng. Then...'

If they couldn't stop him, should they just let him be?

They couldn't. A mistake could leave a stain on the history of the Seven Great Families' gathering. Beyond personal danger, the dignity of the White Way martial arts was at stake.

Of course, the most worrying was Lian Huozheng. A minor conflict was one thing, but making an enemy of the Sichuan Tang Family was not a wise move.

Zhuge Ayian said to Zhuge Jun.

"Tell Nangong Brother to stop the banquet! Tell the guards to take the young masters back to their lodgings!"

"Yes, Sister!"

At that moment, a groan was heard.

Surprisingly, it was Tang Yangxian. He had fainted from a single blow but regained consciousness quickly, indicating his remarkable recovery.

Crack!

Han Hongming quickly approached Tang Yangxian.

"Master! Are you alright?"

Tang Yangxian's face showed confusion. He did not even know what had happened to him.

"What? Where did that bastard go?"

"Master, now is not the time for this!"

"Let go of me!"

Looking around, Tang Yangxian's eyes caught sight of Lian Huozheng's back.

His eyes blazed with fury.

"You, you trash! I'll kill you!"

Crack!

Pushing Han Hongming aside, Tang Yangxian rushed at Lian Huozheng, throwing a punch at his back.

Even if he was blinded by rage, attacking someone with their back turned was not the way of a martial artist. Those who tried to stop him were shocked again by Tang Yangxian's lack of honor.

The punch, infused with Three Yang Qi, reached just in front of Lian Huozheng's Mingmen point.

A cruel smile appeared on Tang Yangxian's face.

'I'll make you die painfully!'

At that moment, Lian Huozheng moved.

Smack!

"Huh?"

Tang Yangxian's eyes widened.

His body froze in the punching position, and Lian Huozheng was holding his forearm.

However, Lian Huozheng's eyes were still on Minghulin. He had reacted to the killing intent but had no interest in Tang Yangxian.

But his instincts were different.

The minimal decorum he had maintained as the eldest son of the Bishan Lian Family crumbled before the instincts of the Black Shadow, the worst expert in black martial arts history.

Crack!!

"Aaah!"

Tang Yangxian collapsed on the spot. The immense pressure broke his arm bone.

The sheer strength to shatter a bone with bare hands was terrifying.

But he could not pass out as easily as before. Lian Huozheng continued to hold his broken arm.

"Grr! You, you're not letting go?!"

Crack!

"Aaaah!"

Tang Yangxian writhed in excruciating pain.

He could not even think of using his poison skills. The first fracture he had ever experienced was shattering his mind.

But he was the eldest son of the Tang Family. Though this pain was new, the martial arts he had practiced for ten years were not forgotten.

Ssssh!

Purple smoke rose from Tang Yangxian's body. His body had instinctively realized that the only way out of this pain was to shake off his opponent.

"Ugh!"

Tang Yangxian struck Lian Huozheng's shoulder with his left hand.

Smack! Crack!

"Kraaaah!!"

Surprisingly, Lian Huozheng was unharmed.

Instead, Tang Yangxian's left hand fractured. The powerful rebound force even dislocated his right shoulder. Lian Huozheng had held his arm the entire time.

Rumble.

Everyone held their breath.

A translucent hexagonal shell floated around Lian Huozheng's body.

The unconscious manifestation of the Four Deities' martial arts. The Northern Heaven Twelve Walls (北天十二壁) of the Xuanwu Skill, known for its absolute defense.

"Grr! Ugh!"

Secretions flowed from Tang Yangxian's eyes and nose.

Flash!

Lian Huozheng's eyes flared again. The ferocity in his eyes was stimulated by the weakening of his opponent.

He looked down at Tang Yangxian.

"Huff!"

Tang Yangxian's trembling body stiffened as if struck by lightning.

Meeting Lian Huozheng's transparent, glass-like eyes, his heart rate doubled instantly. His hands and feet turned cold, and his throat burned.

His entire nervous system felt like it was in chaos. Some parts of his body were hot, others cold. His pores opened and closed repeatedly.

Drip.

Tang Yangxian's pants were soaked. His bladder had released.

Lian Huozheng's smile was filled with ferocity.

This was the true killing intent of the Black Shadow, shown for the first time since his reincarnation. Tang Yangxian's martial arts were no match for this killing intent.

"Grrrr!"

In the end, Tang Yangxian foamed at the mouth and fainted. He would not regain consciousness for a long time.

Lian Huozheng's eyes darkened. He intended to crush his opponent's spirit with this momentum.

At that moment,

'No.'

A cold rationality returned beyond the instincts of a predator.

'Is this the time to focus on this brat?'

Lian Huozheng's eyes wavered.

Flash!

The eyes that had glowed with killing intent returned to their usual clarity.

Swoosh.

Only then did Tang Yangxian's body gain freedom. His shattered arm was twisted like a dead snake.

"Master! Master!"

Han Hongming wanted to rush to Tang Yangxian, check on his well-being, and strike Lian Huozheng, who had reduced his master to this state.

But he could only stand at a distance. The uncontrolled killing intent had affected him as well.

"Just a waste of time."

Crack.

Lian Huozheng, out of habit, moved his shoulder.

Minghulin flinched.

"You are the third son of the Nine Great Families, right?"

"......?!"

"Would you like to play with me a little?"