Chapter 536 - 510: Burned to Ashes

While Ximen Lieyan spoke, his fists struck out like a tempest, each punch unleashing a sheet of pale cyan flame. Under his relentless assault, a three-mile radius was engulfed in raging fire that surged madly toward Zhaang Ye, cutting off all his escape routes.

Ximen Lieyan’s Cultivation had reached the True Dao Fifth Layer. More terrifying still, he had faintly grasped the Fire Realm, making his attacks even more frightening and powerful than Ximen Lie Fire’s!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Zhaang Ye was grievously wounded, his combat prowess plummeting. In the face of Ximen Lieyan’s frenzied assault, he couldn’t even utilize the Wind Realm, nor did he have time to retrieve the Punishment Whip. Confronted by the raging flames and Ximen Lieyan’s terrifying fists, Zhaang Ye could only rely on his own formidable strength, repeatedly unleashing the Mountain-Breaking Slash to clash head-on.

Seeing Zhaang Ye at a disadvantage, Ximen Lieyan couldn’t help but let out a long, booming laugh. Amidst his laughter, his attacks grew even sharper and more profound. The flames he unleashed seemed to take on a life of their own, transforming into Fire Crows and Fire Snakes that swarmed toward Zhaang Ye!

Under Ximen Lieyan’s frenzied assault, Zhaang Ye was like a small boat on a sea of volcanic magma, in danger of being scorched and reduced to ash at any moment.

"Master, let me help!"

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s critical situation, the Fire Spirit couldn’t help but speak up.

Zhaang Ye flatly refused. "You already sustained internal injuries when you dealt with Ximen Lie Fire. This Ximen Lieyan’s combat power is even more terrifying than his. Even if you act, you won’t be able to help me. In fact, you might even be devoured by him. Don’t worry. As formidable as he is, I’m still confident I can kill him."

The Fire Spirit was, in essence, a sentient flame. Against a weak opponent, it could easily burn them to ash. But against an expert who cultivated a Fire Element Technique, it could very well be forcefully devoured and refined, dying for nothing. That was why Zhaang Ye had flatly refused to let it act.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Zhaang Ye and Ximen Lieyan clashed head-on for another dozen punches. Roasted by the raging flames, Zhaang Ye’s hair was on the verge of igniting, and his skin was baked until it cracked. The moisture in his body evaporated rapidly. In the span of two blinks, he lost over ten pounds, his once-strong physique becoming gaunt.

Just then, a smile touched the corner of Zhaang Ye’s mouth. He looked utterly wretched, but in truth, he was using the opportunity of their head-on clashes to rapidly heal his internal injuries.

Zhaang Ye’s body had been tempered by three types of Ancient Power and nourished for ages by the Celestial River Righteous Qi, making it ten times tougher than that of experts at the same level. Furthermore, with the help of the Water Realm, his Recovery Power was dozens of times greater than his peers’. In just a short time, his injuries were already eighty percent healed!

Now that his injuries were mostly healed, it was time to counter-attack.

The Celestial River Righteous Qi inside Zhaang Ye spun wildly. He focused every last ounce of his power into his hands and unleashed the Mountain-Breaking Slash, viciously delivering three strikes!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

These three strikes from Zhaang Ye were an eruption of his full strength, each one holding unparalleled might. Although Ximen Lieyan’s combat power was immense, he was far inferior to Zhaang Ye in terms of raw strength. After taking the three strikes head-on, Ximen Lieyan’s face turned pale, and he was sent flying back a thousand feet.

No sooner had Ximen Lieyan retreated than he advanced again, pulling a fiery red hammer from his robes. The hammer trembled in the air and instantly swelled into a giant weapon dozens of feet long, which he then brought smashing down on Zhaang Ye!

By this point in the battle, Ximen Lieyan finally understood how formidable Zhaang Ye was. He knew Zhaang Ye’s body was incredibly tough and his strength was boundless; killing him with bare fists alone was impossible. Therefore, he decisively brought out his True Artifact, preparing to finish Zhaang Ye off quickly.

As Ximen Lieyan made his move, so did Zhaang Ye. With lightning-fast movements, he retrieved the Mysterious Blade Tip and the Punishment Whip from the Fire Spirit Realm. Then, his figure flickered, and he merged as one with the Mysterious Blade Tip, slashing down at Ximen Lieyan!

Self-Created Combat Skill—Cloud-Breaking Slash!

BOOM!

Zhaang Ye’s Mysterious Blade Tip clashed with Ximen Lieyan’s fiery red hammer, producing an indescribable sound. The colossal boom transformed into visible ripples that blasted out in all directions. Wherever they passed, mountains collapsed and rivers were sundered. All beasts for hundreds of miles around were instantly pulverized into dust.

A few True Dao Experts, rushing over from hundreds of miles away, were shaken by the massive sound, their qi and blood thrown into disarray. As for any cultivators below the True Dao, they were instantly obliterated into a bloody mist by the terrifying shockwave, completely vanishing from the world.

From the head-on clash, Zhaang Ye felt an immense and scorching power surge toward him like a mountain-toppling tsunami. Before this cataclysmic force, even with his tough body and boundless strength, he couldn’t completely block it. His arms made a sickening CRACKING sound as fissures appeared in the bones and Meridians throughout his body, threatening to shatter at any moment.

"Haha!"

Sensing he had gained the upper hand, Ximen Lieyan couldn’t help but laugh. Just as he was about to mock Zhaang Ye, a golden light suddenly flashed in the void, and a long, golden dragon swept directly toward him!

As it turned out, when Zhaang Ye had unleashed his Cloud-Breaking Slash, he had held back thirty percent of his power to activate the Punishment Whip. In other words, even as he was executing the Cloud-Breaking Slash, he was simultaneously controlling the Punishment Whip, launching a stealth attack on Ximen Lieyan!

’Not good!’

At that moment, Ximen Lieyan was focusing all his energy on dealing with Zhaang Ye’s Cloud-Breaking Slash. He never imagined that Zhaang Ye would attack with the Punishment Whip at the same time. Seeing the whip lash toward him like lightning, Ximen Lieyan’s face turned deathly pale, and he couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

Horrified, Ximen Lieyan reached out, attempting to grab the Punishment Whip from a distance. But the whip was far too formidable. In his haste, he couldn’t even touch it. Amidst a brilliant golden glow, the Punishment Whip, carrying terrifying might, had already slammed into his waist.

SPLAT!

Struck by the Punishment Whip, Ximen Lieyan’s flesh and bone split apart inch by inch. The force of the blow sent him flying backward, and he lost his grip on the giant red hammer.

"Ah!"

Sensing a turn for the worse, Ximen Lieyan roared and forced himself to execute a Body Technique, trying to flee. But there was no way Zhaang Ye would let him go. Ximen Lieyan had barely taken flight when the Punishment Whip coiled around him like a snake.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

While Ximen Lieyan was paralyzed with terror, Zhaang Ye delivered three slashes in a single breath. All three landed squarely on his body, severing his tendons, shattering his bones, and splitting his Meridians. But to Zhaang Ye’s surprise, even after taking a lash from the whip and three slashes from the blade, Ximen Lieyan’s body still hadn’t been torn asunder.

A glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. His figure transformed into a wisp of wind, and in an instant, he was by Ximen Lieyan’s side, gripping his neck. Incredibly, Ximen Lieyan was still alive. He stared daggers at Zhaang Ye and rasped, "Zhaang Ye, I am a member of the Ximen Family and a Second-Grade Young Master of the Purple Spirit Domain! My status is noble. I have a Curse Talisman planted within me. If you kill me, you will be cursed. A mark will be left on your body, and you will be hunted by my family to the death!"

"Hm?" Zhaang Ye’s expression changed slightly.

’The Ximen Family is a rather mysterious Noble Family, and they have quite a few True Dao Experts. If Ximen Lieyan really does have a Curse Talisman in his body, this will be a huge pain.’

’After all, who wants to be hunted? If a mysterious Noble Family was after me, I’d have to spend all my time running for my life, with no time left for Cultivation.’

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s slight hesitation, a smug look appeared on Ximen Lieyan’s face. He said slowly, "Water Monster, now you should understand the gravity of the situation. Hurry up and let me go!"

"Let you go?" A cold sneer appeared on Zhaang Ye’s face. "Don’t worry, I’ll let you go, of course. But I’m going to rough you up a bit first."

Ximen Lieyan had a bad feeling. Fear filled his eyes as he shouted, "Water Monster, what do you think you’re doing? Do you intend to make an enemy of the Ximen Family?"

Zhaang Ye remained silent. He waved the Mysterious Blade Tip, and a brilliant golden arc of light instantly slashed across Ximen Lieyan’s body.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

As Zhaang Ye swung the Blade Tip, Ximen Lieyan felt a cold sensation in his limbs. Zhaang Ye had brutally severed his arms and legs.

"ARGH!"

With his limbs severed, Ximen Lieyan could no longer maintain his composure. He let out a bloodcurdling scream and roared, "Water Monster, you’re dead! You’re so dead!"

Zhaang Ye gave a cold smile. "Whether or not I die is something you won’t be around to see. But as for you, you’re definitely dead."

As he spoke, Zhaang Ye held Ximen Lieyan’s body and took his Storage Bag. After putting it away, Zhaang Ye let out a small sound of surprise. He had discovered that Ximen Lieyan was wearing an extremely high-quality suit of Treasure Armor. It was precisely because of this armor that Ximen Lieyan had been able to withstand his three slashes and survive.

Zhaang Ye unceremoniously stripped the Treasure Armor from Ximen Lieyan’s body. Then, he tossed the man high into the air and shouted, "Fire Spirit, burn him!"

As Ximen Lieyan watched in utter horror, the Fire Spirit suddenly flashed out and landed on him. Ximen Lieyan cursed madly, but his injuries were so severe he was powerless to stop it. He could only watch helplessly as the Fire Spirit burned him to ash.

-(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.com to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)