Battle with Han Zhu

The clanging of metal echoed incessantly, and after entangling in ordinary attacks for a moment, Li Yi finally confirmed that Young Master Han Zhu's strength was at most that of a two-crystal Warrior. However, his wind attribute fighting spirit made his movements a bit more agile. On the other hand, Han Zhu seemed to have figured out Li Yi's foundation. Although he didn't understand why Li Yi suddenly possessed the strength of a Warrior, his aura seemed somewhat illusory, not as solid as a true Warrior's. This suggested that Li Yi might have used some secret technique to temporarily boost his strength... But strength gained through secret techniques is not one's own, and compared to a real Warrior, it falls short by a lot. Thus, even if Li Yi cultivated lightning attribute fighting spirit, he was not deemed a threat!

A sinister smile appeared on Han Zhu's lips, his confidence in himself surged the moment he assessed Li Yi's strength. "Hmph!" With a cold snort, as his voice fell, Han Zhu's long sword traced a strange arc, aiming directly at Li Yi's brow. Li Yi, with a horizontal swipe of his right palm, lightly tapped the back of the sword, deflecting it once more.

This time, however, the fighting spirit on the sword surged violently, and the sword flew out of Han Zhu's hand, shooting towards Li Yi's face. "Shh—" The incoming sword caused Li Yi's eyes to narrow slightly, but instead of retreating, he advanced, flicking his right finger lightly against the sword blade. Unlike before, the sword didn't shatter, and the fighting spirit contained within the blade sent a shock through Li Yi, causing his expression to change slightly as he was forced to retreat explosively.

Han Zhu's eyes flashed with a colder light as he stomped his right foot, propelling his body forward like lightning! "Instant Step!" "Shh—" Almost the instant he spoke, Han Zhu appeared behind Li Yi, his right hand bursting with fighting spirit, and with a swing of his palm, he struck down at Li Yi's back! "Gale Palm!" The fierce wind from behind altered Li Yi's expression. With attacks coming from both directions, dodging was impossible. This moment sparked a flash of insight in Li Yi, who had been a top assassin in his previous life, familiar with such situations.

Without hesitation, Li Yi's figure paused, then shrank back, dodging the incoming sword, and surged forward, his right hand crackling with purple lightning, which he brought down with a roar! "Bone Crushing Palm!" "Boom—" At the point of contact, a thunderous explosion occurred. With just a brief touch, both figures were forced to retreat rapidly. Li Yi shook his right hand, which was slightly sore from the punch. Han Zhu had some skill indeed, likely due to practicing a high-level technique, or else Li Yi wouldn't have felt at a slight disadvantage with his own fighting spirit volume.

Although Han Zhu only took half a step back, his right palm twitched slightly. The paralyzing effect of the lightning attribute fighting spirit was truly troublesome; even though he blocked most of it with his own fighting spirit, just a trace entering his body caused a numbing sensation. It's no wonder lightning attribute fighting spirit is considered among the most troublesome; in a life-or-death fight, even a slight advantage can be overturned by a momentary paralysis.

Their gazes lightly clashed in mid-air, sparking as if igniting fireworks. Li Yi smiled lightly, "Although Young Master Han Zhu is a Warrior, it seems he can't quite handle me, a mere Fighter... I'll give you another chance now, don't stand in our way, let us go... Otherwise, I won't continue to show mercy."

Han Zhu glanced around with a frown and, seeing Gong Wu Shuang looking extremely weak, his eyes still burned with desire. He sneered slightly, shifting his body before speaking in a heavy tone, "If you agree to my terms, we can discuss benefits... But want to leave? No woman I've set my sights on has ever escaped! Even if you are formidable, don't forget, the Iron Wing Mercenary Group is still within the Han merchant group's courtyard. With one shout from me, countless helpers will come!"

Li Yi shook his head, "If you really call a bunch of people, it's probably you who would be embarrassed, right? The young master of the Han merchant group, turns out to be a bully... I guess even the Nalan family isn't as overbearing as you?"

Han Zhu's lips twitched, and after a moment, he sneered, "Brat! Now I'll let you know what death is! Don't think a little ability makes you invincible!" As his words fell, green fighting spirit rapidly coiled around Han Zhu's right hand, eventually forming a strange fighting spirit vortex, tearing at the surrounding air. In an instant, the boiling fighting spirit suddenly solidified, and Han Zhu shot towards Li Yi! "Xuanwu advanced level! Wind Slash!" "Shh—" With a slash, the spiraling wind blade seemed capable of tearing everything apart. However, Li Yi's expression remained unchanged, merely curling his lips, "Xuanwu advanced level technique? Interesting... But if we're comparing techniques, you're not yet qualified!" With a light wave of his right hand, purple fighting spirit formed into several strange vortexes, and under Han Zhu's surprised gaze, Li Yi's palm landed lightly!

"Rebounding Palm!" With a light and seemingly effortless palm strike, akin to trying to stop a chariot with a mantis's arms, Li Yi hit Han Zhu's slash. In that instant, everything seemed eerily surreal; the slash that should have exploded simply vanished into thin air like mud flowing into the sea, yet the dangerous aura lingered as if hiding just out of sight...

Han Zhu was shocked, barely having time to ponder what had happened. Nonetheless, as a seasoned Warrior, years of combat had honed his instinct for danger. Almost reflexively, he attempted to retreat, but before he could even take half a step back, Li Yi's light palm had already gracefully landed on his chest! "Twisting Force!" Only after delivering the strike did Li Yi quietly utter these last words, and almost simultaneously, an overwhelming rotational force burst forth from Li Yi's palm. Having absorbed Han Zhu's attack and combined with his own fighting spirit, the power of this move was tremendous. The Rebounding Palm, known as the most enigmatic fighting technique, lived up to its reputation!

"Boom—" The bicolor fighting spirit hit Han Zhu squarely in the chest, the dull sound making one's scalp tingle. Han Zhu's figure momentarily froze in mid-air before crashing backward. "Puh—" A hoarse scream escaped his throat, followed by a spurt of blood. Despite staggering, Han Zhu managed to turn around and stand up again, albeit his face was deathly pale. By now, his fighting spirit veil bore several cracks, looking like it could shatter at any moment.

Observing Han Zhu, who looked disheveled but still ready to fight, Li Yi couldn't help but shake his head. Han Zhu's endurance was remarkable; Li Yi had hoped that palm would have shattered his fighting spirit veil, but alas, it was not to be. Li Yi hadn't expected the resilience of a Warrior's fighting spirit veil, which, even when faced head-on by peers, is incredibly tough to break through. This outcome was astonishing, especially considering Li Yi's usual encounters with King and Emperor-level powerhouses, making this once shocking scene feel mundane.

"Good... good... good... Not only do you cultivate lightning attribute fighting spirit and possess exceptional skills, but you also have such fighting techniques... If I'm not mistaken, that move just now was at least of Zhuque low-level, wasn't it? It seems I've underestimated you!" Wiping the blood from his lips, Han Zhu spoke in a low, fierce tone. Always proud, his years in Yunshui City had been smooth, rarely facing setbacks. Now, completely enraged, he was.

With a light laugh, Li Yi shook his head, "I've said before, there are some people you can't afford to provoke... Young Master Han Zhu, do you regret it now?"

"Regret? The word doesn't exist in my dictionary," Han Zhu's expression grew colder, "But I didn't expect you to know a Zhuque low-level fighting spirit technique. It seems your background isn't simple... I would have let you go if you just left your sister behind. But now, I'm interested in that technique of yours... Boy, I must capture you alive, force the technique's secret out of you, then kill you! Today, you're doomed!"

Li Yi smiled lightly, "Do you think you can really do that, Young Master Han Zhu?"

"Don't be so proud! Don't be arrogant! I know you must have some trump cards left, perhaps even Zhuque mid-level techniques!" Han Zhu laughed coldly, grabbing a long sword from the ground with a swift motion. His fighting spirit veil flickered and slowly vanished into thin air, but the fighting spirit on the sword condensed, shining so brightly it was hard to look directly at. Strands of green fighting spirit flickered like fire wolves, their contained power seemingly ferocious even from a distance.

"But this world isn't just about you knowing Zhuque-level techniques!" Han Zhu sneered, "You think I've been idling these years? Without some trump cards, how could I have thrived in the cutthroat Yunshui City!?" As he laughed menacingly, the boiling fighting spirit on his sword gradually took shape, forming a vague phoenix, its aura even more astonishing. This made Li Yi realize Han Zhu's technique must be tailored to his cultivation method; otherwise, it would be difficult for even a four or five-crystal Warrior to exhibit such momentum, let alone him.

"Indeed, it's still interesting..." Li Yi shrugged nonchalantly. It seemed he wouldn't need to use his real trump cards for this level of challenge, although he had one technique he'd been hesitant to use since mastering it... Li Yi's hands flickered with a faint azure light, quickly vanishing, but his hands seemed to glow with an unusual sheen.

"Boy! It's been years since I've used this move! Today, don't blame me for not holding back!" Han Zhu stomped, shooting forward, and with a slash, he shouted, "Zhuque low-level! Phoenix Sky Break!" As the shout echoed, the phantom phoenix on Han Zhu's sword expanded dramatically, as if coming to life, and surged towards Li Yi with overwhelming force...