"Hmph, you've got a sharp tongue!" Li Yin sneered. "I'm curious to see how much you've improved after all these years!"

As his voice fell, Li Yin waved his sleeve, and countless venomous insects crawled out from all directions, swarming toward the group. He dared to come here alone because he had something to rely on.

"Clan Leader, be careful! That old bastard Li Yin has a Gu King that can control thousands of insects!" Li Zhou quickly warned.

Although Li Xiaotian had been away for many years, the blood of the Li Clan still flowed through his veins, and he was still the Clan Leader they recognized.

"Nothing to worry about," Li Xiaotian replied with a cold smile as he swept the Heavenly Punishment Blade through the air.

SWOOSH!

A wave of blade light howled out, instantly annihilating all the venomous insects on the ground.

GASP!

Li Zhou drew a sharp breath. The Clan Leader is unbelievably powerful!

"Big brother, is he really our Clan Leader?" Li Tong approached Li Zhou, his face etched with shock.

"He is, without a doubt!" Li Zhou affirmed with a firm nod. "When I was little, the Clan Leader even held me. It's just been so many years that I'd almost forgotten."

"That's great! That's great!" Li Tong said excitedly. "With the Clan Leader back, our Bai Miao Village has hope."

"But that old bastard Li Yin, as despicable as he is, is no ordinary opponent," Li Zhou said, his expression grave. He had a deeper understanding of the situation than Li Tong.

"I didn't expect you to have grown so much stronger after all these years." With the venomous insects wiped out, Li Yin's smile faded slightly. "But do you really think I've been idle all this time?"

As soon as Li Yin finished speaking, he loosened his grip.

HISS! HISS!

The Big Flower Snake he had been holding immediately slithered to the ground and charged toward Li Xiaotian. The serpent flicked its tongue, and Li Xiaotian was instantly hit by a foul-smelling gust of wind.

"My Gu King is as powerful as a Half-step Grandmaster," Li Yin said smugly. "Li Xiaotian, no matter how capable you are, you're going to die today!"

"Kill him!"

The Big Flower Snake seemed to understand human speech. It suddenly reared its neck and opened its jaws wide, revealing sharp crimson fangs as it lunged at Li Xiaotian.

Li Xiaotian was not the least bit afraid. Holding the Heavenly Punishment Blade, he sidestepped the snake and slashed downward.

But just as the blade was about to strike the Big Flower Snake, a dark shadow whipped toward Li Xiaotian.

It was the giant snake's tail!

The expressions of the Li Zhou brothers changed in an instant. The Clan Leader was being careless!

However, just as the snake's tail was about to hit Li Xiaotian, he performed a strange footwork pattern, eerily avoiding the attack. At the same time, the Heavenly Punishment Blade in his hand came down.

SPLAT!

A shower of blood rained down as a severed section of the tail fell to the ground.

HISS! HISS!

The great snake writhed in pain, desperately trying to flee.

"You think you can escape?" Li Xiaotian scoffed and swiftly gave chase. Man and snake were once again locked in combat.

Watching the fierce battle unfold before them, the Li Zhou brothers were astounded.

"The Clan Leader is mighty!" Li Tong couldn't help but cheer, seeing victory within reach.

Li Zhou's expression, however, remained grave. "If the Clan Leader is having this much trouble with the Snake King, what if Li Yin attacks..."

Before Li Zhou could finish his sentence, a figure rushed swiftly toward Li Xiaotian.

"Li Xiaotian, die!" Li Yin's palm had turned an inky black, as if it had been steeped in poison. If that strike landed, it would undoubtedly injure Li Xiaotian severely.

"Hmph, you aren't qualified to take my life!" Li Xiaotian snorted coldly. His body trembled as a mighty aura burst forth. The Heavenly Punishment Blade in his hands began to glow brilliantly. He swung the blade at the Big Flower Snake, which was opening its cavernous maw to swallow him.

"Hm?" Li Yin's expression changed, but it was too late to pull back his hand. He could only grit his teeth and follow through with the strike.

THUD!

His palm landed squarely on Li Xiaotian's back.

"Hahaha, and I thought you were so strong! You're just relying on that precious blade of yours," Li Yin laughed loudly.

But in the next moment, the smile on his face froze.

Not only was Li Xiaotian unharmed, but he had also bisected the Big Flower Snake with a single slash, killing it utterly. He himself hadn't moved an inch from the blow.

"Is that all the strength you have?" Li Xiaotian shook his head slightly. "Li Yin, you have truly disappointed me."

As his words fell, Li Xiaotian's aura surged once more.

BOOM!

A blast of Internal Energy erupted, sending Li Yin flying backward.

"A Half-step Grandmaster?!" Li Yin landed hard on the ground, his expression shifting from shock to horror. He never expected that, after so many years, Li Xiaotian had actually become a Half-step Grandmaster. His power was now almost equal to his own.

After all, back in the day, his own strength was more than enough to crush Li Xiaotian. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hunt him down, forcing him to flee and not dare return.

"Are you disappointed?" Li Xiaotian cracked his neck, his face a mask of killing intent. "Li Yin, you murdered my family back then, and today you threatened my kinsmen. I will not spare you!"

SHIIING!

The blade's light flared as it whistled through the air.

"Hmph!" Li Yin snorted coldly. "So what if you're a Half-step Grandmaster? I reached that level years ago. Killing you will be as easy as slaughtering a chicken!"

Li Yin's aura roiled as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The two exchanged dozens of blows in an instant.

THUD!

Finally, Li Yin found an opening and landed a punch on Li Xiaotian's chest, sending him flying. However, Li Yin's chest now bore a deep slash from Li Xiaotian's blade, a wound deep enough to expose bone.

"What a sharp blade!" Li Yin's face darkened. He hastily took out a porcelain bottle and poured some powder on the wound.

But to his horror, not only did the powder fail to stop the bleeding, it made the blood flow even faster.

"What kind of blade is this?" Li Yin's pupils shrank.

Li Xiaotian flicked his wrist, the Heavenly Punishment Blade remaining utterly unstained by blood. "Its name is Heavenly Punishment!"

As his voice fell, Li Xiaotian leaped into the air and charged toward Li Yin. Killing Li Yin would be like severing one of Li Xiaofeng's arms.

I have to escape! Li Yin thought. In terms of raw power, he wasn't afraid of Li Xiaotian. But his opponent's blade was too bizarre—it wounded without being stained by blood, and the injuries it inflicted wouldn't clot. The longer this dragged on, the worse his situation would become. He had to get back immediately and inform the High Priest of Li Xiaotian's return.

"Still think you can run?" Li Xiaotian held the Heavenly Punishment Blade, his killing intent flaring so intensely that his speed increased by a third.

"Not good!" Li Yin saw his path was blocked and his mind raced.

Suddenly, he caught sight of Lin Mu standing off to the side, and his eyes lit up. This person looks like a disciple Li Xiaotian took on outside. If I capture him, Li Xiaotian will surely surrender!

Having made his decision, Li Yin abandoned his escape and charged toward Lin Mu with incredible speed.

Seeing Li Yin rushing toward Lin Mu, Li Xiaotian paused, instinctively halting his advance. This Li Yin is simply courting death.

"Young man, run!" the Li Zhou brothers cried out.

However, Lin Mu stood rooted to the spot as if petrified, not moving an inch.

This is bad! Li Zhou was furious, but it was too late to intervene. Besides, they were no match for Li Yin anyway.

"Tough luck, kid," Li Yin sneered as he rapidly closed the distance, a ferocious grin spreading across his face. He reached out a large hand to grab Lin Mu.

Just as Li Yin's hand was about to seize him, Lin Mu finally seemed to react. He slowly extended a single finger and pointed forward.

What is he doing? Li Tong was stunned.

In the next moment, he witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Lin Mu's finger, moving with a deceptive slowness that was actually lightning-fast, touched the center of Li Yin's brow.

PFFT!

With a soft sound, a bloody hole blossomed on Li Yin's forehead.

"Ugh..."

Li Yin's body went rigid. He collapsed to the ground, dead, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The Li Zhou brothers were utterly dumbstruck.

Li Yin... killed by a single poke of a finger?

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