C5 Sneak Attack
"Hmph!"
As the Death Monarch charged towards him, Su Li let out a cold snort and concentrated his Genuine Qi into his palm.
"Heavenly Evil Palm! First form, Dust!"
With his low shout echoing, Su Li's right palm thrust forward, unavoidably colliding with the Death Monarch's incoming fist.
Boom!
The impact was explosive.
The violent force burst forth, rapidly spreading in every direction.
"Not good!"
In an instant, the Death Monarch's face contorted with alarm.
He hadn't anticipated this.
The palm Su Li had struck, which appeared unremarkable, was imbued with an astonishingly powerful force.
There was no time for further thought.
The Death Monarch quickly retreated, attempting to create distance between himself and Su Li.
In the Death Monarch's mind,
Su Li, being at the early stage of the Oceanic Wheel, must have depleted his Genuine Qi in the Qi Sea with that palm strike.
If he could just evade briefly, Su Li would be like a fish on the cutting board, ready to be carved up at his whim!
It must be said,
The Death Monarch's reasoning wasn't flawed.
The error lay in the fact that his opponent was Su Li!
A typical early-stage Oceanic Wheel martial artist would have exhausted their Genuine Qi after executing Dust.
But Su Li was an exception.
The Genuine Qi within Su Li's Qi Sea was as potent as that of some peak mid-stage Oceanic Wheel warriors.
With just Dust, Su Li could execute it at least a dozen more times.
"Again!"
Su Li was not one to hesitate.
Having gained the upper hand with one move, he charged forward once more.
The Death Monarch, being at the mid-stage of the Oceanic Wheel, would not be easily defeated without Su Li utilizing the Regeneration Most High Bone.
Thus,
Su Li's second palm channeled all the Genuine Qi from his Qi Sea and thrust it out forcefully.
"Absolute Evil!"
The second form of the Heavenly Evil Palm, Absolute Evil!
"What?"
Witnessing the fearsome Genuine Qi vortex swirling around Su Li's palm, the Death Monarch's eyes bulged in astonishment.
Just how much Genuine Qi did Su Li possess in his Qi Sea?
Why was this palm strike even more powerful than the last?
Could it be that Su Li had been feigning weakness all along? Was his true cultivation not at the early stage of the Oceanic Wheel, but rather at the mid-stage?
The more the Death Monarch considered it, the more he believed it to be possible.
"Humph! What does it matter if you're in the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel?"
The Death Monarch quickly regained his composure, snorting disdainfully, "I'm also at the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel. Mark my words, this day next year will be the anniversary of your demise!"
"Wind Breaking Palm!"
His expression turned icy as he funneled Genuine Qi into his right palm and unleashed a backhand slap.
The technique was a late third-grade battle skill, the Wind Breaking Palm!
Clearly, the Death Monarch had perfected the essence of this skill.
His palm strikes, as if guided by sight, homed in on Su Li's eyes.
Crack, crack, crack!
In the next instant, Su Li's palm strikes met with those of the Death Monarch.
A series of cracks echoed.
The Death Monarch's palm strikes were obliterated, while Su Li's remained unscathed, hurtling towards the Death Monarch.
Crack! Ah!
Suddenly, a sharp crack followed by a scream akin to a pig being slaughtered filled the area.
Puchi!
Blood spurted from his mouth.
The Death Monarch collapsed to the ground like a lifeless dog, his aura plummeting to rock bottom.
"Who is this upstart daring to wreak havoc in the Su Family's domain?"
As the Death Monarch lay defeated, a thunderous voice boomed.
In quick succession, several figures sped towards the scene.
The man at the forefront was Su Li's father, Su Hai.
Beside Su Hai stood the vice pavilion master of the Coldhammers, Xie Yan.
Earlier that day, Xie Yan had sent warriors to collect medicinal pills, choosing to remain with the Su Family.
He had sensed the battle the moment it began.
Yet, Xie Yan hadn't approached directly. Instead, he summoned Su Hai and the Su Family's powerhouses to avert any unforeseen mishaps.
What Xie Yan hadn't anticipated was the swift conclusion of the conflict.
Upon his arrival, the fight had already ended.
And from the fallen warrior, he detected an all-too-familiar aura.
"Death Monarch!"
Xie Yan's pupils dilated as he cried out in shock, "It's actually the Death Monarch!"
Crash!
As Xie Yan uttered those words, the faces of the Su Family members turned pale with shock.
The Death Monarch's reputation was well-known throughout the Mollukya Empire.
On the empire's most-wanted list, the Death Monarch ranked third.
Rumors had it that the Death Monarch was cruel and relentless; anyone who crossed him met with a grim fate.
"Li'er, what's this about?"
Su Hai first glanced at the Death Monarch, then turned to Su Li with a look of confusion.
"It's not a big deal," Su Li reassured, gesturing dismissively. "Father, Elders, there's nothing more to see here. Please, go ahead and leave."
For Su Li, he didn't want the situation with the Death Monarch to burden his family or cause them undue stress.
Especially since the Death Monarch was backed by the Mo Family from the capital, one of the Mollukya Empire's three major powers.
"Please, go on ahead."
Su Hai realized the situation was far from simple.
Typically, a middle-stage Oceanic Wheel practitioner like the Death Monarch wouldn't show up in Suuton.
Given the Death Monarch's surprise attack on Su Li, coupled with the events from earlier that day, Su Hai had nearly concluded that the Su Family was in imminent danger.
Whoosh!
Su Hai's command was effective.
No sooner had he spoken than the Su Family elders scattered and departed.
Soon after, only four people remained outside Su Li's room.
Shuffling footsteps approached.
Su Li stepped forward, facing the Death Monarch, and spoke calmly, "Tell me, how many experts has the Mo Family dispatched?"
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing Su Li's query, both Xie Yan and Su Hai were taken aback.
Was the Mo Family the power behind the Death Monarch?
Despite his many questions, Xie Yan remained silent.
He was aware that his presence in the Su Family was solely to acquire the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, and the family's affairs were of no real consequence to him.
"HAHAHA! I'd advise you to release me, for when the Mo Family's experts arrive in Suuton City, it will spell the end for your Su Family!"
The Death Monarch threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh before saying, "I see no harm in informing you. The Mo Family has dispatched their Second Elder, a practitioner in the late stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm! He will arrive in Suuton City by tomorrow noon, and at that time, your Su Family will meet its end!"
Su Hai involuntarily gasped at the revelation.
The late stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm?
It was widely known that he held the highest level of cultivation within the Su Family. Actually, now it should be considered Su Li, since he had bested the Death Monarch, who was at the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm.
Yet, in Su Hai's view, Su Li's cultivation hadn't quite reached the late stage of the Oceanic Wheel.
At this juncture.
If the Mo Family were to send a warrior at the late stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm, wouldn't the Su Family face the very annihilation the Death Monarch predicted?
"The late stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm?" Su Li mused, his expression growing solemn.
At his current early stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm, he could at best defeat a warrior at the pinnacle of the middle stage.
Facing a late-stage warrior would be perilous.
"I must elevate my cultivation to the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm before tomorrow!"
The pressure of time weighed heavily on Su Li.
Initially.
He had assumed that the strongest the Mo Family and the Imperial Family would send would be someone on par with the Death Monarch, at the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel.
But now it appeared...
Things were not quite as he had expected.
He inhaled deeply.
Su Li steadied himself, ready to face whatever came.
No matter if it was the middle or the late stage of the Oceanic Wheel, as long as he could make it to the middle stage, he could tackle any issue.
Because once he reached the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel, he would be able to wield the Regeneration Supreme Bone against his foes!
After a moment's thought.
Su Li turned to face Xie Yan and got straight to the point. "I need the inner core of a Demonic Beast at the peak of the Celestial River Realm. How soon can you procure one for me?"
"Peak of the Celestial River Realm?"
Xie Yan's face paled, a tumultuous wave of shock rising within him.
The Coldhammers controlled a staggering 90% of the medicinal trade across the Mollukya Empire, and indeed, they had access to a Demonic Beast inner core at the peak of the Celestial River Realm.
It was serendipitous.
His visit to Suuton was twofold: to ingratiate himself with Su Li and to secure a pivotal transaction!
The very subject of this transaction was the coveted Demonic Beast inner core from the peak of the Celestial River Realm!
"One fourth-grade heart method and two fourth-grade combat techniques."
Observing Xie Yan's shifting demeanor, Su Li was confident in his assumption. He extended two fingers and added, "Moreover, I'm willing to offer a fourth-grade pill recipe to the Coldhammers at no cost."
