C6 Facing off

Zhang Cheng's face twisted into a sinister, smug grin as he glared at Lee Yi with a look that suggested he would relish devouring him. The leader of the group, however, strolled casually with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding an air of ease and contentment. If not for his association with Zhang Cheng, Lee Yi wouldn't have suspected any connection to himself.

As the man stepped forward, a powerful gust of wind emanated from his body, clearing a space of ten meters around him—a clear indication of his formidable mana. He was on the verge of breaking into the third level of Arcane Awakening, a significant milestone in cultivation. Those who reached this level were considered elite, and although he had not fully entered the third level, his prowess was enough to command respect from his peers.

The surrounding disciples cast glances filled with awe and admiration. "That's Senior Brother Hu Kun from the Alchemy Pavilion, a core disciple no less. His magical power is so potent; he's on the cusp of the third level of Arcane Awakening!" one remarked.

"Disciples of the Alchemy Pavilion are nourished by their elixirs; it's no surprise their mana is so robust, especially for a core disciple," another chimed in.

"Oh, how I wish I could join the Alchemy Pavilion too!" lamented a third.

"With your aptitude? Maybe in your next life," quipped a fourth, eliciting chuckles.

At the mention of "Hu Kun," Lee Yi's brow furrowed with concern. Though he didn't recognize the man, the name Hu Kun was notorious. As one of the Alchemy Pavilion's top ten core disciples, Hu Kun was renowned for his alchemical mastery and formidable cultivation. Moreover, as an alchemist, he was likely to be quite affluent, armed with powerful talismans and magical artifacts.

Zhang Cheng, a mere ordinary disciple, possessed treasures like the Chaos Origin Bead. What could a core disciple have at his disposal?

"It seems Zhang Cheng has enlisted a formidable ally for his vendetta," Lee Yi mused with an inward sneer.

The newcomer approached with a menacing air, swiftly blocking Lee Yi's path. The other disciples, sensing drama, converged around them, eager to witness the unfolding confrontation.

Hu Kun narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Lee Yi from head to toe, speaking in a detached tone, "So, you're Lee Yi?"

Despite knowing that Hu Kun bore ill will, Lee Yi maintained a respectful demeanor. "What guidance does Senior Brother Hu have for me?" he asked. Given Hu Kun's higher status, Lee Yi knew better than to show any disrespect before Hu Kun's intentions became clear.

With a cold snort, Hu Kun spoke deliberately, "I've heard quite a bit about you. For someone so young, you're incredibly ruthless, daring to betray and ambush your fellow disciples!"

Lee Yi's face tensed, his tone losing its respectful edge. "What are you implying, Senior Brother?"

Disinterested in explaining, Hu Kun simply glanced over at Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng approached with due reverence. "What would you have me do, Senior Brother?"

"Speak plainly before everyone here," Hu Kun commanded, his gaze lifted. "Let them witness that I am here to seek justice on your behalf, lest anyone accuse our Alchemy Pavilion of using our power to bully others. That would be most unfortunate."

"Understood," Zhang Cheng replied. He stepped forward and pointed accusingly at Lee Yi. "How can you still feign innocence before Senior Brother? That day, you, along with Junior Brother Wu and Junior Sister Bai, ventured into the Nether Forest in search of the Wind Wolf. After a grueling battle, we managed to slay the beast. Tragically, Junior Brother Wu perished, and both Junior Sister Bai and I were gravely wounded. You took advantage of our weakened state to steal the Wind Wolf's remains and our talismans and magical tools. Now, before Senior Brother and all these witnesses, do you dare deny it?"

"I stand as a witness; every word Senior Brother Zhang has spoken is the truth," a piercing voice rang out. Bai Mu Xue emerged from the crowd.

Since their release by Lee Yi, both Zhang Cheng and Bai Mu Xue had grown increasingly resentful. They had eagerly accepted the bounty only to end up empty-handed, losing their possessions in the process. The thought of the Wind Wolf's corpse in Lee Yi's possession, along with the enigmatic secret technique, fueled their envy, compelling them to devise a plan to claim it all for themselves.

Zhang Cheng approached Hu Kun to lodge a complaint against Lee Yi, falsely accusing him of kicking a man when he's down. Yet, he was careful not to mention the secret technique. For one, if he did, the lie would be too obvious. Secondly, he had already claimed the secret technique as his own and didn't want to share knowledge of it with others.

His testimony, corroborated by Bai Mujie, was quite persuasive.

The onlookers' gazes towards Lee Yi turned hostile.

"You really can't judge a book by its cover. This guy seems so honest usually, but who would have thought he'd be so malicious!"

"Exactly, it's no surprise his own family keeps their distance from him!"

"But with Senior Brother Hu Kun administering justice, Lee Yi is in for a world of hurt. Senior Brother Hu Kun is known for his lack of mercy!"

Lee Yi simply sneered in response. He knew they were twisting the truth, but he was outnumbered and the crowd was already biased. Any attempt at defense seemed futile, so he chose to remain silent and watch the situation unfold.

His silence was taken as an admission of guilt, and the crowd's accusations grew even louder.

"Enough!"

Suddenly, a voice cut through the noise. It was calm yet thunderous, imbued with a potent magical force that resonated deep within everyone's ears.

The room fell silent in an instant.

Hu Kun gave Lee Yi a look and declared, "Hand over what isn't yours and sever one of your arms. Then we can consider this matter closed. I'll let it slide for the sake of the Lee family."

"Why should I?" Lee Yi retorted coldly.

Hu Kun's eyes widened menacingly. "Because of this!" he proclaimed. In a flash, his figure blurred, and he unleashed a surge of magical power, striking at Lee Yi like lightning.

Before the crowd could process it, Hu Kun was back in his original spot, as if he hadn't moved at all, while Lee Yi now had a bloody scratch across his chest.

"Gale Steps!" The crowd gasped in shock.

The Gale Steps was a notoriously difficult spell to master. Most disciples had to rely on talismans for speed, but the Gale Steps were more than ten times faster than any talisman—a spell many aspired to but few could master. The most stringent requirement was the ability to project one's magical power externally.

Spells are categorized into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. The Gale Steps is the premier spell within the Yellow rank, boasting tremendous power that nearly rivals that of the Profound rank spells.

"I can't believe Senior Brother Hu Kun has mastered the Gale Steps. He's incredibly powerful!"

"The core disciples of the Alchemy Pavilion are truly formidable. I must avoid provoking them like Lee Yi did; that would be akin to signing my own death warrant!"

"I've already spared you once. Otherwise, I could have easily ripped out your heart!" Hu Kun stated icily. "Allowing you to sever your own arm is an act of leniency on my part. Don't be ungrateful."

"We'll see who's the ungrateful one here!"

With a cold huff, Lee Yi summoned his Wind Magical Power, unleashing a whirlwind that kicked up dust all around him.

"What? This kid can project his mana too?" The crowd was astounded.

"His magical power seems even more potent than Senior Brother Hu Kun's. How... How is that possible?"

It's worth noting that Lee Yi's level was only at the early stages of the Second Level, making the projection of his magical power considerably more challenging than Hu Kun's. But they were mistaken; Lee Yi merely had the Wind Magical Power and wasn't actually projecting his mana. The effect of his Magical Power just bore a striking resemblance to mana projection.

Before Hu Kun could react, he was struck by a forceful slap that sent him stumbling backward several steps.

Overwhelmed with shock and rage, he never anticipated that Lee Yi would dare to strike him, nor did he expect to be unable to fend off the blow.

As a revered core disciple of the Alchemy Pavilion, he had never been so humiliated. Enraged, he was determined to execute the Gale Steps and restore his honor.

Tap, tap, tap, tap!

Executing the Gale Steps, Hu Kun's figure flickered like a shadow, darting unpredictably in four directions. His right hand lunged viciously towards Lee Yi's eyes, this time without a trace of mercy, intent on gouging them out.

Yet, Lee Yi, endowed with the Wind Magical Power, moved with incredible swiftness. To him, Hu Kun's actions were as slow as a tortoise's, as if time itself had decelerated.

He pivoted to the left, dodging the incoming strike, and with a swift backhand, delivered a solid palm to Hu Kun's face.

A sharp smack echoed as Hu Kun stumbled back several steps, his cheeks puffing up red and swollen.

Despite his high level of cultivation, Lee Yi's ingestion of the Wind Wolf's blood essence meant his physical strength far surpassed that of an average practitioner. His expanded meridians and dantian ensured his mana was on par with Hu Kun's. The force of the palm strike left Hu Kun in considerable discomfort, his face searing with pain and his head buzzing.

The crowd was dumbfounded, unable to utter a word.

Who was Hu Kun?

He was one of the Alchemy Pavilion's ten core disciples, a renowned master. Moments before, he was demonstrating his formidable powers, yet in an instant, he had been struck twice by Lee Yi, rendered defenseless. It was utterly inconceivable.

Zhang Chenghe and Bai Mujie, in particular, looked exceedingly troubled. They couldn't fathom how Lee Yi's strength had increased so dramatically in just a few days. The rate of his improvement was astonishingly rapid.

Fuming with rage, Hu Kun felt like he was on the verge of madness, his heart nearly bursting. He had always been haughty and arrogant; to him, these two slaps were an unbearable disgrace, more agonizing than death itself. Clenching his teeth, he seethed, "Very well, very well!"

Suddenly, he vibrated his arms, and his body's mana surged, focusing into his right hand. With a fierce sweep of his sleeve, a glint of cold light streaked towards Lee Yi in the blink of an eye.

A mournful sound filled the air, resembling the cries of ghosts and howls of wolves.

It was a ghost-headed short knife, no bigger than a palm, its surface dark and lusterless. The hilt was adorned with a ghost head, its eyes emitting a green glow, and it let out a piercing shriek.

"What is that..." Most onlookers were unfamiliar with the object, finding it deeply unsettling. However, a few disciples with broader knowledge were utterly shocked.

"The Sonic Ghost Blade, an infamous dark artifact. Wasn't it lost to history? How does Senior Brother Hu Kun possess it?"

"The Sonic Ghost Blade is forged from ghosts and netherworld black iron. Its speed is unmatched, nearly rivaling that of sound itself. It once had a fearsome reputation. I never expected Senior Brother Hu Kun to have such an ace up his sleeve. Lee Yi might be in trouble now. No matter how swift he is, can he really outpace the Sonic Ghost Blade?"

Lee Yi remained utterly still.

"Has the kid been scared stiff?" the bystanders wondered silently.

In an instant, the Sonic Ghost Blade struck Lee Yi, piercing through his body and flying off into the distance. Yet, Lee Yi did not fall. Instead, he gradually blurred, transforming into a mere shadow, and eventually vanished into thin air.

The crowd was dumbstruck.

The figure that had been motionless was, in fact, nothing more than a residual image left by Lee Yi!

Hu Kun felt a sinking feeling in his chest as a powerful slap landed on his face, sending him spitting blood and hurling through the air.

Before he even touched the ground, Lee Yi leaped forward, overtaking him with a burst of speed. Lee Yi's palms struck simultaneously, landing squarely on Hu Kun's chest.

Bang!

Hu Kun's body crashed into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. His ribs shattered, several breaking on impact, and he continued to cough up blood. He was incapable of standing, let alone speaking.

Lee Yi took a moment to catch his breath, feeling a wave of weakness wash over him. Hu Kun's strength was formidable, and to secure victory, Lee Yi had pushed his Wind Magical Power to the brink. While the magical power did not deplete his mana, it did drain his Qi and blood.

His gaze fixed on Zhang Cheng and Bai Mujie, he demanded icily, "Now, tell me—who really killed the Wind Wolf?"

The pair were too terrified to utter a word.

The onlookers, realizing the pair's guilt and witnessing Lee Yi's formidable display, understood that Zhang Cheng and Bai Mujie had likely been lying. The silence that followed was deafening.

Hu Kun, sprawled on the ground, redirected half of his anger towards Zhang Cheng and Bai Mujie, casting a chilling glare their way. Had it not been for them, he wouldn't have faced such disgrace.

They quickly averted their eyes, too frightened to meet Hu Kun's cold stare.

Lee Yi surveyed the silent crowd, deciding no further words were necessary. Zhang Cheng and Bai Mujie would face Hu Kun's wrath without his intervention. With a flick of his sleeve, he walked away as the spectators parted ways, watching him stride confidently into the distance.