My Clones Can Cultivate

Chapter 103

Guan Xiu couldn’t help but be amused when she saw the firm determination in Li Jie’s eyes; he almost really believed that he was going to defeat her.

Wasn’t that some kind of joke? After all, she might not be at the eighth stage like Shi Lan, but she was already at the peak of the sixth stage of Qi Refining, and she was more than capable of taking down someone who was only at the seventh stage of Qi Gathering.

The gap between them was just so immense that seeing his determination to defeat her was almost laughable. For a while, her expression remained amused, but then her gaze flickered wickedly. I will slice him apart, she thought.

Though what happened next was something she found hard to believe: the moment the referee called for the start of the battle, Li Jie bent slightly as his figure flashed forward. Guan Xiu’s expression changed as she sensed danger.

A rapier thrust shot toward her neck at an insane speed as Li Jie appeared right before her. He is fast, she thought, but if she were to be hit so easily, then she would be nothing but a joke. With astonishing speed of her own, she raised one of her fans and blocked the attack with little to no effort.

She was already preparing to counterattack when Li Jie’s figure flashed once more. Her back tingled. Another thrust was coming toward her from behind... one aimed at her head, the other at her waist.

This time, both attacks were infused with Qi, making them far more powerful than the first strike she had blocked. Still, she reacted in time, moving her twin bladed fans to intercept both attacks. At that precise moment, Li Jie leaped into the air and unleashed a fast-spinning Qi-infused kick aimed directly at her head.

Bang! A loud explosion echoed as Guan Xiu was pushed several steps backward. The two disengaged. Silence filled the arena, only to be shattered by the loud cheers and excited cries of the crowd.

Even the referee and the leaders watching from above were slightly taken aback by how the match had begun. Li Jie wasn’t just fast; he was incredibly skillful. If his opponent hadn’t been Guan Xiu, a great genius in her own right, then there was a very high chance she would have been seriously injured by that seamless chain of attacks that flowed perfectly into one another.

Li San, the Clan Lord of the Li Clan himself, was also slightly surprised. What Li Jie had used was none other than the Phantom Strike Art, one of the clan’s top combat arts that focused on agility, mobility, and relentless offensive chains.

He had already been surprised when Li Xie used Flash Step during the final moments before his elimination, allowing him to leave a mark on Shi Lan, but he had no idea the two brothers had also learned the Phantom Strike Art.

Li Jie paid no attention to the shocked gazes directed at him, nor to the cheers and joyful cries of the crowd that supported him. His mind was perfectly clear of every unnecessary thought and distraction; there was only one thing occupying his mind. He was going to defeat her.

He was going to defeat Guan Xiu... and then take down Shi Lan. Anything unrelated to that no longer existed in his mind. Just as most people had realized, especially those from his clan, the art he was using right now was indeed the Phantom Strike Art.

Unlike Li Bao, who had only managed to master two of its forms... and his younger brother Xie, who had also mastered two, although he still struggled to use Phantom Crossing properly... Jie had mastered more than four of the ten forms.

It was just that he had never revealed them. His reason was simple: if he had shown everyone his true mastery, then he would have been forced to undergo even harsher training. The time he was supposed to spend relaxing and having fun would instead be filled with endless cultivation and combat practice.

That was why he never let anyone know the true extent of his abilities. The only exception was his younger brother, who knew him better than anyone else. He had never planned on showing the world what he was truly capable of, but right now, he no longer cared whether they saw it or not.

All he wanted was revenge for his little brother, and he was going to take it. Nothing else mattered. With that thought, he tightened his grip on his two rapiers once more. He bent slightly... and then rushed forward.

Guan Xiu was still reeling from the shock of having been completely outmaneuvered for a brief moment by someone she had considered a weakling. Then she saw Li Jie charging toward her once again.

Her anger flared hot as she threw her fans.

Their bladed edges gleamed as they flew straight toward Li Jie’s head. As he approached them, however, he kicked off the ground, allowing the two fans to pass by him. He immediately struck forward with one of his rapiers, hitting the two fans behind him and halting their return to Guan Xiu’s grasp.

Within that brief opening, he used another of his combat arts. Storm Thrust! His hands suddenly seemed to move ten times faster as his rapiers unleashed a relentless barrage of thrusts that rained toward Guan Xiu’s entire body at an insane speed.

She reacted instantly. With her body completely fortified by refined Qi, she coated both hands with Qi and used them to defend against the storm of attacks heading her way. The clash between offense and defense lasted only a few seconds.

As the fan blades returned to their mistress, Guan Xiu immediately tried to capitalize on the opportunity and launch her own barrage at Li Jie. Before she could, however, Li Jie used Flash Step once again and effortlessly evaded her assault.

Guan Xiu’s hand slowly started dripping with blood. Tiny droplets... one after another. Although the wound wasn’t serious, everyone present was still shocked.

The fact that her hand was bleeding wasn’t what shocked them... after all, even though her hands had been coated with refined Qi, they had still clashed head-on against Qi-infused spirit weapons, so it was only natural that she would suffer some bruises.

No, what truly shocked everyone was that the first person to wound their opponent was Li Jie. The arena erupted into another overwhelming wave of cheers as the battle continued.

Even the referee couldn’t hold back his commentary anymore: "This is truly shocking! We thought Li Xie had already shown us what it means to be called an anomaly... but now, seeing his brother in action, we all have to admit that the title Anomaly Brothers is not exaggerated at all.

They truly are anomalies! The fact that Guan Xiu hasn’t managed to lay a single hand on him despite her overwhelming cultivation advantage is proof enough." His words only made the crowd chant Li Jie’s name even louder. "Li Jie! Li Jie! Li Jie!"

At the leaders’ platform, Elder Ting couldn’t help but comment: "These disciples of the Li Clan are truly exceptional geniuses. If they weren’t, there is simply no way they could achieve something like this." He looked at Li Jie with admiration.

"I thought his younger brother was already extremely impressive for holding his own against an opponent whose cultivation far surpassed his own... but this one has gone even further. He has not only wounded his opponent... he is actually gaining the upper hand."

Shi Gubing turned toward Guan Ju with an annoyed look in his eyes. Guan Ju’s gaze also shifted, locking onto Guan Xiu with an expression that carried a clear warning. Feeling someone’s gaze on her, Guan Xiu instinctively turned her head.

The moment she realized those eyes belonged to her clan lord, her heart trembled. She immediately understood what she had to do. She had to restore the Guan Clan’s honor... by defeating Li Jie in the most brutal way possible. Only then could she regain her pride.

Otherwise, what awaited her after this battle would be nothing good. The amused smile on her face disappeared almost instantly. She finally became serious. She had been too shocked by Li Jie’s speed and the succession of top-tier combat arts he had displayed to fight with her full strength, but not anymore.

Now, she was going to slice him apart. With that thought, refined Qi exploded from her body. Immediately, the level of danger Li Jie had been sensing spiked by several levels. He could instantly tell that the battle had become far more difficult... far more dangerous.

Even so, he had no intention of backing down. No. After defeating Guan Xiu, there was still one more person he intended to defeat. He assumed his battle stance once more, leaving no openings for his opponent to exploit. Guan Xiu rushed forward, reaching him in what seemed like only a few seconds.

Her speed was insane. Well, her cultivation realm compared to his was also insane, so he should have expected that. Li Jie knew that trying to attack her head-on like this would be suicide. The only thing he could do was withstand her assault until an opportunity to counterattack revealed itself.

Without hesitation, he used the strongest defensive technique he knew. His rapiers crossed before him as he unleashed the defensive form of Storm Barrage.

Storm Guard! His twin rapiers, coated and brimming with Qi, moved at an astonishing speed, constantly colliding with Guan Xiu’s incoming attacks, the two forces canceling each other out over and over again.

Of course, Li Jie wasn’t exchanging attack for attack; instead, he focused entirely on deflecting and blocking every strike that came his way.

The two moved so fast that violent wind currents were generated from their clash, while the ground beneath their feet cracked apart little by little. Soon, they disengaged. Guan Xiu landed gracefully, her gaze calm as she looked at Li Jie, who was now breathing heavily.

A faint smile appeared on her face. "So you really think you can block my attacks? What a joke." The moment she finished speaking, a slit suddenly appeared on Li Jie’s clothes. Then another... and another. More than fifty cuts appeared all over his body. Blood slowly seeped out from every one of them.

Li Jie trembled as pain ravaged his entire body before collapsing onto one knee. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as well. The crowd watched the scene quietly. Many were beginning to believe that Li Jie was about to be defeated just like his younger brother, Li Xie.

But then, a calm, slightly rugged voice came from Li Jie’s mouth: "You don’t seriously think you escaped that exchange without any wounds... because that would be foolish if you ask me." The moment he said those words, something wet dripped from Guan Xiu’s hands. No... not just one hand. Both of them. She lowered her gaze.

Two crimson wounds had appeared across her hands, blood slowly dripping from them. She had been wounded... again. By this weakling. Impossible... when did he do that? She couldn’t understand it.

Before she could even come to terms with how someone so much weaker than her kept leaving wounds on her body, her instincts screamed. Looking forward, Li Jie had already disappeared from his kneeling position.

Her senses heightened instantly. She looked upward. There he was. Spinning like a tornado, Qi swirling violently around his twin rapiers as he brought them crashing down toward her head. The terrifying amount of Qi contained within that strike made Guan Xiu’s heart pound violently.

She hurriedly raised her fans to block. She managed to withstand the attack just long enough before immediately leaping backward to create distance. But she was deeply mistaken if she thought Li Jie was going to let her escape that easily.

His figure flashed once again. Phantom Crossing! He shot forward at an unbelievable speed. Guan Xiu’s heartbeat quickened once more. How is he doing this? She couldn’t help but wonder. She swung one of her fans forward, intending to use his own speed against him and slice off one of his arms.

Among the two of them, she possessed the greater strength, yet before her fan could make contact, Li Jie blocked the blade closest to him with one rapier and threw the other rapier directly toward Guan Xiu’s head. She dodged it effortlessly, believing Li Jie had simply made one final desperate gamble.

Yet what happened next shocked her once again. "Phantom Mirage." Li Jie’s body was cut cleanly in half by her fan... yet it passed straight through him. She had struck nothing but an afterimage. Guan Xiu’s expression changed. "A mirage... where is the real Li Jie?" She hurriedly searched for him. Her eyes widened.

She had been fooled... again. Li Jie reappeared behind her in midair. He caught the rapier he had thrown moments earlier and struck with everything he had. Guan Xiu’s incredible speed allowed her to dodge the fatal blow.

Even so, a long crimson line stretched from the side of her neck all the way across her nose. Blood spilled down her face. Her entire body trembled in pure disbelief. She had been wounded... again. She wasn’t the only shocked person.

Among the audience, where the members of the Li Clan were watching, Li Bao suddenly shot to his feet, his face filled with utter disbelief. "This is impossible... That was the third form... Phantom Mirage! He learned that as well?

Tell me... Just how many forms does he know exactly?" He wasn’t asking anyone in particular; he was simply too shocked to believe what he had just witnessed.

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