Chapter 2555 - 2619: Unbelievable
Li Xiang felt a bit aggrieved, with a belly full of anger that he couldn’t vent, and yet he had to go challenge Su Lio.
He clenched his fist so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palm, and said, "All right, Su Lio, since you possess such skills, don’t blame me for being heavy-handed."
"You better give it your all!" Su Lio replied with a radiant smile, having already gauged Li Xiang’s level, brimming with confidence.
Well, if there’s going to be a fight, let it be. Li Xiang roared fiercely, True Qi rotating, his body exuding a reddish aura, enveloped in intense murderous intent which made one feel a psychological fear. However, the other two in the room showed no fear, their expressions remained calm and natural.
Li Xiang stepped forward, making a heavy sound, and then swung a punch. His fist was wrapped in a layer of red, that red punch of murderous aura emanating an overpowering presence, making people hesitant to approach.
Li Yifei silently shook his head; it was a flashy but impractical move. Although it seemed powerful, in prolonged combat, just attacking like that might not last long. After all, not everyone is as abnormal as Li Yifei, not only having an abundant True Qi reserve but also a strong body that sometimes can be leveraged to amplify his prowess.
Compared to him, Su Lio was also one of those with abundant True Qi. Her unique physique allowed her to continuously restore True Qi, even during combat. This is why during Dual Cultivation, they could train for a long time. Li Yifei’s body was formidable, and so was Su Lio’s, yes, what was abnormal about her was her innate cold qi.
Without reaching the Indescribable Realm, defying fate wasn’t possible. Through sheer chance, Li Yifei had altered Su Lio’s destiny, gaining much himself. Regardless of whether it was in the Southeast, Northwest, or among powerful experts from other nations, Li Yifei now held some confidence when facing them. While not certain of victory, he wasn’t facing an inevitable defeat either.
Thinking this, Li Yifei chuckled to himself, as the two in front had already engaged. Li Xiang’s attacks were ferocious and bloodthirsty, his red aura billowing. Meanwhile, Su Lio stood unmoved, her hands swirling, the cold aura radiating off them neutralizing Li Xiang’s attacks effortlessly.
How is this possible? After three moves, Li Xiang began to question his abilities. He believed his attacks were immensely powerful; within the family, besides a few elders, amongst his peers, Li Xiang ranked among the top two. The first position existed only because of years of training and exceptional talent, but he believed he could surpass that rival in a couple of years.
Yet facing Su Lio, he felt powerless. His mighty attacks were easily countered, whereas her cold aura had to be guarded against. Once tainted by it, the corresponding part of his body would immediately freeze up, a terribly uncomfortable sensation.
Su Lio, how could she be so strong? How could she be so strong! Even a woman was stronger than him, and her body was supposedly weak... Li Xiang thought this, summoned his True Qi, leapt up forcefully, launching a move hoping to break through Su Lio’s defense.
Indeed, he had attacked with three moves, each powerful and irresistible, yet failed to even break Su Lio’s defense. This was something the proud Li Xiang found hard to accept, so he launched a fourth move.
Seeing him initiate the fourth move, Li Yifei shook his head, knowing that Su Lio was solid, unlikely to encounter any surprises, and could likely best him within a few moves.
It’s akin to an adult fighting a six or seven-year-old child; inattentiveness could lead to being hurt or even killed by the child, but with full defense, the child with only hands and feet would find it very hard to stir up trouble.
Su Lio was similar. Initially worried, but after dealing with three moves, her heart settled, realizing Li Xiang was merely threatening in appearance, an embroidered pillow, incapable of withstanding. Facing Li Xiang’s fourth move, Su Lio’s hands flowed smoothly, as if performing a Tai Chi maneuver, forming a Yuan Yi hold. Two streams of cold cast in arcs, emitted a piercing shriek, pushing forcefully to meet Li Xiang’s fists.
Li Yifei closed his mouth, nodded slightly; with this move, Li Yifei knew Su Lio was secure in her upper hand, putting his mind at ease.
Li Xiang suddenly felt an ice wall appear in front of him. His fists seemed slowed by an unseen hand or submerged in mire. Within less than a second, his entire body was pushed backward, retreating rapidly.
Stumbling on his feet, Li Xiang wanted to halt, but that immense force pushed him with a thud into the wall, his entire back sending waves of pain. He cried out in agony, his mind in a haze. He never anticipated such a turn of events, how he fell to Su Lio’s move like this...
Li Xiang fell to the ground with a thud. His mouth slightly open, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying. In front of him was Su Lio, not Li Yifei. How could Su Lio be so strong?
No, no, could it be that Li Yifei just made a move? Li Xiang propped himself up with his hands, his back in severe pain due to the impact, but besides that, there were no other injuries. Li Xiang glared at Su Lio, whose face was calm, revealing nothing. Just as he wanted to speak, he felt a churning in his chest and began coughing violently. When he removed his hand, it was covered with bloody water, indicating that his internal organs had been directly shaken and injured.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit that hard; I’m just not very skilled yet, so my control wasn’t great!" Su Lio’s apologetic voice came through, seemingly genuinely feeling sorry. To Li Xiang, it was a colossal taunt: I easily knocked you down, and then I say I didn’t mean it... Li Xiang instantly went berserk. He exerted force with both hands, springing up and taking big steps toward Su Lio. "How could you become so strong? How can you become this strong, Su Lio? Just now, it was him who made the move, wasn’t it?"
"No, it was me, Li Xiang. Everyone can become stronger. You can, and naturally, so can I. Just now, you lost, so step back. If you really want to help Li Da, then don’t interfere with him; let him accept his punishment. Everyone who does wrong must face punishment, especially since he has already severely endangered society. If he doesn’t accept punishment, he will do even worse things in the future." Su Lio advised.
Li Xiang shook his head vigorously, saying, "Impossible, impossible, you absolutely shouldn’t be this powerful. I’ve already mastered my cultivation, yet I can’t withstand a single strike from you. How is this possible!"
"Because... I have already reached the Innate level, or you could say I’ve directly entered it. Naturally, you’re no match for me." Su Lio replied, without much pride but very calmly.
Li Yifei smiled, feeling quite accomplished.
"You’re lying to me. Let’s fight again, Li Yifei. If you’re a man, don’t make a sneak attack. I want to have an honorable fight with Su Lio." Li Xiang was spiraling into madness, stubbornly believing that it was Li Yifei who made a sneak attack just now.
Su Lio’s beautiful eyes fixed on Li Xiang. Seeing him like this, she said, "Alright, if you’re convinced that’s the case, we’ll fight again. But let it be clear: if you lose again, you must go back. You can’t interfere with Li Da’s issue anymore, or I’ll report this to the Li family’s Elder Lord and see how he deals with it!"
"Don’t use the Elder Lord to pressure me. The family rules were set by the Elder Lord, and he surely won’t agree to outsiders dealing with my family’s descendants!" Li Xiang waved his hand and said, "Let’s fight first, bring it on!"
This time, Li Xiang seemed different. Realizing that Su Lio was truly strong, he shed his arrogance and carelessness, fully activating the True Qi in his Dantian right from the start. The crimson True Qi quickly circulated in his body. Secretly, he also tapped a few times on his body’s Acupoints to seal a few acupoints. This method could rapidly enhance his ability in the short term, but it also posed significant risks. Sealing the acupoints would cause damage, and if the time was too long, there could even be a risk of necrosis.
This was a secret technique of the Li family, seldom taught to others. The higher one’s cultivation, the greater the benefits from using this secret technique. The Li family’s Elder Lord had used the secret technique several times to forcibly increase his cultivation and strength, fighting to the death against enemies. After retiring, he was left with hidden ailments in his body. Such damage is irreversible and not easily repairable, not even by the world’s top experts. Therefore, few knew that the Li family’s Elder Lord was actually a cripple, walking about one meter sixty to one meter seventy.
But that didn’t matter much. Li Xiang’s cultivation wasn’t high, yet he impulsively used the secret technique to fight desperately. Li Yifei raised an eyebrow, noticing that Li Xiang’s aura was off, and hastily transmitted a reminder to Su Lio, saying, "Be careful, his cultivation has advanced a notch. If things don’t work out, step back, don’t force it!"
Su Lio nodded lightly. Li Xiang, having completed his enhancement, hoarsely said, "Come on, if you truly defeat me, I have nothing to say. But if the person behind you sneaks in a successful attack, then prepare to face the Li family’s wrath!"
Su Lio agreed quietly as Li Xiang rushed over. His moves were mostly close combat, broad and sweeping. The Li family had various techniques, and Li Xiang thought this was the coolest. Punching someone away with a blow, kicking someone into the air with a kick, each punch connected with a satisfying force.
After using the secret technique, he indeed became stronger by a notch, transforming entirely. Su Lio also sensed this change. She cautiously engaged but still wasn’t quite adapted to the frequency of Li Xiang’s attacks after his speed increased, which was entirely different from before.
Soon, Su Lio appeared flustered. It wasn’t because she was less powerful; in fact, Su Lio’s cultivation was still a whole grade above Li Xiang. Even if the latter used the secret technique to boost his ability, Su Lio was still an Innate Expert, while Li Xiang was just an expert, perhaps even needing to add ’ordinary’ in front of that, so he wasn’t that formidable.
But the attacks were too fast. Su Lio was a novice, and facing such fast attacks, her reaction was a bit slow. Often a punch was about to hit her before she realized she should evade.
Behind them, Li Yifei thought to himself that more training was necessary. It’s like an adult facing a child’s attack—the first reaction should be to dissolve it, not to dodge. If one chooses to dodge, it might indicate panic, or perhaps... disdain to fight with a child.