No one in this world could survive such injuries.
Even if he had been modified by Witchcraft, even if he was a “Vajra”, even if he possessed the method of flesh and blood regeneration, he was still bound to die.
Li Miao’s “One Slash” had shattered Yun Zelin’s collarbone and scapula, splitting open his entire right lung.
Half of his chest cavity was tilted askew, blood gushing out, and his heart and wriggling internal organs were exposed to the air.
Was Yun Zelin insane?
He only had one left hand, and by locking Li Miao’s right hand, he was exposing his entire body to Li Miao’s right hand.
Yun Zelin’s comprehension was extraordinary; unlike Li Miao, his “"Jiezi"” was cultivated step by step through his own efforts. In terms of understanding martial arts techniques, he was stronger than Li Miao.
So how could he make such a basic mistake?
Having sustained such severe injuries, Yun Zelin, though made more resilient than ordinary people by the Witchcraft modifications, now had only a minute of life left.
At that very instant!
Yun Zelin’s heart, exposed to the air and covered in proliferating flesh, suddenly swelled up. Li Miao even heard a faint, mournful shriek coming from it.
This was the heart he had obtained from Zuo Lishan, the one that had granted Yun Zelin the “Vajra” state.
After swelling, it was like a water bag stretched to its limit.
Bang!!!
It exploded!
Countless red-thread-like Witchcraft fell into Yun Zelin’s body.
As the Witchcraft dropped into Yun Zelin’s flesh and blood, a faint metallic luster subtly appeared on his skin and flesh.
Immediately, Yun Zelin exerted force from his waist and abdomen, and the muscles in his already-split body suddenly tightened.
He actually clamped Li Miao’s right hand within his own body. And when Li Miao tried to pull his right arm free, he found it difficult to break loose for a moment.
On Yun Zelin’s half-flesh, half-skeleton face, a deranged smile appeared.
He had won the gamble; Li Miao had indeed used “One Slash”!
Even after cultivating “"Jiezi",” Li Miao was still human, and he would instinctively use the martial art he was most familiar with and most adept at.
Before Li Miao cultivated “"Jiezi",” he had already served in the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) for many years; his most convenient martial art was, of course, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards)’s “Iron Shackles War Summons.”
With Yun Zelin’s comprehension, he had clearly seen this point; this flaw was intentionally exposed to Li Miao by him.
After Yun Zelin smiled, he opened his foul-smelling, blood-filled mouth and bit down on Li Miao’s shoulder!
Li Miao had already dispelled “Vajra,” and although Yun Zelin was on the verge of death from his Witchcraft self-detonation, his physical body was stronger than Li Miao’s for this brief period before death!
This bite truly sank into the flesh.
Blood splattered.
Li Miao suddenly pulled out his right hand and struck Yun Zelin with a “Great Nine Heavens Palm,” sending him flying.
In mid-air, Yun Zelin could no longer suppress the “Celestial Human Five Declines.”
His hair fell out, his teeth dropped, and his flesh withered.
The half of his chest cavity that Li Miao had split open could no longer hold his flesh and blood together; it detached from Yun Zelin’s body and splattered onto the ground.
Hair and blood flew, and Yun Zelin’s shattered remains fell to the ground.
Li Miao touched the wound on his shoulder, then brought his hand to his eyes; the blood on it was pitch black.
Witchcraft poison; with that bite, Yun Zelin had injected the Witchcraft poison from his body into Li Miao’s.
Li Miao looked at Yun Zelin, who was lying on the ground, barely alive.
“Heh… heh heh…”
“Lord Li, I won this move…”
Yun Zelin’s teeth had all fallen out, and he whispered indistinctly.
Li Miao slowly walked over to Yun Zelin’s side.
“You want to trade lives?”
Yun Zelin chuckled softly.
“Always… worth a try…”
Li Miao’s body suddenly turned crimson, white smoke rose from the wound on his shoulder, a stream of black blood slowly flowed out, and then the wound gradually healed.
“I have an adopted daughter who also practices Witchcraft. When I collect Miao Jiang Witchcraft methods for her, I also take a look myself.”
“If Ji Tianrui can understand it, so can I.”
“You’re still too green to kill me with Witchcraft poison.”
Yun Zelin let out a long breath.
“Ha—as expected…”
“But I did, in the end, win one move against you…”
“I am not a mediocre person…”
“Lord Li, remember this, today, this year… on Mount Tai, Yun Zelin won one move against you…”
After saying these words, Yun Zelin could no longer support himself, and blood flooded his trachea.
“Be careful… Ji Tianrui…”
Finally, he mumbled his last words.
Then, silence.
He died.
From the moment Li Miao effortlessly retreated his cultivation realm, he already knew that he could not win.
This venture of his was a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble. He was betting on killing Li Miao before the “Celestial Human Five Declines” erupted, thereby mending his foundation and breaking through the barrier after the three paths merged into one.
His preparations were undeniably thorough; first, he forced Li Miao into a desperate fight with the Ming Cult, and he himself staked his life, possessing the peak of all three paths. There was no one else in the world who could have survived these schemes.
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Unfortunately, the opponent he chose was Li Miao.
Li Miao was incomplete, he was not upright, and the two were originally evenly matched. After Li Miao perfected one path, he even suppressed Yun Zelin in the fight.
Yun Zelin could only hope for the accumulation of Li Miao’s injuries and the flaws he inadvertently revealed.
But Li Miao’s martial arts surpassed his understanding.
If his True Qi was gone, Li Miao could cultivate “Sumeru.” If his body was injured, Li Miao could cultivate “Vajra.”
If he was at a disadvantage in techniques, presumably Li Miao could also cultivate “"Jiezi".”
Even with the “Celestial Human Five Declines,” Li Miao could retreat his realm to avoid it.
He knew that he could not kill Li Miao before the “Celestial Human Five Declines” erupted.
So, he made a choice—he wanted to prove something before he died.
Yun Zelin exchanged his life for the victory of this one move.
He was not a mediocre person.
Li Miao scanned Yun Zelin’s corpse up and down, then said, “Not bad.”
With that, he struck out with a “Great Nine Heavens Palm,” turning the corpse below the head into a paste of flesh.
The Ming Cult had likely been studying Witchcraft for years, and they had become quite adept at it.
Li Miao would not leave his corpse intact, in case the Witchcraft within his internal organs had any other tricks.
Although Li Miao acknowledged Yun Zelin as an opponent, given the vile deeds he had committed, Li Miao would not allow him to have a complete corpse or a peaceful burial.
Yun Zelin’s head was swept by the palm wind, rolled a distance on the ground, and then stopped.
Li Miao did not bother with it, turned and walked a short distance, then dragged a chair out from the ruins of the Mount Tai Sect’s main hall and sat down in the center of the plaza.
Yun Zelin’s head was a gruesome sight at this moment, half flesh and half skull, with its sole remaining eye fixed on Li Miao.
Li Miao looked at the head and smiled.
“You so desperately wanted to walk the righteous path; now, take a look.”
With that, Li Miao closed his eyes.
Thus, the Mount Tai Sect assignment came to an end.
Now, Li Miao was to collect his “emolument.”
Rustle—rustle—
Around the ruins, dust rose without wind.
The small pebbles on the ground continuously trembled.
Li Miao’s graying hair gradually recovered, and the perfected “Sumeru” gradually dissipated.
His hands rested on the armrests, and he leaned back in the chair, as if he had already fallen asleep.