The thick stench of blood filled the room.

Nearby, Pei Tianfeng, who had just dealt with the assailant, felt her pupils suddenly constrict.

This seemingly ordinary man before her had struck with such terrifying force.

The aura and Power that erupted from him in that instant were far beyond anything she could match, even at her current Blood Refining Realm.

"You..."

Pei Tianfeng tightened her grip on her saber hilt, alarm bells screaming in her mind. She was just about to question him.

"I never thought this little Luoyan Collection would be so lively today, with so many experts gathered here."

A sinister, hoarse voice suddenly echoed through the room, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

Through the shattered opening of the back window, a gaunt figure floated in as if weightless, landing silently on the floor.

His triangular, snake-like eyes glinted like a viper’s as he stared intently at Chen Li and Pei Tianfeng, a twisted sneer on his face.

The snake-eyed man’s voice was like rubbing sandpaper. "It’s a shame you meddled in the affairs of my Sect. Today, you will all join my subordinate in death."

"The Sect?" Pei Tianfeng’s face paled. She drew her saber and demanded, "Who are you? What is your position in the Sect?"

"You want to know? Go ask Yama."

Before the words had even faded, the snake-eyed man’s figure blurred.

A cloying, metallic stench instantly filled the air.

His gaunt hands, now an eerie, dark blue, became like ghost claws. They whipped up a foul wind as they shot toward Pei Tianfeng with lightning speed.

Chen Li’s gaze sharpened. He could feel the sinister Power contained within the claw’s gust.

This snake-eyed man’s Martial Arts were far superior to those of the three grunts from earlier.

Not daring to be careless, he circulated his Inner Breath and retreated behind the other three.

At the same time, he gripped his Iron Staff with both hands.

’He was quite experienced in fights where he held an overwhelming advantage.’

’But this snake-eyed man’s strength was unexpectedly formidable.’

’He might not be my equal, but the gap isn’t that wide.’

’Best to let them handle this kind of life-or-death struggle.’

The snake-eyed man was incredibly fast, his claws a blur of motion.

Though Pei Tianfeng reacted swiftly, swinging her saber to parry, her opponent’s assault was like a tempest. Every strike carried a sharp, murderous intent and an eerie force.

"Be careful!"

Pei Tianfeng shouted the warning through gritted teeth as she retreated rapidly, trying to create some distance.

But the snake-eyed man gave her no chance to breathe. He closed the distance in a single stride, his ghostly claws aiming straight for her throat.

Her two companions joined the fray, but though their attacks were fierce, the man easily neutralized them. They couldn’t faze him in the slightest. He even had the energy to spare for counterattacks, forcing them back again and again.

In just a few exchanges, their formation was shattered. They were left to fight for themselves, each in mortal danger.

"Is that all you’ve got? Then you can all die together!"

The snake-eyed man sneered and unleashed a burst of power. One claw strike sent Shen Zui’s saber flying, followed by a kick to Sun Yidao’s abdomen that launched him several meters away. He crashed heavily to the ground, spitting up blood.

Seeing this, Pei Tianfeng roared in anger and put all her strength into a desperate slash, forcing him to leap back to evade.

"And you. You can die with them!"

The snake-eyed man leaped out of the fray with Pei Tianfeng and her companions. His viper-like eyes locked onto Chen Li, his voice as cold as ice.

Chen Li had been holding his staff horizontally in a defensive stance. Seeing his opponent lunge, he swung it down fiercely, the air whistling around it.

"Hmm?"

The snake-eyed man grunted in surprise, clearly not expecting Chen Li’s Staff Technique to be so ferocious. He flicked his wrist, changing the trajectory of his venomous claw to slap his palm against the Iron Staff.

BANG!

A muffled crack echoed through the room.

The snake-eyed man felt an irresistible, immense force travel up from the staff, as if he had slammed into a solid iron wall.

He grunted, his arm trembling violently. He staggered back two steps involuntarily, a searing pain shooting through his palm. The man’s powerful Inner Strength had jolted him so hard it made his own qi and blood churn.

"The Spirit Realm?"

The snake-eyed man was stunned. For the first time, his viper-like eyes showed utter, horrified disbelief.

He was at the peak of Blood Refining Great Success, yet he had suffered a major setback from a single strike of the staff.

’How is this possible!’

’No, it can’t be the Spirit Realm!’

’If he were in the Spirit Realm, I wouldn’t stand a chance of fighting back.’

’It must be Qi Realm Great Perfection!’

Before he could think further, the blades of Pei Tianfeng and Shen Zui were upon him. The snake-eyed man had no choice but to turn and defend himself, getting entangled with the two of them.

’I can’t drag this out any longer!’

A vicious glint flashed in the snake-eyed man’s eyes. He glanced at Chen Li, who stood guard with his staff, knowing with certainty that if Chen Li joined the fight, he would die here today.

He let out a sharp hiss and postured as if preparing for a desperate, final struggle.

Pei Tianfeng and Shen Zui hastily raised their guards, only to see him suddenly float backward, preparing to escape through the rear window.

But Chen Li had no intention of letting him escape.

Moving like a bolt of lightning, he closed the distance. He channeled all his Inner Qi into his Iron Staff, bringing it down with the full force of his body. The staff whistled through the air, smashing down like a pile driver.

The snake-eyed man’s expression changed drastically. He knew that if this strike landed, he would be crippled, if not killed outright.

He twisted his body into an unnatural position, forcing a turn in mid-air to narrowly avoid the blow.

"Die!"

But at that exact moment, a sharp cry exploded by his ear like a clap of thunder.

An incomparably sharp glint of a saber stabbed with perfect precision toward the vital point on the snake-eyed man’s back.

It was Pei Tianfeng.

She had been waiting for an opening.

The snake-eyed man had left his back completely exposed—his Empty Gate wide open—while dodging Chen Li. It was the perfect opportunity.

She didn’t hesitate. Unleashing her full power, she pushed her Saber Technique to its absolute limit.

The snake-eyed man never imagined they could coordinate so perfectly. With a powerful enemy before him and a killing blow from behind, it was too late to dodge or defend.

SHLICK!

The long saber pierced through his body, its tip emerging from his chest.

"Urghh..."

The snake-eyed man let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

His body went rigid. He looked down in disbelief at the saber tip protruding from his chest, his eyes filled with venom, indignation, and horror.

CRACK!

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Li swung his Iron Staff in a wide arc and brought it down.

The snake-eyed man’s skull instantly caved in, bursting like a watermelon.

The light instantly vanished from his venomous, triangular eyes. His body, as if boneless, collapsed limply to the ground, utterly lifeless.

Pei Tianfeng pulled her long saber free. She looked from the snake-eyed man’s corpse on the ground to Chen Li, her shock mixed with growing wariness.

’Although I delivered the fatal blow, I know perfectly well that Chen Li was the decisive factor.’

’This traveling merchant, who came out of nowhere, is unfathomably powerful.’

’Is he with Mu Yuanying?’

’If he helps her, my mission to capture her will be impossible.’

"Thank you for your assistance."

Pei Tianfeng took a deep breath and cupped her fist in thanks.

"I was just defending myself," Chen Li said, shaking his head.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, sir, do you know who that man was, his position in the Sect, or why they came to attack us today?" Pei Tianfeng’s tone was now much more deferential.

"I have no idea about any of that."

Chen Li shook his head. He walked over to the wardrobe in the corner, pulled open the door, and answered succinctly, "Everything that happened today was because of her. If you want answers, you’ll have to wait for her to wake up."

A flash of joy flickered in Pei Tianfeng’s eyes. Suppressing her inner turmoil, she nodded. "This woman is Mu Yuanying, daughter of Mu Wenyuan, a fugitive wanted by the Court. We are under orders to apprehend her."

"She needs medical attention," Chen Li said, glancing at Pei Tianfeng.

Pei Tianfeng walked over to Mu Yuanying and checked her condition. "Her external injuries aren’t serious," she said. "But there’s an extremely sinister and malevolent energy inside her, destroying her meridians. Please, sir, could you use your Inner Qi to expel it?"