Chapter 109: Dare Not Speak

Just as that cultivator was about to perish under the flying sword, Li Xingfa intervened instantly.

It was one thing to forbid speech, but to kill someone right in front of him? The man had only let out an "ah"—strictly speaking, that didn't even count as talking!

*Clang!*

With a sharp ring, the sword light was deflected. A white mark appeared on the cultivator’s throat, from which blood began to seep.

*Clang, clang-clang...*

The people in the hall felt their ears go numb. The two flying swords moved with such blinding speed, colliding constantly and emitting a piercing screech. If not for the sparks erupting in the air, the onlookers would have been unable to track them at all.

Everyone was stunned. Yi Zhao? Was this the Su Yi Zhao from the Heavenly Rankings? The "Brothel Swordsman"?

Su Yi Zhao controlled one sword, dueling with Li Xingfa’s, his expression one of effortless ease. Li Xingfa, conversely, found himself growing increasingly alarmed and distressed the longer the fight dragged on.

Suddenly, it dawned on him: *I am a Void-Realm cultivator! Why am I dueling with flying swords?*

With a sudden movement, he lashed out with a punch toward Su Yi Zhao.

Su Yi Zhao chuckled, his right hand forming a seal, and four flashes of sword light appeared instantly. As they manifested, they arranged themselves in an interlocking pattern, forming a sword net before him. Just then, the void in front of him rippled, and a fist struck out, landing squarely within the net.

*Scritch, scritch...*

The fist vanished, but the sword net remained.

Li Xingfa, now furious, channeled all his profound energy. Throwing both fists, he launched a heavy, long-range assault. Shadows of his fists multiplied, the wind pressure from the strikes forcing the people in the hall back two steps.

"Yi Zhao!" Li Tiancheng had never seen such a technique. The members of the Li clan were even more overwhelmed by the sheer power; the gale-force wind hit their faces, and over a dozen of them stumbled back seven or eight paces simultaneously.

In front of Su Yi Zhao, over a hundred fist images erupted from the void, striking the sword net all at once.

*Crack!* The sword net shattered.

*Boom!*

*Smack!*

Li Xingfa felt a slap across his face, a burning, stinging pain. Outside the hall, the green-robed cultivator who had been targeted by the fist vanished into fragments. Standing where he had been was another green-robed figure, his eyes bright and piercing, locked intently upon him.

The people in the hall were stunned once more. What kind of technique was this? Such speed was impossible!

Driven back by that gaze, Li Xingfa retreated violently.

*Smack, smack, smack...*

Over ten slaps landed on his face in rapid succession. He collapsed into a chair with a thud, covering his face with his hands, his eyes glazed.

"What? Not satisfied?" Su Yi Zhao laughed softly.

Li Xingfa came to his senses. His bloodied lips parted, and just as he was about to speak, he heard a soft, languid voice: "If you dare to speak, you die!"

Terrified, he quickly slid his hands down from his face to clamp them over his mouth. A trickle of blood seeped through his fingers, but he dared not move, dared not speak.

Su Yi Zhao was satisfied. His life-or-death struggle against that demon-kin Void-Realm cultivator in the deep sea, while failing to kill his foe, had not been without its merits. At the very least, it gave him a brand-new understanding of the power of a Void-Realm cultivator's techniques.

Tearing through the void required a combination of energy, physical strength, and soul power. As long as it was power, it could be exhausted! And passing through the void simply granted the attack immense speed. Well, he had speed, too!

Through those three days and nights of slaughter, he no longer feared the Void Realm. A Void-Realm attack was merely an instinct. And now, he possessed it as well! If he couldn't tear the void, it was only because his energy, physical, and soul powers were not yet sufficient.

He turned to Li Tiancheng. "Clan Head, how do you want to deal with them? Kill them?"

Li Tiancheng, who had been gradually straightening his posture, suddenly slumped. Killing at the drop of a hat—was that really appropriate? He urged, "No, don't kill them! Yi Zhao, they are from Vastness City; they might have powerful backing!"

Li Xingfa shuddered. *That’s right! Damn it, I do have backing! The Four Geniuses of Vastness City—Zeng Ziping is my own cousin!*

Just as he thought this and prepared to speak, he heard Su Yi Zhao say calmly, "Clan Head, you need not fear. They aren't even as good as demon cultivators. We can just claim we mistook them for demon-kin and killed them by accident!"

The people in the hall groaned in their hearts. *Killed by accident! These are living human beings!* Li Xingfa, having just lowered his hand, immediately clamped it back over his mouth.

Li Tiancheng shook his head. "Forget it! Demon-kin are demon-kin; anything not of our kind will have a different heart. They are monsters, but these people possess morals. A heart cannot be changed, but one's morals can!"

Su Yi Zhao nodded. How well put. A heart cannot be changed, but morals can! An old man, a man at the Fourth Profound Realm, understood this—why didn't these people with such high cultivation levels?

Su Yi Zhao turned around. "Did you hear that? How well put? Those who can change, nod!"

In the hall, the five cultivators nodded in unison.

Su Yi Zhao pointed at Li Xingfa. "You, tell me: what are you doing here?"

Li Xingfa looked at him hesitantly. *Damn it, he's asking what he already knows! What are we here for? Isn't it to kill demon-kin in the Southwest, earn merit, get onto the Heavenly Rankings, and become elite disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect? You, the Brothel Swordsman, were the first to arrive and earned such great merit—and you're still asking?*

Li Xingfa, having just taken his hand off his mouth, suddenly clamped it back over again. *Damn it! Is he trying to trick me into speaking so he can find an excuse to kill me?*

Su Yi Zhao barked, "Speak, quickly!"

Li Xingfa was helpless. What could he do when his strength was inferior? He said hurriedly, "Kill demon-kin in the Southwest, slay barbarians in the Northwest! The Heavenly Rankings hang high in Vastness City; those on the list become elite disciples. This is the mandate of the Profound Heaven Sect—they changed the Vastness City competition to this!"

Before his voice had even faded, he quickly covered his mouth, looking at Su Yi Zhao with a face full of terror.

Su Yi Zhao was overjoyed! Wonderful! He had thought he would miss the Vastness City competition, but he hadn't expected the Profound Heaven Sect to be so thorough. Slaying demon-kin would simultaneously complete the competition. But what was "slaying barbarians in the Northwest"? What were these Heavenly Rankings? How many demon cultivators did one have to kill to get on the list?

Su Yi Zhao nodded to show he understood.

Li Xingfa finally let his heart settle. The Brothel Swordsman might be fast with a blade, but he was actually a man of his word.

Su Yi Zhao turned to Li Tiancheng. "Clan Head, I will escort you all out, and then I will return." He didn't know if he could escort them past the southwestern border, but at the very least, they could no longer stay in Gravel Sand City.

Li Tiancheng nodded.

As Su Yi Zhao was about to leave, he suddenly turned back. "Why aren't you going to the deep sea to kill demon-kin?"

Li Xingfa’s heart trembled. He said cautiously, "The mainland must have reached an agreement with the deep sea. Many young demon-kin cultivators are coming ashore, so there's no need to go to the deep sea."

Su Yi Zhao was speechless. Reached an agreement? Could it be that they wanted the young generation of humans and demons to slaughter each other here first? To compare who was superior?

Not having to go to the deep sea was fine by him. He looked at Li Xingfa. "One last question. Answer well, and I will spare you. Otherwise, you die!"

Li Xingfa looked up and saw Li Tiancheng, his heart sinking...