[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-sky-fell":3,"chapter-after-the-sky-fell-after-the-sky-fell-chapter-139":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Sky Fell",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280995,4462,"Chapter 139: 138. Conquering Two Halls in Succession","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-139",139,"\u003Cp>138. Chapter 138: Conquering Two Halls in Succession\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a Qi Refining expert enraged himself and forced out his heart’s blood, his power returned to its peak state—though this peak lasted only briefly, it was enough for Jin Zhihuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within sixty breaths, if he failed to kill Li Yi, he would have no choice but to take his own life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhihuan was no longer the calm man he had been; he now resembled a frenzied beast, launching a direct assault upon Li Yi, denying him any chance to stall—once his heart’s blood faded, he would lose all opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A peak Qi Refining expert? Fine. Today, I shall kill you with honor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi could have maneuvered, delayed, and waited for the peak to pass before striking—but he did not. He intended to use this Qi Refining expert as a whetstone, forging his own inner strength and cultivating his aura. Besides, Qi Refining experts weren’t unbeatable—why should he flee?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Four Seas and Eight Provinces, it was Li Yi who others should avoid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi surged forward, fists clenched, tendons, muscles, and bones resonating in unison, his entire strength twisted into one force—divine power erupted. With a single motion, qi surged outward, stirring a gale, then another punch—deadly, relentless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhihuan’s blade Gang  reappeared; the Wind Listening Blade hummed and slashed toward Li Yi’s face in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn’t cut through the clothes, he’d cut through the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi did not dodge. His invincible fist met the blade head-on. Though he lacked condensed qi Gang , his terrifying punch force converged, shattering the air itself—forming a cloud of white mist that pierced outward with dreadful force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crimson blade Gang  clashed with invisible punch force. The two energies collided, separated by barely an inch, then exploded outward—gales reversed, air hummed, and nearby martial artists’ eardrums bled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not Qi Refining.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhihuan’s pupils shrank sharply—he now saw that Li Yi’s fist showed no blood surge, no qi Gang  gathering. Only then did he realize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m only Bone Refining. Of course I’m not Qi Refining. Try another punch!” Li Yi’s first punch exhausted, he roared and swung his other fist forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine power erupted again; punch force surged once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bone Refining has this kind of power? Do you think I’d believe your lies?” Jin Zhihuan’s eyes widened, then he roared and slashed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blade Gang  erupted—but was shattered by invisible punch force. Not only could it not advance an inch, it was repelled by residual force, forcing Jin Zhihuan to retreat and pull back his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the second clash—and the Wind Listening Blade, Jin Zhihuan, was already losing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had his heart’s blood’s time run out? Was he weakening?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t weakening—this boy was growing stronger. In adversity, the boy’s potential had ignited again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe it. I don’t believe such a thing exists in this world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhihuan went mad. The Wind Listening Blade vibrated again in his hands. In an instant, he slashed thrice—lightning-fast, targeting vital points. This was his ultimate technique: Three Corpses Severed—each strike would leave three severed corpses in its wake. He rarely used it, only in life-or-death duels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t fought to the death in years—so long he’d forgotten—but now, restored to his peak, the killing techniques came to him effortlessly, without a trace of rust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi’s vertical pupils glowed, locking onto his opponent. His dynamic vision reached its peak, catching the faintest trace of the blade’s trajectory. Instinctively, he unleashed the killing technique Master Zhao Ge had taught him—three punches in an instant, each heavy enough to shake mountains and rivers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This technique was called: Shaking Mountains and Rivers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Punch force and blade Gang  collided thrice in a flash. Terrifying residual energy sprayed outward. Merely the shockwave struck a nearby Jin family disciple—his body flew backward, spitting blood, collapsing unconscious. Nearby stone slabs bore deep, cleaved scars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within three zhang of these two, it became a meat grinder. Without Qi Refining cultivation, entering meant death—no chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this… how Qi Refining experts fight? So terrifying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang’s face turned pale. Now she understood why, back at the ruined temple, Han Sui and Jin Bufeng had dared not attack their master directly—only seized her and tried to kill from afar with powerful bows. The full power of a Qi Refining expert was this terrifying. How could Blood Refining martial artists dare provoke such a beast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her senior brother was even more terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>★cO\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only Bone Refining’s third stage, he matched Jin Zhihuan blow for blow—no, he was even superior. He hadn’t even used his divine talent, hadn’t exhausted his boundless divine power, hadn’t tapped his full potential. If Jin Zhihuan couldn’t kill him within ten strikes, he’d be worn down and crushed alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Punches fear the young and strong.” This saying never grew old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhihuan had summoned blade Gang  countless times, unleashed countless killing strikes—but each was shattered by Li Yi’s punch force, his blade knocked from his grip. Such fierce combat drained his heart’s blood prematurely. Barely thirty breaths had passed, and agony surged through his body; his next blade Gang  lacked strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blood was fading. His peak was ending. He was losing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe it. My Wind Listening Blade, famed for a lifetime—will I be killed by a Bone Refining martial artist? I cannot accept this. Even if I die today, I’ll take you with me!” Jin Zhihuan roared, forcing every drop of blood in his body to surge. The dim blade Gang  blazed once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer held the blade with one hand—his right arm had gone numb, trembling, unable to grip. He gripped it with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength, blood, even the last shred of his withered spirit and essence—all were squeezed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, Jin Zhihuan seemed to glimpse the path of the Upper Three Realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sweep the Eight Provinces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slashed again—a killing strike. Yes, this blow came down upon Li Yi’s head—not a sweep. The old veteran had tricked him, using the technique’s name to mislead. But Li Yi wasn’t from Xingzhou—he didn’t know the names of techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eye-Seeing Technique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi didn’t dare slack. He wouldn’t let this final strike land. At this critical moment, he activated his Insight Realm-evolved Eye-Seeing Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze flared—a powerful mental disturbance struck Jin Zhihuan instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhihuan hadn’t expected such a technique. He’d staked everything on this one strike—no defense. He was hit immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hummm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His consciousness blurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he broke free quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in life-or-death combat, a single instant decides life or death. By the time he shook off the effect, Li Yi’s fist had already arrived—faster than his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Punch force exploded like thunder again; divine power surged once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunder God’s Hammer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhihuan’s pupils shrank as he saw the punch—but his body couldn’t dodge, couldn’t summon protective qi Gang . Then darkness swallowed his vision. His skull took the full blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crack!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Punch force pierced through—like a Qi Refining expert’s qi Gang  exploding. His head vanished instantly, dissolving into a mist of blood. The Wind Listening Blade, mid-swing, lost all power, softly landing on Li Yi’s shoulder—then was flung away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wind Listening Blade hit the ground. So did Jin Zhihuan’s headless corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This famed Qi Refining expert, even after forcing his heart’s blood to restore his peak, was still no match for Li Yi—slain in the front courtyard of his own martial hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His death meant Li Yi had successfully seized the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad. Qi Refining is indeed formidable—somewhat hard to kill.” Li Yi slowly retracted his fist, his vertical pupils glowing as he assessed internally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only somewhat hard to kill—not impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Won… won.” Rong Niang’s heart finally settled. Tension melted from her face, replaced by a victorious smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her senior brother had truly killed Jin Zhihuan, the master of the Jin Family Martial Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Bone Refining cultivation, he had crossed three realms to kill a Qi Refining expert. Such a thing truly existed in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always: Li Yi’s divine bravery is unmatched in a thousand ages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Jin Zhihuan’s death—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the disciples watching nearby froze, unable to believe what they saw. Yet the corpse lay before them—they had to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master had been killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief moment of acceptance, terror flooded through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the master, who could stop Senior Brother Zhao Shiwu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of them had blood on their hands from Zhao family disciples. Now that the tree had fallen, they would be purged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flee?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought flashed through every one of their minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escape this place. Leave Sanyang City. Leave Xingzhou. Maybe they’d survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were so many of them. If they scattered, Senior Brother Zhao Shiwu couldn’t possibly kill them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, all the core disciples—Bone Marrow and Blood Refining—united in thought. But none dared move first. The first to flee would be killed. Only those who waited might have a chance to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Li Yi seemed to sense their agitation. His glowing vertical pupils snapped toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where his gaze fell, every man trembled. The thought of escape vanished—only dread and fear remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang understood: the Qi Refining master was dead, but the vengeance wasn’t complete. She too turned to the others, her eyes filled with killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she held back. What came next depended on her senior brother’s will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi knew: Jin Zhihuan was dead, the Jin Family Martial Hall was finished—but its disciples still lived. If left unaddressed, they’d become trouble later. And in this world, the strong devour the weak—the victor takes all. The Zhao family had done it before. Now, it was their turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, he coldly spoke: “You are all core disciples of the Jin Family Martial Hall. You share blood guilt for the Zhao family’s deaths.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of disciples broke into cold sweat. Some trembled in their legs, unable to bear the terror of imminent death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But as the saying goes: grudges have a source, debts have a master. Now that Jin Zhihuan, the debtor, is dead, I’m willing to offer you a path to life. Whether you grasp it depends on you. I hear your Jin family’s blades are best at severing heads. Then—bring me twenty heads of Jin family disciples, and I swear: I’ll spare your lives, and never seek revenge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi held up two fingers, tossing them a chance to live: “You have fifteen minutes. When time’s up, the offer vanishes. I’ll come to settle accounts. You may try to flee—if you think you can escape my grasp, then I have nothing to say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The path to life lies beneath your feet. Choose for yourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he kicked his foot, sending Jin Zhihuan’s Wind Listening Blade skidding to the feet of the disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Li Yi intended for them to kill each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the scheme was simple, it was effective now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if none wished to do it, with so many present—what if someone beside you had the same thought?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, looking at the knife before them, none moved to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that they were united—it was that there weren’t enough heads to guarantee survival; perhaps fleeing would be more advantageous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yi’s next words shattered their hesitation completely: “By the way, the heads of those lower-tier martial artists who left earlier count too. You’re strong enough to team up and hunt them down for me—I only care about the result, not the process.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he finished speaking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a Blood-Refining martial artist immediately grew eager. His eyes darted nervously—better to cut off twenty heads and fulfill the demand than to flee and let others profit. After all, ordinary disciples were no match for him—a single slash would do. Why gamble on luck?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Li Yi had sworn an oath—he would keep his word. No need to fear betrayal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this through,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Blood-Refining martial artist gritted his teeth and drew his swift blade: “Kill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His nearby Bone-Refining junior, caught off guard, had his head severed in one stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes flew open, filled with shock—but he could do nothing. All he heard was the whistle of the blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the first man moved, every heart unleashed its evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They feared—if they didn’t act, they’d become someone else’s head, traded for a chance to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want to die—I’ll trade the heads of those outer disciples for my life!” A Bone-Refining disciple roared as he charged toward the outer disciples’ quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the others sprang into action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Blood-Refining martial artist didn’t care—he was the strongest in the hall now. Cutting off twenty heads was effortless. He killed anyone he saw, avoiding only others of equal strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the once-quiet Jin Family Martial Hall echoed with screams and clashing blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ordinary disciples had no idea what was happening. They only saw their once-powerful senior brothers charging in with swords, severing heads before they could react—heads now held aloft in bloody hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the architect of this carnage, Li Yi remained cold as iron, his expression calm, unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, your plan is brilliant—turning them against each other—but you’ll let many Jin Family disciples escape. Some will surely flee in the chaos, and we can’t stop them.” Rong Niang admired Li Yi’s tactic but saw its flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know many will escape. Many will flee in the chaos—but I never intended to pursue them. As the Art of War says: killing is secondary; breaking the spirit is primary. After this, Jin Family’s morale is shattered. They’ll never rise again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi said calmly: “As I said before, the process doesn’t matter—only the result. Rong Niang, I don’t want their heads—I want the Jin Family Martial Hall erased from San Yang City entirely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me—after this, will those Jin disciples seek revenge on me… or on their own senior brothers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see,” Rong Niang whispered, her pupils shrinking. Instantly, cold sweat broke across her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if she were in their place, she couldn’t escape either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you killed no one and slipped away unscathed—how could you ever serve a martial hall where you once slaughtered your own brothers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a pity those damned beasts get off so easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang clenched her teeth. She knew this was the best option—but many of those men had spilled the blood of her junior brothers and sisters. The rage in her chest refused to settle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no choice. Only the two of us are here. Cleaning up every single one is impossible. We’ve wasted too much time already—there’s still the Han Family Martial Hall waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi patted Rong Niang’s shoulder: “The fire’s lit here. Let it burn. We don’t need to stay and guard it. Let’s go—to the next one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Rong Niang nodded, though her heart ached. She had no choice but to accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the two left the Jin Family Martial Hall and rode off at full gallop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments after Li Yi and Rong Niang departed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a Blood-Refining martial artist returned to the courtyard, laughing as he dragged a string of dripping, bloody heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve brought twenty heads. As agreed, spare my life. Where is he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood-Refining martial artist stared at the empty courtyard. His smile froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This… this isn’t how I imagined it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did you really trust us so completely? You knew we’d complete the task, bring twenty heads—and still didn’t fear we’d cheat? You didn’t even watch us? Didn’t count the heads?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the shattered gate, the horses of Zhao Shiwu and Rong Niang were gone. The two had truly left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then… what use were these twenty heads?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one gave him an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he knew: the Jin Family Martial Hall was utterly destroyed. No one would speak of it again. No one would ever seek revenge for it.\u003C\u002Fp>",2663,"2026-06-20T01:26:56.586Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ae81fc1a8f8e37e1301e675114fa2e4011612696abd5d60918871a32f7ea0d8a","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-140","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-138",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-sky-fell-cover.jpg"]