[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-670":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"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},2262975,4415,"Chapter 670: Street Corner Duel","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-670",670,"\u003Cp>Bullies block the door; foul water is splashed against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Yan arrived, this was the scene he saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crowd of townsfolk had gathered around, pointing and whispering, enjoying the spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had seen this kind of thing too many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tricks these thugs used to annoy people were endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yelling in the street,” “lying in coffins,” “pouring boiling oil on themselves,” “opening the shit channel”…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever made you suffer, they’d do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And often, you truly had no way to deal with these people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you reported them to the authorities, they’d get dragged to jail, beaten, and locked up for a few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After release, they’d be praised as heroes and retaliate with even more disgusting acts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even wealth and power didn’t guarantee you could avoid them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, a tyrannical merchant, seeing a gang come to his shop to self-mutilate and extort money, ordered his servants to beat them to death. He later bribed the officials into covering it up, thinking he was safe forever—only to find it was the start of his nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, rats and flies infested his shop; then, at night, human excrement was dumped at his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gang even drew death lots—every few days, someone would come to his shop to die on purpose, nearly forcing him to shut down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the barefoot unafraid of the shod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the merchant could only accept his bad luck and hire someone to host a banquet and make peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan found nothing strange about these scoundrels’ antics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What surprised him was that Zhang Tiankui, a high-level Daoist, still clung to these thug habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Lu San and the others arrived at the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft! Trying this crap on us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li-fei spat, immediately lifting his Divine Fire Gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, no, no!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old shopkeeper of the Shanxi Guild Hall immediately broke into a sweat, stopping him: “He’s just a bottom-tier scum. Gentlemen, don’t bother with him. Look how loud he is, but he dares not enter this guild hall. I’ll handle this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last night, the Hou Family Alley burned down. If you start a fight here, they’ll pin the blame on Li Shaoxia. The Jinghai Gang has deep ties to the Naval Camp—if the army moves to arrest you, there’ll be no turning back…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a few words, he laid out the risks clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, the old shopkeeper feared Li Yan’s group more than Zhang Tiankui outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the intelligence—he knew exactly what they were capable of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui might pull dirty tricks, but when the Twelve Zodiacs moved, corpses piled high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chang’an, Yunyang, Chongqing, Chengdu, Luoyang…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people had all crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Shanxi Guild wished to befriend them, they couldn’t afford such a massive trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li-fei clearly saw the old man’s thoughts and chuckled: “Relax, boss. We’re staying at the guild—we won’t drag you into this. But it’s too late now. Look, Young Master Li’s already back. With his temper, that fool below is done for.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old shopkeeper leaned out to look—and sighed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed today’s affair couldn’t be settled peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Sha Li-fei said, Li Yan in the crowd had already prepared to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Jianghu, hearts are poisonous, and tongues are no less so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent used these bottom-tier tactics to force them to reveal themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they ignored it, worse rumors would follow, tarnishing the Twelve Zodiacs’ reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the Jianghu—everyone wants fame and glory, but with benefits come troubles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as Li Yan was about to move, he paused, glancing at the nearby Wang Baohu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering their earlier conversation, Li Yan reached into his robe, gripping the Twelve Zodiacs’ coin, and silently tapped it with his spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These complete sets of coins were extremely rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had each acquired one set by chance during the Cave Assembly at Huashan and Mount Qingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sets, woven with secret knotting techniques, yin and yang opposing each other, and combined with matching talismans, formed a special resonance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When one tapped, the others felt the vibration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the range was limited, it had become their secret communication device.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap~ tap-tap~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the guild hall, as Li Yan tapped, the others all reached into their robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The code they used was designed by Wang Daoxuan—simple, yet clear in meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s signal was simple: act, subdue the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes turned to Wu Ba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui might be a bottom-tier scum, but his martial skill was no joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of all of them, only Wu Ba could reliably overpower him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On any other day, Wu Ba would have scratched his scalp with his basket-sized hand and chuckled foolishly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he remained silent, his gaze cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since leaving Cangzhou, he had been like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Qu had been his master; this giant had always suppressed his killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Guy, hold back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li-fei, uneasy, quickly warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba nodded silently, then strode forward, ripped open the window, and leapt down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In everyone’s view, Wu Ba’s iron-tower frame crashed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His landing shook the earth; yellow dust churned up around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Where’d this idiot come from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui tilted his head, spat out sugarcane pulp, and glanced sideways: “This Li Yan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, a middle-aged scholar with a white fan hurried over and whispered: “Second Master, word is Li Yan is young, just a brat. This man here must be the ‘Chou Niu’ of the Twelve Zodiacs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh. What a stupid name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui sneered, his face full of contempt—but his eyes had grown serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A true expert reveals his skill with one move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui possessed extraordinary physique and exceptional talent; since childhood, he had made his name in Tianjin, fought countless martial artists from north and south, and thus carried immense pride. Even though he’d heard the Twelve Zodiacs were rising in Daoist circles, he hadn’t taken them seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But facing Wu Ba, whose physique matched his own, he suddenly felt a threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hss~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba slid his foot, assuming a stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui laughed, twisted his neck, the bronze wrestling rings clinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little brat of the Baji School… dare you cause trouble in Tianjin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, he lunged forward—clearly aiming for a surprise attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most fighters strike with their hands, but as he neared Wu Ba, he suddenly dropped low and swept his left leg along the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the “Scoop Sand from the Waves” from his Seventy-Two Dragon Wrestling Techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move was treacherous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A normal martial artist who failed to dodge would have his shin shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he dodged, Zhang Tiankui had a follow-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba wasn’t afraid—he sank his waist, rooted his stance, and used “Thousand-Pound Descent,” grounding his lower body like a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, he launched “Tiger Hardly Climbs the Mountain,” grabbing for Zhang Tiankui’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His palm cut the air; his arm bones cracked loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Tiankui had anticipated it—he turned the sweep into a feint, twisted his body, and seized Wu Ba’s belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get up, grandpa!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui roared, twisting his waist and hips, unleashing the force of an over-the-shoulder throw that exploded along his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba’s massive body was lifted clean off the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui trained under the Cangzhou Wrestling King and had surpassed him—his power was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had reached the peak of Hua Jin; in daily practice, he wrestled stone lions for fun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this throw landed, no one could withstand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suspended in midair, Wu Ba remained calm—he bent his elbow and smashed downward, targeting the opponent’s ear with “Yanwang’s Three Fingers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good kid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the wind pressure near his ear, Zhang Tiankui had no choice but to release his grip and lean back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His scalp scraped past Wu Ba’s elbow, pulling loose a strand of bloody gray hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wu Ba landed, his rear heel suddenly kicked upward—a sweeping kick aimed straight at the opponent’s shinbone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui rolled forward, then sprang up, grabbing a stone pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the hitching post outside the Shanxi Guild Hall—he gripped it and ripped it clean from the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Zhang Tiankui’s style: though his martial skill was high, he fought like a street thug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stone pillar, thick as a bowl’s mouth, swept sideways with a whistling wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba did not dodge or retreat; he crossed his arms and took the blow head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a thunderous crash, and the stone pillar shattered on impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the flying debris, Wu Ba suddenly advanced and drove his elbow forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui quickly raised his elbow to meet it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was at the peak of Hua Jin, his control over force exquisitely refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he could not withstand Wu Ba’s astonishing divine strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those around heard only a muffled thud, and the ground trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui staggered back three steps, slamming straight into the courtyard wall of the Jinzhou Guildhall, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in the brickwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui wiped the blood from his lips, then suddenly raised his hand. “Bring me wine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second Master, catch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, a man tossed a horsehide copper flask of wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui yanked out the stopper and tilted it back, gulping wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the crowd, Wang Company Commander’s face darkened slightly; he whispered, “Li Shaoxia, the Zhang man is summoning a spirit—be careful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan frowned slightly and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smelled the wine was wrong—strongly scented with perilla, the very kind used in spirit offerings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the wine carried the scent of incense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This spirit-summoning method was not rare in the Xuanmen martial world, and its techniques varied widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba was already physically formidable, had awakened his body’s divine power, and combined it with Kai Men Ba Ji—Li Yan himself would not dare meet it head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui was using Shen Da, clearly confident in his own art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, after downing the wine, Zhang Tiankui’s expression grew strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face flushed crimson, his skin took on a bronze hue, and the muscles of his arms rose like ancient tree roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The half-body blue dragon tattoo on his back gleamed with an eerie glow in the sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you take the chance to ambush?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui’s entire body now radiated sha qi; he glared at Wu Ba and sneered, “Fine, you’re a man of honor—but your grandpa doesn’t play by your rules!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Li Yan’s expression turned grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, spirit-summoning methods affected the mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, summoning “Guan Sheng Di Jun” or “San Tan Hai Hui Da Shen” would alter one’s voice and tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was inherent to the nature of spirit-summoning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What they summoned was never a true immortal or deity, but rather a visualization of a folk spirit—cultivated through daily devotion and incense offerings, and invoked to channel its power when needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more complete the form and spirit, the greater the power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was one exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui remained fully conscious—meaning he had mastered the essence of this art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kneel before me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui roared, stomped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body enveloped in sha qi, the yellow earth and blue bricks beneath his feet exploded into powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust and sand swirled, his aura terrifyingly immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His arms stretched like blue dragon claws, gripping fiercely for Wu Ba’s shoulders—classic jiao technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiao, when mastered, was no less powerful than any fist art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Zhang Tiankui’s shoulder-grab—visible, yet utterly impossible to evade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba locked his shoulders back, sank low, tucked his hips, and countered with “Bawang Zhe Jiang,” seizing Zhang’s wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as his fingers closed on Zhang Tiankui’s wrist, it felt like gripping a red-hot iron clamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the effect of the spirit-summoning martial art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zhang Tiankui’s entire body radiated sha qi capable of injuring others—like a porcupine bristling with venom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui snarled, twisted his arm, and unleashed the jiao technique “Jiu Qu Jiao,” reversing along Wu Ba’s tendons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba suddenly changed tactics—his elbow flickered like a serpent, twisting left and right, as if shrugging off a robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move, called “Tuo Pao Rang Wei,” dissolved Zhang’s grip, then he stepped forward, pressing his body sideways into the “Tie Shan Kao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui, now possessed by the spirit, refused to yield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their bodies collided; the muffled impact made onlookers’ teeth ache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many civilians stared wide-eyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men fought like wild beasts, their destructive power immense—in mere moments, the ground was pitted and uneven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What stunned them most was that Jinmen’s Zhang Tiankui could not gain even an inch against this outsider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle grew fiercer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui used the dust kicked up from the ground to mask his advance, his arms whirling in a jiao killing technique—“Hu Pu Shuang Zha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba ducked low, slipped under his legs, and struck with “Huang Ying Shuang Bao Zhua,” targeting his shen Yu  point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men grappled and tumbled, smashing straight through the guildhall’s courtyard wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd held their breath—but Li Yan, among them, relaxed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba’s true danger lay in his bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he lost control, he became like a berserker—his strength and speed surged further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now he remained calm, clearly holding himself in check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he’d need to save Zhang Tiankui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, after a barrage of attacks, Zhang Tiankui exposed an opening—Wu Ba seized his arm and hurled him into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flipped midair, landed, stumbled backward, his balance shattered by Wu Ba’s overwhelming force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, the outcome was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But suddenly—change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Foolish boy, you’ve been tricked!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wu Ba advance, Zhang Tiankui suddenly tore off the bronze jiao ring from his neck—it hummed violently in his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This object was a talisman specifically designed to enhance Shen Da.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha qi poured into it, and the ring shot out with a whistle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s face darkened; he leapt forward, ready to save him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba reacted instantly—sensing the iron scent, he arched his back into “Tie Ban Qiao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ring whizzed past his nose, then exploded with a thunderous crash beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had sheared off half the head of the stone lion at the guildhall’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Roar!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba, now truly enraged, rose and arched his lower back sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackling like popping beans, his spine erupted with sharp snaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like drawing a bow and releasing an arrow, Wu Ba shot forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chop! Smash! Crash! Press! Thrust! Advance…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eight Ji’s “Six Great Opens” exploded in rapid succession, his speed surging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui’s face turned pale; he crossed his arms to block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each clash of fist and elbow rang like metal striking metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Wu Ba’s storm of blows, the blue bricks beneath Zhang’s feet shattered layer by layer; the ground of half the street trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Wu Ba’s final strike—“Li Di Tong Tian Pao”—Zhang Tiankui’s defense shattered completely; his body flew backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After crashing through another wall, Zhang Tiankui struggled to rise, black blood trickling from his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It carried the stench of wine and incense—his spirit-summoning art had been broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You damn bitch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wu Ba advance with murderous intent, Zhang Tiankui cursed, then shut his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a man of principle—even facing death, he refused to beg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the blow never came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, Li Yan appeared and calmed Wu Ba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan patted Wu Ba’s shoulder, then stepped to Zhang Tiankui’s side and reached out to help him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui sneered and twisted his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something startled him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard he pushed, Li Yan always effortlessly neutralized him with the Immortal Seal Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui’s body involuntarily rose to his feet, supported by an unseen force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of skill is this…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shocked, Zhang Tiankui couldn’t help asking, “Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan smiled calmly and bowed with clasped fists. “I am Li Yan from Guanzhong. Pleased to meet you, Master Zhang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Tiankui said sternly, “I’m not any kind of boss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—you soon will be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Jinghai and Yu Wenhai are dead men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2683,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f57ef6dfb40a37faa6a362bfb459ee1854eb11db73da721b73a1357bf8a3a4c9","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-671","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-669",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]