Chapter 126

"Old Man Heaven-Silkworm?"

Li Miao squinted sideways at Wan Tianzong.

"Oh, it's you."

The evil technique that Zuo Lishan obtained from the Bright Sect was precisely derived from a remnant copy of the "Heaven-Silkworm Divine Art" created by this very person.

However, this man had vanished from the world thirty years ago, and he was already quite old at that time. By calculation, he must be seventy years old now; yet after escaping the state of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, he actually still looked like a man in his thirties.

It seems the imperial court's secret method for hiding these Heaven-Man Realm experts not only delays the progression of the "Five Decays of Heaven and Man" but even has the effect of extending life.

However, according to what Zhu Zai said, this method is more akin to putting these experts into "hibernation," waking them only when necessary to do things. The Emperor and high officials do not use this method to extend their lives, which is likely for this very reason.

Returning to the present, Wan Tianzong looked at Li Miao and nodded.

"I did not expect that after thirty years of not walking the Ordinary Jianghu, such a remarkable junior as you would appear."

"Merging three paths into one, and even self-damaging your realm in advance to avoid the Five Decays of Heaven and Man. In today's life-and-death struggle, I truly do not have absolute certainty of defeating you."

"It is a pity that whether you win or lose, you are destined to die today."

Wan Tianzong had not heard the conversation between Zhu Zai and Li Miao.

In his view, Li Miao was at the perfection of the "Vajra" path with the other two paths incomplete, which was roughly similar to his own state of two paths perfected.

If Li Miao fought him like this, the end would be mutual destruction. But if Li Miao were to perfect another path, even if he could defeat him, without the imperial court's secret method, he would still die from the Five Decays of Heaven and Man.

Of course, according to his own line of thinking, he himself was also doomed either way.

He was actually using psychological warfare at the moment, wanting to disturb Li Miao's state of mind so that his moves would show flaws during their life-and-death struggle.

A struggle of life and death is decided by a hair's breadth. It allows for no hesitation or retreat.

For every bit of hesitation Li Miao showed, he gained a bit more chance of victory.

Unlike Zuo Lishan and Yun Zelin, Wan Tianzong's Heaven-Man Realm was truly cultivated by himself and honed through life-and-death combat. In terms of fighting experience, he was far superior to the two of them.

Just as Wan Tianzong spoke with conviction, believing he had already devised a plan in his heart,

Li Miao let out a soft laugh.

"Look at how arrogant you are."

Having said that, the dust under his feet moved without wind, blowing in all directions.

His head of dark hair suddenly turned to snow.

"The old man is still waiting for my help, so I won't waste any more words with you."

Boom!!!

His legs slammed into the ground with a dull thud, like a heavy hammer striking a drum.

In an instant, Li Miao had already appeared in front of Wan Tianzong.

"!!!"

Without time to think, Wan Tianzong instinctively raised his hand and struck a palm toward Li Miao.

As the palm struck out, cold air overflowed; before it even reached him, it had already coated the lapel of Li Miao's chest with a layer of thin ice.

Li Miao did not dodge at all, countering with a palm of his own, intending to meet attack with attack!

The two palms collided, and it was as if a glacier had fallen into magma, instantly steaming with massive amounts of water vapor.

Thump, thump, thump, thump—

Wan Tianzong retreated rapidly to dissipate the force, and midway, he raised his hand and struck a palm into the void toward the water vapor.

The cold air dispersed the water vapor, but Li Miao had already lost his shadow.

"!!!"

Wan Tianzong's pupils shrank, his body turned, and he struck a backhand palm behind him.

But he struck empty air.

"Look up."

Li Miao's voice rang out from mid-air.

Wan Tianzong looked up abruptly, and Li Miao was actually in mid-air, his leg-axe already before his face!

"So obedient."

"Iron Punishment Battle Post," "One Axe"!

His looking up had perfectly delivered his face right under Li Miao's move; it was too late to hastily raise his palms in defense.

But Wan Tianzong was, after all, a Heaven-Man Realm expert forged in battle; between life and death, he instantly found a clever solution.

In a flash, his left leg slid down, his body tilted to the left, and his right arm bent at the elbow, rotating with his body to strike diagonally upward, colliding head-on with Li Miao's leg-axe!

Boom!!!

A dull thud echoed in all directions.

At this moment, both sides were using their full strength.

Who would come out on top!?

Wan Tianzong had, after all, changed his move in a hurry, having to disrupt his own stance to keep up with Li Miao's offensive.

While Li Miao had used his full strength and true energy, and had also borrowed the momentum of his descent.

The difference was immediately clear!

In an instant, Wan Tianzong's right elbow was struck down, and although the leg-axe had lost some of its force, it still carried residual power as it smashed fiercely onto Wan Tianzong's shoulder!

Crack.

Wan Tianzong's right collarbone was smashed to pieces!

But he showed no reaction at all, as if that were not his own body.

He raised his left palm and struck toward Li Miao's chest and abdomen in mid-air with a move called "A Crane Soars to the Sky."

Li Miao, having succeeded in his strike, immediately used a "Ladder Cloud Leap" to rise another ten feet in the air, landing lightly in the distance.

Among the four moves of the "Iron Punishment Battle Post," the blade is sharp, the hook is vicious, and the cannon is fierce.

The axe is heavy.

This leg-axe strike, while not as brutal as the "One Blade" Li Miao used to split Yun Zelin open, exposing flesh and blood,

still had its force penetrate deep into Wan Tianzong's body. At this moment, his right lung had already been injured, and he stood on the spot coughing several times.

"Ptooey."

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood mixed with minced flesh.

Let me add an aside here: the martial arts of the Great Ming Ordinary Jianghu are by no means as "civilized" as the martial arts dramas of Li Miao's past life.

Two experts fighting to the death, the winner has a wisp of blood at the corner of his mouth, the loser has a thin sword wound on his chest and dies with a smile. Both are neatly dressed, with only their hair slightly disheveled—this situation would never happen in a Great Ming Ordinary Jianghu struggle.

Strong offense and weak defense, flesh and blood flying, severed arms and broken limbs—that is the norm for Great Ming Ordinary Jianghu struggles.

This is not a romantic Ordinary Jianghu, but a bloody one.

Therefore, Zuo Lishan having his left hand twisted off by Li Miao, and Yun Zelin having his right lung split open by Li Miao, could both continue to fight without changing their expressions, because they had long since grown accustomed to this cruel Ordinary Jianghu.

And Wan Tianzong was the same.

Li Miao's move had sent force through his body, smashing the upper edge of his right lung.

What he spat out was precisely the flesh and blood of his own right lung. At this moment, every breath felt like being cut by knives and scorched by fire.

Yet he did not change his expression, only staring fixedly at Li Miao, secretly operating his self-created unique skill, the "Heaven-Silkworm Art."

One could see wisps of white silk gradually growing from his right chest, wrapping his right half-chest up.

This technique is an internal healing art famous for its endless vitality.

Li Miao shook his right palm, shedding a layer of thin ice, and looked at Wan Tianzong: "Ice Silkworm Poison Palm."

"Your martial arts are not bad, it's just that your brain doesn't work so well."

"I told you to look up and you really did?"

Wan Tianzong said coldly: "You want to trade lives with me?"

"With two paths perfected and one incomplete, your Five Decays of Heaven and Man will come faster than mine. I only need to drag this out until you die of old age, and I will win."

Li Miao sneered.

"Someone thought that way last time, and then he died."

"Stop the nonsense, continue."

Having said that, without waiting for Wan Tianzong to reply, Li Miao flashed forward and struck a "Step-Forward Parry-and-Punch" toward Wan Tianzong's chest.

This was not the playful struggle with Yun Zelin on Mount Taishan; Li Miao would not give Wan Tianzong a chance to heal.

Although Zhu Zai had an air of confidence, he was a man who cared about his reputation.

The reason he whispered that extra sentence asking Li Miao to come help him after finishing was because his duel with Bu Lei was truly a toss-up.

(End of chapter)