The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 169, Page 184: The Overlord's Reign Ends! A Legend Rises!

Li Mi is very strong.

Not only is he superior in military strategy, but his personal martial arts skills are also among the best of all the warlords and overlords of the time.

Zhang Xutuo, the famous general of the Sui Dynasty who had won countless battles and wiped out numerous rebel armies, was defeated and killed in battle by Li Mi.

Li Mi also became famous throughout the world after that battle, and took over the banner of "victorious in every battle".

At this moment, Li Mi was at his wit's end, yet he still displayed astonishing martial prowess.

Dangdang Dangdang!
Amidst the ear-piercing clang of metal striking metal, Li Mi wielded his heavy steel spear, deflecting all the swords, spears, and daggers launched by Lu Chen with his sword wind force field, managing to defend flawlessly.

Taking advantage of Lu Chen's offensive distraction, Xu Ziling leaped into the air, gripping an iron spear with both hands, and swung it high above his head with a sharp cry:
"Li Mi, prepare to die!"

call!
The iron spear struck down, its immense force bending the shaft into a bow shape.

Li Mi, with disheveled hair and a cold gaze, swung his heavy steel spear to meet Xu Ziling's iron spear as it came crashing down. With a loud clang, Xu Ziling was jolted and thrown aside, spear and all.

In the original timeline, even after undergoing the transformation of his meridians and acupoints through the He Shi Bi jade, which greatly enhanced his martial arts, Xu Ziling was still shaken and his blood churned every time he parried Li Mi's spear. Li Mi was even confident that he could defeat Li Mi in a two-on-one fight, with Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling working together.

Xu Ziling did not obtain the opportunity to acquire the He Shi Bi jade. Although Lu Chen granted him the method of cultivating Yin and Yang energies together with Kou Zhong, his cultivation time was still short and far from the immediate effect of the He Shi Bi jade. Of course, he was no match for Li Mi.

At this moment, Kou Zhong, who was charging from the rear camp, also took to the air. Jing Zhongyue unleashed a bright yellow blade of light, slashing heavily towards the back of Li Mi's head.

Li Mi seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, holding the spear with one hand and flicking it with his backhand.

The spear tip first struck Kou Zhong's blade with unparalleled precision, halting his momentum. Then, it flicked upwards, sending Kou Zhong tumbling and rolling back the way he came, like a tossed straw.

Zhai Jiao, Xuan Yong, and other former generals of Wagang, as well as experts from the Yanshi army, also made their moves, but none of them could withstand a single blow from Li Mi. They were all easily knocked away or pulled back by Li Mi's casual spear. Some weapons flew out of their hands, and some even spat out blood, suffering internal injuries from the shock.

The group besieging Li Mi was quickly forced back by him, and then they were entangled by the Wagang generals Pei Renji and Pei Xingyan, who came to his aid, as well as martial arts masters such as Fu Zhen and Fu Yan, resulting in a chaotic melee.

But no one came to bother Lu Chen.

Dugu Feng and Wanwan knew that Li Mi was Lu Chen's prey, so they did not participate in the siege. Instead, they each led a cavalry squad to block the loyal Li Mi's veteran soldiers from Pushan Public Camp who were trying to come to his rescue.

In the midst of the fierce battle, amidst galloping warhorses and duels of masters, a small, peaceful area mysteriously appeared.

One of them is Li Mi, riding a warhorse, wearing heavy armor, and carrying a heavy steel spear.

At one end stood Lu Chen, dressed in a black robe and wielding two large bronze hammers.

Li Mi stared intently at Lu Chen, his eyes filled with hatred and incomprehension, and demanded sharply:

"Why exactly?"

With his skill, he naturally heard Lu Chen and Shen Luoyan's exchange.

But he didn't believe Lu Chen's reason that "the waterside pavilion was destroyed" a thousand times over.

He didn't even believe Lu Chen's later statement, "An invincible man cannot be humiliated," preferring to believe that Lu Chen was invited by Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling to come and help.

Otherwise, if it were really because of that seemingly joking reason, wouldn't it make Li Mi's dream of conquering the world seem to have ended too absurdly?
Wouldn't Li Mi become a laughingstock for all time?
however.

Lu Chen ruthlessly shattered his illusions:
"The newly renovated waterside pavilion has just been put into use. It was made entirely of precious woods. I still vividly remember the fragrance and feel of each type of wood... but your people destroyed it."

When Li Mi asked "why," the generals and experts who were fighting fiercely around him also pricked up their ears, wanting to hear why Lu Chen insisted on attacking Li Mi.

However, Lu Chen's answer made everyone, friend or foe, feel that it was absurd.

Is it really just for a waterside pavilion?
wrong!

The waterside pavilion is just the stated reason; the real core reason is still the saying, "An invincible person cannot be humiliated!"
Li Mi was too arrogant and conceited.

That night, none of the feudal lords made a move against Lu Chen.

Even Li Shimin, who had a multitude of skilled warriors under his command, and Wang Shichong, who controlled the army and had a large number of skilled fighters under his command, did not send anyone to take action.

Li Mi alone sent Chao Gongcuo and Mei Tian to seize the He Shi Bi jade, and also destroyed Lu Chen's newly built waterside pavilion made of precious wood.

Compared to other warlords, wasn't Li Mi's behavior a blatant provocation and humiliation?
Lu Chen is making an example of Li Mi to warn all the feudal lords in the world—an invincible man cannot be humiliated!
Having realized this, the Wagang generals sighed inwardly, their fighting spirit teetering on the brink of collapse.

Li Mi, however, glared angrily and roared in fury:
"impossible!"

Even now, he still refuses to admit his arrogance and conceit.

"Whatever you think."

Lu Chen said indifferently:

"The point is, you're going to die here today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath Lu Chen's feet exploded with a deafening roar, and his body shot up, soaring above Li Mi's head. He raised his double hammers high above his head and slammed them down hard on Li Mi.

Bang!
With a muffled, thunderous explosion, the air beneath the hammer exploded into layers of visible milky-white air waves, like raging, surging waves crashing towards Li Mi.

Another invisible force field descended from the sky, pressing down on Li Mi and binding him to the spot.

Li Mi's eyes widened in fury, his long hair whipping wildly. He mustered all his strength, unleashing his true energy, which he concentrated on his heavy steel spear, and thrust it swiftly towards the sky.

This spear strike showcased his martial arts prowess to the fullest, breaking through the raging air currents and even the invisible force field. The spear tip, like a venomous snake and lightning, swiftly pierced towards Lu Chen's lower abdomen, attempting to take advantage of the long weapon to strike Lu Chen first.

Lu Chen slammed down with his twin hammers, which snapped together like two ghosts knocking on a door, trying to clamp down on Li Mi's spear and break it.

But Li Mi flicked his wrist, and the steel-forged spear shaft vibrated and trembled like a snake. The spearhead hissed and whistled, creating many afterimages. Suddenly, it drew a strange arc, narrowly avoiding the attack of the two hammers, and thrust towards Lu Chen's throat.

Lu Chen's twin hammers were too late to block this attack.

However, he had anticipated that while these two large bronze hammers were fierce and invincible in sweeping away thousands of troops and destroying morale, they would not be effective against top masters.

Each of the two sledgehammers weighs over 370 kilograms, and the inertia when swung is too great.

Even if he could handle heavy objects with ease and use the wind force field of the sword to overcome inertia, in front of a master like Li Mi, whose reactions are as fast as lightning and whose moves are ever-changing, even the slight delay when overcoming inertia could reveal a flaw.

Therefore, he didn't bother to parry Li Mi's steel spear.

He threw his two hammers at Li Mi, while Li Mi's steel spear pierced his throat.

puff!
With a muffled thud, Li Mi's steel spear struck Lu Chen squarely in the throat.

This blow was something no one in the world could withstand.

Even if the three grandmasters were to be stabbed in the throat by Li Mi's spear, they would be severely injured even if they did not die.

However, only a faint red mark appeared on Lu Chen's throat!
If it were only the defense during the "skin and flesh tempering" stage, it would certainly not be able to withstand Li Mi's spear. But now, Lu Chen's sword body's "tendon and bone tempering" cultivation has covered his entire shoulder and neck, and even his crown and temples have been tempered.

Li Mi stabbed him in the chest, abdomen, and face, and Lu Chen had to dodge or block, but his throat was no problem.

With a defense at the "strengthening muscles and bones" level, even someone as strong as Li Mi could not pierce his throat with a single spear.

Lu Chen not only blocked Li Mi's spear at the cost of only a red mark, but also raised his hand and gripped the spearhead tightly. His finger strength, which was at the level of "turning copper into mud," combined with his true qi, made it impossible for Li Mi to retract the spear.

Li Mi didn't even have time to be shocked that his spear had failed. Faced with the two large bronze hammers flying towards him, he could only let go of the spear, clench his fists, and throw a punch at each of the two large bronze hammers.

Two loud bangs.

Li Mi's signature move, "Earthly Fiend Fist," is a renowned and extraordinary skill in the martial arts world. With just two punches, he sent two heavy hammers weighing over 370 pounds flying.

However, he himself was also shaken by the fierce force attached to the hammer, which made his arm numb and his blood churn. His warhorse let out a mournful cry, and its body burst with a series of cracking sounds as it collapsed, blood gushing from its mouth and nose.

Li Mi leaped off his horse.

Still in the air and not yet on the ground, Lu Chen gripped the spear upside down with one hand and hurled it at Li Mi with the shaft.

Li Mi roared and mustered all his strength once more, unleashing a barrage of punches. His "Earthly Fiend Fist," like an explosion of earth fire, slammed into the spear shaft, shattering the steel shaft piece by piece.

But Li Mi was also startled and staggered backward.

Lu Chen used the force of the recoil to leap into the air again, pointed his fingers like a sword, and thrust out a sword.

Sa——

The wind howled.

Thousands of needle-shaped sword beams, aided by the sword wind, descended upon Li Mi like a torrential downpour.

At the same time, Lu Chen's "Heart Sword" trembled, and a spiritual force emanated from him, spreading around him.

Li Mi instantly lost all perception of Lu Chen.

His eyes were filled with a blinding white light, and his vision became completely empty. All he could hear was the roar of sword wind and the clang of swords. His sense of energy was completely blocked. He felt that Lu Chen's aura was everywhere, as if Lu Chen was attacking him from all directions.

Li Mi knew that he had reached a critical moment of life and death.

Blind in both sight and mind, he could only roar and unleash his fists in all directions and above his head. His Earthly Fiend Fist Force was like a volcanic eruption and surging lava, attempting to block Lu Chen's deadly attack that was about to come from nowhere with his impenetrable and overwhelming fist force.

Unfortunately, just like Shi Feixuan couldn't block Lu Chen's sword strike from the sky with her impenetrable sword barrier.

Li Mi's aimless barrage of punches, seemingly dense and flawless, was too evenly distributed. In Lu Chen's eyes, the defensive line built with his punches was full of weak points and loopholes.

His fingertips trembled with energy, and he easily followed the weak points of the fist's power, dissecting the imposing, molten earth-fiend fist power that was blocking his way, like a butcher carving up an ox, until it vanished without a trace.

Li Mi's defensive line of punches was thus wide open.

By the time Li Mi was finally able to sense Lu Chen's true presence, Lu Chen had already closed in to a fatal distance.

Zheng——

Suddenly, a sword-like clang rang out from the sword's point.

The sound of the sword was not heard with the ears, but originated from the heart.

Everyone who "heard" this resounding sound, whether friend or foe, couldn't help but conjure up a strange scene in their minds, as if they saw a bolt of lightning piercing the night sky, an aurora beam parting the sea, or a stunning rainbow piercing through the sun.

Sword One: White Rainbow Piercing the Sun!

Facing this sword directly, Li Mi saw his own end in sight.

But he was unwilling to do so.

He was unwilling to let the story end here, unwilling to let his dream of conquering the world be shattered.

He roared and unleashed his final punch with a desperate, suicidal intent, trying to force Lu Chen to back down. But this punch seemed so slow and weak in the face of the sword's momentum that seemed to pierce the sun like a white rainbow.

puff!
Lu Chen pointed his sword at Li Mi's brow, and Li Mi's powerful and dense protective true energy instantly collapsed. Only a faint red mark appeared between his brows, but his head exploded with a "poof" sound, creating a hole the size of a cup, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Lu Chen dodged Li Mi's final punch by shifting his body to the side. The violent force of the punch was unleashed, rushing out three zhang away and tearing everything in its path—corpses, dead horses, and weapons—into pieces, but it failed to harm Lu Chen in the slightest.

In the instant Li Mi passed by, Lu Chen pointed his fingers like a sword and gently slashed at Li Mi's neck.

chap!
With a soft thud, Li Mi's head flew into the air. Lu Chen grabbed it with his backhand, lifted the severed hair high, and said calmly:

"Li Mi is dead, why don't you surrender now?"

The sound was not loud, but it drowned out the clanging of weapons and the shouts of men and neighing of horses on the battlefield, and spread far and wide.

Most of the Wagang generals looked at Li Mi's head, which was filled with resentment and unrepentant in death, sighed, and threw down their weapons.

A very small number of Wagang generals roared in despair, leading the last loyal soldiers of the Pushan Public Camp who were devoted to Li Mi, and charged forward in an attempt to retrieve Li Mi's body and head. However, they were surrounded and killed on the spot by a group of experts led by Dugu Feng, Wanwan, and Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Zhai Jiao, and others, who had freed themselves after their opponents surrendered.

When the final battle ended, the entire battlefield, starting from the center, gradually quieted down.

Those closest to Lu Chen looked at the tall figure standing in the center of the battlefield, holding Li Mi's head aloft with one hand, his black robe fluttering in the wind. Even though his face was calm and he seemed to have no murderous intent, a deep sense of awe rose in everyone's eyes.

Everyone who witnessed this scene had it deeply imprinted in their minds.

this day.

Lu Chen used Li Mi's head, the invincible overlord who had never been defeated, to completely solidify his reputation as the "master of the battlefield."

The process and outcome of the Battle of Mangshan, and most importantly, the reasons for Lu Chen's involvement in the battle, spread throughout the world after the war as soldiers and experts from both sides shared the story.

All the warlords listed "absolutely not to be provoked, and never to be slighted by Lu Chen" as their first rule.

perhaps.

Only the Turks, whom the northern heroes, including the Li Tang dynasty, feared and even flattered, did not take Lu Chen too seriously.

Because the Turks commanded hundreds of thousands of archers.

Also because the Turks had a "warrior" named Bi Xuan.

[This chapter is 4K words. The next chapter is almost finished and will be posted before 10 AM. Please vote with monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)