The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

Without further hesitation, he bent down and scooped Wang Yuyan up in his arms, his movements gentle yet steady, ensuring she didn't experience the slightest jolt.

"This is the 'Sad Breeze' poison from the Western Xia First-Class Hall! This poison is colorless and has a sweet fragrance. It can make people's muscles and bones weak and seal their internal energy. It is very insidious and domineering, and is specially used to deal with people in the martial arts world."

Wang Yuyan gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek against his warm shoulder, which calmed her fear slightly.

Li Xiao carried her and quickened his pace toward the edge of the forest.

He knew in his heart that, according to the original plot, Xiao Feng would never sit idly by and leave the Beggar Clan disciples in the forest or A Zhu and A Bi, and would eventually find a way to rescue them.

Moreover, the Beggars' Sect members' initial suspicion and exclusion of Xiao Feng in the Apricot Grove had already made Li Xiao lose all goodwill towards the sect.

It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. This group of people attacked their own gang leader without asking any questions, clearly showing they are a bunch of brainless idiots.

Just as the two stepped out of the apricot grove and were about to step onto the official road ahead, they suddenly heard a rapid sound of horses' hooves behind them.

The sound of hooves was heavy and rapid, like that of well-trained cavalry. Moreover, judging from the sound, the horses were galloping towards them without the slightest hesitation, clearly heading straight for them.

Li Xiao paused, pulled Wang Yuyan closer in his arms, and slowly turned around.

As the sun set, several fine horses galloped towards them. The riders were dressed in uniform Western Xia clothing, with swords at their waists and cold expressions. The leader wore a Western Xia-style helmet, and his sharp, star-like eyes were fixed on him and Wang Yuyan in his arms. Clearly, they were up to no good.

"Brother Li..."

Wang Yuyan sensed the other party's hostility and subconsciously tightened her arms, her voice trembling slightly.

Li Xiao looked down at her, his tone steady and reassuring: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

He slightly pushed off with his feet, shifting his weight to the side while holding Wang Yuyan, landing steadily under a large tree by the roadside. His gaze was cold as he watched the approaching cavalry, already prepared with a plan. He wanted to see why the people of the Western Xia First-Class Hall were relentlessly pursuing them.

The cavalry arrived in an instant. When they got close, Li Xiao could see that there were eight riders in total, all dressed in the uniform of the Western Xia First-Class Hall. They were tall and straight, with a refined aura, and were obviously all skilled fighters.

When the eight men were still three zhang away from Li Xiao and his companion, they all reined in their horses and dismounted in unison. Their movements were swift and uniform, and they landed without making a sound, demonstrating their solid skills.

The leader stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over Li Xiao and Wang Yuyan in his arms. He then shouted sternly, "I am Helian Tieshu of the Western Xia First-Class Hall! No one in this forest is allowed to leave today! Surrender now!"

"Helian Tieshu?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao was so angry that he laughed, a cold smile curving his lips.

He had originally planned to stay out of it and let Yipintang and the Beggars' Sect get entangled, since Beisu Qingfeng was after the Beggars' Sect, and it had nothing to do with him.

But to everyone's surprise, Helian Tieshu, without distinguishing right from wrong, directly targeted him and actively sought out trouble.

Since he's so clueless, then he can't be blamed for being ruthless.

Hearing this, Wang Yuyan, who was slumped under the tree, quickly whispered a reminder: "Brother Li, Helian Tieshu is the head of the Xixia First-Class Hall. He has extremely high martial arts skills and many skilled fighters under his command..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Xiao flicked his wrist, and a gleaming alloy spear appeared in his hand. The spear reflected the faint light of the setting sun and exuded a chilling killing intent.

The members of Yipintang were clearly stunned by Li Xiao's move, frozen in place, their faces full of confusion.

The spear was over ten feet long and had a thick shaft. It was definitely not a small object that could be hidden on one's person. He had clearly been empty-handed just now, so how did this weapon appear out of thin air?

Their eyes met, and they could see the astonishment and confusion in each other's eyes. For a moment, they forgot to rush forward and attack, completely captivated by this bizarre scene.

Li Xiao didn't have time to give them a moment to be stunned. He circulated the Northern Darkness True Qi in his dantian, and strands of powerful true qi flowed down his arm and into the steel spear.

The originally shiny gun body instantly developed a light blue halo, and as the tip of the gun trembled, it faintly emitted a low roar like a dragon's cry.

His footwork was ever-changing, a testament to the exquisite Lingbo Weibu technique, leaving behind several afterimages like a ghost.

His attack this time was not a probing move at all; every move was filled with deadly intent.

The spear flashed like a torrential downpour, and the more than ten-foot-long spear was as easy to wield as an arm. Sometimes it thrust straight at the enemy like a thunderbolt breaking through an enemy formation, and sometimes it swept across the enemy like a whirlwind swirling leaves. The spear force, enhanced by the Northern Darkness True Qi, was incomparably domineering, and the sound of it tearing through the air was deafening wherever it passed.

Just as the members of Yipintang were recovering from their shock, they were blocked from retreat by the oncoming gust of gunfire, leaving them no room to parry.

A flash of cold light, followed by a spray of blood. Before a scream could even escape his throat, the sharp tip of the spear struck and locked his throat.

"Thump—"

"Thump—"

The sound of bodies falling heavily to the ground rang out repeatedly. The eight experts of the First-Class Hall, including Helian Tieshu, had all perished in less than three breaths, their blood staining the ground beneath their feet.

Li Xiao lowered his spear, the blood at the tip dripping onto the ground, spreading out in dark red spots.

He adjusted his breathing slightly, feeling somewhat surprised.

Today was the first time he had fought with all his might since leaving Leigu Mountain. The Northern Darkness True Qi and Lingbo Weibu complemented each other, and with the alloy spear in his hand, the destructive power was terrifying!

He glanced sideways at Helian Tieshu's corpse, the burly body lying in a pool of blood, eyes wide open, clearly unable to believe he had been defeated so quickly even in death.

It should be noted that Helian Tieshu, as the head of the First-Class Hall of Xixia, was a first-class master recognized in the martial arts world. His hard skills were fierce and domineering, and ordinary martial arts masters could not even withstand three moves from him. However, he never expected that he would die on the spot without even lasting one move from him.

Under a large tree nearby, Wang Yuyan was so shocked by what she saw that her beautiful eyes widened. She clenched her hands tightly, her face full of disbelief.

Although she had never practiced martial arts, she had read extensively since childhood and was well-versed in martial arts classics. In terms of martial arts theory, few in the martial arts world could match her.

But Li Xiao's skills today completely overturned her understanding.

The unpredictable Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), the domineering and powerful Beiming Zhenqi (another martial arts technique), and the sharp and swift spear techniques all exuded unbelievable strength. Not to mention seeing it with her own eyes, she had never heard of such terrifying martial arts skills in ancient books.

For a moment, she stared at Li Xiao's back, her eyes filled with shock and confusion, as if she were getting to know the man in front of her all over again.

"broken!"

Li Xiao suddenly slapped his forehead in frustration, his tone full of regret. The cold and murderous aura he had just exuded dissipated in an instant, leaving only a sense of deep remorse.