The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Chapter 82 The Xiao Family

Click, click, click...

A series of fine, terrifying sounds of bones dislocating, accompanied by Wu Youde's inhuman screams, exploded in the quiet alley.

Li Yuan's five fingers trembled and twisted at a tiny but extremely tricky frequency. In an instant, all the ligaments of Wu Youde's right leg, from the ankle to the knee and then to the hip joint, were brutally torn apart, and the bones were twisted inch by inch!

"Ah!"

Wu Youde's eyeballs bulged out, bloodshot and the excruciating pain nearly overwhelmed his mind.

He tried to pull his leg back, but found that it was completely unresponsive, hanging limply in Li Yuan's hand.

Li Yuan let go, as if discarding a piece of junk.

Wu Youde lost his balance and collapsed to the ground, his right leg twisted at an odd angle.

He raised his head, and his eyes were filled with boundless fear and horror as he looked at Li Yuan.

This is not a battle, it's a massacre!

It was a strong, adult man wantonly abusing a three-year-old child!

The opponent's strength, speed, control over force, and the techniques they used that seemed to have been honed over hundreds of years.

His cunning and ruthlessness far exceeded his comprehension!

"You... what kind of monster are you?!" Wu Youde's voice trembled, his previous arrogance completely gone.

Li Yuan looked down at him with indifferent eyes, as if he were looking at a pile of dead flesh.

Wu Youde screamed inwardly, "That effortless yet overwhelming power, that casual yet deadly variation of moves, could never have been mastered without over a hundred years of honing skills and life-or-death battles!"

But how old is he?!

"No...don't kill me!"

Wu Youde moved backward in fear, his severed arms and legs leaving bloody marks on the bluestone.

"Spare you?"

Li Yuan smiled, but in Wu Youde's eyes, that smile was more terrifying than a vengeful ghost.

He stepped forward, one step at a time.

The footsteps were light, yet they seemed to tread on Wu Youde's heart.

As he approached, Li Yuan's figure suddenly became blurred.

Wu Youde only saw a blur flash by, and the next second, a hand lightly pressed down on the top of his head.

The palm was warm, and I hadn't used much force.

But Wu Youde felt a strange force, extremely concentrated and chillingly cold, like thousands of cold needles, silently piercing through his skull and penetrating deep into his brain.

He opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out. The last thing he saw reflected in his eyes was Li Yuan's calm eyes and the waning moon at the alley entrance, obscured by thin clouds and appearing particularly desolate.

Li Yuanshou.

The light in Wu Youde's eyes vanished instantly. He exhaled a long breath of cold air, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground. The black blood that slowly seeped from his mouth, nose, and ears froze into frost. His face was contorted, filled with the extreme fear and resentment he felt before his death.

His proud external martial arts skills were as fragile as paper in the face of his opponent's terrifying "Shaking Mountain Fist." From beginning to end, he couldn't even mount a decent counterattack.

Li Yuan wiped the other party's money bag, stopped looking at the corpse on the ground, turned around and looked in the direction of Cuiyuefang. His gaze seemed to penetrate through the walls and see the private room where the singing and dancing were still going strong.

He had overheard every word of the conversation between Wu Youde and Xiao Changfeng from the rooftop.

The night wind howled and swept through the alley, carrying a heavy stench of blood, blowing towards the dimly lit distance.

The moonlight struggled to pierce through the clouds, coldly illuminating Wu Youde's corpse, which was twisted in a bizarre posture, and also highlighting Li Yuan's tall, spear-like back.

It was nearly midnight.

Inside Cuiyuefang, the small red clay stove glowed a dark, blood-red hue, and the lingering aroma of warm wine wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of rouge in the cozy pavilion.

Xiao Changfeng had one arm around the girl's soft waist, the other hand holding a wine glass, his eyes glazed over as he looked out the window.

Outside the window, the north wind howls like a knife; inside, there is a fireplace, fine wine, and warm fragrance.

The snow began to fall at that moment.

June, snow.

At first, the droplets were fine and scattered, but in the blink of an eye, they became like goose feathers, fluttering against the window paper, and soon only a hollow white remained in the world.

"Old Wu..." Xiao Changfeng frowned, muttering, "Why did he take so long?"

Before the words were even finished, boom!

A loud bang violently shattered the stillness of the night.

That was the sound of cannon fire blasting open the city gates.

Immediately afterwards, explosions rang out all around, like firecrackers on New Year's Eve, spreading from the south to the north of the city without warning!

Xiao Changfeng's hand trembled, and the wine spilled all over his lapel.

He shoved the prostitute aside, stood up abruptly, and rushed to the window. There he saw flames soaring into the sky in the direction of the Weiyuan Escort Agency, the firelight licking the low-hanging snow clouds and dyeing half the horizon a terrifying orange-red.

The sounds of swords clashing, screams, wails, and the muffled thuds of collapsing buildings... the chaotic noise even drowned out the sound of the wind.

"What's going on?!"

His heart pounded wildly, a chill ran down his spine, and the effects of the alcohol dissipated almost instantly.

Before he could figure it out, fires broke out one after another inside the towering gable walls of the Xie family, in the backyard of the Cheng family mansion, and even in the area around the county government office. Screams could be faintly heard, as if the entire city had been thrown into hell at the same moment.

"not good!!"

Xiao Changfeng's pupils shrank sharply—in the direction of Tianlong Martial Arts School, with a loud bang, a burst of fire suddenly shot up, particularly dazzling in the darkness!

He disregarded everything else, burst through the door, and like a startled vulture, darted into the swirling snow.

The alleyway was narrow and deep.

The shadows cast by the high walls on both sides were so thick that they swallowed up the only remaining light from the snow.

The wind here becomes unpredictable, swirling and whipping up the loose snow on the ground, making strange, mournful noises.

Xiao Changfeng pushed his movement technique to its limit, his toes barely leaving a mark on the snow.

The ominous premonition in my heart grew stronger and stronger.

Just as he was about to leap out of the alley, the darkest part of the wall to his left stirred.

There was no sign, no sound.

A dark shadow, seemingly formed from the very darkness, suddenly "melted" and shot forward!

The speed was so fast that it tore apart the falling snowflakes. Wherever the figure passed, the strong wind plowed a straight, deep trench in the snow-covered ground, and snow foam exploded to both sides like waves!

A murderous intent, pure and cold, had enveloped his entire being!

At that moment, every hair on Xiao Changfeng's body stood on end!

Before he could see clearly, he felt the air on his left side suddenly freeze and compress. A fist came flying through the air, and the force it carried made a low "ringing" sound. It was like a dragon reaching out its claws, extremely fierce. It was the "Cloud Surge" starting move of the "Cloud Piercing Hand" that he knew all too well, but it was faster, more venomous, and more decisive!

A sneak attack?!

who?!

Xiao Changfeng, after all, was a seasoned veteran of countless battles and a master of the Transformation Realm. In his shock and anger, his blood and qi erupted instinctively, and decades of internal energy surged to his left arm in an instant.

The muscles in his left elbow bulged like iron, and his tendons and bones creaked as he slammed backward with a move called "Iron Gate Across the River." At the same time, his waist and hips twisted like a tightly wound rope, trying to deflect the fatal blow.

boom! ! !

The dull thud of the impact didn't feel like a physical collision; it sounded more like two solid iron hammers slamming together!

Xiao Changfeng felt an extremely sharp and concentrated force, as sharp as a steel needle, pierce through the thick defensive energy in his elbow and plunge into the bone!

"Snap!"

The clear sound of bones cracking was like a thunderclap to his own ears!

A piercing pain shot through my left elbow, and my entire left arm went numb and went out of control instantly. My blood and qi rushed back, and half of my body felt weak and sore.

He grunted, staggered, and stumbled back seven or eight steps before his back slammed against the cold blue brick wall behind him with a loud thud.

The walls shook violently, and large amounts of snow and dust fell down.

Xiao Changfeng felt a sweet taste in his throat, and he forced himself not to spit out blood. His internal organs seemed to have shifted, and his vision blurred.

He leaned against the wall, his right hand gripping his throbbing, deformed left elbow tightly, and looked up in shock and anger.

The attacker had silently landed back in the middle of the alley, blocking the way.

Dressed almost entirely in black, blending into the night, his posture was upright and graceful, like a taut javelin.

The swirling snowflakes landed on his shoulder, only to be repelled by an invisible force.

In the dim light, his face was blurred, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, piercing coldly.

"What a vicious move! You cowardly rat, who are you?!" Xiao Changfeng roared, his voice trembling slightly with pain and anger.

The man in black remained silent, but slowly assumed a fighting stance.

With his right foot lightly touching the ground in front, toes slightly turned inward, left hand hanging down like an ape's arm, and right hand slightly raised with fingers naturally curved, in a posture that is both clenched and not clenched, exuding a lazy yet dynamic wildness that can be unleashed at any moment.

Xiao Changfeng's gaze suddenly froze on that starting gesture, and his heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an icy hand!

A name he thought he had long since crushed and forgotten, carrying a cold, metallic taste, suddenly rose in his throat: "It's... Li Yuan?!"

The wind and snow in the alley seemed to freeze at that moment.

Boundless killing intent, like a tangible tide, emanated from the figure in black, engulfing the narrow space.

"it's me."

Li Yuan finally spoke, his voice carrying through the wind and snow, calm as a deep pool, yet sending a chill down Xiao Changfeng's spine. "Master Xiao, Manager Wu is waiting for you downstairs, and he's getting impatient."

Wu Youde... is dead?!

Died at his hands?!

Xiao Changfeng was stunned at first, then boundless rage and a sense of humiliation, like being bitten by ants, overwhelmed his reason.

"You little beast... I'll tear you apart!!"

He roared and, ignoring the excruciating pain that felt like his left arm was about to be destroyed, suddenly swung his right arm! The muscles in his entire arm writhed wildly, making a snapping sound like a bowstring being fully drawn, and his palm turned red and hot in an instant, and the surrounding snowflakes were even vaporized into white steam—the Cloud Piercing Hand's killing move, "Burning Clouds"!

The palm strike was not light and agile, but carried a domineering and scorching heat like melting iron and splitting rocks. The palm wind howled, sweeping away the snowflakes falling in the alley, and went straight for Li Yuan's head!

Li Yuan's eyes narrowed, but instead of retreating, he advanced!

He slammed his heels into the ground, his waist and hips suddenly sank, his spine jutting out like a dragon turning over, his blood and qi surging with a faint tidal sound. Just as the crimson palm was less than two feet from his head, he moved.

His upper body slid half a step to the side at a very small angle with incredible fluidity, while his right arm, which had been slightly raised, suddenly shot out!

fast!

It moved so fast that only a blurry black shadow remained!

The muscles in his arm were like old vines twisting together, his five fingers were pressed together like a monkey's beak, his knuckles protruded, and he carried a strange force that could drill, penetrate, and break through. He struck first after being hit by the opponent, and pecked at Xiao Changfeng's right wrist pulse point with unparalleled precision!

The Mountain-Shaking Fist can chisel through stone and pierce the heart!

"Pfft!"

The moment the fingertip struck the wrist pulse, it produced a dull thud like a cone piercing leather!

Xiao Changfeng felt a sharp, spiraling force, like a red-hot drill, pierce through his skin and flesh, and sink into his wrist meridian! The flow of blood and qi in his entire right arm suddenly stopped, and the violent and intense palm force was like a punctured scabbard, its power suddenly reduced!

His weakened hand still grazed Li Yuan's slid-away shoulder and slammed into the brick wall behind him with a loud "boom"!

The blue brick wall was as if branded with a hot iron, with a charred palm print dented into it, and cracks spread like a spider web, with gravel and dust falling down in a flurry.

Li Yuan's clothes were torn at the shoulders, and his skin was scalded red by the remaining hot palm wind. His blood and qi surged, but his feet seemed to be rooted to the ground, and he managed to stay firmly on his feet.

Xiao Changfeng fared much worse. His right wrist pulse was injured, his entire arm was numb and tingling, and he could barely maintain his strength. The excruciating pain in his left elbow was constantly tearing at his nerves. What alarmed him even more was the ruthlessness and power of Li Yuan's peck, which far exceeded his expectations!

"Great...very good!"

Xiao Changfeng forcibly suppressed his surging blood and horror, his eyes becoming fierce and wary like a wounded lone wolf. He knew that tonight was a fight to the death.

He took a deep breath; the icy air stung his lungs, but it also made him more alert.

He swayed slightly at the waist, as if releasing all his strength, while his left leg swept silently along the ground like a venomous snake emerging from its hole.

He thrust out, his toes pointed straight like knives, and slashed towards Li Yuan's ankle with a Cloud Piercing Hand technique, "Wind Sweeping Clouds"!

At the same time, his injured right palm, with its five fingers like hooks, hissed and whistled as it grabbed at Li Yuan's face with lightning speed. Before the move was old, it had already covered several vital points such as the eyes and throat with the Cloud Piercing Hand "Cloud Dragon Probing Claw"!

One was fierce and powerful, the other was gentle and feminine, sealing off all of Li Yuan's escape routes.

A cold glint flashed in Li Yuan's eyes!

Faced with this deadly combined attack, he once again chose the most valiant and courageous way to advance!

With a sudden burst of force, the brick beneath his feet shattered with a "crack," and he crashed headfirst into Xiao Changfeng's arms!

In the instant of impact, his body inexplicably shrank and twisted, like a nimble ape leaping among branches, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws aimed at his face.

At the same time, his right knee, like a heavy hammer fully charged with power, slammed into Xiao Changfeng's lower abdomen, dantian, with a deep, fierce, and penetrating force!

Shaking Mountain Fist, Barricade Ramming the City!

Xiao Changfeng's hair stood on end! He never expected Li Yuan to dare to fight so closely!

In a hurry, he could only forcibly retract his swept left leg, bend his knee to block, and instantly tighten his abdominal muscles like iron, channeling his energy to protect his vital dantian!

"Bang!!!"

Knees collided violently, the sound as dull as giant logs striking each other!

Both of them experienced a violent tremor at the same time.

Li Yuan felt as if his knee had struck a rock, and the force of the impact made his calf go numb.

Xiao Changfeng let out a muffled groan. His left knee, which he had hastily parried, was in excruciating pain. Although his abdomen was not directly hit, the force that came through still displaced his internal organs and caused his blood and qi to churn!

It's now!

Using the recoil from the collision, Li Yuan's body sprang back half a step like a compressed spring.

Just as he was released, his long-awaited left arm moved!

The muscles in my arm suddenly tensed up like a steel wire rope, the tendons popped and made a soft "humming" sound, and my entire arm seemed to swell up a size.

With his five fingers clenched into a fist, the tendons and bones on his fist protruding, he gathered all the strength in his body. Using the centrifugal force of his backward rotation, he shot out like a cannonball, striking Xiao Changfeng's chest, which was wide open due to the shock, right in the center of his chest!

Shaking Mountain Fist, Rock Bursts!

This punch, simple and unadorned, embodies speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness to the extreme. As the fist passes, the air is compressed, releasing…

A soft "pop" sound was heard, as if a thin film had been pierced.

The shadow of death instantly gripped Xiao Changfeng's throat!