Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

"Senior...what happened to the sect leader?!"

Old Duan stroked his white beard and said with a sinister smile, "He's only half-dead for now. If he wakes up, he's lucky; if he doesn't, he's gone."

"Using Granny Liu's coffin comes at a high price, often resulting in the loss of decades of lifespan, and at most, it can only withstand two replacements of the deceased's body."

"?!" Li Muxuan's face showed horror. He did not expect that the stone coffin in the blood pool was so strange. He felt a tightness in his chest.

In these chaotic times, to live to be eighty is already a blessing.

With day and night halved, and the impact of natural disasters, man-made calamities, and diseases, the lifespan that is truly free to move around is only about forty years.

After undergoing a ritual performed using a secret technique from the southern border, the amount of lifespan that was taken from him was so heavy that it caused Li Muxuan to lose his mental balance.

"Before the coffin was lowered, I heard the sect leader say that he had been there before, so doesn't that mean...?"

"Yes, even if he survives this ordeal, he won't live for many more years. I might even have to send him off again, build a grave for him, and burn incense."

Old Duan looked indifferent and aloof, his suppressed smile revealing a hint of mockery or ridicule.

Li Muxuan gradually regained his strength, took the porcelain bowl, took a small sip of water to moisten his dry throat, and then asked, "Senior, how should I address you?"

"My surname is Duan."

"There's one more thing I need to tell you."

Suddenly, Old Duan seemed to remember something, and looked somewhat serious, pondering for a moment before saying:

“Be careful not to take the medicine that Granny Liu gave you. It’s a method used to deal with the Sanyi Sect, using you as a vehicle. They don’t care if you live or die.”

He still had a conscience and couldn't turn a blind eye to his old friend's disciple.

"..."

Li Muxuan hesitated for a moment before slowly replying, "I understand what Elder Duan said. Let's take it one step at a time."

Inside the thatched hut, the candlelight flickered. The two chatted briefly for a while, and Wugensheng only woke up when Li Muxuan was able to get out of bed and walk.

"Master!!"

"Master."

Duan Lao'er and Li Muxuan quickly helped Wugensheng up, only to find that he was so weak that his whole body was ice cold, almost like a corpse. Even his once bright and reserved eyes had become empty and tired.

"Cough...cough..."

His body was trembling, and he felt sharp pain in his internal organs. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, and Wugensheng was listless.

Seeing his frail appearance, Li Muxuan felt guilty and remorseful. He hurriedly poured water and held the bowl to his pale lips.

"Here, Sect Leader, have some water. Please don't speak yet, take a break and recover."

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

Wugensheng instinctively opened his mouth and swallowed large gulps of water until the bowl was empty before stopping to catch his breath.

"I almost... I was going to die... thankfully I woke up."

His face was ashen, yet he smiled with a hint of smugness, completely unconcerned and showing no sign of fear. Instead, he resembled a madman who had just won a victory at a gambling den.

Li Muxuan's brows furrowed, his mind heavy with worry:

"But with our current physical condition, wouldn't going to the Celestial Master's Mansion make us like fish on a chopping board, completely at their mercy?"

"No, that won't happen..."

"The side effects of the Death Coffin come on quickly... and go away even faster... as long as there's half a day to recover... it's not a problem at all."

Wugensheng looked at Old Man Duan, his tone respectful and grateful, and asked:

"Master... how long has it been since you led us away from Granny Liu's place?"

"A few hours. It's about a day before you need to go to Longhu Mountain."

Old Duan responded in response. Every time he heard the name Longhu Mountain, he couldn't help but think of that old Taoist priest with the bull-nose nose, and felt a surge of disgust in his heart.

"One day? That's enough."

Wugensheng murmured softly, his tense nerves suddenly relaxing. He was worried that there wouldn't be enough time, and that dragging his sick body to Longhu Mountain would be no different from sending himself to his death.

"The feud with the Trinity Sect should come to an end."

Li Muxuan was stunned. "You mean?"

"Let us settle our life and death through martial arts, settle our grudges, and not involve other disciples."

Wugensheng took a deep breath, and the Qi in his body was like a melting iceberg, constantly gathering and flowing between his meridians.

"Have you thought it through? Do you want to come with us?" Old Duan noticed Li Muxuan's hesitation and couldn't help but urge him.

"Go...I'll go..."

Li Muxuan lowered his eyes and sighed softly.

With things having come to this point, there was no turning back, and he didn't want to run away.

The worst outcome would be being beheaded at the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain, where one would be forced to prolong their life in a blood pool coffin, which would at least allow them to pay off some of their debts.

.......

Tianshi Mansion.

On the stone-paved courtyard floor bathed in moonlight, two figures, one tall and one short, sat cross-legged, each absorbed in meditation, their bodies radiating golden light and their breath flowing endlessly.

After a long while, Zhang Zhiwei opened his eyes first, his expression calm. At this moment, Zhang Huaiyi, who was beside him, also woke up.

"Master is still inside listening to Jinzhong's report..."

Zhang Zhiwei glanced at his junior brother beside him with a complicated expression, a hint of unease creeping in, and couldn't help but speak:

"Huaiyi, tell me the truth, do you have any dealings with that Quanxing Demon Lord?"

Faced with his senior's unexpected challenge, Zhang Huaiyi scratched his head and smiled sheepishly:

"Friendship? No, not really. I just have a deep impression of the devil's methods because I'm somewhat wary of him."

Zhang Zhiwei gazed at Zhang Huaiyi's honest and simple appearance, unable to describe his feelings, as this answer had not completely convinced him.

At this point, he didn't pursue the matter further, but only offered some appropriate advice:

“Huaiyi, these are special times. I hope you can be mindful of certain things, not only regarding Wugensheng, but also in other matters.”

"In one's life, one must be able to distinguish right from wrong."

"Yes, I will pay attention, senior brother." Zhang Huaiyi humbly accepted the advice.

Then, on a whim, Zhang Zhiwei suggested:

"It's been a long time since I've sparred with you. Why don't I give you a try? Let's see how much you've improved over the years."

"Uh?"

Zhang Huaiyi was quite surprised and broke out in a cold sweat: "This... how can I compare to my senior brother?"

"But since you've already brought it up, I don't want to spoil your fun. Alright, let's give it a try."

Zhang Zhiwei smiled faintly, stood up, and silently walked away.

He created some distance, and with a flash of golden light from his right hand, it transformed into a rope, drawing a circle around himself and Zhang Huaiyi, trapping them inside.

"The rules are still the same: if you force me out of this circle, you win."

"Show me the strength you need to fight a demon, and have a good fight with me."

Hearing his senior brother's calm tone, Zhang Huaiyi felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy and instinctively felt nervous.

He knew this was different from previous matches; this time, his senior brother was completely serious, perhaps wanting to gauge Wugensheng's strength through him...

No, more accurately, based on his intuition, Zhang Huaiyi understood that this was a friendly exchange with a hint of challenge.

Thinking of this, his body trembled slightly. He dared not be careless, cleared his mind of all distractions, and decided to go all out.

"boom--!"

A dazzling, brilliant golden light flashed and enveloped him in an instant. Zhang Huaiyi, fully prepared, declared, revealing his sharp edge:

"Come on, senior brother!"

Chapter 57 Go all out

After years of arduous training, the protective golden light that Zhang Huaiyi has condensed is now purer and more versatile than when he first performed martial arts, as if it were an extension of his limbs, moving at will.

When he saw the golden light on his senior brother Zhang Zhiwei's hand gradually fade, a bad premonition rose in his heart, and his thick eyebrows furrowed: "Senior brother, what's wrong with you?"

"Since you say that the demon's methods can counter the Golden Light Spell, then I might as well not activate it."

Zhang Zhiwei rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms as strong as steel, and smiled freely: "By the way, let's see how sturdy your golden light structure is."

After speaking, he waved to Zhang Huaiyi, signaling to begin the attack.

"Then you'd better be careful, senior brother..."

Zhang Huaiyi clasped his hands in a salute, then assumed a fighting stance, his feet firmly planted on the blue bricks, his large, copper-bell-sized eyes fixed on the figure in front of him, as if searching for an opening.

"call out--!"

The moment their eyes met, Zhang Huaiyi made a decisive move, leaping forward with the agility of a cannonball. His right hand, covered in golden light, struck towards his abdomen.

"boom!"

Standing rooted to the spot, Zhang Zhiwei ignored the fierce attack and suddenly unleashed his right hand to meet it.

He deflected the attack with a single palm strike, and the two collided with a dull thud.

Zhang Huaiyi, who was directly confronted by the golden light, looked wary. Although the solid golden light did not break, it began to show obvious signs of trembling.

Unconvinced, he attacked again, not only in physical combat but also by condensing some of the golden light into ropes that densely attacked Zhang Zhiwei.

"Not bad, there is progress."

While dodging, Zhang Zhiwei moved at high speed, his afterimages so fast that the golden ropes couldn't catch up. With each step he took, he appeared in Zhang Huaiyi's blind spot like a ghost, giving him no chance to react.

It's always just a little bit short, so close...

He repeatedly turned to defend himself, searching for his target, but his efforts were constantly thwarted.

Zhang Huaiyi's senses were tense and his mind was agitated. Logically speaking, there should be a gap in cultivation between the two, but it was even greater than in previous years, which was hard for him to accept.

"behind."

A playful voice sounded from behind, followed by a piercing whistling sound as it approached.

Like a startled bird, Zhang Huaiyi quickly dodged to the side, gathering power in his left hand. Golden light suddenly surged, and a semi-transparent golden giant hand met his attack with all its might.

"Oh!"

It was another head-on clash. Zhang Zhiwei's long, slender fingers and palm prints, brimming with astonishing power, slammed into Zhang Huaiyi's golden giant hand, forcing him to retreat inch by inch.

Just as the golden light was changing and countless spark-like golden rays were about to shoot out, Zhang Zhiwei showed no mercy and suddenly exerted his strength again. The tendons and bones of his right arm exploded perfectly, and the short-range palm strike he delivered caused the golden light to shatter and dim.

"!"

Zhang Huaiyi's pupils dilated in shock, his distracted control of the move was forcibly interrupted.

A terrifying force spread from his palm, like a bronze cauldron weighing hundreds of kilograms crashing down from the sky. His tendons went numb, his tiger's mouth split open, and his body was uncontrollably pushed backward.

The stone bricks on the ground were trodden out of cracks, and the ravine was nearly ten meters long. If he hadn't used his feet to dissipate the force on the ground, this single palm strike would have been enough to force him out of the circle.

Zhang Huaiyi was panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

The muscles in his right hand and arm were going numb. He could hardly control his violent heartbeat. In almost every clash, even with the golden light, he couldn't gain the upper hand. He would suffer if he was careless.

In his view, his senior brother was tall and slender, and his every move was extremely agile, without any superfluous actions. He possessed both strength and speed, which could break through all laws.

That suffocating sense of oppression truly frightened him, making it difficult to find any possibility of a draw.

With a "whoosh!", Zhang Huaiyi, driven to the brink of despair, channeled his Qi and cast a spell. The booming Crimson Palace Thunder emitted a crisp whistling sound in his palm, and gradually intensified.

Zhang Zhiwei wasn't too surprised. Before making a move, he casually asked, "Junior brother, did your lightning magic work against that demon?"

"Senior brother...no."

Zhang Huaiyi shook his head, his tone heavy.

Recalling the previous battle, he couldn't help but feel fortunate that the demon hadn't gone all out; otherwise, he wouldn't be standing here sparring with his senior brother.

Having received the answer, Zhang Zhiwei's expression turned slightly serious. He exhaled softly, gathered strength in his right hand, and said with a faint smile, "Alright, I understand."