Chapter 26: Life and Death Battle

Liang Yan frowned and pushed the door open to look outside, only to see five people standing outside the courtyard. Three of them were none other than Yuan Shan and his two companions, with whom he had fought previously in the forest of Xuanji Peak.

There was also a short, stout man in gray clothing. He had a facial scar that ran from his ear, across his cheek, and down to his neck, giving him an exceptionally ferocious appearance.

Aside from his fierce countenance, the man was short and possessed no particularly outstanding aura, looking much like a common butcher of pigs and dogs in the secular world. Yet, the three members of the Dan Vein were surrounding him, appearing to treat him as their leader.

At that moment, one of the men from the Dan Vein spoke loudly, "Strange. Senior Brother Li, I remember when I came last time, there were clearly only two turtles in this Qi Vein handyman area. Why is there an extra one today?"

Another chimed in, "How should I know? You'll have to ask the turtle. But since turtles don't understand human speech, you'll have to learn 'turtle language' first."

The first man laughed and cursed, "How can one learn turtle language? Absolutely not, absolutely not!"

Liang Yan knew these people were purely here to provoke him. The laws of the Dharma Pavilion were strict, strictly forbidding disciples from fighting privately within the sect; these people were trying to goad him into acting first. As long as he couldn't restrain himself and struck first, they would have a legitimate reason to deal with him.

Thinking of this, his eyes darted around. He let out an exaggerated, "Eh?" and asked curiously, "How do you seniors know that I was previously raising two turtles?"

Before Yuan Shan and his group could react, Liang Yan put on an expression of sudden realization.

"That's right! Of my two turtles, the eldest is named Yuan Da and the second is named Yuan Er. In that case, there really is an extra Yuan Shan (Yuan San) today! I hear you seniors are quite proficient in turtle language, so why don't you help me ask this third turtle why he has come here?"

Hearing this, Yuan Shan flew into a rage and reached for the storage bag at his waist. The short, stout man grabbed Yuan Shan and glared at him; Yuan Shan immediately withered and gave a sheepish laugh, "This kid is pushing it too far!"

"Useless! If you cannot endure a small insult, you will ruin the grand plan. This kid is trying to provoke you into attacking first. Do you expect me to bail you out of the Dharma Pavilion when the time comes?"

Yuan Shan became submissive and dared not speak. Seeing this, Liang Yan stretched and muttered to himself, "I don't understand turtle language, so it's better to go back to my room and sleep." With that, he turned back into his room and slammed the door shut with a loud *bang*, giving the people outside the cold shoulder.

The short, stout man narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he pulled a woman in green from behind him. She was quite pretty with delicate features, but her eyes were currently bloodshot and her face was haggard. Her expression was one of extreme timidity and fear.

The stout man slapped her buttocks and began to knead them without restraint. The woman in green gasped in shock, looking toward the courtyard in panic, but the stout man laughed boisterously, unconcerned.

"Li Dagou, your old flame is with me! She's been serving me very comfortably these past few nights!"

"Although this wench's aptitude is too poor, she does have a cultivation of the first layer of Qi Refinement. Once I break through to the next bottleneck, I'll use her as a cultivation furnace! Haha, if she can serve as my wedding dowry and help me achieve my breakthrough, her cultivation won't have been in vain!"

After speaking, he burst into laughter, and Yuan Shan's trio joined in his wanton laughter. Only the woman in green turned pale, her eyes misty as if she were on the verge of tears.

At that moment, an extremely furious roar erupted from within the courtyard. There was the sound of a door being kicked open, followed by Li Dali's cursing: "Yuan Ba! You son of a bitch, if you have a problem, come at me! Leave Yang Wei alone!"

Following a series of hurried footsteps came a scream, followed by a woman's sorrowful cry: "Brother Li!"

Sitting in his room, Liang Yan sighed inwardly and rose to push open his door.

He saw Li Dali lying on the ground, his face covered in blood. Yang Wei was staring at Li Dali with a look of profound worry. However, her hands were being held tightly by the stout man, making it impossible for her to go forward to check Li Dali's injuries.

With a single glance, Liang Yan knew the stout man was at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement. His physique was robust and his blood-flesh aura was vigorous; he was clearly a physical cultivator.

*It seems this Yuan family is a clan of physical cultivators,* he thought.

Without showing any fear, he addressed the four men opposite him: "The sect strictly forbids private fighting. Do you not fear the law enforcement disciples of the Dharma Pavilion after beating him like this?"

The dark-faced youth, Yuan Shan, gave a cheeky grin and feigned a look of terror, patting his chest exaggeratedly. "Oh, I'm so scared! Just now, when Li Dali rushed at me, I was scared to death. Luckily the sect doesn't forbid counterattacks, otherwise, the one lying on the ground would have been me!"

Though he spoke such words, his small eyes were full of mockery, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a triumphant manner.

After a brief silence, Liang Yan turned to the short man and asked, "You are his cousin, Yuan Ba, correct?"

The short man snorted and clasped his hands behind his back, appearing disdainful of speaking to him. However, Yuan Shan shouted loudly, "That's right! This is my cousin, Yuan Ba! An elite outer disciple! Trash like you isn't even worthy of carrying my cousin's shoes!"

"Let them go. Tomorrow at noon, I will see you at Martial Arts Peak," Liang Yan said suddenly.

Upon hearing this, even Yuan Ba seemed to pause for a moment before laughing loudly. "The kid has guts! Since you put it that way, I'll let these two curs go for today. I'll wait for you at Martial Arts Peak tomorrow at noon. Don't you dare break your word and chicken out!"

"Heh, although I, Liang, am no gentleman, my words carry weight. We shall settle this at Martial Arts Peak tomorrow," Liang Yan said calmly.

"Fine!" Yuan Ba glanced at him, shoved Yang Wei to the ground, and left with Yuan Shan and the others, laughing.

At this time, the door behind the house opened, and Sun Qianli walked out. He said to Liang Yan, "Brother Liang, you were too impulsive this time. You must know that Martial Arts Peak is a lawless place. Once a fight begins, it is decided by victory or death!"

Li Dali, supported by Yang Wei, struggled to stand up. He wiped the blood from his face and said hoarsely, "It is my uselessness that has implicated you, Brother Liang. I will go to the duel tomorrow. Brother Liang, you must not risk yourself for my sake."

"Brother Li!" Yang Wei cried out, her face as white as paper. She gripped Li Dali's sleeve so tightly that her fingertips turned white from the effort.

Liang Yan glanced at her and saw that her expression did not seem feigned. He nodded slightly, thinking to himself, *This woman has experienced the cruelty of human nature. They say true feelings are revealed in adversity; she likely views Li Dali as her only person to rely on.*

"There is no need for concern. I, Liang Yan, have no desire to throw my life away. I have my own plans for this duel; there is no need for you all to worry," Liang Yan said with a slight smile.

Sun Qianli knew that this youth could not be judged by conventional logic, so he did not press further. Only Li Dali remained worried, but unable to argue with Liang Yan and seeing Yang Wei leaning against him while trembling, he could only relent.

However, he secretly resolved that he must go to Martial Arts Peak tomorrow to watch. If Liang Yan was in danger, he would give his life to block a blow for him; if he died then, the sect could not hold him responsible.

With their own thoughts weighing on them, the three lost interest in talking and returned to their respective rooms. Liang Yan, however, was not worried at all. After eating and drinking his fill, he fell straight to sleep on his bed.

At noon the next day, Liang Yan arrived at the summit of Martial Arts Peak on time. In the center of the peak, there was a deep pit dozens of feet wide. The bottom was paved with a layer of dark gray flooring, clearly made of special materials with exceptional impact resistance.

Yuan Ba and his three companions were already waiting on a platform outside the pit. Seeing Liang Yan approach, Yuan Ba flashed a ferocious grin and said arrogantly, "Not bad, kid. Even when reincarnating in the underworld, you know to report on time. If you arrive early and leave early, perhaps you can catch an auspicious hour and get a better rebirth in your next life!"

Liang Yan smiled slightly. "I would love to go, I'm just afraid the King of Hell won't accept me!"

"Hmph! Keep your mouth shut. Come with me to get the witness senior brother to sign the life-and-death contract."

Without further words, after signing the contract before a man in gray, the two jumped into the massive pit.

Duels at the Martial Arts Peak of the Yixing Pavilion had almost no rules. The duel began the moment one jumped into the pit. During the fight, whether you used tricks or ambushes, as long as you defeated your opponent, you won. The sect's only rule was that no outsiders were allowed to interfere, ensuring a fair one-on-one duel.

After jumping into the pit, Yuan Ba immediately swept his hand across his storage bag and summoned a pitch-black wooden staff. Nine golden dragon patterns were carved upon it, with spiritual energy flowing through them so vividly that one could faintly hear the sound of dragon roars.

A cheer immediately erupted from outside the pit. Yuan Shan shouted loudly, "It looks like my cousin doesn't want this kid to die too comfortably!"

As for Yuan Ba, although he had a rugged appearance, he was actually quite meticulous. He understood the principle that even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit. Thus, every time he fought, he went all out from the start to avoid any unexpected failure, especially in a life-and-death arena.

With a roar, Yuan Ba charged at full speed toward Liang Yan, aiming a strike directly at his forehead.

The strike was as overwhelming as a mountain collapsing into the sea, causing the surrounding air to crack with sonic booms. Yet, Liang Yan seemed completely unbothered, standing calmly in place. Only when the staff was about to strike his forehead did he unhurriedly sidestep to the left.

With a loud *bang*, Yuan Ba's staff slammed heavily into the ground. Although it did not shatter the floor, the dull boom from the collision was enough to burst the eardrums of the low-level Qi Refinement cultivators watching nearby.

Seeing that his strike had missed, Yuan Ba snorted coldly. He lifted the staff and performed an upward sweep, his speed even faster and more urgent. Liang Yan tapped his toe against the ground and drifted backward, narrowly gliding past the wind pressure of the staff without showing any sign of panic.

Yuan Ba's heart tightened, and he dared not underestimate him any longer. He pushed off with his feet and swung the staff rapidly, unleashing continuous killing moves to ensure Liang Yan had no chance to breathe.

The staff shadows filled the air, locking down all avenues of escape. Amidst this storm of shadows, Liang Yan's figure was like a small boat in a tempest, tossing and turning in a vast, turbulent sea.

Strangely, even though a single wave should have capsized the boat, the boat continued to ride the waves within the storm of shadows with tenacity. It did not look as if he were fighting the sea, but rather as if he were leisurely boating through a field of flowers, displaying an indescribable ease.

Yuan Shan lacked both strength and vision, shouting from below, "Cousin has completely suppressed him! This Liang Yan is just using some strange trick to hide his cultivation. How can he compare to my cousin in a real fight? I bet he'll be taken down within a few breaths!"

The disciples from the Dan Vein quickly joined in the flattery, while Li Dali and Yang Wei looked on with worry. Only the gray-clad witness senior brother secretly shook his head.

At this moment, Yuan Ba was the only one who knew his own struggle. He was exerting his full power into the Nine Dragon Staff; in close combat, even an ordinary seventh-layer Qi Refinement disciple might not be able to withstand it. Yet, this person appeared to be only at the first layer of Qi Refinement, and yet Yuan Ba could do nothing to him.

Even more bizarrely, despite possessing the family treasure, the Nine Dragon Staff, combined with his "Mountain-Shaking Staff Technique," the sheer momentum and killing intent he unleashed seemed to dissipate into nothingness as Liang Yan maneuvered.

He did not know that within the "Mindless Intent Method" practiced by Liang Yan, there was a secret technique called the "Five Styles of Coming and Going." The "Mindless Intent Method" emphasized spontaneity and freedom, defying conventional logic. The "Five Styles of Coming and Going" derived from this principle and consisted of five styles: the Circular Rotation Method, the Sitting in Oblivion Method, the Momentum Dissipation Method, the Spirit Manifestation Method, and the Qi Observation Method.

The technique Liang Yan had just used to dodge was the "Momentum Dissipation Method." Although the staff shadows still filled the air, the peerless, domineering sharpness within them had been secretly dissipated by Liang Yan. The remaining vast shadows were nothing more than empty flourishes.

The more Yuan Ba fought, the more alarmed he became. He knew that once his offensive grew weary, it would be his end. He gripped the staff in his left hand, continuing his fierce assault, while his right hand was tucked behind his back, performing a strange hand seal.

It turned out that Yuan Ba was indeed a gifted talent. Born into a family of physical cultivators, he also possessed extraordinary talent for spell cultivation, making him a dual cultivator of both law and body.

As Liang Yan sidestepped another strike, he was still contemplating the sensation of using the "Momentum Dissipation Method" for the first time. Suddenly, a change occurred behind him. Five emerald-green vines grew from the ground, extending rapidly toward Liang Yan and binding him tightly.

Excited by the success of his Vine Wood Technique in trapping his enemy, Yuan Ba raised the Nine Dragon Staff and strode toward Liang Yan, bringing the staff down once more.

Bound by the vines, Liang Yan looked at the heavy strike, but a strange expression appeared on his face.

Suddenly, he began to spin rapidly in place like a top. As he pulled at the vines, he carried them with him in his rapid rotation, creating an emerald-green tornado.

Mid-air, Yuan Ba witnessed this bizarre sight and realized it was too late to withdraw his staff. He and his staff crashed into the tornado and, just like the vines, were swept into a rapid spin by Liang Yan.

This move was precisely the "Circular Rotation Method" from the Five Styles of Coming and Going, which converted the surrounding spiritual energy for one's own use and used momentum to guide force. Although the vines were strange, they were ultimately manifestations of spiritual energy; through the "Circular Rotation Method," they were redirected toward Liang Yan for his use.

Unable to control himself, Yuan Ba spun around Liang Yan like a fallen leaf. The wind howled around him; he could neither speak nor see, truly suffering in silence.

After a while, Liang Yan suddenly stopped. Yuan Ba was flung away, landing on the ground, but even as he landed, he continued to spin in place.

A flash of killing intent crossed Liang Yan's eyes, and his aura suddenly surged. This aura was vast and profound; those watching with lower cultivation levels felt their heart rates quicken and their breathing become slightly obstructed.

Soon, Liang Yan's aura reached its peak. He took a step forward and pointed a finger through the air, sending a streak of blue light straight toward Yuan Ba.

Just as Yuan Ba managed to steady his footing, he saw the light flying toward him. Terror gripped his heart. He tried to dodge, only to find that he seemed to have lost control of his body; his legs trembled uncontrollsibly, and his divine sense flickered wildly.

The blue light instantly pierced through Yuan Ba's dantian. After a single, miserable scream, everyone saw that Yuan Ba had collapsed, lifeless.

Seeing that his strike had been successful, Liang Yan nodded with satisfaction. What he had just used was the "Spirit Manifestation Method" from the Five Styles of Coming and Going.

The Manifestation of Spirit involves five energies: the spirit is nourished, the heart is anchored, and the body is expanded; the nourishment of the spirit returns to the Dao. Among these, "Spirit" refers to a person's essence, and the "Five Energies" refer to the energies of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

The Spirit Manifestation method utilizes the principles of the Five Elements to strengthen a person's essence, spirit, and vitality, allowing their aura to reach an extremely high realm to forcibly suppress the enemy for a one-hit kill.

Strictly speaking, the "Spirit Manifestation" method originates from the Taoist "Seven Methods of the Yin Talisman" and does not belong to the Confucian secret techniques. However, Liang Yan had taken a different path, removing the Five Elements aspect and supplementing it with the Confucian "Noble Spirit" to make it his own, integrating it into his "Mindless Intent Method."

With a single strike, Liang Yan had destroyed Yuan Ba's dantian, severing his path to immortality forever. He then picked up the Nine Dragon Staff beside him, examined it for a moment, and quite satisfied, tucked it into his storage bag.