Time was running out, and the various forces had to form their teams before the Ding Feng Hall and Wolf Fang Regiment recuperated to compete with the two major forces.

The Qingxiu Clan’s people didn’t hesitate to kill when Liu Wuxie refused; this was the best solution to prevent Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu from being recruited by other forces.

When Wei Zhong waved his hand, two experts in the third-level Heavenly Phase Realm stepped forward and appeared before Liu Wuxie with their murderous intent sweeping out.

"Gu Yu, retreat to the courtyard!" Liu Wuxie instructed Gu Yu. Even though the spiritual array was damaged, it was still intact enough to withstand most ordinary attacks.

Gu Yu wanted to say something but retreated to the courtyard. So many experts were around, and he would only hinder Liu Wuxie.

The two cultivators in the third level of the Heavenly Phase Realm looked at Liu Wuxie with a mocking gaze, full of amusement.

"Brat, don’t blame us for being ruthless. We will end your life since you refused to join our Qingxiu Clan." The two attacked, aiming for Liu Wuxie’s neck.

Like thunderbolts, the two appeared before Liu Wuxie in the blink of an eye, leaving him no room to evade. Their only intention was to kill Liu Wuxie.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Liu Wuxie’s eyes. He had repeatedly stated his position, but they kept pressing him—did these people think he was a pushover?

The Heretic Blade appeared in his hand, and he slashed out without warning.

The two men’s severed hands hit the ground with a crisp sound of cracking bones echoing down the street.

Their heart-wrenching screams filled the air as they stumbled back, clutching their bleeding stumps. They didn’t even realize how Liu Wuxie had managed to sever their hands so swiftly. The ground was soon stained red with their blood as they desperately tried to retrieve their fallen hands, hoping to reattach them somehow.

However, limb regeneration was only possible at the Nascent Transformation Realm, and they were merely at the Heavenly Phase Realm. Even if they managed to reattach their hands, their strength would be severely diminished.

The suddenness and brutality of Liu Wuxie’s strike left everyone in shock. No one had expected him to act so decisively, severing the hands of the two men in an instant. The faces of Wei Zhong and the others grew pale.

"Kid, you got some nerves to hurt members of the Qingxiu Clan. I’ll turn you to dust!" Wei Zhong said with his boundless murderous intent enveloping the entire courtyard.

At Wei Zhong’s command, the others instinctively stepped back, clearing space for the confrontation. The fact that Liu Wuxie, at the first level of the Heavenly Phase Realm, had severed the hands of two men at the third level before they could even react signaled his extraordinary strength.

Those in the fourth and fifth levels of the Heavenly Phase Realm dared not approach him recklessly. Only Wei Zhong had the confidence to stand against him.

"I don’t want trouble. Leave immediately!" Liu Wuxie’s voice was cold, demanding them to leave. Even if the Blood Sea Abyssal Island was engulfed in a bloodbath, it had nothing to do with him.

He had enough Blood Abysal Stones and didn’t plan to return to the mines. His sole focus was on cultivating in peace.

"You think you can get off so easily after crippling two of our generals? How can the Qingxiu Clan establish its dominance if we don’t kill you and make an example of you?" Wei Zhong sneered as he unleashed his aura, the power of the seventh level of the Heavenly Phase Realm causing cracks to spread across the ground.

The shockwave snapped Liu Wuxie’s hair tie, causing his hair to fall casually onto his shoulders. He had activated Ghost Eye, which formed into a thin line and locked onto Wei Zhong.

The commotion drew a large crowd, with hundreds of onlookers gathering at the street corners. Even other factions paused their recruitment efforts to witness the unfolding conflict.

"Who’s this kid? Is he tired of living to defy Wei Zhong?" The surrounding crowd muttered among themselves, thinking Liu Wuxie was overestimating himself.

After all, Liu Wuxie was only at the first level of the Heavenly Phase Realm, and most believed he should have submitted. Even if it meant sacrificing the chance for power or wealth, at least he would survive. But by defying the Qingxiu Clan, he was choosing a path that could only end in one way: death.

"Young people are fearless and don’t know what’s good for them. The Blood Sea Abyssal Island isn’t the mainland, and everyone here has to keep a low profile, or they will only die faster," an old man remarked, his tone laced with genuine concern.

Liu Wuxie was too impulsive in his view, and he should’ve swallowed his pride to join the Qingxiu Clan before finding a way to escape in the future. There was no need to defy the Qingxiu Clan and risk dying now.

Liu Wuxie ignored the surrounding discussion because everyone had their principles.

“Primordial Astral Fist!” Liu Wuxie channeled his true essence, merging it with the power of an ancient star as he tracked the trajectory of Wei Zhong’s incoming palm strike. He wasn’t sure if this combination would be enough to face Wei Zhong, but he knew that only by challenging powerful opponents could he grow stronger.

The forces collided with a deafening explosion, sending a powerful shockwave rippling outwards. The houses on both sides collapsed, unable to withstand the shockwave’s impact.

Liu Wuxie was sent flying and landed ten meters away with a slight numbness in his arm. But the aftershock had yet to dissipate because the shockwave spread in all directions in ripples.

Wei Zhong staggered and took five steps back.

Although Liu Wuxie appeared to be at a disadvantage, his performance shocked all the spectators. It was unbelievable for someone in the first level of the Heavenly Phase Realm to withstand a strike from someone in the first level. But they had just witnessed it, and they could only believe it.

Wei Zhong’s face was terrifyingly grim, and he felt a tidal wave rampaging through his body, damaging his meridians. This was the power of the ancient star, subtly infused with a trace of the Netherspirit Flower’s poison by Liu Wuxie.

However, the brief exposure to the poison wasn’t enough, especially given Wei Zhong’s powerful cultivation. It would take time for the Netherspirit Flower’s poison to fully infiltrate his system. In contrast, Kuang Shi was poisoned because he had absorbed the energy from the Blood Abyssal Stones that Liu Wuxie had provided.

"I’m impressed you can withstand a strike from me." Wei Zhong shook his shoulders to dispel the discomfort, and a powerful murderous intent swept out toward Liu Wuxie. The real battle had just begun.

Liu Wuxie frowned because that previous strike was only a probe. He hadn’t used all his strength in that strike, and Wei Zhong had likely done the same.

The other members of the Qingxiu Clan, who had retreated to the side, were filled with disbelief.

That was especially the case for the two men who had their hands severed by Liu Wuxie, with a hint of fear flashing on their faces. They would be dead if Liu Wuxie had aimed for their necks, and they wouldn’t have just gotten away with severed hands.

A solemn expression flashed in Wei Zhong’s eyes. The feedback from the true essence made him feel uneasy because he had never encountered such a strange energy before, which felt like it could destroy everything. A trace of poison also made him feel uncomfortable and interfered with the circulation of his true essence.

Although the Netherspirit Flower’s poison wasn’t fatal, it hindered the flow of his true essence.

"Deputy leader, kill him quickly as an example to others!" Many people watched this battle, and the Qingxiu Clan’s future depended on it.

If Wei Zhong killed Liu Wuxie, it would attract the nearby low-level Heavenly Phase Realm cultivators to join them. But how could they expect others to submit to them if they couldn’t even deal with someone in the first level of the Heavenly Phase Realm?

The Qingxiu Clan was just established a few days ago, and they were already facing such a formidable foe. Then again, this was also a challenge to them.

"Brat, you can die now!" Suffocating murderous intent swept out with a longsword appearing in Wei Zhong’s hand. He had unleashed his aura in the seventh level of the Heavenly Phase Realm, not wanting to give Liu Wuxie any chance.

He knew he would have to relinquish his position as the deputy leader if he failed to kill Liu Wuxie. After all, how would he make his subordinates obey him if he couldn’t kill someone in the first level of the Heavenly Phase Realm?

"The likes of you want to kill me?" Liu Wuxie roared and swirled the Heretic Blade but didn’t use Soul Spear because he was waiting for the right opportunity.

He wanted to use this fight to excavate all of his own potential. After all, he still hadn’t digested all the treasures he had absorbed. He needed pressure through external force to digest them and transform them into energy to replenish the desolate world.

The two fought fiercely, with Wei Zhong unable to do anything to Liu Wuxie’s movement technique. They had exchanged dozens of moves, but Liu Wuxie held his ground firmly and could easily evade all of Wei Zhong’s attacks.

The sounds of weapons clashing echoed a few thousand miles away. More people began to gather in the surroundings, including a few forces who stopped to watch because they were also recruiting members nearby.

"Fatality Blade Art!" Liu Wuxie unleashed the Sixth Fatality Form, covering the sky with blades. A raging fire burned within his body under the pressure, which coursed through his limbs as he unleashed his strongest attack.

"Damn it!" Wei Zhong was only a rogue cultivator. He might have had higher cultivation than Liu Wuxie, but he was inferior in his martial techniques and fighting instinct.

He could only rely on his cultivation to make up for his shortcomings. His soul sea was as vast as that of an Astral River Realm cultivator, making it difficult for even those in the higher levels of the Heavenly Phase Realm to suppress him.

The other members of the Qingxiu Clan looked with disbelief at their deputy leader’s inability to deal with someone in the first level of the Heavenly Phase Realm.

Wei Zhong’s eyes turned cold, and he felt unprecedented pressure from his position being challenged.

"Heavenly Bale Sword!" A terrifying surge of crimson baleful aura filled the entire street, and Wei Zhong’s eyes also turned bloodshot.

"What a terrifying sword technique!" The surrounding cultivators were horrified and didn’t doubt that Liu Wuxie would die if this sword struck him.

They instantly realized this must be a secret technique that Wei Zhong wouldn’t use unless necessary. He was determined to kill Liu Wuxie even at the risk of injury or suffering a backlash.

"You’ll only hasten your death by drawing on the heavenly bale energy!" Liu Wuxie sneered. The sword technique was undeniably powerful, but its flaw was glaring. Forcibly tapping into the heavenly bale energy would cause irreversible damage to Wei Zhong’s foundation.

Heavenly bale was a form of essence in the human body, and Wei Zhong had gone mad to execute this sword technique at the price of burning his life force.

Everyone had baleful energy in their bodies, and too much would make one irritable. But too little would turn them into a mindless corpse without any personality.

Wei Zhong had drawn out all the baleful energy, which was no different from burning his life force.

Enhance your reading experience by removing ads for as low as $1!