Li Yan deftly flicked aside Zhang Mingyuan's clenched fist with his left hand, his Eight-sided Han Sword aiming to graze his opponent's shoulder. At that moment, the sinister essence of the Mysterious Door Weapons was fully revealed. With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Mingyuan deftly angled the pipe he was holding away from Li Yan, and the sharp blade swept across Li Yan's face, leaving a deep, inch-long gash.

Unperturbed, Li Yan pressed on, his fingers poised like a bird's beak, striking Zhang Mingyuan's wrist. The Han Sword nearly touched Zhang Mingyuan's armpit. In a desperate move, Zhang Mingyuan leapt backward, increasing the distance between them. He barely had time to retract his weapon, narrowly avoiding the sword's edge.

Li Yan, his face now marred, seemed unconcerned. He casually tossed aside the Mysterious Door Weapon and coolly observed Zhang Mingyuan from a short distance.

At that moment, Zhang Mingyuan stood with his right wrist bruised and swollen, blood streaming down his feet and neck—unarmed and in a sorry state. Yet his eyes sparkled with a wild, undiminished light, showing no sign of defeat.

In the private box, He Changhong's face was dark with anger. He had boasted confidently in front of Judy, but now it seemed that his Martial Two might not be a match for this formidable Yama. He Changhong cared little for the money lost or even Zhang Mingyuan's life, but losing face in front of Judy was something he could not bear.

Li Yan lunged forward, his body low, the Eight-sided Han Sword in his palm slashing fiercely towards Zhang Mingyuan's legs!

Zhang Mingyuan sprang from the ground, evading Li Yan's swift sword strike, aiming his right foot at Li Yan's sword-wielding hand. With a slight lift of his hand, Li Yan brought the blade across, forcing Zhang Mingyuan to twist his waist mid-air and land with a somersault. Before Zhang Mingyuan could catch his breath, the domineering Han Sword came chopping down, and he was too slow to dodge, sustaining a long cut on his right arm.

To any onlooker, Zhang Mingyuan's defeat seemed certain. Without his Mysterious Door Weapon, he had no means to block, especially against Li Yan's ferocious swordplay, which bore down like the relentless black tide of a tempestuous sea, leaving no room to breathe.

Just as Zhang Mingyuan's arm was slashed, far from retreating, he seized the moment when Han Sword drooped and, throwing caution to the wind, charged at Li Yan.

"Courting death!"

Even if Li Yan were to abandon his sword at that moment, the battered Zhang Mingyuan would still be no match for him, and there was no need for Li Yan to discard his weapon. With a flick of his wrist, the descending Han Sword soared like a furious dragon, its tip aiming obliquely for Zhang Mingyuan's knee.

Zhang Mingyuan's eyes bulged with determination, knowing that victory or defeat hinged on this moment. He rose with the momentum, planting his heel on the blade of Li Yan's sword, and with an aerial twist, he delivered a kick that perfectly captured the essence of the Crisp Sound of Foot Stabbing Whip technique.

The Hidden Flower Under Leaf kick was executed!

In Li Yan's eyes, the red glow emanating from Zhang Mingyuan suddenly dimmed, hinting at a subtle shift toward blackness!

A chill ran through Li Yan's heart, and he suddenly recalled the string of question marks in A Fleeting Glance.

Zhang Mingyuan's bloodied chin tilted upward, and in his pupils, an image of a body engulfed in flames, a nine-headed tiger's body with a tail like a strange beast with a curved hook, seemed to roar!

The "Classic of Mountains and Seas · Western Scripture of the Maritime" states: "Kaiming, a beastly body, a great tiger-like beast, standing on Kunlun Mountain facing east."

"Snap!"

Li Yan took a kick to the chin, his body reeling backward. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. An eerie tiger's roar sounded in his ears as if a stick had been thrust into his brain and stirred violently!

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"Ugh!"

Even with Li Yan's willpower, he couldn't help but cry out in pain. The soul-shaking agony was far beyond what an ordinary person could endure.

"You have faced the Power of the Enlightened Beast!"

"You have acquired some information. To view it, you need to spend some Yan Fu Points. Would you like to view it?"

"Yes!!!"

"Name: Zhang Mingyuan

Talent: Ancient Martial Arts (69%/100%)

Status: Furious Spirit!"

Amidst the unfolding chaos, a skill known as "A Fleeting Glance" was suddenly overshadowed by a legacy, the "Enlightened Beast's Eye. Furious Spirit."

This legacy was of a rare quality, unattainable through any means other than as a special reward upon the resolution of the Yanfu Incident. No privilege or wealth could purchase it.

When one mastered this legacy, every movement carried the "Power of the Enlightened Beast," scorching the soul of any adversary with each strike. This power could be infused into any weapon, though its effect was diminished to a mere 30% when used in ranged combat compared to its full potential in close quarters.

Under the excruciating pain, Li Yan's grip loosened, and the Eight-sided Han Sword clattered to the ground. Zhang Mingyuan had barely touched down when, with a powerful twist of his instep, he unleashed a vicious kick to Li Yan's shoulder. The force splattered blood from Li Yan's already injured right leg.

Li Yan's right arm felt as if struck by lightning, and he rolled on the ground to distance himself, his arm searing with an intense heat that voraciously devoured his will. A common man would have been writhing in agony by now.

Trembling fingers and a limp right arm, Li Yan was clearly unable to lift it again.

Zhang Mingyuan's eyes were bloodshot, maintaining this state was no easy feat for him either. With a flick of his toe, he picked up the Han Sword and, gripping it in one hand, charged towards Li Yan.

The tables had turned in an instant!

Li Yan's gaze was indifferent, as if the destruction of his right arm was of no concern to him. His lips barely moved as he whispered, "No matter how domineering the Power of the Enlightened Beast may be, it still requires a hit to be effective."

As Zhang Mingyuan lunged forward with the Han Sword, Li Yan twisted his stance to the right, ghost-like, swinging around Zhang Mingyuan's arm. In a flash, he was in front of Zhang Mingyuan, stepping forward with his right foot, spinning around to raise his left hand, and smashed his fist towards Zhang Mingyuan's chest.

"Bagua Palm, Sixty-Four Secret Hands, Lifting the Hem of the Robe! Cross Moving Building!"

Zhang Mingyuan's face turned pale with shock, immediately realizing that swordplay was not his forte. Moreover, this Eight-sided Han Sword was significantly longer than a standard Long Sword, making it unwieldy for him. Regret was futile at this moment. Almost instinctively, Zhang Mingyuan raised his knee, intending to use the Lotus Kick from his poking foot technique to push Li Yan back. Unexpectedly, just as his knee lifted, Li Yan's right foot followed like a venomous snake, ruthlessly striking Zhang Mingyuan's shinbone. It was the entwining leg technique, another secret move from the poking foot style!

At the same time, Li Yan's fist, with ferocious force, hammered into Zhang Mingyuan's chest, causing him to spew fresh blood. Then, morphing his fist into a claw, Li Yan seized Zhang Mingyuan's shoulder, slid down his arm in a swift move to snatch the Han Sword, and with a sideways elbow, he toppled Zhang Mingyuan to the ground. The razor-sharp blade of the sword, like a guillotine, pressed ominously towards Zhang Mingyuan's throat.

...

"Ha...huff..."

Blood lingered at the corners of Zhang Mingyuan's mouth as he stared into the indifferent eyes of Li Yan pressing down upon him, feeling a needle-like pain throbbing between his brows.

"Zhang Daojing, who is she to you?"

Li Yan's voice was exceptionally hoarse, his throat damaged by the Power of the Enlightened Beast.

Coughing up specks of blood, Zhang Mingyuan, chilled by those slightly reddened eyes, involuntarily responded, "She's my sister."

Li Yan fell silent for a moment, a drop of blood, overflowing, trickled down the Han Sword resting on Zhang Mingyuan's neck, making a soft plop as it fell.

"You broke my right hand, causing endless troubles for the past month. I should kill you to vent my anger."

Li Yan uttered each word deliberately, his tone cold and dry. He tossed aside the Han Sword, grabbed Zhang Mingyuan by the collar, and flung him out of the ring.

"Thud." Zhang Mingyuan landed heavily on the ground, his body covered in dust.

"How did you know my 'Silken Leg Bind' technique?" Zhang Mingyuan called out, his voice tinged with frustration.

Li Yan stood up, cradling his right arm and staggered down from the ring, his forehead veins bulging. Hearing Zhang Mingyuan's question, the pain made him clench his teeth, and he replied irritably, "Go home and ask your sister!"

In the private box

Red Ghost let out a heavy sigh. The duel had been full of twists and turns, but in the end, Li Yan emerged victorious. Observing how Li Yan wielded the Han Sword with force despite his injury, Red Ghost concluded that the outcome was more than satisfactory. He turned to look at Judy and noticed her face flushed with excitement.

"Red Ghost, could you step out for a moment? And close the door behind you," she said.

**********

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