Li Sheng had no intention of fleeing; after all, the sect was present—he could escape the monk but not the temple. He moved his feet, circling Chen Hu, searching for an opportunity to strike. Chen Hu sneered; he recognized that Li Sheng’s movements were elusive, but he believed he could handle him. Suddenly, Chen Hu’s neck bulged as he unleashed a powerful sound attack. “Taming Elephant's Demonic Sound!” The sound radiated outward, amplified by his martial domain. Li Sheng sensed the danger and attempted to dodge, but the sound wave was faster, enveloping him.
“Ugh~” Pain surged through him as he pounded his head, feeling as if it might explode. Disorientation, dizziness, and nausea overwhelmed him. Realizing his perilous situation, he bit his tongue, the sharp pain bringing clarity. Chen Hu charged forward with a massive axe, and Li Sheng, unable to dodge, summoned his six spirit forms, unleashing a powerful upward strike with his sword.
“Clang!” Their weapons locked momentarily, and then Li Sheng was sent flying. Mid-air, he spat blood and adjusted his posture, rolling to dissipate the impact. However, the axe’s force reignited his internal injuries, causing him to spit out more blood. He swiftly dodged Chen Hu’s follow-up attacks, maintaining a distance while using his energy to suppress his wounds, aided by a high-quality recovery pill.
After a few breaths, Li Sheng began to stabilize. He realized that Chen Hu’s sound attack, combined with his martial domain, was exponentially powerful, and he needed to be cautious. Chen Hu, growing impatient, remarked sarcastically about Li Sheng’s luck. Li Sheng retorted defiantly, determined to keep the pressure on.
As the battle progressed, Li Sheng continued to evade while occasionally striking back, though he suffered each time. Chen Hu, too, felt the toll of the fight, his hands bloodied and his energy waning. Noting Li Sheng’s escape again, Chen Hu took a recovery pill, cursing under his breath, convinced Li Sheng must have taken a stronger one to last this long.
As Li Sheng approached again, Chen Hu unleashed his ultimate sound attack, covering the entire martial domain. “Explode the Martial Domain!”
Nearby, Zhuge Fu paused, murmuring, “Explode the martial domain? The range and power will increase significantly, although not as powerful as the complete version.” He noted Chen Hu's audacity and foresaw trouble for Li Sheng.
Li Sheng sensed the impending danger and retreated just in time as the sound waves surged toward him. “It can explode?!” Knowing he had to avoid being controlled by the sound, he stabbed his sword into his thigh, rotating it to endure the intense pain. As the sound waves crashed over him, he felt as though he were drowning, but at the last moment, he regained his senses.
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Seeing the axe poised to strike, with his friends’ shouts in the background, he smiled. This time, he chose not to evade. Summoning his spirit forms, he channeled immense power into his sword, deflecting the axe with a fierce strike. Both were pushed back, and though Li Sheng bled from the corner of his mouth, he remained standing, while Chen Hu staggered back, his expression grim.
“With the martial domain dissipating and my pills running low, this could change the tide. Though that kid looks bad, he attacks with all his might, as if his energy never ends. Once his domain recovers, I’ll find help, and he’ll be finished,” Chen Hu thought, retreating without a word.
“Trying to leave?” Li Sheng glared fiercely. He had worked too hard to disable Chen Hu’s martial domain only to let him escape now. Just as he gathered his energy to pursue, his internal injuries flared again, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. He had to suppress his wounds, realizing he couldn't fight again until he recovered.
After a brief moment, his injuries stabilized, but fatigue washed over him. He knew he couldn't act again until he healed. Having suffered multiple flare-ups of his injuries in just half a day, he knew another would spell disaster. As his tense nerves relaxed, exhaustion overtook him, and he fell unconscious, feeling as though he were landing on a soft, comforting surface.
When Chen Hu left, Bai Ye and Liu Hongfeng rushed to Li Sheng’s side. Liu Hongfeng caught him just as he collapsed, feeling a blush as he instinctively nestled closer. She quickly assessed his wounds, relieved that his upper body was protected but worried about the serious injuries to his legs. Her expression turned grave upon discovering the extent of his internal injuries.
“Is the senior brother okay?” Bai Ye asked, her voice trembling. “For now, he’s stable, but the situation isn’t optimistic. We need to return to the sect,” Liu Hongfeng replied.
From a distance, Zhuge Fu watched them enter the formation, pondering, “Not just an ordinary strength; there’s something more here... is it spiritual-level martial arts? Exceptional talent, mysterious heritage, abundant resources, and ruthless tactics... It was worth my trip here. I must plan carefully...”