Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter Sixty-One: The Damn Rascal

“Clang!”

The sound of metal striking metal rang out as the longsword met the black-robed youth’s fist.

In a short span of time, Li Yu had exchanged dozens of blows with this silent, enigmatic figure.

“Metal-elemental spiritual power?” Li Yu thought, both surprised and angry. “Who exactly is he from? Why is there no record of him in the files?!”

Fortunately, the mysterious youth, concealed beneath the black robe and rarely revealing any limbs, only displayed the golden metallic transformation on the parts that made contact. Otherwise, Li Yu might have just grabbed Shen Yishuang and fled. What use was fighting someone whose entire body was invulnerable like diamond?

Yet, doubts stirred within Li Yu. Even if only part of the body could metallize, Li Yu’s longsword had been carefully selected by Xiao Cui, capable of slicing through the finest hairs with ease. Not to mention, the sword carried Li Yu’s own power, yet this mysterious youth could effortlessly block it.

Such a power, regardless of whether his clan was dwindling, should not be ignored.

“Clang!”

Another clash sounded. The longsword, unable to bear the strain, let out a mournful cry and shattered into several segments.

Li Yu reacted swiftly, discarding the broken hilt and meeting the black-robed youth’s strike barehanded.

“Boom!”

Both staggered backward.

Sharp gusts swept the surroundings, lifting part of the black robe momentarily. In that brief instant, Li Yu’s gaze sharpened, catching sight of something familiar.

A token!

Though every person’s token was identical, the way it was worn varied.

Ying Yongge’s token was strung with golden-yellow cords, adorned with gold and jade — a royal aura unmistakable.

Though Li Yu did not know what the tokens of the other two Ming royal family members looked like, he remembered their faces clearly. This youth beneath the black robe was definitely not from the Ming royal family.

In other words, this token once belonged to Ying Yongge?

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Yu’s mind in an instant, suddenly dawning on him: “You’re a native of this secret realm!”

Suddenly, everything made sense.

No wonder there was no information on this black-robed person in the Qing clan’s intelligence. He was not from within the Ming borders, so how could there be any registered records for Li Yu to examine?

Moreover, every clan member entering the secret realm carried their own token; there was no need to take another’s token. Even killing or defeating others would transfer their points. Taking another’s token was a redundant act.

The black-robed youth said nothing, only flashing a mocking glint in his eyes before launching a fierce attack on Li Yu.

A violent storm of strikes rained down upon him.

Li Yu, of course, would not stand idly by. Though he did not know the youth’s true strength, that mattered little. What was important was that defeating him might grant deeper insight into this world.

Li Yu’s knowledge of this place was too scant — was there a pattern to the appearance of the wind walls? What exactly was the danger beginning in the west?

So many unknowns. If Li Yu could uncover them, he could face the situation more calmly, avoiding sudden disasters.

At the very least, he could evade them.

Of course, if he couldn’t win, he could always find a chance to fly away... the opponent didn’t seem to have aerial abilities.

With this in mind, Li Yu no longer hesitated and launched a more ferocious assault against the black-robed youth.

“Boom!”

Both deliberately avoided where Shen Yishuang lay unconscious, but everything nearby suffered. Their attacks were like those of wild beasts, devastating with every punch and kick. They fought from one hilltop to another, then back again.

Boulders tumbled, trees snapped.

Even a small stream was severed in half, the water pooling before rushing off in a new direction.

Li Yu landed on the severed stump of a broken tree, his expression grave as he eyed the black-clad figure standing atop a rocky outcrop.

“This native is formidable!”

Meanwhile, the youth beneath the black robe moved his joints with quiet precision.

His face was equally serious. “This barbarian is troublesome.”

Though he had always looked down on these people, the boy’s strength surprised him somewhat. Was this really a mere rustic dog?

The boy was clearly much younger than himself.

Both were impressed by the other’s power, but this did not temper their ruthless blows. They tangled once more, locked in a brutal, flesh-to-flesh brawl.

“Whoosh!”

Li Yu barely managed to turn his head aside; a thin line of blood appeared on his cheek.

“Been expecting you!” Li Yu shouted fiercely, clenching his fists and striking hard. Though the opponent landed a hit, he lost some agility, only able to cross his arms in defense.

Golden light shimmered.

Unfortunately, this blow was thrown with fury and charged with power. Though partially blocked, two spikes on Li Yu’s gauntlets deeply pierced the opponent’s arm.

The two broke apart again.

Li Yu wiped the blood from his cheek, his face cold. Had he not turned his head in time, the strike might have shattered the youth’s skull.

Though only avoiding fatal injury, Li Yu was satisfied — the opponent’s right arm now bore two bloody wounds, blood gushing forth like a spring.

“I can win this!” Li Yu calculated inwardly.

Though the youth’s strange attacks were invisible and without any wind-up, Li Yu’s keen senses allowed him to perceive their approach.

“Still, this black robe is odd... he seems intent on protecting it.”

Li Yu looked thoughtfully at the youth, puzzled by his actions.

The robe was incredibly durable and difficult to damage, an excellent defense. Several times, the opponent used it to absorb heavier blows that might have wounded him more.

Yet, he chose to protect the robe rather than himself.

He was unwilling to trade minor injuries for major ones. This behavior baffled Li Yu.

Could this black robe be a family heirloom? Something left by an ancestor — meant only to be looked at, not used?

“I can’t delay any longer!” the black-robed youth grew impatient. The opponent was surprisingly tenacious — with just a handful of crude moves, he could go blow for blow.

“I have to make a move... hopefully without being noticed!”

The youth snorted coldly, eyes narrowing as he fixed Li Yu with a gaze as chilling as looking at a corpse.

“Time to settle this!”

Li Yu understood the situation clearly. If they continued grappling, the outcome would soon be revealed within a few rounds.

Of course, he had other options.

Like scooping up Shen Yishuang and fleeing!

The opponent’s tactics were close combat, aside from the strange attacks, and he had only used the peculiar move after Li Yu came close.

Clearly, that attack had a range limitation.

If he couldn’t win, could he at least escape?

Li Yu felt confident, calm and unhurried.

Fight?

The thought flickered across his mind, but he quickly crushed any urge to retreat.

The fierce battle with Old White Fox had been intense, but Ying Yongge had been there backing him up, so Li Yu mostly had spent spiritual power. Yet, with thousands of thunder points inside his body, he had only used eight or nine hundred — a mere drizzle, leaving plenty to spare.

Moreover, his wounds had healed perfectly within the wind wall, cleansed by several tempests.

With his spirit and energy intact, why should he retreat?

Lightning danced in Li Yu’s hands as he suddenly turned his head. Behind him, a massive tree, thick enough for two men to embrace, crashed with a dull sound — severed by an invisible attack.

“Another one?”

Li Yu grinned, flashing his white teeth. “You think you’ve got one, two, or three? Don’t you know the saying, ‘Things never happen more than thrice’?”

Lightning surged wildly, as Li Yu compressed and condensed the electric orbs several times until they solidified — like molten lightning forged into weaponized plasma. The leaked electricity scorched the earth, carving blackened furrows.

The black-robed youth would not allow Li Yu any preparation time. Since the strange attacks failed, he closed the distance swiftly to disrupt Li Yu’s plan.

His speed was great; from close range to right before Li Yu in the blink of an eye.

Yet, when he looked up, he saw the youth’s eerie smile.

“Just been waiting for you!” Li Yu roared, smashing the lightning orb overhead.

Though slow in speed, its proximity made it deadly — the scene looked as if Li Yu had attacked, but the black-robed youth was the one stepping forward to absorb it.

Li Yu planted his foot hard, retreating instead of advancing, preparing to disengage.

“So fast?”

The youth’s eyes flickered; the boy’s wild attack had been formed right beneath his nose, the feigned charge truly convincing, fooling him completely.

Had Li Yu known his thoughts, he would have scoffed.

The lightning orb was actually the totality of several thunder points’ power drawn out. The difficult part was keeping it from detonating prematurely — otherwise, it would harm himself far more than the enemy.

The youth had fallen victim to an information gap, mistakenly believing the orb’s formation was difficult, hence rushing in to disrupt.

Li Yu had calculated this carefully — he couldn’t control the lightning precisely, so it was best if the opponent was close, allowing him to wield it crudely.

“I won’t let you run; you won’t escape either!”

The youth’s eyes flashed with ruthless intent. The orb was about to explode at his side. Knowing escape was impossible, he blocked Li Yu’s path.

With this move, the orb required only a small nudge to ignite. The youth kicked it deliberately, triggering the explosion.

“Damn it! If I can’t have it easy, neither can you!” the youth shouted angrily, his first words heard by Li Yu.

Despite the dire situation, Li Yu’s face went blank until the first shockwave from the explosion struck him.

He barely managed to guard his vital points before the fierce gust flung him to the ground.