Chai Xijin raised the drumstick in his hand and struck the drumhead heavily, producing a resounding "boom."
The hatred in the eyes of the people writhing on the ground intensified. Their gazes flickered between Liu Yan and Chai Xijin, as if unable to discern which of the two was the true source of their unbearable suffering.
Who should they seek vengeance against for this intolerable agony?
The black horse charged forward at full speed. Liu Yan straightened his posture, allowing the horse to fling both him and Yu Tuan'er into the air. Beside him, the Spider Woman and Da Shi both made their moves, but a saber materialized out of nowhere, intercepting them.
Fu Zhumei arrived from a distance. He had been too far away and had only just caught up, unaware of Liu Yan's intentions. Acting first to save lives, he intervened.
Liu Yan, confident that Fu Zhumei would act to rescue them, ignored the Spider Woman and Da Shi entirely. Soaring into the air, he lunged downward—another thunderous "boom" echoed.
He landed squarely on Chai Xijin's massive drum.
Suddenly face-to-face with his "master," Chai Xijin found the man before him both eerily familiar and unsettlingly alien. Liu Yan's features had mostly recovered. Without hesitation, Chai Xijin unleashed "Layered Petals in Full Bloom," sending a flurry of strikes toward over a dozen of Liu Yan's major acupoints. At such close range, Liu Yan had no room to evade—yet he neither dodged nor resisted. Instead, he reached out to seize Chai Xijin's drumstick!
A rapid series of metallic clangs rang out as the Imperial Plum Blossom Saber swept aside every last "Layered Petals in Full Bloom." Fu Zhumei, who should have had no trouble handling both the Spider Woman and Da Shi, found himself faltering. The old wound on his back, though healed, throbbed faintly in the Spider Woman's presence. His vision blurred, darkness and light flickering unpredictably, as if a dense fog had rolled over everything in sight. Relying on his hearing, Fu Zhumei managed to deflect the barrage aimed at Liu Yan, but his steps grew unsteady. A distant roar, like the endless ebb and flow of ocean tides, filled his ears, gradually isolating him from the world beyond.
Chai Xijin still gripped "Layered Petals in Full Bloom," but Liu Yan—though his internal energy had dissipated—had lost none of his skill. In a momentary lapse, the drumstick was wrested from Chai Xijin's grasp.
Liu Yan fixed Chai Xijin with an icy stare.
Seated cross-legged on the drum, Liu Yan struck its side with the drumstick, producing an unfamiliar resonance. With the drumstick in his right hand, he finally laid the qin across his lap and plucked its strings with his left.
The dual tones resonated simultaneously. Chai Xijin, caught directly in their path, coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Seeing Chai Xijin injured, Da Shi bellowed and launched a devastating punch—"Supreme Buddha's Seal"—straight at Fu Zhumei. Though the sonic assault had shaken him as well, Liu Yan's attack hadn't been aimed at him. Da Shi, tone-deaf by nature, was far less susceptible to such techniques than Cheng Yunpao or Chai Xijin.
The Spider Woman smirked, restraining the restless mutant venom-spider in her arms. Da Shi's punch landed squarely on Fu Zhumei's chest with full force—yet Fu Zhumei didn't evade. With a choked gasp, he vomited a mouthful of dark purple blood.
From his perch atop the drum, Liu Yan whipped his head around. His hands never ceased their rhythm on the drum and qin. Chai Xijin, having caught his breath, prepared to strike again. Meanwhile, Fu Zhumei—now succumbing to the spider's venom—slowly turned his head, his gaze locking onto Liu Yan.
The Spider Woman was elated to see her restraint taking effect. She had never imagined she could completely subdue such a renowned master. Fu Zhumei's martial prowess was on par with Cheng Yunpao's.
But both Fu Zhumei and Tang Licí had sustained heavy injuries at Tianqing Temple. After relentless battles, they were already at their limits.
Though Tang Licí's blade had killed the venom-spider on Fu Zhumei's back, its poison remained.He had endured torture for days, was deeply poisoned, and severely injured. The Spider Woman used another strange venomous spider to cloud his mind, and Fu Zhumei actually fell under her control.
Yu Tuan'er had long been exhausted. Seeing Fu Zhumei's expression change drastically, she grew frightened. "Brother Liu, what's wrong with him?"
Liu Yan stopped playing the guqin, his left hand resting on the strings.
"Tuan'er." He rarely called her by name.
Yu Tuan'er snapped out of her daze. "I'm not afraid to die. Don't think you can make me leave."
Liu Yan smiled faintly. "I'm not worth it." With a sudden elbow strike, the guqin spun halfway on his lap, infused with true power, and struck Yu Tuan'er heavily in the chest.
The blow to her chest disrupted her qi, leaving her momentarily speechless. Her eyes widened in shock—the true power on the guqin was what she had transferred to Liu Yan herself!
With another forceful push, he knocked her unconscious. Meng Qinglei arrived just in time to catch the young girl and the guqin. His gaze was complex as he glared at Liu Yan, wishing he could tear the man apart. But this bastard had just saved the situation and was now seated atop Chai Xijin's war drum, making it impossible to kill him immediately.
Liu Yan surveyed his surroundings. Fu Zhumei was under someone else's control, Meng Qinglei was full of hostility, Chai Xijin had regained his breath, the Spider Woman held Fu Zhumei captive, and Dashiwielded a meteor hammer—everyone was an enemy, as if there was no way out.
He chuckled softly, "Hahaha..."
He discarded the drumsticks in his hands and slapped the massive drum beneath him with both palms, producing a majestic and overwhelming rhythm.
He laughed wildly, "Hahahaha..."
The laughter and drumbeats together were soul-shaking, striking terror into hearts! Then Liu Yan declared arrogantly, "This Revered Master established Fengliudian, refined the Nine Hearts Pill, and killed countless people—Chai Xijin is my disciple, and Tang Lici is my beloved general. All of you are poisoned with 'Nine Hearts Pill,' 'Hudeng Ling,' and other toxins—the antidotes are in my hands! How does it feel to be poisoned? Hahahaha..."
His mad laughter echoed, and the battlefield, already subdued by his sonic attack, fell into dead silence.
Wan Yu Yuedan and the Red Maiden frowned. Liu Yan's sudden move had provoked universal hatred—he must have learned this from Young Master Tang, yet his imitation was awkward and forced, leaving no room for deeper thought. But Young Master Tang had risked his life to save him, and Liu Yan was no great villain. By confessing his crimes now and forcibly taking control, he was bound to enrage Young Master Tang upon his return.
But at this moment, who else could take charge?
Without sonic control, the bloody slaughter from moments ago would resume.
The Central Plains Sword Association, Biluo Palace, the Infantry Division, and others could only protect themselves but couldn't save everyone.
Another thunderous beat from Liu Yan's drum sent everyone's blood surging, their chests swelling with resentment. Liu Yan spoke again, "This Revered Master seeks to rule the world—under heaven, I alone am supreme. Those who defy me shall die. Disciple, don't think that learning a fraction of my sonic arts allows you to establish your own faction—and Tang Lici shall not exploit the name of Fengliudian's Revered Master to bully others." His voice turned icy, "This Revered Master is a prodigy, master of countless arts—how dare you lowly worms overstep your bounds? Kneel—or die!"
"Boom!" The war drum sounded again.
The people on the ground roared in unison, their minds clouded as they charged toward the war chariot.
Fu Zhumei, Chai Xijin, the Spider Woman, and Dashi all attacked Liu Yan together.
Liu Yan sat calmly atop the war drum, his eyes lowered, the cold mockery at the corners of his eyes still present.The red-clad maiden's expression changed. "Liu Yan..."
Liu Yan offered his neck to the blade for three reasons: first, to control the situation; second, to clear Tang Lichen's name from the infamous title of "Master of the Wind and Moon Pavilion"; and third... he simply didn't wish to live.
It was true that this man was a heaven-sent genius, possessing countless extraordinary skills.
But the claim that "under heaven, none dare oppose me, and those who do shall perish" was false.
Liu Yan merely wished to atone for some sins.
Though he couldn't atone for his own, if his death could slightly cleanse Tang Lichen's tarnished reputation, that would be good enough.
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