Blood splattered on the table, blooming into dazzling blood blossoms.
The hall of Shanxiang Pavilion fell into dead silence.
Only Dai Mubai's pained, guttural screams echoed.
One after another, horrified gazes focused on the young man in the white robe, whose eyes had once again become hazy and drunken.
His attack was too vicious and ruthless!
What was even more was... he hadn't used his Martial Soul!
He had relied on only a fragile bamboo chopstick!
Not only did it pierce through a Spirit Elder's hand, but it also went completely through a hardwood tabletop that was several inches thick!
This was the manifestation of the benefits of his self-created sword technques and bitter cultivation of the Sword Dao.
Ordinary Spirit Masters—
Even a Titled Douluo—
Had to summon Spirit Rings to use their Spirit Abilities.
But Li Zhexian, who had already reached the Fourth Realm of Sword Dao—where everything within sight could serve as a sword—
Held an innate advantage that mere Spirit Power could no longer measure.
"Goddammit!" The evil eyes of Dai Mubai were covered with bloodshot veins. He squeezed out a beast-like, furious low growl from his throat.
When had he ever suffered such humiliation? His viciousness was completely provoked!
Ignoring the hand nailed to the table—
His right hand swelled, five fingers lengthening, striped with black and white tiger fur.
With terrifying strength that tore the air apart, He slammed it viciously toward the back of Li Zhexian's head!
The diners were so scared their faces lost all color. Many of them tightly closed their eyes, unable to bear watching.
Tang San's eyes slowly narrowed. Bai Chenxiang and Oscar watched with a hint of nervousness as the tiger claw got closer and closer to the back of Li Zhexian's head.
Xiao Wu's heart clenched.
Ning Rongrong cried out in panic:
"Brother Zhexian—!"
Under a hundred frightened gazes,
Dai Mubai's claw, howling with force,
Closed to within a foot of the back of Li Zhexian's head.
The gale it stirred whipped his hair into a frenzy.
And at that very instant—
Li Zhexian finally moved.
His two fingers pressed together like a sword.
Without even looking back—
He thrust them behind him.
Swish—!
A streak of sword qi, laced with crackling arcs of lightning, burst from his fingertips.
Zzrak!
Dai Mubai's tiger claw was pierced clean through.
Blood and scorched fur sprayed across the air.
Before his scream could even escape—
Li Zhexian's fingers closed like an iron hook.
Like an eagle snaring a hare, his hand snapped back, seizing Dai Mubai's throat.
Muscles bulged beneath his white robe as he swung with sudden force.
Dai Mubai was thrown through the air for half a circle and slammed heavily onto the ground
A muffled groan escaped his throat. His knees instinctively bent, wanting to support his body.
But he saw Li Zhexian's right leg lash out like a whip, kicking precisely at the back of his knee.
Crack!
The sound of cracking bones and the sound of exploding floor tiles rang out at the same time.
Dai Mubai's knees slammed onto the ground, smashing a half-inch-deep pit. Spiderweb-like cracks spread for a meter.
Li Zhexian released his grip. As if nothing had happened, he reached for the teapot on the table.
Dai Mubai felt the sudden release at his throat.
He suddenly looked up.
His face, twisted from severe pain and fury, had blue veins bulging on his forehead, and crimson blood vessels exploded in his eyes.
"Did I permit you to look up?" Li Zhexian's tone was calm, almost indifferent.
As the words fell, his right leg had already raised a roaring fierce wind. From top to bottom, he stepped on Dai Mubai's hair crown with a vicious force.
Boom!!!
A thunderous crash resounded.
Dai Mubai's head was smashed downward.
His forehead struck the shattered tiles with brutal force, blood splattering, flesh torn.
Li Zhexian ignored it all.
The tea in his cup shimmered, rippling lightly.
He lowered his gaze, sipping as if admiring a quiet snowfall.
"The rules of the Spirit Master Tournament..." Li Zhexian's fingers rubbed the edge of the cup.
"Contestants are not allowed to seek revenge privately, let alone cause a death."
He suddenly leaned forward. Every word he spoke was wrapped with a bloody scent.
"But Dai Mubai, if you dare to move even a little..."
"I'll kill you on the spot."
"Want to gamble on it?"
With that—
Li Zhexian withdrew his foot.
Those eyes, black as ink, gazed down upon Dai Mubai kneeling beneath him.
Hgh... hgh..."
Dai Mubai's head hung low, veins straining at his neck, his breathing ragged.
Both bloodied hands clawed at the cracks in the broken tiles.
The suffocating humiliation swelling in his chest nearly tore him apart.
His ears rang, vision darkened.
And still—
He dared not move.
Not an inch.
He could feel it—
That cold gaze fixed above his head.
So sharp, so frigid it froze even his blood.
Looking at Dai Mubai, who was kneeling prostrate at Li Zhexian's feet like a tamed fierce tiger that didn't dare to move, the diners' mouths were wide open. The expressions on their faces were both shocked and excited.
Moments later.
Whispers broke out, unable to be suppressed:
"Good, good. It's still our Lord Sword Wine who's amazing!"
"Heaven Dou City… no, the entire continent—today, the first young swordman of this generation is decided!"
"The storyteller has something new to talk about!"
"Mubai / Boss Dai!" Tang San and the others shouted first.
Listening to the surrounding sounds of astonishment, Tang San's expression gradually returned to calm.
But the hand holding the teacup quietly began to glow with a jade-like luster. He had to admit that for the first time in his life, a sense of dread had appeared toward a peer.
"So… strong…" Oscar and Bai Chenxiang swallowed hard.
In the blink of an eye, Dai Mubai had been crushed to his knees.
Even though neither had summoned Spirit Rings, the disparity was undeniable.
Xiao Wu's face turned pale.
In her heart, she never wanted Tang San and Li Zhexian to be enemies.
But the rift only deepened.
It had reached the point of no return.
"B… Brother Zhexian…" Ning Rongrong's delicate hands clenched tight, her breath caught.
She stared blankly at the young man in the white robe, who was sitting casually and drinking tea in front of the kneeling Dai Mubai.
She had known he was strong.
The name Sword Wine had spread across Heaven Dou, and she had seen him shatter Tang San's Purple Demon Eye.
But today—
This was the first time she witnessed his true hand.
Never had she imagined—
That Li Zhexian was already this overwhelming.
Dai Mubai, Shrek's foremost assault-type Spirit Master—
Now knelt at his feet.
"Sword Wine…"
At this moment.
Tang San spoke, his brows furrowed.
"All we wanted was to share a drink. Why resort to such cruelty?"
"To strike so viciously without reason—before the Heaven Dou royal family, the right would still be on our side."
"In that case—"
His tone turned suddenly cold:
"Don't blame us for bullying the few with the many, to avenge our teammate!"
His gaze flicked toward Bai Chenxiang.
Bai Chenxiang: "…"
Tang San didn't see her, who had joined halfway, as a teammate. Of course, he didn't see her as a person either.
Bai Chenxiang understood. Tang San was letting her test him. But she couldn't refuse.
The Agility Clan had already entered into an agreement with Tang San for hidden weapons.
They needed him still.
Whoosh—
Bai Chenxiang's figure blurred.
Three Spirit Rings shone beneath her feet.
All speed-enhancement Spirit Abilities.
Her movements split into a dozen phantoms, indistinguishable from the real.
From every angle,
Those shadows shot toward Li Zhexian like arrows loosed from the bow.
Li Zhexian seemed utterly unaware.
Not even his eyelids lifted.
Just as Bai Chenxiang approached closely, her fingertips were about to touch the hem of Li Zhexian's robe.
Rumble!
A flaming meteor descended from the sky. A raging and violent flame meteor slammed heavily onto the ground in front of Li Zhexian...