Chapter 69

The battle between people...or rather battles between intelligent creatures, the combat power and apparent strength is just one of the factors that determine victory and defeat. Responding in real-time, environmental factors, wisdom and strategy, these are even more important than pure combat power.

Cultivators are also people, intelligent creatures. Their battles also follow these principles.

It's not that a Foundation Establishment cultivator who encounters a Golden Core cultivator is certainly doomed to die. It's just that the Golden Core cultivator has a greater chance of winning. However, chances going backwards from the result don't mean anything.

Among the Five Blade Killing Immortals, the one with the greatest apparent strength was naturally Ma Ze, otherwise he wouldn't have been the boss. But unfortunately, he flew up into the air as a target and was shot dead by Li Shiyin’s flying sword. Next was Wang Wu, but he lost his composure and was actually the first to die. Only then was it Liu Er...

Liu Er practiced Body Cultivation, strengthening his physical body. To put it rudely, he was just a big dumb brute, a living target and punching bag that could only take hits...

No matter how great your skills, you still fear the kitchen knife. No matter how strong your body, you will still eventually be penetrated by sword arts.

Yet among these five people, only Liu Er could fight Li Shiyin head-on, battling for the longest time and most intensely. The two exchanged moves blow for blow, accidentally going on for over a hundred moves.

It wasn’t that Liu Er was as strong as Li Shiyin. It was that after Li Shiyin lost her sword, she couldn’t break through Liu Er’s defense. Her fists and feet all landed solidly on Liu Er, but he just wasn’t injured...

Qin Ran watched from the side. Seeing that Li Shiyin always failed to penetrate the defense, he pointed out strategically:

“Shiyin, the amount of harm caused by using a stick, hammer, or spear with the same strength is different. Likewise, ramming with your body, punching with your hand, and focusing all strength into your fist when punching causes different degrees of harm.”

Both sides of the battle could hear Qin Ran’s words, but Liu Er could only wonder in his head: “What the hell is he talking about?” Whereas Li Shiyin could gain some insight.

“Normally when you use strength, it’s in your body, legs, waist, hands. But if you can gather all strength into one point, focus it into your fist, and explode all your power when punching with your fist...” What Qin Ran talked about was modern boxing theory, but he was just parroting others’ words. He didn’t actually know how. “Punching with your fist always hurts more than slapping with your palm.”

Qin Ran knew what it was about, but couldn’t do it himself. Liu Er could tell it was important stuff, but didn’t understand. Only Li Shiyin understood as she often listened to Qin Ran’s lessons. Gaining insight...

She drew back her fist with starlight gathering onto it, her fist glowing like the sun. She punched out, the starlight exploding as it hit Liu Er...

Bang!

Liu Er was blasted flying as blood sprayed wildly. The place where Li Shiyin’s fist hit obviously caved in.

He crashed onto the ground, still not understanding what profound truths were in Qin Ran’s words.

Li Shiyin chased over and flew up, kicking and breaking his neck.

At this point, apart from Zhang Shan, four of the Five Blade Killing Immortals were dead, all killed by Li Shiyin.

After killing Liu Er, Li Shiyin stood in place as her surging blood gradually calmed and her wildly beating heart slowly settled. Her cruel mind slowly cleared. She looked down at Liu Er, thinking: “I killed another person. I killed four people in one breath.”

She watched as the powder corroded the bodies, as if an invisible monster in space was gnawing away at them. The corpses disappeared bit by bit until only a pile of clothes remained.

“Burn the clothes,” said Qin Ran. “Give me your Universe Bag.”

So Li Shiyin burned all the clothes, gathering up everything into the Universe Bag and flinging it at Qin Ran.

Qin Ran modified the Universe Bag’s space formations, annihilating it with spatial forces.

“This is what must be done after killing. All remnants like the corpses and belongings must be completely destroyed. Don’t be greedy for the treasures inside the Universe Bag,” lectured Qin Ran. “Don’t leave any clues.”

Li Shiyin watched the burning clothes without saying a word, an icy expression on her face.

“After battle, a sufficiently safe location must be quickly found to adjust your condition until the next battle that could happen anytime!” Qin Ran continued.

The flames reflecting in Li Shiyin’s eyes, she still didn’t speak.

Qin Ran pitied and sighed inwardly, but outwardly he summoned a ball of water pouring down on Li Shiyin’s head, coldly saying: “At the same time, cleanse yourself of foreign objects like bloodstains, wounds, markings etc.”

Li Shiyin was drenched, her smooth long hair plastered wetly to her face and back. She didn’t circulate her arts to dry herself either, just standing there silently.

“The cultivation world is like this. Either don’t attack, or do things decisively,” Qin Ran finally sighed. “You don’t want to kill people, but you have to protect yourself well.”

At this point, he also fell silent.

Master and disciple, Li Shiyin broodingly watching the fire while Qin Ran silently watched Li Shiyin. Neither spoke, the atmosphere silent yet terrifying.

Until the clothes finished burning and the fire disappeared, Qin Ran sensed something and looked up into the distant sky.

Two black dots appeared in the sky. Someone was flying over.

He hastily took out Great Redemption Pills and Origin Recovery Pills from his Universe Bag, holding them out to Li Shiyin.

Li Shiyin didn’t take the pills, also looking over.

Two people flew over there, two women - one girl and one mature woman. The girl was nobly beautiful while the woman was gracefully alluring. Flying slowly from the distant sky, they gradually became clear, like heavenly fairies, charming and graceful.

“Take the pills...” said Qin Ran. “Prepare for the next battle.”

“An even more difficult battle!”