“Palace Master…” Bi Lianyi had caught Zhu Yan’s previous halberd strike and his qi and blood were shaken, already suffering internal injuries. Seeing Zhu Yan raise his long halberd about to throw it, he called out quietly to Wanyu Yuedan and exerted all his strength to gather his true qi, preparing to risk his life to block this strike. This strike would certainly be incomparable to the previous halberd attack. He didn’t understand why Kuanglan Wuxing would suddenly return to kill Wanyu Yuedan, but he absolutely couldn’t let this person do as he pleased in Biluo Palace – much less let him kill the Palace Master!

Even if he died! He would never let Kuanglan Wuxing harm even a fraction of Wanyu Yuedan!

The long halberd swung, making a heart-stopping circle in the air with a “whoosh.” Zhu Yan wielded the halberd in his hand, a gentle breeze blowing through his disheveled multicolored hair. The smooth blade surface reflected his demonic countenance. With a “whir,” the long halberd shot from his hand.

The wind it stirred wasn’t very strong, unlike people’s thrilling imagination. Bi Lianyi swung his long sword, sweeping out dozens of sword shadows to slash at that long halberd. Zhu Yan flipped his hand and swept the halberd horizontally. “Clang clang clang” – dozens of consecutive sounds. The halberd swept in a circle, and with a humming sound, a long sword flew from his hand, its shadow glinting with sunlight as it fell to one side. Amid everyone’s cries of alarm, Bi Lianyi spat fresh blood and retreated three steps in succession before hitting Tie Jing’s body with a “thud” and stopping. Tie Jing supported him, his knuckles gripping so tightly they creaked, but he forced himself to remain silent and stood beside Wanyu Yuedan.

If even Bi Lianyi was no match, he certainly wasn’t either.

With another “whoosh,” the long halberd spun in another identical circle, the same posture, blade tip pointing directly at Wanyu Yuedan. Zhu Yan’s face bore a trace of cold mockery, as if laughing at Biluo Palace’s great reputation yet truly being vulnerable to a single blow. The Biluo Palace disciples each gripped their swords and knives, secretly preparing how they would parry if this halberd struck out, how they would block this strike for Wanyu Yuedan.

With a “wu—” sound, the long halberd swayed again. The wind sound was still small. Everyone’s swords and knives struck out in unison, but there was a “crackling” series of crisp sounds, like a floor of porcelain plates shattering. Knives broke, swords snapped, people were injured! A long halberd suddenly emerged from the encirclement of dozens of knives and swords, as if completely unobstructed, striking directly at Wanyu Yuedan’s chest!

The blade like light, the halberd like a dragon, chasing wind and blazing sun, unparalleled under heaven!

“Palace Master!” Everyone cried out in alarm together. Tie Jing’s chain flew from his sleeve, clanging as it wrapped around that long halberd once, but the halberd contained extremely strong and fierce power. The slender steel chain broke with one impact, not hindering the long halberd’s advance at all!

In that split second, Wanyu Yuedan didn’t even have time to step aside!

“Clang” – a crisp sound!

That invincible long halberd suddenly broke in the middle. The blade tip tilted slightly, flying past Wanyu Yuedan’s sleeve corner and thunderously embedding into the brick wall behind him, penetrating four feet deep, enough to pierce through the brick wall. Everyone looked up in shock and saw an object spinning back through the air, falling into someone’s hand. It was this person who had struck to break the halberd, saving Wanyu Yuedan’s life.

The newcomer wore white clothes with slightly disheveled hair, holding a knife in his right hand and still carrying a cup of tea in his left hand. It was Fu Zhumei.

Zhu Yan saw his long halberd broken but didn’t care. He raised his head, his arrogant gaze burning toward Fu Zhumei. “It’s you.” Fu Zhumei held tea in his left hand and a knife in his right, seeming somewhat puzzled. He handed the milk tea to Wanyu Yuedan and gripped the knife in his hand. “It’s me.”

Zhu Yan extended his right hand forward, five fingers slightly curved, assuming a strange stance. “Boy, if you can’t defeat me, I’ll kill everyone in Biluo Palace from top to bottom, leaving no one alive!”

Fu Zhumei’s eyelids closed slightly, then slowly opened. His gaze became clear and cold, and the air around him seemed to become colder and more frigid. Gradually, his entire body seemed faintly shrouded in a layer of white mist. “I am here, so I won’t allow anyone to harm anything in Biluo Palace.”

A person swayed unsteadily from behind the courtyard, carrying a wine pot, pouring a mouthful into his mouth, looking at Zhu Yan and Fu Zhumei with drunken, bleary eyes. Zhu Yan’s five-claw style was a rare supreme technique called “Mad Face Lone Goose,” no less impressive than any famous sect’s claw techniques. The foolish boy’s flying knife skill was indeed amazing, but he might not be able to avoid Zhu Yan’s five claws. This drunk observer was Meihua Yishu.

A gentle breeze blew. The cold air around Fu Zhumei slowly drifted toward Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan stamped his right foot, and his purple robe suddenly trembled and shook, sleeves flying. After another moment, even the sand and stones on the ground seemed to tremble and shake with those sleeves. Under the sunlight, the shadows trembling and shaking with the sleeves looked like invisible, incorporeal black snakes constantly surging and growing. Bi Lianyi slightly adjusted his breathing and had Tie Jing, He Yan’er and others protect Wanyu Yuedan as they slowly retreated. More and more Biluo Palace members gathered, their formations orderly and imposing. Several elders also stepped forward together, surrounding Zhu Yan and Fu Zhumei completely.

“Ha—” With a low hum, Zhu Yan exhaled a puff of white breath from his mouth. In an instant, his figure was already in front of Fu Zhumei. His five fingernails suddenly turned black, and a rich, fishy stench assaulted the nose. This wasn’t poison on his fingers, but his qi and blood operating so rapidly that even his own fingernails couldn’t withstand that intensity and instantly burned to charcoal. Fu Zhumei saw clearly and spun his Yumei Knife to parry. Cold intent spread like a heavy snowfall between his palms and fingers.

“Crack crack” sounds rang out. The two had already exchanged over fifty moves in an instant. All observers were shocked and lost color. The true force on Zhu Yan’s fingers was terrifyingly hot. Wherever his five fingers swept, if they even slightly touched Fu Zhumei’s clothes, those clothes immediately caught fire. Fu Zhumei’s knife intent was cold as ice. Where the blade passed, flames immediately extinguished. The cold intent carried by the knife made the winter moisture form frost, which turned to water vapor and fell when roasted by Zhu Yan’s finger wind. The two of them, one in white and one in purple, fought within the circle formed by the crowd. Between fingers and blade, sometimes rain, sometimes snow, drifting and swaying, a magnificent spectacle.

“Rarely seen…” Wen Renhe murmured. “These two are both rare talents, perhaps once in a century.” Although Wanyu Yuedan couldn’t see, he could imagine what a shocking scene was before everyone’s eyes, and smiled slightly. Bi Lianyi watched the strange spectacle of those two fighting. Both their technique changes were very swift. Within the space of less than five inches in front of their throats, blade and palm constantly changed techniques. Many striking and stabbing points were constantly repeated, yet those two could parry with identical force and angles.

Extraordinary concentration… And if both didn’t have superior control and stability, if they hadn’t encountered opponents with equally amazing willpower, they absolutely couldn’t have burst forth such a strange spectacle. It was like a masterful, moving pipa piece being played to its fastest, most intricate wheel notes.

The faster the strings were plucked, the more intense the sound. Killing sounds arose like arrows flying through the vast sky and ten thousand horses galloping, golden spears dancing with blood, empty painting long songs and weeping. In an instant, everyone knew it had reached the moment when strings would snap!

“Hum” – a deafening sound! Fu Zhumei’s knife finally found an opening and slashed directly at Zhu Yan’s right shoulder! That strike was precise and restrained. The strongest aspect of a “knife” – wasn’t it precisely chopping and slashing? As this chop fell, the knife wind penetrated Zhu Yan’s five-finger wind. In an instant, the “humming” vibration sound continued endlessly. Everyone covered their ears as if Fu Zhumei hadn’t just struck once but had struck a huge bronze bell. The window lattices of the buildings behind rattled and cracked in several places. Zhu Yan dodged sideways, but the knife intent reached far before the knife. Before the knife arrived, with a “splash” sound, his shoulder had already opened a gash and fresh blood gushed out!

Zhu Yan’s eyes suddenly turned red. In an instant, the blue-red color on his cheeks strikingly turned to black-purple. With a “ha—” sound, he concentrated his breathing and qi. Wen Renhe cried out, “Demon Spitting Pearl Qi!” Bi Lianyi seized a long sword from a disciple beside him and wielded the sword into radiance, slashing at Zhu Yan’s back without explanation.

Demon Spitting Pearl Qi was a man-eating demonic technique. Without exception, all who practiced this internal cultivation method would suddenly die, their entire bodies turning black with flesh and blood completely disappearing, leaving only a skeleton-like dried corpse. The martial world heard of this technique with terror – its evil reputation was no less than the “Rebirth Manual.” Seventy years ago, someone had mastered this technique, then killed innocents indiscriminately before finally going insane and committing suicide. It was said he could master “Demon Spitting Pearl Qi” because his internal organs were different from ordinary people – he had two hearts, two stomachs, and two sets of liver. Now Zhu Yan could actually display “Demon Spitting Pearl Qi” – could he also have such extraordinary natural gifts? Demon Spitting Pearl Qi was fierce and unparalleled. It was said to be strong enough to destroy mountains and split earth, crushing human skulls like rotten persimmons. Moreover, those struck by “Demon Spitting Pearl Qi” would also have their entire bodies turn black with flesh and blood completely disappearing before dying…

“Lianyi!” Wen Renhe cried out in alarm. Zhu Yan’s blackened five fingers were already thrusting toward Fu Zhumei’s chest. Five streams of black qi sprayed out from his fingers like mist. Fu Zhumei wielded his knife first, the blade flashing bright. Zhu Yan’s right shoulder wound opened again with a “crack” sound as if bone had broken, yet those five fingers had already touched Fu Zhumei’s chest. Bi Lianyi’s sword fell at the right moment. Zhu Yan suddenly pulled back his right hand to grab backward. Bi Lianyi’s blade slashed a wound across Zhu Yan’s back, but Zhu Yan’s five fingers had already penetrated half an inch into his chest! Fu Zhumei shouted loudly, blood splattered, and the Yumei Knife spun back like an icy crystal cold moon. Zhu Yan’s right arm was chopped off by his blade!

“Little Bi!” Fu Zhumei severed Zhu Yan’s right arm. That arm fell from Bi Lianyi’s chest. He caught Bi Lianyi in his arms, his previously calm and composed demeanor completely gone. “Little Bi! Little Bi Little Bi Little Bi!” Bi Lianyi still gripped the long sword tightly in his hand, suppressing the hot blood surging to his mouth, saying in a low voice, “I’m fine! Protect the Palace Master!” Fu Zhumei nodded repeatedly, hurriedly running to Wanyu Yuedan to shield him. Thinking this improper, he carried Bi Lianyi over and handed him to Tie Jing, his face full of panic. Bi Lianyi saw this and coughed slightly twice. This person didn’t care at all when he was severely poisoned, but seeing others injured, he looked like he was about to cry… “Cough cough…”

“What to do? What to do?” Fu Zhumei’s eyes looked at the one-armed Zhu Yan, but actually wasn’t looking at him at all. “Little Bi, does it hurt? Does it hurt or not?” Wanyu Yuedan’s voice was very gentle, so calm it seemed able to soothe all pain. “He’s fine.” Tie Jing bit his teeth and struggled to maintain a cold expression. His sword was in Bi Lianyi’s hand. Since Bi Lianyi hadn’t loosened his grip, the sword felt like it was firmly gripped in his own hand.

The Biluo Palace crowd drew their swords and knives, striking them together in unison, all their faces showing anger. Zhu Yan, missing an arm, slowly stood up. He didn’t even glance at his severed arm, only staring fixedly at Fu Zhumei. Suddenly he turned around, his heavy purple robe making a thunderous sound as he swept away. Blood gushed like a spring from his right shoulder wound. He lowered his eyelashes and strode away.

Even one-armed Kuanglan Wuxing – still no one dared to block him.

The Biluo Palace disciples made way for a path. Where Zhu Yan stepped was covered in bright red – patches of bloodstains, bloody footprints, the severed arm left behind, and the half-halberd embedded in the wall corner. The winter wind blew, and somehow it gave people an unusually desolate feeling.