Invincible Beyond Heavens: Cultivating With A Broken EXP System

However, in the midst of that clash, something unexpected happened.

Cracks began to form along Fan Qing’s staff.

At first they were faint, but in the next moment they spread rapidly across its entire surface.

“Impossible!”

Fan Qing shouted in disbelief. But it was already too late.

The cracks expanded uncontrollably until the staff could no longer endure the pressure.

It shattered completely.

Fragments of the weapon exploded outward, and the force of the collision sent Fan Qing flying backward.

Bang!

His body slammed violently into the stone wall, carving out a deep indentation as he crashed into it.

“Is he dead?”

Li Yun murmured as he walked toward Fan Qing, his gaze steady and cautious.

However, before he could take more than a few steps, Fan Qing’s body suddenly surged forward once again, wrapped in crackling blue lightning as he launched himself back into the fight.

Li Yun’s expression did not change.

He simply raised his sword and slashed forward.

This time, both his 40% Sword Intent and 40% Lightning Intent erupted together, merging into a single devastating strike.

Bang!

Fan Qing was blasted backward once more, but unlike before, his body went limp in mid-air. By the time he crashed into the same crater in the wall, all signs of life had already vanished.

He lay there motionless.

A deep, gruesome wound ran diagonally across his torso, from his left shoulder down to his right waist, blood pouring steadily from the gash.

“You… you killed him?!”

Yan Luo’s face turned pale, her eyes filled with panic as she stared at the lifeless body.

At that moment, regret surged within her. She had fabricated lies about Li Yun in front of Fan Qing, and now that decision had come back to haunt her.

Li Yun glanced at her and shrugged lightly.

“You cannot blame me for this. When I took that Martial Dao Crystal in the Black Wind Desert, I did not kill any disciples from your Boundless Martial Palace. It was not that I was unwilling, but rather that they gave me no reason to do so.”

His gaze shifted briefly toward Fan Qing’s corpse.

“But Fan Qing intended to kill me, so he could only end up like this. I never hesitate when it comes to killing someone who wants me dead.”

Then he turned his eyes back to Yan Luo.

He raised his sword and pointed it directly at her.

“The same applies to you.”

“You cannot kill me! I am the daughter of the master of the Boundless Martial Palace!” Yan Luo’s voice trembled, fear clearly visible on her face as she instinctively stepped backward.

“I do not care about your background.” Li Yun’s tone remained calm, almost indifferent, as he lifted his sword. “Anyone who seeks my life will face death.”

With those words, he struck.

A powerful arc of sword qi surged forward, infused with both Sword Intent and Lightning Intent, cutting through the air with unstoppable force.

But just as the attack was about to reach her, Yan Luo’s figure vanished.

She disappeared completely, leaving behind only her voice echoing faintly in the air.

“Three months from now, there will be a Tea Ceremony in Sword Saint City, hosted by the geniuses of the Hidden Dragon Rankings. If you have the courage, come and participate… and try to remain undefeated until the end.”

“She escaped?”

Li Yun looked at the empty space where Yan Luo had just stood, a hint of surprise flickering across his face. Her disappearance had been sudden, almost unreal, but after a brief moment of thought, he found it completely reasonable.

She was, after all, the daughter of the master of the Boundless Martial Palace.

Someone of her status would naturally possess numerous life-saving treasures. Escaping at the brink of death was not something unusual for a person like her.

As for her final words…

“Tea Ceremony in Sword Saint City?”

Li Yun narrowed his eyes slightly as he pondered.

Coincidentally, his next destination after obtaining the Sword Master’s Legacy was indeed Sword Saint City.

He did not know much about this so-called Tea Ceremony, but he was well aware of the geniuses listed in the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

It was said that every individual on that list had already stepped into the Essence Qi Realm.

Not only that, the rankings did not merely reflect cultivation levels. They represented recognition across the entire Southern Martial Domain. Only those whose strength had been acknowledged by all could earn a place on that list.

The Hidden Dragon Rankings were, in essence, a prediction.

They reflected who was most likely to dominate the upcoming Hidden Dragon Tournament and what positions they might claim.

If someone was ranked first on that list, it meant they were widely regarded as the strongest genius of their generation, the one most likely to win the tournament.

Because of this, entering the Hidden Dragon Rankings was extraordinarily difficult.

Only those who had reached the Essence Qi Realm and possessed overwhelming strength could even hope to be included.

“Alright, I am done here.”

Li Yun muttered quietly before turning and heading in the direction Han Xue had fled. His figure moved swiftly through the passage, disappearing into the depths of the tomb.

Not long after he left, something strange began to happen behind him.

Fan Qing’s lifeless body twitched. Then, slowly, it began to move.

A chilling, distorted laugh echoed through the empty hall.

“Jejeje… I have finally found a suitable body.”

…

After running for several minutes, Li Yun finally caught up with Han Xue. Han Li was also with her.

The moment Han Li saw him, he stepped forward anxiously.

“Li Yun, are you alright? What happened to Fan Qing and Yan Luo?”

Li Yun nodded calmly.

“I managed to get away from them.”

His tone was steady, but he did not elaborate further.

“Let us talk while moving. I do not want them catching up to us.”

Han Li and Han Xue exchanged a glance before nodding.

Without wasting any time, the three of them continued forward together through the tomb.