251: Open and open

Zhao Jingchen watched Li Pingan's figure, his heart jolting violently, but he was much calmer than the shocked Junior Sister beside him.

Back in Pingquan Village, he had personally witnessed Young Master Li's methods, and those two Elders of the Chusheng Sect had experienced that terror firsthand. Although killing Elder Han was a sneak attack while he was off guard, the fight against Elder Xue was a head-on suppression and slaughter. That fierce, bone-crunching bravery made him feel awe, even if he was only an observer of that battle.

But even knowing that Young Master Li's strength was extraordinary, the methods this man was currently displaying still made him feel worried deep down.

He had seen many Elders within the Sect.

The feeling this man gave him was somewhat familiar to Zhao Jingchen, and it was precisely because of this familiarity that his expression turned grim.

Because this person was very likely an Out-of-Body Stage Cultivator!

Fu Yunze also frowned, clearly not expecting Li Pingan to be able to evade that strike. He snorted coldly and flipped his left hand, revealing a palm-sized, dark-golden bell with currents of electricity flickering across its surface.

This was the earth-rank magic treasure, the "thunder suppressing bell!"

"Ding—!"

A crisp chime suddenly rang out, but it wasn't the least bit pleasant. Instead, it was like a blade coated in deadly poison, piercing the eardrums painfully.

Lin Xiuqin instinctively covered her ears, her face turning pale instantly. Zhao Xu felt a wave of dizziness, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth; he quickly sat cross-legged on the spot to steady his mind.

Seeing this, Ye Hao spoke up to help the three of them alleviate most of the pressure.

In the battle between those two, those with weaker cultivation bases could barely even remain standing.

As the chime spread, the air above the Demon Suppressing Tower suddenly distorted. The originally scattered sparks of lightning instantly became violent, like a thunderous beast being awakened. Dozens of purple lightning threads as fine as needles condensed out of thin air, weaving into a thunder net that covered several yards. Lightning flashed at the mesh of the net, and the sound of "sizzling" currents was constant as it came down toward Li Pingan's head!

A cold light flashed in Li Pingan's eyes. He advanced instead of retreating, his fists clenched tightly. The Martial Dao Astral Qi swirling around his fists suddenly surged, like two clumps of burning cotton, as he smashed them fiercely toward the thunder net!

In the path of Martial Dao, one painstakingly cultivates the Physical Body and tempers the will, seeking that unstoppable Aura!

Whether you have a Golden Body Manifestation that blots out the sun or ten thousand Divine Abilities that can overturn the seas, before me, Li Pingan, there is only the punch!

With one punch, all techniques vanish!

Simply put, it was: who is sharper?

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At the moment the fists collided with the lightning threads, a series of deafening explosions echoed outside the Demon Suppressing Tower.

The pale-golden Martial Dao Astral Qi and the purple lightning threads annihilated each other. The splashing currents coiled around Li Pingan's arms like venomous snakes, and several black holes were instantly scorched into his clothes, charred fragments of fabric drifting away in the wind.

The current drilled into his skin, bringing a tearing pain. Blood slowly seeped from between his fingers, but before it could even hit the ground, it was instantly evaporated into a wisp of white smoke by the residual lightning.

Under Li Pingan's storm-like punches, the thunder net was actually being beaten into a distorted shape.

Li Pingan was completely oblivious to the injuries on his arms, as if he had lost the sense of pain, and simply continued to throw punches. Every punch fell with the weight of a thousand pounds, and his Martial Dao Astral Qi became increasingly refined with each collision.

What truly gave him a bit of a headache was that after finishing this fight, he would have to wash his clothes again.

Lin Xiuqin, Zhao Jingchen, and the others stood inside the Demon Suppressing Tower, their eyes fixed on the fierce struggle between the two in the sky.

Li Pingan's tenacity exceeded everyone's expectations, but the Divine Ability of Fu Yunze as an Out-of-Body Stage Cultivator made their scalps tingle even more. Just the aftershocks from the thunder net hindered the flow of their spiritual power, and sweat slid down their foreheads. They were even more nervous than Li Pingan, who was actually facing the enemy.

"Does this man not know pain?" Lin Xiuqin couldn't help but murmur.

Watching the intense battle, Ye Hao calmly took a lustrous white Medicinal Pill from his storage ring.

But just as he was about to toss the Nourishing Origin Pill into his mouth, his movements stalled, and his brow furrowed slightly.

Although Nourishing Origin Pills were good, he didn't have much stock left. Every one he ate was one less he had.

Once he ran out of Nourishing Origin Pills in the future, he would have to use that bottle of elixir liquid refined by his Junior Sister. At the thought of the taste of that elixir, Ye Hao felt his throat tighten; it was more of a struggle than taking Fu Yunze's spell head-on earlier.

Back then in the Sect, if his Realm hadn't remained stagnant with no identifiable cause, why would he have humbled himself to go to his Junior Sister's Nine Heavens Pill Rhyme Hall to ask for medicine?

His Junior Sister was great in every way—she had a stunning appearance and a lively personality—but the Medicinal Pills she refined... the taste was simply unique. It was bitter with a hint of astringency, and astringent with a hint of fishiness; swallowing it could make a person lose their appetite for three days.

"Sigh, I'd better be a bit more frugal."

Ye Hao muttered a sentence and put the Nourishing Origin Pill back into his storage ring.

It wasn't that the Senior Brothers and Sisters hadn't thought about tactfully bringing up the issue of the Medicinal Pills, especially the Eldest Senior Sister, who was the most resistant to them.

But their Junior Sister would either put on a pitiful act, her peach-blossom eyes watery, which, combined with that flawless face, made one feel that saying even a single word against her was a sin.

Or she would stand with her hands on her hips, puffing out her cheeks in rebuttal: 'Have you ever refined pills? Do you know how to best preserve the medicinal efficacy? Even Revered Master didn't say anything!'

While he was pondering, Ye Hao felt a bit of a metallic sweetness rise in his throat. He no longer hesitated, put the Nourishing Origin Pill back, and instead took out a fifth-grade blood marrow pill and tossed it into his mouth.

Although the medicinal effect was quite a bit worse than the Nourishing Origin Pill, he had plenty of fifth-grade elixirs in stock. It was enough to deal with the current situation.

The Medicinal Pill melted in his mouth, and a warm medicinal power slid down his throat into his stomach, slowly repairing his internal injuries. While refining the medicinal power, Ye Hao looked up at the sky.

"Bang!"

Another violent crashing sound rang out. The thunder net in the sky was being pulled into a sharp cone by Li Pingan's fists, and the cracks at the mesh were growing larger. It seemed it would be completely broken through in the next second!

Breaking a surface with a single point!

Fu Yunze snorted coldly. "Did you really think my Purple Cloud Thunder Method was just to trap you?"

He gripped the thunder suppressing bell tightly in his left hand, and the chime rang out urgently once more.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The rapid chimes rang out in succession, even more piercing than before. At that moment, a deafening boom suddenly came from above the Demon Suppressing Tower, like the wrath of thunder from the Nine Heavens!

The sound wasn't like ordinary thunder; instead, it was as if the gates of the Nine Heavens were being smashed open. Carrying a majestic heavenly might, it caused the entire Demon Suppressing Tower to vibrate violently, and gravel from the corners of the walls tumbled down!

Everyone instinctively looked up, only to see the rolling purple lightning in the sky suddenly condense, like boiling lava being forcibly molded. In an instant, several Thunder Birds with wingspans of over a yard broke free from the lightning!

Their flapping wings brought gusts of electric wind, even tearing tiny slits in the air. Every Thunder Bird emitted a heart-palpitating Aura, like messengers of a descending Heavenly Tribulation. Their eyes were locked onto Li Pingan below, as if they intended to completely purge the 'heretic' who dared to resist within this world!