2: Nalan Yanran

In a corner of the marketplace, the shadows perfectly concealed the figures of the newcomers.

Nalan Yanran wore a moon-white dress, her posture as straight and elegant as a freshly bloomed green lotus, yet her beautiful face was currently filled with poorly concealed astonishment.

She had come to Wutan City on her master's orders to dissolve that absurd engagement. She had originally intended to secretly observe the current situation of her "fiancé," Xiao Yan, but she never expected to witness such a... shocking scene.

How could that genius, who was once famous throughout the Jia Ma Empire, be so easily defeated? He was cleanly and decisively struck on the wrist by an unknown youth using a hand chop?

Beside her, Elder Ge Ye's cloudy old eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness as he whispered, "Miss, this young man... possesses incredibly sharp methods."

"That hand chop already possessed the rudimentary form of blade intent; its sharpness was restrained, and it was capable of killing in a single strike."

"Looking at his age, he is similar to Xiao Yan, yet his strength is... unfathomable. He is at least at the peak of the Dou Practitioner level, or perhaps even a... Dou Master?"

"A Dou Master?" Nalan Yanran's red lips slightly parted in disbelief. A Dou Master so young? There were only a handful in the entire Jia Ma Empire! Compared to him, Xiao Yan was simply dirt compared to the clouds.

She looked at the cloth-robed youth standing with his blade in the arena. His figure was not particularly burly, but standing there, he resembled a treasure blade half-drawn from its sheath—steady, cold, and possessing an aloof aura capable of severing all things.

Especially those eyes, calm and waveless, yet seeming to pierce the hearts of men. Had he just... glanced in her direction?

Nalan Yanran's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. A feeling mixed with curiosity, shock, and even a hint of indescribable excitement quietly began to grow within her heart.

Compared to Xiao Yan's recent embarrassment and incompetence, the mysterious youth's power and indifference created a fatal attraction.

"We should..." Nalan Yanran took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent emotions, "go back first."

She needed to think carefully. Perhaps the matter of dissolving the engagement... now had a new variable?

... Li Ao returned to his dilapidated temporary residence and sat down cross-legged.

[Ding! The host has successfully damaged the prestige of the Child of the Plane, Xiao Yan, and seized a portion of his destiny. Reward: 500 System Points, Black Iron Hegemon Body First Stage Cultivation Acceleration Card (Three-Day Effect).]

The light screen popped up, and the rewards were credited.

Li Ao raised an eyebrow and curved his lips. Sure enough, suppressing the protagonist brought benefits. Although this talk of destiny was mysterious, since the system confirmed it, it must be true.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately used the Black Iron Hegemon Body First Stage Cultivation Acceleration Card, while simultaneously pouring several body-tempering medicinal liquids, exchanged with points from the System Shop, into a prepared wooden tub before stepping in naked.

"Buzz!"

The medicinal power surged like red-hot steel needles, frantically piercing his skin, muscles, tendons, and even his bone marrow! The pain, ten times more intense than when cultivating the Basic Body Tempering Art, instantly overwhelmed him.

"Hmph!" Li Ao let out a muffled groan, the veins on his forehead bulging, but he desperately maintained a sliver of clarity in his mind, fully circulating the methods of the Black Iron Hegemon Body.

The bronze luster beneath his skin grew increasingly dense, subtly shifting toward a deep, dark iron color, while his muscle fibers constantly became tougher and denser amidst destruction and rebirth.

Three days passed rapidly in inhuman agony.

"Crack!"

The wooden tub could not withstand the power fluctuations occasionally leaking from his body, and it shattered with a crash, spilling the murky medicinal liquid everywhere.

Li Ao suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp, electric light flashing and disappearing within them.

He stood up, his entire skeleton emitting crackling sounds, and a feeling of unparalleled strength filled his limbs and bones.

His skin displayed a healthy bronze color, and his muscle lines were smooth and full of explosive power, as if forged from refined iron.

The Black Iron Hegemon Body First Stage, achieved Great Success! Relying solely on his physical strength, he no longer feared ordinary Dou Masters!

He casually threw a punch; the air produced a sonic boom, and the strong wind lifted the dust in the corner of the wall.

"Power... this is power!" Li Ao clenched his fists, feeling the surging immense strength within him, and a wave of heroic spirit arose.

[New Mission Released: Initial Test of Sharpness.]

[Mission Requirement: Travel to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, independently kill a Tier 2 Magical Beast, the 'Iron Arm Ape', and use absolute strength to directly defeat a Three-Star Dou Master or higher expert (must have witnesses).]

[Mission Reward: Furious Wind Quick Blade Manual, 1000 System Points, one random draw.]

[Failure Penalty: Randomly strip one learned cultivation method.]

Li Ao's eyes narrowed. A Tier 2 Magical Beast was equivalent to a human Dou Master, and the Iron Arm Ape was particularly known for its strength and defense. As for defeating a Three-Star Dou Master...

He licked his somewhat dry lips, battle intent soaring in his eyes.

Perfect. I'll use you to test my blade!

He picked up the low-grade refined steel blade, strode out of the stone house, and once again headed toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Several days later, somewhere in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

"Roar!"

An Iron Arm Ape, nearly three meters tall, with arms reaching past its knees and muscles knotted like old tree roots, let out an earth-shaking roar. Its thick, black iron arms, carrying a vicious wind, smashed violently toward Li Ao.

Wherever it passed, trees as thick as an embrace were easily snapped, and shattered rocks flew everywhere.

Li Ao neither dodged nor retreated, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.

"Black Iron Hegemon Body, Activate!"

With a low shout, the bronze color beneath his skin instantly deepened, shining with a metallic luster.

He similarly threw a punch, without any fancy moves—a pure clash of physical strength against the Black Iron Hegemon Body!

"Bang!"

Fist and arm collided, producing a dull, thunderous sound like a giant drum being struck. A wave of air suddenly spread out from the center of the two figures, kicking up dust everywhere.

Li Ao's figure swayed slightly, and the ground beneath his feet cracked.

The Iron Arm Ape, however, let out a painful howl; its thick black iron arm bent at a strange angle, and its massive body staggered back several steps, looking at Li Ao with eyes full of terror.

"Your strength is decent, but not enough!" Li Ao sneered, suddenly exerting force with his foot. A small pit exploded in the ground, and his figure shot out like an arrow leaving a bowstring.

"Die!"

The refined steel blade suddenly left its sheath, its cold light slicing through the gloom of the forest. He did not use Dou Qi; the blade was wielded purely by physical strength, reaching extreme speed!

"Pfft!"

The blade light flashed and was gone.

The Iron Arm Ape's forward movement suddenly froze. A thin line of blood spread down from its brow, running through its entire body.

The next moment, its massive body crashed to the ground, scattering fallen leaves everywhere.

Killed in one strike!

Li Ao stood with his blade sheathed, his breathing steady. Killing a Tier 2 Magical Beast was no longer too difficult for him.

[Ding! Mission 'Kill Tier 2 Magical Beast Iron Arm Ape' completed. Reward of 500 Points has been issued in advance (partial).]

As he was about to process the prey, his brow suddenly twitched. His keen senses caught a subtle movement and a strong aura coming from his rear-left.

"Watched for so long, and still not coming out?" Li Ao turned, his gaze sharp as a blade, directed toward the depths of the dense forest.

After a rustling sound, a middle-aged man dressed in mercenary attire, with a scar across his face and fierce eyes, walked out. He held a ghost-head blade and exuded the aura of a Three-Star Dou Master.

"Kid, your skills are pretty good." Scarface licked his lips, his gaze greedily sweeping over the Iron Arm Ape's corpse on the ground. "The 'Iron Bone Grass' this beast was guarding, and its own Magical Core, are valuable goods. If you know what's good for you, leave the items behind, and I can spare your life."

He had clearly witnessed Li Ao killing the Iron Arm Ape, but he believed Li Ao relied on skill and speed, and his actual strength might not be that great. Especially since there were no obvious Dou Qi fluctuations coming from Li Ao (who deliberately restrained it, focusing mainly on body refinement), this made the man feel contemptuous.

Li Ao looked at the opponent and suddenly smiled. This was truly a pillow delivered when one was sleepy.

"Spare my life?" He slowly raised the refined steel blade in his hand, pointing the tip at Scarface. "Are you even worthy?"

"You're courting death!" Scarface was enraged. The Dou Qi of a Three-Star Dou Master erupted with a roar, and the ghost-head blade glowed with a yellowish-brown light. Carrying the might of splitting mountains and shattering stones, it hacked down directly toward Li Ao! "Stone Splitting Chop!"

This strike was powerful and heavy, enough to cleave a massive boulder.

Li Ao's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even use the full power of the Black Iron Hegemon Body. He simply poured his physical strength into the blade, meeting the imposing strike with a simple, straightforward vertical chop!

Using force to break skill!

"Clang—!"

The two blades collided, and a deafening clang of metal rang out.

The ferocious smile on Scarface's face instantly froze, transforming into extreme horror. He felt as if his blade hadn't struck another blade, but rather an iron mountain! An irresistible, terrifying massive force traveled along the blade!

"Snap!"

The ghost-head blade in his hand actually broke in half!

Meanwhile, Li Ao's refined steel blade continued its momentum, carrying a cold aura of death, rapidly enlarging in his pupils.

"No...!"

"Puff!"

The blade swept past, and a bloody spray shot into the sky.

A head full of shock flew up, and the headless corpse, still gripping the broken blade, crashed heavily to the ground.

A Three-Star Dou Master, instantly killed with one strike!

Li Ao flicked the blood beads off his blade, his expression indifferent. His gaze swept past a few large trees nearby; there, several mercenaries who had also intended to profit were now pale-faced and trembling like chaff.

"Scram."

With that single word, the mercenaries acted as if they had received a great pardon, scrambling and crawling away to disappear into the depths of the dense forest.

[Ding! Mission 'Initial Test of Sharpness' completed! Reward: Furious Wind Quick Blade Manual, 1000 System Points, one random draw have been issued.]

[Do you wish to proceed with the random draw immediately?]

"Draw!"

Li Ao moved his consciousness.

A virtual roulette wheel appeared on the light screen before his eyes. After spinning rapidly, the pointer stopped on a grid sparkling with purple light.

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: High-Grade Profound Tier Dou Technique—Thunder Sound Steps!]

Movement Dou Technique? And High-Grade Profound Tier! A hint of joy flashed in Li Ao's eyes.

He had blade techniques for offense, Hegemon Body for defense, and now, by making up for the weakness in movement techniques, his combat ability would advance another level!

He put away the rewards, finished processing the Iron Arm Ape materials, and was about to leave.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached from far away, accompanied by a woman's slightly panicked shout.

"Who exactly are you people? Why are you blocking my path!"

Li Ao paused his steps. This voice... sounded familiar.

He quietly snuck over. Pushing aside the dense leaves, he saw three figures dressed in black combat attire, faces radiating killing intent, forming a triangle to surround a woman in the clearing.

The woman wore a plain white dress, her figure graceful, her face exquisitely beautiful, and her temperament cold and elegant like a secluded orchid. At the moment, her delicate brows were furrowed, and she held a cyan longsword, its body wreathed in light cyan wind-attribute Dou Qi.

It was precisely the Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, Yun Yun!

The three people opposite her had gloomy auras, and they were all Great Dou Masters! The leader had even reached the level of a Five-Star Great Fighter!

Although Yun Yun was powerful, she appeared to be injured, and her aura was somewhat unstable, having dropped to the Great Dou Master realm. Facing the siege of three experts of the same rank, her situation was precarious.

Li Ao's gaze fell upon Yun Yun's peerlessly beautiful profile, and his eyes flickered slightly.

A hero saving the beauty? It seemed... like a good opportunity.

He tightened his grip on the blade in his hand, and a dangerous curve slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"It seems the good fortune brought by this random draw is not limited to the Thunder Sound Steps..."