The one-sided situation made the remaining black-clad individual's face turn grim. However, he was also a figure of significance. After taking a deep breath, his face returned to calmness, albeit with a slight gritting of teeth. His right hand lightly rested on the long knife at his waist, slowly drawing it out. This particular long knife seemed of better quality than the others, emitting a faint blood-red glow amidst the darkness.
Raising the long knife, the man spoke indifferently, "To think that I, Luo Qing, who has roamed the world all my life, have never suffered losses until today... However, falling into the hands of an Emperor, I can't blame anyone but myself. Before I meet my end, I must inquire, which of the Seven Emperors are you?"
Gong Wushuang seemed to smirk before speaking in a low voice after a moment's pause, "You're not qualified to know."
Luo Qing chuckled softly and continued, "It seems even an Emperor like you fears the endless pursuit of our Shadow Demon Sect! It's wise of you not to reveal your name. Otherwise, against the unmatched tracking techniques of our sect, even an Emperor like you wouldn't escape."
"Moreover, not to mention an Emperor, even if you were a Venerable..." he trailed off with a sneer, "...it appears members of the Shadow Demon Sect are not only skilled but also sharp-tongued."
Li Yi chuckled lightly, gesturing for Gong Wushuang to step back. "However, I must say, you... are at most at the pinnacle of the Warrior rank. While such strength may warrant pride under normal circumstances, in this situation, you are nothing in our eyes! Yet, you dare to be so arrogant!"
"Hahaha..." Luo Qing laughed, a hint of sarcasm crossing his cold face. "If I were polite, would you let me go?"
"Of course... not," Li Yi chuckled softly. "The Shadow Demon Sect is a top force in the Martial Deity Continent. If I offended you rashly, wouldn't I be asking for trouble? So this time, not only do I want to kill you, but I also want to annihilate all of you without leaving a chance for reincarnation... Otherwise, wouldn't I be foolish?"
"Heh heh heh... Even if an Emperor takes action, do you think it would be so easy to kill me, Luo Qing!? Dream on!" With a cold smile, a black aura emanated from Luo Qing, causing his aura-imbued garment to become increasingly translucent. It seemed to be evolving into armor, indicating that Luo Qing was on the verge of a breakthrough. However, breakthroughs weren't merely achieved through cultivation; it required comprehension and understanding of one's realm. This was the fundamental reason why many individuals remained stuck at the pinnacle of their current rank.
"Who said she needs to take action..." Li Yi chuckled lightly. "Just now, I felt it would be troublesome, so I had her step in. But now... I suddenly want to kill someone myself. Naturally, I want to see what's so remarkable about the Shadow Demon Sect!"
"If she doesn't take action!?" A sly smile crept onto Luo Qing's face. "Foolish! I've seen many like you who are so self-assured! But each one has met a miserable end! Don't believe me? Try it... Hahaha..."
Amidst his sinister laughter, a foul stench filled the air as the black aura around Luo Qing intensified. His form seemed somewhat illusory, and his black eyes turned blood-red, exuding a faint murderous aura like a bloodthirsty wolf.
This scene caused Li Yi's eyes to narrow slightly. At this moment, Luo Qing seemed more dangerous than Nalan He, prompting Li Yi to grip the Soul Severing Blade tightly. He whispered lowly, "Don't intervene, just keep him from escaping. If I'm right, Nalan Qing's people should be arriving soon! Revealing your true strength won't benefit us!"
"Understood." Gong Wushuang nodded slightly, then with a light step, she floated to the top of a nearby tree, making way for the confrontation. She understood Li Yi's countless trump cards, even realizing that if he were to truly engage, he might be even more formidable than her. Hence, she wasn't worried.
"Enough talk! Let's begin!" Li Yi chuckled softly as the purple aura spread over the Soul Severing Blade. Luo Qing sneered coldly. Confirming that Gong Wushuang wouldn't interfere, he stomped fiercely on the ground, and with a hoarse roar, he charged toward Li Yi like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, he was before Li Yi, swinging his long black blade. Black aura surged from him, carrying a sharp tearing force, descending fiercely.
As the blade descended, the surrounding air seemed to tear apart, emitting a rapid low hum. Even before the blade arrived, a wave of pressure swept forth. Li Yi smiled faintly, and with a flick of his wrist, the Soul Severing Blade was thrown out. The purple aura boiled, dispersing the air wave, then clashed fiercely with Luo Qing's dark blade.
"Clang!" The sound of metal collision echoed as the black and purple auras intertwined like two pythons, spreading energy waves in all directions.
Swoosh—Swoosh— Both figures swiftly retreated, landing moments later and gripping their weapons. Li Yi curled his lips, feeling a surge of shock transmitted through the chain, causing his right hand to tremble slightly. This guy truly lived up to being a peak Warrior, his Martial Energy was indeed sharp. But most crucially, there was a peculiar spiral intent within his Martial Energy. If it penetrated the opponent's meridians, it would likely deal a heavy blow. Fortunately, Li Yi was skilled in this aspect. With a few quick slaps of his right hand, he managed to block the spreading energy, casting a sardonic glance at Luo Qing.
"What a peculiar fellow," Luo Qing thought to himself, unable to suppress his bewilderment. "No wonder he managed to gain the upper hand despite having the talent and level of Nalan He. If he were at his peak, even I might not be his match. And why does he possess such abundant Martial Energy? Could it be that he practices a White Tiger-level Martial Art? Damn it... why does the Shadow Demon Sect's Shadow Qi from the Shadow Devil Art have no effect on him? Could it be that he practices some kind of legendary demonic technique? Damn it! If those old fogies in the sect had told me about the third layer of the Shadow Devil Art sooner, I wouldn't be in such a plight now!"
His thoughts raced, and in the next moment, Luo Qing's foot stomped fiercely, his figure once again lunging towards Li Yi. Li Yi, with a cold smile, tightened his grip on the Soul Severing Blade, already in hand, and struck out swiftly.
Clang—Clang—Clang— Their weapons clashed fiercely again, their figures surging in size, legs interweaving in mid-air several times. Then, as Li Yi swung the Soul Severing Blade, Luo Qing retreated once more after blocking it with a slash. As Li Yi's figure slowly descended, he swiftly swung the Soul Severing Blade several times, once again shaking off the strange energy. With a slightly mocking gaze, he looked at Luo Qing. "If that's all you've got, you might as well give up. Don't embarrass yourself here!"
Luo Qing sneered, "Arrogant!"
"It's not arrogance, it's your incompetence... Let me tell you, my true strength is merely that of a Fighter! This Martial Energy Garment is only condensed with some kind of secret technique. You can't even defeat a Fighter... It's not embarrassing? After all, you're a peak Warrior, capable of dominating anywhere in the empire!"
Li Yi's face remained calm, but his tone carried a hint of coldness. His words caused the corners of Luo Qing's mouth to twitch slightly. After a moment, he lightly swung the long knife in his hand, which had already been thrown onto a large tree, its handle trembling.
However, several marks suddenly appeared on his hands. His originally somewhat dark complexion slowly turned pale, the bloody color in his eyes gradually receding. But his hands suddenly swelled with a mass of black energy, condensing into a pair of huge black palms! These black palms, like armor, perfectly enveloped his arms.
"Brat! Today, I'll teach you a lesson... You can be self-confident, but never arrogant! Otherwise, you might suffer consequences you can't imagine! Although I, Luo Qing, know I'll die today, having you as a scapegoat isn't bad!"
As Luo Qing's fingers drove the huge black hands slightly, they moved accordingly. At this moment, it seemed as if Luo Qing's hands had grown countless times larger! With his hands slightly clenched, his figure swiftly flew towards Li Yi's direction, a gust of wind sweeping as he swung his hands!
"Great Sorrow Dark-Devil Hand!"
A pair of huge palms roared like ancient giants, exerting immense pressure. Li Yi's indifferent gaze fell upon them, almost certain that this move, even a King-level expert would have to be cautious of.
"Kid, do you need my help!? Even if you can beat him now, you'll still suffer some losses," The Serpent Venerable's voice rang out swiftly, carrying a hint of caution.
"Heh, Old Coot, don't underestimate me! Although he's a Warrior... my current strength is also that of a Warrior! And I'm confident! Among peers, I, Li Yi, have no rivals!"
A light laughter echoed in Li Yi's mind, seemingly arrogant, but with strong confidence. Then, Li Yi's toe lightly tapped the ground, his figure already colliding with Luo Qing's huge hands!
"Illusion Kill!"
"Qing Yun Hand!"
"Backwind Palm! Twisting Force!"
His figure, like a ghost, swiftly condensed a spiral-shaped Martial Energy on his left hand, while blue Martial Energy surged like a blade on his right hand, soaring into the sky! Li Yi's figure fiercely crashed into the incoming black giant hands! The hurricane brought by those giant hands couldn't even stop him for a moment!
Boom— Li Yi's figure heavily collided with the enormous black hands, seemingly devoid of any resistance. Luo Qing's hands clenched slightly, and the Martial Energy on the large black hands surged violently! A corrosive gas surged out, instantly causing the surrounding trees to wither!
"Brat! In my Great Sorrow Dark-Devil Hand, become blood!"
Luo Qing's maniacal laughter erupted, chilling to the bone! Then, at the collision point between the two figures, in less than a moment, a surge of blood-red energy violently erupted from Li Yi's body! Instantly, it pervaded his entire body, and the Martial Energy on his hands surged into the sky...
"What... what... is this... Demonic Martial Energy!?"
"How is this possible!?"