The dazzling spectacle of blades and swords enveloped Xue Li, creating a scene of profound shock. Gasps erupted from the onlookers, while the members of the Xue family paled in dread.
Even the previously wounded Lord of Liucheng, Liu Yuan, stared in horror at the blood-robed youth not far away, turning to his daughter Liu Yiru and inquiring, "Yiru, how do you know this young man? His talent is extraordinary, rare even in the entirety of the Great Yan Kingdom. At such a young age, he has already grasped a tenth of the Blade Intent; it's truly formidable!"
At that moment, Liu Yiru found herself momentarily dazed, unable to comprehend the extent of Ye Tian's power. She never anticipated that he could overpower Xue Li, who was on the brink of advancing to a Martial Spirit.
Upon hearing her father's question, Liu Yiru shook her head and softly replied, "Father, I have only known him for a short time. He approached me initially, proposing a transaction..." She recounted her dealings with Ye Tian succinctly.
Liu Yuan's eyes sparkled at her words, but a shadow of disappointment crossed his face as he sighed, "This young man is likely preparing to enter the Shining Star Sect. With his talent, his admission is a foregone conclusion." He cast a glance at his daughter, shaking his head gently.
Liu Yiru pressed her lips together, her gaze dimming with an inexplicable heaviness in her heart. Unbeknownst to her, the blood-robed youth had etched a profound impression in her mind.
Boom!
A thunderous sound erupted in the heavens as Xue Li summoned a torrent of true essence, manifesting a thick protective barrier that deflected the relentless onslaught of weapons.
Yet, as time wore on, his protective barrier trembled and fissures began to form, threatening to shatter completely.
In that instant, Xue Li's complexion turned ashen, blood spilling from his lips, and the glimmer of despair flickered in his eyes.
Boom!
Finally, under the thrust of a spear, Xue Li's protective barrier collapsed. Weapons rained down like heavy raindrops, accompanied by the fierce sound of slicing air, piercing into Xue Li's body.
In mere moments, Xue Li was thoroughly impaled, transforming him into a veritable "hedgehog."
The spectators erupted in an uproar, their gazes locked on Xue Li, who lay dead beyond revival, his body riddled with wounds. He crashed heavily to the ground, a grotesque sight of blood and shattered bones, painting a gruesome tableau.
Unquestionably, the victor had emerged; the blood-robed youth had decisively slain a Martial Spirit expert. They were witnesses to this miraculous event.
As they beheld the bloodied figure of Xue Li, the arena fell into a profound silence. Members of the Xue family turned pale, their faces etched with despair, and some even began to slip away furtively. With their highest spiritual leader defeated, what hope remained for them?
"We've won!" Liu Yiru exclaimed, raising her fist, the first to recover from her shock, her face alight with exhilaration. Perhaps having witnessed Ye Tian's numerous astonishing feats before made it easier for her to accept this.
"Xue Li is dead!" Liu Yuan murmured, his hands trembling uncontrollably, betraying his tumultuous heart, yet his expression was suffused with fervent excitement.
The dozen or so generals behind them erupted in ecstatic cheers!
In stark contrast to the terror within the Xue family, the Lord's residence was filled with jubilant shouts of excitement.
…
Within a tranquil courtyard of the Lord's residence, Ye Tian sat cross-legged, recuperating his expended true essence. Beside him, Liu Yuan and Liu Yiru stood vigil, silently awaiting his recovery.
After a considerable time, with a deep, labored breath, Ye Tian gradually opened his eyes. Liu Yuan sensed a fleeting brilliance in Ye Tian's gaze, prompting a shiver in his heart.
"Lord Liu, thank you for safeguarding me!" Ye Tian expressed his gratitude with a fist salute.
"No, brother Ye, it is I who should be thanking you. Without your intervention, our Liu family would have surely fallen victim to the Xue family's treachery. Such a profound debt of gratitude cannot be repaid. Should you require anything in the future, I, Liu Yuan, will gladly risk my life!" Liu Yuan responded earnestly.
He dared not underestimate Ye Tian due to his youth; the latter's talent had utterly captivated him, and he was certain Ye Tian would rise to become an unparalleled powerhouse beyond Martial Sect.
"Lord Liu, you flatter me!" Ye Tian chuckled.
"Brother Ye…" Liu Yuan began, but was interrupted by Liu Yiru.
"Must you both continue with this endless politeness?" Liu Yiru admonished, casting a sidelong glance at Liu Yuan. "Father, please refrain from calling him brother; would that not imply he outranks me? Am I to address him as uncle? You should simply call me Yiru, and he can call you Uncle Liu—no need for all this lordly formalities."
"Very well, Uncle it is!" Ye Tian replied, not particularly concerned, relieved that Liu Yiru wouldn't be forced to address him as uncle, which would have been rather awkward.
Liu Yuan regarded Liu Yiru thoughtfully, a smile gracing his face as he nodded, "Then I shall comply, Young Hero Ye!"
"That's more like it!" Liu Yiru's cheeks flushed slightly, her bright eyes assessing Ye Tian with concern as she asked, "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine, just a bit drained of true essence, but I've fully recovered!" Ye Tian reassured her, a smile breaking across his face. This battle with the Martial Spirit had proven immensely fruitful, providing him with invaluable experience.
"Ahem!" At that moment, Liu Yuan cleared his throat, his aura somewhat diminished.
It was only then that Ye Tian remembered Liu Yuan had self-destructed his apertures, and his expression turned serious as he inquired, "Uncle Liu, are you alright?" He noted Liu Yuan appeared severely injured, yet his aura remained at the Half-Martial Spirit level, which puzzled him.
"Were you not just saying you had self-destructed your apertures?" Liu Yiru said, supporting Liu Yuan with tear-streaked cheeks.
Meeting Ye Tian's questioning gaze, Liu Yuan smiled gently, patting Liu Yiru's head before addressing Ye Tian, "Young Hero, can you not see? My apertures remain intact!"
"Ah?" Liu Yiru looked up in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.
Ye Tian nodded and said, "That is indeed what perplexes me. I clearly witnessed Uncle detonating his acupoints; could it be that I was mistaken?"
"You are not mistaken; I truly did self-detonate my acupoints!" At this point, Liu Yuan revealed a hint of pride, stating, "Our Liu family possesses a unique secret technique called the Condensing Acupoint Art. This technique is neither a martial skill nor an internal cultivation method, yet it enables me to form a few false acupoints."
"False acupoints?" Ye Tian's expression was filled with astonishment, his mind swirling with questions—can acupoints be fabricated?
Beside them, Liu Yiru was equally taken aback; she had never heard her father mention this secret technique before.
"Indeed, they are false acupoints. I have practiced the Condensing Acupoint Art for over twenty years and have only managed to condense sixty acupoints. Regrettably, I self-detonated them all this time; all my years of hard work have vanished in an instant," Liu Yuan sighed, his face etched with regret.
"What an impressive secret technique!" Ye Tian silently marveled, yet he was also deeply surprised that Liu Yuan would divulge this information to him. Was he not afraid that Ye Tian would covet this technique?
However, moments later, Ye Tian watched as Liu Yuan pulled out an ancient tome from his robe. He smiled at Ye Tian and said, "This time, I owe you my gratitude for your help, Young Master Ye. Let this Condensing Acupoint Art serve as our Liu family's token of thanks."
"This…" Ye Tian was momentarily taken aback. It would be impossible for him to remain unmoved by such a gesture, yet he felt somewhat awkward accepting such kindness outright.
"Please accept it, Young Master. Just ensure that you do not spread it carelessly. Furthermore, this Condensing Acupoint Art is arduous to cultivate; someone of my aptitude may never fully master it. It is a source of shame for me against our Liu family's ancestors. However, with your extraordinary talent, you shall surely cultivate this technique to its utmost peak, ensuring that the legacy of our ancestors does not go to waste!" Liu Yuan insisted on bestowing the Condensing Acupoint Art upon Ye Tian.
Reluctantly, Ye Tian accepted it, then bowed respectfully and expressed, "Thank you for your generosity, Uncle. Should the Liu family encounter any difficulties in the future, I, Ye Tian, will certainly not stand idly by."
Liu Yuan nodded slightly in response. A secret technique he could not cultivate to its highest realm could be exchanged for the protection of a future powerhouse above the Martial Sovereign level—what a bargain!
Moreover, he was only giving Ye Tian a copy; the original remained with the Liu family, meaning he incurred no loss at all.
"Then please rest here for now…" Liu Yuan bid farewell to Ye Tian, and Liu Yiru, concerned for her father's injuries, chose not to disturb Ye Tian's training, thus they both departed.
In the tranquil courtyard, Ye Tian sat alone on a stone bench, filled with anticipation as he opened the Condensing Acupoint Art and examined it closely.
"Marvelous! Simply marvelous!" As he delved deeper into the text, his initial anticipation transformed into excitement. This Condensing Acupoint Art was indeed a product of heavenly creation, a rare and formidable secret technique!
"I never imagined one could condense false acupoints using true essence. The ancestors of the Liu family who devised this method must be remarkable!" Ye Tian reflected in awe.
It is well-known that the human body contains only three hundred sixty acupoints, which means that at the Martial Master level, a martial artist can only open these three hundred sixty acupoints.
However, this Condensing Acupoint Art allows martial artists to condense additional acupoints, with the potential to reach a total of three hundred sixty acupoints at the highest realm.
Just imagine what it would be like to have three hundred sixty more acupoints than others!
"If Uncle Liu could cultivate this secret technique to its highest realm, he might not even need to self-detonate his acupoints to contend with Xue Li—and he could even prevail!"
Ye Tian's eyes gleamed brightly. Although these false acupoints created from true essence were not genuine acupoints, they were virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
Liu Yuan had relied on having sixty more acupoints than his peers, enabling him to dominate his rivals among half-step Martial Spirits, maintaining his status as the City Lord, unshakeable.
The Xue family had previously refrained from usurping power out of fear of Liu Yuan's strength, only daring to rebel once Xue Li advanced to the Martial Spirit level.