Li Chonglou's heart was filled with an urgent desire to return home, and his car sped like a whirlwind.
He maintained a speed of 120 kilometers per hour on the regular roads and pushed it to 160 kilometers per hour once he hit the highway. With his exceptional eyesight and reflexes supporting him, he navigated through traffic as easily as a dragon swimming in the sea, skillfully avoiding obstacles.
Shen Yishou, sitting in the passenger seat, watched this spectacle with a sense of awe. "This kid is truly a cultivation prodigy… To reach the Qi-Moving Realm of the Lin family in such a short time, it's astonishing…" he mused. "Didn't Lin Zhendong and his daughter only break through to this realm in their late twenties?"
Not long ago, when he had helped Li Chonglou deal with Li Hanlong as a favor to Xiao Yun, this young man was incredibly weak. A single finger could have dealt with him. Now, he was soaring like a flying dragon. If this pace continued, in another thirty years, who in the entire country could stand against him?
However, Shen Yishou knew that the Lin family's cultivation techniques had four major realms, and progression became exponentially more difficult with each subsequent stage. The "Void Chamber Generates Purity," which Li Chonglou currently occupied, was also known as the Qi-Moving Realm. The final stage was "Divine Apex Returns to Heaven," also called the Divine Descent Realm. Even Lin Zhendong, before his cultivation was lost ten years ago, had only reached the fourth stage, Divine Descent Realm. Although he had recovered, he hadn't reached his peak. Otherwise, he wouldn't have suffered such a backlash from merely attempting to glimpse heavenly secrets, and without a great fortuitous encounter, he would likely remain at his current level for the rest of his life.
Therefore, despite his shock, Shen Yishou harbored no thought of nipping this potential in the bud. After all, this was no longer the ancient martial world; it was an era of law and order, where such outlaw behavior was long obsolete. Furthermore, if it weren't for Li Chonglou, he might never have found the Dust-Evading Pearl. He held no ambitions concerning Shi Boqiong. His past opposition to the Lin family had solely been to find the Dust-Evading Pearl. It was only after visiting the Donglin Pawnshop that he learned the pearl was in Shi Jianming's possession. He had even attempted to infiltrate the Shi family but returned empty-handed. It was all thanks to Li Chonglou.
"Kid, aren't you curious why I asked you to find the Dust-Evading Pearl?" Shen Yishou asked, seeing Li Chonglou's anxious demeanor.
"It has nothing to do with me," Li Chonglou replied. His thoughts were already racing back to Qin Zhou, wishing he had wings to fly there. He had no time for idle chatter with Shen Yishou. As he spoke, he stomped on the accelerator, pushing the engine's RPMs to 5000. The powerful engine of the Hongqi emitted a thunderous roar, leaving a Ferrari in its dust. The young man driving the Ferrari stared with wide, stunned eyes. "What the… Is this still a domestic car? It's a fighter jet!"
Shen Yishou, met with a cold shoulder, found himself out of his depth and decided to remain silent. The journey, which normally took an hour and a half, was completed by Li Chonglou in just over forty minutes to the Qin Zhou toll station. Astonishingly, he hadn't exceeded the speed limit throughout the entire trip. Even Shen Yishou had to give him a thumbs-up in admiration. This young man, outwardly impulsive and arrogant, was inwardly meticulous, managing to maintain perfect control amidst chaos. These were essential qualities for someone destined for great things. At just twenty-five, possessing such composure was truly terrifying.
As soon as they exited the highway, Li Chonglou dialed Xu Lie's number. The call rang for a long time before finally going unanswered. His heart immediately leaped into his throat.
Simultaneously, in a villa district in Qin Zhou.
A man wearing a yellow delivery uniform had his helmet off, his hair disheveled, and a mocking smile on his face. He looked at Xu Lie, who was guarding the entrance, panting heavily, and sneered, "Step aside. You're no match for me. If you annoy me, you'll die."
"If you want to get in, you'll have to go through me," Xu Lie declared, his tiger-like eyes sharp and unafraid. However, the hand behind his back was already bleeding and trembling. He had sensed something amiss from this delivery man even before he entered the house. A regular delivery person wouldn't walk with such lightness. He had almost been fooled by his stealth, and his face couldn't possibly be so flawless. Weather-beaten work wouldn't allow for a face as smooth as a pampered young master's. Though his face was ordinary, it somehow felt… off. Xu Lie had decisively blocked him at the door to test him, and to his surprise, the man's martial prowess was terrifyingly formidable. After just three moves, his tiger's mouth had been split open, and his bones felt like they were coming apart, causing excruciating pain. He had cultivated the complete Lin family's cultivation technique, and by sheer fortune, had directly broken through to the third level of the Qi-Moving Realm, "Void Chamber Generates Purity." With his true qi protecting his body, his fingers could shatter steel. Yet, he couldn't withstand the delivery man's fists and kicks, and his heart was in turmoil like a raging storm.
"Brother Xu…" Inside the house, Jiang Yuxin shielded Zheng Xiumei and her parents. Although she didn't know what was happening, seeing Xu Lie's bleeding hand filled her beautiful eyes with worry.
*Bang!*
Hearing her, Xu Lie immediately slammed the main door shut, locking himself out. Jiang Yuxin was just an ordinary woman. If he couldn't hold his ground, the consequences would be unimaginable. This person was definitely not here to deliver food but to kill!
"Your character, in ancient times, would be called righteous and you'd be a hero of the chivalrous path," the delivery man said, showing no signs of haste, but rather a look of admiration. "But in today's society, you're out of place." "Is it worth dying for someone else?"
"Li Chonglou is not just anyone; he is my brother," Xu Lie's tiger-like eyes, filled with bloodshot veins, revealed a rare smile. "I don't know what 'righteousness' is. I only know to repay kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance." "Enough talk, fight if you want to fight!" With that, he coiled his body and, like a tiger descending the mountain to prey, he clasped his hands together. His claws seemed to rip through the air, emitting a piercing sonic boom as he lunged at the delivery man. He hailed from the underground boxing scene. When facing someone of equal skill, he didn't use fists but rather the palms and claws of his hands, which earned him the nickname "Fierce Tiger." Now, after practicing the Lin family's cultivation technique, his palms and claws were even harder than refined iron. One swipe of his claws could leave scratches on a steel plate, let alone a human body. Since he was here to kill, he would hold nothing back.
Seeing this, the delivery man showed no panic. Just as Xu Lie's tiger claws were about to strike his face, his body suddenly stiffened, and one arm was whipped out like a whip. Its speed surpassed that of the eye, and it struck first, hitting Xu Lie's wrist.
*Crack!*
A sound like a whip cracking with a sonic boom erupted. Xu Lie, struck by this immense force, immediately lost his balance and was sent flying horizontally. However, he was a seasoned fighter with vast experience. In the nick of time, he adjusted his body, rolling three consecutive times before landing on the ground. He looked down at his wrist, which had already swollen into a lump. With just the force of a single whip, it had become so severe. Clearly, the delivery man hadn't even been serious earlier.
"Remember my name, Tian Shan. You don't die in vain," the delivery man's eyes flashed with killing intent. As soon as he finished speaking, he moved with consecutive footwork. Without moving his shoulders, his body moved like a phantom, and within two breaths, he had closed the distance to Xu Lie. His right arm, seemingly thrown forward casually, was met with Xu Lie's pupils constricting rapidly. He braced himself with both hands and tried to parry the blow.
*Thud!*
A muffled drumming sound echoed. Xu Lie felt as if he had been hit by a train. His body was sent flying, crashing hard against the wall. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. His tiger-like eyes were filled with shock. His powerful instincts as a long-time underground fighter had saved his life. It was precisely because of this evasive maneuver that Tian Shan's punch hadn't hit him directly. He had managed to diffuse nearly sixty percent of the force. With only forty percent of the power, he had been thrown with his internal organs displaced. How terrifying was that?
*Tear!*
Xu Lie quickly removed his jacket, which had been restricting his movement, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. "Chonglou, I'm afraid I might die here today."