Chapter 905: A Single Blow to Kill

"Pah! Didn't expect you to have some tricks. I underestimated you." Xu Shun spat a mouthful of blood, not answering Han Li, but muttering to himself.

He straightened up, shrugged his shoulders, shook his arms, and his whole body trembled as his bones crackled like firecrackers.

Seeing this, Han Li remained standing still, only his pupils slightly contracted, a cold glint flashing deep within.

Xu Shun let out a fierce shout, arched his body, and suddenly charged straight at Han Li again.

He clenched his fists, and the seventy-eight acupoints scattered across his body resonated with each other, enveloping his entire form in a lustrous radiance like a true polar membrane.

Seeing Xu Shun charging at him, Han Li did not dodge this time. Instead, he fixed his gaze, took a step forward, and met him head-on.

"Boom!"

With one step, several acupoints on Han Li's arm lit up, and the Mysterious Combat Platform beneath him shook violently.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

Step by step, Han Li advanced, acupoints on his arms lighting up in succession, and the Mysterious Combat Platform rumbled continuously beneath him.

"Forty-eight, fifty-two, fifty-six..."

As Xu Shun watched the number of acupoints lighting up on Han Li increase, fear finally appeared in his eyes. Doubts swirled in his mind—was it Yi Liya's faulty intelligence, or had he deliberately deceived him?

As his mind wavered, the distance between them rapidly closed. Han Li let out a fierce shout, and eighteen special acupoints on his arms blazed brightly as he executed Tu Gang's Vajra Force Technique.

If anyone had paid attention to Tu Gang's earlier battle, they would have noticed that the Vajra Force Technique Han Li used was less flamboyant and unrestrained in momentum, but more refined and essential in essence.

Xu Shun was now caught in a dilemma, but he could only roar and deliver this punch with all his might.

Two acupoints at the tip of his fist lit up simultaneously, and the lustrous radiance instantly seemed to materialize, refracting a dazzling light like multifaceted crystals as it smashed toward Han Li's right fist.

Just as the two were about to collide, a strange glint flashed in Xu Shun's eyes. Between his middle and index fingers, a section of white bone suddenly protruded, shimmering with a brilliant starlight.

"Star Bone..."

Han Li's eyes flickered, and he snorted coldly, but his thrown fist showed no sign of pulling back.

The two fingers formed from the Flower Branch Cavern bulged slightly as they collided simultaneously with the sinister Star Bone hidden between Xu Shun's fingers.

A thunderous boom erupted.

A burst of dazzling starlight exploded, accompanied by sounds like shattering ice crystals.

Though this all sounds complicated, it happened in an instant. The spectators on the stands only saw the blinding starlight flare up, unable to discern what was happening within.

Xu Shun, standing amidst the starlight, saw clearly. In his pitch-black pupils, Han Li's figure charged straight at him from the starry radiance, and he could make out nearly a hundred acupoints glowing on his body. His heart filled with regret and resentment.

But by now, it was too late for him to retreat and concede.

Han Li's figure had already rushed before him, delivering a punch that pierced straight through his dantian, shredding the nascent soul hidden within into pieces.

"Yi Liya, how dare you..."

Xu Shun only managed to curse once before blood filled his throat, leaving him no chance to speak again.

At that moment, the crowd on the high platform was also drawn by the commotion. However, they only saw Han Li stumbling backward as the starlight dispersed, and Xu Shun's gruesomely dead corpse.

Many eyes flickered with surprise, while those who had been rooting for Xu Shun were stunned into silence.

Thus, this 'Xun' platform became the site of the first death in a mystic duel during this Five Cities Tournament.

"Brother Li, your acting skills are quite good..." Chen Yang chuckled to himself, watching Han Li's tattered appearance as he lay on the ground.

Of all who witnessed this, probably only he and the Crab Daoist knew that Han Li, despite looking battered, was actually unharmed.

...

A moment later.

Two Xuan City armored soldiers carried Han Li to a place for healing and recuperation.

Halfway there, Han Li sat up on his own, indicating he was fine, and dismissed the two soldiers with a few words.

He found a secluded corner to sit down, muttering softly to himself, "Yi Liya..."

On the other side, as time passed, the battles on the remaining seven mystic platforms also came to an end. Apart from Gu Qianxun and Yi Liya, the other two Qingyang City mystic warriors all suffered crushing defeats. Fortunately, they conceded in time and did not lose their lives.

Among them, the Zhixuan City cultivator who fought against Gu Qianxun was far inferior to her in both the number of acupoints and cultivation level. From the start, he was completely suppressed by Gu Qianxun, who nearly beat him half to death in just a few moves. He barely managed to seize a chance to surrender and concede.

Yi Liya's strength was indeed impressive. Using only seventy acupoints, he pushed a Xuan fighter from Tongyu City, who had opened eighty acupoints, to the brink, eventually beating him unconscious and securing victory.

The two victors returned to the waiting passage at the same time, and the remaining members of Qingyang City came forward to congratulate them.

After his victory, Yi Liya's face was full of joy. He scanned the crowd repeatedly but did not see Han Li. A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he deliberately asked, "And that Fellow Daoist Li? Wasn't he also in this round of Xuan fights?"

"All eight Xuan fights are over. It seems he hasn't been seen..." Dulong had been watching Gu Qianxun's battle and only now noticed that Li Feiyu had not returned.

"It looks like he probably lost and was sent for treatment..." said a Qingyang City cultivator.

"I'm not so sure. Didn't we hear that someone died on the 'Xun' platform? If I remember correctly, Fellow Daoist Li was on that platform..." said another.

The more Yi Liya heard, the wider his smile grew, but beside him, Gu Qianxun's brows were tightly furrowed.

At that moment, Xuan Yuanxing suddenly spoke, calling out, "Fellow Daoist Li..."

Hearing this, everyone turned to look back and saw Han Li walking unsteadily toward them, his clothes tattered.

"How is that possible..." Yi Liya's heart trembled.

"Fellow Daoist Li, did you win?" The crowd, surprised, rushed to greet him.

"By luck, just luck." Han Li waved his hand and smiled.

Seeing this, Gu Qianxun's lips curled into a smile.

As Han Li walked past Yi Liya step by step, he said casually, "I won by luck, but that Fellow Daoist Xu... was rather unfortunate..."

Hearing this, Yi Liya felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.

But Han Li paid him no further attention and walked off shoulder to shoulder with Gu Qianxun.

...

A day passed quickly. With all thirty-two matches concluded, the first round of elimination came to an end.

The subsequent two rounds of competition caused no major waves, with no unexpected situations—no dark horses winning by luck, nor any mainstays from the cities being upset. However, there were still a few minor incidents.

The most talked-about was a Xuan fighter from Baiyan City who, when facing Zhu Ziyuan of Xuan City, immediately declared surrender upon stepping onto the stage, making it the fastest match of the entire event.

Han Li and Gu Qianxun had hoped to glean some insight into the style of this top fighter under the Xuan City lord through their battle, but they came away empty-handed.

Afterward, Han Li went to watch Dulong's match against Zhu Ziqing of Xuan City.

Although the latter was a woman and a first-time participant in the Five Cities Tournament, her combat prowess was quite remarkable. Despite one slip-up during the fight, her overall strength far exceeded Dulong's.

After over a hundred exchanges, Dulong ultimately could not prevail and was defeated.

What surprised Han Li was that Xuan Yuanxing, who had been little known in the city, actually defeated a Xuan fighter from Zhixuan City, joining Han Li, Gu Qianxun, and Yi Liya among the thirty-two victors.

Qingyang City occupied four spots among the thirty-two strong, the worst record among the five cities, but fortunately, they suffered no casualties, which was a blessing in disguise.

...

Seven days passed in a flash. After a brief calm, the second round of the Five Cities Tournament finally began.

Countless Xuan City residents once again flooded into the Shura Field, and the people from the five cities also arrived one after another.

The Qingyang City delegation arrived early at the arena. Because of their poor performance in the first round, they had become a laughingstock, and as they entered the venue, people pointed and whispered incessantly.

Dulong, Tu Gang, and others who had lost were filled with shame.

Chen Yang, as the city lord, wore a face like frost, his expression unspeakably grim.

This was not only due to the previous round's results but also because the opponents for Han Li and the other three in the second round were all formidable.

After entering the waiting area, he led the group to an open space. His gaze swept over everyone before he spoke slowly:

"Don't dwell too much on the first round's results; there was a lot of luck involved. Seeing your own shortcomings is not a bad thing. Observe the upcoming matches carefully—this is a rare opportunity."

With that, he turned his gaze to Gu Qianxun and continued:

"Qianxun, your opponent today is Zhu Ziqing of Xuan City. She is the sister of Zhu Ziyuan. Though not as strong as her brother, her strength should not be underestimated. Do not be careless."

"Thank you for the reminder, City Lord. I will be cautious." Gu Qianxun nodded.

"Li Feiyu, Hao Feng is a top expert from Zhixuan City, second only to Feng Wuchen. It is said he has opened over a hundred acupoints. In the last tournament, he reached the top eight. You must be very careful. As the saying goes, 'Where there are green hills, there is no shortage of firewood.' You understand that without me having to say it." Chen Yang looked at Han Li and cautioned.

Han Li said nothing, only nodding noncommittally.

"As for Xuan Yuanxing, your opponent this time is Wu Chong of Tongyu City. His strength is also not to be underestimated; he ranks among the top five in Tongyu City. Just give it your best." Chen Yang then looked at Xuan Yuanxing, his words clearly not holding much hope for his victory.

"Rest assured, City Lord. I will give my all and not tarnish Qingyang City's prestige!" Xuan Yuanxing showed no dissatisfaction and immediately cupped his hands in acknowledgment.