"Roar~!"
A dragon's cry shot straight into the heavens like a swift arrow, piercing through everything.
The dragon-subduing intent, sweeping all before it, was like a divine dragon emerging from the abyss, earth-shattering and sky-startling.
Some faces changed color.
They saw the palm strike transform, becoming something capable of shattering heaven and earth, suppressing all.
Along a mysterious trajectory, it clashed with the spear for the seventeenth time.
Like melting snow and collapsing glaciers.
The spear's momentum was broken!
Broken cleanly and decisively, broken irresistibly, broken beyond belief.
Bi Xuan's face changed drastically, disbelief rising in his eyes.
But there was no time to think further, no time to react.
That palm turned into a golden divine dragon, striking him fiercely in the chest.
Boundless power surged into his body like a torrent rushing to the sea, suppressing his true essence, meridians, and cultivation base.
With a tremor of energy, Bi Xuan's last vestiges of resistance halted.
"Brother Li, show mercy!"
Si Hanfei's face shifted dramatically as he cried out, instinctively wanting to rush forward.
But he immediately held back—too late, and out of caution.
Seizing the moment when Bi Xuan's resistance faltered, Li Daoqiang's hands moved like lightning, striking twelve rapid blows across his body.
Like twelve nails driven deep into Bi Xuan's frame.
Instantly, all traces of true essence vanished from Bi Xuan, his body going limp as an invisible force held him up.
Li Daoqiang slowly withdrew his power, the corners of his mouth curling into a gradual smile.
Across from him, Bi Xuan's face stiffened, a trace of disbelief in his eyes as he stared at Li Daoqiang.
The light faded, and all around, silence fell.
On the arena stage.
Among the tens of thousands, an eerie quiet reigned.
The tense atmosphere hadn't yet passed, and suddenly, it was as if time had frozen.
"Who... who won?"
Someone asked, voice dazed and soft.
The next moment, an eruption.
"Is it... is it Li Daoqiang who won?"
"Li Daoqiang won, a great victory."
"Li Daoqiang defeated Bi Xuan! No, he captured Bi Xuan alive."
"Too fast, unbelievably fast. Just how far has Li Daoqiang's strength reached?"
"Good, Li Daoqiang is at least a man of Song—a good win!"
...
Amid the cacophony of voices, the assembled grandmasters exchanged glances.
Their faces showed shock, tinged with varying degrees of awe.
Awe of strength.
The more they understood, the greater the awe, the greater the longing.
Fang Yeyu clenched his fists, unable to exhale the breath he held, his eyes flickering.
Li Daoqiang might truly be no weaker than his master. Recruit him.
He must report to his uncle, do everything possible to recruit him.
Ouyang Feng's eyes shifted, his mind shaken. The faint thought from before suddenly surged forth.
He looked across at Hong Qigong, whose face was grim and complex.
On the arena, Murong Fu's hands tightened, his face slightly flushed.
That matter must be dealt with quickly.
Yi Jifeng stared blankly, momentarily unable to collect himself.
Yang Guo, Ou Jinghao... all of them.
In the forest.
Ding Chunqiu, Duan Yanqing, Gongsun Zhi, and others, including Geshutian, who was barely clinging to consciousness.
The atmosphere was deathly still.
The petty schemes of moments ago vanished swiftly.
A faint reverence rose in the eyes of Ding Chunqiu, Duan Yanqing, and the rest.
In a flash, it seemed something had changed.
Elsewhere.
Wanwan and her two companions remained silent, stunned.
In the quiet, a flicker of relief passed through them.
Good thing they hadn't tried to escape.
Slowly catching her breath, Wanwan bit her lip, her eyes a mix of complexity and reluctance.
How did that bastard cultivate?
Was he some ancient monster who had turned back time?
...
In the distant void.
Si Hanfei barely suppressed his surging emotions, exchanged a glance with the solemn-faced Carefree King, and slowly approached Li Daoqiang.
From another direction.
The shock on Wang Chongyang and the other two's faces had yet to fade.
Their eyes met, each seeing the other's inability to calm down.
"What level has he reached?" the Holy Monk pondered, sending a private message.
Zhuge Zhengwo hesitated, then shook his head.
Wang Chongyang also paused, shook his head, and let out a breath. "For now, this is a good thing, isn't it?"
Zhuge Zhengwo and the Holy Monk's eyes flickered as they looked at Bi Xuan, now sealed and captured by Li Daoqiang, and couldn't help but smile.
For now, it was indeed a good thing.
They could roughly guess what would come next.
Li Daoqiang wasn't easy to deal with.
That greedy, lustful... hahaha.
Laughing, the three stepped forward together.
Amid countless shocked and awed gazes.
Li Daoqiang sensed the emotions in those looks.
His smile grew a bit more relaxed.
It was done.
After this battle, many things would change.
"You were hiding your strength all along, waiting for my flaw to break my offense in one go. You planned to capture me alive from the start?"
Bi Xuan's face was grim, his eyes fixed on Li Daoqiang as he spoke word by word.
"Heh." Li Daoqiang smiled, quite politely. "Brother Bi knows I'm a bandit. What bandits hate most is killing.
Killing is useless; capturing alive is what works."
Bi Xuan's eyes narrowed as realization dawned.
His face turned even darker, a surge of fury and humiliation rising.
He understood completely. When Li Daoqiang proposed the duel, he was already planning to take him alive.
First, perhaps to prove his own strength and worth.
Second, to capture him for greater gain.
Other reasons aside, these two were certain.
In other words, he had become a hostage.
The great Jin Wuzun, a hostage.
He could lose—this defeat was honorable, nothing to complain about.
But he absolutely refused to be, and could not be, a hostage.
An overwhelming sense of humiliation stirred, and a will of "better to die than submit" flickered.
Li Daoqiang sensed it, startled, and immediately controlled Bi Xuan's body, especially the spear.
Now, if Bi Xuan wanted to kill himself, only the spear could serve.
His face turned serious. "Brother Bi, I mean no insult.
I'm a bandit; this is only natural. I hope you understand—it's not personal.
A true man bends and stretches. If you can't bear it, dying would only be cowardice."
As he spoke, Li Daoqiang watched Bi Xuan's expression closely.
This man was proud and arrogant, even contemplating suicide.
He had to offer some gentle persuasion.
He didn't want a dead Bi Xuan.
Bi Xuan's face darkened, his eyes tightly shut.
For a moment, no one could tell what he was thinking.
"Brother Li's strength is truly admirable."
Si Hanfei and the Carefree King approached from a distance, clasping their hands in sincere praise.
"Haha." Li Daoqiang turned to them, flashing a hearty smile. "Brother Si flatters me. Brother Bi's martial arts are relentless, fierce, and domineering.
If Brother Bi hadn't been unfamiliar with me, this battle could never have gone this way."
Si Hanfei, Wang Chongyang, and the others naturally didn't take that seriously.
Undeniably, there was some truth to it.
Bi Xuan was fierce and direct, somewhat countered by Li Daoqiang, and the sudden shift in the battle made his capture seem easy.
But the key was still Li Daoqiang's strength.
Truly worthy of four words: unfathomably deep.
Shockingly powerful.
Though the exchange was brief, it revealed much to them.
Yet what they saw only deepened their gravity.
Because, almost unanimously, they harbored a startling guess.
Bi Xuan hadn't even forced out Li Daoqiang's full strength.
It was just a guess, but it couldn't be ignored.
Si Hanfei's face showed admiration. "Brother Li's strength speaks for itself."
He paused, then said solemnly, "Brother Li, could you set aside past grievances with Brother Bi? He came at my invitation, and I can't ignore this. Please forgive me."
His tone was even more respectful than before.
Wang Chongyang and the other two smiled a bit more.
Everyone had heard the earlier words.
They had good reason to enjoy the show.
In this matter, the stronger Li Daoqiang was, the better—he could take a bigger bite out of Jin and even Yuan.
Li Daoqiang looked troubled, sighed, and said sincerely, "Brother Si, you heard what I said.
You know I'm a bandit, and I follow the rules.
A bandit should act like one.
This battle makes Brother Bi my prize. Setting aside grievances is fine, but what will you offer in exchange?"
"Twenty million taels of silver." Si Hanfei hesitated only a moment before speaking decisively.
His tone was firm, as if that was the only price.
He didn't want Li Daoqiang to name a price again—this man was too greedy.
"Heh, is a Wuzun worth only twenty million taels?"
Wang Chongyang spoke, chuckling lightly and shaking his head.
Bi Xuan's face reddened, his eyes squeezed shut, his breathing heavier.
Li Daoqiang glanced thoughtfully at Wang Chongyang and the others, then smiled. "Everyone knows I dislike killing, and keeping captives is useless.
As for captives, whoever pays the price can take them.
I won't ask for much—fifty million taels. Just fifty million, and Brother Bi can go."
He looked at Si Hanfei and Wang Chongyang.
The meaning was clear: whoever paid could take Bi Xuan.
Wang Chongyang and the others exchanged glances, whispered among themselves, then remained silent.
Si Hanfei glanced at Wang Chongyang and said seriously, "Brother Li, isn't that price too high?"
"Brother Si, can a peerless expert be measured by money?
How much money can produce one?" Li Daoqiang asked bluntly.
Si Hanfei couldn't answer, nor could he.
Pressing further would insult Bi Xuan.
Li Daoqiang might not care, but he couldn't.
Jin and Bi Xuan's existence still served a purpose.
Just as he was about to agree, Bi Xuan suddenly spoke, his tone cold: "Fifty million taels. Great Jin will deliver it."
Li Daoqiang glanced at Si Hanfei, then smiled. "Good, Brother Bi is straightforward. Once the money arrives, I'll release you immediately."
(Chapter 2, thanks for the support. There's another two-thousand-word chapter; you can read it tomorrow.)