“Mountain-Splitting Palm!” Lie Shan didn’t hesitate, striking the guard directly.
CRASH!
The sound of the explosion echoed through the rainy night, sending rubble flying.
“Oh my, I didn’t expect Lie Shan of the Tiger Clan to have such a fiery temper.”
The guard’s face slowly transformed into a woman’s, as if a layer of mist was dissipating.
The woman smiled lightly, still wearing the guard’s armor.
“You found out later than I expected.”
“Big brother, together.” Lie Shi immediately moved behind, spreading his arms wide as his True Yuan surged out in a torrent.
“Mountain-Pushing Palm!” Lie Shi struck forward, while Lie Shan countered with a backward palm strike.
“Bewitch Heart!” Lu Li’s voice rang out at that moment.
The instant the nine-tailed phantom flickered, the two mighty palm forces collided and blasted the main hall apart.
Rubble flew wildly, wooden splinters scattered.
The drizzling rain, previously blocked outside, now fell into the hall.
“Someone who can use Bewitch Heart must be the Celestial Fox Saintess,” Lie Shi said, waving his hand to clear the dust in the room. “At the very least, a close maid.”
“Indeed.” Lie Shan kept his palms on guard, looking toward the center of the hall. “The Celestial Fox body isn’t strong, she should be stunned by this attack… Huh?”
“Big brother, what… Ah?” Lie Shi stared intently, then let out an involuntary cry.
In the center of the pit was not the Celestial Fox maiden they had imagined.
Instead, it was the spy who had reported to them earlier.
He had fainted from the cumulative force of their palms.
The only saving grace was that the Tiger Clan had sturdy bodies, so there were no external injuries.
“What’s going on…” Lie Shan looked blankly at the accumulating rainwater. When he reached out to pick up the spy, Lie Shi extended a hand to stop him.
“Big brother… let me think. The other guards, take a Mind-Clearing Pill and continue guarding the mansion!” As Lie Shi shouted, the others quickly swallowed pills and looked around warily.
“The Celestial Fox Clan used an illusion… but why…” Lie Shi handed a red gem to Lie Shan. “Big brother, be careful…”
“Mm.” Lie Shan cautiously used Divine Sense to control the gem and pressed it against the spy’s forehead.
The gem glowed with an ordinary red light, then slowly dimmed.
“It’s truly one of our own.” Lie Shan immediately tossed the gem aside and poured True Yuan into the spy’s body. “Apologies…”
“I think I understand. The Celestial Fox Clan is feinting east to attack west. The Flood Dragon Clan is their real target.” Lie Shi also helped support the spy, who was gradually waking up with a confused expression. “Are you alright?”
“My lords… I’m fine. Earlier, while I was gathering information, everything went black, and then I woke up here,” the spy said. “But why are you two helping me?”
“Ah, don’t say that. You were controlled by the Celestial Fox Clan’s Charm Technique, so we brothers had to strike you a few times.” Lie Shan sighed, helping the spy to a seat. “Tsk, the Celestial Fox Clan really… with a mere Charm Technique, they led us around by the nose.”
“If only the Yao Race could unite, but since the Demon Emperor…” Lie Shi paused, looking at the shattered ceiling. “Never mind. But the battle between the Celestial Fox Clan and the Flood Dragon Clan is real.”
“Is that so? When did you get the illusion that the Celestial Fox and Flood Dragon Clans were really fighting?” Lu Li’s voice came from behind the great hall. “However, I do recognize you two Tiger Clan brothers.”
“Celestial Fox!” Lie Shan struck out with another palm, smashing all the stone tables and chairs in the back of the hall to pieces. “Stop using Charm Technique!”
“Is that so? But we Celestial Fox are naturally skilled in Charm Technique. It’s like asking you, Great King Lie Shan, to compete with me in Charm Technique without using your palm strength—that wouldn’t be fair,” Lu Li said, walking out slowly as her nine fox tails drifted behind her.
“Since the Celestial Fox Saintess has come, I assume it’s not just to fight us,” Lie Shi said, shielding the spy behind him.
“Correct. I strongly believe the Yao Race should unite, so regarding the matter of the guard…” Lu Li raised her hand, and her Storage Bracelet shimmered faintly as a bottle of pills appeared on the table. “As compensation, let’s talk properly.”
“There’s nothing to talk about with a Celestial Fox Clan that only uses Charm Technique.” Lie Shan shook his head. “Unless you can overpower us brothers in terms of brute force. Otherwise, in the eyes of our Tiger Clan, Charm Technique is just a minor path.”
“Since you two say that, I have no choice but to risk my life to keep you company.” Lu Li turned her wrist and drew out a long sword. “During my training in Human Territory, I also learned some sword techniques…”
“That won’t do, Celestial Fox Saintess.” Lie Shi smiled slightly. “Since we’re here to discuss cooperation, human weapons are all Magical Artifacts—that’s unfair to us.”
“Then what suggestions do you have?” Lu Li hung the long sword at her waist.
“How about this… If the Celestial Fox Saintess can…” Lie Shi pondered for a moment, “…withstand three strikes of my big brother’s full strength, then this contest will count as our loss.”
“Full strength from a Tiger Clan warrior is far too high.” Lu Li furrowed her brows lightly. “That’s unfair to our Celestial Fox Clan.”
“Then we have nothing to discuss.” Lie Shan flexed his arm. “Celestial Fox Saintess, either you take three strikes from me, or we two brothers will bear your Charm Technique and crush you completely.”
“How about this, then? If I can withstand three strikes, then not only the first round—the battle for the city—but also the second round—the construction outside—the Tiger Clan will come to assist the Celestial Fox Clan,” Lu Li proposed.
“If we’re doing that much, then it has to be ten strikes, and both of us will attack together.” Lie Shi looked at Lie Shan. “If the Saintess can still stand after ten strikes, then we brothers admit defeat.”
“I think that’s fine.” Lie Shan clenched his fists. “Celestial Fox Saintess, what about you?”
“Well… how about six strikes?” Lu Li shook her head, her tails swaying behind her.
“Then we have nothing to discuss.” Lie Shi raised both palms, turning his head away from Lu Li’s figure.
“Fine, fine, fine. You two Tiger Clan men are bullying a weak woman like me.” Lu Li sighed mournfully, then took out another bottle of pills. “This is a Tendon-and-Bone Restoring Pill I bought in Human Territory. If…”
“Don’t worry, if the Saintess is injured, we’ll find someone to feed you the medicine. We brothers swear it.” Lie Shi immediately raised his hand.
“Very well, since you’ve said so.” Lu Li smiled calmly and put away her sword. “Please, strike.”
“Mountain-Splitting Palm!” Lie Shan thrust his palm forward, but Lu Li lightly stepped on her Light Gauze and rose into the air, dodging the fierce palm wind. “Saintess, evasion doesn’t count as a strike.”
“I know that.” Lu Li moved her Divine Sense, controlling the Light Gauze to flash again, as behind her, Lie Shi also struck with a palm.
The fierce wind surged, directly shattering the original wall.
“Let’s fight outside. It wouldn’t be good to demolish the Tiger Clan’s mansion,” Lu Li said as she soared into the sky. The Tiger Clan brothers, Lie Shan and Lie Shi, exchanged glances and flew into the air, facing Lu Li.
“Mountain-Pushing Palm!” The two tigers struck in unison, waving their arms again in the air and unleashing their strength.
The howling wind carried countless rain droplets like steel needles, striking toward Lu Li’s body.
“This is the moment I was waiting for,” Lu Li said with a faint smile instead.
From the very beginning, she had never intended to take the Tiger Clan’s full strength head-on.
The Tiger Clan’s strength lay in their great power, but their weakness also lay in that power.
The more violent the force, the easier it was to be thrown off by a slight deviation.
And during her time in the Yin Yang Sect, Lu Li had learned many techniques of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.
She spread her five fingers, grabbed both tigers’ arms that were charged with powerful True Yuan, and gently pulled them forward.
“What?!”
Only then did Lie Shan and Lie Shi realize that their immense palm power, when lightly tugged, instantly veered off course.
Moreover, in the air, the two tigers could not leverage the ground to exert force, and their palm winds weakened considerably.
Then, Lu Li’s palm pressed against the tigers’ arms.
In the rain, the colors on her ten nails bloomed like flowers.
“Mountain-Splitting Strike.”
The sound of tearing muscles mixed with the thunderclap.
RUMBLE!
Bright red blood, flowing with the rain.
Poured onto the ground.