Translator: CinderTL
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Li Chunjun stared at Xu Zhengyi.
He didn't know if the threat of Xu Zhengyi crushing his skull with his bare hands was real or not.
If it was true…
Then that meant killing was allowed.
If not…
Then this battle was inevitable.
Although part of him regretted that it was four people instead of nine, it was already too late to dwell on it.
Four would have to do. There might still be some extra "baggage" outside.
At least he hadn't come on this trip for nothing.
With that thought, Li Chunjun's mind grew calm, serene.
There wasn't a ripple of emotion in his eyes.
He drew his sword.
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Xu Zhengyi, approaching Li Chunjun, seemed casual, but any smart person would know that no one who made it into Summit Tower was weak.
At the very least, they were all Integration Realm Martial Artists.
An Integration Realm Martial Artist, even if they had only just achieved internal and external unity and appeared under twenty, Xu Zhengyi didn't dare underestimate him!
As he got closer, he was fully alert, focused.
"Clang!"
The near-perfect level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Sword Technique!
A combat instinct honed purely for killing efficiency!
The combination of both made Li Chunjun's sword strike so fast that even Tan Li, the assassin, couldn't see the trajectory of the sword.
All he saw was a flash of cold light, and the sharp blade was already less than half a foot from Xu Zhengyi's body!
Xu Zhengyi, seeing the sword drawn and the stunning technique, instinctively shouted in excitement: "Nice!"
He loved engaging in life-or-death battles with top-tier fighters, pushing limits and surpassing them in each extreme challenge!
But when the sword actually came out, executed with a speed that no martial artist could hope to counter, his excitement instantly turned into unbridled shock…
Or perhaps… surprise!
It seemed like he truly had no fear!
Faced with Li Chunjun's lightning-fast sword, as a mix of shock, surprise, and excitement surged through him, Xu Zhengyi didn't retreat—instead, he advanced with a roar. His violent energy flowed through him and transformed into a thunderous palm strike aimed directly at Li Chunjun's forehead.
If Li Chunjun didn't dodge…
His sword would pierce Xu Zhengyi's throat, and at the same time, the palm strike would hit Li Chunjun's skull!
A life-or-death gamble!
This battle-hardened man, who had killed over a dozen martial artists and masters, was now going all out, willing to trade his life for victory!
It was as if he was betting everything on this life-or-death strike!
The situation escalated too quickly!
Fast enough that even the other Integration Realm Martial Artists in the room, who were eagerly watching to understand their opponent's skills, were caught off guard.
No one expected this seemingly under-20-year-old boy to execute such an astonishingly beautiful sword technique.
And with that single strike, he had forced Xu Zhengyi, the invincible top martial artist of Mingzhou, into a life-or-death situation!
Just as everyone was waiting to see whether the two would destroy each other or if Li Chunjun would be forced to retreat, losing his advantage, a ripple of invisible energy suddenly spread from the tip of his sword.
"Whoosh!"
A visible white shockwave emanated from the sword tip.
The sword, already fast enough, now accelerated even further!
Its angle shifted slightly!
What was once a strike aimed at the neck now shifted toward the chest!
The sharp sword, accompanied by a screeching howl, violently pierced Xu Zhengyi's body.
As the sword thrust through Xu Zhengyi's chest, the momentum of the Nine Heavens Thunder Sword Technique, with the weight of thunder, slammed into his body like a giant hammer, forcing him to pause in his charge.
Without the added momentum from his forward strike, the palm that had been intended to hit Li Chunjun's head was now too far from its target. It continued along its original path and whooshed past, missing by mere inches.
The immense strength in that palm, capable of shattering stone or breaking bones, whipped the air and caused Li Chunjun's hair to flutter.
"Sss!"
In the next moment, as if struck by a giant hammer, the sword slashed upwards through the top of Xu Zhengyi's chest!
The violent force of the upward strike, combined with the sharpness of the sword, instantly severed his ribs, sliced through his larynx and windpipe, and with relentless force, continued to tear upward, cutting through his jawbone, nasal bone, and the center of his brow, before cleaving through his forehead. Blood sprayed in crimson arcs, splattering against the walls and ceiling of the room.
The power released from the sword's blade was so immense that it lifted Xu Zhengyi's nearly ninety-kilogram body off the ground, sending him flying up nearly a foot in the air, his body then recoiling backward, toppling behind him.
It was faint, but his face still held expressions of excitement, surprise, and a hint of terror that had yet to fully register, all frozen in place.
A stream of blood quickly appeared along the front of his face—his chin, lips, nose, nasal bridge, and forehead…
The entire upper half of his body had been sliced open by that one upward slash!
Blood poured down!
"Bang!"
His body crashed backward onto a nearby table.
His life force rapidly faded.
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For a moment, the room fell deathly silent.
Tan Li, Du Kang, and Vincent were all stiff, frozen in place, staring dumbly at Xu Zhengyi—who had just been talking to them and was on the same level as them—now lying dead before them in a brutal, tragic manner.
A chilling sense of terror spread through their bodies, like an electric shock coursing through every corner of their being.
Li Chunjun shook the blood off his sword.
This sword…
Its quality wasn't comparable to the collection at the Sword Museum.
But in terms of sharpness, it was no less than that legendary sword.
Hopefully, Summit Tower would play by the rules; otherwise, he'd have to find another sword to replace it if this one got ruined.
He sheathed his sword.
Li Chunjun didn't look at Xu Zhengyi again.
In fact, a keen-eyed Tan Li noticed that throughout the entire process, Li Chunjun didn't show a single change in expression.
What was this!?
Titan Vincent was known for killing without hesitation!
But this young man, who didn't even look twenty, truly killed without batting an eye!
His heart was as cold as iron!
No, even that wasn't enough to describe it!
It was indifference!
An indifference to life, as though it were nothing!
It was as if he wasn't killing a person, but casually squashing an ant beneath his foot.
It was hard to imagine what kind of experiences could have shaped such an attitude.
Tan Li glanced at Li Chunjun, who had already seated himself and was sheathing his sword.
Then he looked at Vincent's massive frame and Du Kang, who had wiped out an entire family…
Suddenly, an irrepressible feeling of ridicule surged within him!
What a joke!
Who exactly was the real professional killer here!?
This Summit Tower was taking it too far!
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At this point, the voices from outside seemed to have reached the room.
"What the hell is going on?! Everyone, quiet down!"
With a sharp reprimand, the door was quickly pushed open.
Two men, each carrying firearms and exuding an air of quiet strength and formidable power, walked into the room.
Upon seeing Xu Zhengyi's upper body almost split in half, their expressions immediately turned cold.
"What happened?!"
"Who did this?"
Their gazes landed on Li Chunjun.
Of everyone in the room, only he was carrying a weapon.
Li Chunjun calmly stood up.
"It was me."
He raised his head and looked at the two men standing just under six meters away at the door. His right hand rested on the sword hilt.
"So, do you intend to revoke my qualification for entering Summit Tower?"
(End of the Chapter)
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