Chapter 85: The Fourth Battle (Part Two)

Chapter 85: Li Hao Battles Four Alone

The four men had already fallen behind after their first exchange with Li Hao. Now, stepping forward once more, they all moved with heightened caution. Through these recent battles, Li Hao’s experience had grown ever more profound—especially after today’s life-and-death struggle with the youth in purple. Though fraught with peril, the ordeal had proven invaluable.

Zhen Ba, whose cultivation was highest, could suppress Li Hao single-handedly. Kui Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen formed a tightly coordinated trio. After suffering a minor setback at Li Hao’s hands, they approached the second round with greater care. Should they win by numbers, the victory would be unseemly and lack grace; if Li Hao triumphed, defeating many with few, their reputations would suffer all the more. Caught between a dishonorable victory and a loss of face, the four ultimately chose the former.

“Young master! This time, we’re going all out. You’d best be careful,” Zhen Ba warned Li Hao with concern.

“Come, let your brother see his elder brothers’ true skills,” Li Hao replied.

Outside the battlefield, Lin Xueyou and Lu Yao watched with worry for all five men. They were friends after all—no injury would be welcome, though their sympathies leaned toward Li Hao.

Lin Xueyou’s intentions, however, were not as simple as a mere contest of strength. There were deeper reasons. First, with everyone having recently advanced, battle was necessary to harmonize with their newfound powers. Second, it would allow each to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses, honing their ability to respond to true danger in the future. Third, it would help deepen trust and coordination among them. Lin Xueyou’s feigned anger was just a ruse; her real purpose was to test these brothers-in-arms, a display of her subtle care.

Lin Xueyou noticed Lu Yao’s curious gaze and asked, “Yao’er, why are you looking at your elder sister that way?”

Lu Yao replied, “Sister Xueyou, I feel your anger is only an act. You’re making them fight for another reason, aren’t you?”

Lin Xueyou merely laughed, saying, “Yao’er, you’re almost as clever as that rascal Li Hao.”

Lu Yao blushed slightly at the tease. “Sister Xueyou, why do you always like to mention me together with Brother Li Hao?”

A playful giggle escaped Lin Xueyou. “You don’t like it? Then I’ll keep you two apart from now on.”

At Lin Xueyou’s words, Lu Yao grew flustered. “No, that’s not what I meant!”

Realizing what she had just revealed, Lu Yao cursed herself inwardly: This Sister Xueyou is so astute—she’s not trying to separate me from Brother Li Hao, she’s just coaxing the truth from my heart!

Lu Yao’s private thoughts were so easily drawn out by Lin Xueyou that she heard her sister’s soft laughter again. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she blurted, “Sister Xueyou, sometimes you’re even more annoying than Brother Li Hao!”

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Lu Yao’s eyes widened dramatically and she quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her luminous eyes fixed intently on Lin Xueyou. Puzzled, Lin Xueyou asked, “What is it?”

“I remember now! Earlier today, I heard you scolding Brother Li Hao for no reason, calling him a little scoundrel. At the time, I thought something was off. Just now, hearing Brother Li Hao’s words, I finally understand—you’ve already given your heart to Brother Li Hao!”

Lu Yao’s words were partly in jest, meant as gentle revenge. Seeing Lin Xueyou’s mortified reaction, she broke into laughter. Lin Xueyou, unable to bear the teasing, lunged to grab Lu Yao, tickling her mercilessly. Lu Yao laughed uncontrollably, unable to catch her breath.

As Lin Xueyou tickled her, she scolded between laughs, “Serves you right for mocking your sister!”

Still laughing, Lu Yao begged for mercy: “It tickles! I was wrong, I won’t do it again, never again!”

To clarify: when Lu Yao accused Lin Xueyou of “giving herself” to Li Hao, she meant it in a pure, innocent sense—not in the complicated or improper manner.

While the five men dueled fiercely, Lin Xueyou and Lu Yao waged their own playful skirmish. The commotion drew the men’s attention, causing them to pause mid-fight. Li Hao quickly signaled for a temporary truce, pressing a finger to his lips for silence.

The five remained frozen in their stances: Li Hao balanced on his right foot while his left kicked toward Zhen Ba, who intercepted with a fist. Kui Hu’s left fist aimed for Li Hao’s head, which he blocked with his right hand. His left reached for Li Zhan, who shifted slightly toward Qin Zhen, as Qin Zhen launched a flanking attack, half-obscured by Li Zhan’s body.

At Li Hao’s signal, they all held their positions, as still as living statues, turning to watch Lin Xueyou and Lu Yao’s lively antics. The scene was as comical as it was unique.

That night, within the world-between-worlds, two rare spectacles unfolded. One was the five men locked in their fighting postures, all turning in unison to watch the two women. The other was Lin Xueyou and Lu Yao—two exquisite beauties, utterly unrestrained, engaged in playful mischief. These two scenes were truly unparalleled.

The playful spat between Lin Xueyou and Lu Yao ended as quickly as it began. Though not sisters by blood, their bond seemed even closer. After a moment’s laughter, tranquility returned to the night, and Lin Xueyou ceased her tickling.

Sensing the moment, Li Hao moved with lightning speed before their ploy was discovered, felling his four companions in a seamless, flowing sequence.

Zhen Ba, Kui Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen, still savoring the night’s unique spectacle, were caught completely off guard by Li Hao’s sudden attack. The beautiful scene before them was swept away into darkness as all four were knocked to the ground.

Though defeated, the group felt a sense of satisfaction.

Once Lin Xueyou stopped teasing her, Lu Yao glanced at the men and immediately saw through their charade—their feigned unconsciousness was so clumsy even a fool would notice. She couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

Feigning ignorance, Lin Xueyou remarked with a smile, “So many of you, and even Qin Zhen—the lowest among you—shares Li Hao’s cultivation. Yet you were all knocked down so quickly by Li Hao alone? How disappointing.”

Of course, the men knew full well Lin Xueyou was teasing them.

Li Hao chuckled awkwardly, while Zhen Ba and the others hurried to their feet. The time for games was over—now they would fight for real. Before Li Hao’s purification and compression of their cultivation with the Heaven and Earth Energy Conversion Array, Kui Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen each couldn’t withstand a single move from him; he could dispatch all three within three strikes, with only Zhen Ba as a true adversary.

Now, however, things were different. Even Qin Zhen, equal in cultivation to Li Hao, could withstand fifty moves before losing. Kui Hu and Li Zhan were each a minor realm above Li Hao. Most critically, if Zhen Ba fought with all his might, Li Hao could only hope to avoid defeat.

The four rose, each summoning the laws of nature within a thousand-zhang radius. In a blur of motion, they charged at Li Hao.

Li Hao responded with his Phantom Mirage Steps, leaving afterimages in his wake. The others’ footwork was not weak, but still of a lesser grade—only at the introductory level, and not equal to Li Hao’s. They could do nothing to catch him. Only Zhen Ba could keep up, but Li Hao used Kui Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen as moving shields, leaving Zhen Ba helpless.

Li Hao was playing a game of cat and mouse, drawing out the fight. As he darted about, evading left and right, he entered a state of cultivation, honing his Phantom Mirage Steps. As he refused direct engagement, his movements grew sharper. With time, his figure became at once clearer yet harder to pin down—a frustrating paradox for his pursuers.

An hour passed. All five appeared somewhat bedraggled. Now and then, Li Hao would gather the laws of nature into energy spheres and hurl them at his opponents—striking his mark every time. Whenever Zhen Ba thought he was within reach, Li Hao would smile and send an energy sphere flying his way. At first, Zhen Ba dodged to spare his teammates, but the others would be struck and forced back. Eventually, to protect them, Zhen Ba had no choice but to take the blows himself, which prevented him from attacking Li Hao.

Li Hao could gather the laws of nature more than ten times faster than they could, thanks to the Reincarnation Breath Soul-Refining Technique. Combined with the unique power of primordial chaos and his Formless Physique, his speed exceeded theirs by a factor of sixteen to eighteen. For those of mediocre talent, the disparity would be even greater—at least thirty-fold.

After an hour and a half, Li Hao reached the bottleneck of the Phantom Mirage Steps. Practicing with wild freedom, shifting in every direction, he finally broke through.

With this minor mastery, his speed soared tenfold. At this point, Kui Hu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen could do nothing against him.

Li Hao’s confidence surged—he had finally broken through.

It was fortunate that his opponents had only just advanced; they were not yet in peak condition, giving Li Hao this opportunity. Since his own breakthrough, he had been honing the integration of his power, body, and the laws of nature. With the advantages conferred by the Reincarnation Breath Soul-Refining Technique and superior footwork, he remained unconquered.

His Phantom Mirage Steps grew ever swifter, and his command of the laws of nature became seamless. At this moment, he infused his movement with the style of the Purple Cloud Leopard, becoming unpredictable—man and leopard shadows entwined, flickering rapidly. The so-called leopard shadow was not real, but an illusion conjured by Li Hao’s will manipulating the laws of nature. To the four, the intermingling of man and beast was truly dazzling.