Chapter 142: The Alliance

Seeing the corpse of Li Gang lying on the ground, the two individuals who had been locked in combat with Xu Yan were instantly enraged. "You bastard! To think you would kill Li Gang! Do you have any idea who we are?"

One of them barked, "Stop wasting breath on him! Attack! Kill that brat first!"

Both martial spirits brandished their blades and swarmed forward, their faces twisted with malice as they snarled at Li Jiansan, "Die!"

"Looking for death!"

Li Jiansan’s expression turned icy. With a sharp point of his golden greatsword, a dazzling streak of sword light erupted from the void. The two men scrambled to dodge, falling over themselves in a pathetic heap, while the sword light, still razor-sharp, carved a deep trench into the ground.

Li Jiansan flicked his wrist again. Two violent waves of sword energy tore through the air, showering down like a torrential storm of gale-force blades. The sheer volume of light instantly engulfed the pair.

"Fight him to the death!"

They had never expected Li Jiansan’s sword energy to be so terrifying. Panic gripped their hearts; they realized that escaping these lethal strikes was a fantasy. Their only hope was to fight with everything they had, praying they could shatter the onslaught.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Deafening echoes of clashing steel rang out. The two men were driven back, their faces, hands, and bodies covered in bloody lacerations. The arrogant expressions they wore moments ago were now replaced by pale, paralyzed terror.

*Crack!*

Upon contact with the sword light, the blades in their hands were instantly shredded into fragments, clattering uselessly to the ground. Every time they attempted to block a blow, their internal organs felt as if they were being torn apart, the excruciating agony manifesting in their twisted countenances.

"No!"

Blood-soaked and desperate, they stared at the incoming barrage of lethal light, screaming in horror. They tried in vain to dodge, but there was nowhere to hide. Before their eyes, the streaks of sword energy flickered like the grim scythe of a reaper, glinting with a cold, merciless light.

*Squelch!*

Blood erupted in fountains as arcs of crescent-moon-shaped sword light crisscrossed their bodies. They were carved into pieces, their mangled remains flying several meters away before collapsing to the earth. The blood sprayed across the ground, staining a vast patch of the forest floor a deep, grisly red.

"They're dead!"

"He killed them all so easily..."

Not far away, Xu Yan gasped, his breath hitching as he witnessed the scene. Li Jiansan sheathed his sword and turned away indifferently, blood still dripping from the blade.

Xu Yan rushed over to Zi Xuan, catching his breath, and asked, "Zi Xuan, do you know him?"

Zi Xuan glanced at Li Jiansan and shook her head.

Xu Yan called out, "Wait!"

Li Jiansan turned back, looking at him. "Is something the matter?"

Xu Yan led Zi Xuan to Li Jiansan, bowed his hands, and said, "Thank you for what you did just now."

"No need for thanks. I simply cannot stand those arrogant, bullying types," Li Jiansan replied with a wave of his hand.

"Heh, you carry yourself quite like that 'Grim Reaper' who has been causing such a stir in the Lost Forest," Zi Xuan said with a faint smile.

Li Jiansan looked curious. "Oh?"

Zi Xuan seemed surprised. "You don't even know who the Grim Reaper is?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "That Grim Reaper’s combat prowess is terrifying. It is said that in a fit of rage, he killed three elders. It was also he who declared that the disciples from the Imperial City should turn on each other."

The news of the Grim Reaper slaughtering corrupt elders and suppressing arrogant newcomers had long since spread, causing a massive sensation. The Grim Reaper was wild, unrestrained, and had swept through the Lost Forest. Although they had never seen him, the name was legendary. Those high-and-mighty elders, who thought they controlled everything, were treated like ants by this "Bloody Scourge," crushed as easily as stepping on a bug. Even more domineering, a single word from him had sent those self-righteous Imperial City disciples into a state of trembling fear.

Everyone participating in this assessment would surely never forget that name. Since the news broke, many Imperial City disciples had been gnashing their teeth in hatred. Countless people wanted to know: who exactly was this Grim Reaper who had stirred up such a tidal wave?

"Those Imperial City disciples are truly detestable. They rely on their meager talents to look down on others and bully everyone else," Zi Xuan said, her voice filled with admiration for the Bloody Scourge, clearly viewing him as a hero. If she knew the boy standing before her was the very person she spoke of, one wonders what she would think.

"Why don't we join forces? It would be much safer, and we could gather more spirit cores," Zi Xuan suggested with a smile.

"Joining forces? Great, great!" Zhang Dabao’s eyes lit up. A pretty girl offering to team up? That was exactly what he wanted.

Zi Xuan ignored Zhang Dabao’s enthusiasm. Seeing Li Jiansan had yet to answer, she continued, "I know you are capable, but the Lost Forest is crawling with danger, and everyone is on edge. Any lone cultivator is bound to be targeted. They are all hunting in packs now!"

"In packs?" Li Jiansan paused. "Have many people teamed up?"

Zi Xuan giggled, "Have you been sleeping for the past few days? Ever since the Grim Reaper made his declaration, many Imperial City disciples have banded together to hunt others, creating an atmosphere of paranoia. Because of that, everyone else has followed suit. Nearly ninety percent of the cultivators have formed alliances now."

This assessment was ranked by performance. There was only one first place, but there were many spots for the top ten or twenty. As long as they could secure one, they had a chance to enter the A-grade class. Those with weaker strength were not confident in hunting beasts alone. But by teaming up under a strong leader, they could hunt powerful spirit beasts and obtain high-level cores. Even after splitting the spoils, it was far more profitable than fighting solo. Thus, once a "bellwether" appeared, they flocked to join.

Seeing that Li Jiansan seemed interested, Zi Xuan added, "There are already a dozen such small teams. Those three from before were subordinates of Sun Yiqiu."

"Sun Yiqiu?" Li Jiansan asked casually. "Is he strong?"

"That man has a cultivation base at the fourth stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. He is extremely powerful; even those at the fifth stage are not necessarily his match. He holds great sway among the Imperial City disciples and currently commands the largest group. Many who tried to go it alone at first suffered greatly, and were forced to band together."

Zi Xuan urged, "So, what do you think? For safety's sake, let us join forces."

Li Jiansan smiled faintly. "Very well!"

Seeing Li Jiansan finally agree, Zi Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. With Li Jiansan’s powerful combat prowess, their safety would be greatly improved, and Xu Yan would have a much easier time. She glanced back at Xu Yan happily, then extended a delicate hand to Li Jiansan, smiling gently. "Let me introduce myself. I am Zi Xuan. My cultivation is a bit lacking—just the first stage of Foundation Establishment."

Li Jiansan reached out, showing his own Foundation Establishment aura, and laughed, "Li Jiansan, just reached the first stage."

Zi Xuan was visibly shocked. Having seen him effortlessly cut down the previous three, she had assumed he was at least at the third stage. She looked at him with sheer amazement.

"My turn! Brother Li, move aside." Zhang Dabao pushed Li Jiansan away and shuffled in front of Zi Xuan. Touching her hand with a flamboyant air, he said, "Beautiful sister Zi Xuan, hello. I am Zhang Dabao. The 'Zhang' of Zhang Dabao, the 'Da' of Zhang Dabao, and the 'Bao' of Zhang Dabao. Easy to remember, right?"

Zi Xuan blinked, forcing a smile. "Hello..."

Suddenly, Xu Yan stepped in, pulling Zhang Dabao’s hand away from Zi Xuan. He held her hand instead, blushing and stuttering, "Brother, hello. I am Xu Yan. And Zi Xuan... she is my wife."

Zi Xuan burst into laughter. This guy—he wasn't so slow at critical moments after all. Zhang Dabao looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face blank and stunned. *So it’s true, the best cabbages really are eaten by pigs.* "Sister Zi Xuan, if you had to pick a pile of cow dung to plant yourself in, you could have at least picked a pile as large as me! I have high nutritional value, you know!"

After a moment, Zhang Dabao recovered and leaned toward Xu Yan. "Tell me, brother, how did you manage to win the heart of such a beautiful girl without any advantage in looks?"

Zi Xuan chuckled. "Actually, we are childhood sweethearts. I just like his honest, blockheaded nature. The more I looked at him, the more I liked him."

Zhang Dabao looked dejected. "Is it because I’m too ugly...?"

Li Jiansan kicked him, telling him to shut up. "It’s not that you’re 'bad-looking,' it’s that you’re genuinely ugly and dishonest to boot."

Stung by Li Jiansan’s bluntness, Zhang Dabao’s inner psychological trauma expanded instantly.

"Since those Imperial City disciples are banding together to bully us, we shall bully them back," Li Jiansan declared. "We will specifically hunt those arrogant disciples from the Imperial City!"

"I agree!" said Zi Xuan.

"I have no objections!" added Xu Yan.

"Brother Li, I think that's a great idea too!" said Zhang Dabao.

Just then, the sound of an intense battle erupted from the distance. Judging by the noise, there were at least a hundred people involved in the fray.