Chapter Forty-Eight: Head-On Confrontation

With a swift movement, Li Liao once again charged toward Liu Pan. This time, he did not advance in a straight line, but instead chose a serpentine path, clearly wary of the silver arrows. Liu Pan rapidly retreated, and without hesitation, he pulled a porcelain bottle containing Burst Yuan Pills from his storage pouch and swallowed one.

Liu Pan felt helpless; he had originally concocted the Burst Yuan Pills to save his life in a critical moment, but he never expected to use one so soon. Unlike Gathering Yuan Pills, Burst Yuan Pills were special elixirs that stimulated bodily potential. Liu Pan only dared to take one at a time. If he took two, even if he could unleash greater power, his body would not withstand it—he would die from his body exploding, a tragic end.

As the pill entered his stomach, a wave of heat swept through Liu Pan’s dantian. The vortex of Yuan energy spun wildly, and he felt his power swelling within, his whole body flooded with an unprecedented sense of strength.

Liu Pan was well aware of the effects of the Burst Yuan Pill: with his first-level Martial Disciple cultivation, taking one would boost him at least five minor realms, meaning his fighting strength would reach the sixth level of a Martial Disciple. However, facing a third-level Martial Master was still an insurmountable gap, but Liu Pan could only gamble everything now.

Moreover, Li Liao had previously been struck head-on by the Sixfold Water Yuan Seal. Though it hadn’t hit a vital spot, Liu Pan, locking him with spiritual force, clearly saw a depression in Li Liao’s chest, likely several ribs broken.

For cultivators below the Martial King realm, without a Yuan Spirit, all their foundation lay in their physical body. If the body was too badly injured, however strong the Yuan energy inside, their combat strength would be greatly diminished. Li Liao's injury, though not fatal, would inevitably affect his upper body movement.

For Liu Pan, as long as Li Liao’s attack speed slowed, hope remained.

Once more, Liu Pan prepared the Sixfold Water Yuan Seal, the strongest attack he could unleash at the moment. Instantly, his entire palm was enveloped in the azure glow of Yuan energy. With spiritual force locked onto Li Liao, Liu Pan stamped the ground, abruptly halting his retreat, and proactively advanced toward Li Liao.

He couldn’t help but feel regret: if he had taken the Burst Yuan Pill when the silver arrow first appeared, his earlier Sixfold Water Yuan Seal would not have merely broken a few of Li Liao’s ribs. But the situation had been too sudden; there was no time to swallow the pill before launching his attack.

Liu Pan had no hope for another silver arrow; even if Li Liao didn’t use the serpentine approach, it was impossible for a second arrow to appear in such a short time.

Seeing Liu Pan swallow the pill and then actively charge, Li Liao’s eyes flashed with a strange gleam. He immediately sensed the aura emanating from Liu Pan’s body and, because he sensed it, grew excited.

From Liu Pan’s change in aura, Li Liao deduced immediately that he had taken a Burst Yuan Pill. Li Liao had never seen these pills in the sect, as Elder Lin of the Medicine Peak, with his current alchemy skills, was incapable of making them.

If Elder Lin couldn’t produce them, where had Liu Pan’s Burst Yuan Pills come from? Li Liao did not believe Liu Pan had made them himself; becoming a mid-level alchemist was not something achieved overnight.

Considering how Liu Pan had previously swallowed over a dozen Gathering Yuan Pills in one go, Li Liao instantly thought of another possibility: all these elixirs had been brought in from outside the Baiyang Sect.

He arrived at this conclusion after careful consideration.

After Liu Pan broke through to the Martial Disciple realm, Li Liao had someone investigate his background. It turned out Liu Pan was not “Liu Pan of Earth Village,” but belonged to the Liu clan of White Forest Town.

According to disciples from the Liu clan who had joined the sect two years earlier, Liu Pan’s talent had been unremarkable in the clan—even among the lowest. Yet this bottom-tier talent had now joined Baiyang Sect, becoming Elder Lin’s personal disciple.

Li Liao did not deny the possibility of sudden enlightenment and rapid cultivation, but after seeing Liu Pan produce over a dozen Gathering Yuan Pills and a porcelain bottle with several Burst Yuan Pills, he suspected something else.

Liu Pan must have obtained some elixirs by chance before entering the sect; his current level was entirely due to these pills.

This explained both the source of Liu Pan’s elixirs and why he could reach the Martial Disciple realm in just a year.

Previously, Li Liao had wondered why Elder Lin would give Liu Pan so many pills and even a storage pouch. Now, seeing the Burst Yuan Pills, he immediately overturned the idea that Elder Lin had given them to Liu Pan.

Giving a dozen Gathering Yuan Pills for cultivation was reasonable, but giving several Burst Yuan Pills at once was suspicious, especially since Elder Lin could not make them.

Knowing all this, Li Liao concluded Liu Pan had obtained the pills and the storage pouch before joining the sect. This explained the origin of the pouch as well—Elder Lin was less likely to give a storage pouch than a hundred pills.

Because he believed Liu Pan’s pouch and pills came from before his sect days, Li Liao grew excited. If this was true, Liu Pan must still have other elixirs, perhaps even higher-level ones.

Li Liao’s cultivation was stuck at the early Martial Master stage; with higher-level pills, he could quickly break through to the mid-stage. Once there, aided by formations, he would be able to contend with Yang Jiangshui, a peak Martial Master; and with further advancement, defeating Yang Jiangshui would no longer be impossible. Thus, his plan to control Baiyang Sect could truly become reality.

Thinking of all this, Li Liao became eager. His feet flashed with light, and he ignored the threat of silver arrows, charging straight at Liu Pan.

He felt he had to kill Liu Pan as quickly as possible—even if wounded, it was worth it. If he delayed, and Yang Jiangshui or another elder noticed something, it would be much harder to discreetly take Liu Pan’s storage pouch.

Liu Pan, of course, had no idea Li Liao would have all these thoughts because he produced the Burst Yuan Pill. Even if he did know, he would not hesitate to take it—after using the Sixfold Water Yuan Seal once, his dantian was nearly depleted.

Seeing Li Liao abandon the serpentine approach and charge directly, Liu Pan was puzzled but couldn’t figure out why, nor did he have time to think—Li Liao was already within three meters.

A sharp gleam flashed in Liu Pan’s eyes as he locked onto Li Liao’s chest, ready to strike with the Sixfold Water Yuan Seal.

Better to break one point than attack a whole face; Liu Pan understood this well. Facing Li Liao, his only hope was to worsen Li Liao’s wounds, restricting his movements as much as possible. Only then would he have a chance.

Yet as Liu Pan prepared to strike Li Liao’s injured chest, Li Liao’s eyes flashed ruthlessly. He ignored everything and swung his fist at Liu Pan’s chest, aiming directly at his heart.

Trading injury for injury—or more accurately, trading injury for life!

Seeing Li Liao’s move, Liu Pan’s expression changed drastically. He had chosen to attack Li Liao’s chest but never expected to actually hit the injured spot. He thought Li Liao would dodge—if the Sixfold Water Yuan Seal landed on the wound, half of Li Liao’s ribs would be shattered.

If half the ribs were broken, it meant half his upper body was ruined. Wounding himself so badly just to kill a Martial Disciple was hardly worth it.

But Li Liao threw caution aside, aiming his fist at Liu Pan’s left chest, at his heart, apparently intending to shatter it with a single blow!

Liu Pan never thought he would experience such a frustrating battle. In his books, only the protagonist Liu Kuang suffered like this.

“My own protagonist is miserable enough—perhaps I’ve been too cruel to him.” Unconsciously, this thought flashed through Liu Pan’s mind.

Li Liao wanted to trade injuries for Liu Pan’s life, but Liu Pan would not accept. Yet, at such close range, dodging Li Liao’s fist was impossible. In an instant, Liu Pan redirected his palm to meet Li Liao’s fist head-on.

Direct confrontation—reckless against a stronger opponent, but Liu Pan had no other choice.

“Bang!”

Fist and palm collided; energy exploded outward. Liu Pan spat blood and was flung thirty meters away, crashing into a tree with a loud thud.

“Puh!”

He spewed blood twice more, feeling as if his whole body was falling apart. His right hand, which met Li Liao’s fist, and the entire arm were completely deformed, blood dyeing it red. Who knew how many pieces the bones had broken into—it was a total comminuted fracture.

Compared to Liu Pan’s miserable state, Li Liao fared much better. His right sleeve was shredded by the force, his arm marked with bloody scratches, but there was no obvious fracture. The only serious injury was the shattered bones in his hand, which now hung limp and useless.

One hand versus an entire arm—the difference between the two was clear.

“Cough!”

Li Liao coughed lightly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked at Liu Pan, his expression grim; if not for the urgency to finish Liu Pan, he would never have risked such heavy injury.

He lifted his foot, preparing to walk toward Liu Pan.

But just as he stepped forward, a crimson blade suddenly slashed at his back.