I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 220 Confrontation
Xue Xiang completely ignored Kuang Zhan's clamor, raised his head, and said in a deep voice, "Wang Baxian, is it worth it? Risking the destruction of your family and clan."

Wang Baxian narrowed his eyes, as if he had heard a joke.

"risk?"

He sneered, "Did I kill Lord Liu? It was clearly the group of people who came to rescue you who did it."

If I were to err, the most minor offense would be failing to adequately protect Lord Liu.

Xue Xiang smiled slightly, "To be so shameless, no wonder you're from a prestigious family."

Oh well, I'm going to die anyway, so it doesn't matter if I take the blame for a few more times.

Right now, there's one thing I want to know.

If you tell me the answer.

In exchange, I can tell you how I manage to produce such exquisite writing.

Upon hearing this, the wind in the surrounding fields seemed to have been choked.

Everyone's expression changed.

The Lamenter of Autumn—no, now, Xue Xiang's reputation can no longer be measured by the mere title of "Lamenter of Autumn."

After reciting Xue's four lines, he had already become the most prominent among the most prominent Confucian scholars.

The ways people refer to him have become fragmented, but the prevailing opinion among scholars no longer sees him as merely a skilled poet and lyricist, but rather as someone who upholds morality and integrity.

When people mention him as a young scholar, they often refer to him as "Young Master Xue".

His fame is now immense.

They started in Yunmeng, then moved to Canaan County, and finally to Canglan Prefecture.

His fame has now transcended national borders.

Every poem he wrote was earth-shattering and can be considered a masterpiece that will be passed down through the ages.

In this world where literary cultivation is still paramount, even though the era of Wenchang, when the literary tradition was declining, has come to an end, the ability to "speak eloquently and compose poetry with divine skill" remains a coveted ability for countless Confucian scholars.

It's not that no one has studied Xue Xiang's past, but the conclusions drawn are insufficient to explain why Xue Xiang possessed such terrifying poetic talent.

Now that Xue Xiang is about to personally reveal this secret, how could it not move everyone?
Wang Baxian took a deep breath and said, "What do you want to know from me?"

Xue Xiang raised his head in the prison cart. "I want to know, who do you plan to give my magic talisman to?"

"what?"

Wang Baxian hadn't quite grasped what was happening yet.

Xue Xiang's magic talisman was right in his own hands.

Since Xue Xiang was merely a criminal awaiting punishment and was being watched by Lord Liu, Wang Baxian had no choice but to make his move against Xue Xiang's immortal talisman.

He was puzzled when he suddenly noticed the dramatic change in expression on the faces of the Kuang brothers and everyone else present. He immediately realized that Xue Xiang was trying to smear him.

"Damn it, you're about to die and you still dare to play tricks."

Wang Baxian was furious.

Xue Xiang said, "I know you won't tell, but I can't guess it's Shen Sanshan or the person behind him."

Very well, it's better for this treasure to fall into your hands than into the hands of barbarians like the Kuang brothers.

The secret to my eloquent speech lies within this talisman. Keep it safe and do not let any villains steal it.

After saying that, Xue Xiang closed his eyes.

When Wang Baxian looked again, all the eyes in the room were like sharp blades piercing him.

"Hand over the Xue Xiang Immortal Talisman, and I'll spare your life."

"You dare to hoard the Immortal Talisman for yourself; you are courting disaster."

"........."

Finally, a threatening voice rose from the field.

Among the people besieging him, those sent by powerful families were mostly after Xue Xiang's life.

The rest were purely for chance.

If we can get rid of Xue Xiang's magic talisman, we can uncover the secret to his rise to power.

They're capable of anything.

At this moment, upon hearing Xue Xiang's implication that the Immortal Talisman had been taken away by Wang Baxian, these guys, eager for an opportunity, didn't allow Wang Baxian to explain. With the mentality of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free," they made their move first.

In an instant, more than a dozen beams of spiritual light shot out, heading straight for Wang Baxian.

The archers reacted quickly, immediately drawing their crossbows and advancing.

Dozens of talisman arrows shot out wildly, intertwining with crimson light, and the wind howled like ghosts, blocking the crowd's attack on Wang Baxian.

Only now did everyone realize that the archers were actually Wang Baxian's men.

Clearly, the blame for Lord Liu's murder is being placed on Wang Baxian.

Wang Baxian was filled with shock and anger. Although he had the talisman bow to block the attack, every one of the attackers was a Core Formation expert.

His dragon horse perished instantly, and a group of Core Formation experts unleashed their ultimate attacks, forcing him to retreat temporarily. He couldn't stop cursing, "A bunch of idiots, they didn't even realize they'd been fooled by that Xue fellow!"

The attackers paid no heed to his words, their only thought being to take his life and seize the talisman.

Almost simultaneously, several figures rushed towards Xue Xiang.

Some came for the opportunity, while others came to take Xue Xiang's life.

The Kuang brothers stood at a distance, watching with leisurely interest.

Their eyes remained fixed, waiting to see how Xue Xiang's head and body would be separated.

Kuang Beiming, with his romantic temperament, had already imagined Xue Xiang's blood spurting out of his skull in the shape of a magnificent plum blossom.

With a flash of light, the reinforced steel prison cart railings were sliced ​​open like tofu, and the blade's energy surged, easily severing a strand of Xue Xiang's hair.

A snow-white, icy blade, radiating a bone-chilling aura, was already aimed at Xue Xiang's brow.

He moved when he was almost touching Xue Xiang's eyelashes.

"Keng!"

The crisp sound of metal reverberated throughout the heavens and earth.

The knife was actually being held by a hand.

With long, slender hands, fair skin, and extremely long knuckles, Master Zhao once experienced ecstasy between these fingers.

Everyone was stunned.

Even the crowd watching Wang Baxian slowed down their actions.

Xue Xiang firmly grasped the blade, while the Nebula Chain on his wrist had already broken off and was stuck to the carriage shaft.

"This is impossible……!"

Someone gasped in surprise.

Berserker's eyes widened as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Shattering Nebula!" Kuang Beiming's throat tightened, and he almost shouted himself hoarse. "That's the Nebula Lock! Only a Nascent Soul cultivator can shatter it with their bare body!"

Kuangzhan once compared finger strength with Xue Xiang on the Xuan Tai Iron Mother.

At that time, Xue Xiang wrote the article casually, but Kuang Zhan felt that he could do the same if he entered a berserk state.

But at this moment, he witnessed Xue Xiang shatter the Star Chain with his own physical strength.

Even if he were incredibly arrogant, he wouldn't believe he could do it.

This is because it is a terrifying power that only Nascent Soul cultivators can possess, and even most people in the early stages of Nascent Soul cultivation cannot achieve it.

However, Xue Xiang has not yet formed his core.

No sooner said than done, the instant he grasped the blade, Xue Xiang swung his palm out.

He pushed the steel knife away with his backhand, and the entire knife flew out, turning into a cold light that pierced the assassin's chest and abdomen, and then penetrated the rock ten feet away.

"puff--"

The assassin collapsed before he could even scream, a fist-sized hole exploding in his chest.

Before they could finish speaking, the other assassins had already pounced on them.
Xue Xiang's feet sank, the prison cart turned to dust, and he threw out his fists, causing the air to collapse and ripples to spread outwards.

The three swords and two sabers that attacked were all deflected.

Sword and saber blades spewed forth, but Xue Xiang ignored them and continued to throw punches.

boom!
Before a Core Formation cultivator could react, his chest was dented by the force of the punch, the sound of bones shattering echoed in one line, and he was sent flying several feet away, landing as a pool of blood and mud.

Everyone's expression changed.

"The information is incorrect; this cannot be a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"Fake information can be deadly! Wasn't he supposed to be all talk and no action?"

"........."

Amidst the murmurs of the onlookers, Xue Xiang had already vanished into a blur.

He made no defenses, only attacked and did not defend, his fists and palms intertwined, like thunder striking the ground.

Each strike was accompanied by air vibrations and bursts of wind, as if the heavens and earth were being forcefully hammered into a low groan.

A gray-robed monk attempted a sneak attack from the flank, but his arm was broken by a counter-elbow strike.

Another person, who was flying through the air on a sword, was slapped down by him with a backhand palm strike, crashing into the ground along with his sword, blood splattering three feet high.

In just a few breaths, seven or eight more corpses appeared on the grassland, all of them Core Formation cultivators.

Those cultivators who had initially been shouting for a fight all retreated three feet, and none of them dared to step forward rashly.

Xue Xiangli stood there, looking at his hands with great satisfaction.

Back then, he unexpectedly took on the mission of bringing back the remains of Zhongwu. He entered the Chaotic Sea Demon Realm and refined the Morning and Evening Dew, which truly made full use of the wonders of his peerless Dao Foundation.

Only after a process of refinement has it achieved its current miraculous state.

In this fierce battle, Xue Xiang was by no means unscathed.

His abdomen was scorched, and his back was cut open by a spirit blade. The cut was only three inches long and only cut the skin. By this time, the wound had already healed on its own.

For him, these were all superficial wounds.

He couldn't help but marvel at the strength of this body, which was truly as if it had been cast from steel.

"Is this...is this still a human being?"

"It's a killer muttering to himself, his voice trembling," one of the assassins said.

The group that had been besieging Wang Baxian also stopped fighting and retreated to the side.

Panting heavily, Wang Baxian was furious. Pointing at the group surrounding him, he cursed, "A bunch of idiots! You think you can be fooled by Xue's little tricks?"

Now you know who the big thief is.

As soon as the cursing subsided, he pointed directly at Kuang Beiming, "Brother Beiming, if we keep watching this spectacle, we'll both become a laughingstock."

If this Xue fellow manages to escape, it will truly be like a dragon swimming in the vast ocean or a tiger entering the deep mountains; it will be a sleepless night for us both.

"I don't need my elder brother, I'll kill him first."

With a wild roar, the madman charged forward with his blade.

He was not convinced of his defeat at the hands of Xue Xiang twice.

This is because he believes he has never been able to unleash his true potential.

"You surnamed Xue, taste my Nine Styles of Overlord Blade!"

The madman's roar was like thunder, shaking the mountains.

A black light suddenly rose from beneath his feet, his longsword was raised diagonally, and a crimson rune shone forth, piercing through the heavens and earth. "Slash!"

When that blade struck, the world changed color.

The blade flashed like lightning, sweeping down from the high slope, instantly cracking the earth and sending soil and rocks churning like waves.

The array patterns along the way exploded simultaneously, scattering light and mist in all directions.

The force of the blade pierced through the grassland and penetrated the sky, causing the surrounding protective formations to cry out in agony.

Xue Xiang realized the danger, his pupils contracted, and with a quick step, he vanished like a wisp of smoke.

He transformed into a blur, escaping the blade's edge.

The Berserker's blade moved with unrestrained grace; with a light, sweeping motion, it relentlessly pursued him like a leech.

Although Xue Xiang dodged quickly, the hem of his clothes was still shattered into powder.

However, the blade's energy did not stop and continued forward with a roar.

There were several cultivators in the direction Xue Xiang fled. Xue Xiang avoided them, but they couldn't.

With a deafening roar, the earth was overturned, and before the group could even utter a scream, they were torn to shreds by the violent blade's energy.

Blood rained down again, leaving the land scorched.

The madman, having finally gained the upper hand over Xue Xiang, roared triumphantly and unleashed the full power of the Nine Forms of the Overlord Blade in his hand.

But then, the blade's edge swept across, light and shadow intertwined, and the world seemed to have been cleaved into pieces.

Xue Xiang remained agile, using the momentum to escape, even faster than when using the Gale Talisman to enhance his movement technique.

The two chased and dodged, their blades flashing and figures moving like two intersecting shooting stars.

"boom!"

Where the blade struck, the ground cracked into a deep trench.

A gray-robed assassin was torn apart by blood and gore.

The Berserker felt no remorse for accidentally killing Xue Xiang, nor did he try to evade the situation. Instead, he unleashed his full power, relentlessly pursuing Xue Xiang within the confines of the White Bone Locking Heaven Formation.

Xue Xiang also intended to lure the berserker to eliminate threats for himself, and then raced through the encirclement.

The blade light in Kuang Zhan's palm swept wildly after Xue Xiang.

In an instant, more than ten assassins were cleaved into pieces by the unparalleled blade light of the Mad Warrior.

Blood rain mingled with dust and mist, and the heavens and earth were stained red with a stench.

"madman!"

"He's killing our people!"

"Is that guy surnamed Kuang crazy? Is he here to kill Xue Xiang or to help Xue Xiang?"

The surviving cultivators roared in fury, their eyes blazing with rage.

"Kuang Beiming, are you going to do anything about it or not?"

Wang Baxian was also furious.

Two of his archers were also killed by the berserker.

Even with the resources of the Wang family, it would take twenty years to train just one of these elite archers.

He was heartbroken to see his efforts wasted at the hands of the madman.

The berserker ignored him, continuing to wield his blade with ferocious force, not forgetting to sneer and curse, "Shut up, you trash. Incompetent people don't deserve to live."

Having said that, he intensified his attack.

He only had eyes for Xue Xiang.

The crimson blade light reflected in his pupils, flashing with an almost fanatical excitement.

The berserker's blade strikes grew increasingly ferocious, its power so overwhelming that everyone was forced to raise their protective shields to temporarily avoid its brunt.

Even so, some people still didn't have time to dodge.

Anyone caught in the edge of the blade's wind will be pulverized.

Blood blossoms bloomed one after another, corpses lay strewn across the grassland, and limbs and broken armor were scattered all over the ground.

"Stop! I'm going into battle! Release the barrier!"

"If this continues, we'll all die under this madman's blade!"

Finally, someone couldn't hold on any longer and shouted loudly.

"Set up an array? Do you think the White Bone Locking Sky Array is your personal fence?"

"The array is full, and the spiritual bones are gathering power. No one can get out without an hour."

"Unless someone has the ability to smash it to pieces."

Kuang Beiming laughed loudly, "You have no guts, yet you try to be an assassin? What a joke! Well done, Second Brother!"

The crowd's faces alternated between pale and flushed, their venomous gazes fixed on the Kuang brothers.

The Berserker ignored everyone else and launched a relentless attack with overwhelming momentum, while Xue Xiang remained evasive and avoided direct confrontation.

The madman had never felt so exhilarated. He shouted triumphantly, "You surnamed Xue, what else can you do besides hide like a rat?"
Is this the strength of the number one person to view the monument?

Is this the future hegemon they've been touting?

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Xiang paused slightly, his expression calm as still water. "Are you really courting death? I'll grant your wish. Let's fight it out. I'll take your knife with my fist. Whoever doesn't dare is a coward."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Even Wang Baxian was stunned, looking at him as if he were a madman.

The Berserker withdrew his sword, so excited he almost roared to the sky.

"Hahaha! Good! Very good!"

He grinned maliciously and patted the back of his sword. "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. If I lose, I will commit suicide to atone for my sins."

In his opinion, the man surnamed Xue was simply courting death.

He gathered his power to the extreme with his domineering blade, and even mountains were split open. Xue was protected by the gods, and he was destined to die by his hand.

Kuang Beiming's expression changed slightly, his eyes sharp as an eagle, and he transmitted his voice, "Second brother, don't be careless, be careful of a trap."

Berserker transmitted his voice, asking, "Where is the deception?"

Kuang Beiming was speechless, but even he couldn't see why Xue Xiang had the right to win.

How can one expect to win against a knife with a punch?
Kuang Zhan laughed and ignored Kuang Beiming. He couldn't wait to see Xue Xiang's blood splattered everywhere.

He took a deep breath, his body surging with energy, the sword in his hand, his blood and qi flowing like a tide.

This time, he did not unleash the blade's light.

Although the blade's edge was dazzling, it dispersed the power; what he wanted was not brilliance, but the most insane destructive force.

He kept gathering his power, his sword aura almost solidified, his energy as imposing as a mountain, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered around him in a vortex.

He knew that Xue Xiang's physical body was extremely strong, and only the purest sword intent could completely destroy it.

Xue Xiang stood motionless in the center of the field.

The wind rustled the hem of his clothes, but it couldn't stir his breath.

He didn't seem to be using any spiritual energy; he just stood there quietly, as if waiting to die.

This scene made everyone gasp in shock.

The air was thick with the smell of blood mixed with the acrid scent of spirits.

Everyone's eyes widened as they stared intently at the two figures.

"coming!"

Someone slurred.

Berserker goes first.

His arms shot up, muscles taut, and the air was torn apart the instant the domineering blade was swung out.

The blade's momentum was as heavy as a mountain, yet it was not fast at all; when the blade was drawn, not a wisp of wind was stirred up.

But as the blade flashed, it tore through the sky.

Almost simultaneously, Xue Xiang also moved, his right fist swinging out, even slower than the blade's movement.

Just like a punch thrown casually by an ordinary person.

However, when the fist had just slid half an inch out, the air suddenly seemed to boil.

An invisible storm suddenly arose, with shockwaves emanating from Xue Xiang and spreading outwards across the ground.

The grass and leaves underfoot snapped, stones flew into the air, and a deep humming sound arose between heaven and earth.

The wind whipped up dust and sand, and everyone's hearts tightened.

"What kind of fist technique is that...?"

Someone murmured.

No one could understand why such an ordinary punch carried such a suffocating sense of oppression.

next moment,
"boom!"

The domineering blade collided with the fist.

A deafening roar erupted, and the light waves exploded.

The ground collapsed, and sand and dust swept for dozens of feet.

The domineering blade in the madman's hand, weighing over a thousand pounds, shattered on the spot!
The blade flew off, scattering sparks everywhere.

Xue Xiang's fist also cracked open, spurting out blood, with the white bone of his fist protruding through his skin.

But the Berserker is in an even worse situation.

His hand instantly cracked open, and the bones in his arm made a "crackling" sound as they broke, turning his entire arm into dust.

The next moment, he was hit as if by a speeding train, and his body flew out sideways!

"boom!"

He crashed directly into the barrier of the White Bone Locking Heaven Formation, creating a deafening roar.

The powerful shield was shaken by the impact, and the light patterns rippled.

The berserker's body bounced back, then with a "smack," it stuck back onto the barrier, like a fly that had been swatted flat.

Blood gushed from his seven orifices, and his internal organs were squeezed into a paste, flowing down the corners of his mouth.

The surrounding area was deathly silent; even the sound of the wind seemed to have been cut off.

Everyone was stunned, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Wang Baxian's face was as stiff as stone, while Kuang Beiming's fingertips trembled slightly.

The others stared blankly.

At that moment, no one dared to utter a sound.

Kuang Beiming's pupils shrank sharply, and he almost froze on the spot.

In that instant, he felt as if his heart had been ripped open and filled with salt.

He wanted to yell, but he couldn't yell at all.

Berserker's body still clung to the barrier of the White Bone Locking Heaven Array, blood trickling down the protective pattern like countless tiny crawling insects.

(End of this chapter)