Under the effect of this True Qi, his already burly frame grew even more massive and imposing.

And so, the closer he got to Fang Shuwen, the more violent the tremors from his every step became.

At last, he closed the distance to within ten feet of Fang Shuwen.

With the sound of ripping fabric, Shi Li’s clothes tore to shreds, revealing a physique honed to its absolute peak. His fist, seemingly wreathed in dark red arcs of electricity, came smashing toward Fang Shuwen, raw and unadorned.

"A worthy opponent!"

Fang Shuwen’s eyes lit up. He met the attack head-on, neither dodging nor evading, and threw a punch of his own.

The two fists collided violently. In the same instant they both took a step, an invisible shockwave seemed to ripple out in all directions.

BOOM!

The ground instantly shattered, and the force spreading in all directions was more than the nearby Jianghu people could bear.

But by then, it was already too late to run.

They could only take the oncoming Fist Force with their faces, their heads crushed flat by the power from afar.

Long Qingzhi knew no Martial Arts and should have been caught in the crossfire.

But Fang Dabao was by her side.

Fang Dabao, with his tough hide and innate miraculous abilities, shielded Long Qingzhi completely from harm.

Fang Shuwen saw this and had to give silent praise. ’This mount was well worth acquiring.’

The next moment, he turned his gaze to Shi Li, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

’Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist. The Fist Force is like blood, every strike brimming with murderous intent.’

’The force is so bizarre... I’ve never seen anything like it in all my time in the Jianghu.’

’This is a real eye-opener!’

Meanwhile, the onlookers from the Northern Domain Martial World couldn’t help but cheer inwardly at the sight.

This was the first expert who hadn’t died at Fang Shuwen’s hands in a single exchange.

’What does this mean?’

’It means Fang Shuwen isn’t invincible!’

’He has rivals!’

’He can be beaten!’

This rekindled the blazing fighting spirit in many who had already lost all hope.

’With so many of us here, how can we let one man intimidate us?’

’No matter what, Fang Shuwen must die here in Anyue City today!’

BAM BAM BAM, BAM BAM BAM!

The fight between Fang Shuwen and Shi Li didn’t end with a single punch.

The Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist was fast and furious, dedicated to the art of slaughter, and thus its killing intent was immense.

Fang Shuwen, not to be outdone, met him head-on, their fists colliding with brutal force.

The fierce shockwaves swept outwards, preventing any of the other Jianghu people—aside from Fang Dabao and Long Qingzhi—from taking a single step closer.

A group that had planned to abduct Long Qingzhi while Fang Shuwen was preoccupied with Shi Li was forced to abandon the idea.

If they charged in, they would die under the barrage of fists long before they could succeed.

Besides, their confidence was now surging. They figured if Shi Li could push Fang Shuwen this far, surely there were others among them who could do the same.

’Once Fang Shuwen is dead, what’s a mere Long Qingzhi to us?’

’She’ll be ours to do with as we please.’

But just as these men were lost in their triumphant fantasies...

They suddenly realized something was wrong.

’Shi Li... why is he bleeding from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth?’

In truth, Shi Li himself hadn’t noticed anything wrong with his own condition.

The Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist was, in fact, a martial art from a heretical path. Once cultivated, it affected not only the body but also the mind.

The mind automatically suppresses any thoughts detrimental to a life-or-death battle, such as fear, fatigue, or the impulse to retreat.

Only one thought remains: ’Kill!’

Kill until no one is left on earth; kill until no gods are left in the heavens.

If Shi Li could have truly cultivated the Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist to its peak and controlled this murderous intent, his Martial Arts would have reached an unprecedented level.

But he had failed.

His years spent in a stupor were a testament to that failure.

Suppressing all thoughts detrimental to combat was an advantage... but for him, it was also an immense danger.

It was like how pain exists to help people avoid injury.

The Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist allowed him to ignore factors detrimental to battle, but it also prevented him from noticing that Fang Shuwen’s power was changing in response to his own.

As Fang Shuwen’s power grew stronger and stronger, Shi Li had long since become unable to match it.

He was only holding on through the sheer momentum of the Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist.

His meridians were ruptured, his bones were shattered, his internal organs were turned to pulp. Shi Li’s eyes were bloodshot, and blood streamed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Yet he felt not an ounce of pain. He only felt that he was in better condition than ever before.

He felt as if he had cultivated the Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist to its zenith. His chest swelled with exhilaration, and he let out a heaven-shaking roar:

"DIE!"

This was the punch of his life!

After this punch, no one would remember his past failures.

They would only remember that it was he, Shi Li, who had beaten back Fang Shuwen.

CRACK!

A sharp crack echoed abruptly. Shi Li, true to his name, froze on the spot like a statue.

The punch on which he had pinned all his hopes, the one he had thrown with all his might...

...stopped just short of Fang Shuwen’s chest.

His wrist was in Fang Shuwen’s grasp, held so casually it was as if he hadn’t just stopped a devastating blow.

It was as if he had merely stopped the feeble strike of an old man.

"The Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist?"

"A little interesting."

As Fang Shuwen’s voice reached his ears, Shi Li’s pupils contracted violently.