Chapter 108: The Secret of Mount Fanyun

Even without considering the current state of Fanyun Mountain, the ceaseless stream of guards appearing was enough to completely exhaust the forces he had brought outside. Even with the reinforcements from Lantis and Lania behind, it would be futile.

He had never imagined that Fanyun Mountain possessed such an ability to continuously summon new guards. From Li Ren’s perspective, without a doubt, these guards had been wiped out in their last fierce battle. For them to evolve into this state now, something had clearly gone wrong.

“To capture Yuxiao City is not impossible. In fact, I could hand this city over to you without resistance,” Fanyun Mountain said to Li Ren in a self-assured tone as he watched him silently.

“However, I need to know your true strength now. If you cannot meet my standards, I won’t hesitate to eliminate you here and now!” Fanyun Mountain’s tone shifted abruptly, turning cold as he raised his massive sword.

Li Ren’s mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons. If he refused the challenge from this seemingly troubled city lord, seizing Yuxiao City would indeed be unlikely. Yet if he accepted, he had no confidence in victory.

Though Fanyun Mountain appeared severely wounded, and Li Ren knew this man had once fought the Dragon Clan, facing him now was genuinely perilous.

But the current situation allowed no room for hesitation. If he declined now, getting another chance to take Yuxiao City would become even more difficult.

Moreover, once these players returned, any information about him in the player world would inevitably be exposed. This meant this was his last covert operation. Afterward, he would no longer have such convenience. Under the interference of those with ulterior motives, the development of Luoyun City would naturally slow.

Over time, this would place them at an absolute disadvantage—an outcome Li Ren was unwilling to accept.

In that case, he would fight to the end.

Li Ren disregarded everything else, brandishing his long sword as he pointed it directly at Fanyun Mountain.

Seeing Li Ren’s stance, Fanyun Mountain couldn’t help but smile heartily, his eyes shining with genuine admiration. This only made Li Ren more puzzled and somewhat annoyed.

Despite the mutual respect, their battle instantly grew fierce.

They clashed head-on with unyielding force, sparing no mercy. Fanyun Mountain’s huge sword was undoubtedly better suited for this kind of brutal confrontation. Li Ren wanted to vary his tactics, but no matter how he attacked, it always ended up like this—subdued by Fanyun Mountain.

Another violent collision sent shockwaves through their weapons, Li Ren’s long sword nearly snapping. It was clear continuing this way was futile. Though it was just weapons striking, the intense vibrations rapidly drained both their life forces. Even with Li Ren’s Dark Demon Domain and Savage Aura, it was hard to endure.

Seizing the brief respite after their brutal clash, Li Ren, still airborne, drew the Purple-Gold Fist from his Ashen Ring, instantly replacing his original left fist.

Fanyun Mountain let out a quiet “hmm” upon seeing this, revealing a heightened interest.

Li Ren spun midair and landed, stomping forcefully with both feet. His leg bones compressed fiercely, harnessing the residual recoil from their previous collision to boost his speed to the absolute limit. This speed amplified the power of his Suicide Fist to an astonishing degree.

Seeing the rapidly returning fist, Fanyun Mountain shouted, advancing instead of retreating. He swung his great sword down in a crushing strike. Unbeknownst to him, Li Ren smiled inwardly at that roar.

He had been waiting—waiting for this very moment.

He anticipated Fanyun Mountain would have to summon his full might for a decisive clash, and the outcome would be determined then.

Now, that moment had arrived.

As Fanyun Mountain raised his giant sword high and brought it down with brutal force, Li Ren’s entire body, pushed by overwhelming pressure, concentrated all strength into the sword. The blade began its descent.

Just as the attack was about to collide, Li Ren suddenly vanished mysteriously.

When he reappeared, he was behind Fanyun Mountain, who, having never seen such an ability from Li Ren, was caught completely off guard.

But as the former lord of Yuxiao City, Fanyun Mountain was not so easily subdued. Though gravely injured, his instincts as a warrior remained sharp.

Before the downward swing of the giant sword could crash heavily into the ground, Fanyun Mountain suddenly spun, using the momentum to face Li Ren once more.

However, Li Ren’s fist was already within reach. Having just blocked Li Ren’s fierce blow, Fanyun Mountain had no choice but to cross his sword horizontally to block the incoming attack.

Fist and blade collided with tremendous force. The floor beneath Fanyun Mountain’s feet shattered, and the collision sent visible ripples crashing between the weapons. Both fighters pressed their full strength into the weapons at the point of contact.

In terms of sheer power, Fanyun Mountain, once a level 180 city lord, clearly held the advantage. Moreover, Li Ren was airborne with no solid ground to leverage, gradually revealing some weakness.

Yet this weakness appeared as quickly as it vanished. It must be understood that Li Ren was attacking only with his left hand; his right hand, still wielding the sword, was far from idle.

The Dragon Battles the Wild! The second technique among the Five Dragon Strikes—a powerful single-target assault following the devastating Ao Chuchen’s area damage.

The azure glow on Li Ren’s right hand intensified, enveloping the sword in a brilliant blue light. Seeing this, Fanyun Mountain’s heart sank; he knew trouble was coming and prepared to end the current struggle.

But Li Ren would not let him have it so easily.

The momentum of the Suicide Fist surged further, and the blue light on the sword gradually took the shape of a dragon’s form, its energy undulating fiercely along the blade.

Finally, Li Ren thrust the sword straight at Fanyun Mountain. The dragon-shaped energy on the tip bared its fangs, emitting a sharp, resonant dragon’s cry.

Fanyun Mountain roared, unleashing a powerful burst of energy from within, matching the strength Li Ren had glimpsed during their previous encounter.

Dragon Battles the Wild collided violently with Fanyun Mountain’s body, but the sudden eruption of his power shattered it completely before it could land.

Li Ren was instantly thrown back, crashing to the ground.

When he landed, Fanyun Mountain had already ceased his assault. Sheathing his great sword, a trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. After coughing a few times, he slowly regained his composure, though his face had turned even paler.