Chapter 117: Ambushed

Li Zhen had always been fierce and overbearing. It had always been him hurling insults at others; never had he heard anyone dare to insult him. Even with the power the Yang family wielded in Qingchi, no disciple of the Yang clan would easily provoke Li Zhen. Yet, at this moment, he heard a youth brazenly mocking him. Although the youth did not name him, anyone with a shred of sense could tell he was talking about Li Zhen.

"Damn it, truly a tiger fallen on the plains, mocked by dogs. I’ve just been defeated, and someone is already here spewing wind. This is absolutely outrageous!" Li Zhen was naturally open-minded; he was well-known in the Qingchi Sword Sect for his daring challenges, and defeat was a common occurrence for him.

However, this time he had lost so miserably that he could not accept the vast gap between himself and Yang Fengge. He felt discouraged and even humiliated, believing he had shamed the Li family and had no face to see anyone else. But to be insulted to his face by Che Wuyou like this made his blood boil. Regardless of his loss, he was still a formidable fighter; he might not be Yang Fengge’s equal, but he was certainly not someone any nobody could provoke.

Li Zhen turned his head and immediately spotted the culprit. His eyes flashed with fierce rage as he glared at the grinning youth.

Che Wuyou had been laughing heartily, especially recalling how Li Zhen had been shouting arrogantly at the steel giant, only to end up lying on the ground "playing dead" after being struck down. He couldn't help but chuckle. But when he realized the youth he was mocking was glaring at him, his laughter froze on his face, and he felt extremely awkward.

In truth, Che Wuyou had no malicious intent. As Yang Shi and the others cleared the path, the steel giant was no longer occupied, and Che Wuyou, fueled by past grievances with Li Zhen, had been charging toward him. He simply couldn't bear to see such a brave youth die just like that. Besides, he had tried to slip through with Yang Shi’s group but was spotted by Yang Yu and chased by the steel giant, and he was still shaken. Lacking the confidence to get past the giant alone, he had set his sights on Li Zhen. Since the guy was "playing dead," shouldn't he be put to some use?

"Brat, what kind of thing are you, daring to call me a 'coward' and refusing to stand with me? Bah... you’ve got some nerve!" Li Zhen’s voice boomed like thunder. His anger had nowhere to vent, and seeing Che Wuyou approach, he decided to use him to vent his frustration.

"Uh... I didn't say that!" Che Wuyou hurriedly waved his hands in denial.

"Bullshit! I heard you with my own ears! You think I’m stupid? You miserable wretch, watch how I deal with you." Seeing Che Wuyou deny it, Li Zhen’s fury grew. He despised cowards who wouldn't own up to their actions. He began regulating his internal energy, intending to recover enough strength to finish Che Wuyou off.

"Brother Li Zhen, you really misunderstood me. It was clearly him who said it..." Che Wuyou said, pointing toward the space above Li Zhen’s head.

Li Zhen sneered, not believing him for a second, but he instinctively looked in the direction Che Wuyou was pointing. In his field of vision, a giant forged from steel, its eyes glowing with a red light, was brandishing a massive sword and rapidly closing in on him. Li Zhen broke out in a cold sweat. He knew the giant's strength; he couldn't survive ten rounds against it, especially in his current injured state.

Ignoring his wounds, Li Zhen rolled away, narrowly dodging a brutal strike. Seeing the giant raise its sword for a second attack, he didn't hesitate; he sprang to his feet and bolted, showing no signs of injury in his desperate flight. Li Zhen was aggressive, but he wasn't stupid—when faced with an insurmountable foe, running for one's life was the priority.

Che Wuyou had long since distanced himself from Li Zhen, not wanting to be near the target of the giant. But Li Zhen was incredibly fast; in a moment, he had caught up to and overtaken Che Wuyou. Watching Li Zhen’s back, Che Wuyou felt his teeth itch with irritation. Of all the places to run, he had to run in his direction! He couldn't help but suspect the guy was taking revenge.

Before Che Wuyou could think further, he heard a fierce gust of wind strike at his head from behind. His soul nearly left his body. Although he had made progress in body tempering and had some confidence in his endurance, a strike that powerful would surely crack even an iron skull.

In this moment of life and death, Che Wuyou’s mind was exceptionally clear. He threw himself forward. The steel giant’s sword struck empty air, the intense pressure whipping Che Wuyou’s hair into a frenzy and tugging at his scalp with stinging force.

Before he could even recover from the shock, the giant’s second strike descended toward his chest. Che Wuyou lacked Li Zhen’s speed and skills; as the sword grew larger in his vision, he realized he could not dodge it. He sighed to himself. Was he to call out "I give up"? He felt so unwilling—this might be his only chance to enter the Qingchi Sword Sect.

As he hesitated, he rolled forward once more. He knew this might cause him severe injury, but he wouldn't give up until the very end. He had no choice before, but now that the opportunity was right in front of him, how could he not fight for it? If for nothing else, he had to strive for that slim goal of "forming the core."

"ROAR—" The steel giant suddenly let out a heaven-shaking howl. Its sword, mid-swing, seemed to hit an invisible barrier and recoiled violently, dragging the giant backward toward the pillar of energy.

Che Wuyou stared, dumbfounded, as the giant retreated. After a long moment, he muttered, "So the steel giant has a restricted range. No wonder, no wonder..." Only then did he wipe the cold sweat from his brow, let out a long breath, and collapse onto the ground.

"You really are lucky, kid, to have managed to survive just beyond the reach of the old steel bastard... Fine, seeing you’ve survived such a trial, I won't hold it against you." Li Zhen appeared beside him at some point, looking at him with a grin before striding toward where the giant had been repelled.

"You led the steel giant here on purpose, didn't you? You knew about the restriction barrier all along, didn't you?" Che Wuyou asked, watching Li Zhen walk away.