Chapter 70: Fierce Battle with the Martial Marquis

Since Shen Yinuo was capable of confronting the Marquis of the Ge Clan head-on, Lu Yan decided not to act hastily. The seven days were not yet up; his vital energy and blood had not reached their peak and were still surging upward. He could remain hidden for now, biding his time to fortify his strength and seek an opportunity for a surprise attack.

Shen Yinuo and the Marquis exchanged dozens of blows, yet neither could claim the upper hand. At last, they both leaped apart, standing several dozen meters away from each other.

"Little girl, this secondary blood-vein land is not yours to monopolize. Don't be too greedy—lest you burst from it. Why not split it with me?" the Marquis suggested.

"Old man, do you take me for a three-year-old? Split it with you? As soon as the experts from your clan arrive, I'll be dead where I stand," Shen Yinuo retorted.

The Marquis gave a sinister chuckle and ceased his assault, slowly circulating his blood and adjusting his breath. Suddenly, he turned and dashed toward the fissure in the earth.

In an instant, Shen Yinuo shot after him, her speed far surpassing his own. The Marquis had no choice but to turn and engage her once more.

After a dozen more exchanges, the two separated again, still evenly matched.

"Little girl, are you really determined not to let me leave?" The Marquis’s narrow eyes glinted with malice as his crimson tongue flicked over his lips like a venomous snake sizing up its prey.

"You can't escape," Shen Yinuo replied.

She knew all too well that if the old man slipped away, this place would be exposed. In truth, she had already refined her blood into her bones, giving rise to bone force; she no longer cared much for the value of this land. But since she had promised to gift the blood-vein to Lu Yan, she would not go back on her word. Shen Yinuo—her promise was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

"You can't kill me either," the Marquis said.

"Then we’ll wait each other out."

"So be it," he replied, planting himself on a nearby boulder to rest.

He was in no fear of a stalemate. It was clear this blood-vein land had not been found by the Liu or Wu clans. It must have been discovered by chance by this young woman. As long as he did not leave, in a couple of days, his clansmen would return to the family stronghold and bring back reinforcements. Once the Ge Clan experts arrived, the blood-vein would be theirs.

A hidden secondary blood-vein! Its value? Surely it harbored aberrant beasts. With such wealth, the Ge Clan might even elevate itself to the level of a grandmaster by sheer force of resources, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Wei Clan. The thought filled him with burning anticipation. The few clansmen who had died before were now of little consequence.

Shen Yinuo leaped lightly onto the branch of a great tree, eyes fixed on the Marquis. She was not oblivious to the possibility of outside reinforcements, but she had her own calculations. Lu Yan had been absent for over half a month; he was due to return. If he encountered Ge clansmen, with his strength—so long as there were no marquises among them—eliminating them would be no great challenge. Then he could join her here.

Moreover, she had only just broken through to the marquis rank; her bone force was newly awakened, and she was still in the process of converting her blood into bone force. Time was on her side. Just as each breakthrough brought a seven-day surge of growth, so too did this one.

Although she could not consume martial food now and her progress was slow, some improvement was inevitable. The Ge Marquis was unaware of this.

Lu Yan, hidden in the shadows, seized the opportunity to chew on martial rations. He could not adopt a formal training posture, but as long as he kept eating, his vital energy and body would continue to strengthen, albeit more slowly.

Thus, Shen Yinuo and the Marquis watched each other for two days and nights. The old man began to sense something amiss. Could she really be so at ease dragging this out? Perhaps she, too, had an ally.

Suddenly, while Shen Yinuo was distracted, the Marquis spun around and fled. If he could escape, he would seize the initiative.

But Shen Yinuo was not about to let him slip away. She gave chase and quickly caught up, forcing him to fight once more.

Their speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, they exchanged dozens of blows. With a thunderous clash, they struck palms and both drifted back.

They glared at each other, neither willing to make the next move. Neither could defeat the other; a fight to the death would only end in mutual destruction.

"Good, just a little longer," Lu Yan thought as he continued stuffing himself with martial food.

Another two days passed. The Marquis tried repeatedly to escape but was always intercepted by Shen Yinuo.

By now, Lu Yan's blood and energy had nearly reached their peak—twice as potent as at the height of his previous breakthrough. He quietly circled behind the Marquis, hiding behind a massive boulder. If the Marquis tried to run again, he would surely flee this way.

Lu Yan concealed himself, holding his breath, mind taut as a drawn bow, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

After four days, the Marquis was growing anxious. Something was wrong—by now, Ge Clan reinforcements should have arrived. He had been inside for more than a day; the clansmen should have reported back to Snake City, and the marquises should have already arrived. Why was there no sign of them? Had something happened outside?

"Little girl, if you try to stop me again, I will fight you to the death," the Marquis said coldly, and turned to flee.

But Shen Yinuo would not be cowed by threats. She gave chase, and they clashed furiously once more. Marquis-level warriors possessed immense vitality, with bone force to temper and shield their bodies; even ten days without food or water would not diminish their strength. Thus, every time they fought, the shockwaves were still earth-shattering.

"Closer," Lu Yan whispered, gripping the refined steel blade. He activated his Vajra Body; his arm muscles bulged, channeling all his strength into his hands. Like a crouching leopard, he was poised for a lethal strike.

"Now!"

Lu Yan sprang forward, legs kicking off the ground like a cannonball. His spirit, energy, and intent fused into the blade; man and weapon became one, the slash a dazzling arc—the zenith of his current power.

The sudden attack caught the Marquis off guard. The blade screamed through the air with such force it posed a mortal threat to even him. But he was fully engaged with Shen Yinuo and had no time to dodge.

At the critical moment, he raised his right arm to block.

Clang!

The refined steel blade cleaved flesh and muscle, but when it struck bone, it lodged there, as if hacking into metal.

"Mere limit-breaker, die!" the Marquis roared, eyes radiating murderous cold. His arm shuddered as a terrifying force erupted from the bone—a bone force, fierce and unstoppable.

With a bang, the steel blade shattered; the force and shards blasted toward Lu Yan like a hurricane. He staggered back over ten meters, retreating another seven or eight steps before he could steady himself. His arms were numb, his palms aching with bloody gashes that dripped freely.

His hands were the toughest part of his body, but even they could not fully withstand the onslaught. Fortunately, the wounds were not critical. Several more cuts bled on his body—gifts from the shattered blade.

"So this is bone force—how domineering," Lu Yan marveled inwardly.

But his attack was not without effect. The Marquis's right arm had not emerged unscathed: the muscles were split, the tendons severed, badly hindering the flow of his energy and blood.

Moreover, distracted, the Marquis was struck squarely in the chest by Shen Yinuo's palm. He flew backward, coughing up great mouthfuls of blood.

He wasted no time—turning on his heel, he fled like a madman.

He did not run toward the fissure. To escape that way would require climbing the cliff, and in his current state, Shen Yinuo could easily kill him mid-ascent. Instead, he darted into another direction of the blood-vein land, searching for a way out.

Lu Yan and Shen Yinuo gave chase.

Shen Yinuo, incredibly swift, caught up with him in a few breaths and unleashed a flurry of strikes. Lu Yan soon joined her, launching rapid attacks.

"Boy, die!" The Marquis's eyes blazed with hatred. Seeing the youth who had wounded him, his murderous intent erupted. Channeling his bone force, his arms extended two feet, twisting and darting like twin serpents, his techniques ever-shifting, each strike aimed at Lu Yan.

"Careful! That old man has mastered the Seven Venomous Snake Palms to perfection!" Shen Yinuo warned.

Lu Yan dared not underestimate his enemy. He pushed his vital energy and blood to the limit.

With a resounding crash, they traded blows. Lu Yan was sent flying over ten meters, smashing into a boulder twice his height, which exploded into pieces. He spat out a mouthful of blood.