Chapter 81: A Thrilling Battle

The current situation has gradually started to take on a semblance of order.

Before Li Tan’s rebirth, he had been poisoned by the head elder, and after being forced into the Lin family through marriage, he experienced a series of events that eventually led to his humiliating banishment into the Domain of Falling Immortals. When he returned to Linjiang, all that awaited him were desolate ruins and crows circling overhead.

Everyone familiar to him—those he disliked, those he loathed—had vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed in this world at all.

Now, isn’t Li Tan’s current situation very similar to that time?

Although he had stirred up quite a storm in Linjiang, there were two things to consider: First, his actions thus far had made little impact, and to most people, he remained the same good-for-nothing Li Tan. Second, he had little information that could help him defeat the three black-robed figures before him. In other words, the situation might very likely devolve into another escape into the Domain of Falling Immortals, with heavy rain sealing off the mountains and leaving everything abandoned behind.

Li Tan clenched his fists even tighter, as feelings of resentment nearly consumed him—but he was helpless to do anything about it.

The Li Yang father and daughter had fled, but the leader among the black-robed figures had not shown even a hint of alarm or fear. He remained calm, even chuckling faintly.

Because he understood that Li Yang and his daughter had already perfectly fulfilled their role.

Now that he had left Linjiang, he no longer had to worry about his identity being exposed and could now fight at full strength.

“Li Tan, you’re merely a nobody from a minor family in a small town like Linjiang. How is it that you possess such a mysterious footwork technique?

And that fist technique of yours that defeated these two good-for-nothings—at the very least, it must be of the Xuan class, right?

You’re truly strange.”

Li Tan’s mind raced furiously, suppressing the urge to charge forward recklessly, and he replied in a deep, steady voice.

“Think carefully before you act. Are you prepared to bear the consequences?”

“Oh, I see,” murmured the black-robed figure thoughtfully, then suddenly lifting his head with a menacing grin.

“That explains it. You must have encountered some master and gained a rare opportunity, which is why you can act so arrogantly here.”

Li Tan’s gaze sharpened, and he quickly replied.

“If you understand that—” but before he could finish, the black-robed figure interrupted.

“If it were someone else standing here, I might really hesitate to act. But unfortunately, I’m not afraid!”

What exactly was the organization behind him? Why couldn’t he get any information about it?

A chill of dread surged through Li Tan’s heart as he demanded, “Who exactly are you people?”

“Who we are?

You’re not even worthy of knowing that. But I can tell you one thing—no matter who your master is or what background you have, even if it’s the Human Emperor himself, if we want it, he’ll be a corpse by tomorrow!”

The words “Human Emperor” pierced Li Tan’s ears like steel needles.

The reason he had died and his Dao had crumbled was entirely because of You Kuang.

He had felt something strange before—although You Kuang was meticulous in planning, how could he have so many allies?

This question now seemed to have a possible answer.

The black-robed organization had been secretly assisting them all along. What were they?

Why were they doing this?

Countless questions surged into Li Tan’s mind like waves of the sea.

“He’s not moving—he must be weighing his options. This kid really isn’t simple. Most people in this situation would have already lost their composure.”

But it didn’t matter. No matter how he struggled, today he wouldn’t escape from this Envoy’s grasp! The leader of the black-robed figures muttered to himself, smirking as he spat out a contemptuous remark toward Li Tan.

“Ready to die yet?”

Li Tan’s thoughts returned to the dark forest, where the figures of Li Yang and his daughter were no longer visible behind him, while the black-robed figures before him grew more arrogant.

Li Tan calmed his emotions and replied coolly.

“That depends on whether you have the skill to take me.”

“Brave words! But you’re still too inexperienced. Come! Taste this move of mine!”

The black-robed figure’s voice pierced through the darkness like a sword. Li Tan focused intently, watching as an almost imperceptible silver flash shot toward him at high speed.

It was a hidden weapon, and not just any—it was imbued with true qi. With only his earthly-stage cultivation, even a glancing blow from this weapon would instantly rob him of his combat ability.

Li Tan dodged decisively, but immediately several more projectiles came flying his way. He reacted swiftly, leaping into the air and twisting gracefully mid-flight, skillfully evading all of them.

“Fast!” “Why is his reaction so quick? I didn’t even sense the first one!”

The two defeated underlings exchanged astonished glances. They knew that if it had been them standing there, they probably wouldn’t have dodged the first projectile at all.

The leader of the black-robed figures was even more shocked than his subordinates.

He had a clear understanding of his own abilities—his hidden weapons were his signature skill. Even experts at the peak of the earthly stage had been killed by them. Yet Li Tan had dodged them so effortlessly.

“Martial skill? No, it wasn’t purely through combat experience. If he were a seasoned expert, it would make sense. But how could this brat, barely grown, have such rich experience?”

The contempt in the black-robed figure’s eyes vanished completely, as if it had never existed. His expression turned serious as he spoke coldly.

“I don’t know what’s happened to you in these past few days, but today, you must die!”

This was a declaration!

As soon as the words were spoken, a sinister and terrifying aura began to radiate from the black-robed figure. The already pitch-black forest became even more oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

Li Tan remained expressionless, his full attention fixed on the black-robed figure. This was the first time since his rebirth that he had taken someone so seriously.

A whistling sound broke through the air—another hidden weapon was coming.

Another attempt?

No, not quite. Li Tan instantly sensed something was off.

The sound of the projectile was strange. Sure enough, as Li Tan watched the incoming weapon draw closer, he stood completely still.

The projectile suddenly changed direction, shooting sideways and embedding itself into the tree trunk behind Li Tan.

Li Tan sneered contemptuously.

“Changing trajectory with true qi?

Hmph, you’re not even one ten-thousandth as skilled as Kuangzun. You dare to show off such a pathetic display?”

“Kuangzun?

Hmph, don’t think you can distract me.”

The black-robed figure’s expression darkened.

“What you’ve done is indeed astonishing. If you were to grow even a little further and break through to the heavenly stage, I might not be able to deal with you anymore. But an unproven prodigy is no different from a useless fool!”

“Tsk,” Li Tan didn’t argue. What the black-robed figure said was true. Genius, in itself, meant nothing. Across the Nine Provinces, there were countless geniuses. Many who eventually stood at the pinnacle of power had nothing to do with being geniuses in their youth.

The number of geniuses who perished on the Path of Cultivation was uncountable. Beneath Li Tan’s throne as Human Emperor, countless gifted souls had been buried.

But Li Tan himself was no genius. His rise was not due to talent, but to an unshakable Dao heart.