Yun Xiao utilized the Ice Cold Power of his left arm's Ancestor Vein to freeze the Water Arrow into an Ice Arrow, which was ultimately blocked by Hua Beisheng's small shield. However, the ice particles splattered, and by an unlucky twist of fate, two particles splashed onto the faces of two Hua Family members.
These two Hua Family members, one at the Early Stage of the Qi Seeking Realm and the other at the Middle Stage of the Qi Seeking Realm, met a similar grim fate regardless of their strength.
That was a poison of Earth Rank Low Level, and even though it turned into ice particles, the intense poison contained within did not weaken in the slightest. Furthermore, it even had a hint of the One Thought Myriad Poison from the Dragon Tree Spirit Little Dragon; how could two Qi Seeking Cultivators possibly withstand it?
Consequently, moments later, just like the first victim before, the two Hua Family members transformed into skeletons with flesh stripped away, and those bones continued to corrode, showcasing the formidable power of the Earth Rank Low Level poison.
"Brat, I'll kill you!"
The consecutive deaths of Hua Family members enraged Hua Beisheng beyond measure. These strong cultivators in the Qi Seeking Realm were the backbone of the Hua Family, and now, in such a short span of time, a youth named Xingchen had eliminated five individuals, causing the Hua Family to suffer a severe blow.
In the wake of these losses, even if the Hua Family could survive, having lost so many Qi Seeking Cultivators, they would likely fall to the status of a second-rate family within Xinshan City.
Therefore, in a fit of rage, Hua Beisheng, in order to prevent the youth from targeting the remaining Hua Family members, let out a bellow and pounced towards Yun Xiao with his entire figure.
This time, Hua Beisheng was wiser; he guarded his chest with the round small shield. The remaining Hua Family members, to avoid collateral damage, all stayed far away, ensuring that if the poison were to splatter again, it would not reach them.
However, for some unknown reason, the Hua Family Great Elder, who had just received orders from Hua Beisheng, did not immediately attack Hu Yuqing. It was not clear what could be going on in his mind.
Now that he was cornered by Hua Beisheng, Yun Xiao found it impossible to resort to any cunning tricks, as his opponent was two minor cultivation realms higher. He couldn't deal with them as casually as those low to mid-level Qi Seeking Cultivators.
But Yun Xiao at this point was not powerless against a Peak Qi Seeking Realm powerhouse, especially since close-quarters combat was his forte. With Physical Strength comparable to a Seventh Rank Advanced Vein Demon, he held no fear for any opponent below the Seeking Origin Realm.
As a result, an intense battle erupted in the hall; the two engaged in close combat, their energies overflowing, causing Cultivators from both families to distance themselves further, wary of being affected.
"Master Xingchen can actually hold his own against a Peak Qi Seeking Realm powerhouse. This is truly... truly astonishing..."
Hong Liu, standing beside Hu Yuqing, was completely dumbfounded, instinctively using honorifics in his address, clearly impressed by Yun Xiao's prowess.
"Heh, it seems my old eyes are failing me. I misjudged him to such an extent!"
Hearing Hong Liu's words, Hu Yuqing couldn't help but laugh at himself. These two were among the earliest to interact with Yun Xiao, and it was laughable that they once saw the latter as a spy of the Yang Family and had sneered at him.
Who would have thought that in just over half a month, the once thought to be merely at the Early Stage of the Spirit Vein Realm young man would transform into a formidable expert capable of contending with Peak Qi Seeking Realm practitioners? How could they not be filled with emotion?
"This time, it seems our Hu Family owes him a great debt once again. I really don't know how we will ever be able to repay it?"
After the self-mocking, Hu Yuqing couldn't help but express his concerns, yet the next moment his gaze shifted to Hu Ying'er, who was pale not too far away, and an idea suddenly formed in his mind.
"It seems Ying'er is harboring some special feelings for Xingchen!"
Hu Yuqing, being sagacious with age, guessed something from Hu Ying'er's demeanor and decided that if they could bring Xingchen into the Hu Family through Hu Ying'er, the Hu Family might still have a chance at a resurgence.
The Hu Family Great Elder's thoughts drifted far, and meanwhile, the battle at the other side of the room grew even more fierce, along with a notable change in the old face of the Hua Family Head, Hua Beisheng.
Hua Beisheng had originally thought that all he needed to guard against were Yun Xiao's use of the poison wine, the Ice Cold Power, and the Blood-red Flames. But he had not expected that once in close combat, the young man's Physical Strength would be astonishingly strong.
Hua Beisheng, a Peak Qi Seeking Realm powerhouse bolstered by Meridian Qi, could even hold his ground against Seventh Rank Advanced Vein Demons, let alone a Middle Stage human Qi Seeking Cultivator.
But this human Cultivator's Physical Strength was almost on par with those Seventh Rank Advanced Vein Demons, and could even be described as terrifying. He realized he had miscalculated once again.
By attacking Yun Xiao rashly and closing the distance, Hua Beisheng gave the advantage to his foe, allowing Yun Xiao's Physical Strength to be greatly utilized, and even after the extended battle, it hardly consumed any of his Meridian Qi Cultivation.
"This can't go on!"
Hua Beisheng realized this and knew that if he continued to engage in close combat with this young man, he might actually fall at the hands of this cultivator in the middle stage of Qi Seeking Realm. Thus, he was already thinking about creating some distance.
"Hua Family Head, take my kick!"
However, just as Hua Beisheng was making his plans, a light shout suddenly came from in front of him. Soon afterward, he saw the dark-skinned young man lift his right leg high and then ferociously chop it down towards him.
Having experienced Yun Xiao's strength, Hua Beisheng didn't dare to take it lightly at this moment. He saw him immediately raise the small shield in his hand, protecting his chest in the hopes of withstanding this unexpected kick.
Hua Beisheng's reaction could not have been faster, and the position where the small shield was held was extremely precise. The only thing he had miscalculated was that the strength of Yun Xiao's kick was by no means comparable to the previous attacks.
Clang!
A loud sound rang out, followed by everyone clearly seeing the Hua Family Head, who was at the peak of Qi Seeking Realm, being blasted back four or five steps with his shield by that kick, all the way until he crashed into a chair and finally managed to stabilize himself.
Although Hua Beisheng had steadied himself, only he knew how formidable the other party's strike had been; it was like an overwhelming torrent, throwing his breath into utter chaos.
Hua Beisheng couldn't comprehend how a middle-stage Qi Seeking Realm cultivator could explode with such tremendous physical strength, unaware that Yun Xiao's right leg contained an Earth Attribute Ancestor Vein.
Under such a powerful eruption of force, it was incredibly fortunate for Hua Beisheng not to be blasted into a state of broken tendons and shattered bones. In the next moment, however, he had no mind to think about anything else.
Because apart from Hua Beisheng himself, perhaps the only one who knew that his internal energy was in complete disarray was Yun Xiao. The saying goes, "strike him while he's sick," and this was something Yun Xiao would never forget.
Yun Xiao understood that after that potent kick, even if Hua Beisheng was capable of dispelling its force, it would take some time. Moreover, since the man had forcibly steadied his body, this duration of dissipation might take even longer.
Swoosh!
Yun Xiao's figure moved slightly, rapidly advancing in front of Hua Beisheng. Then, his right hand suddenly started to surge with blood-red color accompanied by faint, swirling heat.
Having seen Yun Xiao burn a Hua Family member to death earlier, Hua Beisheng was sweating profusely at this moment. He forcefully circulated the Meridian Qi within his body in hopes of recovering his resistance.
But how could Yun Xiao miss such an opportunity? He calculated with extreme precision, timing it just as Hua Beisheng was still dealing with the residual force of that leg kick and was unable to counteract this Fire Palm Blade attack.
Klang!
However, Yun Xiao's powerful Fire Blade ultimately failed to take Hua Beisheng's life. Just as it hit his throat's vital point, it felt as if it had struck something hard as metal.
Crack!
At the same time, everyone's ears picked up a sound as if something had shattered. As they focused their gaze, they saw something slightly transparent falling from Hua Beisheng's neck.
"So that's how it is!"
Seeing this, Yun Xiao couldn't help but have an epiphany, thinking that he had underestimated the Hua Family Head's background. It seemed that item must have always been worn around Hua Beisheng's neck, saving his life at this critical moment.
There are many peculiar protective amulets on the Continent, for example, many people have a Protective Heart Talisman over their chests, and the throat and neck are also extremely critical parts of the body, with many cultivators crafting items like Protective Necklaces to guard their vitals.
However, the Protective Necklace of the Hua Family Head before him was crafted extremely mysteriously, keeping it unnoticed by Yun Xiao until it quietly revealed itself when attacked.
Nonetheless, Yun Xiao's Fire Palm was indeed too powerful; the Protective Necklace managed to save Hua Beisheng from death but shattered under this strike. It could no longer shield Hua Beisheng from a fatal crisis in the next attack.
And even though the necklace had absorbed a large part of the force, a small remainder still struck Hua Beisheng's neck, causing him to stumble several steps and spew a mouthful of fresh blood.
It is imaginable that if not for the existence of the Protective Necklace, this strike might well have severed Hua Beisheng's head directly. At this moment, a sense of foreboding surged in the hearts of all the members of the Hua Family.
Hua Beisheng, the Hua Family Head, had always been the pillar and faith of these Hua Family members. Now, the towering Tomb Master of the peak of Qi Seeking Realm was actually being defeated by a young man in the middle stage of Qi Seeking Realm. It was as though their faith had collapsed in an instant, and perhaps at this moment, they also felt a twinge of regret.