Bang! With a deafening crash, Wei Zhao's fists clashed once more against You Shisan's palms. Every collision dealt him a blow that could prove fatal, and by now Wei Zhao was a spent arrow at the end of its flight. That last palm strike nearly made him throw up his own internal organs.

Yet Wei Zhao did not yield. He clenched his teeth against the agonizing pain coursing through his body and took the blow head-on. His mouth was full of bloody froth, but his words rang out like stones striking the ground: "You can leave, but if you take her with you, I will fight you to the death!"

"..." You Shisan was truly cowed by Wei Zhao. This time he could clearly feel that the bones in his palms had cracked far worse than before. If he kept fighting, he could certainly beat Wei Zhao to death, but what good would killing him do? And what if his hands were ruined for good?

He shot Wei Zhao a glance, drew a deep breath, and without a word hauled Kang Zhaoming up and fled the place at once. As for Guan Xin, he had no stomach for capturing her now; it was not worth crossing wills with a madman like Wei Zhao...

Wei Zhao's somewhat gaunt figure stood there without moving, glaring after You Shisan until he had gone far away. Only then did he suddenly cough up a mouthful of fresh blood.

That was close! Wei Zhao thought to himself.

Only sheer conviction had held him up. If he had fallen, both Guan Xin and he would have been finished, so Wei Zhao had gritted his teeth and endured. He had seen You Shisan's misgivings, and so he had fought all the more recklessly, with no thought for his own life. Fortunately, You Shisan had been the first to falter; he had given up.

Wei Zhao set his jaw, tore the ropes from Guan Xin's body, and ripped the gag from her mouth...

"Wei Zhao..." Guan Xin cried out instinctively, tears streaming down her face like a thread.

But Wei Zhao waved a hand to cut her off and said urgently, "I can't hold on much longer. Tang Yun's car is outside, under the shade of the trees on the left..."

With that, Wei Zhao collapsed to the ground...

This time, Wei Zhao could not rise again. He had made certain that You Shisan was gone, and with no more worries in his heart, he could hold on no longer.

Apart from his palms, there was not a single part of his body that was uninjured. At the instant he lost consciousness, Wei Zhao entered the long-unvisited jade pendant space.

"Phew..." Wei Zhao could finally breathe easy. So long as his life was not lost, there was still a chance to recover.

Only after arriving in the jade pendant space did Wei Zhao feel the full weight of his fear. This time he had come within a hair's breadth of losing his life; his escape had been pure luck. For one thing, You Shisan had not known his true depths. Seeing Wei Zhao rise to his feet again and again, he had been frightened by Wei Zhao's madness.

Yet Wei Zhao knew that if he had faced not You Shisan today, but someone who bore him a deep hatred, this day would not have ended so easily. And if You Shisan had practiced a martial art that relied not on his palms alone, but one supplemented by kicks and footwork, or one that made use of weapons, then no matter how desperately Wei Zhao fought today, it would have been useless.

All along, Wei Zhao had prided himself on being able to fight opponents above his level, and what he relied on was his trump card of compressed true qi. That card had served him well everywhere, letting him face even stronger experts with perfect composure. But today it had left him with a profound sense of defeat.

Above the Earth rank was truly something else altogether! If an opponent possessed a martial skill and opened the fight with it, Wei Zhao's advantage would vanish entirely, and he could only rely on hot blood to fight for his life. This time he had been lucky; next time he might well be dead.

Wei Zhao had never grasped the essence of Uncle Qing's martial skill; he had only practiced it to a passable, half-baked degree. When it came to a real fight, he was bound to suffer for it, just as today—had he not been able to repair his injuries so swiftly, he would have been dead long ago.

The Xuanyuan Dragon-Controlling Formula must surely have a martial skill to complement it. Only a martial skill that harmonized with the heart method and oral formula could unleash its greatest power! This was also why Uncle Qing had advised Wei Zhao against casually practicing martial skills.

Wei Zhao now felt an urgent longing to return, as eager as an arrow speeding home. He wanted to open the second level of the stone door, to see what benefits the space behind that second door might bring him! Best of all would be a formidable martial skill; that would solve his current troubles at a stroke!

As for Jiao Yazi, Wei Zhao could not be bothered to ask him anything. His memories had not yet been unlocked, so Wei Zhao could get no information out of him. Whatever he wanted to know, he had long since learned; there was no need to ask again. So the moment Wei Zhao entered the jade pendant space, he began to practice...

Guan Xin stared at Wei Zhao lying on the ground, at a loss for a moment. Then she remembered his last words and hurriedly hoisted him onto her back. No one could say where a frail girl found the strength; Wei Zhao was not heavy, but for Guan Xin it was still a strain.

Yet Guan Xin managed it, and without any strain at all. She had even forgotten Wei Zhao's weight; she had only one thought in her mind, and that was gratitude! Deep, profound gratitude! She had never imagined that Wei Zhao would risk his life to save her at such a moment.

All along, Guan Xin had secretly harbored feelings for Wei Zhao, but he had never responded in kind, treating her only as a friend. That had left her somewhat disappointed. But in this moment, Guan Xin finally understood how important she was in Wei Zhao's heart.

Wei Zhao's strength was clearly no match for that You Shisan, yet to save her he had recklessly staked his life. Guan Xin truly did not know how she could ever repay him. She only knew that if it would keep Wei Zhao safe, she would gladly die in his place.

Seeing Wei Zhao at death's door, Guan Xin was afraid, truly afraid. She feared she might never see him again, and that she would carry the guilt for the rest of her life.

Guan Xin carried Wei Zhao on her back and ran swiftly out of the underground fight arena. The car Kang Zhaoming had parked at the entrance had long since vanished. After a brief search, Guan Xin spotted a Cherokee jeep beneath the shade of the trees not far away; that must be Wei Zhao's car.

The people inside that car, seeing Guan Xin come out carrying Wei Zhao, rushed out of the vehicle at once.

Tang Yun, Gu Mengyao, and Shen Yushu were all beside themselves with anxiety. They had seen You Shisan drive off with Kang Zhaoming, yet Wei Zhao had not come out for so long. They were frantic, but since Wei Zhao had told them not to, they dared not go and check on their own, and could only wait with what patience they could muster...

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