Xia Li stood within the dilapidated building that was nothing but a framework, using deep breaths to force himself into calm focus.

  He would soon face an extremely unfair and absurd challenge.

  The blade gleamed coldly under the spotlights. He understood how foolish his choice was, but this was a stance, a declaration.

  Defying Corporate Union, rejecting Corporate Union's values.

  Soon, the first wave charged up.

  The battlefield Xia Li had chosen was excellent—at the top of an abandoned high-rise.

  Those with low cultivation had to climb the stairs honestly, and while those with high cultivation could fly up, high-level cultivators were a minority after all.

  He had to avoid being overwhelmed by too many people simultaneously.

  A group poured in from the stairwell; people leaped up from the building's edge!

  People in nearby buildings had rifles aimed at him.

  Within Xia Li's divine thought, he perceived all of this crystal clearly.

  "He's here!"

  "Kill!"

  "I need to go back..."

  "I need to enter Upper City!"

  "I still have to save my daughter..."

  "Kill him!"

  Among those attacking Xia Li, some were deliberately playing the victim, obviously trying to exploit Xia Li's compassion.

  But even if they hadn't, Xia Li still wouldn't strike to kill. He kept his word.

  Xia Li soon faced a siege of over twenty people.

  They all rushed at him with close-combat weapons, trying to overwhelm him through chaos.

  For low-level cultivators facing high-level enemies, close-range attacks were superior to ranged attacks because close combat often delivered greater, more continuous force!

  Otherwise, they couldn't even break the enemy's defenses!

  Xia Li held the blade with both hands, slightly raised, the spine of the blade aligned with his brow. Though he was quite displeased with Yagyu Chihaya now,

  he had to admit her help was substantial.

  The combat memories from when the Sword Demon X2 Heaven Chip was implanted—the Kondo Munemasa he'd "consumed" was an expert at fighting multiple opponents, with rich experience in group combat.

  Front, back, left, right, even from above—attacks came simultaneously from all directions!

  "Ha!"

  Xia Li let out a deep roar. The attackers' momentum faltered as they all felt an inexplicable fear crawling up their spines and into their brains.

  They seemed to see their own gruesome deaths in the future.

  Xia Li seized this opening, charging directly into the crowd and swinging decisively!

  The blade's spine struck a neck with precise force, hitting the carotid sinus—a strike there would cause reflexive dizziness in the brain.

  Unless equipped with a fourth-generation or higher Heaven Chip, lower-tier chips couldn't prevent the vertigo reaction in time.

  After stunning one person, Xia Li pressed forward again, primarily attacking carotid sinuses with the blade's spine, supplemented by palm strikes.

  Or heavy elbow strikes to opponents' foreheads, or powerful kicks to their chests.

  Xia Li's combat objective was crystal clear: knock them out.

  To the attackers, Xia Li's reaction speed seemed absurd. No matter what angle they attacked from, no matter how unexpected, Xia Li always reacted in time to parry and redirect their force.

  Even when they intentionally timed simultaneous attacks, Xia Li would dodge and counter when blocking wasn't possible.

  But that damned broadcast sounded at that moment.

  "Our challenger right now seems to have no blind spots! No attack seems to catch him by surprise—how powerful!"

  "Curious how he does it, dear viewers?"

  "It's Yagyu-ryū: Still Water! He's using Still Water—this sword art precisely senses airflow around the body. Even a fly flapping its wings cannot escape notice!"

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  "Buy now and get ten percent off! Want to be as powerful as our challenger? Face sieges without panic?"

  The broadcast started hawking products. Xia Li had no time to care about that. He was indeed using Yagyu Industries' sword art, Still Water.

  Combined with his divine thought and Wisdom Art: Blade Sheath, it formed omnidirectional perception. Any close-range attack from the attackers just gave him opportunities for counterstrikes.

  Bang!

  Suddenly, gunfire rang out.

  Xia Li instantly adjusted the blade's position, precisely placing it in the bullet's trajectory. The moment before impact, he suddenly shook the blade with force!

  The bullet was deflected back, striking the shooter!

  "Haha, this ignorant peasant actually shot at a swordsman in Still Water state—that's just delivering the bullet!"

  "Once Still Water mastery reaches minor achievement, one can deflect most small and medium caliber bullets, and even amplify the deflected bullet's power through redirection!"

  "Good news! Still Water sword art has now sold two thousand copies! Yagyu Industries is offering more—twenty percent off! Right now!"

  "Seize the opportunity—it won't come again!"

  The broadcast even started playing exciting music. This slaughter was a game, a performance, and a sales show.

  But it also increased Xia Li's combat difficulty—his technique's weakness had been revealed!

  Unable to block large-caliber bullets, and primarily relying on airflow sensing.

  Hearing the broadcast, the attackers all revealed cruel smiles, using techniques to whip up chaotic winds that disrupted Xia Li's surrounding airflow.

  Still Water's sword stance was broken!

  Xia Li had to change tactics, shifting from raised blade to blade-tip pointing downward, also shortening the distance between his feet.

  The attackers charged again!

  Xia Li's reactions suddenly became extraordinarily nimble. His toes lightly touched the ground as if dancing in rain, never staying on the ground for more than half a second.

  Constantly in high-speed movement!

  Continuously taking small bouncing steps, movements like a boxer's footwork.

  Xia Li thus wove through the attackers—one moment before them, the next suddenly behind or beside them.

  After Xia Li knocked down many more using this technique, that damned broadcast sounded again!

  "Just now, we received another question from our audience—what technique is our challenger using?"

  "The answer is Yagyu-ryū: Resounding Turn!"

  "This movement technique leaves residual momentum on the ground through high-frequency stepping, continuously increasing one's own speed through that residual force."

  "Buy now and get ten percent off!"

  The broadcast was revealing his secrets again, selling out Xia Li's weaknesses.

  Many attackers immediately coated their feet with spiritual energy and stomped hard, disrupting the residual momentum Xia Li had left. Seeing this, Xia Li stopped his stepping, took a deep breath, and changed stance again!

  He wouldn't use techniques he was skilled at, and definitely wouldn't use Hidden Wing's arts—having his foundations exposed would be real trouble.

  Combat continued.

  Xia Li now began changing techniques constantly. He'd use previously employed stances too, but by the time opponents saw through them, he'd already switched to something else.

  The battle's rhythm was now under Xia Li's control. Kondo Munemasa's combat memories were rapidly being digested, making Xia Li increasingly adept in group combat.

  But...

  Suddenly!

  The building shook!

  Explosion sounds came from below. Someone was demolishing the building—someone had realized and discovered Xia Li's battlefield advantage.