Chapter Fifty-Three: The Mystic Dragon Tendon Slays the Enemy

Seized in a merciless grip, Su Yi felt himself bound by an overwhelming force, rendering him motionless and making every breath a struggle. His body, still weak and aching, refused to lend him any strength. In that moment, he realized just how terrifying the power of a Battle Adept truly was—he and his opponent were simply not of the same league.

His captor, that Battle Adept, held him with one hand, a sneer curling at his lips as he said, “It seems our great genius does not know when to yield. Let me give you a proper lesson!” As soon as the words left his mouth, he tightened his hold and drove a vicious kick into Su Yi’s abdomen.

The impact sent a violent spasm through Su Yi’s body; his face turned deathly pale as blood surged painfully up his throat, a trickle escaping the corner of his mouth. Gritting his teeth, Su Yi met his attacker’s gaze with icy resolve, struggling desperately to suppress the chaos within his blood and energy, striving to channel even the faintest thread of battle energy into the Dragon Sinew coiled around his right arm.

Su Yi had hoped to buy himself time, to infuse his battle energy into the Dragon Sinew, but he hadn’t anticipated a second, sudden assault. That savage kick left his vital energy and battle force utterly scattered. Had his vortex of battle energy not undergone a recent, unusual transformation, all his painstaking effort to reforge it would have been wasted again!

Though Su Yi’s energy core was no longer centered in his abdomen—perhaps, in truth, his entire body had become a vortex—even so, the blow from a Battle Adept left him nearly incapacitated. The irony wasn’t lost on him: not long ago, he’d broken someone else’s arm, and now he found himself on the receiving end.

Driven by an intense will to survive, a sliver of battle energy, under Su Yi’s relentless command, forced its way through the turmoil of blood and energy, surging into the meridians of his right arm. The altered pores of his body allowed a faint stream of energy to flow easily into the Dragon Sinew.

The moment the Dragon Sinew absorbed the energy, it underwent a mysterious transformation. Su Yi’s eyes flashed as a surge of soul force leapt from his body, entwining the Dragon Sinew. Under the guidance of his mind, the sinew slowly loosened from his arm, gathering beneath his sleeve.

The Battle Adept, delighting perversely in Su Yi’s agony, tightened his grip, relishing the growing helplessness on his victim’s face. But as the pressure on his throat mounted, murderous coldness blazed in Su Yi’s eyes.

From his sleeve, a shadow shot out with lightning speed, aimed straight at the Battle Adept’s face. With the Dragon Sinew’s ability to slice through iron as though it were mud, it could easily cleave his skull in two.

Yet this adversary was no stranger to violence. The moment the Dragon Sinew lashed out, he sensed danger, instantly releasing Su Yi and leaping backward. But under Su Yi’s mental control, the sinew moved with unmatched speed.

Before the Battle Adept could withdraw his right hand, the Dragon Sinew swept past, severing it cleanly at the wrist.

The attack was so swift, the foe only registered the agony once he’d staggered back. Glancing to the side, he saw his hand lying on the ground, separated from his body with a dull thud.

Clutching his bleeding arm, his face drenched in sweat, terror and disbelief overtook him. A man who had taken many lives, who hadn’t known true danger in years, had just been wounded—by a so-called “useless” opponent, by a weapon whose nature he could not fathom.

The pain was unbearable, and fear gripped his heart. If this thing could sever his hand so easily, what would stop it from slicing through his throat? Now, with his strength diminished, the thought chilled him to the bone. Blood loss and agony clouded his mind; for the first time, he truly felt fear.

In the next instant, he turned to flee—nothing mattered but escape.

But Su Yi had never intended to let him leave. No sooner had the Dragon Sinew severed the man’s hand than Su Yi, mustering all his strength, hurled it after him.

The sinew, impossibly sharp and powerful, flashed like lightning, slicing clean through the Battle Adept’s torso, its momentum carrying it into the wall, where it left a deep, ragged scar.

The man had barely turned, taking a few desperate steps before a cry of despair escaped him. His body split apart, collapsing heavily to the floor.

With his foe slain, Su Yi finally allowed himself to breathe. He retrieved the Dragon Sinew, staggered over to lean against the wall, and exhaled deeply, eyes falling on the rapidly spreading pool of blood beneath the corpse. Relief and a trace of joy welled up within him.

The Dragon Sinew was indeed extraordinary, able to ignore a foe’s protective battle aura to some extent—likely because it required the user’s own energy to activate, making it immune to conflict with other energies. Still, Su Yi couldn’t help but smile wryly.

But this didn’t mean the Dragon Sinew was some invincible weapon; it wasn’t the sort of tool that would kill gods and Buddhas alike. If it were, who in the world could stand against it?

Still, having such a formidable weapon was a great comfort. Used in a surprise attack, even against a seasoned Battle Adept, its lethality was undeniable. Su Yi felt a surge of fondness for the Dragon Sinew.

He touched the sinew wrapped around his arm and the aching spot on his chest. His wounds seemed to be healing slower than before, for reasons unknown. Glancing again at the blood-soaked corpse, Su Yi frowned—what should he do with the body?

After all, this man had been sent by the Auburn family to “invite” him. If he vanished without a trace, wouldn’t the Auburns grow suspicious? And what measures would they take then?

Given the situation, it was clear Auburnshan wanted revenge for the injury to his son, Auburn Yu. Auburnshan had only one son, and with the upcoming Martial Tournament, Auburn Yu’s pulverized right arm was a significant blow.

After raising a fifth-level Battle Practitioner for so many years, Auburnshan had placed all his hopes on his son, hopes that Su Yi had now crushed. There was no way Auburnshan would let this go.

Su Yi’s heart grew heavy. Ever since he’d shattered Auburn Yu’s arm, he knew the Auburns would retaliate. Though the duel had been fair and injuries were not uncommon, the Auburns had clearly lost face and would seek vengeance. Su Yi had spent the past few days training hard in preparation.

But he hadn’t expected them to send someone to abduct him directly—a Battle Adept, no less, with intent to kill. Such audacity surpassed all bounds. Rather than settling the score openly, they resorted to underhanded tactics, flouting the tacit rules between great families by sending someone to seize a prominent figure from another power. Did the Auburns truly think they could act with impunity in Changling City?

The Yousiman Auction House, while not the city’s greatest power, wasn’t far behind the Auburns or the Lie family, especially with the backing of one of the empire’s three great clans. Even the Lie family dared not openly challenge the Auction House, yet the Auburns had come for him, someone of some standing there.

Were it not for the physical transformation wrought by medicine, granting him formidable strength, and the Dragon Sinew’s deadly power, he would have died here today. Even if not killed outright, capture would have meant a fate worse than death.

Though his strength had returned to its former peak, it was still nothing compared to what the Auburns could muster. Even with the Dragon Sinew, he could only handle an ordinary Battle Adept—the Auburns had stronger warriors, even Battle Lords.

What if the Auburns sent more men? Su Yi frowned, glancing again at the corpse. No one would believe he had the strength to slay a Battle Adept. Should he use the body to stir up trouble, perhaps frame another faction?

As he pondered, the sound of footsteps suddenly reached his ears—a noise that struck him like a thunderclap.

“Who’s there?!”

(End of chapter.)