The spearhead, previously thrust into the ground, was kicked with such force that it lifted a large expanse of dirt and stones, showering towards Li Yan.
Simultaneously, the spearhead rose instantly, Wang Han held it steadily with his right hand, stepped firmly, and his whole body surged forward, stabbing towards Li Yan.
Indeed, it was the Yang Family spear.
In the pugilistic world, the Yang Family spear is said to have two kinds.
One was created by Yang Miaozhen, the wife of the Southern Songâs Red Coat Army leader Li Quan, known as the "Twenty Years Pear Blossom Spear, Invincible in the World".
The other is this one, the Yang Family spear technique.
Known as "Front hand steady, back hand firm, Raising and uniting both leave no gaps."
"Departing like an arrow, returning like a thread, quick hands and sharp eyes pierce the face."
This move, the raising hand "Poisonous Dragon Emerges from the Cave", fits perfectly with its meaning.
Of course, upon seeing Wang Han invite Yang Wulang, Li Yan had already prepared in his heart, even guessing that the opponent intended to play this trick.
However, he did not take it head-on; instead, he withdrew his blade and retreated, spinning his body and stepping onto the innâs beam to leap into the air.
Crack!
Wang Hanâs spear momentum was so fast that it pierced through the innâs wooden pillar as thick as a barrel, with full force.
Even in mid-air, Li Yan did not turn to attack.
The spear seemed stuck, but in reality, it was a trap.
With their strength and control, how could they make such a mistake?
Sure enough, seeing Li Yan not taking the bait, Wang Han directly shook his right hand, and the innâs wooden pillar instantly shattered.
If Li Yan had chopped in mid-air, the opponent could have stabbed out a storm of pear flowers accordingly. The crossed blade is inherently shorter than the long spear, and being in mid-air would directly put himself in danger.
This is the nature of weapon combat, where a single careless move determines life and death.
Of course, Li Yan had another layer of concern.
This old ghost used Divine Strike, his mind corrupted, only focusing on battle, not caring about harming the innocent.
Clatter!
As Li Yan anticipated, the innâs wooden pillar was damaged, causing a corner to collapse immediately, with bricks and stones falling, crushing onto the surrounding people.
"Damn it!"
"Canât you see..."
Amidst the curses, the spectators retreated in a panic.
Fortunately, only the front eaves of the inn collapsed slightly; even if someone was hit by bricks and tiles, it wouldnât endanger their life.
After this, the onlookers understood the severity.
The crowd retreated, not daring to approach again.
Facing the surrounding curses, Wang Han ignored them, holding the long spear horizontally, his eyes cold as he looked upward, "What are you running for?"
Li Yan said indifferently, "Itâs too cramped here, I canât fight well."
With that, he exerted force beneath his feet and leapt to the right side.
Wang Han also wielded the long spear, hopping onto the rooftop in a few strides, his form as fast as lightning, closely pursuing.
The two, one ahead and one behind, climbed walls and leapt over eaves, heading towards the dock.
In the blink of an eye, the two vanished from sight.
The surrounding people looked at each other, some itching with curiosity, but others, seeing the injured, subtly shook their heads, not intending to continue watching the excitement.
As for the pugilistic world individuals, they wouldnât miss the opportunity.
Such a duel between experts is not often seen.
"Quick! Quick!"
"At the dock!"
Immediately, silhouettes rushed after them.
Amidst the chaotic crowd, a few exchanged glancesâother experts who came to encircle and kill Li Yan.
They frowned slightly and looked into the distance.
That was precisely where the gunners lay in ambush.
With Li Yan moving away, the gunners had no use, as the distance was too far, rendering even the most powerful shots ineffective.
And at the dock, thereâs no way to hide.
Could it be that this kid realized the gunners had arrived?
If the gunners succeed, that would be best.
If not, they might have to take action.
As long as the mission is accomplished, no one wants to risk their life, except for that fool Wang Han, who doesnât want to stand out.
But the Shu Prince Mansionâs mission must be completed.
A bit helpless, they also headed towards the dock.
Meanwhile, in the distant pavilion, "Ghostface Flower" fell silent for a moment and said in a heavy voice, "Letâs go first, intercept on the river."
The gunner leader squinted slightly, "Sir, donât you have confidence in Wang Han?"
"Or rather... was he a decoy from the beginning?"
"Ghostface Flower" replied calmly, "Youâre overthinking; I just donât want to fail, just in case."
As he spoke, his voice turned cold, "Once on the river without anyone around, you all can act, right?"
"Thatâs only natural."
...
Chirp!
At the docks, just as Li Yan stopped his steps, a sharp sound came from behind. It was Wang Han, who had followed closely and was dragging his spear while stooping low.
The spear blade scratched a lengthy mark on the blue stone slab.
As the two sides were closing in, Li Yan suddenly raised his hand, the invisible Soul Evoking Rope howled forth, aiming straight at Wang Hanâs face.
No matter how long the spear is, it canât be longer than the Soul Evoking Rope.
However, Wang Han seemed prepared. He exhaled with force, pulling his spear back, and the Yin Sha Qi dispersed wildly, directly sweeping away the Soul Evoking Rope.
The Soul Evoking Rope is intangible, but after Wang Han used the Divine Strike Technique, his eyes were covered by a layer of black mist, allowing him to vaguely perceive it.
Moreover, his spear was imbued with incense energy, able to block the Soul Evoking Rope.
Li Yan was not surprised to see this.
With his experience traveling in the pugilistic world, he already knew the Soul Evoking Rope was not a hidden secret, and powerful living Yin messengers could utilize it.
Based on his past battles, this ace of the Soul Evoking Rope had probably been recognized, and future encounters would require precaution.
Of course, the fact that his Soul Evoking Rope could store Heavenly Thunder was not widely known and could still be kept as an ace.
But, it shouldnât be exposed in broad daylight.
Seeing Wang Han retract his spear to fend off the Soul Evoking Rope, Li Yan immediately leapt forward, closing the distance between them.
In a contest of weapons, distance is crucial.
Whatâs long by an inch is strong by an inch.
Whatâs short by an inch is also perilous by an inch.
In almost an instant, Li Yan had already moved in close.
His Horizontal Blade Technique, in addition to thrusting, stabbing, slashing, chopping, sweeping, flicking, pushing, and other military-style battle blade techniques, also incorporated the Guanzhong Fast Blade.
Before his body reached, the blade was already near.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out, Wang Han blocked horizontally with his spear just as Li Yanâs fast slash was about to strike his head.
The technique of "Long Weapon Short Use," Wang Han was naturally very proficient, following the momentum with a twist, the strong Spiral Force sent Li Yanâs blade flying, then with another pull, he rotated half his body, aiming the spear shaft towards Li Yanâs throat.
A spear is not only the blade that can hurt people.
Such a solid thrust would shatter Li Yanâs throat bones instantly.
But at that moment, a flash of a blade light appeared.
Wang Han was shocked, hurriedly retrieving his spear to deflect.
Clang!
A clear sound rang out as the Soul-breaking Flying Blade spun in the air, changing course once again to attack Wang Han.
"Flying Sword Technique!"
A cry of surprise echoed from the crowd in the distance.
Ordinary pugilistic world people didnât understand the cause, only that Li Yan had mastered the legendary Flying Sword Technique, even though he used a blade instead.
Mastering this technique was akin to being a Sword Immortal.
"Flying Sword Technique? Rubbish..."
A faint sneer came from an old Daoist within the crowd.
His name was Tan Wanpei, the Dharma Master of Shuâs Puâan Temple.
Beside him, a woman with a bamboo hat covering her face said softly, "Tan Daoist, please donât laugh. Wang Han looks like heâs at a disadvantage. Itâs better to secretly aid him."
"Alright."
Tan Wanpei nodded, fixing his gaze on Li Yan from within the crowd, hidden in his sleeve he formed a mantra, muttering spells under his breath.
Regrettably, halfway through the spell, he shook his head, saying, "It wonât work, this youngster carries the âRuyi Treasure Pearlâ, without a medium, I canât cast a spell remotely."
As they spoke, Li Yan approached once more.
He disrupted with the Soul-breaking Flying Blade, while his hand wielded the horizontal blade in left slashes and right chops, one blade after another.
Wang Han was equally adept, backstepping continuously, his spear flipping side to side, sparks flying with clanging sounds, neither the Soul-breaking Flying Blade nor the Duan Chen Blade could break through his defense.
This fellow actually used the spear as a stick, performing the Five Lang Eight Trigrams Stick.
The Five Lang Eight Trigrams Stick, also a creation of Yang Wulang, emphasizes "transforming the spear into a stick, Taiji manifests two forms, two forms produce four symbols, four symbols generate Eight Trigrams, evolving into sixty-four point stick techniques."
Aligning with the internal and external Eight Trigrams numbers of sixty-four, hence the name "Five Lang Eight Trigrams", alternating between long and short, double and single use, ever-changing.
With Divine Strike blessing, it seemed as if Yang Wulang himself was present.
Not only that, as he swung the spear, an intense gust surged around, dust scattered, and a silhouette seemed to split into two shadows.
Two shadows then turned into four.
It was the Lotus Sect Martial Arts, the Lotus Dharma Body.
He certainly didnât have a body outside his own, to some extent, this technique belongs to the domain of the Illusion Technique, but combined with the variations of "Five Lang Eight Trigrams," it instantly became difficult to distinguish the real from the illusory.
Li Yan was also taken aback.
Using his Divine Skills perception, he smelled several intermingling scents, and the shadows flickered rapidly, making it hard to tell whatâs real.
He didnât know this was Wang Hanâs ultimate move:
Five Brothers Shadow Splitting Spear.