"Third Brother Bai!" Hu Fourth, who was fighting with Huang Liangping, couldn't believe his eyes. Among the three of them, Third Brother Bai was the strongest, his moves deadly and ruthless. Even Hu Fourth himself was constantly restrained when facing Third Brother Bai, and would definitely lose his life if he made the slightest mistake. However, what he didn't expect was that today, Third Brother Bai died at the hands of a Postnatal Martial Artist. Not only Hu Fourth was shocked but Third Brother Bai probably didn't expect this either.
They belonged to the fifth group of the Blood Hand Association, all elite members. Originally, they thought they could compare with the sect disciples, but within a short time, one of them died. At this moment, both Hu Fourth and Qian Second had the intention to retreat. As the saying goes, "Retreat calmly and regroup!"
Huang Liangping had always been suppressed by Hu Fourth and was in a disadvantageous position. Seeing Hu Fourth lose focus, he knew that this was an opportunity not to be missed. He decisively swung his saber, its sharp force wildly sweeping in all directions.
Puff puff puff
Hu Fourth, being experienced, instantly exploded with True Qi upon sensing the Sword Force approaching his body. A wave of fiery-red energy rippled out from within him, obstructing the white Sword Aura before it dissipated.
"Blazing Fist!"
With a punch, Hu Fourth seemed almost like a fireman, his body growing more robust by a circle. All the Fire Spirit Qi within him burst forth, transforming into a three-foot-red Gang Yuan, mixed with fierce Fist Force, and thunderously striking towards Huang Liangping.
Huang Liangping had been prepared, his body retreating swiftly like a great bird spreading its wings. However, the large saber in his hand kept slashing, with all his Spiritual Power erupting, and the emitted Sword Aura continuously compressing in space, creating deep grooves on the ground.
"Celestial Wheel Kill!"
Huang Liangping roared quietly, and the Sword Aura before him instantly vanished. As the Spiritual Power oscillated, Huang Liangping's face turned paler and he staggered, seemingly close to collapsing.
"Hahaha, a sect disciple can't even use martial techniques properly. What a joke!" Hu Fourth grinned and loudly mocked, his body surging with more Fist Force, his Spiritual Power transforming into Gang Qi, his black robes fluttering.
Puff puff puff puff.....
Suddenly, his face stiffened, filled with disbelief as he slowly lowered his gaze to look at his chest. There, numerous Sword Auras abruptly erupted, the Sword Force rampaging, shredding his clothes to pieces and pulverizing his internal organs.
"Could...vanish....."
Boom
Hu Fourth's Spiritual Power dissipated, his body directly shredded into a blood mist by the numerous Sword Auras. Watching this battle, Chu Ming couldn't help but shrink his eyes. When Huang Liangping's Sword Aura fully erupted just now, Chu Ming only saw a spatial fluctuation. If he had to evade those vanishing Sword Auras, he probably couldn't avoid them now.
Huang Liangping was a disciple of the Martial Extreme Sect, known for defeating the strong while being weak. In their perspective, enemies always had weaknesses. As long as they found the enemy's weakness, they could deliver a fatal blow. It's said the core big disciple Zhuang Qing of the Martial Extreme Sect defeated a True Dao expert at the limit of the Transcendence Realm.
Puff!
Huang Liangping spat a mouthful of fresh blood skyward, his face pale, kneeling on one knee!
Stopping Chu Ming from approaching, Huang Liangping said, "I'm fine. I just forcibly used martial techniques, causing my blood flow to reverse. I'll be fine after a rest. Go check on Luo Qianyi!"
Chu Ming nodded and walked towards another battlefield. Huang Liangping took out several elixirs and placed them in his mouth, gradually calming his blood flow.
"Sun Chasing Thousand Miles!"
In the lush grass, Luo Qianyi's feet barely touched the ground, almost dancing like a dragonfly on the water. The fine sword in her hand vibrated rapidly, her movements too fast to be seen clearly with the naked eye. Only the Sword Light continuously layered in the air, forming thicker and thicker layers, breaking through the surging air waves, increasing the Sword Force, transforming into a purple Aurora, thunderously striking towards Qian Second.
Puff puff puff.....
The air exploded, and Qian Second's body instantly flew back, his hands forming claws as if to tear through the air. Wherever he scratched on the ground, Earth Yuan Gang Qi appeared, and after he retreated dozens of meters, there were hundreds of Earth Yuan Gang Qi spots in front of him.
Bang bang bang bang....
The purple Aurora continuously pierced through the Earth Yuan Gang Qi, instantly reaching Qian Second's face. However, Qian Second remained calm, his right hand forming a claw, a fiery-red claw mark continuously condensed, releasing all his Spiritual Power. The Gang Qi surged three feet, the claw mark rising against the wind.
"Broken Jade Claw!"
Crack crack crack
The purple fast sword Aurora collided with the red claw mark, instantly dissipating. Seeing Qian Second block her attack, Luo Qianyi's expression remained unchanged. Suddenly, a thousand Sword Auras shot out from her sword, incredibly fast, each containing condensed Sword Force, sweeping with the force of thunder.
"Sun Chasing Instant Kill!"
Luo Qianyi's Sun Chasing Swordsmanship was a Profound Level Low Tier martial technique. Though it wasn't as powerful as Chu Ming's Starfire Swordsmanship, it excelled in its versatility, with both single-target and group attacks, adapting to various situations.
Seeing the sudden appearance of a thousand fierce Sword Auras, Qian Second's face changed, while he pushed his internal cultivation technique to the limit. Fire spirit energy danced around him, condensing into a fire figure.
Puff puff puff.....
Fierce Sword Auras struck Qian Second's Spiritual Armor, leaving white marks before quickly disappearing. Qian Second's face showed delight, but Luo Qianyi coldly smiled. Her Spiritual Power changed instantly, the remaining Sword Auras merged into one, like a purple light beam, instantly piercing through Qian Second's chest.
"Hoo!"
Luo Qianyi exhaled a murky breath, her body sinking, feet touching the ground, forehead sweating, reflecting crystal-like light!
Chu Ming smiled and said, "The Sun Chasing Swordsmanship of Cyan Nether Mountain truly lives up to its name!"
"The Sun Chasing Swordsmanship is indeed good, but my comprehension is too poor. Unlike Brother Chu, who has mastered the Starfire Swordsmanship of Cyan Yang Sect to the level of mastery!" Luo Qianyi smiled sweetly.
Chu Ming shook his head, "Winning verbally against Luo Qianyi is really not easy."
Not far away, the Li Family members all breathed a sigh of relief, their palms sweaty from gripping their weapons. They were ready to charge at any moment, even if it meant some casualties. However, the sect disciples showed their true prowess, defeating the three black-clad men despite appearing disadvantaged, while the Li Family members realized how far behind they were.
"Everyone, pack up quickly. We need to gather herbs and leave before sunset!" Li Lingru said to the Guard Team and the herb-gathering members. Then she approached Chu Ming and the others, expressing her gratitude, "Thank you all so much. Otherwise, we wouldn't have known what to do!"
"We accepted payment to solve the crisis. It's our duty," Chu Ming said calmly. Huang Liangping and Luo Qianyi expended substantial energy in the earlier battle, with Huang Liangping suffering internal injuries. Both now sat resting with their eyes closed.
Li Lingru expressed her thanks again before joining the herb-gathering effort. Chu Ming cautiously watched the surroundings, wary of any further incidents. At that moment, Luo Qianyi opened her eyes and said to Chu Ming, "On the way back, we'll need to rely on Brother Chu. Using the Sun Chasing Swordsmanship earlier, I am depleted of Spiritual Power and injured, my strength now only seven or eight-tenths of the usual."
She then glanced at Huang Liangping, who was meditating to heal, and continued, "Huang Liangping's Celestial Wheel Kill is too fierce, the aftereffects even worse than mine."
Chu Ming nodded, "Rest assured, I got this!"
The black-clad men had no belongings except for three blood-colored tokens inscribed with the word "blood," one glance at which made one feel as if facing a sea of blood. Chu Ming did not know what these tokens were but decided to wait until Luo Qianyi and Huang Liangping awoke to find out.
Time flew swiftly, and the sun was setting.
Despite Li Lingru's reluctance, she decided to leave the inner perimeter of the Cyan Yang Mountain Range immediately.
The journey back wasn't smooth, but once out of the inner perimeter and into the outer perimeter of the Cyan Yang Mountain Range, everyone sighed in relief. Though the outer perimeter was equally dangerous, the Guard Team members' strength meant they could act with impunity.
After exiting the forest, the road ahead was easier. Within an hour, the group reached the Li Family estate.
After spending a night at the Li estate, early the next morning, Huang Liangping and Luo Qianyi left to return to their sects to report their mission, while Chu Ming sought out the patriarch Li Lin.
"I wonder what instructions Young Hero Chu has for me?" Li Lin didn't show any disrespect towards Chu Ming. Li Lingru had already informed him about the events in the inner perimeter of the Cyan Yang Mountain Range, making him realize Chu Ming's great potential. That's why befriending such a talent could only bring benefits.
"Patriarch Li, I wonder, within these nearby lands, who excels at forging techniques?" Chu Ming asked slowly. He hadn't left because he wanted to forge a Treasure Sword from the spikes and Armor from the scales of the beast.
"Haha, Young Hero, you're asking the right person. When it comes to forging techniques, within a thousand-mile radius, our Li Family claims second place, and no one dares claim first!" Li Lin laughed heartily upon hearing this, secretly pleased. Worried about how to build closer relations with Chu Ming, this was a golden opportunity.
"Oh, I didn't expect the Li Family's forging skills to be so remarkable?" Chu Ming was slightly moved.