Taking the Stage in Full Makeup (Continued)

The Three Rivers Society, the Golden Lion Hall, and the Axe Gang were not to be outdone, each sending out their top henchmen. The weakest among them had reached level seven in Internal Cultivation, while the strongest had reached level nine. This also shows that Linked Mountains City's economic conditions are far superior to those of Tange City, which has led to a corresponding increase in the strength of the gangs. In a second- or third-tier city, there would be no way that a Level Nine Internal Cultivation master would willingly degenerate to become a gang henchman. Only in first-tier cities, where there is a surplus of talent, would such a situation occur.

In terms of territory, Yu Shuying's is larger than any gang in Linked Mountains City, but she doesn't have a single Internal Cultivation master above level seven under her command. This is partly because the Green Snake Gang rose too quickly and didn't have time to develop its talents, and partly because there isn't a single first-tier city in the territory she controls. The real masters have all been absorbed by the government and the Mohist Knight Guard.

Confident of victory, the leader of the Spirit Toad Gang arrogantly declared, "Now, tell me, whose fist is bigger?"

Yu Shuying sighed, "You've had enough of your part. You're not the main characters today. It's time for you to leave the stage."

"Stubborn to the end. I've already given you a chance out of consideration for being a college student. Since you refuse to listen to reason, don't blame me for being impolite!"

The leader of the Spirit Toad Gang snorted, and one of his three top subordinates suddenly rushed forward, his One Sword flashing like lightning, swiftly aiming for Yu Shuying's throat.

Gang fights are not like ordinary martial arts battles; they are all about speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. They prioritize efficiency, aiming to intimidate the entire area as quickly as possible and avoid getting bogged down in a chaotic melee. Too many feints will hinder the action and inevitably lead to injury.

Just as the sword tip was about to touch her, Yu Shuying suddenly used the move "Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell," retreating while flinging out her outer garment with a swirling force. The garment spun like a shield, blocking the oncoming sword.

"Useless!"

A flash of Sword-Ray light tore the clothes to shreds. Just as the opponent was about to seize the opportunity to pursue and capture the leader, he felt a wave of dizziness, his internal energy became disordered, and he staggered. He immediately realized that he had been poisoned. Before he could react, a palm strike hit him squarely in the chest. His internal True Qi was suppressed and collapsed in the blink of an eye. He flew out like a kite with a broken string.

"Fame and fortune are but a maze, while the Bodhi tree and its leaves remain untouched by dust. Dwelling long in the green mountains, one is free from scorn; even birds in their nests and beasts in their dens are tamed throughout the four seasons."

Before anyone knew it, Yu Shuying had changed into a set of jet-black robes, wearing a turban and holding a feather fan, her style resembling that of an ancient military strategist.

"Using poison? How despicable!"

The leader of the Spirit Toad Gang was furious. These seasoned veterans had never even considered using poison, yet they had been outsmarted by a mere young girl.

Yu Shuying leisurely chewed on her feather fan and laughed, "Oh, so you're allowed to bully the few with your numbers, but I'm not allowed to use poison? Such a self-righteous double standard, you're definitely a gangster, shameless enough!"

Fortunately, those who belong to gangs usually carry some antidote and healing pills. Since they didn't know what kind of poison Yu Shuying used, they had no choice but to take the most widely applicable antidote first, and then use their Internal Cultivation to suppress it.

The leader of the Spirit Toad Gang said viciously, "Don't think that we'll be afraid of you just because you use poison. I've seen this kind of tactic before..."

Yu Shuying interrupted, "What if I coated all the weapons on our side with a deadly poison that kills instantly upon contact with blood?"

The leader of the Spirit Toad Gang broke out in a cold sweat. Luckily, there hadn't been a melee; otherwise, with such a swift and deadly poison, they would have been in serious trouble. Even with their superior numbers, they wouldn't have been able to withstand it. Who could guarantee they wouldn't get cut in a chaotic battle? Turning to look at his gang members behind him, he saw that they were all from the more righteous faction, each one anxiously whispering among themselves, asking if anyone had a similar antidote. Before the battle even began, their morale had already been severely damaged.

"Ha, I was just kidding. That kind of potent poison that works instantly and doesn't evaporate, and can be stored for a long time, isn't that easy to concoct?" Yu Shuying said.

But the leader of the Spirit Toad Gang would never believe her. If they ended up suffering a loss, no one would blame Yu Shuying for lying; they would only blame themselves for being stupid enough to believe the enemy. Besides, he didn't know if it was just his imagination, but after changing her coat, she gave him a very cunning and sinister feeling.

"Don't think we can't do anything to you just like that. We can only use the sneak attack once at most. Once we capture you, we can force you to reveal the antidote."

At a command, all the experts from the four major gangs rushed towards Yu Shuying, holding their breath and closing their acupoints to prevent her from using poison again.

The members of the Green Snake Gang drew their weapons, wanting to protect their leader. Knowing that their weapons might be coated with poison, they all felt more confident. The reactions of the opposing gang members varied, clearly indicating that they were somewhat burdened by facing dozens of deadly poisoned weapons.

"You don't need to lift a finger. I've already said, tonight your job is just to be spectators, waving flags and cheering."

Yu Shuying reached out to stop the crowd, completely unprepared, and calmly watched as nine experts rushed towards her.

Suddenly, a golden weapon pierced through the air and landed between the two sides. The immense power carried by the sword sank into the earth, causing a violent tremor and preventing the experts from advancing.

"Gradual cultivation is like rain nourishing the precious tree in the Buddhist temple; sudden enlightenment is like thunder striking a small boat on the sea!"

Si Ming, clad in a red battle robe, stepped steadily forward, each step causing the earth to tremble. Wherever he passed, flames roared. He activated the mental technique of the "Brahma Sea Asura Art," transforming his appearance into the Asura Wrathful Form. At the same time, a crimson wheel appeared behind his head, solemn and majestic, making him look like a demon god who had stepped out of hell.

"What is this? Playing tricks, does he really think he's some kind of hermit? Everyone, follow me and teach him a lesson!"

The Axe Gang leader roared and led his many men, raising various axes, to charge towards Si Ming.

"You corrupt the masses, indulge in delusional fantasies, neither human nor demon, step back!"

Si Ming Dragon-Elephant Stomp, the force flowing from underneath to attack the surrounding enemies. On the surface, his body trembled, his Internal Cultivation vibrating the air and transforming into a burst of energy that shot out into the sky.

In an instant, all the Axe Gang members who rushed over were blasted away, crashing together like tumbleweeds, their vision blurred and their heads spinning.

Ninety percent of the effect was due to the Dragon-Elephant Stomp, but at first glance, it looked as if Si Ming used the energy generated by the vibration of his Internal Cultivation to blast people away, which immediately frightened everyone.

With such cultivation, even if he isn't Spirit Transformation expert, he should be very close to Spirit Transformation.

"Never mind him, capture the leader! Quickly seize that girl and take her hostage!"

The leader of the Spirit Toad Gang shouted a reminder, and the nine experts also realized that this was their only way out. The red monster over there was obviously beyond their ability to defeat, so they quickly accelerated and rushed towards Yu Shuying.

Just then, accompanied by a loud female voice, an unprecedented and powerful palm strike came crashing down.

"Mountains are like duckweed, clouds are like waves; detached from the mortal world, I let the waves carry me on!"

Wearing a half-iron mask and a pink Daoist Hongdou slowly descended from the sky with an unprecedentedly serious expression. Even her closest friends found it hard to connect her with her usual dazed demeanor.

She didn't use any martial arts techniques with that palm strike; it was just an ordinary Air-Splitting Palm. However, with the support of her Peak Spirit Transformation, even an ordinary palm strike had overwhelming power. The area covered by the palm strike was nearly ten zhang in diameter, leaving no room for anyone to dodge.

Nine masters roared, channeling their full power and unleashing a barrage of ultimate moves: Heart-Crushing Palm, Yin Wind Roar, Hegemon Divine Leg, Spirit Vulture Demonic Saber...

All those extraordinary skills clashed with the simple and unadorned palm technique, like a four-wheel drive vehicle crashing into a tank—they were on completely different levels. In the blink of an eye, they were crushed to pieces, turning into bursts of True Qi. Sensing this scene, the nine masters simultaneously recalled the idiom "a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Then, with a loud thud, these mantises were sent flying like sandbags, their bodies almost shattered from the impact, countless ribs broken, every part of their bodies aching, unable to get up, only able to lie on the ground groaning, breathing more out than in.

In fact, this was because Hongdou didn't know the technique of exerting force; she could only unleash 40% of her full strength. Otherwise, one palm strike would have been enough to blow all nine people to pieces on the spot.

"A Spirit Transformation cultivator!"

"Are you kidding me? It's just a gang fight, and they're actually asking a Spirit Transformation expert for help? That's foul! That's clearly foul!"

"This has nothing to do with the Golden Lion Hall. We're just here to do square dancing! That's right, the Lion Head Shaking Dance is our signature dance!"

Everyone knew that such experts couldn't be defeated by sheer numbers; going up against them would only be suicide. So they all turned and ran, displaying their extraordinary skill in light-footed martial arts.