Courage

In fact, Hu Jixian was just bluffing. He did send a letter of invitation to the Dragon Boat Gang, but that did not mean that the Dragon Boat Gang would help them at all costs.

If it were just some trivial matter, the Dragon Boat Gang might send someone to fight back, but asking them to risk Primal Qi and fight to the death is nothing short of a pipe dream. And the masked assassins in front of them are undoubtedly skilled in the martial arts world. Once the Dragon Boat Gang discovers the strength of these enemies, they will definitely choose to turn a blind eye.

However, just because Hu Jixian and his group knew this didn't mean the masked assassins knew the inside story. Moreover, Hu Jixian hadn't lied at all; the invitation was genuine, and it was true that the Dragon Boat Gang people over—as local bullies, the Dragon Boat Gang couldn't possibly remain indifferent to the territorial disputes and would inevitably send people to gather information.

As for the final threat, that's just a possibility; it all depends on whether these assassins dare to take the gamble.

Sure enough, the assassins immediately panicked when they heard they might be surrounded and killed. They weren't suicide squads and didn't have the awareness to face death. It's true that people in the martial arts world are used to licking blood off the edge of a knife, but that doesn't mean they don't value their own lives. The martial arts world is not a battlefield; it's easy to dodge open attacks but hard to guard against hidden arrows. Those who are not afraid of death are the easiest to die.

Just as the assassins were having second thoughts, a Xiongba voice suddenly rang out from the sky, resounding throughout the entire area and even reaching everyone in the city.

Even if the Heavenly Laozi came to save you today, you would still die!

The Ghost Fort Fortress Master, Ximen Chou, descended from the sky. The moment he landed, the air currents exploded and swirled, howling like a hurricane. Those with weaker cultivation levels couldn't even withstand the force of the wind and were turned into rolling gourds on the ground.

At the same time, dark, Youming energy rose up and condensed into the image of a dragon head above Ximen Chou's head. The dragon head roared with its mouth open, its voice like a demon's howl, shaking the mind. Combined with Ximen Chou's black clothes fluttering, it was as if a demon god had descended to earth.

Its appearance upon its debut was no less impressive than that of the Beast King Anye.

Of course, to ordinary martial artists, Ximen Chou and the Beast King Anye were not much different; neither of them were strong enough to be their match.

"Spirit Transformation Grandmaster..."

Hu Jixian's expression changed, and he sighed inwardly. He had planned everything, but he hadn't expected this person to take action personally. Or rather, although he had anticipated this possibility, given the absolute difference in strength, no amount of planning would be meaningful, so he hadn't taken this situation into consideration from the beginning.

Without hesitation, Hu Jixian hurriedly said to his companions, "You take the young lady away, I'll try to buy some time."

Ke Chajing said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Playing the hero isn't your style. Don't steal my thunder."

He then turned to Hao Shuai and said, "Quickly protect the young lady and get her away. Remember to take the waterway. Ji Xian and I will try our best to buy her some time."

"But..."

"Stop talking nonsense, staying here will only be a burden!"

Ke Chajing wasn't the type to fuss over nothing; she used blunt language to stop Hao Shuai from putting on his "I'm not leaving" act.

Upon hearing this, Ximen Chou snorted, slowly extended his hand, clenched his fist, and said in a tone like that of Great Devil King, "No need to refuse anymore. Since none of you are going anywhere, surrender now, and I will show mercy and spare your corpses!"

This domineering statement immediately boosted the morale of the masked assassins present, giving them a sense of direction and intensifying their killing intent.

"Run!"

Ke Chajing slapped the horse's rump hard, causing it to rear up and gallop away, dragging the carriage along. She and Hu Jixian joined forces to attack, unleashing their fiery energy with their palms, their bodies burning hot, as red as erupting magma, their momentum fierce. The shadows of their staffs overlapped like waves, swirling and converging, like a black dragon twisting a pillar.

"Heaven and Earth Furnace!"

"Drunkenly Reclining in Heaven and Earth!"

Combining long weapons with close-quarters combat, the former feints to deceive the enemy while the latter strikes at their vital points. The two have been partners for many years, and their combined attack would make even the top masters in the martial arts world give way.

However, Ximen Chou merely snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "A mere trick!"

Without moving, he stomped one foot, and the Youming Qi condensed into a crescent shape and swept out, attacking the two of them with the force of a raging storm, forcing them to separate and break their coordination. The follow-up force continued, ignoring all techniques, and forcibly pushed the two of them back with brute force.

"The Swan Flight Ghost Claw!"

With his left hand behind his back, Ximen Chou reached forward with his right hand, his ghostly energy condensing into a giant claw that ripped through the air towards the speeding carriage, threatening to destroy it and kill everyone on board.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, wind and thunder obey their mandate!"

The power of wind and thunder roared out, warding off evil and destroying demons. It easily shattered the ghost claws, and the remaining force continued to sweep towards Ximen Chou, knocking him back several steps.

The woman inside the carriage let out a surprised exclamation.

Si Ming glanced at it but didn't pay it any mind. He stopped concealing his aura, stepped forward, and said in a teasing tone, "Lord Ximen Fortress, we became acquainted after a few days of fighting. I didn't expect to meet again so soon. What a coincidence!"

When Ke Chajing and the others saw him, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief, their solemn expressions vanished, and the tension of being on high alert disappeared.

"Looks like I don't need to fight anyone." Hu Jixian smiled easily.

After easing her tension, Ke Chajing asked suspiciously, "Judging from your relaxed demeanor, could it be that you arrived a while ago, deliberately holding back and waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves?"

Hao Shuai said, "It must be! This guy is definitely thinking that the main character will appear in a crisis to turn the tide and steal our thunder."

"Shut up! You've ruined all the grand entrance I was building up!"

Si Ming grumbled, then turned to Ximen Chou and returned the favor verbatim. "Surrender now, and I will show you mercy and spare your life."

Ximen Chou, his face solemn and his posture as upright as a pine tree, said sternly, "If you want to fight, then fight! Enough with the nonsense! A true man is only willing to die!"

Such audacious words greatly changed Si Ming's opinion of him. Last time, when the Evil Dao experts joined forces to besiege him with the Seven Slaughter Blood Formation, this guy was the one who contributed the least, practically just wandering around without attacking. And when the array was broken, he was the one who fled the fastest. His behavior today was completely different.

Only a few days have passed, and his personality has changed so drastically. Could it be that he has been possessed by someone from another time? Or was the person he met last time actually his twin brother, similar to the relationship between Qiu Qianren and Qiu Qianzhang?

Regardless of the method, in the end, strength will prevail. It's a pity about all the arrangements he made. After a moment's thought, Si Ming raised his hand and praised, "Good! You have guts. I underestimated you. Come on, make your move."

Ximen Chou let out a deep shout, clasped his hands together, and gathered a torrent of Yin Qi, forming a spherical vortex that caused the surrounding temperature to plummet, chilling to the bone, and even dimming the light. Ghostly flames floated around him.

"Ghost Qi Swirling Through the Air!"

He thrust his hands forward, and a vortex of Yin Qi, shimmering with a pale blue-green hue, roared out, illuminating a scene of a hundred ghosts roaming at night—a truly terrifying sight.

"Good timing!"

Having recently studied the "Yellow Bell Responding to the Pitch Formula" and gained many insights, Si Ming devised a move specifically to deal with attacks of the Primal Qi type. He was lacking test subjects, and now it was like a pillow being delivered to someone who was sleepy. He immediately stretched out his hands and received the attack in the shape of a calyx.