Big Black Scores Another Merit
Shen Jingchuan was having a very tough time. The gray-clad man opposite him was wielding a fast and cunning sword, his Movement Method were as elusive as a ghost, constantly circling around Big Black. The blade always carried an indescribable weight, and each collision made Shen Jingchuan's hands go numb.
As he fought, he gradually adapted, relying on the weight of his spear and the strength of his arms to parry and block each move, slowly managing to fight his opponent to a standstill.
Little did he know that he had stumbled into the First Layer of Qi Refinement, and that the gray-robed man opposite him was also a cultivator at the First Layer of Qi Refinement.
However, the gray-clad man had been at the First Layer of Qi Refinement for many years and was about to advance to the Second Layer of Qi Refinement. Although their cultivation levels were similar, their fighting experience was quite different. Shen Jingchuan did not know how to use Qi in combat and only relied on brute force and his spear to fight to a draw.
Just as the fight reached a stalemate, a hundred or so people suddenly rushed out from behind them. Most of them were young and strong, carrying hoes, pickaxes, machetes, knives, spears, clubs, and all sorts of weapons. They surged towards them like a tide.
The first man, mounted on horseback with a bandage wrapped around his arm, shouted the loudest, "That scoundrel dares to injure Young Master Shen! Brothers, charge!"
It was Hu Tieniu.
His shoulder and leg injuries hadn't fully healed, and he could barely sit still on the horse. He was jostled around so much that his face turned pale, but he didn't slow down even a step.
Shen Jingchuan had saved his life and provided food and a way to survive for his men. This kindness was more precious than his own life. Even if he couldn't lift the axe, he would crawl over there.
The refugees behind him all had red eyes. Most of them had fled famine and were on the verge of starvation, so they had no choice but to follow Hu Tieniu and become bandits.
But being a bandit wasn't easy. They were often hungry, and it was only because Shen Jingchuan took them in and gave them food that they were able to work for them. They hadn't had a chance to enjoy their good days for long. Now that they saw their benefactor surrounded, no one hesitated. Grabbing their weapons, they charged straight at the gray-clad men who were fighting Shen Jingchuan.
Everyone could see that the gray-robed man was the leader of the bandits; he was incredibly agile and darting around.
A hundred or so people rushed forward, raising dust and shouting battle cries that echoed through the mountain valley.
The gray-clad man's expression darkened slightly. No matter how skilled he was, he was only at the First Layer of Qi Refinement, slightly stronger than ordinary martial artists.
He wasn't confident he could defeat his opponent amidst such a large-scale attack, especially since his opponent was a cultivator of immense strength.
He brandished his sword, forcing Shen Jingchuan back, and his gaze swept over the onrushing crowd, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
The man in gray glanced at the refugees rushing to the front, and he already had the idea of retreating.
The group of ragged men had bloodshot eyes, gripped hoes and sticks, and kept moving without stopping. They were truly ready to fight him to the death, not just putting on an act.
Although he had only taken a half-step into the Second Layer of Qi Refinement, he was still only slightly stronger than a top-tier mortal martial artist. If he were to be entangled by a hundred or so reckless men, even ants could kill an elephant, and he would surely perish here today. He only had one life, so there was no need to fight to the death.
"Withdraw."
The thought had barely formed in his mind when he swung his longsword diagonally, unleashing a sharp and unparalleled blade.
Before the first few refugees could react, their wooden sticks and machetes snapped in two, sending splinters flying. One of the men in the front row didn't even have time to scream before a sword slashed through his waist, cleaving him in two, his blood splattering on the ground.
The others were either struck in the arm or bled from the waist and abdomen, and fell down screaming as the sword forcefully ripped open a gap in their bodies.
The man in gray flipped his wrist, preparing to unleash a second sword strike and use the opening to break through.
Just then, a strong wind suddenly rose from behind— Shen Jingchuan, wielding his tiger-headed golden spear, twisted his waist and thrust the spear tip straight for his back, fast and ruthless. The gray-clad man dared not be careless and could only turn around to parry with his sword. With a crisp "clang," the spear tip was deflected, and he himself was shaken so badly that his arm went numb.
In the short time it took to delay them, the group of refugees had already arrived.
Instead of retreating, the man in gray advanced, kicking a refugee in the shoulder with his left foot. Using the force, he leaped into the air, his longsword aimed straight for Shen Jingchuan's throat, forcing Shen Jingchuan to hastily raise his spear to block. The two weapons clashed, and the man in gray twisted in mid-air, actually skimming past the horse's body and landing directly in front of Big Black's hindquarters.
Shen Jingchuan turned around and drew his gun, but first heard the sound of wind behind him.
Horses have eyes on the sides of their heads, giving them a wide field of vision of over 300 degrees. They can see most of the movement around them, but the area directly behind their hindquarters is a blind spot and the most dangerous area for them.
Even ordinary horses will kick up their heels if there is any movement behind them (as anyone familiar with horses knows, you shouldn't stand behind a horse), let alone a fierce and battle-hardened Whirlwind Horse like Big Black.
It didn't even need to look; it sensed someone behind it. Its lower back muscles tightened, and its two thick hind legs, as thick as small tree trunks, suddenly lashed out backward, their hooves covered in heavy war hooves, aiming straight for the gray-clad man's chest.
The Whirlwind Horse paws its feet with its forelegs, relying mainly on the explosive power of its foreleg muscles. Although the force is fierce, it ultimately only has the strength of half its body and is mostly used for close combat.
The hind hoof kick involves the entire body, including the waist, abdomen, hips, and legs, channeling two to three thousand pounds of explosive power into both hooves. The force is at least three to four times that of the front hoof kick, and it is both fast and fierce. If an ordinary strong man were to be hit by it, he would suffer broken bones on the spot.
Big Black already weighed a ton and a half, and this kick carried the force to split mountains and shatter rocks.
The man in gray was still in mid-air, with nowhere to put his footing. He could only watch helplessly as the black hooves grew larger before his eyes. There was no way to avoid them, so he could only instinctively raise his sword to block them.
"Clang--"
With a muffled thud, the horseshoe struck the sword squarely. The steel longsword was bent into an arc by the kick, then flew out of his hand and embedded itself diagonally in the sand some distance away. The gray-clad man felt a tremendous force slam into him along the sword, his chest heaving with Qi and Blood and qi, and he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.
Shen Jingchuan's spear also struck just in time, originally aimed at the opponent's heart.
But Big Black suddenly reared up, its rump lifting upwards, causing Shen Jingchuan's center of gravity to rise as well, and his wrist involuntarily tilting upwards—the spear grazed the gray-clad man's shoulder, missing its mark.
Fortunately, he didn't need to use that shot anymore; the man had vanished without a trace.