Gale Slash

These Mechanical Knight of the Duke's Mansion were actually low-ranking members of the large Scavenger Gang that had previously served Valentine Rosas. Because they seized the opportunity well, they transformed themselves into nobles.

Although knights are the lowest rank of nobles, they are still far superior to commoners. With their noble status, even hunters who are stronger than them have to treat them with utmost respect and dare not offend them in the slightest.

All they had to do was pledge allegiance to their lord and faithfully carry out all of his orders.

Well, they've finally met their match.

Rein really liked this feeling: if we're going to talk about reason, we'll win; if you insist on using fists, then we'll use fists.

With lightning speed, he punched and killed the knight captain. The other Mechanical Knight froze on the spot, and a thought popped into their minds at the same time: This guy doesn't want to live.

How dare someone attack and kill a nobleman?

This is an unprecedentedly terrible incident!

The previous offense and conflict could have been resolved with an apology, which is what other Scavenger Gang did. But now that someone has actually been killed, those people have absolutely driven themselves to their own demise!

Killing someone is a minor matter, but killing a "nobleman" is a capital offense!

Even the most powerful Transcendent, even the "Ten Great Legends," can stand against the once-powerful Radiant Kingdom.

But after the shock came fear.

Because Rein and his men only gave these guys a final chance to live.

Since they were determined to take action, they would absolutely not give these guys a chance to call for help.

Just as Rein and his group were annihilating the Second Tier patrol captain, he didn't even try to break free. He abruptly stopped and changed direction, directly attacking the Mechanical Knight around him, his fists flying like skewers of candied hawthorns, killing one with each punch.

The moment Catherine and the others heard the gunshot, they didn't hesitate at all and immediately started fighting!

Catherine used her mental powers to hypnotize the Mechanical Knight were eyeing her body with greedy gazes, then drew her gun and accurately shot them in the head, smashing several large watermelons to pieces.

Gannix's lance trembled, showing no fear whatsoever, and with a single thrust, he severed the throat of a knight.

Guard Jimmy also drew his sword and charged forward.

The third-tier earth mage, Amalia, raised her hand in a claw stance and instantly cast the first-level spell "Sand Tentacles," pulling both motorcyclists and their vehicles into the yellow sand.

Two Third Tier, plus three Second Tier elite Transcendent, were no match for more than ten ordinary First Tier 1 Awakened. In a single exchange, they slaughtered them, staining the yellow sand with blood.

In just a breath or two, more than a dozen corpses had already fallen to the ground in disarray.

The two knights who were furthest away saw that all their companions were dead in the blink of an eye. At this moment, there was no trace of arrogance on their faces. They were terrified and turned to run away. But how could Rein give them that chance?

Just then, Rein raised his foot and launched a horizontal kick at the two people dozens of meters away. As he lifted the foot, purple battle aura visibly condensed and solidified on his shinbone, then shot out like a taut crossbow string.

Two "whoosh" sounds!

Two purple crescent-shaped arcs of energy shot through the air like two transparent flying knives, chasing after the two people at an extremely fast speed.

This move is none other than [Secret Technique: Storm Slash]!

In the blink of an eye, the energy blade arrived.

"Pfft~" "Pfft~" Two soft sounds of clothes tearing rang out.

A cloud of blood mist suddenly burst from the backs of the two men, and then, as if pushed by a tremendous force, they fell into the yellow sand.

Seeing this, Rein frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied: His proficiency wasn't high enough.

This was the first time he had used the technique "Storm Slash," which involves separating his fighting spirit from his body.

Ideally, the two men's bodies would be cut in half, the wounds as sharp as if cut by a blade; but these two guys in front of me had wounds wide enough to be a palm's width, and were literally killed by Rein's powerful battle aura.

But this somewhat clumsy use of the [Storm Slash] left Catherine and the others stunned.

After confirming there were no survivors, Gannix looked at Rein with a shocked expression and exclaimed, "Mr. Rein, was the move you just used [Storm Slash] from the Six Powers Secret Techniques?"

This move, [Storm Cutter], can unleash a blade of energy, killing enemies from dozens of meters away. He had heard that only the most elite fighters could achieve this level of skill!

But this Mr. Rein is clearly not a newly advanced Third Tier Transcendent. How come he can use this move as soon as he advanced?

Even Catherine and the others showed expressions of shock.

Although they knew that Rein was very powerful, they had never actually seen him fight.

Now that I see it, I'm immediately stunned.

Is this the ultimate technique, [Storm Slash], used right off the bat?

Also, that punch earlier, judging by its cannon-like power, it seemed to be a [Cannon Fist]?

Thinking back to that dashing Movement Technique that left afterimages, with its crackling sounds, it was probably the [Divine Speed] technique!

He has mastered three Profound Martial Techniques?

Is the "Six Forms of Combat" the strongest and most difficult martial art for a fighter to learn? Legend has it that only Third Tier Extraordinary can slowly explore and learn it, and being able to master even one style is considered to have good talent. How did this Rein master so many of them?

Moreover, they had witnessed his advancement to the Third Tier Extraordinary just a few days ago. Judging from his proficiency in martial arts, it meant that he had already learned and mastered it when he was at the Second Tier.

How did you do that?

When asked this question, Rein's expression changed slightly, and he nodded. "Yes, it is indeed [Storm Cutter]."

This kick wasn't something he developed himself; it was a complete copy of the techniques used by martial arts masters Qiang Hu and Capone.

Upon hearing this, Gannix looked at him with the eyes of a devoted fan, making no attempt to hide his envy, and exclaimed, "Wow, Mr. Rein, you're amazing! My teacher said that while the basics of [Storm Cutter] aren't difficult to master, killing someone from a distance requires decades of cultivation. How did you manage to do that?!"

Feeling slightly embarrassed by the strange looks he was getting from everyone, Rein casually replied, "I have a little talent for martial arts, I'll get the hang of it with a little practice."

Everyone's face twitched simultaneously. "."

We are all Transcendent individuals, is it really appropriate for you to say that?

Are Profound Martial Technique something you can learn just by practicing more?

Your "slight" talent seems to be a bit too much.

Catherine blinked and asked curiously, "No wonder Canossa said you're a martial arts prodigy. How many of the 'Six Forms of Combat' have you mastered?"

After a moment's thought, Rein said with a slightly surprised expression, "I've dabbled in all six styles, but I wouldn't say I'm an expert."

This is not modesty, but the truth.

He knows all Six Forms of Combat, but he hasn't mastered much of them on his own.

"."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned strange again.

We are all Transcendent beings. If we had any common sense about the Transcendent, we wouldn't say such a thing, right?

Your [Storm Slash] air blade killing someone dozens of meters away from your body isn't considered mastery, so what is? Even Fourth Tier 'Fighting Master' might not be able to do that.

With eyes blazing with fervor, Gannix could no longer contain himself and asked expectantly, "Mr. Rein, could you teach me?"

He was a little unconvinced that he hadn't seen Rein make a move before, and fantasized that he might have some special means to defeat his enemy.

But now that I see it, I am filled with admiration. This is a deadly move that comes with just a wave of the hand. Isn't he the perfect warrior I've always dreamed of?

Rein smiled and shook his head, saying, "Many of my martial arts skills were taught by Uncle Sam. We can exchange ideas sometime, but I can't offer any guidance."

How could he possibly teach anyone? Besides rigorous practice in real life, there's only "rigorous practice in dreams"—there are no shortcuts at all.

This method is something no one else can learn.

Catherine, seeing her son clinging to Rein, rolled her eyes at him and interrupted the conversation, saying, "Let's clean up the scene quickly and get out of here. The patrol cavalrymen have been killed, and the 'Duke Valentine's' men will surely find out soon."

Hearing this, everyone nodded and began to clean up the battlefield.

Because they acted decisively, they didn't give those people any chance to ask for help, which saved them a lot of trouble.

After cleaning up the battlefield, Rein and her team continued their journey.

Having an earth mage in the team makes it very convenient to deal with traces.

As I walked along, the yellow sand covered everything, leaving no trace.

To avoid the patrolling knights, they deliberately avoided the city walls and instead circled around them.

The royal city of the Ancient Monkel Kingdom civilization was vast, Rein and his companions observed it with binoculars along the way, spotting numerous broken walls and ruins.

Perhaps due to the arid desert climate, many buildings are remarkably well-preserved. These ancient humans used numerous columns and carvings to construct a magnificent architectural complex. It's a beautiful, comfortable, and spectacular ancient architectural ensemble, somewhat reminiscent of the ancient Greek style architecture of Rein's previous life.

Looking at these architectural complexes, one feels as if they have traveled through time and space, experiencing firsthand that glorious ancient civilization.

This was Gannix's first time hunting in the wilderness, and also his first time personally encountering this ancient civilization that had been sealed away for countless years.

Because he aspired to become a great explorer from a young age, his archaeological knowledge was far from superficial.

He pointed to the tall stone pillars in the distance, very excited. "Wow, those are the 'Circular Column Architecture' unique to the Monkell Civilization. Look, these pavilions have rich changes of light and shadow under the light, different during the day and at night. This is truly an art form!"

As he walked, he was like a chattering bird that never stopped.

Rein didn't know much about ancient architecture, but listening to Gannix's explanations gave him a feeling of being guided by a tour guide to visit famous historical sites in his previous life.

Finally, upon seeing a remarkably well-preserved group of architectural ruins, the young adventurer could no longer contain himself and asked, "Mother, shall we begin excavating now? The buildings there are so densely packed; it must be the central area of the capital. There must be ancient treasures hidden there!"

Catherine still did not choose to enter the city from here.

No. Not here.

She shook her head and said, "We need to find three pyramids arranged in a triangle; that should be the entrance to the Underground Palace. The Duke's Mansion's large Scavenger Gang has already arrived, so we can't afford to delay and let them beat us to it."

She had no doubt that ancient artifacts might be unearthed in the city's buildings. Those things would be a substantial income for ordinary hunters, but that wasn't the purpose of their trip.

What Catherine is looking for is something Transcendent.

She saw some fragmented images in the Golden Mask, but the location wasn't accurately remembered.

Now that she has arrived in the capital, she still has to search slowly to see if she can find the scenes from her memory.

Rein had no objections; his goal coincided with Catherine's. Gold and silver artifacts were of little use; he wanted to find relics like temple legacies.

The group didn't stop and continued their search in the swirling yellow sand.

However, as evening approached, they still hadn't found the three pyramids, but instead stumbled upon a camp where a Scavenger Gang had gathered.

There were about one or two hundred people. Judging from the flags, they were probably several Scavenger Gang that had gathered together.

These people were poorly equipped; their muskets and swords were crude, with few pieces that could be considered high-quality. Their armor and leather gear were also very old, clearly indicating they were a low-level Scavenger Gang. It's no surprise that such Scavenger Gang were not strong; having even a few Second Tier Transcendent would be considered good.

Although there aren't many zombies left in this ancient desert city, the threat from those insects is still significant; they're probably trying to band together to survive and protect themselves.

Rein and his group hadn't originally planned to join the group, but as darkness fell, they realized that searching at night was inefficient and dangerous. They decided to gather some information and decided not to leave.

Upon making these inquiries, we actually uncovered some useful information!

Rein and his group of five made up a story, claiming they were survivors of a sandstorm who had become separated from the main group, and successfully joined the camp.

Although Catherine was very approachable, no matter how she tried to disguise it, she couldn't hide her air of a wealthy lady. Gannix, Amaris, and even the bodyguard Jimmy couldn't hide it either; they all exuded a strong "rich person's aura," making them completely out of place among these lowly hunters.

Moreover, although this temporary camp does not refuse any free hunters to join, the arrival of a few strangers will instinctively make people wary.

At first, none of those people paid any attention to the few strangers.

But when Rein revealed himself to be a doctor and sold some much-needed basic Antidote Potion to everyone at a reasonable price, he was warmly received.

As night fell, a campfire was lit in the camp.

The fog wasn't too thick tonight, and in the dark night, it was rare to see a few stars.

Rein quickly became friends with several Scavenger Gang, drinking and eating together.

As they chatted, he subtly steered the conversation toward the people who had "booked the entire venue."

This revelation ignited the fury of all the hunters. Everyone in the camp had experienced the same thing.

"Brothers, you guys ran into those awful guys too?"

"Yes! We wanted to get closer to that great city, but we were driven away by those knights who called themselves 'Duke Valentine's'!"

"Those guys are fucking bastards! Since when did the concept of 'privately booking' a hunting ground come into existence? They're just trying to monopolize the ruins, that's why they came up with this shameless excuse. They're really despicable."

"Nobles, my foot! They used to be hunters just like us, and now they've turned into knights and are bullying us instead."

"But what can we do? We still need to make a living in Black Wind Territory, and we can't afford to offend those guys."

"Hey, if it were still the 'City of Radiance' where Master Cavo used to be, who the hell would dare to do something so domineering?"

"."

The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, but there was nothing they could do.

Fortunately, many valuable ancient artifacts were found in these ruins on the outskirts of the city. Otherwise, it would have been a real waste to take such a risk.

After a few rounds of drinks, Rein also learned a lot of information about the ruins from these hunters.

As the conversation progressed, he steered the topic to the "pyramids".

Have you seen those towers made of stacked stone slabs?

"You mean those triangular stone piles? Go further northwest, there are plenty there. But... it's pointless. That area has already been occupied by the 'Sunflower Merchant Guild' and the Duke's Mansion's official Scavenger Gang. They won't allow anyone to approach that area."

"Going there won't do them any good. I see they've brought quite a few experts. I heard that two of the personal disciples of 'Rocky Lefar,' the only Martial Grandmaster in Omar, have also come. They're the senior brothers of Uhm Lopez, the most popular fighting prodigy in the territory lately."

"Hehe, they're probably here to protect Madam Fia, the vice president of the Sunflower Association. You might not have seen her, but she's a true top-tier socialite in Omar, breathtakingly beautiful."

"Speaking of those stone piles, you know what, they're pretty eerie. The other night, our regiment was camping there and we even saw the vengeful spirits of ancient soldiers among those stone piles. It seemed to be some kind of ancient tomb."

"."

Sunflower Merchant Guild?

Upon hearing this, a sinister glint flashed across Rein's face, illuminated by the firelight, before disappearing completely.

Just as Rein was chatting with the hunters, suddenly, Archmage Amaris shouted urgently, "Guild Master, someone has triggered the warning device I set up. We're surrounded!"

Thanks to 'Wu Xin Hao Ming' and 'Xiao Yao Thirty Six Heroes' for their 1,500 coins; 'Second Yuan Yifeng Ye Yu', 'Wan Wuyou', '20201120134804731', 'Feng', 'Gan Liliang', 'Only the Emperor', 'Lanye Xin', and '120430154405029'. Thanks to several people for their generous support.