After Han Fei's cold shout, the surroundings seemed to grow much quieter.
From the dense forest across the road, a masked man dressed in black emerged, followed by a full twenty or thirty subordinates. At the same time, another twenty or thirty men in black appeared from the woods on Han Fei's side, trapping the two of them in the middle.
With one glance, Han Fei saw that the weakest among them were at the Tenth Level of the Innate Realm. There were even several experts at the second level of the Spirit Gathering Realm, while the leader possessed cultivation at the third level of the Spirit Gathering Realm.
"Han Fei, they say that after three days apart, one should look at someone with new eyes."
Han Fei stood frozen. "That voice? Wang Rui?"
The leading man in black removed his mask. It was Wang Rui, who had been rescued three years ago.
Daoist Sanyuan had already told Han Fei about this. When Han Fei entered the Inner Court, someone had taken advantage of the night to rescue Wang Rui. He had vanished without a trace for three years.
Han Fei had never expected Wang Rui not to have left. He had lingered near the Tianyuan Mountain Range and even gathered so many "experts."
Han Fei asked, "You stayed in the Tianyuan Mountain Range just to wait for me?"
Wang Rui smiled. "The most dangerous place is the safest place. As for why I'm here, naturally, someone informed me."
Even if Han Fei had been a fool, he would have understood that there was a mole in the mission hall who had told Wang Rui that Qi Xuanxuan had accepted the mission. That was why he had appeared here.
The moment Wang Rui finished speaking, Qi Xuanxuan behind Han Fei suddenly leaped into the air.
"Why waste words with him? What does he think he can do with a bunch of trash? Kill us? Or capture us alive?"
As she spoke, Qi Xuanxuan swung her sword.
With a swish, Sword Qi drifted and shifted in every direction.
Wang Rui sneered. "The Dragon Slaying Sword Art? No matter how it changes direction and form, its final target is still me. This move has far too many flaws."
As he spoke, Wang Rui shifted three meters to the left.
The sword light flew past Wang Rui's side, then shot upward.
Han Fei narrowed his eyes. He did not know whether Wang Rui had grown stronger or had deeply studied the characteristics of the Dragon Slaying Sword Art. In any case, Qi Xuanxuan's second move of the Dragon Slaying Sword Art had failed to harm Wang Rui at all.
Then Wang Rui pointed at Han Fei and Qi Xuanxuan with his right hand. "Try to capture the woman alive. Do whatever you want with the man."
The black-clothed experts around them immediately charged at the two. Qi Xuanxuan took the lead and rushed straight into the crowd.
Sword light ran rampant, and Sword Qi constantly shot out through gaps in the crowd.
The men in black kept falling. Though none of them had low cultivation, the strongest were only at the second level of the Spirit Gathering Realm.
Qi Xuanxuan was now at the peak of the fourth level of the Spirit Gathering Realm. Let alone killing opponents weaker than herself, with her combat strength, even slaughtering Martial Artists of the same level was as easy as killing chickens and dogs.
Han Fei also began fighting the black-clothed experts on his side. However, the disparity between the two sides was too great. The enemy clearly intended to use sheer numbers to make up for the gap in strength.
The more people they killed, the more appeared. The moment one fell, someone else took his place. Moreover, these people all used the martial techniques and cultivation arts of the Tianyuan Divine Sect, and they understood the two well. As the battle dragged on, it became increasingly difficult.
Qi Xuanxuan had used up more than half her spiritual energy. After killing over a dozen experts, she was panting heavily.
Wang Rui flew forward, his longsword aimed at Qi Xuanxuan. The sword tip was only an inch from Xuanxuan's chest.
Han Fei immediately hurled the broken sword in his hand.
The broken sword turned into a streak of light and struck Wang Rui's blade.
With a clang, Wang Rui's longsword snapped in two. His weapon was only a mid-grade treasure artifact, nowhere near comparable to the Houtian Spirit Treasure broken sword.
Although the sword had been shattered by the broken sword's impact, the remaining half still posed a considerable threat to Qi Xuanxuan.
Driven by inertia, the remaining half of the broken sword continued flying toward Qi Xuanxuan.
Han Fei narrowed his eyes, and his figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was already before Wang Rui, his right hand grabbing the other spinning half of the broken sword barehanded.
With a squelch, the sword tip pierced Wang Rui's right chest. Han Fei thrust his arm forward and shoved Wang Rui backward.
The broken sword that had reached Qi Xuanxuan's chest slowly moved away.
Blood was already flowing from Han Fei's hand, which gripped the blade tightly.
Han Fei's eyes flashed with anger. "You can kill me, but not her."
Qi Xuanxuan froze, ripples stirring in her heart.
Han Fei's left fingers touched a trace of blood on the blade. At the same time, he circulated spiritual energy through his left hand. When the spiritual energy merged with Han Fei's blood, the cyan energy instantly turned blood-red.
Blood Qi Judgment
Boom! A powerful shockwave burst from Han Fei's left hand, fanning outward and blasting Wang Rui away. At the same time, every black-clothed man caught in the crimson wave of force was sent flying.
The clothes on their backs were torn through by the tremendous inertia, and the life within them had already vanished while they were still in midair.
With a single strike, half the black-clothed men were killed, and Wang Rui was severely injured as well.
If his cultivation had not been relatively high, if he had not worn inner armor, and if he had not possessed defensive methods, that strike would have been enough to kill him twice over.
Of course, even though he had not died, the impact had robbed him of his ability to fight. Half of his own sword had also pierced his right chest, and recovering would take far more than ten days or half a month.
"Pfft!" Wang Rui sprayed a mist of blood and lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
After that strike, the black-clothed men across the road were almost all dead. Fewer than twenty black-clothed assassins remained behind them.
The blood and qi within Han Fei's body churned violently as well. He turned his head slightly, preparing to deal with the remaining men in black.
Qi Xuanxuan hurriedly said, "Your hand is bleeding. Are you all right?"
Han Fei shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, a cold gust suddenly swept in from behind. A soft sword gleaming with cold light was about to strike him.
Han Fei quickly pushed Qi Xuanxuan away. At the same time, the broken sword flew back into his hand. His wrist spun continuously, making the blade trace circles as it thrust out and wrapped the soft sword around the broken sword.
The man in black released the soft sword. Driven by the rotational force, it spun rapidly, nearly making Han Fei lose his grip on the broken sword.
The man in black then rushed before Han Fei empty-handed. Spiritual energy surged over his palm as he fiercely struck at Han Fei.
Han Fei had no time to use a martial technique. He could only mobilize his spiritual energy and meet the man in black's palm strike.
Bang! Caught unprepared, Han Fei was sent flying back more than ten meters. He crashed into a giant tree, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"So strong."
That was Han Fei's first impression. The man opposite him had at least the cultivation of the sixth level of the Spirit Gathering Realm. In terms of spiritual energy intensity alone, he utterly surpassed Han Fei. He also knew Han Fei's moves and martial techniques extremely well, even his habits.
Only then did Han Fei see that the man who had attacked him was Fu Jiahao, who had been missing for more than three years.
"It's you...?"
Fu Jiahao said, "That's right, it's me. Are you surprised to see me?"
Han Fei asked, "You did all of this, didn't you? You were also the one who rescued Wang Rui."
Fu Jiahao nodded in silent acknowledgment.
Qi Xuanxuan also looked stunned. "Fu Jiahao, you actually dare to appear here? Don't you know you're already an S-class wanted criminal?"
Fu Jiahao spread his hands. "So what? Junior Sister, wait here for me. Let me send him on his way first, then we can catch up."
As he spoke, Fu Jiahao raised his soft sword, flipped into the air, and thrust straight at Han Fei.
Han Fei's blood and qi had been affected, making it difficult for him to move. But he had already prepared himself to use every trump card he had. Even the tattoos on his body faintly glowed with a blood-red light.
Just as the soft sword was about to reach Han Fei, another black-clothed figure with a relatively slender build appeared.
Judging from her figure alone, she was a woman. However, she wore a mask as well, and Han Fei did not recognize her.
A black longsword knocked Fu Jiahao's soft sword aside. At the same time, she kicked Fu Jiahao in the chest and sent him flying.
Fu Jiahao landed on the other side of the road, staring blankly at the black-clothed person who had ruined his plans.
"Before I lose my temper, take your people and get out."
Her voice was exceptionally pleasant yet no less threatening, making Fu Jiahao shudder all over. When he saw the woman's mask, he was even more terrified. He hurriedly got up, pulled Wang Rui along, and left with the surviving men in black.
Han Fei blinked and looked at the black-clothed woman's back, unable to understand her identity.
She seemed to share Fu Jiahao's identity, yet she bore no killing intent toward the two of them. Han Fei could not figure her out.
What... what does this mean? Han Fei thought.
The woman never turned around. She merely tilted her head slightly to glance at Han Fei and Qi Xuanxuan before turning and disappearing into the night.
Qi Xuanxuan hurried to Han Fei's side and fed him a golden pill.
The moment the pill entered his stomach, a warm current instantly filled his entire body, restoring Han Fei's depleted spiritual energy and blood qi.
"Do you know that woman?"
Han Fei shook his head. "No. Maybe your father sent her to protect you?"
Qi Xuanxuan gave an "Oh" and said nothing more.
Han Fei fell into deep thought, but even by dawn, he still had not figured out who that mysterious woman was.
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