Blood Spattered Three Feet!

Within Qingyang County stood a notoriously infamous mountain called Black Mountain. Bandits had entrenched themselves there year-round, occasionally descending to pillage homes and rob travelers, showing off their presence.

After half a month, they made their move again.

This time, they showed their presence by abducting over thirty Iron Bone Sect disciples and leaving behind a letter demanding money.

Other bandit gangs generally blocked roads to rob people of money and goods. Kidnapping people and openly demanding ransom like this was certainly a rather novel idea.

"Damn it!"

Jun Changxiao strode out of the gate, murderous intent surging around him. "You dared to bully members of my Iron Bone Unyielding Sect? I don't care whether you're bandits or robbers—I'll kill every last one of you!"

He had finally managed to recruit a hundred disciples, yet more than thirty had been abducted. This was intolerable!

The murderous aura he gave off and the ruthless words he spoke were enough to prove that Jun Changxiao had fully adapted to his new identity, as well as the cruel Starfall Continent.

"Sect Master!"

Li Qingyang chased after him. "This disciple will go with you!"

As the Second Senior Brother of the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect, he certainly could not remain indifferent when his junior brothers had been abducted by bandits.

Lu Qianqian followed him out as well.

Jun Changxiao stopped. "There are still disciples who have yet to report in. The two of you will stay behind to manage the sect. There's no need to follow me to Black Mountain."

Li Qingyang's expression grew solemn. "Sect Master, there are no fewer than two hundred bandits on Black Mountain. It is said their leader has already stepped into the Martial Apprentice realm. If you go alone, I'm afraid..."

Jun Changxiao said in a low voice, "This is an order."

At that moment, he truly carried the authority of a sect master.

Though he wanted to continue persuading him, Li Qingyang could only cup his hands. "This disciple obeys the Sect Master's command."

Jun Changxiao walked down the mountain, his gaze still cold and sharp.

He was furious.

He was serious!

"Senior Sister."

Watching Jun Changxiao's departing figure, Li Qingyang could not help worrying. "If anything happens to the Sect Master, what will become of our Iron Bone Unyielding Sect?"

"Simple."

Leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed, Lu Qianqian said, "I'll be the sect master, and you'll be the chief disciple."

Li Qingyang's mouth twitched.

Black Mountain.

It lay fifty li outside Qingyang Village.

Its peaks rose and fell in layers, its cliffs stood sheer and towering, and its terrain was exceedingly treacherous. Relying on this complex landscape, the bandits acted without restraint and descended the mountain to commit every sort of evil.

The authorities and many sect factions had repeatedly come to suppress the bandits, but Black Mountain was easy to defend and hard to assault. Every time, they returned with broken weapons and shattered banners.

As time passed, Black Mountain came to be regarded as a Forbidden Land by the martial artists of Qingyang County. No one dared set foot there.

Yet today, Jun Changxiao climbed the winding mountain path one step at a time. If any martial artist learned that the Iron Bone Sect's master had ascended Black Mountain alone, they would surely cup their hands and say, "I respect you as a true man!"

"How should I deal with those bandits and rescue the disciples?"

Jun Changxiao muttered as he walked.

Anger was anger, fury was fury, but he had finally begun seriously considering how to deal with the bandits next.

From what Li Qingyang had told him, there were not only two hundred people on the mountain, but very likely a Martial Apprentice as well. That made things rather troublesome.

With the Low-grade Cold Edge Sword, the Nine Wave Sword Style, and ten of his twelve meridians opened, Jun Changxiao's current strength was enough to handle more than twenty Pulse Opening Fourth or Fifth Stage cultivators. But facing over two hundred people would be extremely difficult.

What was more, if there truly was a Martial Apprentice, this trip might be easy going up but hard coming down.

Jun Changxiao sent his consciousness into the Spatial Ring. Looking at the Talisman of Speed and Talisman of Escape gifted by the Novice Gift Pack, he thought, These two talismans aren't suited for fighting either.

Just then, his gaze swept over the Uncollectible Blade.

The sight of the thing irritated him. After all, it had been sent over as his Shouyuan simply because of something he had casually said!

Jun Changxiao weighed the Uncollectible Blade in his hand and found it quite heavy. He murmured, "What grade could it be?"

Without realizing it, he gripped the hilt and gently drew it from its sheath.

Boom!

A thunderous blast rang out.

Jun Changxiao was sent flying dozens of meters away.

In the outside world, his body involuntarily stumbled back several stone steps, nearly losing his footing and falling straight down.

Jun Changxiao's heart still pounded with lingering fear. "That was close, that was close!"

When he had drawn the blade just now, a violent aura had suddenly erupted between the hilt and sheath. Had he not reacted quickly enough to throw it away, he would likely have been injured by the explosion!

The system's voice sounded. "The Uncollectible Blade must have its seal removed before it can be used. Forcibly drawing it from its sheath will only harm the user."

Jun Changxiao broke down. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

The system said, "You didn't ask."

"..."

Jun Changxiao was speechless.

After calming down, however, he was overjoyed. "The aura it released was so terrifying. The Uncollectible Blade must be of extremely high quality. Perhaps it can help me rescue the disciples!"

In an instant, Sect Master Jun's confidence soared.

"Hmm?"

Abruptly, he stopped walking.

Two burly men stood on the stone steps ahead, each holding a weapon, malicious smiles hanging from their lips.

"Sixth Brother."

The shorter burly man grinned. "Am I seeing things? Someone actually dared to climb Black Mountain?"

The man called Sixth Brother gave Jun Changxiao a glance and said indifferently, "He looks too weak to withstand a gust of wind. He should be some scholar or poet here to admire the scenery."

Whoosh!

The shorter man leaped down, waved the Big Ring Blade in his hand, and said sinisterly, "Kid, do you know you've entered a bandit den?"

Jun Changxiao's face remained calm. "I know."

The shorter man froze, then bared his teeth in a grin. "You know, yet you still dared to come up? Are you an old man hanging himself because you've lived long enough?"

Jun Changxiao said, "You're a bandit?"

The shorter man rested the Big Ring Blade on his shoulder and declared proudly, "That's right. I'm a bandit of Black Mountain. People call me the Iron Blade Little Overlord."

Jun Changxiao shook his head.

Even a thief had such a powerful sense of superiority. Truly, the world was going downhill.

The bandit called Sixth Brother grew impatient. "Seventh Brother, stop wasting words with him. Deal with him quickly."

"Sure."

The Iron Blade Little Overlord put on a vicious expression. "Kid, will you hand over everything valuable on you willingly, or shall Seventh Master here search you himself?"

"Search me."

Jun Changxiao said.

The Iron Blade Little Overlord gave a cold, sinister smile. "If I search you, the outcome will be having you chopped into eight pieces."

Jun Changxiao said, "What if I hand them over willingly?"

The Iron Blade Little Overlord said arrogantly, "Then I can leave you an intact corpse."

Jun Changxiao rubbed his nose. "So what you mean is, no matter what I choose, I can't escape death?"

"Hahaha!"

The Iron Blade Little Overlord laughed loudly. "Kid, from the moment you stepped onto Black Mountain, you were destined for death, not life..."

Pfft!

At some point, Jun Changxiao had summoned the Cold Edge Sword and driven it straight into his chest. Lowering his voice, he said, "Sorry, but I haven't lived long enough yet, so I'll have to trouble you to die first."

The Iron Blade Little Overlord froze. Then his face twisted savagely as intense pain spread through his body.

Pfft!

Jun Changxiao pulled out his sword.

The Iron Blade Little Overlord immediately toppled over and rolled down with a series of thuds, leaving a long trail of blood across the stone steps.

"Seventh Brother!"

The bandit called Sixth Brother drew his blade in fury.

Whoosh!

Just then, the Cold Edge Sword was already pressed against his neck.

Jun Changxiao's gaze was icy as he said, "Answer me. Were the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect's disciples kidnapped by you?"

"Gulp!"

The bandit called Sixth Brother swallowed, terror filling his face. "Y-yes..."

Pfft!

A sword swept past, and blood spattered three feet.

"Urgh..."

The bandit desperately clutched his blood-spraying neck. When his consciousness finally faded, he rolled down the mountain path just like the Iron Blade Little Overlord.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

After the two were killed, the people above were alerted. More than ten bandits rushed down with weapons in hand, glaring furiously at Jun Changxiao.

Clang!

Jun Changxiao sheathed his sword and said calmly, "Tell your leader that the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect's master has come to ransom his people."