Wuji Sect

Facing the incoming heavy, forceful staff strike, Lu Ming did not even blink. He raised his saber with one hand, sheath still on, to block it, then twisted with the momentum and dispelled the force carried by the iron staff.

But it was not over yet. In the blink of an eye, the saber sheath had already struck an acupoint on the burly man's right hand.

His arm immediately went numb, and he could no longer grip the heavy iron staff. It slipped from his hand and crashed to the ground with a clattering sound.

"What?"

The burly man was greatly alarmed. His opponent was too fast and too strong; before he could even react, he had lost his weapon.

Knowing he had encountered a tough opponent, he tried to retreat, only to take a solid kick to the chest and be sent flying backward.

The battle had ended in a single move. Once the surrounding crowd came to their senses, they gained a new understanding of Lu Ming's strength.

"What a precise counterattack. Who would have thought that, despite both being at the eighth level of the Inner Qi Realm, someone from the Black Tiger Gang would not be able to withstand even one move from that young hero?"

"I know him. His name is Li Qihu, the adopted son of the Black Tiger Gang's leader. He cultivates the Mad Demon Staff Technique. Once, he beat a Beggar's Gang hall master until he vomited blood and died in just three staff strikes."

"Tsk, tsk. Such a formidable figure was defeated in a single move."

"Little brother, are you refusing to give the Black Tiger Gang any face?"

Li Qihu's one-move defeat startled Master Liu. To be honest, although he was one level higher than the gang leader's adopted son, his actual strength was inferior to Li Qihu's.

Therefore, when facing Lu Ming, he knew he was even less of a match. He was merely putting up a brave front for the Black Tiger Gang's reputation.

Lu Ming had already set down the cloth sack on his shoulder. One hand rested on his saber hilt as he said coldly:

"I have already given you plenty of face. If you still insist on pestering me, then do not blame my blade for showing no mercy!"

Master Liu's heart jolted. He had not expected the other party to be so unyielding, leaving him caught between advancing and retreating.

"What a 'blade showing no mercy'!"

Fortunately, at that moment, a deep, powerful voice came from behind the crowd, instantly delighting Master Liu.

"Gang Leader!"

The crowd automatically parted, and a middle-aged man with a full beard strode forward with the gait of a dragon and a tiger.

As he walked, waves of force surged around him.

"The True Qi Realm, though he should only be at the early stage."

Lu Ming saw the qi force swelling around the man and recognized it as true qi. However, judging by his presence, he was not as strong as the Early Stage Level 2 demonic beast Lu Ming had encountered in the Shuofeng Mountain Range.

Indeed, Lu Ming had already fought demonic beasts comparable to the Early True Qi Realm, and not merely once, but several times.

The first time, he had only been at the seventh level of the Inner Qi Realm. He had exhausted every trick in his arsenal before finally fleeing in a sorry state.

The second time, he had reached the eighth level of the Inner Qi Realm. He sought it out again and fought it blow for blow, but in the end, his inner qi ran short and he made a strategic withdrawal.

In the following encounters, he lasted longer and longer, and even began suppressing it. If not for its truly formidable defenses, he would have defeated it long ago.

He believed that after a few more trips, he could settle it completely.

Thus, when this middle-aged man at the Early True Qi Realm stepped forward, Lu Ming was not alarmed in the slightest. At worst, he could retreat calmly and win back the lost ground next time.

But the surrounding people did not see it that way. Upon seeing the middle-aged man, even their voices grew quieter.

"This is bad. The Black Tiger Gang's leader, Li Chonghu, has actually come in person."

"Yes. I heard Li Chonghu is extremely ruthless. Those tiger claws of his have crushed who knew how many skulls."

"Silence!"

Li Chonghu stepped fully forward. Hearing the surrounding chatter, he suddenly snorted coldly, and the entire scene immediately fell silent.

Only then did he look at Lu Ming in satisfaction. "You were the one who injured my adopted son?"

"I was."

Lu Ming admitted it directly.

"Very well. I will give you two choices now. Either join the Black Tiger Gang and serve me for three years, or..."

At this point, a terrifying gleam appeared in his eyes. "Or die."

Lu Ming sneered. "You really are domineering. Anyone who did not know better would think you were the city lord. I choose neither. If you want to fight, do it now. As it happens, I also want to test your methods."

Li Chonghu was taken aback. He had not expected the other party to be so bold, showing no regard for him whatsoever and even daring to mock him.

The onlookers clearly had not expected this either. For some reason, they suddenly felt that Lu Ming was being unwise—and that he did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth.

"Ha ha ha..."

Li Chonghu laughed in extreme anger, then his expression turned icy. "Good. It seems I, Li Chonghu, have gone too long without fighting. Today, even a mere Inner Qi Realm cultivator dares to stroke my tiger's whiskers."

"Take this!"

Without caring about the accusation of bullying the weak, Li Chonghu gave a deep shout. His fingers suddenly curled into claws, carrying a dark-black claw force as they swept toward Lu Ming.

"It's the Tiger Fiend Claw, Li Chonghu's famous ultimate technique!"

The moment they saw the black claw force, the surrounding people recognized it.

Lu Ming had no mind to listen to their discussion. He focused completely. Compared to the Inner Qi Realm, the greatest difference of the True Qi Realm was that true qi could leave the body, allowing palm force, fist force, and the like to be launched through the air.

So he could not take it head-on. He activated the Cloud Soaring Skill and immediately retreated.

"Hmph, let's see how long you can keep dodging!"

One claw qi strike missed, but Li Chonghu did not care. His figure flashed, and he closed in again at tremendous speed.

At the same time, his twin claws struck in succession. In an instant, streak after streak of claw force shot out in all directions with sharp swishing sounds, forcing the surrounding people to scramble away.

The force filling the sky seemed to seal off every path of retreat. Lu Ming did not dare hold anything back. Heavenly Blade Inner Energy circulated at full power, pushing his speed to its limit as he slipped through the gaps and escaped the encirclement of claw force.

"Take one of my moves too!"

After breaking free of the encirclement, Lu Ming was still in midair. He twisted his body, bringing the saber sheath directly in line with his opponent, then drew his saber with the motion, sending the sheath shooting toward him like a sharp arrow.

Lu Ming naturally followed close behind. He intended to attack proactively—and seize the initiative.

Though claw force was formidable, it still required time to gather. Even if that time was brief, with his speed, he could seize the openings.

"Hmph, a mere trick!"

Li Chonghu was quite surprised to see Lu Ming evade his Heavenly Net-like attack, though he did not reveal it on his face.

With a casual claw, he crushed the incoming saber sheath to powder, then met the saber light that followed behind it.

He intended to crush the opponent's saber as well. The Tiger Fiend Claw he had cultivated for years gave him that confidence.

Hm?

Yet he unexpectedly grasped empty air. The saber light came from another direction.

Years of experience told him that there was nothing wrong with his eyesight; rather, his opponent had changed moves too quickly.

He hurriedly covered his hand in true qi and clawed out again.

This time, he did make contact, but the opponent retreated at the first touch, giving him no time at all to exert force.

So fast!

Seeing the saber light attack again, Li Chonghu grew increasingly alarmed. Only then did he realize that Lu Ming's escape from the sky-filling blockade of claw force had not been luck.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

What Lu Ming used this time was the second form of the Heavenly Saber Saber Art, the Pouring Rain Style. Its attacks came in an endless stream, each saber strike faster than the last.

Li Chonghu found the fight extremely stifling. His opponent retreated at the first touch, leaving him unable to bring his strength into play at all.

He wanted to counterattack, so he surged his true qi with all his might, intending to kill Lu Ming beneath his claws.

But his opponent moved as swiftly as a phantom, never taking attacks head-on. Moreover, Lu Ming seized every opening to strike from time to time.

And Li Chonghu had no choice but to block, or else he would take a saber strike.

"No. I need to open the distance. Only then can I bring out the advantage of my true qi."

As his opponent's saber grew faster and faster, Li Chonghu found it increasingly difficult to keep up with his defense. He had to adapt.

Yet even he himself did not realize that, unconsciously, he had already begun treating Lu Ming as an equal opponent.

He surged his true qi once more, forcing Lu Ming back, then used his movement technique to widen the distance.

But Lu Ming clung to him like dogskin plaster. Relying on his incredible speed, he closed in again. When his opponent attacked, he dodged; when his opponent retreated, he attacked.

Just as he had done against that Early Stage Level 2 demonic beast.

The two of them fought from the street to the rooftops, then from the rooftops back to the street.

Amid crackling explosions, bricks and stones flew everywhere.

The surrounding people retreated farther and farther away, growing ever more astonished.

"Am I seeing things? Why does it look like that young hero is suppressing Li Chonghu?"

"You are not seeing things. Though he is only at the eighth level of the Inner Qi Realm, his saber speed and movement speed are extremely fast, and his eyes are sharp. He can always seize openings in his opponent's attacks to take the initiative. That big man has plenty of strength but is being suppressed, unable to use it."

"So that's how it is."

Those who had just been puzzled immediately understood. Then they suddenly realized that the person explaining it did not seem ordinary either.

They hurriedly turned to look, only to see a handsome young man dressed in white cloud-patterned robes, with a longsword on his back.

Such attire was clearly extraordinary. "May I ask this young hero's identity?"

Without even turning his head, the handsome young man replied, "Chu Yunxiao, an Inner Sect disciple of the Wuji Sect."

"Hiss!"

Upon hearing the handsome young man announce his identity, the people nearby could not help but gasp in shock. The Wuji Sect was a seventh-rank sect, and every one of its disciples possessed extraordinary talent.

What was more, the man before them was an Inner Sect disciple, meaning he was at least in the Early True Qi Realm.

Thus, those who had initially doubted his earlier assessment no longer had any doubts.

"Then may I ask, Young Hero Chu, who will win this battle?"

Someone moved closer and asked.