Black Mountain Battle

The black clouds were thick, laced with booming thunder and lightning. The rain poured down like water from overturned buckets, striking an ordinary person's face hard enough to hurt.

Wang Xuan moved with agile speed. He leaped up, darted into the dense forest, and vanished completely.

After the thunderclap, heaven and earth sank into darkness again. Though they were far apart, Wang Xuan was certain that there was a man atop that black howler.

The desolate Great Black Mountain, its dense ancient forest, and that black vicious beast steeped in baleful air all gave off a chilling, hair-raising coldness.

If an ordinary person saw it, fear would surely rise in their heart. It felt like encountering an old corpse deep in the mountains.

Over the past several decades, everyone living near Great Black Mountain had moved away. Human traces had grown ever scarcer, yet today, a rare creature was carrying someone closer.

Wang Xuan moved soundlessly, swiftly weaving through the forest. He took winding detours and constantly changed direction. He sensed something was wrong. Danger was drawing near.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a great roar rang through the forest like thunder. A huge black shadow sprang up, smashing through trees as it pounced at Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan leaped six or seven meters away, evading its savage attack. The ground behind him shook violently, branches snapped, and the deafening beastly roar drew closer.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the dim woodland and revealing its appearance. It was five meters long and nearly two meters tall, covered in thick black fur. It was hideous beyond compare, its blood-red maw wide open, its teeth sharp as daggers, snowy white and chilling.

The ground trembled as it shifted its body. It swiped a claw forward, missing Wang Xuan but snapping a tree as thick as a bowl with a crack, sending it crashing to the ground.

Wang Xuan evaded its pounce and swiftly moved to its side, striking forward with his palm. With a bang, even this massive savage beast staggered and swayed violently before letting out an even angrier roar, louder than the thunder overhead, making his ears buzz.

At the same time, the person atop the Black Howl leaped down, fast as lightning. He delivered a flying kick straight at Wang Xuan's chest, his movements exceptionally fierce and ruthless.

Wang Xuan reacted with lightning speed. Not only did he twist aside to avoid the Black Howl's blood-red maw, he also retreated, evading that heavy, powerful kick.

Crack!

After his flying kick missed, that person used the momentum to step on a large tree beside him, snapping the trunk outright. Borrowing that force, he remained in midair and kicked fiercely toward Wang Xuan again.

At the same time, the Black Howl pounced with astonishing baleful force. Its massive body shook the forest, smashing branches and twigs to pieces.

Wang Xuan's gaze turned icy. Attacked from both sides by a man and a howler, with no way to evade, he leaped into the air. He kicked at the savage beast while sweeping both palms to meet the man's incoming foot.

"Aooor!"

Though the five-meter-long giant creature was extremely violent, its movements were somewhat hindered by the dense forest. Several water-barrel-thick trees blocked it, preventing it from maneuvering. Its gaping maw failed to bite Wang Xuan's foot; instead, Wang Xuan planted a kick squarely on its nose, making it howl miserably in pain.

Its nose was its most vulnerable spot. It split open instantly beneath the kick, blood pouring like a stream. Even its enormous head became dizzy as it staggered backward, snapping small trees beneath its feet and crushing shrubs.

Of course, that was also related to the tremendous force behind Wang Xuan's kick. If an ordinary person had kicked it, even with the howler's vulnerable nose, they would not have been able to budge it.

At the same instant, Wang Xuan's palm struck that person's sole with a dull boom, like muffled thunder rumbling through the forest.

Wang Xuan felt his right hand go numb, but he had no intention of retreating. His left hand pressed forward at the same time, striking toward that person's shin.

That person moved quickly. In midair, he was as agile as an ape. He grabbed a branch to borrow its force and successfully retracted his leg, avoiding the shinbone, the most vulnerable part of his lower leg. He switched to exerting force through his foot and stomped back fiercely.

With a bang, another dull impact sounded. Wang Xuan borrowed the force to fly several meters through the air before landing, crushing many low shrubs beneath his feet. Even some rocks cracked under his tread.

One could imagine how terrifying their collision had been, and what horrific force Wang Xuan had endured. Under such power, many experts accomplished in Qi Gathering and inner cultivation would have coughed blood, and even if their palms had not been kicked apart, every bone would have fractured.

Wang Xuan shook his hands. They were numb and quite painful, but the web between his thumb and forefinger had not split, nor had the bones in his hands fractured.

This was the manifestation of the fourth level of the Golden Body Art. Even ordinary daggers might not be able to cut through his skin. Its defensive power was astonishing.

Yet this further proved that person's strength. His movements were agile, his attacks razor-sharp, and the force in his feet immense.

That person was also surprised—indeed, shocked. Based on the collected intelligence, he had already rated Wang Xuan highly, believing him to be very strong. Though still young, his palm strength already surpassed techniques such as Iron Sand Palm, making him a rare young expert in the field of Old Arts.

Only after truly exchanging blows did he discover, to his surprise, that even his high estimation had been wrong. This young man had actually blocked two of his attacks.

"Roar!"

The Black Howl roared, making the entire forest tremble.

Though the rain was torrential, at such close range Wang Xuan could clearly see the man and the howler.

He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, with a ruddy complexion and a full head of black hair. But the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes betrayed his true age. He had merely maintained himself well. Wang Xuan guessed that he was probably already in his fifties.

As for the black savage beast opposite him, it was not a species from Old Earth. It had been bred on New Star, and its form somewhat resembled the howlers of myth and legend.

It was said that New Star had only successfully bred and domesticated them artificially within the past one to two decades. Stronger and more powerful than lions and tigers, they became deeply beloved by many wealthy people on New Star the moment they appeared.

In recent years, some people on Old Earth had also begun raising such ferocious beasts. Ordinary people clearly could not afford to support them; they needed no less than a hundred jin of high-quality fresh meat every day.

The one before him was far larger and fiercer than other artificially raised howlers. It was clearly a rare variant, exceptionally brutal. Many experts in the field of Old Arts might not be able to withstand its pounce.

"Young man, you're truly remarkable. When I was your age, I was nowhere near as strong as you. I only achieved something after practicing Old Arts for so many years. If you continue down this path, you may become a grandmaster-level figure in Old Arts. You may even shine with even greater splendor and recreate some of the glorious achievements from the legends of Old Arts."

The man wore black, blending completely into the dim woodland. Though he was perhaps already in his fifties, he possessed formidable stamina. His eyes shone brightly, and his voice rang like a golden bell being struck, sonorous and deafening.

Wang Xuan's eyes were cold. This was a premeditated ambush to kill him. They had known in advance that he was coming to Great Black Mountain and had been waiting here all along.

Only last night had he contacted his two childhood friends and told them he was heading into the mountains. Yet this man in black had learned of it immediately and waited for him in the forest atop the Black Howl.

Wang Xuan trusted his two friends. After all, the man in black could not possibly investigate everything. How could he have foreseen that Wang Xuan would ask two friends to enter the mountains with him? Someone must have been monitoring his calls.

"Gray Blood organization?" he asked coldly. Over this recent period, he had suffered three successive assassination attempts. He had already reached the end of his patience.

The man in black answered frankly, "No. I'm somewhat disappointed in them. Their base on Old Earth was uprooted, and those who escaped have been hiding here and there lately, not daring to see the light of day. That is why I personally made my move."

The moment Wang Xuan heard this, killing intent surged within him. The person hiding behind the scenes had appeared?!

Rage burned in his heart. He had been attacked again and again for no reason, with people trying to kill him. Did they really think he was easy to knead and bully?

He believed he had never formed any great enmity with anyone. No matter what, he should not have been targeted for assassination. Yet the other side had sent people after him time and again. If this could be endured, what could not?

Since the true culprit had come looking for him personally, then today he would settle this account.

"I don't know you, and I believe I've never had any conflict or grudge with you. Why have you targeted me again and again?" Wang Xuan asked in a low voice.

Suddenly, he lunged swiftly to the side. A young tree as thick as an arm broke where he had been standing, its trunk exploding apart as its crown tilted and fell.

Wang Xuan's gaze was grim and cold. This man in black was so strong, yet he had not been overconfident. He had actually arranged snipers in secret. His earlier words had merely been meant to keep Wang Xuan steady.

Clearly, today's heavy rain had also caught these people by surprise. Earlier, they had all believed Wang Xuan would not come, that he would hide in a mountain cave to shelter from the rain. Only when the keen-sensed man in black looked into the distance and spotted Wang Xuan's figure did they begin moving again, seeking favorable terrain.

Among these people, the middle-aged man riding the Black Howl naturally moved the fastest. He believed that once he acted personally, he should be able to deal with Wang Xuan in a very short time.

After entering the Inner Scenery Realm twice and cultivating the Golden Body Art to the late fourth level, Wang Xuan's Mental Power had also become exceptionally vigorous. Before danger arrived, his senses were extraordinarily sharp.

Suddenly, he lunged away again. A terrifying bullet hole appeared in a large tree where he had just stood. The bullet blasted past, exploding the trunk apart. It was clearly a prohibited special bullet.

Within a short time, two people in secret had already fired at him. What grudge did they have against him? The true culprit had begun stepping into the open personally.

Wang Xuan did not hesitate in the slightest. He charged directly at the man in black and the savage howler. He refused to believe the hidden shooters could avoid both the man in black and the howler with such precision and hit only him.

Because both he and the man in black moved with incredible speed, and that huge creature was pouncing and obstructing them as well, sniping him would not be easy.

Wang Xuan decided to kill the Black Howl and take down this man in black first, then go find those gunmen.

It had to be said that this man in black was far too strong. His hands actually carried a faint golden sheen. He had mastered some exceptionally formidable Old Art. His fists and palms possessed immense force, and when they occasionally struck large trees, they directly blew apart the trunks. It was truly terrifying.

Moreover, his feet were just as powerful. He could shatter rocks beneath them, and whenever he borrowed force from a tree trunk to leap up, the tree would snap and topple.

Since Wang Xuan had achieved success in Old Arts, this was the first time he had encountered such a formidable opponent. Had he not cultivated the fourth level of the Golden Body Art, he would certainly have died today.

The two moved swiftly, smashing through many trees. Even the howler could barely keep up with their rhythm, and several times it nearly pounced onto its own master.

Bang!

Another water-barrel-thick tree snapped and crashed down. The two darted and shifted, their fists and feet colliding again and again like bolts of thunder exploding through the forest.

Wang Xuan discovered that even the web between his thumb and forefinger had split open, Blood Water dripping down bit by bit. This shocked him deeply. The other man's fists and palms were too hard; even the fourth level of the Golden Body Art was having difficulty defending against them.

"Great Vajra Fist?!" He revealed a startled expression, having guessed what the other man had cultivated.

He himself had also practiced Vajra Fist, but it had only been an entry-level boxing art. Its complete form was the Great Vajra Fist, an immensely powerful body technique belonging to Buddhism's secret transmitted scriptures.

The man in black was cold and gave no reply. His body was more agile than an ape and fiercer than lions and tigers. He charged in again, numbing Wang Xuan's arms, turning both hands red, and worsening the tears in the webs between his thumb and forefinger.

Boom!

Suddenly, Wang Xuan accelerated. His fists and palms struck furiously, and at last his entire body slammed into the man in black's chest. He had waited a long time for this opportunity. With a crack, he broke two of the man in black's ribs with a body blow, making him cough blood and sending him flying.

In his agony, the man in black was profoundly shaken. He had originally believed Wang Xuan, like himself, had cultivated some secret supreme art, making his fists and palms hard and his strength astonishing.

Furthermore, Wang Xuan had deliberately concealed his advantage, never using his body to directly withstand the Great Vajra Fist. This had given him a false impression, and he had failed to realize that this young man's entire body was exceptionally resilient.

"Fourth level of the Golden Body Art?!" he cried in shock. He finally knew what Wang Xuan had cultivated. The reason the other's fists and palms were so abnormally hard was secondary to his boxing art; the main reason was the enhancement of the Golden Body Art.

Roar!

Seeing its master at a disadvantage, the Black Howl pounced ferociously at Wang Xuan, opening its blood-red maw in extreme savagery.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wang Xuan landed atop it and hammered his fists fiercely at its nose and brow bone. Blood sprayed out as he punched a bloody hole into the savage beast's head. It let out a miserable howl before crashing to the ground with a boom.

Thanks: Oh Ho Ovo, Book Friend 20210417051813882, Pipi Chen Takes Flight.

Thank you for the support from the above alliance leaders. Thank you.