Great Black Mountain Battle

The black clouds were thick, laced with thunder and lightning, and the heavy rain poured down like a deluge, striking with enough force to hurt a normal person's face.

Wang Xuan moved with agility, leaping up and charging into the dense forest, disappearing completely.

After the thunderclap, the world plunged back into darkness. Though far away, Wang Xuan was certain that the man riding the black Hou was male.

The desolate Great Black Mountain, the dense old forest, and the ferocious black beast exuding hostility created a chilling atmosphere.

Anyone else seeing this would surely feel fear, like encountering an ancient corpse in the deep mountains.

For decades, people near the Great Black Mountain had moved away, and the area had become increasingly uninhabited. Yet today, a rare creature carrying a person was approaching.

Wang Xuan moved silently through the forest, weaving and changing direction. He sensed something was wrong; danger was imminent.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a roar like thunder echoed through the forest. A massive dark silhouette leaped up, smashing through trees, and lunged at Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan covered six to seven meters in a single leap, dodging its fierce attack. The ground behind him vibrated violently, the sound of breaking branches followed, and the deafening beastly roar grew closer.

A flash of lightning illuminated the dim forest, revealing its appearance. It was five meters long and nearly two meters tall, covered in thick black fur. Its ferocious, gaping maw revealed teeth as sharp as daggers, stark white and chilling.

The ground trembled as it moved. It swung a claw forward, missing Wang Xuan, and snapped a tree as thick as a bowl in half with a crack, sending it crashing to the ground.

Wang Xuan evaded the lunge and quickly moved to its side, striking forward with his palm. With a 'bang,' even this massive beast stumbled violently, shaking before letting out an even more furious roar, louder than the thunder above, making his ears ring.

At the same time, the person on the Black Howl's back leaped off, moving like lightning. They launched a kick at Wang Xuan's chest in mid-air, their movements incredibly sharp and fierce.

Wang Xuan reacted with lightning speed, not only dodging the Black Howl's gaping maw but also retreating to evade the heavy, powerful kick.

Crack!

After missing its target in mid-air, the person used the momentum to stomp on a nearby large tree, snapping its trunk. Using this force, they remained airborne and kicked fiercely towards Wang Xuan.

Simultaneously, the Black Howl lunged forward with astonishing ferocity, its massive body shaking the forest and breaking branches.

Wang Xuan's eyes were cold. Caught between the person and the Hou, with nowhere to escape, he leaped into the air, kicking towards the ferocious beast while his palms moved to meet the incoming foot.

"Awooo!"

The five-meter-long behemoth, though ferocious, was somewhat hindered by the dense forest. Blocked by several trees as thick as barrels, it couldn't maneuver properly. Its gaping maw missed Wang Xuan's foot, and instead, he kicked its nose. The beast let out a pained, tragic roar.

Its nose, its most vulnerable point, instantly split open, gushing blood. Its massive head reeled, and it stumbled backward, crushing saplings and breaking bushes underfoot.

Of course, this was also due to the immense power of Wang Xuan's kick. Had it been an ordinary person, even with the Hou's fragile nose, they wouldn't have been able to kick it.

At the same moment, Wang Xuan's palm struck the person's foot with a dull thud, like muffled thunder rumbling through the forest.

Wang Xuan's right hand went numb, but he had no intention of retreating. His left hand simultaneously pressed forward, striking towards the person's lower leg.

The person moved with incredible speed, agile as a monkey in mid-air. They grabbed a branch with both hands to brace themselves, retracted their leg, successfully avoiding the most vulnerable part of their shin, and instead used their foot to deliver a powerful stomp back.

With a 'bang,' another dull sound echoed. Wang Xuan used the force to fly several meters through the air, landing and crushing low bushes. Even some rocks cracked under his feet.

One could imagine how terrifying the collision between them was, and the immense force Wang Xuan endured. Under such power, many masters of Qi Gathering and Inner Cultivation would have coughed up blood, and their palms, even if not shattered, would have suffered complete fractures.

Wang Xuan shook his hands, feeling them numb and quite painful, but his tiger's mouth hadn't cracked, and his hand bones hadn't broken.

This was the effect of the fourth level of the Golden Body Art. Even ordinary daggers might not be able to cut through his skin; his defense was astonishing.

However, this further proved the strength of the person opposite him. Their movements were agile, their attacks fierce, and the power in their feet was immense.

The person was also surprised, even shocked. Based on the compiled information, they had already overestimated Wang Xuan, deeming him very strong. Despite his young age, his palm strength already surpassed the Iron Sand Palm and other techniques. In the realm of Old Arts, he was a rare young master.

Only after actually fighting did they unexpectedly realize that their supposed overestimation was still incorrect; this young man had managed to block two of their attacks.

"Roar!"

The Black Howl roared, shaking the surrounding mountains and forests.

Despite the pouring rain, Wang Xuan could clearly see the person and the Hou at such close range.

It was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his early forties. His complexion was ruddy, his hair black, but the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes betrayed his true age. He was merely well-maintained; Wang Xuan guessed he was likely in his fifties.

As for the black ferocious beast opposite, it was not a species from the Old Earth but was cultivated by New Star. Its form bore some resemblance to the Hou described in myths and legends.

It was said that on the New Star side, artificial cultivation and domestication had only been successful in the past decade or two. They were stronger and more powerful than lions and tigers, and upon their appearance, they were greatly favored by many wealthy individuals in New Star.

In recent years, some people from the Old Earth had also begun to raise these ferocious beasts. Clearly, ordinary people couldn't afford them; the daily requirement of high-quality fresh meat alone was no less than a hundred catties.

The one before them was significantly larger and more ferocious than other artificially raised Houts, clearly an anomaly, exceptionally savage. Many masters in the Old Arts might not even be able to withstand its attacks.

"Young man, you are truly remarkable. When I was your age, I was nowhere near as strong as you. I only achieved this after practicing Old Arts for many years. If you continue on this path, you have the potential to become a master in the field of Old Arts, and perhaps even shine even brighter, recreating some of the glorious achievements of Old Arts legends."

The person, dressed in black, blended perfectly into the dim forest. Although likely in his fifties, his stamina was immense, his eyes sharp and bright, and his voice resonated like the striking of a golden bell, clear and powerful.

Wang Xuan's gaze was cold. This was a planned ambush. They knew he was coming to the Great Black Mountain and had been waiting here.

He had only contacted two of his childhood friends last night to say he was going into the mountains, and yet this black-clothed man already knew and was waiting for him in the forest, riding the Black Howl.

Wang Xuan trusted his two friends. After all, the man in black couldn't possibly have investigated everything. How could he have predicted that Wang Xuan would seek out his two friends to go into the mountains? Someone must have been eavesdropping on his calls.

"The Gray Blood organization?" he asked coldly. He had been attacked three times in succession recently and had reached his limit.

The man in black replied calmly, "No, I'm somewhat disappointed in them. Their strongholds in the Old Earth were uprooted, and those who escaped have been hiding, afraid to see the light. So, I decided to take action myself."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan's killing intent surged. The person hiding behind the scenes had finally appeared?!

His heart burned with rage. Being repeatedly attacked without cause, with people trying to kill him, did they really think he was easy to manipulate or bully?

He didn't believe he had any major grudges with anyone, so he shouldn't have been assassinated, yet they kept sending people to kill him. If he could stand it, he couldn't bear it any longer!

Since the mastermind had come to his doorstep, he would settle this score today.

"I don't know you, and I don't believe I've had any conflict or enmity with you. Why have you been targeting me repeatedly?" Wang Xuan asked in a deep voice.

Suddenly, he quickly lunged to the side. A small tree, as thick as an arm, was snapped at its base, its trunk shattered and its crown tilted, falling over.

Wang Xuan's eyes were cold. This man in black was so skilled, and he hadn't gotten careless. He had secretly arranged for a sniper. His words earlier were just to keep him steady.

Clearly, the heavy rain today had caught these people by surprise. They had initially thought Wang Xuan wouldn't come and would be hiding in a cave to avoid the rain. It wasn't until the sharp-sensed man in black scouted ahead and spotted Wang Xuan's figure that they mobilized again, finding advantageous terrain.

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

Wang Xuan had entered the Inner Scenery Realm twice. After practicing the Golden Body Art to the late fourth layer, his mental strength had also become exceptionally vigorous, giving him hyper-sensitive perception before danger arrived.

Suddenly, he lunged out again. Where he had just been standing, a terrifying bullet hole appeared on a large tree. The bullet had flown through, shattering the trunk. It was clearly a prohibited special bullet.

In a short period, two people in hiding had already fired. What kind of deep-seated hatred did they have for him? The mastermind himself had finally stepped onto the stage.

Wang Xuan didn't hesitate at all. He lunged directly at the man in black and the ferocious Hou. He didn't believe the people in hiding could so accurately avoid the man in black and the Hou and hit him directly.

Because he and the man in black were moving extremely fast, and with that colossal creature lunging and blocking, it would be difficult to snipe him.

Wang Xuan decided to kill the Black Howl and the man in black first, then hunt down the gunmen.

He had to admit, this man in black was too strong. His hands actually had a faint golden sheen, having mastered some extremely powerful Old Arts. His punches and palms possessed immense power. Occasionally, when he struck a large tree, he would directly blow apart the trunk, which was truly terrifying.

Furthermore, his feet were equally powerful. He could crack rocks with a single step. When he used the trees to leap, the large trees would creak and fall.

This was the first time Wang Xuan had encountered such a formidable opponent since mastering the Old Arts. If he hadn't mastered the fourth layer of the Golden Body Art, he would surely have died today.

The two moved rapidly, smashing through numerous trees. Even the Hou struggled to keep up with their pace, nearly pouncing onto its master several times.

Bang!

Another tree, as thick as a water bucket, broke and fell. The two dodged and weaved, their fists and palms colliding constantly, like peals of thunder exploding in the forest.

Wang Xuan discovered that the tiger's mouth on his hand had cracked, and blood was dripping down. This shocked him deeply. The opponent's fists and palms were too hard; even the fourth layer of the Golden Body Art could barely defend against them.

"Great Vajra Fist?!" he exclaimed in surprise, guessing what the opponent had mastered.

He himself had practiced the Vajra Fist, but it was a beginner's technique. The complete form was the Great Vajra Fist, a Body Art of immense power, belonging to secret Buddhist scriptures.

The man in black replied coldly, his body more agile than an ape's and more ferocious than a lion or tiger. He attacked again, making Wang Xuan's arms go numb, his hands turning red, and the cracks on his tiger's mouth deepening.

Boom!

Suddenly, Wang Xuan accelerated, his fists and palms striking fiercely. Finally, he slammed his entire body into the man in black's embrace. He had waited a long time for this opportunity. With a crack, he broke two of the man in black's ribs with his body, causing him to cough up blood and fly backward.

In his intense pain, the man in black was deeply shocked. He had initially thought Wang Xuan, like him, had mastered some secret ultimate technique, possessing hard fists and palms and astonishing strength.

Furthermore, Wang Xuan had intentionally concealed his true resilience, not using his body to directly block his Great Vajra Fist, creating a false impression. He hadn't realized that this young man's entire body was so tough.

"Fourth layer of the Golden Body Art?!" he was stunned. He finally understood what Wang Xuan had mastered. The reason for his exceptionally hard fists and palms was not just his boxing technique, but primarily the enhancement from the Golden Body Art.

Roar!

Seeing its master at a disadvantage, the Black Howl ferociously pounced at Wang Xuan, its bloody maw wide open, extremely savage.

Bang, bang, bang!

Wang Xuan landed on it and fiercely punched its nose and forehead. Blood splattered, creating a bloody hole in the ferocious beast's head, causing it to let out a mournful roar and fall down with a boom.

Thanks to: Oh Ho Ovo, Book Friend 20210417051813882, Pi Pi Chen Takes Off.

Thank you to the above allies for their support. Thank you.