Crushing Through

"It was me." Yun Shou gripped the Green Iron Saber tightly. A Martial Master's physique was simply too powerful; with only a little force, he deformed the iron hilt, crushing finger marks into it.

Xu Ruohai laughed domineeringly. "I don't care where you got your martial arts or how you learned those skills. You signed a contract selling yourself to the Qing He Gang. You are a dog of the Qing He Gang!"

His thick finger pointed at the two dark-faced young gatekeepers.

"Dogs are not fit to bite people. A dog that bites someone is either trained—or dies!"

As he spoke that final word, he charged forward. Huge and towering like a bear, his massive saber was wrapped in the deep-blue Force Qi of the Major Accomplishment Water Dragon Skill!

"Good timing!"

Yun Shou laughed. He had wanted to say those words brimming with martial-arts flavor for a long time. The next moment, before Xu Ruohai's astonished gaze, blazing white Force Qi likewise surged from Yun Shou's body and wrapped around the Green Iron Saber.

It looked as though he was using even more Force Qi than Xu Ruohai, and he had mobilized it faster as well!

A flicker of unease flashed through Xu Ruohai's eyes. But now, the edges of their sabers had already collided.

One was a massive saber over 1.8 meters long, taller than Yun Shou himself, wider than a palm, and weighing over eighty jin.

The other was merely a standard-issue Green Iron Saber weighing four jin and nine liang, its blade no more than a meter long. In every other regard, it was even less comparable.

When warriors of the same level wielded these two different weapons in battle, the gap in strength was pulled apart from the very start—at least before Grandmasters developed Gang Jin, weapon quality had an enormous effect on one's strength.

Even upon reaching Grandmaster, that did not mean weapons became less effective. That only meant the materials were poor. Had one never seen divine weapons forged with Alien Demon blood? Even Grand Grandmasters praised them!

But that was on the premise that their strength was close.

Boom!

An explosive crash!

Not the crash of mountains splitting and rocks cracking, but a crash like thunderbolts smashing down!

A figure flew backward at an even greater speed than when he had charged forward!

The impact momentum carried by his towering, humanoid barbarian-bear body slammed into the wall, leaving spiderweb-like cracks in the gray stone wall in the shape of a human figure. Stone chips flew everywhere.

"That's impossible!" Xu Ruohai spat blood. Several other Second-Rate Martial Artists, figures with seats of authority within the gang, cried out in shock at the same time after he was sent flying.

Xu Ruohai himself was even more horrified!

Because he could feel that his opponent had held back!

When the two sabers collided, the Force Qi strength and every kind of impact transmitted from that youth's Green Iron Saber had been more than three times his own!

It could have shattered his Boat-Slaying Saber on the spot, and the vibration of that Force Qi could have injured him to within half a breath of death!

Yet at the instant their weapons met, as he was forced back and blasted away by that strike, he felt the youth withdraw most of his Force Qi!

Xu Ruohai slid down the wall, clutching his chest. The injuries he suffered now came only from that instant of collision at the beginning. His opponent had withdrawn most of the follow-up force; otherwise, that blow would have broken at least one of his bones!

When he looked up at the youth strolling toward him, his eyes were already filled with terror.

"Xu Ruohai... you're even weaker than I thought. I only used thirty percent of my strength, and you still couldn't block a single strike."

Yun Shou did not want to one-shot Xu Ruohai. He was someone who valued his promises.

Saber in hand, he walked toward Xu Ruohai. A layer of blazing white Force Qi once more spread from the hilt all the way to the tip, adding a gleaming flash effect.

"You insolent brat, this is no place for you to throw your weight around!" A furious shout rang out. Yun Shou turned his eyes aside as a Qing He Gang leader came forward with a spear.

Behind him, the other three leaders at the Second-rate level hesitated for an instant and exchanged glances. They too stepped forward, carrying sabers and swords.

The four Second-Rate Martial Artists had often fought in coordination. Together, the four of them could battle the gang leader. Even if they could not defeat this brat now, they should still be able to suppress him somewhat. Once the gang leader caught his breath and cast aside his underestimation of the enemy, the five of them joining forces would surely take him down!

Confidence ↑up

In the blink of an eye, the four men surrounded Yun Shou completely. This brat stood there foolishly, neither attacking first nor giving way, and the four great leaders were delighted inwardly.

He actually dared look down on the Qing He Four Elites. Today, we'll make sure you come but never return!

Every one of us has something extraordinary, every one of us has a signature ultimate move, and our fighting spirit and endurance are even more stunning than the crowd. Our secret Combat Techniques will bring people unexpected surprises, ya!

"Azure Dragon Probing Claw!"

"River-Breaking Divine Spear!"

"World-Defying Saber!"

"Shadowless Sword!"

All four leaders were formidable Second-Rate Martial Artists in the Blood Replacement and Muscle Condensation stage. The moment they joined hands to attack, even an ordinary First-Rate Martial Artist would suffer a small loss!

And Yun Shou... did not even draw his saber.

He merely stood there like a wooden man. At the instant saber, spear, sword, and claw reached him, he burst forth in brilliant radiance!

The Force Qi transformed by the Major Accomplishment Sunday Art was this bright!

At that moment, his entire body became the incarnation of light, dazzling beyond the ability to look at directly!

"My eyes!"

"What powerful pushing force!"

The four great leaders cried out in alarm. It was as though they had struck an invisible barrier, and they all flew backward several steps. After landing, they staggered back several more steps before stabilizing themselves.

That was because Force Qi erupted from Yun Shou's entire body, from head to toe, all at once!

First-Rate Martial Artists absolutely could not achieve this alone, because their Force Qi had to be mobilized before release, and their internal Force Qi normally existed as a single mass. The vast majority could not release Force Qi from two different parts of their bodies at the same time.

But Martial Masters had already achieved Vital Energy Circulation. Force Qi could erupt instantly from anywhere across their bodies, and not only could it erupt instantly, it could erupt all at once, entirely free from the limitations of releasing it from multiple locations!

It was simply far too wasteful to use it like Yun Shou did. Its power was so weak that it could not even kill a Third-rate Martial Artist with the impact, while the expenditure was considerable as well.

It was only suitable for showing off.

"Wait, who exactly are you?!" Xu Ruohai had regulated his breathing. Compared to his earlier domineering manner, his words now carried a hint of yielding.

"You can't possibly be that brat named Yun Shou. He only signed a contract selling himself to the gang two years ago. It is impossible for him to have become a Martial Hall Master!"

Martial Hall Master!

Martial Master!

The four leaders froze. They were only Second-Rate Martial Artists—could the person they had just surrounded and attacked actually be a Martial Master?!

"Vital Energy Circulation, releasing Force Qi across the entire body!" one leader blurted out. He had thought of the hallmark of a Martial Master-level existence, precisely the boundless radiance Yun Shou had displayed in that eruption.

Yun Shou did not answer Xu Ruohai, but upon hearing that leader's words, he smiled and added, "Vital Energy Circulation isn't all there is!"

Without any visible movement, he merely shook his body once where he stood. A string of firecracker-like explosions rang out: Muscles and Bones Ringing in Harmony!

The four leaders: "..."

Xu Ruohai: "..."

"My Talent Aptitude for martial arts is good. Can't be helped." Yun Shou spread his hands helplessly. "A few days ago, an old man passed by and saw me. He insisted on taking me as his disciple."

"Then he casually tossed me a martial arts manual, and I picked it up and casually practiced it."

"Heh, guess what happened?"

"I became a martial artist."

"I got Force Qi."

"My Force Qi began circulating."

"Hehe."

The Qing He Gang members: Not hehe.