The Strength of a Cultivator

Thump!

Watching the masked man who had brought him despair fall to the ground, Fang Hanyu's eyes widened in disbelief.

Such speed!

What kind of footwork was that?

Fang Hanyu was a first-rate expert, yet even looking from behind, he couldn't clearly see Fang Wang's footwork. It was simply too fast, and his sword swings were even faster.

He killed a peak expert with his first move!

Fang Hanyu suddenly doubted himself. Was he too weak, or was Fang Wang too strong?

Could it be that I'm not even at the first-rate realm?

Fang Wang turned and wiped his sword blade on the masked man's body. After the bloodstains were cleaned off, he sheathed his sword.

He looked up at Fang Hanyu and said, "If you can still fight, then go kill the enemy. Besides those peak experts, you are still very strong."

With that, Fang Wang turned and left, using the Shadowless Steps, he crossed the courtyard wall and disappeared into the night.

Fang Hanyu took a deep breath, gripped his sword, and walked in another direction.

The Fang Manor was in chaos, utter chaos!

Thousands of retainers were everywhere, hunting down mysterious black-clad assailants. Each of these assailants was skilled in martial arts, with the weakest able to fight dozens of retainers. Not to mention the immense threat posed by the peak experts.

Boom—

Fang Wang's uncle, Fang Shi, exchanged palm strikes with a black-clad assailant. Both sides clashed in True Qi, their robes billowing wildly as if about to tear apart. The flagstones beneath their feet shattered, flowers and grass were swept away, and an old tree ten paces away trembled from the impact.

"Supreme Yang Palm Fang Shi, truly lives up to his name. He's already half a step into the peak realm. If you weren't the eldest son of the Fang Family, your martial arts attainments would be even higher. What a pity!"

The black-clad assailant clashing palms with Fang Shi sneered. He also wore a mask, a white opera mask with a sinister, grinning face painted on it, making him look like a demon in the dead of night.

Fang Shi was in his prime, his palms felt like scorching hot irons. As their True Qi clashed, his palms turned red, causing the surrounding space to seem to ripple slightly.

"To be a peak expert and yet wear a mask, lacking the courage of a martial practitioner! If I pity you, then you are laughable!"

Fang Shi snorted. With a surge of strength, his powerful True Qi exploded outwards, sending both of them staggering back.

Fang Shi retreated eight steps, while his opponent only took five. The difference was clear!

This scene made Fang Shi's heart tighten even further. As the most skilled person in the Fang Manor, if he couldn't even defeat the person in front of him, then the Fang Family might truly face annihilation!

He had previously seen several figures moving at extreme speeds, likely also peak experts.

An organization capable of deploying so many peak experts against the Fang Family…

Fang Shi's expression grew grim. He changed his palm techniques, True Qi surging, his palms emitting a scorching heat that was particularly striking under the night sky.

The black-clad assailant opposite him held no weapon. Instead, he raised his right leg, his muscles tensing, giving off a terrifying sense of coiled energy.

They exchanged a glance and then violently charged at each other.

Bang! Bang! Bang…

They engaged in close-quarters combat. Fang Shi used his palms, his palm techniques fierce and powerful, as if intending to overwhelm with sheer force. The black-clad assailant's footwork was agile, his legs like sharp whips. Facing Fang Shi's attacks, he countered with his kicks, his speed like the wind, his power like thunder. Sand and stones were kicked up in the courtyard, and chaotic bursts of energy scattered, ravaging the grounds.

The retainers outside the courtyard watched them in terror, wanting to support Fang Shi but unable to find an opening.

Hundreds of people surrounded the courtyard, some even on the walls, nocking arrows. However, their eyes couldn't keep up with the speed of the black-clad assailants' movements.

There were many such combat zones within the Fang Manor—courtyards, corridors, gardens, even on the eaves, figures could be seen fighting.

Although the Fang Manor didn't have an abundance of martial arts masters, it had many disciples and retainers who practiced martial arts. After all, Fang Meng was a Duke whose fame was forged on the battlefield, one of the Great Qi Dynasty's Ten Great Generals. At the peak of his power, he even commanded three armies. Even after relinquishing his military authority, the inherent spirit of striving for excellence was passed down in the Fang Family.

Apart from Fang Shi, the black-clad assailants held the upper hand in all other battles. These assassins were all highly skilled. Even fighting against superior numbers, they were at ease. At every moment, people were dying in the Fang Manor.

Killing intent and terror enveloped the Fang Manor!

Although Fang Wang possessed near-mythical martial arts prowess, he was, after all, just a powerful mortal. He couldn't split himself into multiple bodies. He moved rapidly, and the number of black-clad assailants he killed grew.

This scene was witnessed by someone standing atop the tallest structure in the Fang Manor—a tower housing all the books collected by the Fang Family. He stood at the very peak, hidden in the night.

It was the Daoist in Green.

"Decent martial arts. Among martial practitioners, he's truly at the peak. If I hadn't come, perhaps the Prime Minister's scheme would have failed."

The Daoist in Green's lips curled into a sneer.

Martial practitioners were, in the end, mortals. No matter how strong, they were no match for him!

He cultivated immortality!

The Daoist in Green raised his left hand, and a yellow talisman flew out from his sleeve, hovering above his palm. The talisman emitted a glow, illuminating his face.

Just then, the Daoist in Green's gaze flickered towards a certain spot. Following his gaze, one could see a girl in red standing atop an old tree, looking at him from a distance.

Zhou Xue!

Looking at the Daoist in Green, Zhou Xue's gaze was icy cold, filled with terrifying killing intent.

It's him. I really have been reincarnated!

Zhou Xue thought to herself. For the past seven days, she had felt a sense of unreality, fearing it was all a dream or an illusion. Only today, seeing the figure from her deepest memories who had brought her despair, did she finally feel that she had truly been reincarnated.

Hatred!

Kill intent!

And a trace of excitement!

The Daoist in Green frowned as he felt Zhou Xue's gaze.

For some reason, Zhou Xue made him feel very dangerous. His first instinct was that she was also a Cultivator, but upon closer inspection, she had no aura or magic artifact of a Cultivator.

The Daoist in Green immediately leaped up, like a goshawk, streaking across the night sky towards Zhou Xue.

Zhou Xue immediately jumped down from the tree, disappearing into the night. The vast darkness was like daylight to the Daoist in Green, and he rapidly closed in on her.

The Daoist in Green's toes lightly touched the courtyard wall, his movements as light as a swallow's. While still in mid-air, he swung his horsetail whisk with his right hand, sweeping towards Zhou Xue. Almost instantly, Zhou Xue suddenly turned and threw five darts. The five darts actually drew five different arcs as they flew towards the Daoist in Green.

The Daoist in Green's brow twitched, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger.

A figure smashed through the courtyard wall, sending shattered stones flying. He fell onto the stone path like a puddle of mud, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles, a truly gruesome sight.

Fang Wang retracted his right leg, which was still suspended in mid-air. He looked at the corpse in front of him, his expression icy.

Tonight was his first time killing someone, but he felt no discomfort. This was because he had seen many people from the Fang Manor die tragically, some of them even his own kin. Hatred had taken over his mind.

He had already killed thirty-seven black-clad assailants, the weakest of whom was a second-rate expert, and three of them were peak experts.

His performance was witnessed by many of his clansmen and retainers. However, the Fang Manor was still in danger, and no one had the time to marvel at his strength. His eyes were solely focused on killing the enemy.

He leaped towards the main hall of the manor. His parents were inside the hall, and he had been fighting his way towards the hall all along, fearing for his parents' safety.

With the power of a martial arts legend, Fang Wang could kill all the black-clad assailants along the way without even using his True Qi. He had been conserving his True Qi, using the most ruthless moves to end his enemies' lives.

Not long after.

Fang Wang arrived near the main hall of the manor. There were as many as five hundred retainers here, surrounding the entire courtyard so tightly that not even water could leak through. There were already more than ten corpses of black-clad assailants here.

Fang Wang arrived, dust-covered but his white clothes unstained by blood. The retainers all recognized him and made way for him.

He reached the front of the main hall and, seeing that his parents were safe, Fang Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wang'er, come here quickly, it's dangerous outside!"

When Fang Wang's mother, Madam Jiang, saw him, she quickly waved and called out.

Fang Yin, seeing that his son was unharmed, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, a huge roar came from the west, and everyone turned to look.

Fang Wang also turned his head. A beam of golden light illuminated his face, and his pupils dilated.

If he was like this, how much more so for the others? They were all dumbfounded, looking as if they had seen a ghost.

To the west, a dazzling golden light rose from between the buildings. Beneath the golden light, a figure stood suspended, holding up the golden light, his back to the moon. With Fang Wang's exceptional eyesight, he could clearly see the figure's true form.

It was a Daoist in Green, standing on a wooden sword with one foot, holding a horsetail whisk in his right hand. In his left hand, held high above his head, was a yellow talisman on his palm, from which golden light continuously erupted, dazzling and brilliant.

"What is that?"

"How is that possible? How can a person be in the air?"

"It's a monster! A monster is going to destroy our Fang Manor!"

"It must be a trick. Even a peak martial arts expert couldn't stand in the air!"

"If it's a trick, then why would so many experts attack the Fang Manor tonight?"

The people of the Fang Manor around them discussed in shock, an unspeakable panic spreading. Even the retainers holding weapons were terrified. Some had even knelt and were praying with their mouths moving.

Fang Wang immediately took a step forward, heading towards the Daoist in Green. This scene was seen by Madam Jiang.

"Wang'er, what are you doing?"

Madam Jiang shouted, drawing the attention of many towards Fang Wang. Fang Wang didn't look back, merely raised the sword in his hand, leaped up, like a roc spreading its wings, soaring several feet high, landing on the distant eaves, and rushing forward with great speed. This scene made many members of the Fang family widen their eyes.

Third Young Master Fang Jin exclaimed in astonishment, "Fifth Brother, Wang'er's Qinggong is incredible! Even Eldest Brother can't jump that high directly."

Fang Yin was stunned, gazing at Fang Wang's retreating back, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Patriarch Fang Meng, who was being supported, stared intently at the Daoist in Green, his gaze not drawn to Fang Wang. His expression was uglier than ever before. He slowly uttered three words that only he could hear:

"A Cultivator!"

In the dilapidated courtyard, Zhou Xue, her hair slightly disheveled, looked up at the Daoist in Green high above. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her left arm clearly dislocated and hanging limply.

"Little girl, what a potent poison. This is by no means something an ordinary person could refine. From which sect do you hail? Could it be Green Cicada Valley?" the Daoist in Green asked coldly from his superior position, looking down at Zhou Xue.

Zhou Xue furrowed her beautiful brows and said coldly, "What other treasures are you hiding?"

Hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in the Daoist in Green's eyes, his killing intent irrepressible. He snorted, "It's fine if you don't want to say. Die!"

He suddenly aimed the yellow talisman in his hand at Zhou Xue. Countless golden rays burst forth from the talisman, like a torrential downpour, attacking Zhou Xue. Zhou Xue immediately dodged, but the golden rays were faster.

"This is bad. I never expected that this mere cultivator in the Qi Nurturing Realm would wield two magic artifacts. No wonder I could never track his whereabouts back then. He has a powerful background!"

Zhou Xue thought anxiously, filled with unwillingness. Did she have to use that move?

Just as she was about to be struck, an arm wrapped around her shoulder, and a great force pulled her away from the attack of the golden rays. The golden rays struck the ground, piercing courtyard walls, stone slabs, and tree trunks with extreme ferocity.

Zhou Xue turned her head and saw Fang Wang's slightly childish, handsome profile.