Wuji Sect

Facing the incoming, heavy blow of the iron staff, Lu Ming did not even blink. He raised the saber in one hand and blocked with its sheath, then turned with the momentum and neutralized the force traveling down the staff.

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

His arm immediately went numb, and he could no longer hold the heavy iron staff. It slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground with a clattering ring.

What?

The burly man was horrified. His opponent was too fast, and his force was too great. Before he could even react, he had already lost his weapon.

Realizing he had encountered a tough opponent, he tried to retreat, only to be struck squarely in the chest by a devastating kick and sent flying backward.

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

"What a precise counterattack. I never thought that, despite both being at the eighth layer of the Nei Qi Realm, someone from the Black Tiger Gang would not even be able to withstand a single move from that young hero."

"I know this man. His name is Li Qihu, and he is the sworn son of the Black Tiger Gang's Sect Leader. He cultivates a set of Mad Demon Staff Technique. Once, he killed a Beggars' Sect hall leader by beating him until he vomited blood with just three strikes."

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

"Young brother, are you refusing to show my Black Tiger Gang any respect?"

Li Qihu's defeat in a single move gave Advisor Liu a shock. To be honest, although his cultivation was one layer higher than this sworn son of the Sect Leader, his true strength was actually weaker.

Therefore, he knew that he was even less of a match for Lu Ming. He was only forcing himself to stand his ground for the sake of the Black Tiger Gang's reputation.

Lu Ming had already set down the cloth sack on his shoulder and placed his hand on the saber hilt. He said coldly,

"I have already shown you plenty of respect. If you still insist on pestering me, don't blame me for showing no mercy beneath my saber!"

Advisor Liu's heart jolted. He had not expected his opponent to be so unyielding, leaving him caught between advancing and retreating.

"What an imposing claim—no mercy beneath your saber!"

Fortunately, at that moment, a deep voice came from behind the crowd, instantly filling Advisor Liu with joy.

"Sect Leader!"

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

As he walked, waves of vigorous energy surged around him.

"Zhen Qi Realm, but he should only be at the early stage."

Lu Ming saw the energy surging around the man's body and recognized it as zhen qi. However, judging by his aura, the man was weaker than the Early Stage Level 2 Demonic Beast Lu Ming had encountered in the Shuofeng Mountain Range.

Indeed, Lu Ming had already fought demonic beasts equivalent to the early stage of the Zhen Qi Realm—and not just once.

The first time, he had only been at the seventh layer of the Nei Qi Realm. After using every trick at his disposal, he had fled in a sorry state.

The second time, he had been at the eighth layer of the Nei Qi Realm. He found the opponent again and fought it evenly for a while, but eventually withdrew strategically when his nei qi ran dry.

In the several battles after that, he had lasted longer and longer. He had even begun suppressing the opponent in combat. If not for its defenses being far too strong, he would have defeated it long ago.

He believed that after going a few more times, he would be able to finish it off completely.

Thus, when this middle-aged man at the early stage of the Zhen Qi Realm stepped forward, Lu Ming was not the least bit flustered. At worst, he could calmly retreat and settle the score another day.

The surrounding people, however, did not think the same way. The moment they saw the middle-aged man, even their voices dropped.

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

"Exactly. I heard that Li Chonghu is vicious and ruthless. With those tiger claws of his, who knows how many people's skulls he has crushed."

"Enough noise!"

Li Chonghu finally stepped out. Hearing the surrounding discussion, he suddenly snorted coldly, and the scene immediately fell silent.

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

"I was."

Lu Ming admitted it directly.

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

At this point, a frightening light appeared in his eyes. "Or die."

Lu Ming gave a cold laugh. "You certainly are domineering. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the city lord. I choose neither. If you want to fight, do it quickly. As it happens, I want to see what you can do."

Li Chonghu was stunned. He had not expected his opponent to be so bold—to disregard him completely and even mock him openly.

The surrounding people clearly had not expected this either. For some reason, they suddenly felt that Lu Ming was being rather foolish, and that he did not know the immensity of heaven and earth.

"Hahahaha..."

Li Chonghu was enraged to the point of laughter. His expression then turned icy. "Good. It seems I, Li Chonghu, have not fought for too long, to the point that some mere Nei Qi Realm cultivator dares to provoke me today."

"Take this!"

Ignoring any suspicion that he was bullying a junior, Li Chonghu shouted in a low voice. He suddenly shaped his fingers into claws, a dark, eerie claw force surging from them as he reached toward Lu Ming.

"It is the Tiger Fiend Claw, Li Chonghu's signature technique!"

The surrounding people immediately recognized the black claw force.

Lu Ming had no mind to listen to their discussion. He focused completely. Compared to the Nei Qi Realm, the greatest difference of the Zhen Qi Realm was that zhen qi could leave the body, allowing one to strike out palm force, fist force, and the like from a distance.

Thus, he could not take it head-on. He immediately retreated with the Soaring Cloud Skill.

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

When his claw force missed, Li Chonghu did not take it to heart. His body blurred, and he closed in again at astonishing speed.

At the same time, his two claws struck in a continuous barrage. In an instant, streams of claw force shot through the air in every direction, producing a swishing sound as the surrounding people hurriedly dodged.

The boundless force seemed to seal off every path of retreat for Lu Ming. He therefore dared not hold anything back. He circulated the Heavenly Saber inner qi with all his strength, raising his speed to its limit, then slipped through the gaps and escaped the encirclement of claw force.

"You take one of my moves as well!"

After breaking free, Lu Ming was in midair. His body flipped, and the saber sheath happened to point at his opponent. He drew his saber with the momentum, sending the sheath shooting toward the other man like a sharp arrow.

His body followed close behind. He wanted to take the initiative—and, more importantly, seize the initiative in attack.

The claw force was powerful, but it still needed time to condense. Even if that time was extremely brief, with his speed, he could seize the gaps.

"Hmph, a mere parlor trick!"

Seeing Lu Ming dodge his move that had formed a Heavenly Net, Li Chonghu was extremely surprised, though he did not show it on his face.

With composure, he grabbed the incoming saber sheath and crushed it to pieces, then faced the Saber Light that followed behind.

He intended to shatter his opponent's saber as well. His Tiger Fiend Claw, cultivated for many years, gave him that confidence.

Hmm?

Unexpectedly, his claw closed on empty air. The Saber Light had come from another direction.

Years of experience told him that it was not his eyesight that had failed him—the opponent had simply changed moves too quickly.

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

This time, he did make contact, but the opponent withdrew the instant they touched. He was given no time to exert his strength.

So fast!

Seeing the Saber Light attack again, Li Chonghu grew increasingly startled. Only now did he realize that Lu Ming's earlier escape from his overwhelming claw-force blockade had not been due to luck.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

One saber, two sabers, three sabers...

Lu Ming was using the second move of the Heavenly Saber Technique, the Torrential Rain Style. The attacks flowed without end, each saber strike faster than the last.

Li Chonghu fought in utter frustration. His opponent retreated the moment they touched, leaving him unable to exert his strength at all.

He wanted to counterattack, so he circulated his zhen qi with all his might, hoping to kill his opponent beneath his claws.

But his opponent's speed was as elusive as a phantom, and he refused to meet the attacks head-on. He would also seize every gap to strike from time to time.

Li Chonghu had no choice but to block, or he would take a saber across his body.

"No, I need to widen the distance. Only then can I bring out the advantage of my zhen qi."

As his opponent's saber speed grew faster and faster, Li Chonghu's ability to defend fell further and further behind. He had to change his approach.

Yet even he had not realized that, without knowing it, he had already begun treating Lu Ming as an equal opponent.

He circulated his zhen qi once more and forced Lu Ming back, then used his movement technique to widen the distance.

But Lu Ming stuck to him like a strip of dog-skin plaster. Relying on his astonishing speed, he closed in again. When the other man attacked, he dodged; when the other man dodged, he attacked.

It was just like dealing with that Early Stage Level 2 Demonic Beast.

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

Tiles and stones flew amid a continuous barrage of explosive cracks.

The surrounding people retreated farther and farther, growing increasingly astonished.

"My eyes aren't deceiving me, are they? Why does it look like that young hero is suppressing Li Chonghu?"

"You're not seeing things. That man is only at the eighth layer of the Nei Qi Realm, but his saber speed and movement speed are extremely fast, and his eyesight is razor-sharp. He can always seize his opponent's gaps and launch the first attack. That big fellow has a body full of strength, but he is being suppressed and cannot bring it out."

"So that's how it is."

The person who had just been puzzled instantly understood. He then suddenly realized that the person explaining it did not seem ordinary either.

He hurriedly turned his head, only to see a handsome young lord dressed in a white cloud robe with a long sword on his back.

That attire was clearly extraordinary. "May I ask your identity, young hero?"

The handsome young lord did not even turn his head. "Chu Yunxiao, an inner disciple of the Wuji Sect."

Hiss!

Hearing the handsome young lord reveal his identity, the nearby people could not help but be shocked. The Wuji Sect was a Seventh-Rank Sect, and every one of its disciples possessed extraordinary talent.

What was more, this person was an inner disciple. His cultivation was at least at the early stage of the Zhen Qi Realm.

Thus, those who had initially doubted his earlier judgment no longer did so.

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

Someone moved closer and asked.