Coercion (Seeking Recommendations)

South City Gate District.

"It's said that the Yuan He Mountain branch has quite a few experts. Since the Demon Calamity began, they've also recruited a large number of Martial Arts scum... If they all swarmed me, I'd be in a lot of trouble."

After all, a cultivator's magical power was limited too.

Still, Fang Xi was prepared to gnaw on this hard bone.

"To destroy Yuan He Mountain, I must first clip its wings..."

Fang Xi's plan was simple.

The Martial Artists of Yuan He Mountain had to go out every day to search for supplies, so he could simply lie in ambush nearby and kill as many as came out.

Black Stone City was teeming with danger at this point, and Yuan He Mountain might not discover anything at first!

By the time they realized something was wrong, it would probably already be too late.

After waiting near Yuan He Mountain's base for a while, Fang Xi saw a group of people walk out.

The leader was, strikingly, a cold and aloof woman.

"A woman? Chunyu, one of Black Stone City's three giants?"

Fang Xi's eyes lit up. "It's you!"

He had no rule about not killing women.

As long as someone was an enemy, the prettier and more talented they were, the more deserving they were of death!

Because beauty and talent could both easily create unforeseen variables!

And people who played it safe hated unforeseen variables the most!

Fang Xi's footsteps were as light as could be. Like a nimble cat, he followed them with ease.

To his surprise, the group did not sneak toward the border of the inner city. Instead, they secretly split up and surrounded an abandoned mansion.

Chunyu was dressed in white, drifting inside as lightly as a White Cloud.

Bang!

A moment later, a thunderous boom erupted from within the mansion!

A rough voice roared, "You stinking bitches from Yuan He Mountain! I, Zhang Junming, merely refused to submit, and you actually dare to surround and kill me?"

This man was none other than Zhang Junming.

His muscles bulged all over, and he abruptly grew a head taller than usual, looking like a divine giant as he charged at Chunyu. "Take my fist!"

His five fingers, each thicker than a radish, clenched into a fist. It thrust forward like a massive pestle, its might astonishing!

"Cloud Whale Skill... No wonder it's the pinnacle among third-rate techniques. It's comparable to some second-rate Martial Arts!"

Chunyu's body, however, was as light as a sheet of paper. It offered no resistance at all, drifting backward with a gentle push from the fist wind as her cherry lips parted.

Cloud Whale Skill!

In ancient times, land-dwellers revered the elephant for its strength. But in the ocean, there were creatures whose power far exceeded that of elephants—the whales!

In fact, in antiquity, there had been a great demon called the "Cloud Whale." It was said to take the sky as its sea and soar through it like a cloud.

Inspired by this, an ancestor of the Zhang family created the "Cloud Whale Skill," claiming it to be first in defense and first in immense strength!

After mastering the "Cloud Whale Skill," Zhang Junming had practically swept through Black Stone City's Martial Hall Masters without equal! He could even contend with direct disciples of sects!

"What a pity... It's still only a second-rate Martial Art after all!"

Chunyu's beautiful willow brows creased slightly, as if she truly felt pity for Zhang Junming. Her jade-like finger stabbed out. "Thunder Finger!"

This was also a secret technique passed down by Yuan He Mountain, specifically designed to break all sorts of external hard skills!

Puff! Puff!

Several tiny blood holes appeared on Zhang Junming's body.

His face paled slightly as he halted. "Why?"

He had merely refused recruitment once. Why had they sent people to hunt him down?

Yuan He Mountain had never acted with this "submit and prosper, resist and perish" attitude before!

"I don't know either. But Martial Uncle Linghu Yang gave the order personally. I'm sorry!" The light in Chunyu's eyes did not change in the slightest. Her figure drifted forward like a White Cloud, about to break all four of Zhang Junming's limbs.

But at that moment, a strange smile appeared on Zhang Junming's face. "You fell into my trap!"

The muscles all over his body suddenly writhed like flowing water. The wounds that were still bleeding were forcibly squeezed shut by his muscles, healing in an instant... restoring his ability to attack!

This was the secret inheritance of the "Cloud Whale Skill"—Cloud Whale Soft Body!

Once mastered, it allowed one to control every muscle in the body and shift the Cloud Whale Skill's vulnerable points and fatal acupoints!

After all, every external hard-body technique, such as hard qigong, had places that True Force could not reach. These were what people commonly called the "vulnerable points."

Chunyu came from a great sect and had exceptional vision. Earlier, she had broken through Zhang Junming's vulnerable point by striking at its weak spot!

But in reality, Zhang Junming's fatal acupoint had not been struck. He had merely feigned weakness and waited for his chance to strike!

"Get down here!"

Zhang Junming inhaled deeply. His chest heaved like a bellows, and one palm rose high before crashing down from the heavens, like a deity striking with the Heaven-Turning Seal!

Bang!

Chunyu saw that something was wrong, but she could not retreat. She could only raise both hands and form a lotus seal, barely blocking the blow.

After a thunderous impact, Chunyu was sent flying backward, blood already spilling from the corner of her mouth.

"Hahaha... So sect disciples aren't anything special after all. Again!"

Zhang Junming looked like a demon king descending upon the world. His thick legs strode forward, each step cracking the stone-paved ground.

His battle intent rose to its peak, and he could already lock in victory ahead of time.

But just then, several startled cries from children suddenly rang out in the mansion.

It was Little Yun and the others!

Zhang Junming's expression changed drastically. "You... despicable!"

The last time he had seen that group of children pitiful, he had taken them in and cared for them. He had never expected Yuan He Mountain to have them seized outright, clearly treating them as his weak point.

Zhang Junming quickly regained his composure. "They're just a few vagrant children. I'll beat you to death first!"

He had been roaming the martial world for many years, after all, and would not be coerced easily.

After all, surrendering now would be the greatest joke of all. It would be all too easy to land both the hostages and himself in a pit!

Only a brain-dead fool would choose that!

But his moment of hesitation had already given Chunyu precious time to recover.

Her face was pale, with blood at the corner of her mouth. Beyond her usual coldness, she now possessed a touch of delicate, pitiable charm.

"Secret Technique—Seven Needles Pierce Acupoints!"

Chunyu drove seven fine needles into her own body. Not only did her injuries stabilize rapidly, but her True Force surged as well!

Aside from possessing techniques far superior to those of ordinary Martial Artists, sect disciples had another major advantage: the various skills and experiences compiled by their predecessors!

When this experience, passed down from generation to generation, reached its pinnacle, it became a secret technique unique to the sect!

It could allow a Martial Artist to unleash strength beyond their own limits!

"White Lotus Seal Method!"

In the next moment, Chunyu formed a seal with both hands. Her ten snow-white fingers moved with extraordinary agility, like a White Lotus slowly blooming in flames, and gently pressed toward Zhang Junming's chest!

Bang!

Another thunderous boom.

Zhang Junming's chest was struck by a massive hammer. He flew backward and sprawled on the ground, unable to crawl up for quite some time.

"Cough, cough... You win."

He looked at his chest, a bitter smile touching the corners of his mouth. "I'm your target. I hope you can spare the uninvolved people..."

Chunyu slowly pulled the seven silver needles from her acupoints. She was just about to speak when her expression suddenly changed.

Several more screams rang out from within the mansion.

"Big Brother!"

Doggie ran out with Little Yun and helped Zhang Junming up, shouting loudly, "Several evil men came into the courtyard just now, and then this big brother killed them all..."

Only then did Zhang Junming realize that there was another person. Fang Xi was slowly walking out through the doorway!

"It's you? Fang Xi from the White Cloud Martial Arts School?"

Chunyu also saw the young man, her feelings indescribable.

Back then, when Fang Xi had wanted to join Yuan He Mountain, she had been the one to examine his aptitude and conclude that it was mediocre, which was why Linghu Yang had rejected him.

Later, she had heard that he joined a Martial Arts school and even quickly reached the Three Changes of Qi and Blood.

This had deepened the impression Fang Xi left on Chunyu.

But upon seeing him today, it seemed he had broken through again in Martial Arts?

If we had taken him in back then...

Chunyu felt regretful, but not a trace of it showed on her face. She said expressionlessly, "Fang Xi, are you planning to represent the White Cloud Martial Arts School and make an enemy of my Yuan He Mountain?"

"You don't need to try intimidating me with Yuan He Mountain!"

Fang Xi sneered and took three steps forward. "The fact that I can appear here means everyone near Yuan He Mountain is already dead... Now, it's your turn!"

When he first began speaking, he was still beside Zhang Junming. But by the time the final word fell, he was already standing in front of Chunyu.

Fang Xi slowly raised his right hand and brought it down as casually as if swatting a fly.

Crackling!

As his palm descended, a strange sound came from within his body, like beans popping in a pan.

Chunyu's expression changed drastically. "Sinew and Bone Resonance? True Force Enters Marrow? Impossible..."

She formed a lotus seal with both hands. Lotus blossoms seemed to bloom beneath her skirt with every step as she retreated rapidly.

But no matter how she retreated, Fang Xi remained before her eyes. Chunyu could only watch in despair as that palm descended!

Smack!

She was sent flying by the palm. Before she even reached midair, who knew how many ribs had broken. Finally, she slammed heavily into a wall and slowly slid down like a hanging painting.

"Too weak. Far too weak."

"So this is all the strength of Yuan He Mountain's direct disciple?"

Fang Xi shook his head, never considering that, in the eyes of True Force Martial Artists, his True Force and blood qi were already as monstrous as a demon's.

And furthermore...

The corner of Zhang Junming's mouth twitched as he desperately suppressed the curses in his mouth. Damn it... If I hadn't already taken away half her fighting strength, would you have gotten to reap the benefits?

Unfortunately, he did not dare say it aloud.

After all, Fang Xi truly was a vicious man!

With that terrifyingly profound True Force, Zhang Junming had not been confident of defeating him even at his peak.

"You..."

Blood seeped from the corner of Chunyu's mouth as she still tried to say something.

But Fang Xi had no intention of showing mercy to a beauty. He struck her unconscious with a hand blade, then looked toward Zhang Junming.

"What are you going to do to Big Brother?" Doggie and Little Yun immediately stepped in front of Zhang Junming.

"Nothing..."

Fang Xi waved his hand. "Brother Zhang, Yuan He Mountain has treated you like this. Do you want revenge?"

"Revenge?"

Zhang Junming studied Fang Xi seriously for a while. "You want to recruit me? Very well... I owe you my life, so I'll help you this once!"

He had also endured Yuan He Mountain for a long time.

"Good!"

Fang Xi nodded and carried Chunyu away.

His Lightness Skill was astonishing. Carrying Chunyu, who weighed over a hundred pounds, was as easy as carrying nothing. In the blink of an eye, he found a quiet, deserted courtyard.

He casually found a room and tossed Chunyu onto the bed.

Her cloudlike hair was disheveled and her face was as pale as paper. Fang Xi immediately smiled thoughtfully and rubbed his fingers together...