"Damn it, I'll fight you to the death!" With evil surging to his guts, Xiao Tian pulled a dagger from his robes and thrust it viciously.
He had Iron Cloth Force protecting his body, granting him astonishing defense. If this desperate strike wounded the Black-clothed person, perhaps it could buy enough time for his master to arrive and rescue him.
Unexpectedly, however, his opponent did not use leg techniques. Instead, he charged over with Iron Cloth Skill as well. The impact was like two small mountains colliding. The entire house trembled, and roof tiles and rubble flew everywhere.
With a single blow, Xiao Tian's force shattered completely. The bones in both arms he had just finished tempering were pulverized, and he flew backward with a face pale as gold paper, crashing heavily into the wall.
"This is Iron Cloth Force! Who are you?" Xiao Tian recognized it instantly and was horrified. There were only a handful of people in the world who could cultivate Iron Cloth Skill to such a supernatural level.
It couldn't be Yuan Tieyi disguised himself to kill me. Master has no motive to do this, and there would be no need for such trouble. The more Xiao Tian thought about it, the more terrified he became. He felt his death was unbearably unjust and muddled.
The Black-clothed person could kill a burly man controlling his Blood Qi with a glare and severely injure Xiao Tian, who had achieved Minor Bone Forging Accomplishment, with one punch. Xiao Tian even suspected that his opponent was already a Martial Artist of the Tendon Transformation Realm!
He had inexplicably offended a Tendon Transformation expert from the Jinsha Gang. With such extraordinary talent, carrying all the hopes of the Xiao Family and the martial arts school, he was now going to perish here. How could he accept that?
"My master will avenge me. Even the Jinsha Gang will have to pay the price!" Xiao Tian's eyes dimmed, and his breathing weakened.
"Weren't you quite arrogant at the restaurant today? Didn't you tell me to wait? Your Iron Cloth Skill is no good. It's far too weak."
Seeing that the other man had little breath left in him, Zhou Qiming shook his head and walked forward. He leaned close and spoke in a low voice, but to Xiao Tian, those words sounded like the voice of hell itself. His pupils suddenly contracted, and blood seeped from them.
"What? You're Zhou Qiming? This, this is impossible..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Tian lowered his head and died completely, leaving behind only the shock and regret frozen across his face.
Zhou Qiming had hidden himself too deeply. He might even possess Tendon Transformation-level strength, yet he had hidden in a restaurant and worked as a chef. If Xiao Tian had known this earlier, he would not have dared provoke him even if he had a hundred lives!
Zhou Qiming hurriedly searched his body, pulled out several taels of silver, tossed them to the two terrified courtesans, and swiftly left the scene.
The women in the Music House were so frightened that their faces had lost all color. How could they dare accept the man's money? They were somewhat overwhelmed as well. A Martial Artist as fierce as the Black-clothed person had actually left money behind. Could it be compensation for the damaged house? The contrast was simply too absurd.
Bang!
Just as Zhou Qiming was about to leap onto the roof, he collided head-on with a man. The other man's Body tempering realm cultivation was not weak, but several of his ribs broke, and he coughed blood as he was sent flying more than ten zhang.
"Hm? That's the Qingfeng Hall Master from earlier today. Forget it, I'll leave him alone for now." Zhou Qiming glanced back and recognized the man, but had no intention of getting involved with him.
"What? Xiao Tian is already dead? This man's movement technique is so fast."
The Qingfeng Hall Master entered the room and took one look inside, greatly shocked.
Yang He had received orders from Vice Gang Leader Jin Buhuan and brought people to launch a surprise attack and encircle Xiao Tian, eliminating the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School's hidden threat and escape route. He had not expected this brat to have offended so many people that he would die before they could even make a move!
The Black-clothed person's strength was even more terrifying. From the moment he made a commotion to the moment he finished off Xiao Tian, it had probably taken no more than a single exchange. His movement technique was incredibly fast as well, and when he left, he had even injured Yang He by colliding with him. When had such a powerful expert appeared in the town?
"This man's hard-body skill has reached great accomplishment, and his movement technique is no worse than Qiu Yun's Earth Fiend Legs. Fortunately, he didn't linger to fight."
Qingfeng Hall Master Yang He analyzed the matter, growing more alarmed the more he thought about it. If the Black-clothed person had intended to deal with him, he feared his fate would have been no better than Xiao Tian's.
"Forget it. Xiao Tian is dead anyway, so the mission counts as complete. Let's leave the scene first."
Yang He was badly injured. After glancing at the corpse of the martial arts school's disciple, he hurriedly turned and left.
In the distance, the elite fighters of the Qingfeng Hall were all greatly shocked. They had not expected their Hall Master to return so quickly, nor had he even needed his subordinates to swarm the enemy and help.
"The Hall Master's Divine Skill is invincible! Xiao Tian was nothing but a paper tiger, with no real skill at all."
"He offended my Jinsha Gang. Even if he was a dragon, he still had to coil up."
"The Hall Master has achieved such a great feat. Once you're promoted to Vice Gang Leader, don't forget to lift your brothers up with you!"
The elite gang members laughed and fawned over him. With Qiu Yun and the people of Earth Fiend Hall missing, the Jinsha Gang was desperately short-handed. That meant ordinary gang members had more chances to rise, and all of them hoped to climb another step.
"When I arrived, Xiao Tian was already dead."
Yang He shook his head and spoke coldly. There was something suspicious about the matter, and once they returned, Jin Buhuan and Sha Heihu could investigate it. He could not take the credit for himself. With the gang rules above him, a mere Hall Master like him did not dare act recklessly.
"What? How is that possible?"
"There was actually another expert? Just who is that person?"
"Xiao Tian truly committed every evil under the sun. Even Heaven couldn't stand it and sent someone to collect him."
Everyone was shocked and horrified. Still, the mission had ultimately been completed, and none of the brothers had shed blood or suffered injuries in a chaotic clash. In the end, the result was good.
No one had expected that Xiao Tian had not only offended the Jinsha Gang, but had also secretly drawn the attention of another powerful figure who wanted him dead. The Iron Clothes Martial Arts School had lost its most important disciple. It would likely decline completely and never dare oppose the Vice Gang Leader again.
At Hongye Village, inside the main headquarters, experts sat around the great hall. Their identity and seats had been arranged according to rank.
"Congratulations on breaking through, Gang Leader! Your divine might is unparalleled, and you are invincible in the Tendon Transformation Realm!"
Under Jin Buhuan's lead, everyone below rose and offered their congratulations.
The old man seated in the Top Seat had a glowing face and only one eye. He was none other than Sha Heihu, who had entered death seclusion. With the pills bestowed by King Chaotian, he had finally stabilized his cultivation at Minor Tendon Transformation Accomplishment.
Tendon Transformation and Bone Forging were entirely different watersheds. His tendons and membranes were like Dragon Tendons, giving him several times the explosive power he had possessed during Bone Forging. He could gather the force of his entire body and unleash it at a single point. His tendons, membranes, and spine bent like a drawn bow, and his destructive power was worlds apart from before.
"How did the matter assigned by the Hantian Army go? Which forces in Jinshui Town have been subdued?"
Sha Heihu spoke in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
Apart from Yuan Tieyi, who had once also been in the Tendon Transformation Realm, all the other forces in town were incapable of putting up a fight. They could not possibly withstand the several halls beneath him, so before entering seclusion, Sha Heihu had confidently entrusted the affairs to Jin Buhuan.
As for the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School, Jin Buhuan naturally was not foolish enough to attack the hardest bone first. Once he broke through to the Tendon Transformation Realm and emerged from seclusion, dealing with Yuan Tieyi, whose cultivation had fallen, would be as easy as turning his hand.
However, as Sha Heihu's gaze swept around the hall, he immediately noticed that something was wrong. He flew into a rage and said, "Where is Old Qiu of Earth Fiend Hall? Did he go to the County Town on business? How dare he not come congratulate me on emerging from seclusion?"
Qiu Yun had always been utterly loyal to him and handled matters appropriately. Sha Heihu had intended to promote this trusted aide to the position of his right-hand man. Yet he was absent now, and it was hard to say whether some unfavorable change had befallen him.
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