At the headquarters in Hongye Village.
When Sha Heihu received the news, he flew into a thunderous rage.
"What? Hall Master Yang is actually dead? A bunch of lowly ants—how dare they resist!"
With Qiu Yun and Yang He falling one after another, it was tantamount to losing his left and right arms.
Even Sha Heihu had never expected that the mysterious expert who killed Xiao Tian would actually dare oppose him.
"Don't let a single person from Jinshui Town escape. Kill them!"
In an instant, the people from every hall gathered. Sha Heihu and Jin Buhuan led their forces toward the town in a murderous charge.
Everyone at Iron Clothes Martial Arts School had packed up and mounted swift horses, attempting to break through along the least-defended path.
"You really rescued them." Li Qian found it unbelievable when she saw Zhou Qiming and the others return.
"Shut up. He's our benefactor." Chef Li glared fiercely at his daughter.
If his daughter had not been so arrogant back then, perhaps the marriage proposal really could have succeeded. What a fine boy Zhou Qiming was—he was countless times stronger than that Xiao Tian.
Li Qian was utterly stunned. It was the first time her father had ever spoken harshly to her, and it made her feel wronged. Zhou Qiming must have gotten lucky and taken advantage of the enemy's base being empty. What was so impressive about that?
Yuan Tieyi and Cheng Yu, meanwhile, were both shaken to the core. Yang He's methods had been no weak, yet he had still fallen into Zhou Qiming's hands. This boy's strength had improved again!
Not long ago, when Zhou Qiming had fought to test himself, he had only been at the peak of Muscle Cultivation. Barely ten days had passed. Could he already have reached Minor Bone Forging Accomplishment?
Yuan Tieyi drew a deep breath. The more he thought about it, the more inconceivable it seemed. This boy's potential was simply astonishing. He only regretted having been blind back then and failing to seize the chance to invest in Zhou Qiming.
"It's good that you're back." Seeing that everyone was safe, Xu Hailai finally let out a long sigh of relief.
However, the others had no chance to count their blessings. They had only just crawled out through the Secret Passage leading out of the city when they were blocked head-on by people from the Jinsha Gang.
"Scatter and run. This old man will hold them off." Yuan Tieyi was exceedingly resolute, determined to buy everyone time and a chance to escape.
He was the only one present at Bone Forging Perfection. For a short while, he could disregard his hidden injuries and erupt with the strength of the Tendon Transformation level, holding back Jin Buhuan and the others for a moment.
As for the Bone Forging hall masters under the Jinsha Gang, whether Cheng Yu and the others could escape would depend on their luck. If fortune favored them, they might evade the pursuit.
"Master, at worst, we'll fight them!" Cheng Yu and Fang Hai were both unwilling to flee on their own.
"No. The inheritance of my Iron Cloth Skill cannot be severed. Do you want this old man to die for nothing?" Yuan Tieyi's muscles bulged like coiled dragons, and his aura surged in an instant, as though he had returned to his youth.
Rather than sending everyone to their deaths, it was better to preserve the seeds of vengeance. Yuan Tieyi was decisive, determined to send everyone to safety.
The various forces in the small town had either been absorbed or annihilated. Only Zhang Tie from the Blacksmith Shop and a few craftsmen remained, along with members of the Cheng Family, people from the restaurant, and two or three disciples of the martial arts school.
For a moment, everyone was filled with respect and gratitude for Yuan Tieyi's courage.
"Hmph, you old relic. None of you are getting away. You dared kill members of my Jinsha Gang—go to hell!"
Sha Heihu dismounted and walked over coldly, terrifying Internal Force fluctuations radiating from his entire body.
"What? His breath is long and steady, and his Blood Qi is like a dragon. Has he achieved mastery of Internal Force?"
Yuan Tieyi stared fixedly at him, and his heart trembled. The difference in strength was simply too great. This was trouble.
If Sha Heihu had only been in the Tendon Transformation Realm, it would have been manageable. But the man had achieved mastery in Internal Force cultivation. How could they possibly fight him?
"If you practice martial arts without cultivating Internal Force, all your effort will amount to nothing in old age." A Martial Artist who had mastered Internal Force would not suffer much decline in Blood Qi with age. In the later stages, they could even grow fiercer the more they trained—a rising parabola.
And Yuan Tieyi still had hidden injuries. This battle had no suspense.
"Heh heh, I just broke through. You're the perfect person to test my blade on. Old man, you should feel honored."
Sha Heihu threw back his head and laughed heartily, his delight impossible to conceal.
A few years ago, in front of Iron Clothes Martial Arts School, he had still needed to endure and pretend to be weak. But after receiving the Hantian Army's resources and assistance, he no longer needed to put on an act. That was the change brought by strength.
Everyone was plunged into despair. Against a Tendon Transformation Martial Artist who had mastered Internal Force, even Hall Master Yuan could not delay him for long. They were doomed this time.
Yuan Tieyi forced himself to summon his courage and leapt forward, unleashing a killing move. Whether he was strong or weak would be known only after the battle.
With the support of Iron Cloth Force, his training clothes became as hard as steel. They billowed and sliced through the wind, making the air tremble and boom.
At the same time, Yuan Tieyi acted with extreme decisiveness. He activated the Great Tendons throughout his body, endured the pain of his injuries, and drew upon the foundation of the Tendon Transformation Realm.
Iron Stone Fist!
The old man struck with all his strength. His attack had reached the Tendon Transformation level; even a Martial Artist of the same realm would suffer broken bones and torn tendons after taking it head-on.
"Trying to stop a chariot with a mantis's arms? Watch my Tiger Fiend!"
Sha Heihu shook his head contemptuously. The fifty years of Internal Force from his Black Fiend Skill surged like a raging tide, and he instantly slashed out with the Black Tiger Soul Severing Blade.
This Blade Technique was ordinary enough on its own, but with his profound Internal Force behind it, it transcended the mundane, becoming as sharp as a Precious Weapon capable of slicing gold and severing iron.
With a hiss, merely a few wisps of scattered blade energy sliced through Yuan Tieyi's skin. In an instant, blood streamed freely.
"Tiger Fiend, Tiger Might!"
Relying on his physical advantage and his unending Internal Force, Sha Heihu sent two more blades flashing out in succession.
Yuan Tieyi was already struggling to hold on. He was struck as though by thunder, and his Hardening Arts were shattered like an egg. Spitting blood, he was sent flying backward.
"Damn it! If only I were ten years younger..." Yuan Tieyi vomited blood in great mouthfuls, his face pale as paper. He was utterly crippled this time. He had never imagined that Sha Heihu's Internal Force cultivation would be so terrifying.
For the same amount of time invested, Internal Force offered far less benefit in the early stages than Hardening Arts. Without talent, even entering the path was exceedingly difficult. Yuan Tieyi could not understand how Sha Heihu had managed to cultivate it.
"What? Hall Master Yuan has already lost?"
"It's over. We're all going to die. Is this the strength of the Tendon Transformation Realm?"
"How hateful! We already paid protection money. Why won't the Jinsha Gang let us go?"
Everyone was terrified and despairing. Even Yuan Tieyi could not withstand a single exchange, let alone these ants at the Muscle Cultivation and Skin Grinding levels.
The Jinsha Gang's lineup was far too powerful, filling everyone with despair.
"Gang Leader, send these Body Tempering Martial Artists to the Hantian Army. Perhaps King Chaotian may have a use for them." Jin Buhuan offered a suggestion from the side.
Chao Ritian's martial talent was astonishing, and he had the Five Great Heavenly Generals under him. To improve and derive new martial arts, he often used Body Tempering Martial Artists in demonic experiments. Perhaps Yuan Tieyi's fleshly body could still be put to use.
"Fine. I'll cripple their hands and feet now, so they won't cause trouble." Sha Heihu gave a cold laugh and advanced like a ferocious tiger.
Suddenly, a figure with a blade on his back stepped in front of everyone. A steel-like giant hand seized Sha Heihu's shoulder. It was as though a great mountain had come crashing down, causing Sha Heihu's feet to sink into the bluestone road. He could not move even an inch forward.
And that one step was like a natural moat.
"It's Qiming!"
"Good heavens, Qiming, get out of the way! This man isn't someone you can handle."
"Even Hall Master Yuan lost. Don't try to show off."
Cheng Yu and Xu Hailai were both deeply worried, warning him anxiously.
"Take one more step, and you die!" Zhou Qiming's voice was cold. He left the others with only his back.
He also wanted to know whether his Three Layers of Breaking Limits martial arts were more formidable, or whether the other man's Internal Force cultivation was more profound.
Before you continue