Crushing Slaughter

Qingmang Mountain stretched for a hundred li from north to south, covering over a thousand square kilometers. It was immensely vast.

It was filled with countless fierce beasts, snakes, and insects.

For an ordinary person, crossing Qingmang Mountain was exceedingly difficult.

But for Zhang Ming, whose cultivation had now reached the Postnatal Martial Artist realm, he could roam freely through the mountains as though walking on level ground.

With a single leap, he could cover more than ten meters. With the immense strength in his hands, he could casually seize even the slightest ledge and send his body soaring into the air.

Climbing mountains and crossing ridges, scaling walls and leaping over eaves—none of it posed a challenge.

To cross a mountain several hundred meters high only took a few minutes and several dozen leaps and climbs.

Thus, as he hurried onward.

Zhang Ming was only one or two hours slower than a carrier pigeon flying through the sky.

And those one or two hours happened to let Zhang Ming run into someone he knew.

Atop an unnamed steep peak a hundred meters high, Zhang Ming's gaze swept instinctively over his surroundings.

On a narrow path amid the distant mountains, more than a dozen figures suddenly appeared.

"Hmm? That person is..."

He examined the appearance of the man leading them below.

"Looks familiar. Niu Kangshao? The son of the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School's master?"

"More than a dozen people, led by Niu Kangshao, all carrying weapons, their Sha Qi soaring to the heavens. Who are they going after?"

Curiosity stirred in Zhang Ming, and he prepared to wait and see.

But on second thought, he dismissed the idea.

"This time, when I return to Yang City, aside from seeing my parents and bringing them some Demon Beast Meat to nourish their bodies..."

"I also have another goal: unify both the black and white paths of Yang City."

"The martial arts halls, as well as those gangs, are all my targets."

Staring at the people below, killing intent seeped out as a savage smile curved across his lips.

"Perfect. I'll start with you."

"Qingmang Mountain is so vast. Isn't it perfectly normal for a few people to be buried here?"

With several leaps, Zhang Ming descended the mountain and charged swiftly toward the group below.

Thud, thud, thud—

"What's that noise? What's happening in the mountains?"

Hearing the sounds ahead drawing closer and the ground trembling, Niu Kangshao's group immediately grew highly alert.

The weapons in everyone's hands instinctively pointed toward the depths of the forest.

Thud, thud, thud—

Several more dull impacts rang out. The ground shook, and birds and beasts took flight throughout the mountain forest.

The sudden change made the atmosphere increasingly tense.

Gulp. An Underling swallowed a mouthful of fearful saliva.

"It's getting closer, Boss. Don't tell me we've run into a Demon Beast! Why is that sound getting closer and closer?"

Niu Kangshao said, "Bullshit. How could we encounter a Demon Beast here?"

He said that, but his deepened breathing and the slight retreat of his feet were far more convincing than his words.

"Closer. Closer. Even closer."

The group stared in terror at the thickly overgrown forest ahead.

Suddenly.

After another dull impact.

The grass and trees stirred, and a pair of fair hands pushed aside the vegetation and vines.

The thick vines, covered in countless thorns and as thick as an ordinary person's arm, could do nothing to those fair hands.

With a casual sweep of those hands, the dense, twisting vines and vegetation were forcibly torn apart, opening a path.

A figure emerged from the passage.

"Z-Z-Zhang Ming!"

Like he had seen a ghost in broad daylight, an Underling pointed at the distant figure, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

"Y-you... how could you be so fast? Are you human or a ghost?"

"Tell us, are you human or a ghost!"

Everyone was terrified beyond measure.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Ming smiled faintly, his feet shifting as he slowly approached them.

"Hey, hey, why are you so surprised to see me? It's like you came here specifically to wait for me."

"Hmm?"

Zhang Ming froze, suddenly realizing something. The smile on his face stiffened.

"You... you entered the mountain to find me?"

"Find you?"

Seeing that it was Zhang Ming rather than some Demon Beast or monster, Niu Kangshao no longer showed his earlier fear and stepped forward first.

"Haha, of course not. What luck to run into young friend Zhang here. Did young friend just come out of the Mine?"

Zhang Ming suddenly burst out laughing and looked at Niu Kangshao as if he were an idiot.

"You still say you weren't looking for me? You even know I just came out of the Mine?"

"Niu Kangshao, Niu Kangshao. No wonder the hall master doesn't entrust the Martial Arts Hall's daily affairs to you. You simply don't have the brains for it."

"Motherfucker!"

The amiability on Niu Kangshao's face instantly vanished. With Sha Qi written all over his face, he called out to his Underlings.

"Brat, I originally only wanted to kill you. But now, I suddenly don't want to kill you so easily."

A cruel smile spread across his face.

"I'll let you taste what it feels like to die in agony. I'll let you taste how gangs deal with traitors—unable to live, unable to die.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hmph."

Zhang Ming snorted, his face full of disdain.

In battle, regardless of the difference in strength between the two sides or the gap in their quality and numbers.

One had to seize the initiative and strike first.

The words of the ancients echoed in Zhang Ming's heart: "He who strikes first gains the upper hand; he who strikes later suffers disaster."

And so.

Bang—

And so, the ground beneath his feet suddenly exploded, and Zhang Ming shot toward the crowd like a massive eagle.

Zhang Ming's figure was like an arrow released from the bowstring, diving at astonishing speed toward the lackeys beside Niu Kangshao.

The Refined Iron Ring-Pommel Great Saber danced in his hand, its blade flashing as it lunged straight at the lackeys beside Niu Kangshao.

Swish—

Splurt—

Blood sprayed everywhere. Zhang Ming was too fast, and he had seized the initiative. The Refined Iron Ring-Pommel Great Saber was superbly forged, far surpassing ordinary weapons.

Moreover, lackeys were merely lackeys. They had no chance to dodge at all.

With a single charge.

Two slashes flashed out. Two lackeys were cut in half at the waist like severed stalks of wheat, blood bursting in every direction like fountains—a horrifying sight.

"Damn it! Boss, save me! Boss, save me! Boss, save me!"

The lackeys might not have been very smart, but they were not fools.

The horrifying sight of their companions being cleaved in half in the blink of an eye made them instantly realize that Zhang Ming was not someone they could possibly handle.

"Zhang Ming, how are you this strong? You were clearly just a useless piece of trash who only sensed Vital Energy a few months ago! How could you possibly be this strong?"

Niu Kangshao cried out in terror.

In his panic, he tried to cut Zhang Ming in half at the waist, but that terrifying speed left him unable to react.

"You're not Zhang Ming. You definitely aren't Zhang Ming! Who are you?!"

"Hmph."

In the distance, Zhang Ming sneered and paid Niu Kangshao no attention whatsoever.

With a turn, he charged at the lackeys with thunderous speed.

"A bunch of weaklings."

Watching Zhang Ming charge toward them, the lackeys were terrified out of their wits, drops of urine trickling down their legs.

However...

It was of no use whatsoever.

Splurt—

Heads flew, bodies fell, and blood drenched the earth.

"Damn it, he's so strong. His speed is too fast—I can't even see him clearly."

"I'm no match for him."

These thoughts flashed through Niu Kangshao's mind in an instant.

Without the slightest hesitation, Niu Kangshao turned and ran.

If he couldn't win, why wouldn't he run?

Brotherhood? What was that?

"Running?"

Watching Niu Kangshao flee in panic, Zhang Ming was in no hurry.

Instead, he raised his saber and turned toward the remaining lackeys.

Black Tiger Descends Mountain.

Forcefully Splits Mount Hua.

Sweep Through a Thousand Armies.

And so on—he tested a series of moves on the lackeys.

It was like activating an ultimate in Dynasty Warriors amid a crowd of foot soldiers.

Not a single lackey could withstand even one exchange with Zhang Ming.

His figure darted through the crowd like a ghost. Wherever he went, flesh and blood flew, while corpses and scraps of flesh littered dozens of meters around him.

The ground was dyed red with blood.

A moment later.

Only Zhang Ming remained standing upon the blood-red earth.

At this moment, Zhang Ming was completely unscathed and had not even taken more than a few breaths. Wiping the blood from his Ring-Pommel Great Saber, he looked in the direction Niu Kangshao had fled.

He sneered.

"Run? Can you get away?"

Bang—

A bowl-sized crater exploded beneath his feet as Zhang Ming shot rapidly into the distance in pursuit.