First-class Expert

"Who else?"

Wu Yuan's voice was hoarse and chilling, not loud, but it held a soul-stirring power for the hundreds of Fierce Tiger Gang members surrounding the courtyard.

Bodies littered the courtyard!

The blood flowing from the brow of the gang leader, 'Yang Long', was blindingly conspicuous.

The source of it all was the burly man in the courtyard center, wearing a bronze mask and wielding a long spear.

Who else dared to come forward?

"He must be the Fierce Tiger Gang leader, 'Yang Long'. A Second-class Expert? His strength and speed were decent, but I overestimated him. He couldn't even block one of my spear thrusts?" Wu Yuan glanced at the robust corpse lying on the shattered wood.

The baseline for a Third-class Expert was twenty thousand jin of strength.

The baseline for a Second-class Expert was thirty thousand jin of strength.

The gap between them wasn't that large.

Moreover, Wu Yuan's burst of power at that moment, with Triple Force layered on top, instantly unleashed sixty thousand jin of strength, enough to rival a First-class Expert!

In terms of strength, it was nearly double that of Yang Long.

Coupled with the difference in combat skills, one spear thrust was enough!

Martial artist combat was a matter of life and death in an instant. Unless their strength was extremely close, it was rare for battles to last hundreds or thousands of moves before a victor emerged.

"What terrifying spear technique." The Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth's pupils constricted.

The Fierce Tiger Gang members present, limited by their strength, hadn't seen clearly.

But the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth saw it all. The moment the bronze-masked man and Yang Long crossed paths, his speed instantly erupted to several times its previous level, and the speed and power of his spear surged!

It was a world apart from the strength he had displayed earlier.

If the bronze-masked man's previous display was that of a Second-class Expert, then this spear thrust was definitely at the 'First-class Expert' level.

"In the small Li City, when did such a First-class Expert skilled in spear techniques appear? Or perhaps a master of skills, Triple Extreme Strength?" The Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth's mind raced through several possibilities.

First-class Experts were rare even within the Hengyun Sect, definitely qualified to be high-ranking members.

Each one was a renowned figure.

As for Triple Extreme Strength? Even more terrifying! Among First-class Experts, those who could reach 'Double Extreme Strength' were few and far between.

Triple was even rarer!

"Shoot arrows! Quickly, shoot arrows and kill him!" The short, stout man, 'Li Ye', suddenly roared, his voice filled with fear and a hint of madness.

Gang members and bandits were mostly motivated by wealth, but they also had brotherhood.

Yang Long was the sworn brother Li Ye considered his elder brother, a brother in life and death!

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" The archers on the surrounding courtyard walls, though fearful, instinctively obeyed the order.

Arrows shot out like lightning.

Hoo! Hoo!

Wu Yuan moved like lightning, dodging more than ten arrows. While dodging, he flipped his left palm, and a Flying Dagger appeared.

"Whoosh!"

Under the torchlight, the dagger was like a streak of light, cutting through the night sky.

"Pfft~" The Flying Dagger pierced through the short, stout man's head, easily penetrating his helmet. His head shattered like a watermelon, and he fell from the high wall.

Li Ye, the second-in-command and hall master of the Fierce Tiger Gang, was dead!

This scene finally shattered the last shred of courage among the Fierce Tiger Gang members. The remaining Proficient Expert in the main stronghold, 'Fifth Master', also showed fear and dared not issue any more commands.

He had no confidence in blocking that terrifying Flying Dagger.

"The Gang Leader is dead! The Second Master and Fourth Master are also dead!"

"Let's escape."

"The Fierce Tiger Gang is finished, let's go, join another gang, hurry." The crowd of gang members retreated like a tide.

They had no intention of avenging their Gang Leader.

Their Gang Leader was dead, and more than half of the other leaders were also dead. Even if they fought desperately and killed the bronze-masked man, what would be the point?

In the blink of an eye.

In the vast courtyard, apart from the corpses littering the ground, only Wu Yuan, standing on the ground, and the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth, standing on the second-floor pavilion, remained.

"Your Excellency, you are probably not a member of the Fierce Tiger Gang." Wu Yuan's voice was hoarse and low, his spear never leaving his hand, extremely vigilant.

He had sensed something was off about the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth long ago.

He hadn't panicked at all.

He was calm and composed.

Furthermore, when the three Proficient Experts arrived earlier, that Evil Tiger Li Ye had followed behind the Gang Leader Yang Long.

The Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth, however, had walked alongside them.

Everything.

It all highlighted the opponent's uniqueness.

"I am indeed not a member of the Fierce Tiger Gang, but Yang Long is my junior brother from the same sect," the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth said softly. "I don't know why you broke into the Fierce Tiger Gang, but martial artists fight as they always have. I only hope you will hand over Yang Long's corpse so I can take it back to my sect for a proper burial."

"Sect?" Wu Yuan grew even more vigilant.

He recalled the intel from Stellar Tower: Yang Long wasn't from Li City. Could he have a powerful background?

"I can give you the corpse!"

"However." Wu Yuan's spear lightly flicked, precisely slicing through the outer layer of Yang Long's corpse nearby.

Clang! A green jade bottle fell onto the blood-soaked ground.

"Sir, this is an item from my sect. Please leave it," the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth urged, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Your sect's item? But this is my spoils of war, so it naturally belongs to me." Wu Yuan's spear gently nudged, sending the jade bottle rolling. He caught it in his hand.

"You can take the corpse," Wu Yuan said, looking directly at the youth.

"Leave the jade bottle," the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth stared intently at Wu Yuan. "I don't want to fight you, but don't force me."

"Force you?"

Wu Yuan smiled faintly, the jade bottle in his hand. He suddenly darted backward, intending to leave the courtyard.

Wu Yuan was certain this jade bottle was no ordinary item.

"Stay!" a furious roar.

The Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth lunged, his movements swift as lightning, almost instantly catching up to Wu Yuan.

"Boom!" "Boom!" Two large hammers appeared in his hands. They were heavy, their shadows engulfing the sky, immensely powerful, and instantly enveloped Wu Yuan.

"So fast." Wu Yuan's pupils constricted.

Too fast.

This was the fastest martial artist Wu Yuan had encountered since his transmigration. He immediately understood: this was a true expert!

Even if not a First-class Expert, he was close.

"Clang!" "Clang!" The sound of clashing weapons. Wu Yuan's spear moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, his entire body's strength erupting as he blocked the terrifying hammer blows.

One hammer strike followed another, like waves crashing one after another, forcing Wu Yuan to retreat repeatedly.

"Over fifty thousand jin of brute strength!"

"A First-class Expert." Wu Yuan finally made his judgment, his heart filled with solemnity. He knew he was in serious trouble this time.

After all.

Becoming a First-class Expert wasn't something achievable through mere training and sustenance; one had to reach a certain level of combat skill.

Why?

Only when combat skills reached an extremely high level, coupled with strong control over one's body, was it possible to tap into deeper bodily potential, making the body stronger.

Physical strength and combat skill were complementary; it was rare for someone to excel in only one aspect.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

Hammers were heavy weapons, used to suppress opponents with momentum.

The two large hammers seemed as light as toys in the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth's hands. Combined with his footwork, they advanced majestically, possessing an almost invincible might.

"Clang!"

"Clang!" Wu Yuan's spear danced, moving like a dragon. He parried the hammer strikes time and again, precisely deflecting them to the sides to avoid direct impact, managing to hold his ground.

In terms of combat skill, Wu Yuan was clearly much stronger.

However, the Beast-clothed Tall and Thin Youth's strength was overwhelmingly powerful, and his hammer techniques were equally formidable. In their lightning-fast exchange, Wu Yuan found it impossible to exploit even the slightest opening.

In just twelve hammer strikes!

"Crunch!" Wu Yuan seemed unable to withstand the continuous onslaught and his spear was suddenly knocked from his grasp.

He himself was sent flying backward, landing beside Yang Long's corpse.

ps: Tomorrow's update will also be in the evening