Slaying a Dou Master

With a thunderous boom, a figure was sent flying. Looking at the four people lying below, Lin Ming said to the one still standing, "I'll spare your worthless life. Go back and tell Pei Xiong to come himself. Sending you people here to die is meaningless. Get lost!"

The man fled in utter panic. Lin Ming paid him no further attention and turned to leave. Then he called, "Yin Lin, let's go." A silver figure darted away, and both vanished into the forest.

Inside the Pei Family Mercenary Group, the man Lin Ming had spared knelt on the ground and relayed Lin Ming's words to the person seated above.

"You useless trash! So many of you went, yet you still couldn't handle one brat. Get out!" After venting his fury, the man seated in the main seat said to the man on his right, "Third Brother, gather everyone above Five Stars. Doesn't that little beast want me to go personally? I'll grant his wish. I'll lead the brothers there myself, slaughter him, and avenge my son."

"Yes, Big Brother. I'll gather the brothers right away. This time, we'll definitely kill that little beast and avenge Lang'er." The man seated on the right rose after speaking and hurried out.

Over the past few days, Lin Ming had found an excellent location: a chasm. The cliff faces on either side were only a little over two zhang apart. Once he strung a rope between the two ends, he could cross at ease. There was also a slope on the other side of the chasm that he could use to leave. This was the place Lin Ming had chosen to duel Pei Xiong. If they tried to swarm him then, he could retreat down the slope. But afterward, the Pei Family Mercenary Group would face Lin Ming's frenzied retaliation.

A few days later, somewhere in the Monster Mountain Range, a man in his forties shouted, "Little beast, let's see how you run now!" This man was Pei Xiong, the leader of the Pei Family Mercenary Group in Stone Horse Town.

"Old dog, you people sure came slowly! Was your son born by the one beside you? You should be happy I killed him, shouldn't you? It's been so long, yet you still came to thank your grandfather?" Lin Ming said something utterly shocking.

"You little beast, once Big Brother catches you, I'll have him hand you over to me. Then I'll knock out your teeth one by one. Let's see if your mouth is still as tough as it is now." The man beside Pei Xiong cut in.

"Haha! Your grandfather hit a sore spot about your family scandal, and now you're ashamed and furious, aren't you?" Lin Ming laughed loudly.

"Catch that kid! Whoever catches him will become the fourth commander." Pei Xiong stopped the man beside him from speaking further and addressed his subordinates.

"You want to catch your grandfather? Then come!" Lin Ming did not stand there foolishly. He headed toward the place he had selected. Afraid they would fail to keep up, Lin Ming deliberately slowed his pace. Otherwise, he would have shaken them off long ago. After all, the speed of his Star-Stepping Steps was beyond comparison with theirs.

Half an hour later, Lin Ming reached one end of the chasm. He leaped up, landed on a rope, and crossed to the other side in just a few steps.

Standing on the far side of the chasm, Lin Ming watched the pursuers arrive and smiled. Then he called out, "Old dog, if you want to avenge your son, come over yourself. I'll give you that chance and settle this with you alone. If you want to come together, don't blame me for refusing to play with you. But then no one from your Pei Family Mercenary Group should even think of leaving home. For every one of you who comes out, I'll kill one."

"Big Brother, be careful. It could be a trap," the man beside Pei Xiong warned him.

"A Dou Master's strength is not something a Dou Zhe can contend with." After speaking, Pei Xiong jumped onto the rope and reached the other side of the chasm as well.

Pei Xiong arrived on Lin Ming's side and looked at him. "Kid, I have to admire your courage. So today, I'll let you see the gap between a Dou Zhe and a Dou Master." As he spoke, Dou Qi formed an energy shield like a gauze robe over the surface of his body.

Lin Ming knew this was the mark of a Dou Master—the Dou Qi Gauze Robe. Every stage of cultivation for martial artists on the Dou Qi Continent had a corresponding sign. At the Dou Master stage, one could form a defensive Dou Qi Gauze Robe over the body. Ordinary Dou Zhes could not even break through its defenses, let alone injure its wearer.

Looking at Pei Xiong's summoned Dou Qi Gauze Robe, Lin Ming also drew the Star Dragon Saber. Two attributes of Dou Qi wrapped around the Flame Gold Flame as it surged forth. At this moment, Lin Ming held a flaming blade burning with golden fire tinged with green.

The two figures clashed. Pei Xiong's broadsword collided with Lin Ming's Star Dragon Saber, and both were forced back. Pei Xiong was, after all, a Dou Master, and his cultivation exceeded Lin Ming's. He took only three steps back, while Lin Ming took five before stopping. In such a direct clash, Lin Ming had only retreated two steps farther than Pei Xiong, a Dou Master Four Stars. This was enough to show how extraordinary Lin Ming's dual-attribute Dou Qi was. Any other Nine Star Dou Practitioner would likely have suffered serious injuries from that blow.

"Haha, it seems this Dou Master isn't as impressive as you claimed," Lin Ming mocked with a smile.

"Kid, you caught one ordinary move from me, and you're already this arrogant? If this is all you have, then die!" Pei Xiong charged straight at him and chopped down with his saber.

With a loud bang, Pei Xiong's saber struck the ground, sending shattered stones flying. Lin Ming had used the Star-Stepping Steps to evade the attack. Seeing Lin Ming dodge with his movement technique, Pei Xiong gave a low shout. "Flowing Cloud Steps!" His speed abruptly increased as he shot toward Lin Ming.

"Clang... clang clang... clang clang clang..." The sound of weapons colliding rang out without end as the two fought.

The people on the other side of the chasm watched them exchange dozens of moves without either side falling, and they felt fortunate they had not encountered Lin Ming themselves. He could fight a Dou Master for dozens of exchanges without losing. If any of them met Lin Ming alone, it would surely mean certain death. At this moment, they all hoped their leader could kill this kid. Otherwise, they would never know peace again. After all, he was only a Nine Star Dou Practitioner now. Once he advanced to Dou Shi, perhaps no one in all of Stone Horse Town would be his match. As for doubting whether he could advance to Dou Shi, no one had ever doubted it. If such a young Nine Star Dou Practitioner could not become a Dou Master, would that not be a joke?

Farther away, a man and a woman were also watching. The woman said, "Brother Lin, who do you think will win this fight?"

The man called Brother Lin sighed. "Ah! If that kid has no other means, he's afraid he'll lose. To fight Pei Xiong, a Dou Master Four Stars, for this long with the cultivation of a Dou Practitioner Nine Star... I have to admit, the kid is a genius. But precisely because they have fought for so long, that kid should not have much Dou Qi left. Pei Xiong, however, is a Dou Master. He still has plenty."

"Then what should we do? Should we go help now? Shanshan specifically asked us to protect this person." Upon hearing his assessment, the woman immediately spoke. From their conversation, these Two People were likely Shi Lin and Man Miao, the founders of Stone Horse Town's other Mercenary Group—the Stone Beast Mercenary Group—and Shi Shanshan's parents.

"Let's wait a little longer. That kid himself doesn't seem panicked, so he should still have a trump card." Shi Lin said to Man Miao.

Just as the man had expected, Lin Ming did not have much Dou Qi left. After knocking aside Pei Xiong's attack with a slash, Lin Ming opened some distance and took out a Qi Replenishing Pill, swallowing it. As the pill entered his stomach, his Dou Qi rapidly recovered.

Although Pei Xiong had never seen a Qi Replenishing Pill, whatever Lin Ming had eaten at a time like this would surely help in battle. While he did not know what it was, he still knew it was a medicinal pill. Someone who could afford medicinal pills was not from a place as small as this. Combined with reaching Dou Practitioner Nine Star at such a young age and possessing such monstrous combat strength, there was no need to think further—Lin Ming definitely came from some Great Family. And now that they had reached the point of becoming Eternal Enemies, since friendship was impossible, he could only kill him. Then he would flee somewhere no one knew him. Surely no one would be able to find him then.

Thinking this, Pei Xiong no longer held back. He said to Lin Ming, "Kid, dying beneath my Yellow Tier High-grade Blade Skill, the Stone-Splitting Hand, will let you die without regrets." With that, he slashed at Lin Ming.

Hearing that his opponent was going to use a Dou Technique, Lin Ming did not dare be careless. Though it was merely a Yellow Tier High-grade Dou Technique, Pei Xiong was still a Dou Master, and its power was quite formidable. Lin Ming tightened his grip on the Star Dragon Saber and activated the Startling Swan Saber Technique. Then he said to Pei Xiong, "Since we're comparing blade techniques, I'll show you the power of a Profound Tier Blade Skill." With that, Lin Ming swung his Star Dragon Saber at Pei Xiong.

With a boom far more violent than before, Pei Xiong was sent flying. He smashed into the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. Not only had he lost his broadsword, but the Dou Qi Gauze Robe on his body had also grown much thinner. Lin Ming, on the other hand, had blood at the corner of his mouth and had been forced back two steps, but he still stood firmly.

"If this is all you have, then the leader of the Pei Family Mercenary Group will change today." Lin Ming wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at Pei Xiong on the ground.

"Little beast, I underestimated you! Since you forced me to this point, you must die today!" Pei Xiong staggered to his feet, his mind crazed as he spoke.

Seeing him rise and say this, Lin Ming became more vigilant. Injured people were the most insane. Like wounded beasts, they would make a desperate gamble without regard for anything else, pouring all their strength into searching for that final chance to strike and survive.

"Haha! Little beast, don't think you're the only one with a Profound Tier Dou Technique. Today, I'll let you experience the power of one too." After speaking, Pei Xiong's Dou Qi surged toward his right arm.

Seeing Pei Xiong's state, Lin Ming instantly removed the suppression in his Dantian over attribute conversion. In an instant, the gold and green within his Dantian became five colors: gold, green, black, white, and yellow. Lin Ming was about to use five-attribute Dou Qi to execute the Explosive Thunder Fist. Pei Xiong's mind was already on the verge of collapsing into madness, and the mind-shaking Explosive Thunder Fist was the most suitable technique. Lin Ming had tested it afterward. The Explosive Thunder Fist executed with five-attribute Dou Qi was even more powerful than the peak mid-grade Profound Tier strength he had initially expected. It possessed at least the power of a Profound Tier High-grade technique. As for these people, aside from Pei Xiong, who might notice it when he received Lin Ming's attack, none of the others had the ability to tell. After all, Lin Ming had only added the Wood Attribute on the outside, so it looked no different from what he had used before.

"Blood Explosion Fist," "Explosive Thunder Fist," "Buzz."

Two different cries rang out at the same time, followed by the collision of two fists. A cloud of Blood Mist rose into the air. Pei Xiong's right arm had completely disappeared, and only a small amount of blood flowed from the wound.

"Even the Blood Explosion Fist that sacrificed my right arm couldn't kill you. I... am... unwilling...!" After saying this, Pei Xiong fell.

Looking at the fallen Pei Xiong, Lin Ming released the Flame Gold Flame and burned his corpse away.