Though the blade flashed fast, the burly man moved even faster.
The instant the blade fell,
his figure darted away like a ghost.
Then he threw a punch, violent force howling from his fist.
The force behind it was devastating.
The two attackers struck only an afterimage with their blades, then twisted around and slashed at the burly man's fist.
Violent blade force burst from their long blades,
colliding with the burly man's fist.
A wave of energy erupted where they clashed, and the impact against the air produced a piercing sound.
The three figures immediately drew apart.
The two sides faced off.
"Northern Desert Twin Bladesmen! We have no grudge against you."
The burly man said in a low voice.
After that single exchange, he had already recognized them.
"We take people's money and do their bidding. Since we've accepted their payment, naturally we have to do the job!"
"Du Feiwu of Zitan Palace, the Adamantine Iron Arm. We'd also like to see the power of your iron fists."
As soon as he finished speaking,
the two men shot toward the burly man again. The blades in their hands flared at once, tearing through the air as fierce arcs of blade light slashed toward him.
"Adamantine Iron Arm!"
The burly man gave a low shout. Golden light began to flow through his arms, and in the blink of an eye, they looked as if they had turned to gold.
Clang! Clang!
The next moment, the sound of metal colliding rang out.
Amid the raging storm of blade light, a streak of gold repeatedly struck out, blocking the ferocious blades.
While the three men fought,
the purple-robed woman furrowed her brows slightly.
This time, she was heading to Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower in Qingcheng City to investigate the cause of Su Mengbai's death.
Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower meant little to Zitan Palace, but it played an important role for the Mu Family.
It not only helped the Mu Family gather intelligence about the lands within the passes, but also provided them with financial support.
The old ancestor's intention was for Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower to remain under the Mu Family's control!
But she hadn't even reached Qingcheng City when someone had already made a move against them.
"Are they from Qingcheng City, or from inside Zitan Palace?"
Mu Qingxue wondered.
Zitan Palace was vast, with many factions. Infighting between them was nothing unusual.
Her eyes remained fixed on the three men fighting.
Judging by the battle, the Northern Desert Twin Bladesmen could temporarily hold Du Feiwu off by joining forces, but if the fight dragged on,
they would inevitably be at a disadvantage.
Hiss! Hiss!
Just then, two horses whinnied.
She looked toward her horses.
Both had collapsed to the ground, white foam spilling from their mouths. They looked poisoned, and there was no saving them.
"You're asking for death!"
Mu Qingxue's eyes turned cold as she searched the surroundings.
Suddenly, she let out a sharp cry and darted toward a spot not far behind the horses.
As she moved, her hand flashed to her waist. Sword Qi, swift as thunder, shot toward a figure fleeing nearby.
It was incredibly fast.
Mu Qingxue was no ordinary fighter.
Seeing the attack, the fleeing person reached out to seize the thunderous Sword Qi with his bare hand.
Clang, clang, clang.
The man caught Mu Qingxue's sword strikes with his palm.
Mu Qingxue looked at him.
A layer of dark sheen covered his hand. He wore a pair of indestructible gloves forged from black iron.
He was looking at Mu Qingxue with cold eyes.
Mu Qingxue didn't pause and continued her attack. The man clenched his hand into a fist,
and it collided with Mu Qingxue's long sword.
Boom!
The clash between sword and arm sent a tremendous surge of energy crashing against the air. The air seemed to explode, unleashing a wave that swept outward and kicked up clouds of yellow sand around them.
"Not bad, little girl. You've reached the Innate Peak Stage at such a young age, but you're still a little short of being able to fight me!"
"Still, our mission is complete. There's no need to attack you."
With that, he sped off into the distance.
The two men who had been fighting Du Feiwu also knocked him back in an instant, then turned and fled.
They were incredibly fast.
It seemed their purpose in coming here hadn't been to kill anyone, but to kill the horses.
"This..."
Watching the three men flee,
Mu Qingxue furrowed her brows.
Du Feiwu came over to her.
"Were they trying to delay us from reaching Qingcheng City?"
He asked in a low voice.
"That must be it. We should leave now."
Mu Qingxue said no more. With their horses dead, they could only travel to Qingcheng City on foot.
Only after they had left
did an old man appear and set off in the direction the three men had gone.
Not long afterward,
the three men who had fled earlier were lying in pools of blood.
A sword wound marked each of their throats, blood spraying from it and staining the setting sun.
At sunset,
Su Chen and Liu Wumei arrived at Qin Cui Mountain by carriage.
Liu Wumei took out a map and studied it for a moment, then said to the old man driving the carriage, "Wait here for us. We're going into the mountains."
Looking at the dense forest before them, Su Chen said, "Why don't we go into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning?"
Though he had inherited this body, Su Chen's instinct for staying safe was still deeply rooted in his way of thinking.
It was a mindset from modern society, and he couldn't change it in a short time.
"You value your life that much? That's no way for a martial artist to cultivate."
Liu Wumei looked at Su Chen.
Su Chen gave people the impression that he was a little too cautious.
"Being careful with my life means I can cultivate for longer. I'm not very willing to put myself in danger."
"Of course, Madam Liu, your confidence comes mainly from your own strength. If you had the same strength as me, I doubt you'd rush into the mountains either."
Su Chen looked at Liu Wumei.
"I'll protect you, so you don't need to worry about your safety!"
"If you keep hesitating at every step, you'll never become a martial arts overlord."
With that, Liu Wumei darted into the mountains.
Su Chen had no choice but to follow.
The two hurried onward at full speed. After traveling for a while, they reached the place marked on the map.
Looking at the dark canyon before them,
Su Chen said, "It should be in there, but it looks like people from Lei Hall are guarding the entrance. How do we get in?"
"Kill them?"
At Su Chen's words, Liu Wumei looked momentarily stunned.
He'd just been acting cautious,
but now he wanted to kill people. That was quite a change.
"I'm starting to doubt your information. Whether it's the Blood Demon Flower or the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform, both are rare treasures."
"Why would they have ordinary martial artists guarding them?"
Liu Wumei said with a frown.
"Maybe lots of people think the same way you do. That could be exactly what makes them clever. Since we're already here, let's go take a look."
"I studied this map. Behind the valley, there should be a rock wall. With your abilities, you should be able to take me down into the valley."
Su Chen looked at Liu Wumei.
"Let's go!"
Liu Wumei nodded. Since they were already there, they had to take a look.
She had also seen the place Su Chen mentioned on the map.
Beneath the rock wall, Liu Wumei picked Su Chen up and carried him down into the valley.
"So cold!"
Su Chen couldn't help saying as they descended.
Of course, when the chill entered Su Chen's body, the icy energy within him dispelled it.
"This is Yin Sha Qi. How could there be such dense Yin Sha Qi in this valley?"
Feeling the aura here, Liu Wumei furrowed her brows.
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