The Mountain Rain Approaches, the Wind Sweeps Through the Pavilion (Part 3)

"Such incredible speed!"

Someone exclaimed, their voice filled with undisguised shock.

"Is he really just a fresh breakthrough into Transformation Energy?"

The expressions of those in the courtyard varied; some narrowed their eyes, others hung their mouths agape, and some subconsciously took two steps forward, wanting to see more clearly.

Liu Tian's expression darkened.

Facing a junior who had just broken through to Transformation Energy, his first punch had actually missed.

Moreover, with so many people watching—dozens of eyes fixed squarely on him—where was he supposed to put his face?

"Kid!" Liu Tian's eyelids twitched, his voice as deep as muffled thunder. "What's the point of only dodging?"

Before the words had even faded, he stomped his foot hard against the ground. With a "crack," the bluestone slab split, spiderweb-like fissures spreading instantly.

His figure moved like an arrow released from a bow, closing in on Jiang Tian in the blink of an eye, his speed so fast it left a blur in the air.

"Mountain Breaker!"

He threw a punch, the force carrying waves of air and wind like an invisible wall, rushing straight toward Jiang Tian's face.

Before the fist arrived, the wind had already reached him, blowing the stray hair on Jiang Tian's forehead backward.

In Jiang Tian's eyes, however, Liu Tian's speed was incredibly slow.

Slow, like a slow-motion replay.

Since Liu Tian wanted to trade blows with him so badly—

"Then let's trade punches!"

Jiang Tian grinned, neither dodging nor retreating, pulling his fist back like a fully drawn bow.

The two large tendons across his back stretched taut, emitting a low "hum" as if a bowstring had been pulled to its limit.

Colorless, tangible energy surged from his Dantian like thick, massive pythons, coiling around his arm, circle after circle, wrapping the entire limb tightly.

[Tiger in a Cage], [Cave Bear]—two completely different types of Momentum were forcibly fused into this single punch.

It was both tiger-like and bear-like, fierce and heavy.

"BOOM—!"

The moment the two fists collided, a visible shockwave rippled outward from the center of the two men.

The bluestone slabs beneath their feet trembled violently, as if an earthquake had struck; the branches and leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard swayed wildly, rustling loudly as fallen leaves scattered everywhere.

"Hmph!"

Liu Tian let out a muffled grunt as the energy wrapped around his fist dissipated the moment they collided, like a paper wall being crushed by a flood.

His heart suddenly chilled. For some reason, he had a strange feeling that he wasn't facing a Transformation Energy martial artist, but an ancient beast that had just walked out of the deep mountains.

The fierce aura rushing toward him made his instincts scream for him to "retreat."

This setback, rather than discouraging him, only ignited his fighting spirit.

"Refreshing!"

"Again!"

Liu Tian roared, his fists raining down on Jiang Tian like a violent storm.

Fist shadows multiplied, his offensive flowing like mercury, dense and impenetrable. Punch after punch, it was as if he had woven a solid wall, intent on crushing Jiang Tian to pieces.

Jiang Tian handled it with ease.

After breaking through to Transformation Energy, he had mastered all five types of Momentum and was now able to fuse any three of them together.

Thus, his fighting style was at times as fierce as a tiger, at times as heavy as a bear, and at times as agile as a deer; the three types of Momentum rotated and switched within a single punch, unpredictable and impossible to guard against.

Neither of them chose to defend.

One punch for another, flesh against flesh, hard against hard, a direct confrontation.

Every collision of their fists erupted with a deafening roar, as if someone were setting off strings of firecrackers in the courtyard.

Shockwaves spread in wave after wave, kicking up the dust on the ground, letting it fall, and kicking it up again.

In just a few breaths, the two had already traded over a hundred blows.

Jiang Tian was calm and composed, his eyes even glowing with a bright light—the light of excitement, the look of a hunter spotting his prey.

He felt that if they kept fighting like this, he might be able to fuse four types of Momentum at once.

At this moment, Liu Tian was, in his eyes, a perfect whetstone—hard, thick, and exactly what he needed.

As for Liu Tian, a fine layer of sweat had already formed on his brow, trickling down his temples and stinging his eyes, forcing him to squint.

He regretted his actions deeply, wishing he hadn't stepped up to test this kid—what was the point of showing off?

The longer they fought, the more alarmed he became.

He had sparred with Yuan Long many times before, and although he lost every time, Yuan Long had never exerted this much pressure on him.

The feeling this young man gave him wasn't like a friendly spar, nor was it a life-or-death struggle, but it exerted an intense, overwhelming pressure nonetheless.

In truth, he had already harbored thoughts of retreating after their very first exchange of blows.

But! He was the master of the Kaishan Martial Hall! Having spent so many years making a name for himself in Blackwater County, how could he show his face again if word got out that he'd been forced into such a state by a wet-behind-the-ears kid?

No, he couldn't retreat.

The kid had only just broken through to the Transformation Energy realm, so his practical combat experience had to be lacking.

If the fight dragged on, he would surely reveal a flaw.

Dozens more moves passed.

Liu Tian felt completely numb.

There wasn't a single flaw to be found.

Jiang Tian's defense was like an iron barrel—impenetrable.

Every punch flowed seamlessly into the next, and every step was perfectly timed; he didn't look like a young man at all, but rather a veteran who had survived countless life-or-death struggles.

Liu Tian even intentionally offered two fake openings, slightly exposing his waist and abdomen while deliberately slowing his footwork, but Jiang Tian didn't even glance at them, as if those feints were transparent in his eyes.

Instead, it was Liu Tian who, in a moment of carelessness, was caught by Jiang Tian in a genuine opening. A punch slammed into his shoulder, forcing a muffled groan from his throat as his internal organs shuddered, nearly causing him to cough up blood.

"Alright, alright! Enough, stop!"

Liu Tian's body jolted as he retreated several steps, his face turning a mix of red and black, like a piece of charcoal that had been burned too long.

He rubbed his numb shoulder while waving his hand, his voice filled with helplessness and resignation, "I, old Liu, have truly been bested by you!"

"A hero truly emerges from the youth!" Zhou Ming clapped his hands and laughed, his face full of gratification. "To make old Liu admit defeat so thoroughly, I'm afraid none of us old fellows can be your match anymore!"

"Impressive, truly impressive!" Another hall master chimed in, turning his head to look at Yuan Long with a teasing grin.

"Yuan Long, you old master, I'm afraid you might not even be able to beat your own disciple, right?"

Yuan Long kept his hands behind his back, his chin tilted slightly upward, and he hummed with a proud, haughty air: "So what if I can't beat him? Doesn't he still have to call me master?"

Though he said this, he felt a bit guilty after the words left his mouth.

Teaching Jiang Tian things?

Thinking about it carefully, he hadn't really taught Jiang Tian anything at all.

Even the little he had taught was far less than what Jiang Tian had taught him in return.

If one were to really weigh it, it would be more appropriate for him to call Jiang Tian "master."

He felt ashamed.

Truly ashamed.

At this moment, the County Magistrate Fang Ping spoke up. He looked at Jiang Tian with a sigh, his tone filled with genuine admiration: "Truly, the student has surpassed the master. Yuan Long, you've taken in a good disciple."

He paused, then looked straight at Jiang Tian, his gaze burning: "Young friend, since that is the case, why don't you join us at tomorrow's banquet?"

Jiang Tian's eyes flickered.

His original plan had been to take advantage of tomorrow's banquet to ransack the Wang Family and the Li Family, as their homes would surely be empty while everyone was attending.

But on second thought, he would have to face those Transformation Energy experts sooner or later.

It might be better to go to the banquet and see for himself; the heads of the Wang Family and the Li Family would certainly be there.

Moreover, if he raided their homes while they were away, the two family heads would surely be on guard afterward, making it much harder to root them out completely.

"Fine." Jiang Tian agreed in a deep voice.

The next day.

Dark clouds still hung in the sky, heavy and oppressive, like a piece of old, lead-gray rag that could never be wrung dry.

The air throughout Blackwater County became stiflingly heavy, making it difficult to breathe, as if a stone were pressing against everyone's chest.

Today, the entire Drunken Wind Pavilion had been booked out.

From one end of the street to the other, it was completely empty, not a single soul in sight.

The doors and windows of the shops on both sides were tightly shut, and even the usually bustling tea stalls had cleared away their tables and chairs, as if everyone had sensed something unusual in the air beforehand.

At the entrance of the Drunken Wind Pavilion, two rows of soldiers clad in heavy armor stood straight, their plates gleaming with a cold, iron-blue hue under the gloomy sky.

Every one of them possessed Manifest Energy cultivation, with long sabers at their waists and hands resting on their hilts, their eyes scanning the surroundings like hawks.

On the top floor of the Drunken Wind Pavilion.

Thousand-man Commander Zhang Wei sat in the seat of honor, dressed in profound black iron armor, his face as cold and hard as steel.

Seated on either side were the head of the Wang Family, Wang Yun, and the head of the Li Family, Li Yuanhao, with the head of the Xu Family, Xu Shi'an, sitting to Li Yuanhao's left.

Exquisite dishes were laid out on the table, and the wine in the pots was still steaming, yet no one reached for their chopsticks.

Wang Yun's face was as gloomy as the sky outside, and he sat there without a word, his fingers gripping his wine cup until his knuckles turned white.

Li Yuanhao's expression was equally dark.

Yesterday, he had finally learned that the martial hall disciple who killed Wang Moshan was Jiang Tian of the Five Animals Martial Hall.

Jiang Tian!

Once this name was mentioned, everything clicked into place.

After his son Li Kun was killed, he had investigated everyone, and Jiang Minghai was among the suspects.

However, Jiang Minghai had been severely wounded and could not possibly have killed Li Kun.

And that younger brother of Jiang Minghai, Jiang Tian, had only just begun practicing martial arts...

Upon returning home, he summoned his good-for-nothing son, Li Batian, and interrogated him thoroughly.

He then confirmed a shocking piece of news: this Jiang Tian had achieved Body Tempering in just a few days!

He was an out-and-out martial arts genius!

"This boy must not be left alive!" A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of Li Yuanhao.

"The County Magistrate arrives—!"

A high-pitched announcement rang out from outside the door.

He was here.

The gazes of everyone on the top floor turned in unison toward the staircase.