Instant Kill

"That brother should rest well—we'll have a fierce battle ahead before it's over."

After their brief exchange, the Second Chief still sensed something off, but found it awkward to call out directly.

The moment he entered, during the embrace, he had already confirmed the cultivation level: Ninth Layer Houtian Realm. Nothing wrong there.

As long as it wasn't a Foundation Building Realm cultivator, anyone who came to Green Ridge Stronghold would never leave alive.

"Have two sharp-eyed brothers keep an eye on Fifth Brother in secret," the Second Chief ordered.

"Boss, you know Fifth Brother's temper—he'll probably just pick up his blade and start hacking."

The Second Chief sneered, "I'm afraid he won't hack anyone."

The words had barely fallen when a crisp bell rang through Green Ridge Stronghold, spreading everywhere in urgent peals.

"Enemy attack!"

The Second Chief and Third Chief exchanged glances, both reading the gravity in each other's eyes, and rose to their feet together.

"You two should stay here."

Fang Yuan, watching the bandits rush outside in haste, made a vague guess and turned to block the path of Green Ridge Stronghold's two leaders.

"Fifth Brother, what do you mean?"

The Third Chief narrowed his eyes, recalling the Boss's words, and gathered his true qi, ready to act at any moment.

The Second Chief said nothing, calmly watching Fang Yuan, but likewise condensed his internal true qi, poised to unleash a thunderous strike.

"Such a small matter, why trouble two elder brothers? I'll go handle it myself."

With these words, the atmosphere, which should have been tense and sword-drawn, dissolved in an instant. Smiles spread across their faces, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Third Brother, go with Fifth Brother. The Fang Family won't be easy to deal with."

The Second Chief thought for a moment, watched their figures gradually blur, then turned and entered a secret chamber where two masked men in black awaited.

"Green Ridge Stronghold is at a critical moment of survival. I implore you two to act."

One of the men in black replied coldly, "We have our own mission. Whether Green Ridge Stronghold stands or falls, what does that have to do with us?"

The Second Chief's face darkened, but he held his restraint, reminding them, "Fang Yuan will definitely come. I hope you two won't miss your opportunity."

With that, he let out a cold snort, swept his sleeves wide, and left directly.

Both were at the Peak Houtian Realm—neither feared the other, and there was no need to grovel and fawn.

Fang Yuan walked alongside the Third Chief, watching as many bandits surged up the mountain, drawing bows and nocking arrows, aiming at the approaching Fang Family Experts.

The Fang Family had no tradition of sacrificing disciples to preserve combat strength, so the ones at the very front were precisely over a dozen stewards.

Though arrows rained down from the mountain in great numbers, most were fired by ordinary men with limited strength, making it hard to injure Houtian Realm experts.

Houtian Realm cultivators, with their greater strength and accuracy, could cause some trouble.

But the greatest threat was the hidden Sixth Chief, a Seventh Layer Houtian Realm Divine Archer!

A bow can strike from afar, its attack swift and rapid, capable of consecutive shots in an instant. Its might can intimidate, its momentum can break the enemy—truly a sharp weapon of war.

One could say that the Divine Archer, occupying a safe position, was enough to suppress over five stewards, compensating for the gap in realm.

"Where is Sixth Brother?" Fang Yuan asked casually.

The Third Chief replied nonchalantly, "Sixth Brother's whereabouts are always uncertain—who could know?"

Meanwhile, down the mountain, the Fang Family members wore grave expressions.

The first checkpoint had arrived.

"We'll soon enter the formation. Everyone, be careful."

Fang Yuan's eyes swept around, constantly watching the nearby environment, trying to locate the Divine Archer.

The threat he posed to the clan was far too great—he had to be eliminated first!

Swish...

Just then.

A sharp sound of piercing air suddenly rang out.

The arrow streaked like a glimmer of cold light, flashing swiftly, and landed straight into the formation.

One steward, caught off guard and unable to dodge in time, had his right hand struck, his combat power immediately crippled.

Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed, his gaze quickly following the direction from which the arrow had been fired.

He could clearly capture a figure turning and darting away, moving with extreme speed, nocking and firing another arrow in an instant.

"So there you are."

Fang Yuan stepped into Phantom Step, soaring into the sky. With his profound true qi, he briefly hovered in midair, locking onto Sixth Brother's position.

"Who goes there?!"

Sixth Brother, who had been preparing to loose another cold arrow, jerked his head up, his expression filled with shock.

What came into view was a giant handprint descending from the sky, kicking up a fierce gale, oppressive and overwhelming—then a familiar face.

"Fifth Brother, have you lost your goddamn mind?"

Sixth Brother cursed loudly. A sharpshooter's greatest taboo was close-quarters combat; his strength was severely diminished, and his ability to protect himself was far inferior to that of a cultivator at the same realm.

He poured all his true qi outward, forming an impenetrable shield around his body, while simultaneously retreating, constantly widening the distance.

"Thinking of running now? How laughable."

Fang Yuan struck with a killing blow from the start, sparing no true qi, covering a wide area with the intent to slay this man.

"Stop!"

A thunderous roar came from afar, drawing closer.

"No!"

But alas, an incredibly condensed streak of true qi swept through the air, and under Sixth Brother's screams, it crushed him into a pulp of flesh and blood.

A generation's Divine Archer had fallen!

"Fifth Brother, I never thought you'd actually betray us and defect to the enemy!"

Moments later, the Second Chief of Green Ridge Stronghold arrived, staring blankly at Sixth Brother's unrecognizable remains, his expression furious.

"Today, I'll take your life to honor our fallen brothers!"

Betray?

Fang Yuan found it somewhat ridiculous, but he couldn't be bothered to explain. He didn't expose his identity and simply landed on the ground.

"Floating through the air feels great, but it consumes too much true qi."

Fang Yuan sighed inwardly.

Clang!

The Second Chief drew his signature Ghost Head Blade and swung it toward Fang Yuan's head, rolling blade qi seeming to slice through the intangible air itself.

"He's probably opened over a hundred acupoints, but his strength is still a bit weak!"

Fang Yuan glanced at the boundless blade qi, finding it soft and feeble, utterly unimpressive.

"I was hoping I'd meet someone who could make me draw my sword..."

Fang Yuan shook his head regretfully, then gathered true qi at his fingertips, forming a sword with his fingers, and gently traced through the air.

In that moment.

Even the air seemed to freeze and stand still.

The seemingly insignificant wisp of true qi, no more than two or three inches, swirled and expanded through the sky, and in an instant, it severed the blade qi.

"How is that possible?"

The Second Brother's face was filled with disbelief, his eyes wide with terror as he watched the incoming Sword Qi, his body retreating frantically.

But how could he evade it?

The Sword Qi easily shattered his defenses, his true qi armor as fragile as paper, and then a head flew high into the air, blood spurting skyward.

The Second Chief had fallen!

The bandits of Green Ridge Stronghold stared wide-eyed.

The Second Chief, who was always imposing and formidable, had died just like that!

He couldn't even block a single strike!

"Fifth Brother, there's never been any bad blood between us. Whatever you owe me, consider it settled."

The Fourth Chief, who was holding down the fort at the mountain stronghold, saw Fang Yuan's gaze land on him, his hairs standing on end as he quickly called out.

"Shut down the formation first, then have everyone withdraw. I might consider sparing your life."

"That's impossible. If that lord finds out, none of us will survive!"

As the Fourth Chief spoke, he subtly glanced with his peripheral vision toward a certain direction.

There, spiritual energy churned chaotically, and endless shockwaves from the battle spread out like ripples in water, making anyone who looked on tremble with fear.