Instant Kill

"Brother, you should get some rest. We're bound to have a fierce battle ahead of us!"

After their brief exchange, the Second Chief still sensed something was off, but he couldn't very well call it out.

The moment he'd entered and embraced Fang Yuan, he'd already confirmed his cultivation: Ninth Layer Houtian Realm. There was nothing wrong with that.

As long as they weren't Foundation Building Realm cultivators, anyone who came to Green Ridge Stronghold could forget about leaving.

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

"Boss, you know what Fifth Brother's like. He might just grab his blade and start hacking people apart."

The Second Chief sneered. "That's exactly what I'm hoping he'll do."

As soon as he finished speaking, a clear bell rang out across Green Ridge Stronghold, its notes sharp and urgent.

"Enemy attack!"

The Second Chief and the Third Chief exchanged glances, both seeing the gravity in the other's eyes. They rose one after the other.

"You two should stay here."

Fang Yuan watched the bandits rushing outside. With a vague suspicion forming, he turned and blocked the way of Green Ridge Stronghold's two leading chiefs.

"Fifth Brother, what do you mean by this?"

The Third Chief narrowed his eyes. Remembering the boss's warning, he gathered his true qi, ready to strike at any moment.

The Second Chief said nothing. He watched Fang Yuan calmly, while gathering his own true qi, ready to unleash a thunderous attack.

"This is such a small matter. There's no need to trouble you two big brothers. I'll go myself."

As soon as the words fell,

the tense, hostile atmosphere dissolved in an instant. Smiles spread across their faces, though no one could tell what they were thinking.

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

The Second Chief thought it over. Once the two figures had faded into the distance, he turned and entered a secret chamber, where two black-clad, masked men awaited him.

"Green Ridge Stronghold is at a critical moment, with its very survival at stake. I implore you two lords to lend us your aid."

One of the masked men replied coldly, "We have our own mission. What does it matter to us whether Green Ridge Stronghold stands or falls?"

The Second Chief's face darkened, but he kept his temper in check. "Fang Yuan is sure to come. I hope you two won't let this opportunity slip by."

With that, he snorted, swept his sleeve, and left.

They were both Peak Houtian Realm. Neither feared the other, and there was no need to grovel for favor.

Fang Yuan traveled with the Third Chief. He saw bandits swarming up the mountain, nocking arrows and aiming at the incoming Fang Family experts.

The Fang Family had no tradition of sacrificing their disciples to preserve their fighting strength, so more than a dozen Stewards were at the very front.

There might have been plenty of arrows raining down from the mountain, but most were being fired by ordinary people, and their shots lacked force. They could hardly injure Houtian experts.

Houtian Realm cultivators had greater strength and accuracy, and could at least cause a little trouble.

But the greatest threat was the Sixth Brother, hidden in the shadows: a Seventh Layer Houtian Realm Divine Archer!

A bow could strike from afar, fire rapidly and unleash a flurry of shots in an instant. Its might could cow the enemy, and its force could break their ranks. It was truly a weapon of war.

That Divine Archer, ensconced in a safe position, could intimidate five or more Stewards, making up for his lower cultivation.

"Where's Sixth Brother?" Fang Yuan asked casually.

The Third Chief answered nonchalantly, "Sixth Brother's always been hard to track down. Who knows?"

Meanwhile, the Fang Family members at the foot of the mountain looked grim.

The first checkpoint was here.

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

Fang Yuan's gaze swept over the area as he kept a close watch on his surroundings, trying to find the Divine Archer.

That man posed far too great a threat to his clansmen. He had to be the first one eliminated!

Whoosh...

Right then,

a sharp, piercing whistle suddenly cut through the air.

Arrows flashed like specks of cold light, speeding through the air and flying straight into the formation.

One of the Stewards let his guard slip and failed to dodge in time. An arrow struck his right hand, immediately crippling most of his combat strength.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes and quickly followed the arrow's path with his gaze.

He clearly caught sight of a figure turning and darting away at incredible speed, then loosing another arrow in the blink of an eye.

"So that's where you are."

Fang Yuan stepped into Phantom Step and soared skyward. With his deep reserves of true qi, he remained aloft for a brief moment, locking onto Sixth Brother's position.

"Who's there?!"

Sixth Brother, just about to loose another sneak attack, jerked his head up in alarm.

What filled his vision was a massive palm descending from the sky, stirring up a gale and pressing down with suffocating force. Then he saw a familiar face.

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

Sixth Brother cursed furiously. Archers feared close combat above all else. Their strength dropped sharply, and their ability to protect themselves was nowhere near that of cultivators at the same level.

He poured out all his true qi, forming an airtight shield around himself, while shifting backward and trying to put more distance between them.

"Trying to run now? That's laughable."

Fang Yuan went straight for the kill. He spared no true qi, unleashing an attack that covered a wide area, determined to slaughter him.

"Stop!"

A thunderous shout came from afar, rapidly drawing closer.

"No!"

But it was too late. An incredibly condensed torrent of true qi streaked through the air and, amid Sixth Brother's scream, crushed him into a bloody pulp.

A generation of Divine Archers had fallen!

"Fifth Brother, I never thought you'd really betray us and join the enemy!"

A moment later, the Second Chief arrived. He stared blankly at Sixth Brother's mangled corpse, his expression furious.

"Today, I'll take your life to honor my dead brothers!"

Betrayal?

Fang Yuan found that ridiculous, but couldn't be bothered to explain. He didn't expose his identity, simply dropping to the ground.

"Flying through the air feels amazing, but it consumes too much true qi."

Fang Yuan sighed inwardly.

Clang!

The Second Chief drew the Ghost Head Blade he was best at using and slashed at Fang Yuan's head. Rolling waves of blade qi seemed to cleave the very air apart.

"You've probably opened more than a hundred acupoints, but your strength is still a little weak!"

Fang Yuan glanced at the boundless blade qi and found it feeble and powerless, not worth a second thought.

"I'd hoped to meet someone who'd make me draw my sword..."

Fang Yuan shook his head with regret. True qi gathered at his fingertips as he joined them like a sword and made a light slash.

In that moment,

the very air seemed to freeze and still.

The unassuming stream of true qi, barely two or three inches long, spiraled through the air and expanded. In the blink of an eye, it cut through the blade qi.

"How is this possible?"

Disbelief filled Second Brother's face. He stared in terror at the Sword Qi rushing toward him, retreating again and again.

But how could he possibly dodge it?

The Sword Qi shattered his defenses with ease. His true-qi armor was as flimsy as paper. Then his head flew high into the air, blood spouting skyward.

The Second Chief had fallen!

The Green Ridge Stronghold bandits stared wide-eyed.

Their Second Chief, usually so imposing and powerful, had just died!

He hadn't even blocked a single move!

"Fifth Brother, you and I have never had any real quarrel. I'll wipe out the debt you owe me."

The Fourth Chief, holding the mountain pass, saw Fang Yuan turn his gaze on him. The hair on his body stood on end, and he hurriedly 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 gestured in a certain direction with the corner of his eye.

There, spiritual energy churned wildly. Endless shock waves from the battle spread like ripples across water, striking terror into anyone who looked.