Six Slashes in One Breath

As soon as Wang Tianhao spoke these words, a stir immediately ran through the crowd below the stage.

Whether they knew Shi Mu or not, everyone couldn't help but follow his gaze toward the direction of the Flowing Wind Martial Hall, each wearing expressions of shock.

"Who is Shi Mu?"

"I've heard of him. He seems to be a new disciple of the Flowing Wind Martial Hall. Though he's young, he's already at the tenth layer of Body Tempering. There's a decent chance he'll advance to the Acquired Stage later."

"How strange. With Wang Tianhao's current strength, why would he take the initiative to challenge someone?"

"Someone at the Flowing Wind Martial Hall has caught Wang Tianhao's attention!"

"Wang Tianhao actually knows Brother Shi!"

In an instant, whispers and exclamations spread among the crowd.

"Shi Mu, have you met Wang Tianhao before?" Li Canghai asked, equally astonished, turning his head.

"I once crossed hands with him, but we didn't settle the match that time," Shi Mu replied calmly, though he too was surprised that Wang Tianhao would challenge him so directly.

"No wonder. But the Wang Tianhao of before, you might have been able to contend with him. Now that he's mastered the Blazing Fire Flame, however, your chances of victory are slim. You could choose not to accept the challenge," Li Canghai said with a frown.

"It's fine. I also want to test where my strength truly stands. As for victory or defeat, it doesn't really matter," Shi Mu said, suddenly smiling as he looked at Wang Tianhao on the stage.

"Since you've made up your mind, be very careful. Remember, his spear technique is formidable; you can only win by getting close. And above all, never let his Fang Fire Flame hit you, or you'll be defeated for sure," Li Canghai said after a brief hesitation, his tone grave.

Sun Jun and Li Yunfeng, overhearing the conversation between Li Canghai and Shi Mu, had long since opened their mouths wide, unable to close them for a good while.

The red-faced Instructor Min also shot a curious glance.

Shi Mu nodded, stepped forward a few paces, and with a sudden push off the ground, his whole body shot up with a "whoosh," leaping directly onto the stage.

'Uncle Xu,' though also greatly surprised by Wang Tianhao's challenge to Shi Mu, could only jump down from the stage again.

"So you're Fierce Fist?" Wang Tianhao looked Shi Mu over twice, squinting coldly as he asked.

"Fierce Fist? Who's that? I don't know him," Shi Mu blinked and replied just as bluntly.

"Hmph, still hiding your identity even now. You're starting to disappoint me," Wang Tianhao said with a hint of disdain.

"Is that so? I'm rather curious—how can you be so certain that This Humble One is that Fierce Fist?" Shi Mu asked unhurriedly as he slowly drew the long blade from his waist.

"Everyone knows I have a photographic memory. Even if you didn't show your true face back then, your build and eyes are exactly the same. Unless I were blind, how could I not recognize you? Enough talk. Since you're here, let me show you my Fang Fire Spear Technique! I'll defeat you in front of everyone and make sure all know I am the true number one Martial Disciple of Feng City!" Wang Tianhao, growing impatient, finished his words in a rush. Suddenly, he shook the long spear in his hand, and the front half of the shaft vanished in a flash.

The next moment, with a "puff," a flame materialized in the void. After a single tremor, it transformed into a ball of red light shooting toward Shi Mu.

Shi Mu's pupils contracted. His body spun swiftly, and the long blade in his hand turned into four streaks of cold light that slashed out in succession, all striking the flame at once. Then, with a stomp of one foot, he shot backward.

A thunderous "boom" rang out.

The flame exploded instantly, scattering into sparks that flew in all directions, covering an area of two zhang. Had Shi Mu not retreated in time, his fate would likely have been no different from Gu Zhong's earlier.

Even so, half the stage instantly became scorching hot!

With a "whoosh," a gleaming spearhead shot out from the sparks, darting straight for Shi Mu's throat like a venomous snake.

Seeing this, Shi Mu clenched his free hand into a fist and smashed it fiercely against the incoming spearhead.

"Bang!"

His seemingly flesh-and-blood fist struck the steel spearhead aside at an angle, while a tremendous force traveled up the spear shaft, surging back toward its owner.

"Stomp, stomp."

Wang Tianhao's expression changed. He gripped the spear tightly with both hands, but the force drove him back two steps, shattering his originally relentless assault.

Seizing the opportunity, Shi Mu swung his long blade in front of him and charged forward like a crossbow bolt, man and blade together, at incredible speed.

"Clang!"

Wang Tianhao swung his spear horizontally in front of him, barely managing to block the blade pressing down like lightning, but he was forced back another two steps, his feet now at the very edge of the stage.

"Good, good! So this is the kind of opponent I can enjoy fighting after activating my bloodline power," Wang Tianhao said, not angered but delighted. With a loud laugh, he suddenly slapped the upper half of the spear that was locked with the blade.

"Whoosh."

The spear, seemingly forged from black iron, bent like a living thing, its gleaming head stabbing viciously at Shi Mu's chest.

Shi Mu's face darkened. He raised his hand and punched the spearhead again.

A dull thud!

The gleaming spearhead was knocked back once more, but Wang Tianhao used this chance to twist his body, sliding away from the edge of the stage like a large fish. After a strange shuffle of his feet, he suddenly appeared behind Shi Mu.

Startled, Shi Mu spun around quickly, holding his blade to face Wang Tianhao again, and said in a low voice:

"Leaping Fish Step?"

"Not bad eyesight. This is indeed one of the few movement techniques among Martial Disciple martial arts, and a secret inherited technique of my Wang Family. Ordinary martial halls could never teach it. The fact that you forced me to use this step makes me want to crush you underfoot even more," Wang Tianhao said, his gaze growing more excited.

"Crush me underfoot? Let's see if you have that skill!" Shi Mu rolled his eyes and moved his arm. A rolling wave of cold light swept toward his opponent, fully unleashing the Thirteen Wind-Galloping Styles. Each slash turned into three or four streaks of cold light, leaving no room to dodge.

Wang Tianhao let out a long howl. He shook his spear, which coiled around him like a venomous python. Paired with the mysterious Leaping Fish Step, he darted left and right across the stage, blocking every blade shadow.

"If you have any more tricks, bring them all out!" Wang Tianhao laughed wildly.

Shi Mu's gaze turned icy. He swung his blade even faster, each slash now producing five or six blade shadows that vaguely formed a gleaming curtain of light, completely engulfing Wang Tianhao in the radiance.

Wang Tianhao's long spear techniques changed abruptly, transforming into starlike specks as he desperately tried to block, but he immediately fell into a disadvantage, barely able to defend himself with no strength left to counterattack.

"Six Slashes in One Breath"

Below the arena, someone blurted out in shock—it was the red-faced Instructor Min.

"Brother Li, Shi Mu has actually cultivated your Wind-Galloping Blade Technique to the Great Completion stage! With such high talent in blade techniques, why didn't he tell us sooner? Otherwise, the martial arts hall would have spared no resources to nurture him carefully."

"I don't know either. This kid has trained his blade technique to this level—I always thought he was still just a beginner!" Li Canghai stared at the scene on the arena, equally dumbfounded.

The long-bearded elder, Uncle Xu, and the other instructors of the martial arts hall all showed looks of surprise when they saw Shi Mu execute the Six Slashes in One Breath technique.

As for the other disciples of the martial arts hall, they were even more stunned, their mouths agape.

With a "boom,"

a ball of flame suddenly exploded on the arena, sparks scattering in all directions, forcibly breaking apart the blade light that had nearly closed into a single mass.

A figure flashed, and Wang Tianhao charged out from within, then spun around, trembling his long spear before him as the front half of the spearhead vanished once more.

With several "puff" sounds, six crimson flames suddenly materialized before him.

"Heh, a fine Six Slashes in One Breath! But if you can still take this move of mine, the Six-Flame Chain Strike, I'll concede and withdraw from the match."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Tianhao let out a loud shout, gripped the spear shaft tightly with both hands, gave it a sudden twist, and leaped into the air, charging straight at Shi Mu.

The six flames spun swiftly in midair, linking together in a bizarre chain, and slammed down fiercely toward Shi Mu.

(Good heavens, Wang Yu had a mountain of things to do during the day again and only got back to the hotel at eight in the evening. Only one chapter today. Also, from now on, if it's past eleven, there's no need to wait for updates!)