Six Slashes in One Breath

Wang Tianhao's words immediately caused a stir beneath the platform.

Whether they knew Shi Mu or not, everyone followed Wang Tianhao's gaze toward the Flowing Wind Martial Hall. Surprise showed on every face.

"Who's Shi Mu?"

"I've heard of him. He's a recent disciple of the Flowing Wind Martial Hall. He's still young, but he's already reached the tenth level of Body Tempering. He has a good chance of advancing to Houtian someday."

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

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

"Wang Tianhao actually knows Brother Shi!"

Whispers and exclamations spread through the crowd.

"Shi Mu, have you met Wang Tianhao before?" Li Canghai asked, just as astonished as everyone else.

"I fought him once, but we didn't have a clear winner." Shi Mu was also surprised that Wang Tianhao had challenged him so directly, but he replied calmly.

"That explains it. You might have been able to hold your own against the old Wang Tianhao, but now that he's mastered Blazing Fire Flame, you probably don't stand much chance. You don't have to accept the challenge." Li Canghai furrowed his brow as he spoke.

Sun Jun and Li Yunfeng, standing nearby, had their mouths hanging open after hearing Li Canghai and Shi Mu's exchange.

Instructor Min, his face red, was staring at Shi Mu with astonishment too.

Shi Mu nodded, took a few steps forward, then pushed off hard with both feet. With a whoosh, he sprang straight onto the platform.

Though Uncle Xu was just as surprised that Wang Tianhao had challenged Shi Mu, he could only jump down from the platform again.

"You're Fierce Fist?" Wang Tianhao looked Shi Mu over, narrowed his eyes, and asked coldly.

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

"Hmph. You're still hiding behind a mask? You've disappointed me." Wang Tianhao scoffed.

"Is that so? I'm curious, though. What makes you so certain I'm this Fierce Fist?" Shi Mu slowly drew the long blade at his waist and asked without the slightest haste.

"Who doesn't know that I have a photographic memory? You may not have shown your true face back then, but your build and your eyes were exactly the same. I'd have to be blind not to 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 prove that I'm the one and only true number-one Martial Disciple of Feng City!" Wang Tianhao was growing impatient. After those few hurried words, he abruptly shook the long spear in his hand. The front half of its shaft flashed and vanished again.

The next moment, a flame appeared in midair with a pop. It trembled once, then turned into a glowing red streak and shot toward Shi Mu.

Shi Mu's pupils contracted. He spun nimbly, and the long blade in his hand became four streaks of cold light, slashing out one after another. All four struck the flame at once. Then he stamped down hard with one foot and shot backward.

A deafening boom rang out.

The flame exploded in an instant, scattering sparks in every direction and engulfing everything within two zhang. Had Shi Mu not retreated a moment earlier, he would likely have met the same fate as Gu Zhong.

Even so, half the platform became unbearably hot in an instant!

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

Shi Mu saw it coming and swung his free arm into a fist, smashing it hard against the oncoming spearhead.

Bang!

His fist, which looked no different from ordinary flesh and blood, knocked the forged-steel spearhead sharply aside. A tremendous force surged down the shaft and rushed back toward its wielder.

Thud! Thud!

Wang Tianhao's expression changed. He gripped the spear with both hands, but the force shook him back several steps, instantly breaking his relentless assault.

Seizing the opening, Shi Mu swept his blade in front of him, then launched himself and his weapon at his opponent like a drawn crossbow bolt. He moved with astonishing speed!

Clang!

Wang Tianhao held his spear horizontally before him and barely managed to block the lightning-fast blade. But he was forced back another two steps, his heels almost at the edge of the platform.

"Good! Good! At last, I've found an opponent I can fight to my heart's content after awakening my bloodline power!" Wang Tianhao was delighted instead of angry. He laughed loudly and slapped the upper half of the spear that was holding off Shi Mu's blade.

Whoosh!

The spear, which looked as though it were made of black iron, suddenly bent at its upper half like a living creature. Its gleaming point stabbed viciously toward Shi Mu's chest.

Shi Mu's expression darkened. He raised his hand and punched hard at the spearhead again.

A muffled thud rang out!

The gleaming spearhead was knocked back once more. But Wang Tianhao seized the chance to twist around and slide away from the edge of the platform like a great fish. After his feet shifted in a strange, wavering pattern, he suddenly appeared behind Shi Mu.

Shi Mu started, then spun around swiftly, blade in hand, to face Wang Tianhao behind him. He asked in a low voice:

"Leaping Fish Step?"

"You've got a good eye. This is one of the few movement techniques among the Martial Disciple techniques, and one of my Wang Family's ancestral secrets. Ordinary martial halls couldn't teach it even if they wanted to. You've forced me to use it, and now I'm even more eager to trample you underfoot." Wang Tianhao's gaze grew more and more excited.

"Trample me underfoot? Let's see if you're capable of that!" Shi Mu rolled his eyes. His arm moved, and a flood of cold light swept toward Wang Tianhao as he unleashed the Wind-Galloping Blade Technique to its fullest. Every slash produced three or four streaks of cold light, leaving no room to dodge.

Wang Tianhao let out a long shout and shook his spear. It whirled around him like a venomous python. Combined with the mysterious Leaping Fish Step, it carried him left and right across the platform as he parried every blade-shadow.

"What else have you got? Show me everything!" Wang Tianhao roared with laughter.

Shi Mu's gaze suddenly turned cold. He moved his blade even faster, each slash producing five or six blade-shadows. They formed a faintly visible curtain of glittering cold light that completely engulfed Wang Tianhao.

Wang Tianhao changed his spear techniques and desperately tried to fend off the attacks with countless points of light. But he was immediately driven to the defensive, with no chance to counterattack.

"Six Slashes in One Breath!"

Below the platform, someone cried out in shock. It was Instructor Min, his face red.

"Brother Li, Shi Mu has actually mastered your Wind-Galloping Blade Technique! With such talent for the blade, why didn't you tell us sooner? The martial hall would have poured every resource into nurturing him."

"I had no idea. I always thought the boy had barely started learning the blade technique. I can't believe he's reached this level!" Li Canghai stared at the scene on the platform, dumbfounded.

The long-bearded elder, Uncle Xu, and the other martial hall instructors were just as astonished to see Shi Mu perform Six Slashes in One Breath.

The disciples from the other martial halls were even more stunned.

A boom rang out.

A mass of flames suddenly exploded on the platform. Sparks flew in every direction, forcibly breaking apart the blade-light that had nearly closed around Wang Tianhao.

A figure flashed. Wang Tianhao burst out of the flames and spun around, shaking his spear before him. The front half of the shaft flashed and disappeared again.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Six crimson flames suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Heh, not bad—Six Slashes in One Breath! But if you can take this move of mine, Six-Flame Chain Strike, I'll admit defeat and withdraw from the competition."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wang Tianhao shouted, gripped the spear shaft tightly with both hands, and twisted it hard. Then he leaped into the air and dove toward Shi Mu.

The six flames spun in midair, strangely linking together in a row before crashing down toward Shi Mu.

(I'm drenched in sweat. Wang Yu had a whole heap of things to deal with during the day and didn't get back to the hotel until eight tonight, so there's only one update today. Also, if it's past eleven in the future, there's no need to wait for an update!)