Kill!

In the darkness, Xia Ping looked over. The unknown object turned out to be a middle-aged man. He was covered in blood and injuries, his chest rising and falling unevenly. He seemed to have suffered severe injuries and was barely breathing.

But from the fierce, cruel look in his eyes, it was clear that the man wasn't dead yet—and he was still incredibly dangerous, like a beast on the verge of death.

"Falling from forty or fifty stories up and even taking one of my punches, yet he's still alive? This man's definitely a master!" Xia Ping's pupils contracted. He instinctively backed several steps away from the middle-aged man, keeping a safe distance.

The man stared fixedly at Xia Ping, a glint in his eyes. "I didn't expect the Black Bear Company to have an ambush waiting at the back gate too. Impressive—they've thought of everything.

"But did they really think sending a puny Martial Apprentice Fourth Heaven like you would be enough to kill me? Dream on! Kid, I have no grudge against you, but you're in my way. You die!"

Boom!

As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly struck, sending a palm toward Xia Ping.

Advanced martial technique: Heart-Destroying Palm!

In an instant, Xia Ping felt the terror of the man's incoming palm. Its power was many times greater than Xiong Batian's—fierce and vicious. A violent current of air crushed toward him, each surge of force seemingly strong enough to tear his body to shreds.

The terrifying blood-red killing intent even struck directly at his soul, leaving him breathless and paralyzed with fear! An ordinary person would be completely unable to move under this palm, killed on the spot.

"Die!"

Xia Ping shouted angrily. Faced with this life-or-death crisis, every nerve in his body was taut. His Five Forms Fist had already reached the pinnacle of mastery, and he could summon its moves at will.

Dragon Fist: Golden Dragon Reveals Claws!

He turned his palm into a claw, his five fingers like an eagle's talons, and struck fiercely. A faint dragon's roar sounded behind him as dozens of nearly tangible surges of force lashed out with terrifying violence.

This move was even more terrifying than Tiger Fist. It was Xia Ping's strongest technique, combining his essence, energy, and spirit. It tore through everything, leaving more than a dozen traces of force that cleaved into the earth.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fist collided with palm. Two mighty forces clashed, their power immense. The energy burst apart with an explosive boom, and shock waves rolled through the air.

With a slap, Xia Ping staggered back more than a dozen steps, his blood and energy churning.

The middle-aged man had only retreated a single step, but his face was filled with shock. "How is this possible? My Heart-Destroying Palm may be less than a tenth as powerful as usual, but it still shouldn't be something a puny Martial Apprentice Fourth Heaven like you could withstand.

"So that's it. You've trained your Five Forms Fist to the pinnacle of mastery. No wonder you could unleash such terrifying power, bringing its strength up to that of an advanced martial technique."

"Impressive. To achieve this at such a young age is truly remarkable. You're a genius, but the one thing you should never have done was become a lackey of the Black Bear Company. You have to die today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly pulled a silver object from his body.

"Damn it!"

Xia Ping immediately recognized the Laser Firearm. Once its trigger was pulled, its beam could pierce a meter-thick rock. An ordinary person wouldn't stand a chance—they would be dead for sure.

A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. If the man managed to bring out that Laser Firearm, Xia Ping was doomed. There'd be no chance of survival.

After all, how could a person ever outrun a laser?!

Snake Fist: Spirit Snake Drills a Hole!

In an instant, every nerve in Xia Ping's body tightened to the limit. At this moment, with death just around the corner, his mind entered a state of perfect clarity. It was as if the entire world had slowed down.

His thoughts raced dozens of times faster than before, so fast that sparks seemed to flicker in his mind. Xia Ping felt more agile and powerful than ever.

Whoosh!

Xia Ping's body blurred, becoming a spirit snake. He moved in a winding, incredibly swift path, like lightning, crossing several meters in an instant and closing in on the middle-aged man.

"What?!"

The middle-aged man stared at Xia Ping in disbelief. How could the kid be moving this fast? He was clearly only a Martial Apprentice Fourth Heaven. How could he reach him in an instant without the man even noticing?

Snake Fist: Venomous Snake Captures Rabbit!

Xia Ping's right hand became a snake, moving with blinding speed and vicious force. Its motion was effortless and impossible to predict. In an instant, it shot toward the middle-aged man's chest.

With a thud, Xia Ping's right hand, like a bullet, pierced straight through the man's chest. His heart was punctured and burst apart, flesh and blood exploding within.

"Ugh..." The middle-aged man's eyes widened as he stared at Xia Ping in disbelief. He seemed unable to believe that a mere Martial Apprentice Fourth Heaven had killed him, piercing through his heart.

With a thud, his body slowly fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Xia Ping circulated the energy within his body and activated the Pure Yang Indestructible Art. A surge of scorching energy spread through him, driving away all his exhaustion and negative emotions, burning them away completely.

It was his first time killing someone, yet he felt nothing at all. He was as cool and composed as a robot. This must have been the effect of the Pure Yang Indestructible Art.

This supreme technique had penetrated deep into his bones. The moment he showed even a hint of negative emotion, the flames within him would immediately burn it away.

"Though I knew all along that Black Moon City was an extremely dangerous place, with the underworld running rampant and death and killing everywhere, I didn't expect to get caught in a fight to the death as soon as I arrived."

Xia Ping took a deep breath to steady himself and ease his fatigue. The fight had just consumed most of his strength. If he'd let his guard down for even a moment, he would probably have died right here.

He looked at the middle-aged man lying on the ground and couldn't help feeling surprised. The man had more than a dozen wounds across his chest, deep enough to expose bone, and who knew how many bones he'd broken. He'd been gravely wounded and on the verge of death.

Yet even in that condition, he'd still been capable of killing Xia Ping. It was hard to imagine just how terrifying the man would have been at full strength.

"Wait, what's this?" Xia Ping stepped forward and immediately noticed a black bundle on the man's back. It was bulging, as if it contained something.

He took it down. It felt quite heavy.

But before Xia Ping could open it and take a look, a piercing shout came from the distance. "Hurry after him! There's no way that guy's dead. He dared to betray the Black Bear Company—we have to capture him and tear him limb from limb! Let every traitor learn what the Black Bear Company is capable of!"

"Damn it. This is bad."

Xia Ping immediately realized that he'd landed himself in serious trouble. The middle-aged man had evidently done something—stolen something, perhaps—and angered the Black Bear Company. A host of powerful fighters had hunted him down, leaving him on the verge of death.

Now Xia Ping had killed him and taken his bundle. If the Black Bear Company found out, he'd be dead.

"I have to run!" Xia Ping decided at once. Though he was only eighteen, after awakening his memories, he'd become experienced and decisive in his actions. He never hesitated.

He grabbed the bundle and fled deeper into the alley.