Shocking Kill

Meanwhile, Pig Cage Alley.

Inside the cramped, dilapidated wooden shack, the high temperature of surging qi and blood, like a furnace, gradually subsided.

Having successfully stepped into Bright Force, Lu Zhen felt as if his entire body had shed a heavy, old shell.

The most direct change was in his five senses.

He stood still, eyes closed.

"Drip... patter..."

The drizzling winter rain outside struck the grey flagstones, fell on the broken grey tiles, and the sound of each water droplet shattering was perfectly clear to his ears.

Listening to the pattering of the rain threads falling all over the sky outside the window, a clear and profound enlightenment suddenly flashed through Lu Zhen's mind.

"Warriors fighting to the death in a bloody battle never rely solely on their own strength and the eruption of qi and blood, but more importantly, on their ability to adapt to and control the world around them."

"An eagle soaring through the sky is the master of the firmament; a tiger roaring in the mountains is the king of the dense forest; an alligator lurking in shallow waters is best at ambushing and killing. The fierce beasts of this world, through the evolution of time, each have a domain that allows them to reign supreme."

"But once they leave their familiar territory, even a fierce tiger entering a plain, or a flood dragon leaving the abyss, their formidable power will inevitably be greatly diminished."

"For a warrior, this principle is the same."

"In the martial arts world, some pugilists have a solid foundation and are adept at direct confrontation on flat ground; some are agile and skilled at leaping through forests; some have exceptional water skills and are experts at fighting on the river surface... different circumstances can greatly increase their combat power, or greatly diminish their sharpness."

Lu Zhen's aura gradually merged with the sound of the wind and rain outside.

"But those who truly reach the pinnacle of martial arts strength do not seek to rigidly attach themselves to a particular land, but to control all circumstances!"

"To adapt to the situation and turn all dangerous predicaments into sharp weapons to help defeat the enemy!"

Once this thought was fully realized, Lu Zhen felt as if he had fallen into an ineffable state of emptiness.

If he could maintain this mysterious state, he was even confident that with just one part of his strength, he could use the surrounding terrain to unleash three parts of fatal damage!

Unfortunately, this enlightenment, like a flash of inspiration, came and went quickly.

In just a few breaths, that sense of mystery vanished without a trace, like morning dew, and could no longer be captured.

"What a pity..." Lu Zhen opened his eyes and shook his head inwardly. "If I could stabilize this state, my combat power would surely skyrocket. If I have the chance in the future, I must ask Master for guidance."

However, although that profound state had dissipated, after this momentary baptism, Lu Zhen's perception of his surroundings had undergone a world-shattering transformation.

At least, that was the case in the vicinity of this courtyard he was so familiar with.

Suddenly, Lu Zhen's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

He didn't listen or look, but simply perceived.

In the bone-chilling winter rain outside, three silent afterimages had appeared out of nowhere.

Like infrared detection, the vigorous qi and blood of the three people, far exceeding that of ordinary people, were like three torches in the dark night in the cold wind, extremely dazzling.

The approaching figures moved with extremely light steps, landing without a sound, clearly not ordinary petty thieves.

Moreover, the direction of movement of these three masses of qi and blood was extremely clear, heading straight for his dilapidated shack!

Inside the house, Lu Zhen stood quietly behind the door, listening to the sound of the rain beyond the wall, his deep eyes slowly narrowing.

The bleak winter rain washed over Pig Cage Alley.

Three figures clad in black straw capes silently approached the dead corner of the courtyard wall of Lu Zhen's dilapidated wooden shack.

Qi Biao, the leader, slowly wiped the rain from his face, drew the short blade at his waist, and lowered his hoarse voice: "Sun Gouzi, your Qinggong is the best.

When you get in through the side window later, go straight for the 'Funeral Nail' to blind his eyes and cripple his lower body.

Han Chuan, you guard the main entrance and cover our retreat, in case that kid panics and tries to rush out."

A fierce glint flashed in Qi Biao's eyes: "You must act fast! The task assigned by Second Master Duan must be completed swiftly and cleanly. Remember, once you succeed inside, if there are any other living souls in the room..."

His eyes turned cold, and he made a gesture across his throat: "Leave no one alive, kill them all!"

Sun Gouzi and Han Chuan's faces were expressionless, they simply nodded silently and efficiently.

The coordination between the three of them was as tacit as it could be.

Years ago, the three of them were nothing more than homeless beggars at the lowest level of the Ocean City docks. For half a stale bun, they huddled together for warmth, fighting like wild dogs for territory.

In this way, they lived a life on the edge of a knife, stepping over countless corpses, and through sheer grit, they had reached the late stage of Lianli, becoming elite death warriors of the Black Dragon Water Stronghold, feared by all.

What kind of major event hadn't they seen?

Killing a martial arts novice who had just broken through on the river was, in their eyes, a trivial matter that could be accomplished with ease.

But just as the three of them exchanged glances and prepared to climb over the wall and leap in.

"BOOM--!!!"

A violent gust of wind roared out, and before the three could react, a black shadow had already smashed through the curtain of rain, appearing less than three feet from their faces without any warning!

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle--"

The bleak winter rain, the moment it approached within three feet of this figure, let out a sizzling sound.

The terrifying heat emanating from its body forcefully evaporated the night rain into mist!

Force projected outward, blood and qi like tempered steel!

Qi Biao's face, previously brimming with murderous intent, instantly froze.

"Blood and qi like steel... a, a Bright Force Martial Master?!"

Han Chuan and Sun Gouzi were so terrified their livers and gallbladders felt as if they were splitting; a chill surged from their skulls down to their heels, striking their brains with icy force.

Didn't the intel say this brat had only just touched the threshold of the late stage of Lianli?!

How could such terrifying cultivation—a level that could evaporate winter rain into a qi-steel mist as if pouring oil onto a raging fire—appear in this dilapidated alleyway?!

Run!

Fight?

There wasn't even a sliver of a chance!

Before a true Bright Force Martial Master, a late-stage Lianli practitioner was like an ant facing an elephant; a mere graze meant injury, and the slightest touch meant death!

"Split up and run!"

Qi Biao let out a shrill, wretched howl like a cornered ghost, cursing wildly in his heart: Duan Hu, you bastard, you've sent me to my grave!

You call this the late stage of Lianli?!

You've sent your brothers here to die!

Qi Biao retreated frantically, moving like a madman.

But he had only taken two steps.

"Whoosh—!"

A piercing sonic boom, as if the air itself were buckling under the pressure, suddenly erupted behind him.

Lu Zhen's expression was cold and indifferent. With a single stomp, his figure followed like a shadow, and he unleashed an Iron Wire Fist, wrapped in seven thousand jin of brute force and Bright Force qi-steel, striking Qi Biao's back without a hint of flair.

"Bang!"

A dull, heavy sound of flesh exploding echoed out.

Qi Biao's tempered back was shattered instantly, as fragile as a paper lantern.

The violent Bright Force turned his internal organs into a puddle of mush. His corpse flew over ten meters like a discarded sack, landing in a muddy puddle with a wet thud, dead on the spot.

On the other side, Han Chuan, who had just scrambled onto a mud wall in an attempt to climb over, did not escape the same fate.

Lu Zhen didn't even pursue him; he simply lashed out with a whip kick, shattering the air. The powerful qi-steel projected through the distance like an invisible heavy hammer, slamming solidly into Han Chuan's spine.

"Crack!" With his bones pulverized, Han Chuan spat out a mouthful of blood and tumbled off the wall, falling silent.

In the blink of an eye, two top-tier death warriors at the late stage of Lianli were killed as easily as slaughtering chickens or dogs!

The remaining one, Sun Gouzi, had just lifted his foot to flee, but now he felt as if his bones had been completely drained away.

He collapsed onto the floor like a pile of mud with a "thump."

Yellow and white fluids instantly soaked his trousers, and he shook like chaff in the wind, not daring to move another inch.

Looking at Lu Zhen, who turned around slowly in the rain and mist like a god of slaughter, Sun Gouzi's face was filled with despair. He smashed his head against the ground frantically, his face smeared with a mixture of mud and blood.

"Spare me, Grandfather! Grand... I beg you to spare my life..."