You've Come at Just the Right Time

Jiang Che appeared beside Protector Ren without anyone knowing when. With a hand like an iron clamp, he grabbed the protector's neck and squeezed gently. The man then collapsed like a puddle of mud.

At this moment.

A familiar figure slowly appeared at the cave entrance, sizing up Jiang Che from head to toe.

"You're quite alert, but unfortunately, you're still a bit too late."

The person was none other than Song Ji of Crouching Tiger Mountain, who had previously ambushed the Jiang family's entourage.

As he appeared, dozens of figures gradually emerged from within the cave and the surrounding mountains. Each was armed with blades, surrounding Jiang Che.

They had blocked his escape route.

This was a trap specifically set for Jiang Che.

However, their appearance would shift the focus of this trap onto the Cao Gang.

"Not late, not late, you've arrived at the perfect time!"

Jiang Che chuckled at Song Ji, a smile spreading across his lips. The opponent's actions were exactly as he had predicted. He then took out a signal flare from his bosom and pulled it gently.

Whoosh!

Boom!

A brilliant fireworks display exploded in the sky.

Jiang Che's sudden action startled everyone present, including Song Ji. His pupils contracted, and a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"You knew there was an ambush all along?"

"Congratulations, you guessed correctly, but there's no prize!"

Jiang Che smiled and slowly drew his standard-issue long saber from his waist, the blade pointing directly at Song Ji.

"Very good. Unfortunately, with your meager strength, you'll still die today," Song Ji snorted coldly. Even though he knew Jiang Che was prepared, he had no intention of backing down.

He had fought Jiang Che before and repelled him with a single punch, proving the vast disparity in their strength. He was confident he could kill Jiang Che before Jiang Che's reinforcements arrived.

Without further delay, Song Ji snatched a nine-ring saber, took a forceful step forward, and swung it down at Jiang Che with the force of splitting a mountain.

But Jiang Che's strength now was not what it was during their last encounter. After two sacrifices, he had not only broken through to the Inner Breath Realm but had also mastered the Cool Wind Blade Momentum to the minor accomplishment stage.

He was a completely different person now.

Facing Song Ji's sudden attack, he showed no panic. With a slight step back, he evaded the powerful saber strike.

Song Ji's initial attack missed, and he quickly changed his move to a sweeping strike.

The blade carried a gust of wind that blew a strand of hair from Jiang Che's forehead. The next moment, Jiang Che moved. His saber angled shrewdly, directly slashing horizontally. If this strike had landed, Song Ji would have been cut in two.

But Song Ji was no unknown figure. Having operated in Yanggu County for many years, he had a considerable reputation. His iron fist was unmatched by most martial artists of the same realm. Facing Jiang Che's change of tactic, he was surprised but not flustered.

He bent his waist backward, narrowly dodging Jiang Che's blade.

Clang, clang, clang—

Swish, swish, swish—

Jiang Che and Song Ji's exchange was incredibly fast. Their sabers clashed, their footwork weaved, and they occasionally used each other's force to evade. In just a few breaths, they had exchanged over ten blows.

"So you were holding back that day."

During the fight, Song Ji kept his eyes fixed on Jiang Che.

He couldn't believe Jiang Che could improve so much in just half a month, subconsciously thinking that Jiang Che had been hiding his true strength.

Jiang Che offered no response.

He was focused on the fight and had no intention of explaining himself to someone who was about to die.

During their brief exchange, Jiang Che's signal finally received a response. The birds and beasts that had been resting in the surrounding forest scattered in panic.

It was clear that another group of people was closing in from the surroundings.

Song Ji's expression changed, and he immediately shouted:

"Retreat!"

He knew something was wrong, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes. His inner energy converged at a single point, and his entire right palm began to glow with a faint cyan hue, exuding an eerie aura.

The Azure Fiend Body Refining Scripture!

This was the body-refining technique he practiced. Once initiated, his body would emit a faint cyan color with the circulation of his inner energy. It was by using the Azure Fiend technique back then that he had knocked Jiang Che back with two punches.

If reinforcements hadn't arrived quickly, Jiang Che would have already perished under his hand.

Now, to end the fight quickly, he was going all out. Strands of inner energy surged towards his right arm like a river breaking its banks, and the cyan color deepened rapidly.

Hmph!

The nine-ring saber hung in the air as he suddenly hammered forward.

Facing Song Ji's killing move, Jiang Che dared not be careless, even though he was no longer the same person as before. The moment the opponent gathered his strength, He immediately mobilized all the inner energy within his body.

The perfected Savage Bull Strength foundation exercise firmly connected him to the ground at this moment. His power originated from the earth, and his entire body was like a bluestone standing firm in a raging torrent. Though his palms hadn't changed color, veins rapidly bulged on his arms. He stomped on the ground and thrust forward.

"Boom!"

A muffled grunt, and their fists collided.

The ground itself seemed to sink slightly at that moment, and countless dust particles swirled in the wind generated by their fists.

Bang, bang, bang!!!

After a brief exchange, the powerful recoil immediately separated the two. Jiang Che retreated two steps, while Song Ji stumbled back four or five steps, his footprints littering the ground.

"This is impossible!"

Song Ji stared at the scene with disbelief, unable to accept it in his heart.

How could this be?!

Not long ago, Jiang Che had been knocked down by him with a single punch and suffered serious injuries. Now, he was evenly matched with him!

No, not evenly matched. Jiang Che even had a slight edge.

He found it hard to believe, but the throbbing pain in his arm forced him to accept it. Gritting his teeth, he shot Jiang Che a hateful glance and turned to leave.

As for this outcome, Jiang Che was also somewhat surprised.

After all, he was only in the Inner Breath Realm, while Song Ji's arms were clearly turning green, indicating he was in the solid Bone Forging Realm. Their full-power exchange had resulted in Song Ji retreating more steps than him.

However, he quickly understood.

It was because his Savage Bull Strength had reached perfection, and not just ordinary perfection, but a perfected state pushed to its extreme by the Sacrificial Heavenly Tablet. His foundational training had reached the pinnacle.

It could offset a significant portion of the recoil.

Seeing Song Ji about to leave, Jiang Che naturally wouldn't let him.

This was evidence to bring down the Cao Gang!

Ignoring the immense exhaustion within his body, Jiang Che reversed his grip, grabbed the long saber stuck in the ground, and immediately attacked, blocking Song Ji's escape route. His blade strikes were like the wind, continuous and unceasing.

He wielded the Cool Wind Blade Momentum with perfect mastery.

Song Ji's desire to retreat, coupled with a hint of suspicion from Jiang Che's previous exchange, meant he could only unleash eighty percent of his strength. In an instant, he was suppressed by Jiang Che and pushed into a disadvantage.

At this moment, during the brief respite in their fight, the bandits of Crouching Tiger Mountain and the elites of the Wind Camp had already fully engaged. It was an almost one-sided suppression, and the sounds of their slaughter were heart-wrenching.

Whoosh!

In a flash, a piercing sound exploded through the air. An arrow glinting with cold light grazed Jiang Che's earlobe and shot directly towards Song Ji. The sudden turn of events caught him off guard.

He was pierced through his left shoulder by an arrow and pinned to a nearby tree trunk.

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