Ye Wudao watched the Four Blade Sect leader's footwork and opening stance, and he instantly understood—it was the Life-Taking Four Blades.
"Silk-Entangling Blade!"
He did not dare waste time and immediately used Silk-Entangling Blade.
Although he had only cultivated Silk-Entangling Blade to minor accomplishment, it was a Houtian martial skill. By rank alone, it stood a level above the Life-Taking Four Blades.
He would definitely be making the wrong choice if he tried to clash head-on with the Four Blade Sect leader using the Life-Taking Four Blades.
Though the Four Blade Sect leader was older and a woman, she was still a Houtian Initiation Realm martial artist. In terms of strength, she could steadily suppress him.
Therefore, using Silk-Entangling Blade against her was the best choice.
The Life-Taking Four Blades emphasized breaking through weaknesses, striking four times in succession without giving the opponent a chance to catch their breath.
Meanwhile, Silk-Entangling Blade specialized in entangling attacks, and in terms of saber techniques, it could restrain the Life-Taking Four Blades.
Qin Tianlong had told him that in actual combat, one had to avoid the enemy's strengths and attack their weaknesses.
When there was a gap in cultivation, one had to rely on martial skill counters to make up for it.
"Clang!"
However, the moment their blades collided, Ye Wudao knew that he had still underestimated the Four Blade Sect leader.
The powerful recoil numbed the web between his thumb and forefinger. Although he had already entangled her blade, his following moves had begun to falter.
Moreover, Silk-Entangling Blade was a Tang Saber Technique. His broadsaber could not unleash one hundred percent of its power, and he could not stop himself from taking a step back.
The Four Blade Sect leader was somewhat surprised as well. She could sense that Ye Wudao's strength was clearly far inferior to hers.
Yet, by redirecting force, Ye Wudao was able to meet her blade head-on without falling into a disadvantage.
Before she had time to think further, instinct drove her to swing another blade, aiming straight for Ye Wudao's throat.
Ye Wudao narrowed his eyes, switched the saber in his right hand to his left, and slashed upward with a backhand swing, intending to knock aside the Four Blade Sect leader's saber.
It worked to some extent, but the Four Blade Sect leader's strength was too great. The force of the collision traveled through his body and forced him half a step back.
And that half-step backward allowed the Four Blade Sect leader to seize the opportunity. The third strike of the Life-Taking Four Blades viciously stabbed toward his chest.
"Thousand Catty Drop!"
Ye Wudao knew he could not evade this strike. He immediately used Thousand Catty Drop, sinking his center of gravity.
At the same time as he used Thousand Catty Drop, he held his broadsaber horizontally before himself.
"Clang!"
The Four Blade Sect leader's strike slammed viciously into the blade of Ye Wudao's saber, throwing up a spray of sparks.
At the same time, the exertion technique of Thousand Catty Drop firmly rooted his feet to the ground.
His body tilted backward, then, borrowing the power of Thousand Catty Drop, he fiercely snapped his waist straight again.
The Four Blade Sect leader, who had been rushing forward, was sent flying by this sudden rebounding force.
Ye Wudao's eyes lit up. He knew this was his only chance.
Light Smoke Step activated instantly, and he shot toward the Four Blade Sect leader like an arrow leaving the bowstring.
But the Four Blade Sect leader was no pushover. The instant she was knocked flying, she flipped in midair, trying to stabilize herself.
Yet after she landed, Ye Wudao was nowhere to be seen.
The next second, the whistling wind coming from behind set alarm bells ringing wildly in her heart.
Without the slightest hesitation, she slashed backward.
However, her saber struck empty air.
"Not good!"
By the time she reacted, she saw only a figure sweep past her, leaving behind an afterimage.
Then her neck hurt, and a wave of weakness instantly swept through her entire body.
"Lost... Lost Trace Steps!"
She clutched her neck as warm blood flowed through the gaps between her fingers.
She looked unwillingly at Ye Wudao before her, her body slowly falling backward.
No matter how hard she thought, she could not understand why someone in the Body Forging Realm could learn so many martial skills.
Nor had she expected that she, a Houtian Realm martial artist, would die at the hands of a mere brat in the Body Forging Realm.
"Whew..."
Ye Wudao looked at the fallen Four Blade Sect leader and let out a long breath as well.
If he had not reacted in time and used Lost Trace Steps to circle from behind the Four Blade Sect leader to her front, he would likely have been pierced by that backward thrust.
He glanced around. Meeting the astonished gazes of the crowd, he spotted Great Master Qin Tianlong standing not far away and quickly lowered his head before leaving.
After he left, the surrounding martial artists instantly erupted into noise.
"Damn! Did I see that right? That kid actually killed the Four Blade Sect leader!"
"Is something wrong with your eyes? Weren't the three who died earlier people?"
"That kid should only be in the Body Forging Realm, right? The Four Blade Sect leader was in the Houtian Realm! How did he do it?"
"I roughly counted it. That kid knows at least five martial skills: Silk-Entangling Blade, Light Smoke Step, Thousand Catty Drop, Lost Trace Steps, and Life-Taking Four Blades. He won entirely through martial skill suppression."
"That's right. And none of his martial skills are at a low level. His battle awareness is also extraordinary. In an instant, he can observe changes in the battle and use the appropriate martial skill to seize the advantage."
"That Thousand Catty Drop just now left me dumbfounded. When his strength was inferior to the Four Blade Sect leader's, he actually used that method to send her flying!"
"Just where did that kid come from? So many martial skills could not possibly have been taught by one master. Could he be a student of the Martial Arts Academy?"
"Impossible, right? When Martial Arts Academy students come to the Rift World, teachers escort and protect them. That kid does not seem to have a protector beside him."
"Stop calling him a kid. Here by this river, who among you would dare claim to be his opponent?"
"A genius of that level could pin those weaklings from the Martial Arts Academy to the ground and rub their faces in the dirt. He probably is not a Martial Arts Academy student—perhaps he is a disciple of some great lineage."
"You don't know this, but when Martial Arts Academy students came here for training last time, two little girls were scared into tears!"
As Ye Wudao departed, the discussions around him gradually thinned out as well.
Chatting was one thing. Hunting demonic beasts was the real business!
At that moment, Qin Tianlong stood by the rocky shore and looked at Ye Wudao walking toward him, his eyes filled with shock.
It seemed he had underestimated Ye Wudao.
That backward strike from the Four Blade Sect leader had nearly sent his heart into his throat.
He had just been about to intervene when he saw Ye Wudao use Lost Trace Steps to circle from behind the Four Blade Sect leader to her front. Then he knew Ye Wudao would win.
"What a little monster."
Qin Tianlong muttered softly and shook his head helplessly.
A Body Tempering Great Accomplishment Realm martial artist killing a Houtian Initiation Realm martial artist—it would probably make a whole crowd's jaws drop if word got out.
It might have been possible for someone at Body Tempering Great Accomplishment Realm to kill someone at the Body Tempering Peak Realm.
But Body Tempering killing Houtian—that was fighting across a major realm.
He had thought it would already be impressive if Ye Wudao could exchange a few moves with the Four Blade Sect leader. Who could have expected Ye Wudao to kill her instead?
Ye Wudao walked to Qin Tianlong's side and said softly, "Great Master, let's leave quickly!"
Qin Tianlong smiled. "Why leave?"
Ye Wudao glanced at the four corpses lying in the distance and said, "I killed people. Won't the guards at the outpost arrest me later?"
Qin Tianlong laughed. "Haha! Then why didn't you think about that when you were killing them?"
Ye Wudao awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "At the time, I was only thinking about how to get away. I didn't think that far!"
Qin Tianlong patted Ye Wudao's shoulder and shook his head. "Don't worry. In the Rift World, life and death are left to fate."
"This isn't Blue Star. There aren't so many restrictions."
"As long as you do not go on a killing spree, no one will bother you."
After saying that, he looked toward the riverbank and said softly, "Look at those people. Who among them cares that you killed someone?"
"Murdering for treasure, revenge, conflict—such things are as common as daily meals in the Rift World."
"Besides, the Four Blade Sect people wanted to kill you first. This counts as self-defense, so there's no need to be so afraid!"
Then he paused, glanced toward the top of the gentle slope, and said, "However, we really should leave!"
Ye Wudao froze for a moment. "Didn't you say it was fine? Why do we still need to leave?"
Qin Tianlong looked at Ye Wudao. "Do you think, with your combat strength, you are still suited to stay here and kill first-order demonic beasts?"
"You can already kill Houtian Initiation Realm martial artists. First-order demonic beasts no longer pose any threat to you."
"If you want to temper your combat strength, you must continuously challenge stronger existences. Only then can you fully bring out your potential."
"So, I'm planning to take you to the canyon to hunt second-order demonic beasts!"
Ye Wudao pursed his lips and asked softly, "Great Master, are we going to hunt second-order demonic beasts now?"
Qin Tianlong smiled. "What? Are you afraid?"
Ye Wudao shook his head. "I'm not afraid. It's just that I only received my Black Iron Medal yesterday, and I registered as an ordinary person."
"If I go to the canyon to hunt demonic beasts now, will it arouse the Demon Slayer Guard's suspicions?"
"Don't let them really drag me off to dissect me!"
Qin Tianlong paused, then laughed. "You're quite meticulous!"
"Don't worry. Many people in the Demon Slayer Guard report false cultivation realms."
"The Demon Slayer Guard does not care what realm you are in. As long as you can kill demonic beasts, that is enough!"
Ye Wudao nodded and followed Qin Tianlong up the gentle slope.
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