Blood Slices Through Foes, None Can Stop Him

"Enough, First Elder. Stop screeching like a woman!"

"What do I want?!"

"The future clan head should come from my branch. Your branch doesn't have the strength to hold onto the position of clan head!"

"Hmph, hmph. You're really making quite the racket with that little abacus of yours!"

"What makes you think your branch is capable of becoming clan head?!"

"When my Chen Clan chose candidates for clan head, the most important condition was becoming a Martial Practitioner before coming of age. What qualifications does your branch have?!"

Chen Xuanfeng looked at the First Elder's disdainful expression and spoke calmly.

"If I said Feng'er could become a Martial Practitioner within the next few months, would he qualify?!"

"What?!"

Chen Xuanjing seemed to have heard something unimaginable as he looked toward the composed Chen Feng.

"Feng'er, show him!"

Chen Feng said nothing. With a thought, two faint strands of blood mist rose in distinct layers around his body.

The great dragon of his spine flexed and trembled, his blood and qi sank like flowing mercury, and his tendons and fascia produced the bang, bang, bang tremors unique to one who had reached the Three-Knock Blood Pass!

Chen Xuanjing stared deeply at him. Chen Feng had already condensed two strands of Essence of Blood and Qi; he needed only one more to birth true qi and become a true Martial Practitioner, his lifespan increasing by a full sixty years!

"Hmph! Even if your branch has the ability, don't forget the bloodline restriction in the clan rules!"

"Hehe! We can settle this according to the clan rules. I hope you can find a candidate. Otherwise, the Chen Clan's clan head will belong to my branch in the future!"

With those words, Chen Xuanfeng ignored the First Elder's devouring glare, wrapped his sheepskin coat tighter around himself, and turned to leave the hall with the members of his branch.

The remaining four branches followed suit.

"You... you people!"

Chen Xuanjing's fury surged to the heavens as he stared meaningfully at their departing figures.

"Good. Good, very good!"

Once the crowd dispersed, only the three dejected members of the Chen Clan's main branch remained.

"Alas..."

The old man let out a long sigh. It was as though the clan meeting had drained away all his strength, and he slumped into his wooden chair.

"According to the Blood-Ban Clan Rules, among those of the same generation who have not yet come of age, seniority shall be determined by martial prowess. Each side may bring one outsider to represent them. Life and death shall not be considered!"

"Once martial prowess has determined seniority, the result shall stand and must not be violated. Otherwise, an entire branch shall die out, never to be reborn!"

"In our main branch, other than your brother, who has sufficient strength? But your brother has only just entered the Three-Knock Blood Pass and has not even condensed any Essence of Blood and Qi!"

"In all of White Light Outer City, who would dare take part in our Chen Clan's martial meet... The moment they showed themselves, they would either be silenced or bought off..."

"Difficult... so difficult..."

The soundless sighs weighed down the atmosphere in the hall until it turned even colder. It seemed to be a dead-end situation.

Boom!

A visible ring of ripples erupted from the arena where Wu Shan and Yuan Nanting were fighting.

The powerful shockwave crashed into the true qi barrier General Li had set up in an instant, producing an ear-piercing rasp. Its momentum was vast and majestic.

Wu Shan grinned, lightly swinging his arm. The Essence of Blood and Qi coiling around his body seemed to be drawn by some force.

It gradually formed into a two-foot arrow. Whoosh! Crimson light exploded like thunder, piercing through Yuan Nanting's waist and abdomen with lightning speed.

The latter gritted his silver teeth and formed seals with his fingers. The Danzhong Acupoint, Zhongting Acupoint, and Dove Tail Acupoint throbbed as they locked down the advance of the "blood arrow."

With a tap of his foot, he tried to leave the arena.

But then the breeze stirred beside his ear, and the life-and-death instinct unique to martial men made his heart jolt violently.

"Not good!"

"Ting'er, watch out!!"

A tremendous force struck. Yuan Nanting felt a faint numb itch at his neck, and in the next instant, his enormous head burst apart like a smashed watermelon. The force of the punch did not fade, exploding through his chest in passing.

Blood and qi instantly filled the air. His organs spilled onto the arena like overturned water, steaming visibly as strands of stench assailed the nose.

Wu Shan, who had appeared before Yuan Nanting at some unknown moment, wore a cold expression. With a flick of his sleeve, he shook the red-and-white matter from his arm.

The "blood arrow" trembled slightly before shooting back into his body. The black-robed young man finally showed visible signs of exhaustion, his face pale as he gasped in great mouthfuls.

With a vicious expression, he swept his gaze around. Only four fights had taken place on this arena, yet four people had already died. For a time, no one dared provoke him.

"Good. What a ruthless little brat. Truly fine methods!"

Yan Zhen, master of Iron Garment Martial Hall, wore a venomous expression and made no attempt to conceal the killing intent in his heart.

"This old man will wait for the day you leave the city. You truly..."

"Enough!"

General Li spoke blandly, casting Yan Zhen a meaningful glance.

"The martial meet continues!"

"Phew..."

"It seems I need to quickly advance to the Three-Knock Blood Pass. Otherwise, facing him would likely mean certain death!"

He forcefully suppressed the terror in his heart, regulated his breathing, and quietly waited for another martial man to take the stage.

As long as he held this arena, he could advance smoothly.

Fortunately, nearly all ten arenas had been claimed by Three-Knock Blood Pass disciples from the six martial halls. The opponents he faced were merely people trying their luck.

Clang—

A pitch-black saber, hung with nine large rings, seized the initiative as it shot onto the stage.

"Hehe, couldn't hold back any longer? You really are confident."

Wang Xuance's eyes snapped open, sharp light bursting from them.

Seeing the white-robed burly man step onto the stage, he rose to meet his enemy.

"It seems that if I'm not a little bloodier, I won't be able to intimidate everyone..."

Wang Xuance wasted no words. He fought three men in succession, killing each with a single punch. The fourth technique of Vajra Fist, Vajra Demon-Breaker, could crush an opponent with one strike and contend head-on against the Three-Knock Blood Pass, let alone those below that realm.

Without exception, all three had their heads smashed apart by his blows. He swept his arm across their torn corpses, staining the entire arena with blood!

The first round of the martial meet did not end until the stars and moon hung high like a bright mirror.

"You ten are the victors of the first round of this martial meet. To reward your exceptional courage, each of you shall receive two hundred taels of silver, along with three doses of Blood-Activating Deer-Bone Soup!"

"Tomorrow, you will first be narrowed down through paired matches until five remain. I will likewise grant additional rewards to the five victors!"

General Li cast a meaningful glance at Wu Shan and Wang Xuance. Then, with a raised hand, a silver pouch and three palm-sized medicine packets floated before each of them.

"Take note: the City-Protecting Grand Formation will be activated tonight. Every courtyard will be covered by formations. Remember this well—do not act rashly, lest you trigger the grand formation!"

"At that point, it will not be a matter of whether I can save you. You will be seeking death yourselves!"

The last few words carried a chilling slaughterous aura, as if mountains of corpses had been stained in blood, forcing them to lower their heads.

The moonlit night was lovely, carrying the allure that made countless heroes linger in tender lands. Before long, thick dark clouds gathered, heavy and overcast. A great rain was expected to arrive tonight.

After returning to his two-courtyard residence, he could not help but let out the tension wound through his body and nerves.

"This fierce battle could truly be called marching troops to the edge of danger, seeking stability amid chaos, and searching for life in death!"

"In the first match against Li Mingyu, Vajra Fist lived up to expectations and allowed me to retreat unscathed despite being at the Two-Knock Blood Pass!"

"Using three hundred strands of True Martial Qi to push Vajra Fist to mastery, I staked everything on one throw and successfully turned the tide, matching Hua Ruoxi in strength!"

These two cautious, step-by-step battles, each search and each knock, had allowed him to stand out amid this brutal slaughter.

"The greatest opportunity from this match was gaining enough True Martial Qi!"

Wang Xuance was delighted as he looked at his Martial Dao Template.

[Wang Xuance]

[Dragon Elephant Grand Stance]: 100/3000 (Beginner).

[Tortoise-Snake Great Stance]: 0/6000 (Mastery).

[Crane Form Grand Stance]: 1800/3000 (Proficient).

[Vajra Fist]: 700/6000 (Mastery).

[Great Arm Scripture]: 0/2000 (Beginner).

[True Martial Qi]: Six hundred and sixty strands

"Tonight, I will cross the Three-Knock Blood Pass!"