Gale Thirteen Forms

Three days later, Zhang Yu and his group of sixteen rested on a mountain path. The children walked slowly, severely affecting their speed.

Zhang Yu sat beneath the shade of a tree, studying the Saint Teacher System.

[Name: Li Yue]

[Iron Shirt Not Initiated (0/10)]

After three days of training, Li Yue had not gained a single point of proficiency in Iron Shirt.

Zhang Yu checked Niu Mancang next.

[Name: Niu Mancang]

[Iron Shirt Not Initiated (1/10)]

Niu Mancang's Iron Shirt had already gained one point of proficiency. His outstanding cultivation talent truly was extraordinary. This was before he had even awakened the Feral Ox Physique, and he could only train for a few hours at night because they were traveling. Once he awakened the Feral Ox Physique, his training speed in Iron Shirt would multiply.

Zhang Yu looked at his own panel.

[Iron Shirt Not Initiated (2/10)]

[Master-Disciple Points: 8]

One point of the Iron Shirt proficiency had been contributed by Niu Mancang.

"No wonder everyone likes taking genius disciples," Zhang Yu thought to himself. Then he added all eight Master-Disciple Points to Iron Shirt.

Buzz...

The flesh beneath his skin churned. A force of blood and qi circulated across the surface of his body, and his skin tingled in waves.

It took about a quarter of an hour before the sensation finally faded.

[Iron Shirt Initiated (0/100)]

Iron Shirt had already been initiated. Zhang Yu tested his skin and found that it was noticeably tougher, while his strength had increased as well.

The manual stated that once Iron Shirt reached great mastery, one could cultivate oxhide skin. If cultivated to perfection, one could form stone skin.

Once stone skin was formed, it could withstand blades and swords, and even offset thirty percent of Dark Force. Zhang Yu looked forward to it greatly.

Just as he was indulging in his fantasies, a burst of urgent hoofbeats came from the distance.

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

Zhang Yu sprang to his feet and turned to Niu Mancang. "Watch the children. Take them aside and hide."

"Yes, Master!"

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

The sound drew closer and closer. It was a carriage racing wildly along the mountain path, with three men pursuing it on horseback.

Bang! Crack!

The carriage wheel broke ten zhang away from Zhang Yu's group. The carriage overturned, flinging two women out from within.

One was about sixteen years old, beautiful in appearance. After getting up, she straightened her clothes, every movement carrying the grace of a noble young lady.

The other was around the same age, dressed in a blue cloth ruqun, clearly attired as a maid.

The three masked men surrounded the two women.

The lead masked man glanced at them and ordered, "Second Brother, tie them up and take them away!"

Then he looked toward Zhang Yu's group nearby and pointed. "Third Brother, kill them all."

Since they were so close, Zhang Yu heard what the man said. His expression froze. What the hell was this? Who had he provoked? They had come right up and started shouting about killing him.

Fuck!

What a fucked-up world.

Clatter, clatter...

One masked man rode toward Zhang Yu, his steel saber raised high, a cruel gleam in his eyes.

Zhang Yu was furious.

He drew the Willow-Leaf Saber and swung it upward, striking with all his strength.

With a clang, the Willow-Leaf Saber collided with the other man's steel saber. The enormous force instantly knocked the steel saber from the masked man's hand, splitting the web between his thumb and forefinger as blood streamed out.

The next second—

Bang! Zhang Yu kicked the horse in the side, sending it flying more than five zhang sideways.

The horse let out a shrill neigh before crashing to the ground dead.

The masked man landed facedown on the ground, horror filling his heart as he realized he had encountered an expert. He immediately scrambled up, intending to seek his boss, but it was already too late. Zhang Yu took one stride and arrived before him, uttering a single word. "Die!"

Pfft!

The Willow-Leaf Saber swept across his neck, instantly severing his head as blood sprayed out.

"Third Brother!"

The other two masked men cried out when they saw this.

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. They had not had time to save him at all.

Taking advantage of their stunned state, Xiang Ju hurriedly helped Chu Qingwen run behind Zhang Yu.

"Young Master, save us!"

Zhang Yu merely glanced at them without speaking, his gaze shifting to the other two masked men.

The two dismounted, gripping their sabers as they charged at Zhang Yu.

They had an advantage on horseback against ordinary people, but against an expert, remaining mounted instead restricted the use of their martial techniques.

Zhang Yu was an expert, so the two dismounted and rushed over.

"You dare kill Third Brother? I'll tear you to ten thousand pieces!" one masked man roared, wielding his saber in both hands as he chopped toward Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu raised his saber to block. With a clang, the blades collided. His body did not move in the slightest, while the opponent's descending saber was knocked back upward.

The masked man's eyes widened. Both hands went numb. After just one clash, his arms had been instantly numbed, leaving his center wide open.

"Not good! Big Brother, save me!"

Unfortunately, Zhang Yu would not give him the chance. After knocking aside the man's steel saber, he stepped forward into a bow stance, his left fist driving out like a venomous dragon.

Stone-Shattering Fist Bright Force killing move—Mountain-Crushing!

Bang!

His fist struck the man's chest. The overwhelming force instantly shattered his internal organs, and a gust of force burst from his back, stirring the hair of the last masked man rushing over.

Pfft!

Thud!

"B-Big Brother, avenge... avenge me..."

He vomited blood and died.

You Xiao, leader of the West Ridge Three Fiends, watched as Zhang Yu killed both Second Brother and Third Brother in a single move. At this moment, revenge was the last thing on his mind. He was afraid.

Second Brother had been at the peak of Bright Force, yet he had been instantly killed in one strike. What realm was this opponent in? Definitely Dark Force, perhaps even Force Transformation. Yet he himself was only at the early stage of Dark Force.

The more You Xiao thought about it, the more frightened he became.

"May I ask how I should address you, sir? There may have been a misunderstanding between us," You Xiao said, staring at Zhang Yu.

As he spoke, he slowly backed away.

"A misunderstanding? Misunderstanding your mother!" Zhang Yu stared at him coldly and slashed at him with the Willow-Leaf Saber.

Clang! Clang!

You Xiao blocked two strikes, his arms aching and numb, the web of his hand torn open.

"What tremendous strength! If he isn't Force Transformation, then he must be at the peak of Dark Force!"

Clang! Crack!

On the third strike, one finger on You Xiao's saber-wielding right hand snapped outright. The immense force made half his body go numb, and he could no longer hold his saber.

"Ah..." He let out a scream.

"Spare me!"

"Spare your mother!" Zhang Yu did not waste words with him, following through with a slash across his throat.

Pfft...

Thud!

The corpse of You Xiao, leader of the West Ridge Three Fiends, fell to the ground.

After cultivating Stone-Shattering Fist for more than three hundred years, Zhang Yu had yet to comprehend Force Transformation, but his strength had long surpassed the bounds of Dark Force.

With his immense brute strength, You Xiao had not even had time to use his Dark Force or martial techniques before being cut down.

Zhang Yu looked at the Willow-Leaf Saber. There were several chips along its edge, and cracks had appeared in the blade itself. Their earlier exchanges had involved tremendous force; this saber was finished.

Hopefully he could find something good, or this would be a loss.

Zhang Yu began searching the bodies.

Aside from broken silver, You Xiao and the other two had gold leaves on them as well, worth more than fifty taels in total. Zhang Yu also found a third-rate saber technique manual on You Xiao—Gale Thirteen Forms.

"A saber technique? Did they know saber techniques?" Zhang Yu blinked. He had not sensed it just now.

In truth, under his immense strength, so-called saber technique skill had not had room to be displayed at all.

One collision and their arms went numb. How the hell could they use any saber technique after that?

Zhang Yu tucked the saber technique manual and the gold leaves into his clothes, then turned to look at the two women standing there like wooden chickens.

Chu Qingwen was deeply shocked. The captain of the guards by her side had been at the peak of Bright Force, yet he had been killed by the West Ridge Three Fiends. But this youth before her looked only sixteen or seventeen, and he had slaughtered the West Ridge Three Fiends in a single exchange.

"Could he be a prodigy raised by a great sect or an ancient thousand-year clan, sent into the world to gain experience?"