Trouble's Brewing, Run! (Please Read On)

After Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist broke through to perfection, Lu Chen developed Azure Dragon Force within his body.

This was an exceptionally special kind of martial force.

Ordinary fist force was usually delivered in a single punch: one wave of power fell, and if it landed, it landed; if not, it scattered.

But Azure Dragon Force was different.

It was not dead strength. It was like a true azure dragon running through his entire body, vast and unending, opening every joint and allowing his qi and blood to circulate throughout him as though racing down a highway, incomparably smooth.

With Azure Dragon Force empowering Lu Chen's arms, the explosive force and speed of his punches far surpassed anything before, and their destructive power was astonishing.

That move just now, Azure Dragon Emerges from the Abyss, had been several times stronger than before in both speed and power.

Even though Sun Liancheng was also a minor Blood-Moving martial artist, in that utterly chaotic situation, he had not had time to defend himself at all.

Lu Chen's punch shattered his chest, killing him on the spot.

"It's a bandit from Black Wind Stronghold!"

"Twin-Blade Ghost Sun Liancheng, the Fourth Boss of Black Wind Stronghold."

The medicine garden guards nearby recognized the man who had just ambushed Lu Chen.

The moment those words were spoken, the guards near the east gate erupted into commotion.

Black Wind Stronghold had occupied Scarlet Cloud Mountain for years and had always been Wang Medicine Garden's greatest threat.

The Fourth Boss, Sun Liancheng, wielded a pair of vicious, venomous curved blades, specializing in cutting throats and hamstrings. No one knew how many escorts had died by his hand.

Yet now, this notorious Fourth Boss of Black Wind Stronghold had suddenly died such a violent death.

"Guard Lu killed the Fourth Boss of Black Wind Stronghold with one punch!"

"What?"

"Good heavens, Guard Lu did well!"

The crowd cried out in amazement, filled with admiration.

Lu Chen paid them no mind. Instead, he looked in the direction Sun Liancheng had come from and saw a tall figure charging toward him.

Like a black bear in a snowy night.

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.

"Someone from Black Wind Stronghold?"

Wang Zhong had told him about Black Wind Stronghold as well.

They had four minor Blood-Moving martial artists in total. Their leader, Qiu Heixiong, was nicknamed the Black Wind Bear. He stood nine chi tall, with surging qi and blood, already close to major Blood-Moving attainment.

Judging from that man's build and presence, it was not hard to guess.

The one approaching was Black Wind Stronghold's leader—Qiu Heixiong.

Others also noticed that bear-like figure and warned Lu Chen, "Guard Lu, be careful! The leader of Black Wind Stronghold is here too!"

Killing Sun Liancheng with one punch had not consumed much of Lu Chen's qi and blood. Facing this enemy, he was utterly fearless.

Azure Dragon Force coursed through his arms. He set his stance in the Mountain Ape Stance, ready at any moment to unleash the Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Leg.

Having seen his brother die, Qiu Heixiong could not possibly leave without taking revenge.

Yet he was cautious. Rather than charging in headlong, he slowly closed the distance.

After all, he had witnessed the entire battle himself and knew Lu Chen's fist technique was formidable—likely beyond mere major attainment.

Could this man have broken through again in half a year, advancing his fist technique to perfection?

As Qiu Heixiong weighed the matter, qi and blood had already gathered in his palms, poised to strike.

I'll test his mettle first. If it doesn't work, I'll withdraw!

The instant that thought settled, the snow beneath his feet exploded.

Boom!

He dropped his shoulders and hunched his back. Like an enraged black bear, he suddenly slammed toward Lu Chen.

Savage Bear Crashes the Mountain Art!

In that instant, even the wind and snow seemed to be knocked aside by him.

Several medicine garden guards turned pale.

"Guard Lu, watch out!"

Lu Chen's gaze sharpened.

Qiu Heixiong's charge was different from the snow wolf's.

The snow wolf relied on brute force and speed, but Qiu Heixiong's feet, waist, back, and shoulders formed a single line. His qi and blood sank into his flesh and bones, making him seem like a massive boulder rolling down a cliff.

Lu Chen shifted his feet, unfolding the Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Step. His body slid half a step sideways, close to the fence opening.

Qiu Heixiong's shoulder missed, but he did not completely lose his momentum. His broad shoulders and back twisted sharply, and his right palm shot out from beneath his ribs, viciously striking at Lu Chen's chest.

The palm came incredibly fast.

Its palm wind was not heavy, yet it carried a cold, sinister feeling.

Lu Chen's heart tightened as he raised his left arm to block.

Bang!

Palm and arm collided.

Lu Chen felt a strange force bore through his skin and into his body.

His muscles stung fiercely as that force seeped into them.

Fortunately, Coiling Dragon Body activated on its own, continuously weakening the force that had entered him. Only a thread of residual force penetrated his sinews and flesh, leaving a faint stuffiness from his arm to his chest.

This man's force is somewhat strange.

Lu Chen was briefly startled, but his hands did not stop. Azure Dragon Coiling Body pressed against Qiu Heixiong, followed by Piercing Clouds, Entering the Sea as he seized the initiative and attacked Qiu Heixiong.

A flash of surprise crossed Qiu Heixiong's eyes.

That palm strike had concealed Heart-Shattering Force. It could penetrate skin and flesh, shaking the muscles beneath. Those struck by it would suffer sore, numb, stiff muscles and localized spasms, as if they had been struck by a blunt weapon.

Yet Lu Chen seemed barely affected and could even counterattack so quickly.

This man is not only skilled with his fists; his stance training is no shallow matter either!

Qiu Heixiong grew even more wary.

Faced with Lu Chen's aggressive assault, he did not dare be careless. He crossed his arms, muscles swelling like iron as qi and blood sank into his skin and flesh, blocking Lu Chen's fists.

Savage Bear Crashes the Mountain Art excelled most at meeting attacks head-on.

But the moment Lu Chen's fist landed, Qiu Heixiong's expression changed.

A vast, unending fist force drove forward in layer upon layer through his arms, shaking his skin and flesh until they ached.

Qiu Heixiong grunted, his huge body actually driven back three steps.

Each step left a deep crater in the snow.

Looking down, he saw that the sleeves on both arms had burst apart. His flesh was red, with faint threads of blood seeping through.

Qiu Heixiong's gaze darkened.

"He has cultivated martial force!"

"His fist technique is at perfection!"

The force behind Lu Chen's punch was surging, advancing layer upon layer like an azure dragon entering the body. Even his hardened Savage Bear Body could not withstand it.

He had essentially confirmed that Lu Chen's fist technique had broken through to perfection and cultivated a special kind of martial force.

Then, amid the howling wind and snow, their fists and palms collided once more.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In just a few breaths, they had exchanged more than ten moves.

Lu Chen continuously shifted his Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Leg footwork, darting left and right across the snow, yet never moving even half a step away from the east gate. He could not retreat. If he did, the medicine garden would be behind him.

Qiu Heixiong, meanwhile, was like a crazed black bear, charging with his shoulders, smashing with his elbows, striking with his palms—every move powerful and heavy. Each time his feet fell, the packed snow burst apart.

One was swift, the other fierce. Before the fence opening, they fought until wind and snow spiraled wildly around them.

Lu Chen's Azure Dragon Force pressed forward layer upon layer. Qiu Heixiong's muffled grunts came without pause as veins bulged sharply along his arms. Several blood vessels were forcibly ruptured, his flesh splitting and curling as blood dripped down from his wrists.

Lu Chen did not have it easy either. Qiu Heixiong's Heart-Shattering Force bored into his sinews and flesh like icy steel needles.

That force did not appear as overbearing as Qiu Heixiong himself, yet it was exceedingly vicious, specifically disrupting qi and blood and numbing the muscles.

Lu Chen's shoulders swelled with pain and numbness. He could clearly still feel his arms, but it was as though they were wrapped in a thick layer of cloth, leaving him with a sluggish sensation of having strength he could not exert.

Had he not cultivated Coiling Dragon Body, giving his muscles an extra layer to shed force, both his arms might have long since been crippled by Qiu Heixiong's force.

The two clashed head-on once again.

Boom!

Fist and palm collided, qi and blood surging violently.

The snow beneath Lu Chen's feet cracked, and he slid back three steps.

Qiu Heixiong also staggered back several steps, his broad feet plowing two deep furrows through the snow.

The two pulled apart.

Wind and snow swept between them.

They stared at each other through the curtain of snow, each gaining another measure of wariness.

Blood still dripped from Qiu Heixiong's arms. If they continued fighting, his arms might be ruined.

He gave Lu Chen another deep look. The latter still guarded the fence opening, holding the pass alone against ten thousand.

Knowing that he might not be able to take the medicine garden tonight, Qiu Heixiong made his decision at once and shouted to the bandits:

"Trouble's brewing—run!"