High-Profile Move, One Against Four!

"That's a lot of useless nonsense!

I really don't understand where your sense of superiority comes from.

You came in looking down on me from on high, but if you lose to me, your faces are going to hurt, won't they?"

Mu Chen spoke slowly, his face utterly indifferent. The Dou Qi surging from his body created ripples laced with faint killing intent throughout the courtyard, enveloping all five people before him.

Glancing at the man who had stepped forward first, Mu Chen quickly mapped out the course of the battle. He first stored the Ink Shadow Sword in his inventory, then calmly closed his eyes amid their mocking laughter. In an instant, his hands swiftly formed a series of profound and intricate hand seals.

As the hand seals changed, the Origin Flame Talisman at the very top of the Fire-Attribute Space within Mu Chen's body instantly erupted with dazzling golden light.

The purple flames below were drawn toward it, turning into a streak of violet light that shot into the Origin Flame Talisman. At the same time, Mu Chen's aura steadily rose.

In just one breath, it broke through the barrier of a Dou Master. Then, a domineering and imposing Dou Qi Armor burning with purple flames manifested over Mu Chen's body.

This series of movements seemed lengthy, yet only a brief instant had passed. It was so fast that the enemies opposite him had yet to react.

Thick violet flames gleamed in Mu Chen's eyes. With a clench of both hands, a dark glint flashed, and the Ink Shadow Sword appeared, immediately becoming coated in his Purple Flame Dou Qi.

Feeling the powerful strength coursing through his body, Mu Chen was delighted. The Flame Luminary Transformation truly is powerful. Using Purple Flame alone as its foundation actually lets my strength cross the barrier of a major realm, increasing it to the level of a one-star Da Dou Shi.

His hands tightened around the sword hilt. The sensation of being filled with power intoxicated Mu Chen. He slowly raised his sword, its dark gleam—unable to be concealed by the Purple Flame Dou Qi—pointing straight at his opponents, whose expressions were rapidly changing.

Just as the courtyard became tense with drawn swords and taut bows, a mysterious black figure leaped onto a concealed building near the courtyard.

The mysterious figure had chosen an extremely hidden spot, situated in the gap between the eaves of two buildings. The gap was just large enough to conceal one person. Because it was so well hidden and the figure had moved so quickly, no one among the dense crowd on the street below noticed his presence.

The black figure's exposed hands were dry and withered, while the hair extending from beneath the hood of his black robe was white.

At that moment, the black-robed figure slowly raised his head, first revealing a pair of cloudy eyes, followed by an aged face covered in horrifying scars. It was Hai Bodong, whom Mu Chen had met once before.

"Purple flames! Their power isn't weak, but they clearly aren't Heavenly Flames. That violent aura resembles Beast Flame born within a magical beast."

With a heavy sigh, Hai Bodong could not hide the disappointment on his face. He said dejectedly, "So the rumors about Heavenly Flames truly were false. Well, Heavenly Flames are incredibly rare in this world. How could a mere Dou Master brat possibly obtain one? I was simply hoping for the impossible. What a wasted joy."

"This brat is strange. Don't underestimate him. The four of you attack together and take him down quickly," the scar-faced middle-aged man barked. For some reason, his eyelid had been twitching nonstop, as though something very bad was about to happen.

*It must be an illusion. This brat was able to kill a Da Dou Shi only because of that secret technique that suddenly increased his strength.

Strength forcibly raised through a secret technique is extremely unstable. With four elite disciples from the Dark Hall attacking together, this brat has no chance of winning. His limbs will only be crippled. There can be no other outcome.*

Thinking of his sect's methods, the scar-faced middle-aged man shook his head slightly, dismissing the absurd thought that had arisen in his mind.

Seeing the three people beside him join the battle ahead, the scar-faced middle-aged man wore a cold smile. The cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques practiced by disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect were not comparable to those ordinary people outside who treated even a Yellow Tier high-grade cultivation technique as a treasure. Their combat strength far surpassed that of ordinary people.

"Brat, don't make any pointless resistance. The four of us attacking together is already giving you face. Accept your fate."

Mu Chen's gaze sharpened. Though the four charging at him spoke with great disdain, their movements coordinated with one another as they approached from four different angles. Their auras converged around Mu Chen. Once they attacked, they would be able to swiftly block his paths of retreat. If Mu Chen fell even slightly into a disadvantage, he would inevitably face a ferocious barrage from all four of them.

Mu Chen said nothing more. At this point, only strength could determine the truth, and victory was his only path.

"Kill!"

Mu Chen stomped down. Explosive Dou Qi blasted a crater into the ground as Wind Shadow Step activated. He knew that the only way to resolve the predicament before him was to strike first, crush the four men's offensive with overwhelming force, and seize victory in one stroke.

While still midair, Mu Chen swept both hands and first unleashed four arcs of Purple Flame sword Qi. Without waiting to see the result, he flicked his wrists and threw both Ink Shadow Swords directly into the air. Even Hai Bodong, watching from afar, was puzzled by this action.

"Judging by the way those four attack, they should be from the Misty Cloud Sect. The people of the Misty Cloud Sect are best at coordinated attacks. If four of them attack together, their combined strength will be no weaker than a high-level Da Dou Shi attacking with full force.

Instead of quickly defeating his enemies, why did this brat throw away his weapons? Isn't that simply courting death?"

Hai Bodong shook his head, disappointment flashing through his cloudy eyes. He had originally thought that a Dou Master capable of killing a Da Dou Shi across realms was an unparalleled genius. Now, however, it seemed the rumors had merely exaggerated things. Such a mediocre talent was not worth his intervention.

With both swords leaving his hands, a savage grin appeared on Mu Chen's lips. His hands swiftly formed two crystalline Fire Seals, which he then gripped tightly in his palms.

At that moment, the four men joined forces to shatter the sword Qi Mu Chen had unleashed earlier. Yet before they could show their contempt, a purple-flamed figure suddenly shot out from the shattered mass of energy.

"Kill!"

Mu Chen clenched both fists and flew forward, kicking the raised arm of the man in the center. The kick sent him staggering back several steps, and under Mu Chen's precise control, his retreating path blocked the two men on the left, preventing them from immediately unleashing Dou Techniques to attack Mu Chen.

Using the rebound force, Mu Chen rapidly pounced on the man at the far right. His right fist shot out with the force of thunder, while the Fire Seal in his palm burst with violet light and flames that coiled around his fist.

Before the fist even arrived, the fierce wind from it carried a powerful Dou Qi pressure that bore down directly upon his opponent, blowing the hair behind the man's head backward.

The man's pupils contracted sharply, and a bead of cold sweat quickly ran down from the tip of his nose. Gritting his teeth, he firmly believed that his own strength could never lose to a Da Dou Shi elevated through a secret technique. He immediately unleashed a low-grade Profound Tier fist Dou Technique and met Mu Chen's incoming punch head-on.

A dull impact sounded as violet flames surged. Mu Chen's attack forcefully shattered the man's fist Dou Technique. The instant their hands met, overwhelming power crushed all five of the man's fingers, and shattered hand bones even pierced backward from his elbow. Mu Chen's expression remained cold and unchanged by the bloody sight.

Changing his fist into a palm, Mu Chen pressed his left hand, carrying a crystalline Fire Seal, against the man's chest. It violently pierced through his Dou Qi Armor and shattered the bones in his chest.

As the man flew backward, Mu Chen closed in several steps and continuously struck his shattered chest with both hands, each carrying powerful Dou Qi. The man screamed miserably and vomited blood without end.

In the span of a single breath, Mu Chen delivered more than ten palm strikes at blinding speed. Only after hearing a dull, thunder-like sound of the man's heart bursting did Mu Chen rapidly twist his body aside, narrowly avoiding a sharp blade stabbing toward his back.