A Formidable Foe Retreats in Hatred, a Vow of Vengeance Concealing Murderous Intent

Yu Zhutou did not stop. On the contrary, upon hearing those words, his movement technique grew several degrees faster.

A cold, vicious aura rushed at them head-on. The surrounding martial artists watched Yu Zhutou strike with faces full of horror.

After being injured, Shi Qingyue had long since raised his guard. He immediately recognized that icy palm seal as the Tendon-Sundering Bone-Misplacing Hand.

"Yunche, move! That's the Tendon-Sundering Bone-Misplacing Hand!"

Yet this time, Liu Yunche could not evade it, solely because Yu Zhutou moved too quickly.

The aura upon that palm seal made him exceptionally uncomfortable. He knew that if it struck him, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Suddenly, a black blade-light silently appeared before Yu Zhutou's palm.

The blade-light collided with the palm seal, spraying sparks. The flesh on Yu Zhutou's palm tightened while his fascia stretched, combining hardness with resilience.

Even a low-grade Martial Treasure failed to harm Yu Zhutou in the slightest. In the end, it was not that the Martial Treasure lacked sharpness, but that the gap in strength between the two was simply too vast.

With the aid of Concealed Edge, Liu Yunche had not been struck directly. Even so, the hidden force transmitted through the blade sent a chill through him.

Borrowing that force, he drifted backward.

The expressions on the faces of Liu Tianlin and the other two, who had been silently observing, varied greatly.

Liu Tianlin's gaze was sharp, and a trace of wariness showed in the way he looked at Liu Yunche. Liu Yunche's movement technique was extraordinarily nimble, far beyond his own.

Tao Xiaoyun's beautiful eyes gleamed. If she could recruit such a genius into the Tao Clan, she would have rendered great merit and gained even more standing within the clan.

He Chaoyang rubbed his aching chest, his gaze falling upon Liu Yunche. A flash of excitement and fighting spirit passed through his eyes.

Facing that palm strike, Shi Qingyue frantically mobilized the inner breath within his body. A faint glow blossomed from the muscles around his fist as, carrying the force of a massive mountain rolling down, he fiercely blasted toward Yu Zhutou.

The Rolling Stone Fist erupted without reservation, all for a single sliver of survival.

However, the instant they made contact, Shi Qingyue was like a deflated balloon, sent flying away.

The flesh of the arm that had collided with Yu Zhutou churned violently. Having endured that overwhelming force, wave-like bulges continuously surged upward along it.

"Qingyue!" Seeing Shi Qingyue blasted away, Liu Yunche flashed forward and abruptly appeared at his side.

He grabbed Shi Qingyue's arm and saw its flesh, tendons, and bones twisting unnaturally, as though insects were crawling chaotically within.

Yu Zhutou still wished to pursue, but three figures had already raced over from the gorge wall. Judging by their imposing presence, all were Tendon Forging martial artists.

Yu Zhutou shouted, "Go!"

A band of mountain bandits led their tracking hounds and rapidly retreated toward the exit of Gourd Gorge.

The three Tendon Forging martial artists who had arrived called out loudly, "Stop them! The Martial Academy offers a reward!"

At the first half of those words, no one moved. But once the latter half was spoken, Li Youchen of the Flying Bear Martial Arts Hall immediately struck, charging fiercely at the nearest mountain bandit.

The Flying Bear Fist was unleashed without restraint. His fist force roared like an enraged savage bear as it smashed toward the bandit.

The mountain bandit flew into a rage, twisting aside to evade the fierce punch before engaging him in battle.

The rest were unwilling to be outdone. Flesh Tempering martial artists each entangled one opponent, while three or five Skin Tempering martial artists could also hold down one.

For a time, fighting filled every corner of Gourd Gorge, and the sounds of slaughter echoed through the entire valley.

Of the three Tendon Forging martial artists who had arrived, one wore a green robe and possessed a scholarly air. He was very young, and he was none other than Jiang Xu.

The other carefully examined Yu Zhutou and frowned. "Yu Zhutou of Blackwind Stronghold?"

"Since you know my name, you still dare block my path?" Yu Zhutou said coolly.

"Arrogant!"

"There is no need for further words. Just take him down."

Jiang Xu said no more. He threw a punch, his fist force grand and upright as it drove straight toward Yu Zhutou's heart.

The other two attacked at the same time, one forming hand seals and the other making a fist.

Tendon Forging martial artists possessed incomparably sturdy physiques. Some ordinary weapons were not even as hard as their bodies, which was why most martial artists cultivated their fists and legs.

In an instant, the rhythm of the four men's clash became ever more violent.

The veins on Yu Zhutou's exposed arms bulged like coiling horned dragons. Every exertion made his tendons quake like bowstrings.

Clearly, even though he had already reached the pinnacle of Tendon Forging, facing the siege of three great Tendon Forging martial artists forced him to go all out.

Their figures flickered like ghosts and phantoms, their fists and kicks so fast that only afterimages remained.

Yu Zhutou fought as he retreated, the chill of his palm seals undiminished. Palm winds filled the sky, every strike directed at Jiang Xu.

He had already seen through it: this green-robed youngster had only just entered the Tendon Forging level, making him an excellent opening through which to escape.

As for his other subordinates, he could no longer concern himself with them. They were merely Flesh Tempering martial artists; if they were gone, he could simply recruit more.

For a time, sounds like bowstrings trembling rang out unceasingly, accompanied by all manner of thunderous impacts and fierce roars!

Faced with Yu Zhutou's frigid onslaught, Jiang Xu remained calm in the face of danger.

He had become famous in his youth. Relying on an innate instinct for danger, he could always evade Yu Zhutou's attacks in advance at critical moments.

This caused Yu Zhutou's plans to come to nothing. For him, the situation was gradually worsening.

In a short span of time, Yu Zhutou not only failed to harm Jiang Xu at all, but was struck once each by the other two. Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, and his breathing began to quicken.

After only several exchanges, Yu Zhutou was struck in succession on the shoulder and waist. His originally taut fascia went numb, blood continued to seep from his lips, and his blood and qi churned unstably within his chest and abdomen.

He silently cursed that things were going badly. If this continued, he feared he would fall here today.

He no longer insisted on forcefully attacking Jiang Xu. Both palms abruptly changed forms.

The next moment, palm shadows filled the air. A piercing chill spread in all directions along with the palm wind, and the three men felt the surrounding temperature plummet.

This was Cold Mountain Force, Yu Zhutou's trump card kept at the bottom of his chest. He would never use it unless driven to the brink.

"Careful! Do not make direct contact!" one elder shouted in warning.

The three each deployed their movement techniques, attempting to evade Yu Zhutou's move.

Yet the chill crept upon them silently. The three men's movements stiffened as streams of cold invaded their bodies, inflicting hidden injuries of varying severity in an instant and slowing them involuntarily.

This sudden change forced them to make hasty moves and hurriedly defend.

Yu Zhutou exchanged a palm strike with each of the three, then, without caring about the outcome, turned and sped away.

He knew that if he was entangled again, there would be no possibility of escape.

His gaze swept across the crowd within the gorge before finally settling on Liu Yunche and Shi Qingyue, who were regulating their breaths nearby. Bone-deep venom churned in his eyes.

"You two brats, just wait for me! Mountains and rivers may part, but we shall meet again!"

As his roar fell, Yu Zhutou fiercely gathered his strength. The veins throughout his body swelled, all his force concentrated in his legs.

Ignoring the attacks coming from behind, he forcibly took Jiang Xu's punch. Then, borrowing that force, his body suddenly accelerated like an arrow released from the bowstring, plunging headlong into the forest.

He left Jiang Xu only a resentful, icy look. Within the woods, Yu Zhutou did not dare stop and sprinted toward the depths of Azure Radiance Mountain.

His eyes were filled with venom and stifled resentment. He had finally found the person who had toyed with him, yet through a strange twist of fate, he had failed to take revenge.

He rushed onward for a long time, until his strength could no longer support him. Only then did Yu Zhutou stop, panting heavily.

He braced one hand against a large tree and dug in with his fingertips, venting his force wantonly into the trunk, as though only this could ease the deep hatred in his heart.

After he left, the trunk cracked inch by inch before falling straight to the ground, stirring up clouds of dead leaves and dust.

The remaining two chased to Jiang Xu's side. Looking at the deep forest, they knew the terrain was complex and their foe was a mountain bandit familiar with the wilderness. Fearing an ambush if they continued, they could only stop.

Seeing Yu Zhutou flee in such a sorry state, his mountain bandits struggled desperately. Yet before the three Tendon Forging martial artists, they were subdued within only a few moves.

Liu Yunche remained beside Shi Qingyue, allowing him to suppress the hidden force within his body in peace.

Shi Qingyue's eyes were tightly shut at the moment, his teeth clenched hard as he endured without letting out a single pained groan.

Yet his occasionally twitching face and the cold sweat dripping from his forehead revealed the pain he was suffering.

Once everything in Gourd Gorge had settled like dust, Jiang Xu quickly came before the two. He merely glanced at Shi Qingyue, and his expression changed drastically.

"Was he struck by the Tendon-Sundering Bone-Misplacing Hand?"

He seized Shi Qingyue's arm, mobilized the inner breath within his body, and struck several acupoints on the arm. His inner breath entered Shi Qingyue's body and battled, tangled with Yu Zhutou's hidden force.

After a while, Shi Qingyue finally opened his eyes, exhaustion filling them.

He let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, forced out a smile, and said to Liu Yunche and Jiang Xu:

"That was really something!"

Liu Yunche knew what he meant. He merely silently helped Shi Qingyue to his feet.

"Many thanks to Senior Brother Jiang this time." After rising, Shi Qingyue clasped his fist in salute.

"You're too polite. We are brothers of the same family." Jiang Xu shook his head, then asked, "How did you provoke the mountain bandits?"

Liu Yunche gave a light cough.

"Senior Brother Jiang, I accidentally discovered the mountain bandits' movements and plans."

"To keep their secret, they chased after us intending to silence us."

"In that case, I will first escort you out of Azure Radiance Mountain. Qingyue can recover from his injuries as well." Jiang Xu pondered for a moment.

"Then many thanks to Senior Brother Jiang."

Liu Yunche gathered his thoughts and smiled at Jiang Xu. "However, Brother He and the other two have yet to be found. Has Senior Brother Jiang seen them?"

Jiang Xu smiled. "The three of them already left."

"Did they encounter a powerful demon beast?" Shi Qingyue asked with concern.

"No. The three of them were quite fortunate. They found three demon tiger cubs and feared they could not guard them, so they left early."

Jiang Xu shook his head as he explained.

"They made such a harvest and did not even leave us a message, making Yunche and me search all over for them."

Shi Qingyue complained.

Liu Yunche said nothing. He quietly reflected on his gains and losses over the past few days.

This could be called the greatest crisis Liu Yunche had encountered since awakening his past-life wisdom.

"These are only Tendon Forging martial artists, yet their punches snap like breaking bowstrings and their movement techniques drift like ghosts roaming the night."

"It seems I must be even more cautious in the future."

Liu Yunche seriously reflected that in his future actions, he must think thrice before acting and prepare more contingencies. Only then could he avoid risks.

Jiang Xu led the two toward the exit. As they neared the mouth of the gorge, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Senior Brother Jiang, why not take us out of Azure Radiance Mountain as well?"

Liu Yunche and the other two turned back. It was Tao Xiaoyun, Liu Tianlin, and He Chaoyang.

The three approached them head-on, followed closely by disciples from their respective clans.