Fist Blasts Tan Liangtai Away, a Blood Exchange Expert Suddenly Appears

For a moment, the many stewards present were all stunned. Quite a few frowned tightly as they watched the departing elders and the people from the three great lineages.

"Don't let them get away!" a burly, unshaven man roared.

Before his words had faded, he stamped down hard with the tip of his foot. The sinews and bones throughout his body rang in unison, like Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound.

The burly man became an afterimage, lunging viciously at a figure to his front left. He raised his fist high, whipping up a fierce gale as it crashed straight down.

A trace of blood seeped from the corner of the man's mouth. Sensing the terrifying movement behind him, he spun without hesitation, clenched his fist, and met the attack head-on.

The other three did not remain idle either, joining forces to besiege a man to their front right.

In but a short time, the man on the right was beset by danger on all sides. He coughed up blood from time to time, his face pale to the extreme.

"Bang—"

A sound like mountains collapsing and earth splitting suddenly exploded. The man on the left was blasted backward through the air, his chest visibly caved in as fragments of blood sprayed from his mouth.

Yet despite such a result, the burly man's face remained grim. He watched as a figure raced over, steadily caught the man he had sent flying, and landed atop a treetop.

"Old Sun, are you all right?" Elder Lu caught Elder Sun while sending the inner breath from his palm into Elder Sun's body.

"Cough, cough... I won't die yet." Elder Sun coughed lightly, clutching his chest.

Elsewhere, Li Qinwu stepped in to hold back two men for Elder Ma, greatly relieving Elder Ma's pressure.

Seeing that the situation could not be salvaged, the three merely exchanged a few token blows before all retreating behind the burly man.

The people from the three great lineages arrived belatedly and stood steadily beside Elder Lu.

A trace of surprise and schadenfreude surfaced in Liu Sheng's eyes. "Aren't these Elder Sun and Elder Ma, who just arrived?"

So they went into the depths of Azure Radiance Mountain to gather information... Yet they came back injured like this...

Those thoughts flashed through his mind. Liu Sheng said nothing and quietly stood among the crowd.

Only after the two elders' breathing had somewhat settled did Elder Lu turn a cold gaze on the four men opposite them.

"You've got some nerve!"

Ordinarily, Elder Lu always appeared to be a kindly old man, genial to everyone he met. This was the first time anyone had seen him glaring with such fury.

The burly man merely folded his arms, a cold sneer on his face, and remained silent.

"That leader is Tan Bing of Blackwind Stronghold, one of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars, Liangtai," Li Qinwu said softly at Elder Lu's side.

"As for the other three..." He pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I've never seen them before."

Elder Lu had come from the military and could not abide bandit scum like this. He said coldly, "Mere mountain bandits dare raise their hands against Martial Academy elders? You're courting death!"

As soon as the words fell, he stopped holding back and attacked boldly. The aura of his perfected Bone Tempering Realm cultivation was revealed without reservation.

The three great lineages were all astonished. They had assumed a fight would not break out, never expecting this old man Lu to have such a fiery temper that he would strike at the slightest disagreement.

Elder Lu's hands turned scarlet, followed by the exposed skin of his body. He seemed as though he had emerged from boiling water, sweeping forth with a terrifying wave of heat.

This was the Blood Boiling Art, a martial art of the army. When a Perfected Bone Tempering Realm warrior drove it at full force, he could contend with a Blood Exchange warrior.

At present, Elder Lu had only activated it slightly, yet the aura he gave off became several times more violent, making Tan Liangtai's eyelids twitch wildly.

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Tan Liangtai shouted furiously. Forming a fist seal, he charged forward to meet him.

The two fought in midair, using the treetops to borrow force and shift their bodies, swift as ghosts.

Within only a few breaths, Elder Lu had Tan Liangtai pinned down. Their moves were broad and forceful, every punch landing on flesh.

The longer Tan Liangtai fought, the more alarmed he became. Why were this old man's punches so fierce? They pressed down on him until he could barely breathe.

The Sha Qi around him had not been apparent at first, but after several moves, it burst forth like an erupting volcano.

Tan Liangtai wore a miserable expression. Who exactly was the mountain bandit here? This old man's way of doing things was nothing like that of a decent man!

Elder Lu's scarlet fist smashed down. Tan Liangtai only had time to raise both arms to block.

"Boom—"

Tan Liangtai was blasted to the ground like an arrow loosed from a bow, sending dead leaves and dust flying into the sky.

Yet in less than a breath, he sprang back up and stood atop a tree.

"Old man, you've angered me!" Tan Liangtai roared, changing his opening stance. His arms swept like a gale passing through, crackling inch by inch as the sinews and bones throughout his body thundered.

Mountain-Crushing Fist!

Tan Liangtai was plainly enraged. As he stepped forward, the tree trunk beneath him cracked sharply and splintered apart inch by inch.

His fist force was incomparably heavy. When he threw a punch, it was as though mountains came crashing together. Even Li Qinwu in the distance grew grave-eyed upon seeing it; clearly, this punch's power was no longer something he could ignore.

Elder Lu's expression turned serious, but his words were full of disdain. "A petty trick, yet you dare flaunt it."

One must disdain the enemy strategically while taking him seriously tactically. Elder Lu deeply understood its true essence.

His hands were crimson, while his flesh gave off a faint red glow. Wisps of white vapor rose from above his head.

"This is... the army's Blood Boiling Art?"

Tan Liangtai's heart jolted. He had once enlisted in the army in his hometown, only to return later, kill the village chief, change his identity, and flee to Blackwind Stronghold.

When the Blood Boiling Art was used, cloudlike vapor rose from above one's skull. Its phenomenon was obvious, so he recognized it at a glance.

"So this old man was once in the army. No wonder he carries such murderous Sha Qi."

But things had reached this point. There was no reason for him to stop. Since they were enemies, he had to kill him with one punch and leave no trace behind.

At that thought, vicious light filled Tan Liangtai's eyes, and the force in his fist grew several degrees fiercer.

Elder Lu saw every change in Tan Liangtai's expression.

He slightly curled the five fingers of his right hand, leaving the center of his palm hollow in a cone shape. Then all the inner breath within his body gathered in his right palm as he thrust it out with the speed of thunder, too swift to cover one's ears.

"Rumble—"

Everyone heard a clap of thunder streak across the sky. Yet the heavens were clear for ten thousand miles; there was not the slightest sign of a storm.

When they came back to their senses, they discovered in astonishment that Tan Liangtai had already been blasted away. Faint smoke even rose from his chest, as though he had been struck by lightning.

Seeing this, someone muttered, "This is... Palm Thunder?!"

He Wei gazed at the aged figure, a profound look on his face. "Elder Lu has truly hidden himself well."

Even the Martial Academy elders were greatly startled by that Palm Thunder strike. They had never known Elder Lu possessed such a move.

Tao Ran stood quietly atop a treetop, rubbing his fingertips as a calculating gleam flashed through his eyes:

It seems I should have the younger members of my Lineage draw closer to Elder Lu in the future. Perhaps they might learn this Palm Thunder move.

After taking that blow to the chest, Tan Liangtai's entire body was unbearably numb. Even with his perfected Bone Tempering Realm physique, he could not move for the moment and fell straight from the treetop.

Fortunately, the three men he had brought were quick-witted. Catching his falling body, they fled madly toward the depths of Azure Radiance Mountain.

"Trying to leave? Stay right there!" Elder Lu became a phantom as he lunged straight at the figure carrying Tan Liangtai.

The man's face was bitter. He knew he was no match for Elder Lu, and he was carrying Tan Liangtai besides. He could only frantically accelerate, hoping to shake Elder Lu off.

But how could that be possible? In only a moment, Elder Lu caught up.

Just as Elder Lu was about to strike, a cold snort suddenly rang out, followed by an enraged rebuke:

"Trash!"

The next moment, a massive hand formed from qi and blood abruptly appeared overhead before crashing ruthlessly down at Elder Lu.

Elder Lu's expression changed drastically. He turned and fled, while driving the Blood Boiling Art at full force. His entire body looked like a boiled prawn.

"Rumble—"

A sound far louder than the last exploded. After barely exchanging a palm strike, Elder Lu felt an overwhelming force press down upon him. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as he shot backward, narrowly escaping that palm.

The owner of that hand gave a soft sound of surprise, clearly not expecting Elder Lu to evade that deliberately aimed strike.

"Blood Exchange Realm!" Elder Lu's expression was grave.

The Bone Tempering Realm warriors from the three great lineages behind him unconsciously tensed their bodies, ready to flee at any moment.

Yet that Blood Exchange warrior merely snorted coldly, grabbed Tan Liangtai and the other three, then turned and left.

"Elder Lu, are you all right?" Li Qinwu asked with concern.

Elder Lu waved his hand, casually wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I'm fine. We must leave quickly."

His tone was steady, but a trace of worry lay buried in his heart.

With that, he turned and helped Elder Sun toward their encampment.

The rest of the group followed them away, and the mountain forest returned to its former tranquility.