Senior, You Are Getting Old

"Bang!"

The Fourth-Rank Martial Master at the forefront was sent sliding back several meters.

"Bang! Bang!"

Almost simultaneously, another nearby Fourth-Rank Martial Master charged in and landed two punches on Ji Wenyue's back.

The golden barrier visibly caved in but quickly rebounded.

The Martial Master who punched from behind was jolted back by the force of his own attack, taking a step or two back.

However, Ji Wenyue seemed unfazed and instead used the momentum to dash toward a horse on the mound, attempting to escape.

The five Martial Masters looked on in shock, their expressions betraying a hint of panic and fear, hesitant to step forward and block her.

The golden barrier was simply too unbelievable!

"You fools, hurry up and stop her! That's just a protective talisman; it can only shield her body for a short time," Elder Liao shouted after noticing the golden barrier surrounding Ji Wenyue, his initial surprise quickly turning to anger.

At Elder Liao's command, the Martial Master who had just been pushed back rushed forward to block Ji Wenyue's path, followed closely by the others.

The protective talisman clearly only prevented direct force from acting on Ji Wenyue, but the recoil would still affect her.

Under the obstruction of the crowd, Ji Wenyue couldn't reach the mound and was instead pushed back by the tremendous force.

"Charge in! The protective talisman won't hold for long. Once it fails, you won't get another chance!" Ji Wenyue yelled, realizing that Xia Daoming was still standing there, frozen in place, nearly exploding with frustration.

If Xia Daoming had charged in with her earlier, he could have distracted some of the force, giving her a better chance of escape.

In this life-or-death moment, she had even given him a protective talisman, which was meant for him but also for her own survival.

Yet, the stranger was just standing there, clearly a Fourth-Rank Martial Master, missing such a great opportunity.

Time was slipping away, and now that they were on guard, the chance had diminished significantly.

"This young man is much smarter than you. Since escape is impossible, why bother with such an effort?" Elder Liao said, his sharp gaze at Xia Daoming softening, a hint of a kind smile appearing on his face.

"Little brother, if you hand over the protective talisman, and swear not to speak of today's events, I can spare your life."

Earlier, Elder Liao had seen Ji Wenyue slip something into Xia Daoming's hand but hadn't known what it was; now, he understood.

"Really?" Xia Daoming's eyes lit up with surprise.

"Of course! As a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master, do you think I would lie to you?" Elder Liao replied, his gaze on the protective talisman in Xia Daoming's hand filled with heat and greed.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Elder, but you're on horseback. If you change your mind, it would be too easy for you to chase me down. If you dismount, then I would feel safe handing over the talisman; otherwise, I'd rather use it now," Xia Daoming said.

"You…" Ji Wenyue felt a mix of anger, anxiety, and disdain upon hearing this.

Xia Daoming's actions not only benefited Elder Liao but also completely shattered her hopes of escape.

Of course, Ji Wenyue believed it also cut off Xia Daoming's own chance of survival.

She didn't think Elder Liao, the cunning old fox, would truly spare Xia Daoming.

"Haha, little brother, you're indeed clever. Fine, I'll get down from my horse," Elder Liao laughed heartily and then actually dismounted, stepping down the mound.

"Alright, stop right there!" Xia Daoming still seemed skeptical of Elder Liao. He retreated while calling for him to halt.

"Alright, if you say stop, I'll stop. But you can throw the protective talisman over now, can't you? Don't worry, I'm old; without a horse, I can't catch up to you young folks!" Elder Liao stomped his foot.

"Okay! Here it comes!" Xia Daoming said, raising his hand, sending two points of silver light shooting toward Elder Liao.

As Xia Daoming raised his hand, he moved like an incredibly agile snake, darting behind the two Fourth-Rank Martial Masters with astonishing speed.

With both hands, he unleashed the Serpent Head Fist, striking fiercely at their spines.

"Watch out!"

Elder Liao's expression changed dramatically as he shouted.

But it was too late.

Everyone had clearly overheard Elder Liao's conversation with Xia Daoming, and they all inwardly mocked Xia Daoming for being naive enough to trust Elder Liao, completely ignoring him as they focused on Ji Wenyue.

Crack! Crack!

The sound of broken vertebrae echoed suddenly.

The two Fourth-Rank Martial Masters' eyes widened in shock as they fell forward.

As they hit the ground, they struggled to turn their eyes.

They saw a figure darting like a ghost toward the other two.

Crack! One was struck in the neck by the Serpent Blade Hand, their head twisting as they collapsed.

Bang! The other finally reacted, dodging the deadly palm strike, but was met with Xia Daoming's Viper Tail sweep, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You're asking for death!" Just as Xia Daoming was about to finish off the last Martial Master, a furious roar echoed like a tiger's roar across the desert, causing Xia Daoming's eardrums to throb.

At the same time, a powerful aura surged toward him, whipping up a strong wind and stirring up dust.

In the whirlwind, Elder Liao, who had appeared gaunt and sickly, now resembled a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey, soaring through the air, his palm like a tiger's claw, slashing down toward Xia Daoming's face.

Xia Daoming's pupils constricted as his internal energy surged into his arms and fists, launching a fierce counterstrike against the descending tiger palm.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The fists and palms clashed repeatedly, producing a series of dull thuds from the impact of flesh and bone.

Elder Liao, exhausted, performed a backflip and landed on the ground. A strange flush crept over his waxy yellow face as he stared at Xia Daoming, who was two zhang away. He felt a wave of soreness and numbness in his arms, his heart racing like a turbulent sea.

In that last attack, he had unleashed his anger, charging in with overwhelming momentum. His opponent had seemed somewhat rushed to respond, and in Elder Liao's eyes, even if he couldn't achieve a decisive kill, he should have been able to injure him.

To his surprise, however, the opponent's strength far exceeded that of a typical Fourth-Rank Martial Master. Not only had he completely withstood Elder Liao's furious strike, but the powerful counterattack made him feel as if his old bones were about to shatter.

"The strength of a Fifth-Rank Martial Master can actually penetrate!" Xia Daoming looked at Elder Liao with a calm expression, but inside, he was secretly shocked.

Elder Liao's strength was slightly weaker than he had imagined, but it concealed a subtle, feminine power that seemed to drill into him like a drill bit during their clash, invading his meridians and causing considerable discomfort.

Fortunately, his meridians were robust, and his blood and energy were much stronger than those of a typical Martial Master at the same level.

The energy Elder Liao had forced into him only caused discomfort; it couldn't harm his meridians. Moreover, his surging blood and energy surged forth like an unstoppable tide, quickly overwhelming the force Elder Liao had sent into him.

"I didn't expect this old man to misjudge you!" Elder Liao said coldly, quietly retreating.

"Senior, you're getting old, and your courage has shrunk!" Xia Daoming replied with a smile, stepping forward to close the distance.

"You brat, do you really think you can keep me here?" Elder Liao said coldly.

"You, an old man, wouldn't even spare a woman's corpse. Clearly, you're a very vicious and perverted person. And as for being an elder, your background must be quite extraordinary. Do you really think I would let you go?" Xia Daoming continued to smile.

"Kid, I admit you're quite impressive. But you're a Fourth-Rank Martial Master, and I'm a Fifth-Rank. If it comes to a life-and-death struggle, the odds are definitely against you!

But I'm old now and want to live comfortably for a few more years. I don't want to risk injury and end up lying in bed, barely hanging on.

So, how about we part ways here? In this vast world, with your strength, as long as you stay away from here, you really don't need to worry about being hunted by the Hundred Herbs Hall," Elder Liao said.

"Senior, it seems you've truly become muddled in your old age. Have you forgotten about Miss Ji? Oh, and there's something else I forgot to mention..." Xia Daoming smiled.

Before he could finish, he sprang off the ground like a rattlesnake, one hand forming the Serpent Head Fist and the other a serpent knife hand, aiming directly for Elder Liao's neck and vital points.

Seeing this, Elder Liao's pupils constricted, and all his energy erupted as he raised his hands in a tiger claw to block.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The fists and palms clashed rapidly once more.

Elder Liao was forced to retreat repeatedly, leaving deep footprints in the ground with each step back.

Crack!

A sound of bones breaking suddenly rang out.

One of Elder Liao's hands fell limply to his side.

Ignoring the pain, Elder Liao turned and ran.

Bang! Bang!

Before Elder Liao could reach the hill, Xia Daoming had already caught up, landing two powerful strikes on his back.

Thud! Elder Liao collapsed to the ground, blood continuously flowing from his mouth.

"I forgot to mention that I hadn't used my full strength earlier, and you're getting old; your bones have become brittle. You need to take some calcium!" Xia Daoming said, looking at Elder Liao with indifference.

"You..." Elder Liao trembled slightly as he extended a hand to point at Xia Daoming, but it quickly fell weakly to his side. His eyes bulged with shock and unwillingness, mixed with a hint of confusion.

Having finished her own battle and rushing over to assist, Ji Wenyue suddenly stopped, her eyes wide with disbelief as her heart raced.

She couldn't believe that a dignified elder of the Hundred Herbs Hall, a Fifth-Rank Martial Master, had been killed by Xia Daoming, a mere Fourth-Rank Martial Master, through sheer brute force!

What kind of power was this!

"Miss Ji, you're too slow!" Xia Daoming slowly turned around, finally able to appreciate the moment.

This girl is fierce!

"You... you killed Liao Min?" After a long pause, Ji Wenyue finally managed to swallow hard and stammered the question.

"There shouldn't be any pursuers left, right?" Xia Daoming asked seriously, retracting his gaze.

Ji Wenyue struggled to keep up with Xia Daoming's pace of thought. "Ah," she finally responded, "there shouldn't be!"

"That's good!" Xia Daoming secretly breathed a sigh of relief and once again admired the fierce beauty before him.

"I, Ji Wenyue, thank you for saving my life, hero!" Ji Wenyue, seemingly getting used to Xia Daoming's gaze, bowed slightly to express her gratitude.

"Helping those in need is what we ought to do, Miss Ji, so there's no need to be polite. However, if you could tell me how to get to the nearest town or city, I would be very grateful," Xia Daoming said.

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