The Disciples' First Battle

Fifteen li outside Cloudwater City's southeastern gate.

More than a dozen burly men rode back through the dust, carrying all manner of weapons and dressed in fine gear, looking every inch like bandits!

A heavy scent of blood clung to them; they had clearly just finished a slaughter.

Their horses were laden with bundles upon bundles, evidently the spoils of their plundering.

"Big Brother, we struck it rich again this time!" A scar-faced man licked his lips, greed gleaming in his eyes!

"Luck was with us this time. We hit a sizable merchant caravan, hehehe!"

The bearded leader wore a broad grin. A fainted woman lay across his horse as well.

"Hehehe, wasn't that so? We slaughtered chickens and sheep all along the way, feasted on the finest food and drink, and sampled every pretty woman in the surrounding villages!"

"I heard the beauties in Cloudwater City are far finer than those in this godforsaken backwater!"

"Hahaha, with all this loot, we can have a good time in Cloudwater City for several days!"

This gang spoke without restraint, every word dripping with lewdness and obscenity.

"The girls in Cloudwater City are good, but they're too expensive. This girl Big Brother snatched is a real prize too!"

"Yeah, her skin is as smooth as satin!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, she must be some wealthy family's young lady!"

The bearded man grinned, his gaze settling on the face of the unconscious girl in his arms.

The girl had delicate features, skin as white as snow, and a graceful, curvaceous figure that made one unable to resist stealing a taste of her fragrance.

"Big Brother will definitely go first. We'll get to share in the good fortune afterward!"

"Hehehe!"

Everyone burst into laughter, their heated gazes fixed on the unconscious girl.

"Don't worry. Once I've had my fill, there'll naturally be some for all of you!" The bearded man laughed loudly, wicked light flashing in his eyes!

"Then I'll be second, hahaha!"

"And me! I want to be third!"

"What right do you have to be third? Get back and line up! I'm third!"

"This pretty little girl, tsk tsk tsk, she's definitely going to be exciting. Brothers, let's have a good time tonight!"

The crowd roared with laughter, lustful malice flickering endlessly in their eyes.

They were all desperadoes, living each day amid blood and slaughter. Ruthless in their deeds and guilty of every evil, murder and robbery were as commonplace to them as eating and drinking.

"We're almost at the stronghold. Pick up the pace!" the bearded leader shouted, urging his mount onward.

"Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!"

The red horses raised their hooves and galloped wildly, kicking up yellow sand that filled the sky.

"Sixth Ancestor, Seventh Ancestor, come out and welcome us!"

The vicious bandits quickly entered the stronghold. Yet the moment they did, the bearded man's expression changed slightly.

Something was wrong!

It was too quiet!

The bearded man's heart skipped a beat as a sudden sense of danger rose within him!

"Retreat!"

He shouted, pulling tight on the reins as he prepared to turn around and leave.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

BOOM—!

A figure leaped down from the mountaintop and landed at the entrance to the stronghold. The weapon in his hand smashed heavily into the ground with a thunderous crash. The earth shook without cease, and dust billowed everywhere.

"Who are you? How dare you barge into our Black Wolf Stronghold?"

The bearded man cried out, watching the sudden newcomer with extreme vigilance.

"Heavenly Dao Sect, Xiao Yan!"

A calm voice rang out. As the dust dispersed, a sturdy figure slowly came into everyone's sight.

That figure was none other than Xiao Yan!

At that moment, Xiao Yan stood with the Mystic Iron Ruler in hand, straight and sharp as a spear planted in the earth.

"Xiao Yan? That famous good-for-nothing Xiao Yan from the Xiao Household of Cloudwater City?"

"Hahaha!"

"So it's that little trash!"

The bearded man froze for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. The others laughed so hard their stomachs hurt as well.

They had thought some expert had come to take them down. Who would have thought it was only a piece of trash?

"Xiao Yan, you dared to barge into our Black Wolf Stronghold alone. You've got some nerve!"

"Today, even if you grew wings, you wouldn't escape!"

A shifty-eyed man spoke coldly, his palm slapping the long blade at his waist. Riding his warhorse, he charged toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan suddenly twisted the hand gripping the Mystic Iron Ruler, and a powerful will surged forth from his body.

He had endured the name of trash for ten years. Today, he could finally wash away that humiliation!

WHOOSH!

A sharp sound tore through the air. Xiao Yan flicked his wrist, and the Mystic Iron Ruler, carrying fierce force, chopped toward the shifty-eyed man!

CLANG~!

The clash of metal rang out as sparks flew. The shifty-eyed man hurriedly drew his weapon to block!

He was a First-Level Qi Refinement cultivator. He had assumed he could split Xiao Yan apart with a single slash, but he had never expected the Mystic Iron Ruler in Xiao Yan's hand to possess such terrifying power!

When that ruler struck, he could not withstand its tremendous force at all. He was sent flying by a single blow, his chest caving in as blood poured forth!

"Hiss...!"

The remaining men all sucked in a breath of cold air, their faces filled with horror.

Hadn't they said Xiao Yan could not cultivate and was destined to remain trash for his entire life?

How had he instantly killed a Qi Refining expert with one strike of his ruler?

Was that something trash could do?

"There's something wrong with this brat. Get him together!"

The bearded man came to his senses and roared.

"Kill!"

"Big Brother, leave this brat to me!"

"I'll tear this bastard to pieces!"

The others roared in fury and lunged at Xiao Yan together, surrounding him on all sides with savage expressions.

"Die!"

"You little bastard!"

The group charged in one after another, their swords and sabers gleaming with cold light as they unleashed their ultimate moves against Xiao Yan.

Every one of them was a Qi Refining cultivator. Though their cultivation ranged only from the first to the third level, they were all ruthless killers who did not blink at murder!

Yet at that moment, two more voices rang out.

"Those who are vicious beyond measure and burdened with grievous sins must be executed!"

"Setting fires and murdering people, committing every evil under heaven—you deserve death!"

Two figures rushed out from behind Xiao Yan, one to his left and one to his right. One wielded a massive iron staff, while the other held a longsword.

They were none other than Zhuge Feng and Xiao Lingxi!

Dog-Beating Staff Technique!

Wind-Chasing Sword!

Zhuge Feng and Xiao Lingxi shouted in unison, their auras suddenly surging.

Zhuge Feng swung his arm and kicked off with both legs, his entire body shooting out like an arrow released from a bowstring. In an instant, he reached the scar-faced man at Third-Level Qi Refinement, sweeping his iron staff sideways at the man's head.

Xiao Lingxi was even more direct. With her longsword in hand, she lightly tapped the ground with her toes, drifting like a crimson cloud, graceful as an immortal. She thrust out her sword at another Third-Level Qi Refinement expert.

Sweeping a Thousand Jun!

Xiao Yan moved as well. Grasping the Mystic Iron Ruler with both hands, he swung it fiercely, stirring up a howling gale. The three men charging head-on were all knocked back and sent sprawling to the ground.

At the same time, a large hole suddenly split open in the earth. A petite figure shot out from within, and a sharp cold gleam flashed in her hand.

WHOOSH!

SPLURT!

Blood splashed everywhere as screams rang out one after another.

A slender, graceful figure flashed past. Her dagger traced a perfect arc, harvesting the final life!

In the span of only a few breaths, every one of the dozen-plus bandits had died, save for the bearded leader at Fifth-Level Qi Refinement!

These bandits might have been strong, but how could they possibly compare to Zhuge Feng and the others?

Heavenly Spiritual Roots, spirit artifacts, supreme Immortal Arts, powerful combat techniques, Body Refinement...

The four disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect might not have had particularly high cultivation, but their loadout was absolutely maxed out!

Therefore, even four against more than a dozen, the advantage was ours!