Shi's Fury

Chapter 45: Shi's Fury (First update)

"What?" At such an unreasonable demand, Wang Yan froze, his expression darkening. He glanced at Brother Shi, then at Ye Shisan. Before he could speak...

"Hey! Brother Shi! How can you do this? Brother Wang Yan only offended the Lü Household because he was saving me!" Ye Shisan hurried to argue. With his temperament, he naturally could not stand by and watch.

"What do you know?" Brother Shi snapped angrily. "I haven't even reported your leaving the stockade without permission to the Clan Chief yet! And now you're bringing an outsider into our Ye Family Stockade?"

"But..." At those words, Ye Shisan grew timid and fell silent...

"Then let's leave it at that!" Wang Yan spoke up. "Brother Shisan, don't put yourself in a difficult position. I'll find somewhere else to hide for a while. You'll be safe once you're home, so let's part here!" He cupped his hands toward Ye Shisan, then shot Brother Shi a glare as he spoke in a low voice. He understood perfectly well that Ye Shisan was honest and simplehearted, making him relatively easy to fool, while one look at Brother Shi told him that this man would not be so easily deceived.

In any case, he now knew where the Ye Family Stockade was. With his Divine Abilities as a cultivator, he could find a way to slip inside. There was naturally no need to rush. Insisting on entering now would only arouse suspicion...

"But! Brother Wang..." Seeing Wang Yan turn to leave, Ye Shisan hurriedly called after him, plainly reluctant to part...

"Wait!" Brother Shi barked in a low voice. Suddenly, he sprang up, kicked off the stone walls on either side several times, and vaulted straight over Wang Yan's head. He landed about ten feet in front of Wang Yan and pointed his spear at him, saying coldly, "Stop! I have something to say!"

"Hmph! What is the meaning of this?" Wang Yan's expression turned icy. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke coldly. In the eyes of cultivators, mortals were still mortals. What did it matter if they were skilled martial artists? If not for Ye Shisan, Wang Yan would already have blasted him with a Fireball Spell. Skilled as Brother Shi was, he would have been reduced to ashes in an instant!

"I don't care what your intentions are! You now know where our Ye Family Stockade is! I want you to swear a blood oath that you'll never set foot inside or reveal its location!" Brother Shi gripped his spear with both hands and spoke coldly. His imposing presence made it clear that he was no ordinary martial arts expert!

"Insolence!" Wang Yan flew into a rage and shouted.

"Kill him! A mere mortal dares challenge us cultivators?!" Card Fairy also cried out, her fury soaring to the heavens!

"You're courting death!" Wang Yan snarled. Red light suddenly flared in his hand, and a glowing red fireball shot out in an instant, trailing a startling stream of flame as it hurtled toward Brother Shi's face...

"Hah!" Brother Shi roared and shook his spear sharply. Several astonishing spear shadows sprang forth, piercing the air and stirring up a fierce gangale...

To his surprise!

With a muffled bang, the spear actually pierced the glowing red fireball in an instant and knocked it away, then darted toward seven or eight vital points on Wang Yan's body at astonishing speed...

Brother Shi's martial skills truly were beyond those of ordinary men...

However!

"Hm?" Wang Yan was somewhat surprised as well, a trace of shock crossing his face. How could ordinary iron withstand a cultivator's Fireball Spell? It should have melted into molten iron the instant it struck. Yet Brother Shi's spear remained completely unscathed as it thrust right up to Wang Yan...

But!

An unbearably shrill metallic clang rang out. Red light flashed in Wang Yan's hand, and the Fire Spirit Sword appeared. He struck seven or eight times in rapid succession, blocking the incoming spear. A series of piercing metallic clangs followed as he forcibly knocked aside its attacks...

With several dull thuds, Wang Yan instead stumbled back seven or eight steps before regaining his footing...

"This spear?" Wang Yan had noticed something strange. The impact of Brother Shi's spear was tremendous, its strength astonishing. The force transmitted through it left his arm numb. At the same time, he noticed that even after clashing with his Fire Spirit Sword, a magic artifact, Brother Shi's spear bore not a single mark. Clearly, it was not made of ordinary iron...

"Does it have black mother iron mixed into it too?" Wang Yan realized at once...

"Take this!" Brother Shi showed no intention of relenting. His footwork was astonishing, shifting in a dizzying blur as his spear lashed out like a surge of black light, transforming into dozens of spear shadows that pursued Wang Yan...

For Brother Shi to dare attack a cultivator, he clearly had something to rely on!

At this sight!

"Tch!" Wang Yan clicked his tongue. His expression suddenly turned icy, and he barked coldly, "You must be tired of living!" Red light abruptly blazed beneath his feet. Boom! Amid an explosion of red light, Wang Yan leaped high into the air, soaring several dozen feet upward. Red light flared from his fingers, and man and sword instantly became one!

"Hah!" With a furious roar, Wang Yan descended from the sky. The Fire Spirit Sword in his hand conjured countless glowing red sword rays, which crashed toward the spear shadows Brother Shi had unleashed...

Then!

A string of resounding clangs erupted as brilliant red sparks burst through the air. The glowing sword rays and spear shadows collided again and again...

Amid a series of booming crashes, Brother Shi was forced back step after step, apparently unable to fend off the onslaught...

Wang Yan actually forced his way right up to Brother Shi...

"Hah!" Wang Yan roared and swept his Fire Spirit Sword outward. A metallic clang exploded, and Brother Shi's spear was knocked out of his hands, embedding itself in the mountain wall with a thud...

With a muffled bang, Wang Yan kicked out, sending Brother Shi flying straight into the stone wall...

With a wet splutter, Brother Shi opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood!

A figure flashed!

Amid a humming shimmer of red light, Wang Yan pressed the Fire Spirit Sword straight against Brother Shi's throat, leaving him unable to move. He barked coldly, "If you want to die, I can grant your wish right now!"

"You..." Brother Shi glared at Wang Yan in furious defiance, but the movement aggravated his internal injuries, leaving him unable to stand...

"Brother Wang! Don't!" Only now did Ye Shisan react. He hurriedly dashed toward the two of them and said to Wang Yan, "Brother Wang! You... you can't kill Brother Shi!"

"Hmph! Why can't I kill him?" Wang Yan snorted. "You saw it yourself. He was the one who attacked first!" He paused, then continued coldly, his face icy, "If he dies because his skills fall short, he has only himself to blame!"

"But..." Ye Shisan looked deeply distressed and hurriedly said, "But this...!"

"Hmph! If you're going to kill me, do it! Why waste so much breath?" Brother Shi was certainly unyielding, glaring at Wang Yan with overwhelming grief and fury.

"You think I don't dare?" Wang Yan had killed seven or eight cultivators in just a few short months, and naturally feared killing less and less. He shouted angrily, and the Fire Spirit Sword in his hand was about to pierce Brother Shi's throat...

Suddenly!

"Stop!" An astonishingly fierce shout came from beyond the wooden gate. The voice sent vibrations through the air, accompanied by a series of rattling cracks, and an extremely burly middle-aged man emerged through the gate...

"Hm?" Wang Yan's thoughts stirred. He had not really intended to kill Brother Shi with that thrust. Narrowing his eyes, he looked toward the newcomer...

The newcomer was exceptionally tall, perhaps seven feet in height, with muscles bulging all over his body. He held two enormous black battle-axes, each of which looked to weigh four or five hundred jin. His square face radiated upright dignity beneath a thick beard, and he wore animal hides. One glance told Wang Yan that he was no ordinary martial artist.

More importantly!

Wang Yan sensed a trace of magic power from the burly man. Clearly, he was also a cultivator, but Wang Yan could not discern his cultivation level. Still, the dangerous aura warned Wang Yan that he absolutely must not act rashly! Otherwise, the consequences would be far from trivial.

At that moment!

Amid a flurry of footsteps and noisy voices, a number of people approached from the other side of the gate. Three or four figures dressed in animal hides immediately crowded the entrance, with still more figures visible behind them...

"Hm?" Seeing Wang Yan's Fire Spirit Sword pressed against Brother Shi, the middle-aged man frowned slightly, a trace of surprise appearing on his face. He glanced at Ye Shisan, then suddenly barked angrily, "You little brat! Finally willing to come home?"

"Dad... you... what are you doing here...?" Ye Shisan hurriedly asked, like a chick confronted by an eagle...

"Hmph! I'll deal with you later!" the middle-aged man snorted. He paused, then turned to Wang Yan, stepped forward twice, and said in a low voice, "Young fellow Daoist! Would you spare this lad out of consideration for this old man?"

"Brat, this fellow won't be easy to handle. Be careful!" Card Fairy also warned him in his mind.

"Spare him?" Wang Yan said in a low voice. He thought it over, then glanced at Ye Shisan and noticed a resemblance between the two. A thought stirred in his mind. He casually put away the Fire Spirit Sword and said evenly, "If he hadn't attacked first, I wouldn't have had any interest in a martial artist of his sort..." With that, he stepped back several paces, moving away from Brother Shi...

"You!" Brother Shi choked at those words and abruptly tried to rise, only to aggravate his injuries and nearly fall back onto his backside...