Just one strike!
The middle-aged man was sent flying!
"Who are you?"
When the middle-aged man landed, he steadied himself and looked at Jiang Yi, his expression filled with uncertainty.
His tiger's mouth had split open, numbness and searing pain coursing through it!
He had nearly lost his grip on Cold Edge.
What monstrous strength was this?
Could he be a martial artist who specialized in cultivating strength?
Or was he born with divine strength?
It felt as though he was not facing a person, but a savage ancient elephant charging headlong, possessed of boundless strength!
"Same as you!"
"What?"
"Of course... the one who will kill you!"
Jiang Yi took a step forward!
There were no fancy tricks—just pure strength. He raised his saber and brought it down, cleaving the air apart.
The middle-aged man's expression changed drastically!
His Blood Qi erupted!
Above his head!
Strands of Blood Qi Beacon rose into the air!
A bone-chilling frost spread outward, causing a faint white mist to form around him.
The middle-aged man cultivated one of the Li family's four great sword arts—
Frost Sword Art!
His Blood Qi was like winter frost. Once it burst forth, it could freeze a hundred li!
With his Blood Qi Realm Fourth Layer cultivation!
Frosty Blood Qi spread out, coating the Cold Edge in his hand with a thick layer of ice.
It had become a greatsword.
It looked even several sizes larger than Jiang Yi's heavy saber!
"Boom!!!"
Another muffled blast rang out. The shockwave tore through the air, sending ripples rolling outward!
The middle-aged man's body jolted violently.
His tiger's mouth split apart, blood streaming down!
He felt as if his internal organs had nearly been displaced, agonizing pain sweeping through his entire body.
His eyes became webbed with blood vessels, as though they were about to bulge from their sockets!
He endured the pain and flashed away, a layer of frosty mist billowing outward!
It was as if he had conjured a land of ice and snow.
A piercing chill seeped into the depths of the soul!
As though one had fallen into an ice cellar!
A greatsword silently emerged from the hazy snow mist!
Hidden within it!
It viciously stabbed toward Jiang Yi's chest.
"Trifling trick!"
Jiang Yi tossed aside his heavy saber, brought his hands together before him, and caught the blade barehanded.
He clamped the tip of that "greatsword" between his palms.
With a gentle twist!
The thick ice coating it exploded layer by layer, turning into countless shards that scattered in every direction!
The Cold Edge longsword inside was then revealed!
"Shatter!"
Along with that quiet murmur!
Cracks rapidly appeared across the Cold Edge longsword, beginning from its tip.
In the blink of an eye!
They had spread across the entire blade!
With a bang, it shattered!
Only the short hilt remained, yet even that was torn from the middle-aged man's hand by the tremendous force.
A large hand tore through the air!
Like a sharp eagle's claw descending, it seized his shoulder tightly.
The middle-aged man unleashed the full power of his Blood Qi Realm Fourth Layer cultivation, activating every drop of Blood Qi in his body.
He tried to shake off that large hand!
Yet who would have thought!
An even more vast surge of Blood Qi came crashing in, radiating tyranny, heaviness, and grandeur.
It forcibly suppressed his Blood Qi and ground it to dust piece by piece!
"Aaargh! Aaargh! Aaargh!"
The middle-aged man let out wave after wave of miserable screams!
His whole body went limp on the ground like a puddle of mud, his aura visibly withering away.
Nearly all the Blood Qi in his body had been wiped out!
"Uncle Qi, should we kill him?"
"Ah!"
Huang Qi stepped forward. Looking at the middle-aged man sprawled there like a dead dog, his expression was complicated.
After a moment!
He shook his head and gave a bitter laugh!
"Let... let him live for now!
Circumstances are stronger than men!
He is still one of the Li family. With the strength of my Huang family, we simply cannot contend against them..."
Jiang Yi nodded!
That was also why he had not dealt a killing blow!
If he had been alone, he naturally would not have shown any mercy.
He would have simply snapped the man's neck with one hand and been done with it!
Huang Qi felt equally stifled. Those who killed would eventually be killed by others.
Yet they could not kill him!
What a damned world!
Huang Qi kicked the middle-aged man, then spat fiercely on the ground!
"Come here!"
"Bring me a thicker hemp rope and tie him up—tie him tight..."
Then!
He turned to Jiang Yi and reached out to pat him on the shoulder!
"You don't need to worry too much either!"
"It's only a little trouble. Once we get back to the city, I'll speak with the old man.
When the time comes, we'll have the Hegemon Body Sect step in. That should more or less settle it!"
Huang Qi stared at him!
His lips split into a meaningful grin.
"But you nearly scared me to death!
You've hidden yourself quite deeply!
That Li family man had Blood Qi Realm Fourth Layer cultivation.
Yet he could not even last a few moves in your hands!
Were you playing the pig to eat the tiger?"
Jiang Yi smiled, looking utterly modest as he said,
"Not bad. I'm only a little stronger than him, that's all..."
"Only a little stronger? Really?"
"Really!"
"Ha ha ha!"
Huang Qi did not ask any further questions!
In his eyes, possessing such strength meant Jiang Yi was at least Blood Qi Realm Sixth Layer or above.
That already put him on par with several of Huang Qi's elder brothers who ranked near the top.
It was truly hard to imagine!
This could no longer be described as the talent of an ordinary martial arts genius!
He was a genius among geniuses!
Even among those several major powers, there seemed to be only a scattered few such people!
Where had this martial arts freak come from!
After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Huang Qi's group set out once more...
Rock Mountain City!
It was the only great city within a thousand li, with a history stretching back a full thousand years.
It was said that, a millennium ago!
This place had originally been nothing more than a rocky mountain, until it was forcefully leveled by a powerful martial artist.
It became a vast plain!
As time continued to pass, many people discovered this place and settled here.
Later, more and more people settled down, expanding the land and building city walls...
By now!
It had become a city, gathering ninety percent of the martial artists within a thousand li!
The golden crow dipped westward, and the sunset clouds stretched without end!
The sun, with barely a sliver still showing above the horizon, was about to sink completely beneath the mountains and seas.
At the distant end!
A large yellow banner appeared, swaying gently some ten feet above the ground beneath the touch of the evening breeze.
Beneath the banner!
More than ten figures gradually came into view!
Along with the intermittent rumble of wagon wheels, they grew clearer and clearer...
It was Jiang Yi's group!
They had finally reached their destination before nightfall—
Rock Mountain City!
"We're back. Hah..."
Seeing the towering city walls close at hand, Huang Qi's tense nerves finally relaxed!
He let out a long breath!
"Come on, let's enter the city!"
"Everyone has worked hard along the way. Now that we're back, you can all rest for a few more days..."
"Ha ha, thank you, Chief Escort!"
"Chief Escort is truly righteous!"
Rock Mountain City was divided into an Inner City and an outer city!
The Huang family was located in the outer city, residing in an area relatively close to the Inner City.
Although their influence was only middling within the city, they were not to be underestimated!
They occupied a thousand mu of land and had countless servants.
Jiang Yi followed Huang Qi into the Huang residence. Under the steward's arrangements, he first rested in a side chamber.
Huang Qi, meanwhile, hurried toward the main discussion hall...
Before you continue