The ugly man was shocked. Instinctively, he swung his silver hammer across in front of him to block, but it intercepted nothing. He only felt something heavy strike his neck, followed by a tremendous surge of force.
Wang Yu had rushed right up to him and slashed his saber viciously into the yellow barrier. The blow drove the man back step after step, the barrier flickering wildly as he struggled to regain his footing.
Enraged, the ugly man raised a hand toward Wang Yu's abdomen. A mechanism clicked inside his sleeve, spraying out a dense cluster of cold glints.
Without a moment's hesitation, Wang Yu moved his feet and took two diagonal steps away.
The cold glints flashed past, raining onto an empty patch of ground some ten feet away. They were dozens of Azure Steel Needles, carrying a faint, foul stench.
Seizing the opportunity, the ugly man finally stopped after two heavy backward steps. But before he could swing his silver hammer again, a figure blurred before his eyes.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Wang Yu closed in again at an unbelievable speed and delivered three lightning-fast slashes.
Each slash was faster than the last, each more vicious.
Bang!
After the third slash, the saber suddenly shattered. The already flickering yellow barrier also began to totter, looking as though it might collapse and vanish at any moment.
Both Wang Yu, left holding only a hilt, and the ugly man froze at the sight.
But the ugly man reacted first with a strange cry, driving his silver hammer into the ground.
A tremendous boom rang out.
A ring of surging air swept outward from the man, while the ground burst apart and caved in, leaving a large crater.
Caught off guard, Wang Yu was forced back repeatedly by the blast. Dust billowed around him, filling the air with a yellow haze.
Seizing this chance, the ugly man's face flashed with ruthlessness. He pulled out an exquisite Yellow Talisman with one hand and muttered an incantation, his body rapidly sinking into the ground without a sound.
Just then, however, Wang Yu regained his footing. He pushed off with both legs and launched himself straight at the ugly man, as though the dust did nothing to obstruct his vision.
Startled, the ugly man swung his large silver hammer upward. His other hand flicked up as well, spraying another stream of black liquid.
In midair, Wang Yu twisted his body strangely, shifting three feet sideways like a wild beast and avoiding both the hammer and the black liquid. He landed steadily on his hands and feet right beside the man, then lunged forward again.
Most of the ugly man's body had already sunk underground when his wrist suddenly tightened. Wang Yu had seized the wrist holding the silver hammer. Alarmed, he struggled desperately, but his wrist felt locked in an iron band and would not budge.
At that moment, Wang Yu drew a deep breath. The clothes over his upper body burst apart as his body swelled by more than a full size. The muscles of his back writhed, vaguely forming the image of a tiger's head.
At the same time, veins bulged along the arm gripping the man's wrist, and Wang Yu heaved with all his strength.
Thump!
The ugly man felt heat flare through his arm, then his body grew weightless. He was forcibly hauled straight out of the ground like a radish being uprooted.
Then the world spun upside down, and his body slammed into the nearby ground with a boom. The yellow barrier around him flickered wildly twice before collapsing with a pop.
"Ah!"
Filled with shock and fury, the ugly man was about to react when he suddenly felt his wrist tighten again.
With a crack, his wrist bones were crushed to pieces, and the silver hammer Magical Artifact fell straight to the ground.
His agonized scream had barely escaped his mouth before his body was lifted into the air again and slammed heavily back down.
Boom! Boom! ...
The enlarged Wang Yu gripped one of the ugly man's arms in a single hand and battered him against the nearby ground, flinging him about like a sack.
At first, the ugly man could still let out a few screams, but after seven or eight blows, he made no sound at all.
Wang Yu paid that no heed. He slammed the man down another dozen or so times in one relentless stretch before finally letting go and tossing the pulped corpse aside.
He was utterly certain that his opponent could not possibly be any deader.
The power of the Black Tiger Breathing Method far exceeded even his expectations. The moment he used it, he had easily dealt with a Middle Qi Refining cultivator.
Of course, without the assistance of overclocked synchronization mode to control the Black Tiger Breathing Method precisely, he would not have used it so readily in an actual fight.
Exit Overclocking.
Wang Yu silently issued the command. The crystalline gleam faded from his eyes, and he let out a long breath. A cloud of white vapor streamed from his mouth as his body returned to its original form.
Then he glanced back toward the woman in white.
Princess Tianhe had long since been left utterly dumbfounded.
The powerful Middle Qi Refining enemy who had been hunting her had simply been slammed to death like a helpless chick.
He had died so easily!
He had died so miserably!
Princess Tianhe opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something to Wang Yu.
But Wang Yu had already picked up the silver hammer the ugly man had dropped. After searching the pulped corpse and finding a yellow Storage Bag, two Talismans, and two black cylinders, he headed straight toward his mule, looking as though he had no intention of paying Princess Tianhe any attention.
This woman was a tremendous burden.
Besides, he had not forgotten her claim that the ugly man had another Bandit Cultivator companion. Whether that was true or not, slipping away first was clearly the best course.
"An impressive display, young friend. If I'm not mistaken, you just used a method passed down from the ancient qi refiners, didn't you?" An elderly man's voice suddenly came from the nearby woods. Then an old man in green robes slowly emerged, carrying a sword case on his back.
"And you are?" Wang Yu turned to look at the old man, his pupils contracting slightly.
Behind the green-robed old man, he was dragging a blood-drenched corpse dressed in black, its face down and all four limbs missing.
"Elder Hua, are you all right? Wonderful! You've already dealt with the other villain." Princess Tianhe was overjoyed to see the green-robed old man appear. Finding strength from somewhere, she hurriedly rose and went to greet him, her face beaming.
"Thank you for your concern, Princess. Although this villain was also at Middle Qi Refining, he was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. His poison techniques and poisonous insects were somewhat troublesome and kept me occupied a little longer, but he wasn't particularly difficult to deal with. Still, I'm sorry you had to endure such a fright," the green-robed old man told the woman in white with a smile.
"Of course. With your abilities, Elder Hua, dealing with a mere Bandit Cultivator would certainly be no problem." Princess Tianhe spoke happily as she circled the green-robed old man.
"But I hadn't expected someone to bring an Earth-Drilling Talisman specifically to counter your Earth-Travel Ruler. I really did nearly arrive a moment too late. Young friend, you're heading to Guangyuan Market as well, aren't you? Why don't we travel together? You saved Princess Tianhe today, and the Celestial River Prince's Manor will certainly reward you," the green-robed old man said to Wang Yu with a smile.
Since he could easily kill an opponent at the fifth level of Qi Refining, was he at Middle Qi Refining, or was he a Late Qi Refining Immortal Cultivator?
Wang Yu could not determine the old man's cultivation. After a moment's consideration, he smiled and replied:
"Since you've invited me, Senior, I would be glad to join you. As it happens, I don't know the precise location of Guangyuan Market."
Before you continue