Wei Yi had no idea how shocked Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing were at that moment.
He stared fixedly at the two Blackwater Bandits, afraid they would run away.
In fact, both men did want to run.
The men before them had joined forces and still failed to last a single exchange against Wei Yi. How much better could the two of them fare? Once they fought, they probably would be no match for Wei Yi either.
The two exchanged a glance, both beginning to think of retreat.
Just then, a shrill whistle suddenly rang out through the mountain forest. Before long, a burly man in close-fitting martial attire appeared on the ridge.
The two Blackwater Bandits were overjoyed at the sight of him and immediately shouted in unison, "Boss Hu, we've got a tough one here! Er Gouzi and the others have all gone down!"
Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing, however, were alarmed. They cried out together, "Wei Yi, run! That's the chief of the Blackwater Bandits! He's already a third-tier Martial Master, and he's extremely strong. Even when we joined forces earlier, he defeated us in an instant!"
A third-tier Martial Master?
Wei Yi narrowed his eyes at those words, a sharp gleam flashing within them.
But instead of fleeing, he immediately swung his sword and charged at the two Blackwater Bandits.
The two Blackwater Bandits were scared out of their wits. Their faces changed drastically as they fled desperately toward the ridge.
The Blackwater Bandits chief on the ridge flew into a rage at the sight and immediately roared, "You're courting death, brat!"
As he spoke, he sprinted down the mountain at astonishing speed, like a tiger bounding through the forest. In the blink of an eye, he covered several zhang, hurtling toward them like a raging gale.
But however fast he was, he could not outpace Wei Yi's sword. Wei Yi chose the Blackwater Bandit on the left and slashed without another word, showing not the slightest hesitation or mercy.
Even an ordinary iron saber could not withstand the Qinggang Sword's edge, so how could flesh and blood resist it? In the blink of an eye, Wei Yi cut the Blackwater Bandit down, spraying crimson blood across the ground.
The other Blackwater Bandit was so terrified he lost control of his bowels and bladder and rolled straight down the ridge.
But Wei Yi could not be bothered to chase him any further.
The mission required by the system was already complete.
"Ding! Player Wei Yi has killed one Blackwater Bandit. Cultivation EXP +84. Storm Sword Technique proficiency +69." "Ding! Player Wei Yi's breakthrough mission completion +1. Current progress: 5/5." "Ding! Player Wei Yi has successfully completed the breakthrough mission. Cultivation has advanced to first-stage Martial Master."
His cultivation had finally broken through its bottleneck. Wei Yi immediately felt a stream of pure Internal Qi rapidly forming within his dantian. Tremendous strength instantly flooded his entire body, replenishing all the physical and mental stamina he had expended in the fighting. In the blink of an eye, he had recovered to a peak condition unlike anything he had ever experienced.
First-stage Martial Master!
Although he was only a first-stage Martial Master, he was far stronger than a tenth-stage Martial Apprentice.
Martial Apprentices could only wield brute strength, and even their martial techniques could not unleash much power. Martial Masters were different: Internal Qi had already formed within their dantians.
With Internal Qi circulating, the power of their martial techniques would increase greatly, virtually multiplying their combat strength.
"Die, brat!"
By then, the Blackwater Bandits chief had charged down. His face was filled with fury, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. The refined iron saber in his hand shrieked through the air as he slashed at Wei Yi.
Before his breakthrough, Wei Yi could only have chosen to evade, but now he had no need to do so.
"Who dies is still up in the air..."
Wei Yi sneered and charged straight at him instead.
The Qinggang Sword in his hand traced a tricky angle through the air, thrusting fiercely toward the Blackwater Bandits chief's arm.
Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing could not help being alarmed at the sight.
Their first thought was that Wei Yi had overestimated himself and was probably in for a terrible end.
Both were overcome with anxiety.
On the one hand, they could not bear to watch Wei Yi throw his life away. After all, he had saved both their lives; without his help, they would not have escaped disaster this time. On the other hand, they knew they were no match for the Blackwater Bandits chief. Even if they went over, they would be no help and would only throw their lives away for nothing.
What do we do? What do we do? What do we do...?
Neither could think of a solution for the moment.
Meanwhile, Wei Yi and the Blackwater Bandits chief had already clashed.
Their weapons collided. The chief's weapon was clearly far better made than those of the ordinary Blackwater Bandits and was not sliced straight through by the Qinggang Sword. Yet even in this exchange, the chief failed to gain much of an advantage.
Both men were knocked back several steps.
The result enraged the Blackwater Bandits chief, while Wei Yi felt greatly reassured.
As for Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing, both stood with their mouths agape and eyes wide, unimaginable shock welling in their gazes. For a long while, neither could utter a word.
How is that possible...?
That single question kept echoing through their minds.
Even together, they had failed to last a single exchange against the Blackwater Bandits chief, yet Wei Yi could fight him on equal footing. Didn't that mean neither of them could last a single exchange against Wei Yi?
They had undoubtedly still vastly underestimated Wei Yi's strength.
Although Wei Yi had only just advanced to first-stage Martial Master, he had mastered the Storm Sword Technique to LV9. Coupled with his wealth of combat experience and sharp mind, these were all things the Blackwater Bandits chief could not remotely compare with.
Although the Blackwater Bandits chief was a third-tier Martial Master, both third-tier and first-stage Martial Masters counted as being in the early stages. The actual gap was not that great, so Wei Yi not only blocked his ferocious attacks but also easily maintained both offense and defense.
The longer Wei Yi fought, the more confident he became.
The longer the Blackwater Bandits chief fought, the more alarmed he grew.
He discovered that the young man's strength far exceeded his expectations. Moreover, Wei Yi had none of the shortcomings common to ordinary young men, such as insufficient experience. Instead, his attacks were ruthless and decisive, forcing the chief into one perilous situation after another.
"Brat, just who are you?"
The Blackwater Bandits chief demanded furiously.
"You're not worthy of knowing this young master's illustrious name."
"If you want to know, go down to the underworld and ask King Yama."
In Wei Yi's hands, the Storm Sword Technique, a High Mortal Grade martial technique, unleashed astonishing power. Once its terrifying sword momentum fully unfolded, it was like a violent storm, immediately forcing the Blackwater Bandits chief onto the back foot.
Their positions were reversed in an instant.
"Pfft!"
Caught off guard, the Blackwater Bandits chief took Wei Yi's sword through the chest. Blood immediately gushed out, and his face turned deathly pale.
But Wei Yi's eyes remained cold, without the slightest intention of showing mercy.
"Die!"
The Qinggang Sword shrieked, its blade flashing brilliantly as it slashed down fiercely once more.
"No..."
"Don't!"
The Blackwater Bandits chief screamed in utter terror and turned to flee.
But he was still a step too slow. The sharp blade sliced straight through his neck, instantly separating his head from his body. His burly body soon collapsed into a pool of blood.
"Ding! Player Wei Yi has slain the Blackwater Bandits' chief. Cultivation EXP +300. Storm Sword Technique proficiency +220." "Ding! Player Wei Yi has gained an insight while using the Storm Sword Technique in battle. Storm Sword Technique proficiency +1,000." "Ding! Player Wei Yi's Storm Sword Technique LV9 proficiency is full. Automatically advancing to LV10."
Hearing the system notifications, Wei Yi could not help smiling.
He had not expected such an opportunity, raising the Storm Sword Technique straight to LV10.
The LV9 Storm Sword Technique was already remarkably powerful. He wondered just how powerful the max-level Storm Sword Technique would be.
I still need to collect the loot.
I wonder if this Blackwater Bandit has anything good on him.
Wei Yi did not stand on ceremony and searched him straightaway.
Aside from the refined iron saber, there were some loose silver and banknotes, totaling a little over a hundred taels.
But Wei Yi had been hunting demonic beasts and selling them to the shop over the past few days, restoring his wealth to over seven thousand taels. He paid no attention whatsoever to a mere hundred taels of silver.
Instead, a martial technique manual tucked inside the Blackwater Bandits' chief's clothes caught his attention.
Blackwater Movement Technique!
A Mortal Grade, Supreme Rank martial technique!
Not only was it a movement technique, it was actually a grade higher than his Storm Sword Technique. A Mortal Grade, Supreme Rank technique would cost at least ten or twenty thousand taels of silver to buy. This was undoubtedly the true prize!
Without hesitation, Wei Yi immediately chose to learn it.
"Ding! Player Wei Yi has learned the Mortal Grade, Supreme Rank martial technique, Blackwater Movement Technique. Current level: LV1."
After learning the Blackwater Movement Technique, Wei Yi activated it with a thought and soon put it into practice.
It felt as though he had become a stream of water. His entire body grew far more nimble, and with a flicker, he immediately darted several zhang away.
Truly marvelous!
Wei Yi was deeply satisfied.
"How are you two doing?"
Only then did Wei Yi turn toward Zhu Ling'er and Yang Qingqing and ask.
Despite all the time that had passed, the two women still looked somewhat dazed and shocked.
Looking at Wei Yi, they exchanged a glance, then asked in unison, "Are you really Wei Yi?"
"Uh..."
Wei Yi was instantly at a loss for words.