Slaying the Scarlet Dragon

Chen Hao was tall and had a face covered in purplish-red bumps, making him look exceptionally fierce and ugly.

He was dressed in short black khakis and barefoot in hemp shoes, and looked like a strong boatman.

But the five-foot-long sword in his hand gleamed Cold Light, and he stood there imposingly, exuding a fierce and powerful aura.

Such a master, regardless of appearance or clothing, simply standing there exudes an aura of expertise that commands respect and commands respect.

Zhiyuan frowned slightly. Chen Dalu's men had arrived. According to the plan, they should take action directly and not waste any more words.

However, Chen Dalu's sudden challenge put him in a bit of a predicament.

The main reason was that there were many outsiders in the restaurant, including members of the Zhang Household, people from the Pacification Office, and people from various organizations who came to observe the situation.

Refusing a challenge is fine, but Zhiyuan sees it as an opportunity.

He recognized Chen Hao, who had challenged him with a sword. Chen Hao was the Scarlet Dragon Envoy of the Five Dragons Gang and also the Five Dragons Gang's top swordsman.

The Five Dragons Gang is truly a gangster, and all the Gu masters are proficient in martial arts.

Judging from Chen Hao's demeanor, he must be Seventh-Rank Martial Artist without a doubt.

Zhiyuan to know that Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship and martial arts were both superb, he couldn't say exactly how powerful he was.

When Zhou Wuji returned from the Lake Heart Island, his True Qi was circulating smoothly and perfectly, and he couldn't see through the changes in Zhou Wuji's True Qi.

It's clear that this kid has made tremendous progress in cultivating True Qi through some fortuitous opportunity.

If we can defeat Chen Hao in a direct confrontation, it will greatly enhance the prestige of the Lower Court.

Let's show all the factions that their Lower Court is full of talented people!

Of course, all of this is based on victory.

It would be too embarrassing for Zhou Wuji to step up and accept the challenge and then lose.

Zhou Wuji sensed the hesitation in Zhiyuan's gaze and understood what the old man was worried about.

Indeed, the original intention was to deal with Chen Dalu, and this incident has only created unnecessary trouble.

But for him, it was a good opportunity.

Only tools and names cannot be given to others.

If he wants to enter the Upper Court and gain recognition, he needs to have a good reputation.

Without a reputation, one will be questioned.

Zhou Wuji was well aware of this; he had indeed done a lot and gained some fame, but he also had many people who questioned him.

Just like Wuai, even though he knew Wu Ai had killed many rebel soldiers, he still came to challenge him, but his reputation wasn't good enough.

This opportunity, however, presents him with a perfect chance to make a name for himself in public.

Having witnessed the blood sacrifice in the secret realm of the Lake Heart Island, Zhou Wuji concluded that all the high-ranking Five Dragons Gang deserved to die.

Transporting hundreds of people to the island for a blood sacrifice is no easy task. The higher-ups within the gang must all be aware of this.

Even if they didn't know, as a high-ranking member of such a gang, enjoying all the benefits the gang provides from exploiting people, he deserves to be killed.

Zhou Wuji immediately stood up, cupped his hands to Zhiyuan, and said, "Abbot, since the friends of the Five Dragons Gang wish to Swordsmanship, this disciple is willing to oblige."

Zhiyuan gave Zhou Wuji a deep look Zhou Wuji's eyes were bright as stars, and his brows were full of high spirits and vigor, clearly indicating that he was full of confidence in the battle.

Zhiyuan nodded. "Alright, then you can go up and experience the Five Dragons Gang's unique skills."

He didn't say anything about stopping short of a duel; they had already drawn their swords and were exchanging blows, with life and death hanging by a thread. So how could there be any talk of stopping short of a duel?

If someone truly knows when to stop, it proves they're not on the same level at all, so what's the point of comparing them?

Everyone on the third floor understood this principle, and many of them showed excitement on their faces.

Many people have heard of Zhou Wuji's name.

The main issue was that Zhou Wuji killed Chen Dagou, who was Chen Dalu's younger brother, and this incident caused a huge uproar.

Today, Chen Dalu immediately sent someone to challenge Zhou Wuji, clearly wanting to avenge Chen Dagou.

Zhou Wuji readily agreed, readily accepting the offer from the renowned Scarlet Dragon Envoy Chen Hao without hesitation.

Zhou Wuji handsome and refined, yet he was so brave and decisive, which surprised everyone present and left a deep impression on Zhou Wuji.

The third floor was quite spacious, as many tables and chairs had been removed for the banquet, leaving a large open space in the middle.

For expert players, this amount of space is sufficient.

When Chen Hao saw Zhou Wuji approaching with his sword, his eyes grew even colder.

He knew how formidable Zhou Wuji was and would never underestimate him.

Before arriving, Chen Dalu had already decided to have him challenge Zhou Wuji and had made various preparations in advance.

As the Scarlet Dragon Envoy, the Red Dragon Gu he raised inherently possessed the ability to stimulate Qi and Blood.

In preparation for this battle, he also took spirit medicine to excite the Gu worms, putting the Red Dragon Gu into a highly excited state.

It was the combined effects of the medicine and the Red Dragon Gu that caused his facial skin to undergo abnormal changes, making him look exceptionally ugly.

Chen Hao doesn't care about his appearance at all; he was born ugly and women don't like him.

But he wielded immense power, and even the most beautiful women were at his mercy.

Chen Hao watched as Zhou Wuji stopped seven steps away, and he silently recited incantations, activating the Red Dragon Gu.

The Red Dragon Gu hidden in his heart began to stir its power, causing his heart to pound wildly, and his boiling blood to be mixed with the power of the Red Dragon Gu.

As Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, the foundation of strength does not lie in muscles and bones, but in Qi and Blood.

The extremely powerful Qi and Blood made Chen Hao's skin turn crimson red, and his entire body even swelled up slightly.

With this power boost, Chen Hao's strength increased by at least 50%.

Chen Hao was filled with the exhilaration of certain victory and a violent urge to destroy everything.

He felt that such a huge improvement was enough to defeat all martial artists of the same level!

Zhou Wuji did not use the Six Yang Dharma Eye to enhance himself, but with the Mind Mirror that clearly sees both the inside and outside, he was even more adept at perceiving changes in aura than with the Six Yang Dharma Eye.

Seeing the strange changes in Chen Hao, Zhou Wuji immediately knew something was wrong.

Through the Mind Mirror within his sea of consciousness, he even saw the Gu worm in Chen Hao's chest, and the frenzied, pulsating power of that Gu worm.

The surging Qi and Blood in Chen Hao's body were like raging flames bursting out of his body.

These changes in aura are extremely complex and invisible to the human eye; only highly skilled individuals with a keen sensitivity to aura can perceive them.

Experts like Zhiyuan, Zhishan, and Zhang Shiheng could naturally see it clearly.

Zhishan's expression was somewhat unpleasant. It wasn't surprising that the Five Dragons Gang used such methods, but this kind of Gu technique was truly bizarre.

Zhiyuan, on the contrary, remained calm; he still had great confidence in Zhou Wuji.

Looking at Zhou Wuji's state, he was very calm and composed, clearly not intimidated by Chen Hao's sudden change.

Zhiyuan had already decided that if Zhou Wuji really couldn't win, he would just take action himself.

The reputation isn't great, but the Five Dragons Gang is about to be wiped out, so who cares about such trivial matters?

Chen Dalu, however, had a smug look on his face.

During this period, Zhou Wuji killed two of the Five Dragons Envoys, causing heavy losses to the gang.

With such deep-seated hatred, I can finally take revenge in public!

Zhang Shiheng watched calmly, showing no favoritism towards either side.

The Five Dragons Gang and the Lower Court are locked in a life-or-death struggle; regardless of who wins or loses, it's a good thing for him.

However, judging solely from their appearances, he still admired Zhou Wuji.

That composure and grace in the face of danger truly befits the scions of their Aristocratic Clan!

Unfortunately, he was a Daoist priest...

Chen Hao, who was using the drug, was so overwhelmed by the sheer power of his Qi and Blood that it almost burned his own body.

He didn't even have time for pleasantries; with a sharp shout, he swung his sword and struck.

The five-foot-long sword weighed ten pounds, and under his violent swing, it emitted a sharp, piercing sword cry.

This sword Swinging the Sword to Part the River is the most imposing move in the Great River Sword style.

With a single sword strike, a bright sword light unfolded like a fan, seemingly cleaving the three floors of Cloud River Tower in two.

Such power caused many spectators to gasp slightly in surprise.

True Seventh-Rank Martial Artist are few and far between, and Seventh-Rank Martial Artist who fight with all their might are even rarer.

In particular, the aura that Chen Hao unleashed even faintly carried the meaning of Sword Intent, exerting a certain pressure on the surrounding spectators.

Faced with the long sword slashing straight at him, Zhou Wuji drew his sword and gracefully stepped back to the side.

His current cultivation of True Qi is profound, and his body is also strong. When his True Qi flows, he moves forward and backward as if riding the wind.

Although the movements appear slow, the speed of each turn and retreat is extremely fast.

Chen Hao also anticipated that Zhou Wuji would not dare to take the blow head-on, so his sword strike, though seemingly powerful, only used five-tenths of his strength.

With his Qi and Blood activated, his strength increased dramatically, and the ten-pound longsword felt as light as a bamboo stick in his hand.

Seeing Zhou Wuji change direction to dodge, Chen Hao changed his sword from a straight slash to a horizontal sweep.

His Swordsmanship was both skillful and powerful. As he changed his moves, his footwork adjusted accordingly, and with a single sweep of his sword, he covered an area of about ten feet.

No matter how fast Zhou Wuji Movement Method, he couldn't match the speed at which Zhou Wuji turned and swung his sword.

As the longsword swept towards him, Zhou Wuji held his own longsword upright, using the spine of the blade to lightly parry the five-foot-long sword.

Sparks flew as the two swords clashed. Chen Hao seized the opportunity to unleash his power, attempting to slash Zhou Wuji away with a single strike. However, the power emanating from Zhou Wuji's sword was as gentle as water; the stronger the power in Chen Hao's sword, the greater the resistance he encountered.

The five-foot-long sword contained a violent and tyrannical power, but Zhou Wuji's blade managed to deflect six or seven-tenths of it. Zhou Wuji used the last three-tenths of the opponent's sword's power to drift backward.

Zhou Wuji possessed a flow of True Qi, making his movements exceptionally graceful and agile. His body naturally traced an arc in the air as he retreated to Chen Hao's left.

Chen Hao adjusted his footwork again, chasing after Zhou Wuji and slashing repeatedly with his sword. The Seven Star Sword in Zhou Wuji's hand was light and ethereal, seemingly endless, and was the most graceful and dense Flowing Cloud Sword.

It wouldn't be difficult for him to kill Chen Hao, but he would need to unleash his true power.

Chen Hao's swordplay in this state is bound to have some flaws, so there's no need for him to rush.

Those around saw Chen Hao's sword light slashing and chopping horizontally, powerful and domineering like the surging waves of a great river, one wave stronger than the next, with an endless and boundless momentum.

Zhou Wuji could only keep moving around amidst the overwhelming sword light; if he continued like this, the slightest mistake would result in his immediate death.

Even Daoist Yiping looked tense. He wasn't skilled in Swordsmanship to begin with, and now he felt that Zhou Wuji was in grave danger, so he was extremely worried...

Zhang Shiheng and Chen Dalu, two experts, did not see it that way. Zhang Shiheng could tell that Zhou Wuji was holding back some of his strength and was dealing with the situation very easily, even controlling the rhythm of the battle.

Chen Hao's attacks appeared fierce, but in reality, he was following Zhou Wuji's lead.

Zhang Shiheng was also slightly surprised; Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship was so high?!

Zhou Wuji was suppressed by Chen Hao and was at a great disadvantage. He could have been killed on the spot if he was not careful. However, he kept his temper in check and waited for an opportunity.

This shows his great confidence in his Swordsmanship; he felt he could withstand Chen Hao's full-force attack...

Chen Dalu's insight was far inferior to Zhang Shiheng's, but he could also see that Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship was meticulous and seemingly at a disadvantage, but he was not actually at a loss.

A rigid approach cannot last. Chen Hao's relentless attacks lacked variation, and something seemed amiss.

Just as Chen Dalu was about to offer a word of advice, the situation on the field suddenly changed.

Chen Hao, with his extensive combat experience, also realized something was wrong.

He immediately activated the Red Dragon Gu, surging his Qi and Blood and qi in preparation to unleash the Thunder Sound, while simultaneously spitting out blood to release the Gu worms transformed from the Red Dragon Gu.

As long as blood falls on Zhou Wuji, it can corrode his body, creating hundreds of holes, and allow parasitic worms to grow inside him.

These Gu worms are extremely poisonous; they could kill Zhou Wuji in just a few breaths.

Chen Hao's Swordsmanship was superb, but he was distracted by circulating his qi Qi and Blood to prepare to unleash the Thunder Sound and Gu worms, so the power on his sword was no longer pure.

Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship was so superb that he immediately noticed the impure force in Chen Hao's sword and the abnormal surging of the Qi and Blood worms within Chen Hao's body.

He seized the opportunity and thrust his Seven Star Sword into the spine of Chen Hao's five-foot-long sword.

This move, Night Rain Sword, is unpredictable and elusive, like fine raindrops falling from the night sky, imperceptibly soaking the heavens and earth.

With just a touch of the sword tip, the dense, overlapping Sword Qi was transmitted to Chen Hao through the clash of the longswords.

Chen Hao's arm went slightly numb from the Sword Qi, and only then did he realize something was wrong. The Seven Star Sword then rained down upon him like a night of torrential Night Rain.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Hao's wrist, arm, and shoulder were struck by a sword in succession.

Blood spurted out amidst the flashing sword light. All three sword strikes were delivered with a light touch, making them incredibly swift. The powerful Sword Qi also penetrated Chen Hao's body through the sword tips.

Although Chen Hao took medication to stimulate his body's Qi and Blood, the dense and dark Sword Qi invaded Chen Hao body, causing great damage to his muscles, bones, skin, and flesh, and destroying his control over his Qi and Blood.

Chen Hao still wanted to fight back desperately, but his body wouldn't obey him.

He hesitated slightly, Zhou Wuji's fourth sword was already aimed at Chen Hao's throat.

The sword penetrated four inches into the flesh, the blade piercing directly through Chen Hao's spine.

With a nimble twist of the blade, Chen Hao's head flew off...