The Zhang Household was a large clan, with hundreds of members in total.
The Zhang Household occupied the southeast corner of Siming County, covering an area of twenty acres, with five courtyards in the front and back, and additional side courtyards on the left and right.
The area surrounding the Zhang Household's residence is also inhabited by other residents with the surname Zhang. The thousands of people in this area all have close ties with the Zhang Household.
Zhang Xinhu usually lived in the courtyard next to the main house. The main house was a living room and study, a formal social place used to entertain guests.
The side courtyard served as his training room and bedroom, a very private space guarded by dedicated personnel, where no one was allowed to enter without permission.
The training room was built with blue bricks, the brick walls were two feet thick, there were no windows, the roof was sealed with layers of wooden planks, and the door was a heavy solid wood door with an iron lock.
The training room was extremely well-sealed, with a floor paved with blue bricks and three empty walls, except for Five Tigers Diagram hanging on the front and back walls.
Below the Five Tigers Diagram is a table with Tiger Wing Saber and the Five Tigers Fist Manual.
Two Sunlight Pearl were inlaid on either side of the upper corner of the wall, emitting a pure and bright light that illuminated the room.
The Sunlight Pearl, also known as the True Yang Pearl, emits a bright, spiritual light like sunlight. It can not only be used for illumination but also has the wonderful effect of cleansing the Qi and Blood and purifying the spiritual energy.
Zhang Xinhu sat cross-legged in front of the Five Tigers Diagram. He stared at the Five Tigers Diagram for a long time. Each of the five giant tigers had a unique appearance, representing the five kinds of Fist Intent of the Five Tigers Fist.
The Iron Tiger refines the body, the Black Tiger refines strength, the Flying Tiger refines speed, the Heart Tiger refines spirit, and the White Tiger Qi Refining.
His master renamed him Xinhu (Heart Tiger) because he was too irritable and fierce, and he needed to always remember to subdue the tiger in his heart.
Only in this way can one generate wisdom from stillness, spirit from wisdom, and vital energy from spirit.
He possessed extraordinary physical talent and had mastered the Transforming Force at a young age, but he was unable to condense a Sea of Qi in his Dantian and advance to the Sixth Rank.
Martial artists below the Seventh Rank are all in a state of using their strength and body. Only by condensing their Qi can they control their fists with their mind, transcend the limitations of the human body, and possess extraordinary power.
Zhang Xinhu grew angrier the more he thought about it. If he were Sixth Rank martial artist, he wouldn't even give face to the abbot of the Lower Court; he would just punch that little beast Zhou Wuji to death!
He 'Wuzheng all those like Wu Di, Li Cheng'an, Yang Shuling, and Wu Zheng to death.
Zhang Xinhu knew that such fantasies were of no use; on the contrary, they left his pent-up killing intent with nowhere to go, making him increasingly agitated and extremely detrimental to his cultivation.
Five Tigers Fist is a martial art passed down directly from the Eight Extremes Sect. Although it is simple and direct, it is the orthodox martial art and a truly high-level martial art.
The Five Tigers Fist may appear fierce and violent, but its essence lies in being strong without being explosive, wild without being impulsive, and valuing mental fortitude above all else.
A loud rumbling sound came from outside. Zhang Xinhu knew it was the sound of thunder in the autumn night, and it was probably going to rain.
Sure enough, the rainstorm followed the thunder.
Although the training room was tightly sealed, Zhang Xinhu could still hear the sound of the torrential rain hitting the roof tiles.
Zhang Xinhu likes rain, and he especially likes the exhilarating feeling of a downpour.
At times like this, he likes to sit under the eaves and quietly watch the downpour.
For some reason, Zhang Xinhu felt that the downpour was strange, making him feel very depressed, as if something bad was about to happen.
"Someone wants to kill me?"
Zhang Xinhu was no stranger to this feeling; he had an innate, keen intuition for danger.
He escaped death several times thanks to this intuition.
He was puzzled. No one in Siming County could threaten him, so who was this expert who wanted to kill him?
Or was he simply imagining things because he was too agitated?
Before Zhang Xinhu could figure it out, the heavy wooden door of the training room was pushed open from the outside, making a piercing "creak" sound.
The door was intentionally designed to be very heavy, making a harsh sound when opening and closing it.
The door opened, and Zhang Xinhu saw the person who came in. The person was wearing a bamboo hat, a black and white lotus pattern mask, and a black and white robe.
This attire clearly identifies him as a sorcerer from the Yin Yang Dao!
Zhang Xinhu immediately sensed something was wrong. The eyes behind the Black and White Lotus Mask were too bright and sharp. He remembered that look; it belonged to Zhou Wuji, the cold-blooded swordsman whose swords never left a survivor!
Zhang Xinhu was both shocked and furious. He was shocked by Zhou Wuji's audacity; despite being seriously injured, he dared to impersonate Yin Yang Dao sorcerer to kill him.
What angered him was Zhou Wuji's arrogance; did he really think killing a few bandits would be enough to kill him?!
Although Zhang Xinhu was emotionally charged, his face was unusually gloomy, and his eyes were filled with only cold killing intent.
Zhou Wuji, however, saw the change in Zhang Xinhu's aura through the Six Yang Dharma Eye, and saw the Sha Qi on his body rising like flames.
It was precisely through the Six Yang Dharma Eye at the Perfected Level that he was able to pinpoint Zhang Xinhu's intense Qi and Blood in so many rooms and accurately locate Zhang Xinhu.
Zhou Wuji actually had a lot to say to Zhang Xinhu, but the time and place were not right. In the end, getting things done was more important, so it was better not to say those things.
Zhang Xinhu recognized Zhou Wuji. His first reaction was not to attack, but to reach for the Tiger Wing Saber on the table.
This five-foot-long goose-feather sword, forged from black steel and refined gold, weighs seventeen catties. It is a treasured sword forged by a master craftsman and cost two thousand taels of gold.
He forged this sword to hone his Fist Intent and also as a family heirloom.
The Tiger Wing Saber had been kept in the training room for many years, and Zhang Xinhu was reluctant to take it out to use.
It is important to know that swords are very easy to break. No matter how precious a sword is, it will inevitably be damaged if used frequently.
Despite being shocked and angry at the sudden appearance of Zhou Wuji, Zhang Xinhu did not underestimate him.
The battle was extremely dangerous, and Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship was ruthless; how could we be careless?
With the Tiger Wing Saber, his combat power will at least double!
Zhou Wuji saw Zhang Xinhu make a move and immediately guessed what the other party was going to do.
Although he hated Zhang Xinhu, he also had to admire the man's experience and decisiveness.
But how could he let Zhang Xinhu get his hands on the longsword? Even if he was certain of victory, there was no need to take the risk.
With a flick of his left sleeve, Zhou Wuji unleashed the Five Yin Pouch, a power at the Great Perfection realm, which transformed into a large veil of black gauze that enveloped Zhang Xinhu.
The Five Yin Pouch is composed of five Yin Spirit; it appears to float slowly but is actually extremely fast.
In an instant, a black veil covered Zhang Xinhu.
Zhang Xinhu didn't know what it was, but he knew it must be some kind of Law Technique.
The seemingly thin black veil isolated him from the outside world and also blocked his six senses. He could only see a deep black mist, could not hear any sound, and felt an unusual coldness around his body.
The black mist seemed to be a group of evil spirits, pouncing on him and sucking away his yang energy.
" Zhou Wuji can cast Law Technique so fast?!"
Although Zhang Xinhu was surprised, he was not afraid. A martial artist's Qi and Blood are as intense as fire, and as long as he activates the power of his Qi and Blood, he can break through all kinds of Law Technique and ghosts.
He suddenly bulged his lungs, about to unleash Tiger Roar Thunder Sound, when he heard a sharp, ringing sword sound in his ear.
The sword's cry was not loud, but it was deep and resonant, striking Zhang Xinhu's mind.
Even with Zhang Xinhu's ferocity and savagery, his mind was inevitably affected by the sound of the sword's cry.
His body was burning fiercely, and his Qi and Blood surged and trembled with the sound of the sword. His violent, thunderous roar was inevitably interrupted.
Zhang Xinhu was shocked. The sound of the sword was too exquisite. Taking advantage of the slight gap when he exerted his strength, it actually entered his mind and Qi and Blood, and even damaged the circulation of his internal energy.
The refined internal and external Transforming Force, in harmony, differentiates into different levels within the resonance of the sword's sound.
What kind of sorcery is this?
Before Zhang Xinhu could figure it out, he saw a cold sword light pierce through the black mist and hurtle straight towards him.
Based on his judgment, he formed tiger claws with both hands and gripped the sword blade.
The sword blade instantly split into several streams of light, like rain falling in the night sky, seemingly there yet endlessly dense, spreading across the heavens and earth, permeating mountains and rivers.
Zhang Xinhu's fierce tiger claws, though powerful, could not catch the rain falling from the sky.
The flashing light first pierced Zhang Xinhu's heart; the blade merely touched it lightly, yet the Sword Qi traveled along the blade and directly into Zhang Xinhu's heart.
The extremely dense Sword Intent also penetrated into Zhang Xinhu's body, disrupting the power gathering in his internal organs.
Zhang Xinhu's movements faltered for a moment, and the blade flashed again, piercing his throat, severing his trachea and blood vessels instantly.
Before Zhang Xinhu could react, the blade transformed into light and then changed again, piercing deep into Zhang Xinhu's left eye and penetrating his head from front to back.
The sword light that split apart in an instant was the Night Rain Sword, the most important and powerful sword move in the Xiaoxiang Sword.
Zhou Wuji only grasped the essence of the Night Rain Sword after his Swordsmanship reached Transformation Realm, thus condensing his Sword Intent.
He had experienced the power of Lei Yin when he killed Zhang Wuding, so he was prepared for it.
Through learning to play the flute, he also grasped the changes in rhythm and cadence.
During the battle, he precisely grasped Zhang Xinhu's changing rhythm, and the Evening Bell Sword he unleashed was like a perfectly matched key, precisely matching the lock that was Zhang Xinhu.
The two fit together perfectly!
Zhang Xinhu's thunderous sound was first broken by the Sword Intent of the Evening Bell Sword, and his momentum was waning. He then tried to break the sword with his tiger claws, but he did not know that the Night Rain Sword was profound and mysterious, with endless implications that seemed to exist but did not.
The tiger claw strike landed solidly, leaving no room for maneuver. Zhou Wuji seized the opportunity, his Night Rain Sword changing in rapid succession, delivering three consecutive stabs to Zhang Xinhu's vitals in an instant.
Especially the final sword strike piercing through the head; no matter how strong Zhang Xinhu's vitality was, he couldn't withstand such a severe blow.
Zhou Wuji did not draw his sword but instead stepped back. He looked at Zhang Xinhu, who was shrouded in the Five Yin Pouch, and said softly, "Old Zhang, let's wipe the slate clean of our past grievances."
He then sighed softly, "Master always says I'm petty, but I've forgiven you and let bygones be bygones, so that shows I'm magnanimous, doesn't it..."
Zhang Xinhu, who was enveloped by the Five Yin Pouch, heard these words. He wanted to curse them out, but he could only groan twice before running out of strength.
"Today you and your son are reunited, and I have avenged my great grudge—it is a joyous occasion. Let us compose a poem to celebrate!"
Seeing Zhang Xinhu bowing his head and awaiting death, Zhou Wuji was filled with emotion. The once formidable enemy was now killed by him with ease and composure.
His progress in just a few months has been phenomenal!
In this situation, Zhou Wuji couldn't help but feel a surge of heroic exhilaration.
As Zhang Xinhu's consciousness plunged into endless darkness, Zhou Wuji's voice seemed to come from the horizon, distant and ethereal yet clearly audible.
Dark clouds loom over the city, a murderous aura pervades; the Night Rain, its sound like the clash of swords. A hermit hides his name, crouching low, riding the midnight wind alone...
(Please vote for me and let me continue reading!)