Chapter 53

Cen Chong was not wearing a helmet. Although he was dressed in black, he was not armored, which was rare among the Six Gates, as if only in this way could he demonstrate his uniqueness. But as the leader of the Four Great Captains and a practitioner of the innate realm, what could others say?

The two men faced each other, neither making a move. Cen Chong looked at the young man in front of him, whose coat was tattered like a vest, his face and body covered in dirt and wrinkles as if he had just crawled out of a garbage pile. Sensing the faint fluctuations of internal energy, Cen Chong frowned.

"Whose subordinate are you? Why aren't you wearing armor?" Cen Chong scolded.

"I'm with Ling Lingfa!"

"What?" Cen Chong was taken aback, his mind racing to recall who Ling Lingfa was.

In this moment of distraction, Ling Xiao delivered a thunderous punch. Cen Chong, being an innate realm expert, was far superior to the previous constables. He raised his hand with a look of disdain and reached for the punch.

A sly smile flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes; those who looked down on him usually ended up in a sorry state.

"Be careful!" Lei Yiming shouted in alarm at the sight.

Cen Chong was suddenly startled, realizing that the punch coming at him was producing a crackling sound! But the attack was already too close to dodge!

Bang! The punch and palm met, producing a sound of impact but no real force. At the last moment, Cen Chong bent his arm, reined in his strength, and used the momentum of the punch to spin and evade.

The punch was ineffective, and Ling Xiao gave Cen Chong a disdainful look. To others, he was just a minor figure in the innate realm, but even so, he was cautious and dared not confront him head-on. "Hmph! Cowardly scoundrel!"

Cen Chong, who had landed after flipping through the air several times, was furious upon hearing this. He was about to rush forward to capture him, but Ling Xiao quickly slipped into the small house and slammed the door shut.

Cen Chong asked coldly, "Who is that?"

"He's the prisoner we brought back from the clinic," Lei Yiming panted.

"How did he escape? Dismiss the constable who was negligent!" Cen Chong said sternly.

Lei Yiming looked a bit awkward but still answered, "It was Han Long and Leng Lingqi, but it's not their fault. The prisoner broke the chains and injured several people."

Cen Chong nodded in understanding. "I see. He must be an expert in external martial arts. Hmph, no wonder he has such power. Bring me my sword!"

Experts in external martial arts often practice protective techniques, such as the Iron Shirt or the Golden Bell Cover. The most famous is the Indestructible Body of the Buddha. The best way to break through these protective techniques is to use a sword or knife imbued with true qi. Cen Chong clearly followed this approach.

Ling Xiao rushed into the room, and what he saw made him furious. His master's wife was chained to the wall, just like he had been. Although she had no wounds, her terrified face pained him deeply. What made his eyes blaze even more was that a similarly bare-chested man was about to strike her with a whip!

"Looking for death!"

With his sword in hand, he struck with anger, drawing a bright line in the room. The man fell to the ground, dead, never understanding why a sword was stuck in his head.

"Ugh! Xiao Ling, where's your master?" his master's wife asked, her mouth trembling as if she was about to cry.

Ling Xiao quickly comforted her, "Don't worry, Master has gone to the palace for help. I'm sure it won't be long before he rescues us."

"I'm not worried about him, but those constables took all the gold bricks I had hidden. You have to get them back!"

Ling Xiao was taken aback. Maybe he should have come a bit later. Sweat!

Stepping on the man's head, he pulled out his sword and cut the chains. "Master's wife, it's relatively safe here. Just wait quietly."

"What about you?" she asked, frowning.

Ling Xiao wiped the blood off his sword and replied, "Those constables outside are too noisy. I'll go and quiet them down." Cen Chong was the only one among the constables who could restrain him. If he fought inside, he would find it hard to protect his master's wife, and the other constables would take advantage of the situation to capture her. So the only option was to go out!

Taking a deep breath, he held his sword at an angle and stepped toward the door. "Wait," his master's wife called out.

"What?"

She pointed at the dead man with a look of disgust. "Throw this big oaf out! He stinks too much!"

"..."

Cen Chong pointed his sword at the door. "Everyone, follow me and charge in!"

"Yes!"

Creak!

The constables paused as the door slowly opened. Cen Chong stepped back, cautiously looking inside. Suddenly, a large figure flew out.

Cen Chong easily avoided it and saw that it was Xiong Da, the executioner. He coldly snorted, "Do you think the same trick will work twice? How naive!"

"Which eye did you see me using a trick? It's just that your Six Gates building and the people in it are so unpleasant. My master's wife almost vomited when she saw his face, so I threw him out to get rid of the sight." Ling Xiao explained calmly as he stepped out of the house, looking at the surrounding constables and coldly snorted, then closed the door again.

Cen Chong smiled sinisterly. "Looks like that woman is important to you!" He then instructed Lei Yiming, "I'll keep him busy, you go in and capture the woman!"

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow. "You guys are really asking for it!" He took a step back, leaning against the door, determined not to move an inch!

Cen Chong laughed triumphantly. "Let's see how long you can hold out. I'll execute you on the spot!"

Clang! The sword was drawn, and Cen Chong lunged forward. The sword, infused with true qi, was incredibly sharp. He was confident that this strike would pierce Ling Xiao's protective technique, given the overwhelming advantage of innate true qi over innate internal energy.

Poor Cen Chong didn't know that the person in front of him was the strangest innate expert in history.

Ling Xiao had never faced an innate expert before and didn't know if his technique could withstand the sword strike. But he still had a sword in his hand! He swung his sword upward with great force, and the unenhanced sword managed to deflect Cen Chong's sword.

Cen Chong was surprised and exclaimed, "What incredible strength!" But this made him more confident. It seemed Ling Xiao was a brute force type. Since he liked to fight head-on, Cen Chong would use evasive tactics.

As a constable, catching thieves and pursuing them over long distances were routine. His lightness skills were excellent. He moved with a strange gait, his sword striking from different angles.

Ling Xiao narrowed his eyes. Should he tell Cen Chong that his eyesight was excellent and could keep up with his movements?

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The swords clashed repeatedly, sparks flying and illuminating the dark surroundings.

The constables were shocked and fearful. This criminal could actually match Cen Chong to this extent. Had he not been serious before? Some sharp observers noticed that no constables had died so far, suggesting he was holding back.

At this moment, Ling Xiao's situation was not as good as the constables thought. Cen Chong's innate realm was pure, and the true qi seemed to make every strike potentially injurious. He dared not let any strike through and had to keep defending.

Of course, he didn't just defend because of the door behind him. More importantly, his sword technique was embarrassing, and if he counterattacked, he would expose himself. So he decided to drag it out. He hoped Ling Lingfa would come soon!

After a long attack, Cen Chong's mind was racing. He had confirmed Ling Xiao's determination to guard the door, but this stalemate was not a solution. More importantly, he saw no despair in Ling Xiao's eyes, suggesting that buying time was his goal.

A sense of foreboding crept over him. To avoid further complications, Cen Chong stepped back and shouted, "Watch out for the sword!" He lunged forward, and this time, the sword burst with countless sword auras, like a storm enveloping Ling Xiao.

The sword auras approached like waves, and Ling Xiao's face turned pale. How could he block this? How could this guy be so quick-witted? Switching from targeted attacks to area attacks?

With a bitter smile, he realized he would have to test the defensive power of the Horned God Technique today! But Ling Xiao's character wouldn't allow him to give up. Even if he was going to be devoured, he would take a bite out of the other side!

His eyes flashed with determination, and a strange aura filled his body. Ling Xiao seemed to transform into a sharp sword. He roared and lunged at the incoming sword waves.

Every innate expert has their own aura. Ximen Chuixue's coldness, Ye Gucheng's pride—though they were not innate, the principle was the same. Cen Chong gave Ling Xiao a sense of darkness! Not only was he dark in appearance, but his actions and sword techniques were also dark!

The massive sword waves moved through the air without a sound! Fortunately, Ling Xiao relied on his eyesight, or he might have missed some of the sword auras!

If Cen Chong's sword auras were silent waves, then Ling Xiao's sword was a meteor piercing the night sky!

A point of light struggled forward in the storm, flickering as if it might disappear at any moment. But as time passed, the faint light reached its destination, unyielding despite the waves pressing from all sides, crushing its bones, and wearing down its flesh.

Cen Chong's eyes grew more and more terrified. With his experience, he recognized the sword intent! But he never imagined that a mere sword intent, without any true qi, could be so terrifying. The seemingly powerful sword auras actually melted like spring snow when they met the sword intent. Realizing the danger, Cen Chong redirected the sword auras to Ling Xiao's sides, hoping to kill him before the sword struck.

Without the sword auras blocking him, Ling Xiao moved faster, gritting his teeth and enduring the intense pain. The sword intent grew stronger, and this relentless momentum seemed to align with the essence of the Heavenly Flying Immortal technique. Ling Xiao's understanding of it deepened.

The meteor, which had been flickering, now became a ray of dawn piercing the night. The constables instinctively shielded their eyes.

Boom!

A powerful shockwave hit, and the constables struggled to stand. When they regained their balance and looked at the scene, they saw Cen Chong kneeling, gasping for breath, with a blood-soaked hole the size of an egg in his arm. Ling Xiao, on the other hand, was in a worse state. His tattered coat was now completely ruined, and his body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, turning him into a blood-soaked figure. But he was standing, pale-faced.

"Clang! Missed! Looks like I need to practice my aim. If I can't shoot straight, at least I should be able to hit with a sword!" Ling Xiao panted, smirking.

He knew his body best. If his injuries were as severe as they looked, he wouldn't have the energy to make such a joke. The Horned God Technique was indeed powerful! His bones were strong, his muscles tough, and his skin hard, allowing him to suffer only superficial wounds from the sword auras. Indeed,穿越者应该有福利！

Of course, Ling Xiao wasn't arrogant enough to think he was invincible. This situation could also mean that Cen Chong was weak. If it were Ximen Chuixue or Ye Gucheng's sword auras, he would likely end up as a sieve.

Ling Xiao looked at the constables with a wicked smile. "Anyone else?" He shouted, and the constables instinctively took a step back, looking at each other and trembling slightly, making Ling Xiao seem even more formidable.

"Archers! Prepare!" Cen Chong, still kneeling, gritted his teeth and shouted.

Ling Xiao was startled. "Damn! The front-line tank is down, and you're switching to ranged attacks?" He hurriedly stepped back and pressed against the door.

Ranged attacks were always Ling Xiao's strong point. He used to shoot people with guns, but now he was about to be hit by ranged attacks. Was this karma? He desperately missed his gun, but it had been taken during the search.

Twang!

The bowstrings released, and countless arrows flew toward him. With the arrows getting closer, Ling Xiao had no choice but to cover his head with his hands in front of the door. He wondered if his severely bleeding body could withstand the barrage of arrows.

He closed his eyes, and it felt like an eternity. The expected pain never came. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw the arrows falling to the ground. A man with a beard as impressive as his eyebrows looked at Ling Xiao with amusement.

Ling Xiao rolled his eyes. "Don't expect me to thank you!"

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