Chapter 57: The Justification for the Fight (1)

Ming Onji was taken aback.

'What is that?'

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

A translucent blue aura, flickering repeatedly, formed the shape of a snake piercing through a tortoise shell. It was a breathtaking sight. While it was common for the color of one's inner energy to be visible to the naked eye when the density of qi was strong, this form was different.

'Thoughts!'

That's right. This was not just qi; it was a manifestation of thoughts, shaped by the intense training of qi.

Ming Onji was purely amazed. For qi to take form according to thoughts was almost impossible at the level of a peak master.

"You... what are you?!"

At that moment,

"Kyaah! Damn it!"

A faint golden light spread from Ming Dao's body.

Ming Onji's eyes widened.

"Ming Dao! No!"

Crack!

With eyes red with anger, he lunged at Lian Huozheng.

Lian Huozheng smiled slyly.

Smack!

Ming Dao's fist was blocked by Lian Huozheng's palm.

'Quite impressive.'

The power transmitted through the palm was considerable. Although he easily blocked it with his inner energy, the force was enough to shatter a thick tree trunk.

Crack.

Ming Dao's eyes twitched. The fingers wrapping around his fist seemed ready to crush it at any moment. The grip was incredibly strong.

"You bastard!"

Rumble!

He pulled his fist back and swung it wildly.

Crack!

Ming Dao's eyes widened.

The martial art he was using was the Iron Chain Eight Strikes of the Nine Famous Families. It was a powerful fist technique that relentlessly pursued the opponent with continuous strikes, an improvement on the traditional Iron Chain Strike.

Surprisingly, Lian Huozheng deflected all the strikes with just one hand.

"This technique resembles the one used by the Third Young Master."

Crack! Crack!

Ming Dao's eyes were bloodshot. After deflecting sixteen punches, Lian Huozheng grabbed his wrist like a ghost.

'Grr!'

His wrist bent. His entire body soon followed, twisting to the right.

The grip was too strong to break free. In fact, it felt like his arm was about to break from the increasing pressure.

Crack!

"Argh!"

Just as Lian Huozheng was about to completely shatter his arm,

Flash!

The swordsmen surrounding them suddenly attacked. Though more cautious than before, their blades were still razor-sharp.

Lian Huozheng's eyes gleamed.

Smack!

Lian Huozheng's foot kicked Ming Dao's lower abdomen, causing him to kneel with his mouth agape.

At that moment, the swords of the secret agents were just inches away.

Boom!

Lowering his stance, he swung Ming Dao around.

'Huh!'

He didn't expect someone to grab a person's arm and swing them like an object, and at such incredible speed.

The surprised secret agents retracted their swords.

Lian Huozheng released Ming Dao, who was caught by three secret agents.

Ming Onji's eyes gleamed.

'Now!'

Boom!

She immediately charged at Lian Huozheng with incredible speed.

At the same time, Lian Huozheng's body blurred like a mist.

'Huh!'

Ming Onji was startled. As if he had anticipated her move, Lian Huozheng was also charging at her.

The speed of his approach was beyond imagination. The moment he pushed off, he was already half a yard away.

Boom!

Ming Onji's body flew backward.

The impact was not severe. Her martial art focused on the technique of grafting, making her immune to most attacks.

What surprised her was not Lian Huozheng's strength but the attack itself.

'Body ramming?'

To send a person flying with such a reckless charge?

'What kind of strength...?'

It didn't stop there.

Boom!

After sending Ming Onji flying, he turned and charged at the last secret agent, moving as smoothly as flowing water.

In an instant, he closed the distance and swung his massive axe.

Swoosh!

The sword broke with a single strike.

The startled secret agent dropped his sword and tried to use a palm strike.

Bang!

"Choke!"

The secret agent collapsed on the spot. The shockwave from his shoulder shattered his bones.

It was the Lian family's martial art, the Continuous Linked Whip. How he used it while swinging a massive axe and in a compromised stance was beyond comprehension.

"Capture him!"

Swish!

The secret agents moved smoothly and agilely, approaching Lian Huozheng without making a sound.

As they closed in again, Ming Onji gathered her inner energy from behind, waiting for the decisive moment.

At that moment,

'...!!'

Ming Onji's expression changed when she saw Lian Huozheng glance at her.

'This guy...?'

Rumble! Bang!

The strike that broke the sword was not his full power.

In the midst of everyone charging at him, he swung his axe mercilessly, the shockwave preventing the secret agents from getting close.

'Does he know our tactics?!'

Crack!

It didn't stop there.

After making everyone hesitate, he charged at a secret agent who was at a suitable distance and thrust his axe.

An axe is a weapon for slashing, not thrusting. However, with a weight of eighty catties, it was a terrifying attack in itself.

Crack!

The secret agent flew away, spewing blood without even a scream. Given the weight of the axe, several ribs must have been broken. It was fortunate he didn't die instantly.

However, this strike exposed a weakness. The secret agents swung their swords at Lian Huozheng's back.

Lian Huozheng's eyes glowed with a fierce light.

Swoosh!

It was like a typhoon had struck.

With a single swing, ten swords broke like twigs.

Ming Onji felt a chill run down her spine.

'How is this possible!'

The martial art was beyond imagination, with overwhelming power.

Usually, the children of prestigious families or high-level martial artists didn't use axes. Not only did they look unsightly, but a single sword could deliver a heavy attack.

Thus, skilled martial artists who used heavy weapons were rare. Axes were often used by bandits with some martial arts training.

However, Lian Huozheng was different.

Bang! Bang!

He pressed down with crushing force, pushed away with the shaft, thrust to break bones, and delivered palm strikes to knock people down.

He freely adjusted the center of gravity of the axe and used his fists and feet when necessary. He didn't just stab with the blade but used the broad side to incapacitate opponents.

It was a whirlwind.

Lian Huozheng seemed to have become a giant tornado. The secret agents, who had charged at him like they were possessed, were scattered and fell like leaves in the wind.

'Ah!'

Seeing an opening, Ming Onji hesitated.

The moment she moved, Lian Huozheng's eyes met hers.

She had no idea how many times this had happened. It was as if he could see through their tactics.

'What are you, you bastard?!'

At that moment,

"Damn it!"

Bang!

Ming Dao charged with a ghostly expression.

"I'll tear you apart!"

Lian Huozheng's eyes blazed with fury.

After sending a secret agent flying with a punch, he poured his inner energy into the axe.

Rumble!

A clear blue aura enveloped the axe blade.

Ming Onji shouted.

"Ming Dao!!"

Lian Huozheng's axe moved like lightning.

Bang!

Ming Dao's body split diagonally.

Thud!

His upper body, unable to withstand the force, hit a tree and fell to the ground.

Thud.

His lower body, still moving as if trying to take a step, soon collapsed.

Splat!

A large amount of blood spurted out. His intestines spilled onto the ground from the split body.

"......!!"

Silence fell.

Lian Huozheng frowned.

'No choice.'

He had hoped to avoid killing. But he couldn't let someone who was genuinely trying to kill him go.

Ming Onji's eyes shook uncontrollably.

"You... do you know what you've done?!"

Boom!

A secret agent flew through the air and hung from a tree branch.

Now, only one secret agent remained. Including Ming Onji, only two were left from the secret squad.

Lian Huozheng, holding his axe on his shoulder, said coldly.

"Shall we continue?"

Swoosh.

Ming Onji's eyes finally filled with killing intent.

Lian Huozheng had crossed a line he shouldn't have. While incapacitating someone was one thing, he had killed a member of a prestigious family in a gruesome manner.

But even in this moment, Ming Onji thought as the leader of the secret squad.

'He's strong. I don't know if I can win if he uses that technique, but a direct confrontation is impossible otherwise.'

However, they were in a forest. There were no trees around the bonfire, but beyond three yards, the trees were dense.

Ming Onji made her decision.

"An Qi! Meet up with the remaining five and head to the branch!"

Bang!

The remaining agent headed west.

At the same time, a golden light emanated from Ming Onji's body, a much higher level of energy than what Ming Dao had emitted.

Boom!

She extended a palm with a powerful surge of energy.

Bang!

The sound of the explosion was followed by Lian Huozheng's sleeve being torn off.

It was an incredible force, a martial art several levels higher than Ming Dao's palm strike.

Boom!

Ming Onji charged.

Lian Huozheng's eyes gleamed.

'As expected, she's fast.'

The secret squad's tactics were simple yet effective.

All members would charge and subdue the target. If they couldn't, they would distract and create an opening for Ming Onji to ambush.

A simple but effective strategy, made even more so by Ming Onji's gentle demeanor and aura.

However, when it came to individual combat, Ming Onji showed a greater level of skill than when coordinating with others.

This was proven in their previous encounters.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Swoosh!

She was fast.

With elegant, peacock-like movements, she delivered lightning-fast palm and fist strikes, each one carrying lethal force.

Lian Huozheng gripped the shaft of the axe with both hands.

Bang! Bang!

His axe was equally fast.

The fierce strikes, like a storm, were life-threatening. More impressively, he showed no openings while wielding such a large weapon.

Bang!

'Huff!'

Ming Onji's back hit a tree.

'To pierce through!'

Her left hand was covered in blood. She had tried to deflect the iron axe but was injured by its immense destructive power.

It was not a strike she could easily deflect. In terms of offensive power, he was a level above her.

"Damn!"

Ming Onji ran into the forest.

Lian Huozheng followed her.

Ming Onji's eyes gleamed.

'Yes, come after me.'

In an open area, she was at a disadvantage, but in a dense forest, it was different.

The iron axe was not only heavy but also long. As a heavy and long weapon, it would be difficult to use its full power in a forest with trees everywhere.

Moreover, he had already exhausted some of his energy by taking down the secret squad. It was a fight where the scales were tipping in her favor.

Boom!

After running thirty yards, Ming Onji finally turned around, planning to ambush him from behind the largest tree nearby.

'Fool! I'll end this here...'

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

Whoosh!

Her view was blocked by the tree, but she could see a blue aura spreading like lightning on either side.

Boom!

The massive tree exploded as if hit by a cannon.

Through the gap, Lian Huozheng appeared, lifting his massive iron axe with a terrifying gaze.

"Is this the best tactic you could choose?"

"......?!"

"Your head is useless for intelligence."