Chapter 20

The human eye is one of the most important organs. The nerves in the eyes are extremely dense, and if the eyes are injured, a martial artist's combat power will definitely be greatly reduced, or even completely lost.

Blood is hot and generally alkaline. Once it enters the eyes, it can corrode the nerves inside, causing temporary blindness or even eye injury.

Jiang Yi endured the punch from the third-stage Cauldron Formation Realm martial artist, just to get closer to Jiang Ruhu more quickly, and to spray him with blood at this moment. This was a bold gamble, as the strength of a third-stage Cauldron Formation Realm martial artist had already reached the power of three horses. If that punch hadn't been slightly slowed down at the critical moment, Jiang Yi's back bones would have been broken. Moreover, if Jiang Ruhu hadn't rashly rushed up but continued to dodge, all his efforts would have been in vain.

"Great opportunity!"

Jiang Yi spat out a bit of blood from his mouth, and in mid-air, he forcibly controlled his body. Yuan energy flowed through his fist as he aimed for Jiang Ruhu's head. Having created such a good opportunity, he would be a fool not to seize it.

"Phantom Fist!"

He shouted, and his fist transformed into three phantom fists, striking Jiang Ruhu's head, left shoulder, and abdomen.

Jiang Ruhu's eyes were temporarily blinded, and they felt as if they were being burned by fire. Upon hearing the "Phantom Fist," his heart sank. He had wanted to resist, but now he could only wildly swing his arms to protect his head.

Black light flowed in Jiang Yi's eyes, and he could clearly see all of Jiang Ruhu's movements. He easily judged the trajectory of his attacks and, with a fist infused with a thread of black yuan energy, struck heavily on Jiang Ruhu's left shoulder.

"Boom!"

Jiang Ruhu's bulky body flew backward, crashing into a small tree several yards away, and then rebounded, rolling on the ground a few times.

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Yi also fell to the ground, but he immediately sprang up like a leopard and rushed toward Jiang Ruhu.

He knew very well that to leave the mountain unscathed today, he had to subdue Jiang Ruhu and intimidate everyone. He had already used three threads of black yuan energy, and once it was completely exhausted, he would be at the mercy of his enemies.

"Whoosh!"

The surrounding people also reacted, all rushing over with fierce looks. Their leader had been ambushed, and they dared not stand idly by. If Jiang Ruhu found out later, they would be in big trouble.

"Snake Whip Kick!"

Jiang Yi's legs, like a venomous snake, lashed out at Jiang Ruhu's body, delivering a storm of continuous kicks, all aimed at his limbs. Each kick, though not infused with black yuan energy, was powerful enough to break bones. Jiang Ruhu's two hands and one leg were instantly broken, and he rolled on the ground, screaming in pain.

"Jiang Yi, you dare!"

"Jiang Yi, how dare you break Tiger Brother's hands and legs today? You're dead!"

"Brat, take this..."

Seeing Jiang Yi's ruthless attack, the pursuers were both angry and frightened, accelerating their pace, and yuan energy flowed through their bodies as they attacked from three sides.

"Hmph!"

Jiang Yi sneered, not retreating, but instead grabbed Jiang Ruhu's remaining good leg and swung his bulky body around, using him to sweep at the crowd.

"Ah!"

"Back... don't hurt Tiger Brother!"

"Brat, you, you dare to use Tiger Brother as a weapon?"

Seeing Jiang Yi swing Jiang Ruhu around, everyone was terrified and quickly retreated, fearing that their attack would kill Jiang Ruhu before it even hurt Jiang Yi.

"Jiang Yi, you're finished, you're dead! If you have the guts, kill me, or I swear I'll tear you into pieces!"

Jiang Ruhu, blinded and with his hands and one leg broken, felt himself being swung around like a club. His head scraped the ground twice, and he was furious. How could he maintain his status as the leader in front of so many subordinates?

"Bang!"

Jiang Yi's expression was cold, and he showed no change. Hearing Jiang Ruhu's words, he swung him around and slammed him to the ground.

"If you don't want Tiger Brother to die, step back immediately!"

Ignoring Jiang Ruhu's screams, Jiang Yi locked his gaze on the surrounding crowd. His mouth still had a trace of blood, and his cold expression made him look even more intimidating.

"Jiang Yi, release Tiger Brother, and I'll spare your life!"

"Right! Jiang Yi, release Tiger Brother immediately, or if anything happens to him, you're dead!"

"Jiang Yi, release Tiger Brother quickly, or it will be a big problem..."

No one was willing to retreat. Who dared to retreat and face Jiang Ruhu's wrath later? Everyone was afraid, seeing Jiang Ruhu's pitiful state, and they all tried to persuade him, fearing a major incident.

"Bang!"

In response, Jiang Yi swung Jiang Ruhu high and slammed him to the ground again. A cruel smile played on his lips, and he coldly asked, "Will you retreat?"

The crowd hesitated, caught between advancing and retreating. Jiang Yi swung Jiang Ruhu again, and his body drew a beautiful arc in the air before slamming to the ground.

"Will you retreat?"

"Will you retreat?"

"Will you retreat?"

He repeatedly asked, each time swinging Jiang Ruhu and slamming him to the ground. After several rounds, Jiang Ruhu was bloodied and unconscious, his head broken and his breathing shallow.

"Retreat, retreat! Retreat!"

Everyone was frightened by Jiang Yi's ferocity, fearing he might really kill Jiang Ruhu. If that happened, Jiang Yi would be dead, and they would be severely punished by the family. One person started to retreat, and the rest quickly followed, all staring in fear at the fierce Jiang Yi, wondering if this was the same meek and useless Jiang Yi they knew. How could he be so terrifying when he got angry?

"Phew..."

Once everyone retreated, Jiang Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Today, he had intimidated everyone, ensuring his safety. Otherwise, he would have been beaten to death by the crowd.

Looking at the limp Jiang Ruhu, Jiang Yi felt a sense of satisfaction. After being bullied by these people in the Jiang family for so many years, he had finally taken some revenge.

He pondered for a moment, then released Jiang Ruhu's leg and stepped on his bloodied head, leaning in and whispering, "Jiang Ruhu, do you know what realm I am in now? Do you know why I could punch Jiang Ruying away? Do you know why I dare to treat you like this? Let me tell you the truth: I wanted to make a big deal out of this, to let the entire Jiang family know... I, Jiang Yi, am not a waste! You are the waste!"

After saying this, Jiang Yi stepped on Jiang Ruhu's remaining good leg and kicked him away with one leg. He then scanned the crowd and shouted, "Within half an hour, treat Jiang Ruhu, or he will surely die! Remember, when you see me, you must avoid me. Anyone who dares to provoke me will have Jiang Ruhu as an example."

With that, Jiang Yi shot down the mountain. All the Jiang family members, intimidated by his presence, dared not intercept him, and many looked at his back with fear.

"What are you waiting for? Carry me and Tiger Brother down the mountain for treatment. If Tiger Brother dies, we will all die! Ah, Jiang Yi, I will tear you to pieces..."

The crowd was still watching Jiang Yi leave when a furious roar echoed, coming from Jiang Ruying, whose leg had been broken by Jiang Yi.

"Quick, quick! Carry Tiger Brother!"

"Quickly report to the family's Punishment Hall and the Chief Steward!"

"Right... report to the Chief Steward and the Punishment Hall, and have Jiang Yi executed..."

The crowd hurriedly carried Jiang Ruhu and Jiang Ruying down the mountain, all shouting angrily, wishing to tear Jiang Yi to pieces to avenge their humiliation.

"No... no... don't tell my father... don't tell the family!"

Halfway down the mountain, Jiang Ruhu finally regained his breath and weakly said, "Jiang Yi... his strength has improved so quickly... don't... wait for my brother to return... I want him dead... everyone remember, today's incident... say it was a battle with the Ma family..."

Jiang Ruhu's voice was intermittent, and the crowd looked puzzled. Was Jiang Ruhu's head injured? He was beaten so badly and still wanted to cover for Jiang Yi?

"Right! That's correct! Don't tell the family!"

Jiang Ruying quickly realized and shouted, "Jiang Yi's strength has improved so much. If the family finds out, they won't blame him but will value him! They might even grant him the status of a core disciple. Then we will be oppressed by him for life, and we won't be able to take revenge. Tiger Brother is right. We must all keep this a secret and say it was a battle with the Ma family. It's not the first time. Once Brother Long returns from the Martial Hall, we'll have him deal with Jiang Yi!"

"Brother Long?"

The crowd shuddered, nodding in agreement. Brother Long was Jiang Ruhu's older brother, Jiang Rulong, who ranked second among the young generation in the family, having reached the seventh stage of the Cauldron Formation Realm. He had recently gone into seclusion in the Martial Hall with the eldest son, Jiang Henshui. If he heard that Jiang Ruhu had been beaten so badly, he would surely be furious and kill Jiang Yi.

Jiang Ruying's eyes flickered, and he quickly coordinated with the crowd to ensure their stories matched, avoiding any discrepancies when they returned. The crowd conversed in low voices as they quickly descended the mountain and headed for the Jiang family compound.

"Phew..."

Once everyone disappeared from the mountain, a weak figure emerged from the halfway point, his face relaxed.

The words he whispered in Jiang Ruhu's ear had indeed worked!

Jiang Yi had never intended to make a big deal out of this, letting the entire family know about his rapid improvement. He had deliberately "reminded" Jiang Ruhu not to spread the news.

A mysterious nameless cultivation technique had appeared in his mind, allowing him to cultivate bizarre black yuan energy. He didn't want everyone to know about such a strange thing. Most importantly, Elder Liu's death had left him with a faint worry, fearing severe punishment from the family. A cultivator was crucial to a small family.

"Jiang Rulong? Hmph! What I lack most now is time. If Jiang Rulong remains in seclusion for one or two months, who knows who will win when he faces me?"

Thinking about how the black yuan energy could quickly break the runes on the seal and speed up cultivation, Jiang Yi's eyes lit up. After resting for a moment, he quickly descended the mountain.