Chapter 94

In the quiet of the night, the arrival of a large group from the Heaven and Earth Society shattered the tranquility of the darkness.

Top-notch martial artists strained to pull their bowstrings, and arrows as swift as meteors whistled through the air, their cold gleam piercing the night and taking the lives of the living.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh* *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh* *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh* Over a hundred sharp arrows pierced the throats of the Juling Sect disciples, the barbed wolf-tooth arrows nailing the weaker disciples to the walls.

The arrows shot by the top-notch martial artists left trails of eerie red, and the smell of blood filled the night air. Stepping Cloud, riding his horse, breathed in the cold air, which carried the scent of fresh blood. He took a deep breath, and the smell of blood entered his chest, stirring a thirst for blood in his soul.

In an instant, with this round of arrows, all the disciples guarding the entrance of the Juling Sect lay in pools of blood. Stepping Cloud, still on his horse, leaped off and shouted, striking the gate with both palms. The move "Flowing Clouds" unleashed a stream of true qi, and with a *boom*, the gate of the Juling Sect was shattered.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society, riding their swift horses, followed Stepping Cloud into the Juling Manor.

With a cold expression, Stepping Cloud waved his hand and shouted, "Leave no one alive!"

"Understood!" the members of the Heaven and Earth Society responded, drawing their ghost-head sabers and charging in all directions.

This loud noise marked the beginning of the invasion.

Wei Wudi, a master of innate martial arts, having arranged for the safety of his wife and children, emerged with a double-bladed battle axe over three meters long and weighing five hundred pounds. He roared, "Who dares to act so recklessly in my Juling Sect!"

Stepping Cloud, looking at the giant man holding the battle axe, knew this was Wei Wudi, the leader of the Juling Sect. The main opponent had arrived.

Stepping Cloud, still on his horse, let go of the reins, gathered his internal energy, and struck with both palms, sending a powerful force toward his opponent. He shouted, "Raining Clouds and Stormy Winds," the third move of the Cloud-Parting Palm, attacking the enemy with a rapid, overwhelming force like a storm.

To his surprise, Wei Wudi remained unmoved, raising his battle axe high and chopping down with the force of splitting Mount Hua. Although the battle axe was not one of the ten divine weapons, it was still a rare and powerful weapon. The axe unleashed a massive aura of energy toward Stepping Cloud.

With a *boom*, the aura broke through Stepping Cloud's palm force, and with no reduction in power, the translucent aura continued toward Stepping Cloud. Stepping Cloud's eyes narrowed, and he leaped off the horse.

A *whoosh* of wind, and the massive aura split Stepping Cloud's horse in two.

Stepping Cloud, in mid-air, watched this devastating strike and felt his blood boil. "Strength over technique? Indeed formidable!" he muttered.

In the air, Stepping Cloud used the fifth move of the Cloud-Parting Palm, "Dark Clouds Obscuring the Sun," striking down from above with a powerful force aimed at Wei Wudi's head. Stepping Cloud knew that Wei Wudi's martial arts were a full realm higher than his own. If he relied on the hundreds of top-notch martial artists of the Heaven and Earth Society to wear down the opponent, it would not be difficult, but this was not his intention. He wanted to use the opponent to understand the realm of innate martial arts.

Despite his bulky appearance, Wei Wudi gripped the axe handle and swung it upward, sending an aura of energy toward Stepping Cloud. Stepping Cloud was taken aback; he had not expected Wei Wudi to be so strong. If his move had hit Wei Wudi's head, it would have killed him, but the aura from the axe could also tear him apart. Stepping Cloud had to withdraw his palms and land steadily.

"I don't kill nameless soldiers! Who are you?" Wei Wudi asked in a deep voice.

Stepping Cloud, on guard, replied, "Stepping Cloud!"

Hearing this, Wei Wudi was stunned. Stepping Cloud, one of the three disciples of Xiong Ba, was a well-known figure, even though he had never entered the martial world. With Xiong Ba, a martial genius, teaching him the three supreme skills, his martial arts were naturally formidable.

"Hmph, it seems Xiong Ba plans to move against the Five Sects and Seven Schools? Boy, if Xiong Ba himself came, I would fear him, but you? You're just asking for death," Wei Wudi said arrogantly.

Innate martial artists have their own dignity. From Stepping Cloud's first move, Wei Wudi had gauged his strength. There was a full realm difference between them, a gap not easily bridged.

Stepping Cloud naturally saw that Wei Wudi was underestimating him. He said coldly, "The one who will die is you! Because I have no attachments." This statement was ruthless, as the entire Juling Sect was now under the iron hooves of the Heaven and Earth Society, with cries of battle and screams of death echoing everywhere.

Wei Wudi knew that the Heaven and Earth Society had come prepared, with many experts, and the sound of the battle suggested at least a thousand people. Each one was a skilled fighter. In the past, the Juling Sect would not have feared such an attack, but now, with only a hundred top-notch martial artists and three hundred second-tier martial artists, the rest being old and weak, the Juling Sect was no match. The sudden attack had left the Juling Sect's disciples slaughtered.

Hearing these screams, Wei Wudi's eyes turned red, and he gripped his battle axe tightly, roaring, "Heaven and Earth Society! You've gone too far. Even if I die tonight, I'll take you with me!" He then charged at Stepping Cloud with his battle axe.

A cold smile appeared on Stepping Cloud's lips. His words were meant to provoke the opponent. In a real fight, he had no chance of winning. He could only disrupt the opponent's mind to gain a slight advantage. Although the odds were slim, it was enough for Stepping Cloud.

Stepping Cloud gathered his energy, using the unique steps of the Cloud-Parting Palm to attack.

For a moment, the palm force and the aura of energy collided fiercely, the shockwaves shattering stone benches and flowers. Wei Wudi, like a金刚 (diamond-bodied warrior), though struck by several of Stepping Cloud's palms, showed no signs of injury. However, each swing of his battle axe almost killed Stepping Cloud.

Stepping Cloud could only rely on the Cloud-Parting Palm and his agile steps to evade. When he used the ninth move, "Clouds Without Fixed Form," Wei Wudi smiled coldly, recognizing the pattern. He knew this move used the yin and yang energies to strike the enemy with great force. However, Stepping Cloud was only at the peak of the top-notch martial artist realm, not yet reaching the innate realm. The move, though skillful, could not deal a fatal blow.

Wei Wudi protected his head, enduring the move, and then swung his battle axe, sending an aura of energy toward Stepping Cloud's waist. If this axe hit, Stepping Cloud would be split in two.

In the critical moment, Stepping Cloud instinctively felt death approaching. The cold battle axe emitted a deathly aura. Stepping Cloud twisted his waist, narrowly avoiding the axe, but the aura of energy could not be avoided.

A *whoosh* of air, and the massive aura swept past Stepping Cloud's waist. Stepping Cloud endured the pain, stepping back several steps. *Huff, huff, huff* He clutched the wound on his waist, breathing heavily. The quick attack had not injured the opponent much but had left a wound over a foot long on his waist.

If it weren't for the years of training and pushing his body to its limits, forcing out his potential, and the breakthroughs in his reflexes and coordination, he would not have been able to avoid the axe.

Biting his lip, cold sweat dripped from Stepping Cloud's forehead.

Wei Wudi stared at the young man in front of him, surprised that he had managed to evade such a critical attack. At his age, to have such strength, if given time, he would surely break through to the innate realm.

But with his injury, Stepping Cloud was destined to die under Wei Wudi's axe tonight.

"Hmph! You're quite good, managing to evade, but that's as far as you go! Die!" Wei Wudi roared, charging at Stepping Cloud with his battle axe.

In the critical moment, the fear of death spread in Stepping Cloud's heart. *Thump, thump, thump* He could hear his own heartbeat, the sound of fear.

Blood flowed from Stepping Cloud's waist, and his face turned pale. But with his stubborn nature, he bit his tongue to stay alert.

"I can't die, I can't die! I haven't avenged my enemies, I haven't killed Xiong Ba, I can't die!!!" Stepping Cloud repeatedly told himself.

When fear reached its limit, it no longer existed. Stepping Cloud became as calm as water, and an invisible aura spread from him. Under the threat of death, he had broken through the thin barrier, reaching the innate realm.

Wei Wudi was also affected by this invisible aura, his movements slowing and his attack pausing.

If Li She were here, he would marvel at the power of the world's will. Stepping Cloud was truly a favorite of the world, a protagonist with great fortune. Breaking through at the brink of death relied not only on martial arts foundations but also on great fortune. Not everyone could break through when death was near.

Stepping Cloud touched the blood on his waist, gathering it in his palms. The Cloud-Parting Palm, when combined with water, could unleash great power. He shouted, "Cloudy Paradise," his palms appearing weak but actually powerful. The eleventh move of the Cloud-Parting Palm transformed the powerful force into a gentle one, enveloping the enemy in a cloud of mist, creating illusions and making the opponent see their greatest fears. This was the moment to strike the fatal blow.

In an instant, the blood on Stepping Cloud's palms turned into a red mist, enveloping Wei Wudi. Stepping Cloud seemed to merge with the red mist.

Trapped in the red mist, Wei Wudi suddenly found Stepping Cloud's presence gone. Even with his innate senses, he could not locate Stepping Cloud.

At that moment, a silent palm struck Wei Wudi's forehead. Stepping Cloud, using all his internal energy, struck with the force of a flood, sending his energy through his palm.

"Too fast..." Wei Wudi muttered, collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

A gentle breeze dispersed the red mist, and Stepping Cloud, drained of internal energy, fell to the ground. Blood still flowed from his waist.

"Victory! Haha, the innate realm, is this the feeling?" Stepping Cloud muttered, his eyelids growing heavy, and he fell unconscious.

With Wei Wudi's death, the Juling Sect crumbled under the iron hooves of the Heaven and Earth Society. All 728 members of the Juling Sect were killed.

Stepping Cloud was naturally rescued by the members of the Heaven and Earth Society. As a favorite of fortune, how could he die from such injuries? Years of training had made his recovery astonishing. In just over ten days, Stepping Cloud was able to walk, his waist wrapped in thick bandages. (To be continued)