Chapter 56

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

Amidst the fluttering cherry blossoms, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written inside.

---

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

The sword light was blinding, released and retracted instantly, and a beast fell dead to the ground.

Chen Zong dug out the beast's single horn and put it in his bag. Looking ahead, he could vaguely see the outline of a city in the distance.

"Finally, I can see it," Chen Zong smiled.

In total, he had spent about a month in the mountains, almost turning into a wild man.

Eager to return, Chen Zong moved quickly. Even without using the Wind Step technique, each step contained a bit of its essence, making his movements swift and light without depleting his vital energy.

The further down he went, the fewer beasts he encountered. If he did, they were mostly low-level beasts that couldn't withstand his sword.

Finally, he reached the foot of the mountain. After a brief rest, Chen Zong left the forest and quickly headed toward the city.

Stepping onto the main road, Chen Zong confirmed that the city ahead was indeed Fengwu City, as he had walked this road several times and remembered it well.

There were few people on the main road, mostly martial artists. Some walked alone, exuding a terrifying aura, while others moved in groups, either just descending from the mountains like Chen Zong or about to enter them.

Six figures approached from ahead. As they passed Chen Zong, one of them suddenly stopped.

"Stop!" a voice roared, "I finally found you. Grab him!"

Chen Zong turned to see the man who looked familiar. It was the young master of a gang he had encountered before at the entrance of the Martial Proof Tower, when he had participated in the Tang Junluo Ascension Meeting. The man had been blocked by the Tang family's guards.

Two young men beside the young master of the Fine Rain Gang immediately approached Chen Zong with sinister grins. Chen Zong could sense their vital energy, which was not stronger than his own, indicating they were at the Fourth or Fifth Layer of the Vital Energy Realm. The young master was also at this level, while the other three had more powerful vital energy, possibly at the Sixth Layer.

Other martial artists passed by in the distance, merely watching without intervening.

"Stop," Chen Zong said, his eyes cold as a flash of sword light appeared.

"You dare to resist? Grab him, I'll break his limbs and throw him to the beasts in the mountains," the young master of the Fine Rain Gang sneered, his tone vicious.

The two Fifth Layer gang members burst into action, attacking from both sides with claw-like hands that shattered the air, aiming for Chen Zong's shoulders.

Chen Zong's body flickered, making their claws miss. His sword trembled and struck their faces, sending them flying with swollen cheeks.

"This is a warning. If you attack again, I will show no mercy," Chen Zong said firmly. He didn't want to kill unless there was a major conflict, but if they insisted on attacking, he would not hold back.

"You're useless. Both of you, attack him," the young master of the Fine Rain Gang said, his face dark, angrily ordering the two Sixth Layer gang members.

They immediately rushed forward. One drew a sword, the blade slicing from an odd angle, while the other's legs moved like a whirlwind, creating a roaring sound.

The two Fifth Layer gang members, with their swollen faces, also attacked again, their claws even more vicious.

Chen Zong took a deep breath, his brows relaxing, but a glint of killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"Since you seek death, I will grant it to you," he murmured. The sword light flickered, like the screech of an eagle and the rumble of thunder, splitting into four beams, each targeting one of the four attackers.

The two Sixth Layer gang members defended and counterattacked, but the two Fifth Layer gang members didn't even have time to react. Their throats were pierced, and they were killed instantly.

"Kill him," the young master of the Fine Rain Gang shouted, his face pale with shock. The middle-aged man beside him was furious.

A long sword slashed toward Chen Zong, the blade blinding and the sound sharp, making his scalp tingle. The legs moved like a whirlwind, stirring up dust, clearly techniques of the Lower Rank Human Level.

Chen Zong's eyes were sharp, and he saw through the flaws in their techniques. Both were only at the First Level of Minor Mastery.

He moved his feet like the wind, dodging the leg techniques and facing the sword.

He drew his sword!

The Swift Sword Technique!

The sword light condensed into a single line, blinding and impossible to look at directly. The speed was incredible, piercing the air with a series of swift strikes.

The sword tip struck the flaws in the sword technique, shattering the blade.

The fifth strike came, finding a gap and piercing the throat at a speed the opponent couldn't react to, leaving a red mark.

"What!" the young master of the Fine Rain Gang's eyes widened in disbelief. He could sense the vital energy of the Fifth Layer, yet the man had so easily killed a Sixth Layer martial artist.

Could he be a genius from a powerful family?

Chen Zong's continuous breakthroughs in sword technique, his experiences on the brink of death, and his progress in cultivation had all contributed to his strength. From barely being able to match a Sixth Layer martial artist, he could now easily kill one, a significant improvement.

The Explosive Sword Technique!

The sword struck like a cannon, unstoppable, tearing through the whirlwind of the leg technique and striking directly, destroying everything in its path.

This strike was more powerful than the Great Division of Light and Shadow.

Even a Sixth Layer martial artist couldn't resist, especially when their technique was found to have flaws.

The sword pierced the heart, emerging from the back.

In just a few breaths, two Fifth Layer and two Sixth Layer martial artists were all killed by Chen Zong.

The young master of the Fine Rain Gang was horrified. Pointing at Chen Zong, he said to the last person, "A San, kill him."

"Young Master, this person might be a genius from a powerful family," the middle-aged man said solemnly.

The Fine Rain Gang was a small gang in Fengwu City. The strongest member, the gang leader, was at the Ninth Layer of the Vital Energy Realm, which was only the level of an attendant in the five major families. Compared to the three great noble families and the five major families, the Fine Rain Gang was like an ant.

If the person was indeed a genius from a powerful family, killing him could bring disaster to the Fine Rain Gang.

"A San, you are the guard my father sent to protect me. How dare you disobey my orders!" the young master of the Fine Rain Gang shouted.

"Yes, Young Master," A San responded, his face changing. He took a step toward Chen Zong, his vital energy flowing through his body, emitting a powerful aura.

"Vital Energy Realm Seventh Layer!" Chen Zong's face was serious.

"You should blame yourself for provoking the young master," A San said, taking a step toward Chen Zong, drawing a black iron rod from his waist. His aura grew stronger, increasing the pressure on Chen Zong. Suddenly, he lunged forward, the black iron rod smashing down like a meteor, creating a shocking impact.

The wind roared, and the pressure was overwhelming. Chen Zong felt he couldn't breathe.

"Vital Energy Realm Seventh Layer, I will test the power of the Heavenly Light and Cloud Shadow Sword on you," Chen Zong thought, his vital energy and physical strength bursting forth.

There was still the young master, so Chen Zong couldn't use his full strength.

Eighty percent!

The light was intense, covering four meters ahead, casting shadows and creating a blinding effect, making the Seventh Layer martial artist's eyes white and watery.

Unable to see, the target was lost, but the strike was still vicious, only to miss.

Before he could react, a sharp pain spread from his chest, and he felt as if his body was being cut in half.

The light faded, and the young master of the Fine Rain Gang saw a body lying in a pool of blood, his guard A San, with a diagonal sword wound on his chest, almost cutting him in half.

"You... you... you actually killed A San..." the young master of the Fine Rain Gang was terrified. A San was his main support, and he had been killed by a single strike. Seeing Chen Zong approach with a murderous intent, his face turned pale.

"I will kill you too," Chen Zong said, suppressing the discomfort from using eighty percent of his strength, and quickened his pace.

Since he had already killed five, one more wouldn't matter, especially the instigator.

"Don't come closer..." the young master of the Fine Rain Gang was almost scared to death. He was only at the Fourth Layer of the Vital Energy Realm, and even A San at the Seventh Layer had been killed. How could he be a match? "I am the young master of the Fine Rain Gang. If you kill me, my father won't let you go."

"My name is Chen Zong. You should have heard of it," Chen Zong said with a slight smile. Indeed, the young master's face changed when he heard the name.

"Chen Zong... Chen Zong of the Chen family... Chen Zong, the True Sword of the Four Young Heroes of Fengwu..." the young master of the Fine Rain Gang trembled.

"You shouldn't have provoked me," Chen Zong said, taking a step forward and closing the distance as the young master retreated. The precious iron sword flashed like a bolt of lightning, moving incredibly fast.

Sheathing the sword, the young master of the Fine Rain Gang's eyes were filled with fear, a red mark on his throat, and blood trickled down.

One strike, and he was dead!

After killing the enemies, it was time to collect the spoils. From the six bodies, Chen Zong found a thousand money tickets, three purple jade coins, five red jade coins, and fifty white jade coins, as well as over twenty energy pills, seven beast blood pills, and some dry rations, mostly from the young master of the Fine Rain Gang.

The dry rations were useless to Chen Zong, so he threw them away, keeping the rest.

He took two energy pills and one beast blood pill, feeling a warm flow restoring his strength and vital energy. He then walked quickly toward Fengwu City.

A few people had witnessed the battle, which was short but shocking.

"It's actually Chen Zong, the True Sword!"

"I didn't expect it to be him. His strength is terrifying. He can kill a Seventh Layer martial artist with a single strike. It's unbelievable."

"I remember Chen Zong only broke through to the Fourth Layer of the Vital Energy Realm less than a year ago. Could his cultivation have already reached the Seventh Layer?"

"Absolutely not. The strength of his vital energy when he burst forth was at most at the Sixth Layer."

"The person killed was the only son of the Fine Rain Gang's leader. This will be interesting."

"I don't think so. Chen Zong is a member of the Chen family and one of the Four Young Heroes of Fengwu. Compared to the Chen family, the Fine Rain Gang is like a kitten to a tiger. They won't dare to provoke them. These six people will have died in vain."

Amidst the amazed analysis of the crowd, Chen Zong saw the city gates of Fengwu City.