Chapter 48

As the man was struck down, the dozens of Iron Knife Society soldiers around him were all enraged to the point of tearing their eyes and brows. However, some of their faces also showed a hint of fear.

Zhuang Wudao's momentum was too terrifying. The two Marrow Cultivation realm experts, who were among the top five in the society's combat strength, couldn't even withstand a single palm from the person in front of them. So how could they fare any better?

"Such overwhelming dominance—"

Behind the wall of people, Feng San was stunned into silence, his face blank. He was taller and, though he hadn't seen the two of them clash, he knew that Jiang Yuan and his other right-hand man, Zhang Feng, had already been killed by a single palm from Zhuang Wudao.

However, Zhuang Wudao suddenly burst into the wall of people, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Changing his palm to a fist, he resumed his previous fighting style. Zhuang Wudao still took one step and threw one punch, and each punch would hit someone. Those hit would be thrown flying, and when they landed, they would inevitably crush others, blood gushing from their seven orifices, unable to fight any longer. His momentum was like a thunderbolt, and no one could stand against him.

Though the shadows of swords surrounded Zhuang Wudao, and there were no shortage of hidden weapons, none of them could penetrate his inner armor, not even scratching him.

In just a few breaths, more than twenty people had died. Anyone who blocked Zhuang Wudao's path would be killed by a single punch, their internal organs shattered.

A mad tiger? For the first time, Feng San felt that Zhuang Wudao truly lived up to his nickname.

"What's going on?"

Hu Li was shorter and couldn't see the situation in front even on tiptoe. However, he could still see people being thrown from the crowd, landing several feet away, and getting closer, now less than ten feet away.

If Zhuang Wudao had been stopped by Jiang Yuan, it wouldn't have come to this.

"What else can be done? Jiang Yuan couldn't even withstand a single palm and was killed on the spot. That kid's strength is at least twenty oxen!"

Feng San's face turned ashen as he kept retreating, shouting, "Brothers, listen up! Whoever can kill this person today will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and a two-story house in the northern city! I will take care of the families of all the dead and injured, I promise! Fei Cheng, I've raised you for three years, not to stand idly by at a time like this! You can make your move! Test his skills! Is there really no one who can stop him?"

Hu Li's pupils also constricted as he retreated. Fortunately, the two hundred armored soldiers of the Thunder Dragon Gang had arrived, protecting both of them.

Feng San knew that Fei Cheng, one of the two Qi Cultivation realm experts in the Iron Knife Society, was skilled in swordsmanship. After arriving in Yuecheng, his opponents often died after ten sword strikes. Shen Quan had also wanted to recruit him, but Feng San had acted faster.

This was a true Qi Cultivation realm cultivator, not someone like Jiang Yuan. With him making a move, he would surely be able to stop Zhuang Wudao's unstoppable momentum.

Sure enough, a laugh was heard, and a figure in white, carrying a long sword, walked calmly toward the crowd in the midst of the battle.

Feng San, however, was not very reassured and instructed, "Be careful! This kid's strength is a bit strange. Just dampen his momentum and then retreat! Wang Ba, support Fei Cheng!"

Wang Ba, the other Qi Cultivation realm expert in the Iron Knife Society, was short and stocky, wielding a pair of eight-sided hammers, capable of fighting a hundred men.

Fei Cheng sneered, pushing aside the people around him and stepping into the battle. At this point, Zhuang Wudao was almost about to break through the formation again. Fei Cheng had only taken a few steps when he was face to face with Zhuang Wudao.

"Take my sword!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Fei Cheng drew his sword. A flash of blue light shot out, slicing through nearly ten feet of distance, aiming directly at Zhuang Wudao's left shoulder.

Zhuang Wudao's mind was pierced by the sword intent, and he instinctively squinted his eyes. This person not only had a fierce sword light but also a very cunning sword path. A layer of blue light floated above the sword tip.

Zhuang Wudao could ignore the surrounding weapons, but he couldn't ignore this sword.

In his current state, he might be able to withstand one strike from this person without injury. However, his silver-threaded inner armor would surely be destroyed.

Without hesitation, Zhuang Wudao changed his fist technique, his fingers clenching like a bird's beak. It was the 'Eagle Form Fist' from the Six Harmonies Xingyi Fist, which he subconsciously used.

After nearly twenty days of intense training, although he hadn't made all the movements of the Six Harmonies Xingyi Fist instinctive, he was already quite proficient in using them in battle. Before the sword tip reached him, he skillfully tapped the sword blade.

Instantly, the sword light scattered, losing its previous sharpness. The blue aura surrounding the sword blade also dissipated, no longer posing a threat.

The white-clad swordsman opposite him showed surprise, his eyes becoming more serious, but he still sneered.

"Your fist technique is indeed good! But how many more strikes can you withstand?"

Zhuang Wudao ignored him, intending to close the distance and get within two feet of his opponent when he retracted his sword. He would use his close-range techniques to defeat the enemy, leveraging his strengths against the opponent's weaknesses.

Yun'er's voice sounded in his mind, "Sword Master, this person is also using a sword. Can I handle it?"

Zhuang Wudao raised an eyebrow, hesitating. Today, he was thoroughly riled up, his blood boiling, and his fighting spirit was unprecedentedly high.

The white-clad swordsman in front of him was indeed skilled in swordsmanship and somewhat difficult to handle, but he wasn't someone Zhuang Wudao couldn't deal with. As long as he could get close, no matter how skilled the opponent's swordsmanship, it would be useless.

But Yun'er said again, "Just this one person! You don't lack people to practice your fist techniques with."

Her voice was soft and sweet, almost pleading.

Zhuang Wudao's expression was strange. Was this sword spirit pouting at him? But her voice and tone were truly pleasant to hear!

With a light 'clank,' his right hand delivered another eagle peck, dispersing the sword light.

However, this clash invigorated the surrounding Iron Knife Society members.

Zhuang Wudao couldn't advance even a step with two consecutive strikes. This person was not invincible!

Before Fei Cheng's third strike, Zhuang Wudao allowed the heat flowing from behind to surge into his body, spreading through his limbs and bones.

"Alright, as you wish! But just this one person."

Yun'er didn't reply, but a 'clang' sounded behind him as the long sword was drawn.

Then, a flash of light, invisible to the naked eye, appeared in front of Zhuang Wudao. The next moment, when he regained his senses, the heat flow had returned, and he wasn't holding a sword. However, a faint bloodline appeared on the forehead of the white-clad swordsman.

The bloodline then gradually expanded, and the white-clad swordsman's body split into two, falling to the sides.

Yun'er's sword strike and retraction happened in an instant, too fast for the naked eye to see. Yet, the white-clad swordsman, a Qi Cultivation realm expert, had been cleaved in two by this single strike!

The surrounding people were stunned, then clearly frightened by Zhuang Wudao's sword strike, they all retreated, scattering to the sides.

Behind the white-clad swordsman, a short, muscular man holding a purple-gold eight-sided hammer also looked incredulous, watching as Fei Cheng's body was split in two and fell to the sides.

After a brief, incredulous look at Zhuang Wudao, he immediately retreated, trying to put as much distance as possible between them.

Dozens of feet away, Feng San spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with terror.

"You damned thief! I'll curse your ancestors! Fei Cheng, Fei Cheng—"

His voice was filled with pain. Hu Li, though he couldn't empathize, was also stunned.

This time, he saw clearly that after two strikes, Fei Cheng had briefly stopped Zhuang Wudao. Then, the latter drew his sword and cleaved Fei Cheng in two!

Zhuang Wudao's expression was also grim. He wasn't sure if he could withstand a similar sword strike.

"What kind of sword technique is this?"

He naturally asked the sword spirit in his mind.

"It's not a sword technique, it's a sword-drawing technique, the art of drawing the sword!"

"A sword-drawing technique? The art of drawing the sword?"

Zhuang Wudao repeated it in his mind, feeling both surprised and doubtful. What kind of sword-drawing technique could have such power?

"Exactly! This is the only sword technique you can learn before reaching the Foundation Establishment realm. Your wrist joints are fixed, so you're not good at changes. The simpler the sword technique, the better. This sword-drawing technique is perfect for you. When the sword is drawn, it can decide life and death!"

Zhuang Wudao sighed inwardly. Was this sword spirit, Yun'er, trying to tempt him? How could he not be attracted by such sword power?

Originally, he had no interest in sword techniques, but now he was somewhat tempted. Having an additional skill was always good.

"Don't overthink it. I just haven't had a good sword fight in a long time, and I was feeling itchy."

The sword spirit, Yun'er, said leisurely, "Remember, when I was at my peak, no immortal in the world dared to draw a sword in front of me, except for a few. This person had a lot of nerve."

Zhuang Wudao was speechless, thinking, "You're just a sword spirit. Others probably didn't dare to draw their swords because of the owner of the Qingyun Sword at its peak, not because of you. Is this something to be proud of?"

While he was distracted by talking to Yun'er in his mind, his steps didn't stop. He took more than twenty steps and threw several more people.

His fist technique was more relaxed, and the Six Harmonies Xingyi Fist became more natural and fluid. As Yun'er had said, "A fist is not a fist, an intention is not an intention; in the absence of intention, there is true intention. The intention that arises from the heart is the intention, and the direction of the intention is the fist."

The fist precedes the intention, and the intention merges with the fist. Even while multitasking, it didn't hinder him. His punches were still unstoppable.

At this point, his momentum was established, and the Iron Knife Society members, facing him, couldn't even muster the courage to draw their weapons.

Not far away, the short, muscular man with the purple-gold eight-sided hammer, though also a Qi Cultivation realm cultivator, had lost his momentum after Zhuang Wudao cleaved Fei Cheng. In front of him, he could only use about seventy percent of his abilities.

It was said that ordinary martial artists fought with skills and bodies, while superior martial artists fought with momentum.

Zhuang Wudao understood this particularly well today.

The Iron Knife Society members had been scattered, but now there were more than two hundred people gathered, all wearing iron armor, looking spirited and fierce.