Chapter 50

"At least it was a force of thirty oxen, but this time it was a miscalculation."

Gu Yueming was more concerned about the stunning sword strike Zhuang Wudao had used to kill Fei Cheng just now.

Almost everyone had overlooked the ancient sword, with its broken handle, that Zhuang Wudao carried on his back. However, when the sword was drawn, it became clear that it was far from a mere decoration.

Before that sword strike, even Gu Yueming might not have been able to withstand its force and retreat unscathed!

He had clearly heard that this person's wrist joints were solid and not as flexible as a normal person's, and it seemed to be true. But why did he have such astonishing sword skills?

Zhuang Wudao swung the hooks and chains, sweeping and smashing to death over sixty people around him, which was shocking to the entire scene. However, in Gu Yueming's eyes, this was far less shocking than that one sword strike.

"Indeed, it was unexpected! My subordinates have probably lost their fighting spirit. One of the five Qi Practitioners has already fallen in battle."

Shen Quan frowned deeply, his expression gloomy. His private army of armored soldiers was one of his most relied-upon forces. After years of operation, they were the backbone of the Leilong Gang, known far and wide. However, he could not deny that the morale of these two hundred elite soldiers had been thoroughly shattered by Zhuang Wudao's punches and kicks. The fighting spirit was lost, and the will to fight was completely gone.

Thinking of this, Shen Quan clenched his fists tightly and said with a hint of reluctance, "This time, I fear I will have failed the young master. I am ashamed, Shen Quan!"

"Why be so? This time, Chief Shen has done your utmost, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Today, we could not detain Zhuang Wudao because the Gu Yu family miscalculated."

Gu Yueming said this with no concern, then suddenly realized something and turned to look at Shen Quan carefully, "Chief Shen, are you planning to take personal action?"

Shen Quan remained silent, his eyes dark and cold. The Leilong Gang and the Gu Yu family were bound together by shared interests and honor, tightly tied together.

What could threaten the Gu Yu family could also threaten him.

Zhuang Wudao's strength was almost invincible at his level. A Qi Practitioner of the first level could be killed with a single sword strike.

However, in his eyes, it was still far from enough.

"No need!"

Gu Yueming shook his head slightly and looked up at the sky, "Bai Tang Wan'er has already arrived. If you take personal action, things will truly be beyond control today."

Shen Quan followed his gaze and indeed saw a white eagle circling in the sky. On the eagle's back stood a woman in red, looking down. It was Bai Tang Wan'er.

Shen Quan's eyes became even more sinister and unpleasant, but his tightly clenched fists relaxed.

He knew that if he took personal action today, he would truly be crossing the line with the Bai Tang family. Even at the risk of a complete rupture with the Gu Yu family, the Leilong Gang would be thoroughly wiped out.

The Gu Yu family was not yet fully prepared, and neither was he.

"A ninth-level Qi Practitioner spirit beast, this Wan'er's master is truly generous! Bai Tang Cang Jue is indeed bold, to let this woman come here without fear of her ruining the future of the Bai Tang family?"

Muttering to himself, Shen Quan felt that the situation today was becoming increasingly difficult. The white eagle was a spirit beast used for transportation, but its combat power was not weak.

Equivalent to the power of a ninth-level Qi Practitioner, it could at least match three to five mid-level Qi Practitioners. Even Shen Quan himself was not a match for this white eagle, which was a significant deterrent.

And there was Bai Tang Wan'er, who needed to be protected. Five years ago, the Gu Yu family was in a precarious situation, and it took the intervention of a powerful figure and countless efforts to force the Bai Tang family to stop fighting.

However, if something happened to Bai Tang Wan'er today, even that powerful figure would have nothing to say.

He began to plan in his mind how to deal with the aftermath of today. No matter what, the Iron Knife Society must be abandoned first. If things did not go as planned, he would have to sacrifice Feng San to appease the Gu Yu family's anger.

Gu Yueming seemed to understand his thoughts and said calmly, "Chief Shen, there's no need to worry. It's far from that point. I observe that Zhuang Wudao's fighting spirit is extremely high, and he is unlikely to retreat."

Shen Quan was taken aback. Zhuang Wudao had already won a glimmer of hope for survival, yet he was unwilling to leave? Does he really think he can kill Feng San surrounded by several Qi Practitioners?

If it were him, he would only need to demand an explanation from the Gu Yu family afterward to take Feng San's life. Why take such a risk?

Looking again, he saw that Zhuang Wudao still stood tall in the long street, his posture upright. At this moment, it seemed as if a faint layer of blood flame was burning around his body.

This was a manifestation of abundant and vigorous blood and qi, overflowing from his body. The depth of Zhuang Wudao's foundation was truly shocking.

Only with such high fighting spirit could his blood and qi surge and boil to this extent.

Shen Quan's eyes narrowed, "The young master sees clearly. The outcome of this battle is still uncertain!"

Zhuang Wudao had killed a hundred people with his bare hands and iron fists. However, at this point, he finally showed a hint of fatigue.

If he had chosen to retreat at the right time, no one could have stopped him. But by insisting on fighting further, the outcome was uncertain.

Even he would need to be cautious against five first-level Qi Practitioners, especially since one of them was Mr. Mo Da.

Even Feng San, who was also a Qi Practitioner, had rarely shown his skills, and his true strength was unknown. However, to have returned alive from the north, he must be quite powerful.

Thus, this battle was far from over.

※※※※

Zhuang Wudao felt his lungs like a constantly expanding and deflating broken wind box, ready to burst at any moment.

Swinging the chains and smashing against a hundred people was awe-inspiring and dominant, but it was a last resort and had drained him of six or seven-tenths of his strength.

The few pills he had in his mouth to restore his strength had already been crushed and swallowed, but it would take time for the effects to kick in.

They were not divine elixirs that could instantly restore his energy, making him as vigorous as a dragon. They could only provide a short-term boost. Even if he swallowed several at once, the effect was limited.

Fortunately, there was no one within sixty feet, and the elite soldiers of the Leilong Gang were intimidated. Their faces were pale, and they dared not advance for the moment.

Even the archers had stopped. After firing hundreds of arrows, they found that they could not harm Zhuang Wudao at all, and their arms were exhausted and almost detached. Anyone would feel disheartened.

The alley, now a mess, fell into silence, giving Zhuang Wudao time to adjust and control his breathing, calming the surging blood and qi within his body.

With each passing moment, his strength would recover a bit, and he would have a better chance of killing Feng San.

Yan Jun was suppressed by someone above and could not act freely, so he could not be relied upon. However, the people from the Bai Tang family were surely rushing to the scene.

Therefore, Zhuang Wudao was not anxious. Time was on his side, not on Feng San's, not on the Leilong Gang's, and not on the Gu Yu family's.

Suddenly, a 'crack' sounded from the ground. Ten mud claws, made of sand, suddenly emerged from the ground, grabbing his feet. They quickly solidified into stone, attempting to lock him in place.

Zhuang Wudao raised an eyebrow in surprise. It turned out that the Qi Practitioner opposite was not skilled in fire-based techniques but in earth-based ones! This stone claw technique was truly remarkable!

He exerted force with his feet, shattering half of the stone claws, and the rest loosened.

Zhuang Wudao, after all, had practiced the Bull Demon Yuan Body, and even without using the Great Boulder Hand technique, he had the strength of ten oxen. These stone claws, though solid, could not trap him.

However, just as this technique was activated, a sharp wind sounded behind him. It was the Qi Practitioner who had been blocking his retreat, now sprinting from behind. With one stride, he covered four feet, and in a moment, he was fifty feet away, a pale white blade of light stabbing directly at Zhuang Wudao's left chest, aiming for his heart. The blade, propelled by immense momentum, was even more fierce than the previous white-robed swordsman!

At the same time, a thunderous roar echoed, "This bastard has little strength left. If we don't act together to kill him now, when will we? Wang Ba—"

Wang Ba also roared and sprinted toward Zhuang Wudao. He was short but the closest to Zhuang Wudao. He arrived first and struck a hammer directly at Zhuang Wudao's chest.

Both were Qi Practitioners, and their attacks were powerful. Though their strength was not as great as the deceased Jiang Yuan, they were more difficult to deal with. Their techniques not only contained 'true essence' but also had hidden variations. If Zhuang Wudao was slightly careless or made a mistake, he would face a continuous stream of deadly attacks until death.

He shattered the stone claws binding his feet, slightly shifted his body to avoid the lethal blade from behind, and then used the 'Great Boulder Hand' technique, striking the purple-gold octagonal hammer with a hard blow.

With a 'bang,' Wang Ba was directly thrown back over ten feet. This person was cunning and did not use his full strength, reserving at least four-tenths of his power. When the hammer and palm met, Wang Ba was immediately defeated, but he was not injured.

On the contrary, Zhuang Wudao felt a bit frustrated, realizing that his experience was still somewhat lacking. If he had seen through it, he could have taken Wang Ba's life just now.

The person behind him, after failing with the first strike, aimed the second strike at Zhuang Wudao's waist, which was equally powerful. However, without the momentum from fifty feet away, the threat was much less.

Zhuang Wudao let the blade strike his iron armor, causing a series of sparks. He then stepped back and struck the source of the blade with his right hand.

This person had learned the 'Tiger Severing Wind Blade' technique, a first-class martial art. However, this blade could at most break through his magnetic qi, but not his silver-thread inner armor. On the contrary, his punch could shatter this person's skull!