Chapter 52

Zhuang Wudao knew this was the most critical moment. With a muffled groan, he suddenly took a step back, spreading his fists wide. He did not make any move to block, but the magnetic yuan energy around his body suddenly swelled and surged outward with the force of his fists.

Unarmored Warrior's Armor Off!

This was a boxing stance from the Bull Demon Yuan Body, using the momentum of the fists to trigger the magnetic yuan energy throughout the body, causing it to burst out. For the next quarter of an hour, he would no longer have the magnetic yuan energy armor protecting him, but during these few breaths, the defensive power of the magnetic yuan energy would increase several times over!

The magnetic energy surged, directly causing the blade to veer off to the side. Wang Ba's pair of purple-gold octagonal hammers, one struck the air, the other hit Zhuang Wudao's left knee. However, it only produced a muffled sound, and Zhuang Wudao remained unmoved. Instead, the massive force rebounding from the hammer almost made him lose his balance and fall backward.

The dagger that stabbed at him was blocked by Zhuang Wudao's hand covering his face. However, the person let out a satisfied light laugh, his figure swirling like the wind, and he was already at Zhuang Wudao's side. He struck again with the dagger, a much sharper and more intense wind cutting toward Zhuang Wudao's groin.

"You should have guarded here!"

This person, holding two daggers, finally revealed himself. At this moment, both the knife wielder and Wang Ba looked delighted. Even Feng San, who was far away, relaxed slightly.

With this dagger strike, Zhuang Wudao would have no chance of survival. He would be severely injured on the spot, his body armor broken, and could be killed in an instant. This person, with no time to spare, would not be able to resist.

However, Zhuang Wudao's right hand, in an impossible move, suddenly shot down. Like a bolt of lightning, it was as if from the 'Dragon Subduing Tiger' technique's 'Dragon Seizing' move, yet not quite the same.

It was as if he had foreseen it, and with extreme precision, he grabbed the person's wrist.

"Brilliant!"

"Excellent!"

Two voices of praise sounded almost simultaneously. One came from the air, from Beiting Wan'er, who was standing on the back of the white eagle.

The other directly entered Zhuang Wudao's mind, from the sword spirit Yun'er.

"The 'Phoenix Nod' from the Six Harmonies Xingyi and the 'Dragon Seizing' from the Dragon Subduing Tiger. To be able to apply these two techniques flexibly and combine them, the Sword Master's boxing skills have truly advanced greatly."

Zhuang Wudao had no time to pay attention. He finally saw the figure and appearance of the person holding the dagger. He was about thirty years old, with a slender build, and a face full of knife-carved lines, now filled with fear and disbelief.

Zhuang Wudao gave a cold smile, pulled the person close with a forceful tug, and struck with his right elbow. There was a heavy 'crack,' and the person's throat was shattered by the tip of his elbow!

Having eliminated the dagger-wielding person, Zhuang Wudao had no more concerns. He lifted his foot and broke free from the stone claws beneath him. His figure moved like a snake, winding forward.

Just as Wang Ba had steadied himself, Zhuang Wudao's fleshy palms gently landed on him.

Great Boulder Hand, Mountain-Crushing Stance!

Wang Ba's face turned as pale as paper, and he could only hurriedly raise his pair of purple-gold octagonal hammers to block in front of his chest.

At this moment, another wolf-tooth iron arrow shot from a distance. Feng San, seeing the situation was not good, tried to save Wang Ba with an arrow. It was extremely accurate, grazing past Wang Ba's ear and aiming for Zhuang Wudao's chest and abdomen, targeting his vital points.

Zhuang Wudao did not blink, slightly dodged, and then ignored it. He still used his fleshy palms to strike the pair of purple-gold octagonal hammers.

In the sound of a闷雷 (muffled thunder), Wang Ba's figure was thrown back without a doubt, flying like a broken sack for over forty yards, sliding on the ground, leaving a shallow trail.

The pair of purple-gold octagonal hammers had been flattened by Zhuang Wudao's Great Boulder Hand, deeply embedded in Wang Ba's chest and abdomen. Wang Ba's face was bloodless, and his chest and back were completely hollowed out, leaving a large hole. He was not breathing, and even if he did not die immediately, he would not live long.

At the same time, a wolf-tooth iron arrow pierced through Zhuang Wudao's right chest. Without the magnetic yuan energy, the silver-threaded inner armor could not resist. Fortunately, the wound was not severe, only penetrating two inches into the flesh. His Bull Demon Yuan Body was not just about magnetic yuan energy. His skin was as tough as divine rhinoceros, not inferior to the silver-threaded inner armor in the slightest!

This swift and sudden move was so fast that no one could see it clearly. In an instant, Zhuang Wudao had eliminated two major qi practitioners.

This left no one to block him and Feng San. The knife wielder retreated in panic, even though he knew Zhuang Wudao's body was not as invincible as before, he did not dare to approach, completely losing the courage to strike.

He knew that without Wang Ba and the other, he would not be a match for Zhuang Wudao in three moves!

Zhuang Wudao did not bother with this person, not intending to waste time chasing him. He just needed to ensure that the knife wielder did not interfere before he killed Feng San.

He was calm and composed, with a seven-tenths chance of victory, and would not be anxious. He advanced step by step, neither fast nor slow, but it made Feng San and Hu Li's faces covered in cold sweat.

Who could have predicted that the carefully planned ambush would end like this? Zhuang Wudao almost single-handedly destroyed the killing trap, putting their lives in danger.

Hu Li had stayed because he still had some hope of leaving Zhuang Wudao dead. Now, with two of the five qi practitioners dead, the ambush plan was completely ruined, and they had lost the best chance to escape.

Both of them knew their movements were not as fast as Zhuang Wudao, who had practiced 'Dragon Walking Tiger Stepping' for many years. The Bull Demon Yuan Body did not affect speed and agility; instead, it enhanced the practitioner's explosive power far beyond ordinary people.

If they retreated now, Zhuang Wudao would only need ten steps to catch up and kill them one by one!

They could feel a faint 'momentum' enveloping them, locking them in place.

Feng San and Hu Li felt like rabbits being watched by tigers. Any movement would invite Zhuang Wudao's ruthless attack.

But if they just let him approach, they would die as well.

"Get back!"

Two balls of fire suddenly fell from the sky. Without the magnetic yuan energy to protect him, Zhuang Wudao dared not respond. He dodged and used the Great Boulder Hand to disperse and neutralize the flames.

When the flames dissipated, another person appeared. A tall, imposing middle-aged man, wearing a green robe, slightly disheveled. He held a wooden sword in his right hand and a peach charm in his left, with a cold gaze.

"Mr. Mo Da?"

Zhuang Wudao's voice was deep, both a question and a statement.

Thirty yards in the air, on the back of the white eagle, Beiting Wan'er looked at the Yun Pavilion a mile away with surprise.

She had thought that Mr. Mo Da would retreat at this point. Unexpectedly, he appeared directly.

This suggested that Shen Quan and the Gu Yue family were determined to protect Feng San and Hu Li.

It was not in vain for these two to fight for the Gu Yue family.

But this Mr. Mo Da of the Thunder Dragon Gang—

Thinking of the information and rumors about him, Beiting Wan'er frowned. "Zhuang Wudao, be careful of this person's pseudo-mystic arts. It is said he has cultivated a fire-based secret technique."

Pseudo-mystic arts?

Zhuang Wudao's heart trembled, and his eyes became more alert. He had heard that this person's combat power far exceeded that of other qi practitioners, but he did not expect it to be a pseudo-mystic art.

He had already seen the power of pseudo-mystic arts from Beiting Wan'er, which was overwhelming.

What would the pseudo-mystic art of Mr. Mo Da be like? He had never seen a mystic art derived from spirit techniques.

Why did he not use it when fighting Wang Ba and Feng San?

If he had heard Beiting Wan'er's warning before this battle, he would have retreated without hesitation. But now, a mysterious support and belief in his heart made him stand tall, facing Mr. Mo Da. He would not retreat without a fight.

Even if it was a pseudo-mystic art, it would not truly make him feel fear.

The Zhuang Wudao of now was not the Zhuang Wudao of a month ago!

A month ago, he could not withstand Beiting Wan'er's 'Thousand Cuts,' but now he might be able to!

"You know my name, so you should know to retreat. Zhuang Wudao, your body is indeed formidable, and ordinary qi practitioners are no match for you, allowing you to slaughter them, which is admirable. But you should also know that your incomplete Bull Demon Yuan Body may not be able to withstand my attack."

Mr. Mo Da spoke calmly, with a tone of advice. But Zhuang Wudao remained unmoved, his eyes determined, and he continued to advance steadily.

Mr. Mo Da sneered, "Since you insist, then let's see the power of a cultivator's mystic arts, which is beyond the imagination of ordinary martial artists!"

With a wave of his sleeve, in the blink of an eye, thousands of palm-sized fire butterflies surrounded Mr. Mo Da.

The air suddenly became scorching, and within two hundred yards, almost all the grass and trees were burning without a flame.

"These are Fire Butterflies! A fire-based secret technique I obtained by chance, the foundation of my existence. Zhuang Wudao, may you have a good journey!"

Hundreds of fire butterflies flew toward him. Many Thunder Dragon Gang soldiers who could not retreat in time were covered by the red butterflies, screaming in pain. Just four or five butterflies landing on a person would turn them into a ball of fire, impossible to extinguish.

Zhuang Wudao now understood why Mr. Mo Da had not used his mystic arts earlier. The Fire Butterfly technique was uncontrollable. Once released, half the people in the alley would die first.

The Thunder Dragon Gang soldiers and the remaining members of the Iron Knife Society took about a quarter of the fire butterflies. Still, over six hundred butterflies danced gracefully toward him.

Zhuang Wudao's expression was solemn. He tried to use the Great Boulder Hand to strike the surrounding fire butterflies, shattering them. But he could not completely extinguish them; they would quickly reform from a single flame.

When the fire butterflies landed on his iron armor, the temperature of the armor increased dramatically.

Now, his armor was no longer a protective suit but a scorching furnace!