Chapter 6

If asked what Wu Fan's current mood was, it would certainly be "In life, the most important thing is to be low-key." There was no way around it; some people were just like fireflies in the dark, shining so brightly. Clearly, Wu Fan was one of those people. Rallying over a dozen brothers to charge forward with their heads held high and their blood boiling, Wu Fan followed under their protection, unleashing a barrage of hidden weapons and frequently delivering finishing blows. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had beheaded seven or eight of the Maitreya Sect members!

Wu Fan's highly efficient killing methods soon caught the attention of the Maitreya Sect's experts hiding behind the minions. They swiftly moved in, determined to teach Wu Fan a lesson.

"Bang!"

Amid the clashing of metal, a nameless subordinate of Wu Fan was violently struck by an iron staff and sent flying. After rolling on the ground a few times, he lay still. The Maitreya Sect member, who still maintained his striking posture, had a terrifying face with three golden imprints, sending chills down everyone's spines.

"Sui dog! Prepare to die!"

The Maitreya Sect expert gripped the iron staff tightly, the muscles on his arms bulging like earthworms wriggling in the sun. The sound of his bones cracking was clearly audible. The muscular man shook his arms and shoulders, performing the opening move of staff techniques, "The Immortal Points the Way," his sharp gaze unwaveringly locked onto Wu Fan.

[This is a martial artist in the 'Internal Body Nourishment' stage, with at least two hundred of the 365 acupoints unblocked! He has unblocked a few more than me, but...]

Wu Fan quickly calculated in his mind, holding a single-handed sword and a sheath of fourteen swords on his back, he sneered, "Three golden imprints, it seems you've committed major crimes in the Sui, Yan, and Liang states! And you managed to escape each time, only to be captured, sentenced, and exiled... Your Maitreya Sect always boasts of 'compassion and kindness, saving the suffering,' but when did you start accepting scoundrels like you?"

As he spoke, Wu Fan gestured for his companions to step back, clearly indicating his intention to fight alone.

Wu Fan was quite confident in his martial arts, especially with the fourteen swords as a small arsenal. As long as the opponent wasn't a higher-level martial artist who could 'gather qi into the sea,' he wouldn't be afraid. The man in front of him was clearly a minor leader of the Maitreya Sect. Killing him would not only earn more battle credits and rewards but also provide an opportunity to hone his skills. If things got too tough, he could wear the man down and let others finish him off, given their numerical advantage.

The Maitreya Sect member grunted, "What you're talking about is the old sect's doctrine. We are no longer the Maitreya Sect! We are the Mahayana Sect!"

"Mahayana Sect?" Wu Fan smiled, his tone casual as if chatting, "My name is Wu Fan, and I'm the one who will kill you. What about you? A dying man!"

The Maitreya Sect member's eyes widened in anger, "Sui dog! Listen up! My name is..."

"Grandson (read: thief)! Hahaha!"

Wu Fan rudely insulted him and swung his sword, his previously smiling face now twisted in a fierce expression.

During their brief conversation, the Maitreya Sect member had relaxed his guard slightly, and the opening move "The Immortal Points the Way" had a flaw. Wu Fan took advantage of this and closed the distance. Staff techniques were best suited for mid-range combat, and once an opponent got too close, it was easy to be at a disadvantage without exceptional skill.

Wu Fan hadn't yet learned the Yuyang Blade technique he had drawn from the system, so he used the standard Chunhan Sword of the Eagle Valor Guard. Although the Chunhan Sword technique was versatile, it was particularly effective against martial artists, with sharp and ruthless close-range moves. Wu Fan wouldn't let this opportunity slip.

"Clang, clang, clang...!"

The sound of metal clashing echoed as the sword and iron staff collided, sparks flying in the dense forest.

The Maitreya Sect member was forced to retreat step by step by Wu Fan's swift sword techniques. The iron staff was too long, making it difficult to wield effectively in close combat, leaving him only able to defend. What infuriated him more was Wu Fan's earlier taunt about his name, which left him feeling extremely frustrated.

Both were skilled fighters compared to ordinary people, but they were not top-tier martial artists. In combat, neither would speak, as doing so would weaken their resolve and could cost them their lives.

"Clang, clang, clang...!"

After several more strikes, Wu Fan felt his right arm trembling, and his tiger's mouth (the area between the thumb and index finger) ached severely, nearly losing his grip on the sword. He thought to himself, [What's wrong with this guy? How can he be so strong?]

While cursing in his mind, Wu Fan drew a short dagger from his sheath, abandoning the long sword to engage in close combat, aiming to quickly sever the man's head.

With Wu Fan pressing in close, the Maitreya Sect member was in a panic. His martial skills were primarily based on the iron staff, and his hand-to-hand combat was poor, leaving him no choice but to continue defending.

"Swish!"

"Ah!"

After prolonged defense, the Maitreya Sect member finally exposed a flaw, and Wu Fan's sword pierced his abdomen, causing him to scream in pain.

"Huff, huff!"

Stepping back a few paces to create distance, Wu Fan panted heavily. The intense attack had taken a toll on him. If the Maitreya Sect member had held on a bit longer, Wu Fan might have been the one to fall.

The Maitreya Sect member, leaning on his iron staff and clutching his wound, swayed unsteadily but glared at Wu Fan, "Vile scoundrel! Shameless and despicable! Sui dog! Ahhh!"

Wu Fan, regaining his breath, looked at the Maitreya Sect member and said, "No need to be polite with such a deceitful and evil person! Everyone, attack together!"

"Want to kill me? Dream on!" The Maitreya Sect member roared, quickly pulling out a crimson pill from his pocket and swallowing it, shouting, "My name is..."

Wu Fan interrupted, "What are you all looking at? Are you watching a play? Kill him! He's heavily wounded, just putting up a show!"

The Maitreya Sect member's face turned bright red, and his eyes also turned red. His exposed skin seemed to emit a scorching heat...

[What the hell! Is this guy a berserker?]

Seeing this, Wu Fan was both surprised and sarcastic, but he decided not to approach for the moment, letting his comrades test the waters... no! To probe the enemy.

"Bang, bang!"

As Wu Fan expected, two of his comrades were quickly struck by the man's iron staff and sent flying, blood spraying from their mouths in a ghastly display.

"Ahhh!"

The Maitreya Sect member roared like a wild beast, as if he hadn't been hit by Wu Fan's sword, showing no signs of pain and fighting the Eagle Valor Guard with complete madness. Then, something even more chilling happened: an Eagle Valor Guard stabbed him in the chest, but he didn't even flinch, and with a sword still embedded in his body, he smashed the Eagle Valor Guard's head!

[This...]

[He's really a berserker!]

Wu Fan swallowed hard, but on the surface, he shouted, "Everyone, don't be afraid! He's lost so much blood, he won't last long! Attack together!"

A few fearless subordinates heeded Wu Fan's call and bravely charged forward. Using their cover, Wu Fan seized the opportunity to cut off the man's arm, depriving him of his weapon.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Without a weapon, the Maitreya Sect member could no longer withstand the onslaught and was quickly cut down, gasping for breath.

Wu Fan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling incredibly relieved that the man, though pain-resistant, had lost his consciousness and was only flailing wildly, without his previous martial skills. Otherwise, Wu Fan wouldn't have been able to take him down so easily.

"Huff, huff..."

The Maitreya Sect member's eyes returned to normal, and he lay on the ground, coughing up blood, with a strange, dazed smile, "Killing one person makes one a Bodhisattva of the First Stage, killing ten... makes one a Bodhisattva of the Tenth Stage. I, I am a Bodhisattva of the Hundredth Stage, Jing Xue... cough, cough, cough! Sui dogs, this won't end here... hahaha..."

"Die and be done with it! Why so many words?"

Wu Fan sneered and beheaded the man.

After a moment's thought, Wu Fan called over a subordinate, "Go and inform Commander Zhao that these Maitreya Sect cultists have a secret drug that can drive people mad. Tell Commander Zhao to instruct everyone to be cautious and not let the enemy take the drug."

"Understood!"

Watching the subordinate run down the mountain, Wu Fan stood still for a long time, his gaze wandering.

...

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