Tie Yuyang was exceptionally cautious, far more rational than the martial arts fanatic Xiao Qiu. Before grasping the true might of the Southern Clan's Immortal Master's spells, he had no intention of charging to the forefront.

Wei Yuan of the Black Iron Gang was an aged fox, fully aware of the formidable nature of the Southern Clan's immortal arts. He deliberately lingered at the very rear of the crowd, proceeding with extreme care.

Thus, when Nan Tianxiong unleashed the Wind Blade Technique, sweeping across the hall to strike down the assembled high-ranking members of the various gangs, both men managed to swiftly evade the assault and avoided being critically wounded. Seeing the situation turn dire, they both promptly leaped out of the windows to escape.

Nan Tianxiong had long harbored the intent to eradicate all Ten Great Gangs. How could he allow the remaining leaders to slip away so easily?

He was currently seated in meditation, recovering his spiritual power, unable to pursue. He immediately shouted in a cold voice, "Zhonghao, Zhongjie, kill everyone still in this hall immediately, and pursue Tie Yuyang and Wei Yuan!" "Yes!" Nan Zhonghao responded with exhilaration, wielding a precious sword, and leaped into the fray against the crowd inside the hall.

Nan Zhongjie felt a degree of reluctance, but still braced himself, following closely with his own sword raised. Protected by their Vajra Shields, which could withstand any form of attack, they dispensed with all need for defense.

Like tigers among sheep, they proceeded to savagely hack down the heavily wounded leaders of the Ten Great Gangs lying on the floor of the hall. Those top experts from the Ten Great Gangs who had only sustained minor injuries were desperately trying to flee, lacking any courage to turn back and fight them.

The combined efforts of the two men resulted in the almost instantaneous slaughter of every wounded person in the hall, along with several high-ranking elders of the Ten Great Gangs who had been attempting to escape. Subsequently, the pair leaped out of the Yongfu Tavern, splitting up to hunt down Tie Yuyang and Wei Yuan—the two unparalleled masters of Pingzhou.

These two constituted the true, massive hidden danger to the Nan family and had to be eliminated as quickly as possible. Nan Tianxiong sat cross-legged in meditation, sweeping a detached glance over the hall.

In the pools of blood surrounding him, fifty or sixty corpses lay strewn about haphazardly. The three closest to him were Li Hong, the Master of the Medicine King Gang, Li Dashanren, the Head of the Herb Gathering Hall, and Golden Tiger of the Treasure Gang.

These three had stood in front of him and, naturally, bore the brunt of the attack, being the first to be pierced through the body by the seven streaks of wind blades. In his haste to maximize the Wind Blade Technique's surprise attack on the other high-ranking members of the Ten Great Gangs, Nan Tianxiong had no concern for Li Hong’s survival.

Li Hong lay on the ground, tightly clutching a broken fan, his eyes wide open in death, unable to rest in peace. His ambition remained unfulfilled; the Li family had not yet prospered.

How could he die like this? Before his own demise, Golden Tiger had viciously lunged onto Li Hong’s body, seemingly intending to tear him to shreds.

The most blameless death belonged to Li Dashanren of the Herb Gathering Hall. He had never truly understood what had transpired from beginning to end.

A shadowy figure clad in a bamboo hat leaped down from the third floor of the Yongfu Tavern, silently gliding to the street pavement, and proceeded to follow unobtrusively behind Nan Zhonghao. Ye Qin had been deeply shaken by witnessing Nan Tianxiong unleash the Wind Blade Technique moments before.

Even with his cultivation at the third layer of the Qi Refining Stage, he dared not attempt to intercept those wind blades. This offensive spell, both in terms of speed and destructive power, was terrifyingly extreme.

It was the most potent attack spell he had ever witnessed, arguably surpassing even the fireballs cast by Old Ghost Nan Tianba. This old man was protected by a peculiar golden barrier and possessed such a formidable Wind Blade Technique.

Ye Qin knew his place; he understood that he could not afford to provoke this old man for the time being. While profoundly shocked, Ye Qin’s desire to acquire such a spell from the Nan family grew even more intense.

If the three members of the Nan family remained together, he truly would not dare to strike easily. Since they were acting separately, the situation became more manageable.

Among the trio, the two-layered Qi Refining cultivator—the old man—was the strongest and possessed the most seasoned combat experience, making him the hardest to deal with. The other two-layered Qi Refining cultivator, the youth, was second in strength.

Although his cultivation was nearly equal to the old man's, his battle experience was significantly lower; Ye Qin felt more confident handling him. The one-layered Qi Refining youth had low cultivation and a look of pure naivety on his face, making him the easiest target.

Eliminating him posed no real suspense, and there was no immediate need to engage him. Ye Qin made up his mind: first kill the youth, then the boy, and seize the spell manuals from them.

Finally, he would see if an opportune moment arose to take down the old Nan family man; if no chance presented itself, he would not risk a direct confrontation. Ye Qin followed Nan Zhonghao at a leisurely pace, searching for the perfect moment to strike.

Nan Zhonghao remained oblivious to being tailed. His target was Tie Yuyang, the Master of the Fire Cloud Gang, hailed as the foremost unparalleled martial artist in Pingzhou, which filled him with intense excitement.

Although Tie Yuyang was fleeing rapidly, the blood dripping continuously from his arm exposed the direction of his escape. Both Nan Zhonghao and Ye Qin could clearly see the trails of blood soaking the ground and smell the metallic scent of blood pervasive in the air.

Nan Zhonghao employed the Wind Riding Art and quickly caught up to Tie Yuyang, playfully trailing him and the others by several dozen yards. The last remaining Red-Faced Elder of the Fire Cloud Gang, who was escorting his Master, Tie Yuyang, in their desperate flight, saw Nan Zhonghao closing in from behind and about to intercept them.

The elder let out a roar filled with grief and indignation, "Master, hurry! I will hold the rear!" The Red-Faced Elder suddenly turned back, swinging his blade with immense force, channeling potent inner energy toward Nan Zhonghao.

However, a clang echoed as his broadsword was deflected by the golden barrier, failing to inflict even the slightest scratch on Nan Zhonghao. Nan Zhonghao let out a sinister sneer, his figure blurring as his sharp sword pierced several massive, bleeding holes into the elder’s chest and abdomen.

Discarding the utterly lifeless Red-Faced Elder, he resumed his pursuit of Tie Yuyang. Ultimately, he managed to corner Tie Yuyang into a narrow alleyway between residential buildings.

The county town at this hour was ablaze with the warm glow of red lanterns, filled with chaotic shouts of fighting, killing, and arson; absolutely no one was paying attention to the skirmish unfolding in a small alley. "Tie Yuyang, I heard you are the paramount unparalleled expert in Pingzhou.

But from what I see, you are nothing more than a chicken or a dog fleeing for its life, utterly wasting that grand reputation. Come, come, let this young master of the Nan family see what paltry skills you possess.

Bring them forth; this young master will catch them." Nan Zhonghao, radiating a golden light, approached Tie Yuyang with his precious sword in hand, relentlessly taunting and mocking him. His expression was filled with playful amusement; he showed no haste to kill Tie Yuyang, preferring instead to extract some twisted enjoyment from humiliating the top master of Pingzhou.

Ye Qin followed quietly in the dark shadows several dozen yards behind. Seeing Nan Zhonghao's arrogant demeanor, as if he were the foremost man under heaven, Ye Qin frowned slightly: What game is this fellow playing?

He doesn't seem as ruthlessly decisive as the old Nan family man, who strikes and kills without hesitation. Tie Yuyang dashed into the narrow residential alley, only to discover that the path grew progressively tighter until it became a dead end, a look of despair crossing his face.

Driven to the absolute limit, he abandoned all thought of escape. Gripping his treasured saber, he turned back, his eyes blazing with terrifying spiritual light.

At this juncture, flight meant death, and fighting meant death; he might as well fight a fierce battle and die quickly. "Good!

Then let this Tie show what I am capable of against the young master of the Nan family! I am also eager to know exactly how many moves my ultimate technique can withstand under the hands of the Nan family's young master." Tie Yuyang's expression darkened.

Ignoring the wound on his arm, he gripped his saber with both hands, adopting a firm stance, coldly staring down Nan Zhonghao. In an instant, his aura erupted completely, standing like a massive boulder amidst a storm, his surging presence ready to burst forth.