The golden beach was dimmer than usual, the sun in the sky having long been completely swallowed by vast, heavy storm clouds. The sea breeze, thick with moisture, drove the blue waves onto the sand again and again. Most of the hundreds of martial artists hadn't even fully left the water when they simultaneously witnessed an utterly unimaginable scene.
A young martial artist, holding a gleaming Iai-giri sword, sent up a spray of sand behind him as his feet generated tremendous forward momentum. He charged alone toward the hundred martial artists, wreathed in palpable killing intent and exhilarating battle fervor. A madman? Huang Zhengchun, the Twelve-Star martial artist positioned at the rear, was filled with utter incomprehension. Even if this youth possessed the power of a Ten-Star master, he stood no chance against one hundred opponents.
Indeed, the weakest fighters among these hundred were Eight-Star martial artists, but that didn't mean there weren't any Nine-Stars, or even Ten-Stars among them!
Huang Zhengchun frowned deeply, shaking his head repeatedly. Star-rank was a crucial benchmark for judging martial artists, but when a weaker side achieved a critical mass of numbers, the resulting power could cause a qualitative shift.
Even a hundred Eight-Star martial artists, Huang Zhengchun knew clearly, could easily beat the charging Ten-Star youth to death. Moreover, aside from himself being a Twelve-Star master in this group of a hundred, the two deputy captains were both Eleven-Star experts; any one of them could casually dispatch this young Ten-Star fighter.
"Since you seek death..."
Huang Zhengchun stood leisurely with his arms crossed, watching Xue Tian slash into the heart of the Golden Triangle warriors. The corner of his lip curled slightly as he prepared to utter a few cutting remarks, when suddenly, a sharp glint exploded in his pupils—a chilling, prison-like killing intent erupted violently from the center of the crowd!
Accompanying the icy, oppressive murderous aura was a brilliant, dazzling, yet utterly ferocious flash of blade light, followed by a shout that was both bold, confident, and utterly arrogant: "Welcome to the slaughter! Sen-dan Fujin Dan-san-ga!"
A single Iai-giri sword unleashed countless silver serpents, their blades crisscrossing with sharp hissing sounds, weaving a dense net of blades!
Huang Zhengchun’s eye muscles twitched uncontrollably. The eruption of this single strike was too fierce, too fast. It had been concealed so deeply, only revealing its true intent at the very moment of unleashing.
A trump card? Huang Zhengchun’s five fingers trembled slightly. Did this young man truly have no regard for his own life? In a one-on-one duel, deploying a secret technique immediately could secure a swift victory, but it still consumed a massive amount of Zhenqi due to the exertion. If this were a group battle, experienced martial artists would try to conserve Zhenqi and stamina; the more powerful the technique, the less frequently it could be used.
In a flash of brutality as apocalyptic as the end of the world, the two Nine-Star experts nearest to Xue Tian—who had intended to attack him jointly—felt an intense, blinding light momentarily flare in their vision. Immediately after, they felt a sudden, chilling coolness across their necks, and the Zhenqi within their bodies vanished completely. Brilliant red blood jetted violently from their severed necks.
The next moment, these two Nine-Star martial artists witnessed something miraculous: they could easily gaze upon their own torsos, only realizing that the expected heads were missing. From a gaping wound the size of a bowl, scarlet blood sprayed furiously toward the sky.
Heads gone, yet consciousness and thought remained! Xue Tian’s blade was too fast. The two Nine-Star warriors, now headless, stared in disbelief at the canopy of swirling blades above them. Three nearby Eight-Star martial artists weakly raised their weapons to block, but Xue Tian’s sword seemed alive; it didn't clash with their weapons at all but effortlessly bypassed them, slicing through their bodies instead.
A flash of the blade! One Eight-Star martial artist was severed at the shoulder, losing half his body and his waist. Another lost both legs. The last fighter had the top half of his head sliced clean off, releasing a mush of red and white viscera.
Fast! Huang Zhengchun raised an eyebrow. The speed of the killing was terrifying! In the blink of an eye, three Eight-Stars and two Nine-Stars had been eliminated! Such power, if facing ordinary Ten-Star martial artists, would likely result in such a devastating defeat in an instant. Had those five managed to unleash their full strength, they could have at least tied up a Ten-Star master for a short time.
Huang Zhengchun tugged at his lips. These five warriors died before they could even employ their full capabilities. Aside from regret, he had to admire Xue Tian's strength.
The five martial artists who had rushed toward Xue Tian were instantly slain or incapacitated; four were dead, and the fifth had both legs severed, rendering him completely combat-ineffective, his death merely a matter of time.
Several Golden Triangle warriors who had been rapidly closing in were thoroughly stunned by the ferocity of Xue Tian’s single strike, forcing them to slow their charge and stop just outside the circle of his blade.
The instant Xue Tian decapitated the fifth man, he violently spun the Sen-dan Fujin Dan-san-ga etched onto his Iai-giri sword and lunged toward the nearest Nine-Star warrior like a bird diving into a forest...
A sharp sword energy arrived before the Iai-giri blade itself. The Nine-Star warrior’s entire world narrowed to the single, stabbing blade rushing toward him. He instinctively tried to retreat, but suddenly felt the surrounding world slow down. That chilling sword energy actually helped this warrior—who had already undergone Blood-Washing Rebirth but never broken into the True Innate realm—to transcend his current limitations.
Ten-Star? The thought flashed through the warrior's mind. The Iai-giri sword acted like a drill, piercing his heart while spinning at high velocity, instantly shredding the strong organ within.
The hundred-man force might yet kill this young man! All the Golden Triangle fighters understood this truth, but could they survive until that moment?
No one could guarantee they would last that long; this young man’s blade was simply too sharp!
In that instant of panic, the morale of nearly a hundred Golden Triangle warriors, whose bodies radiated fierce energy, plummeted instantly.
Simultaneously, Xue Tian’s aura surged to an unprecedented height. His singular presence alone managed to suppress the combined spirit of a hundred opponents.
Huang Zhengchun’s seasoned eyes flashed with sudden understanding. So this was the young man's calculated gamble! No wonder he used his ultimate move right at the start—he needed to use instantaneous kills to build his own momentum while simultaneously crushing the enemy's spirit.
In martial combat, the side with overwhelming momentum had almost certainly secured victory; very few could win after their morale had truly collapsed.
This almost ruinous burst of power was deployed solely to achieve this current state. Huang Zhengchun’s eyes held a faint trace of approval. If this young man could be recruited into the Golden Triangle and thoroughly subdued, he would surely become a formidable general.
Screams tore through the sound of waves crashing onto the beach as the flat of Xue Tian’s Iai-giri shattered the skull of an Eight-Star martial artist.
Only now did the bodies of the first few warriors who had engaged Xue Tian collapse onto the sand. The blood mist suspended in the air scattered and drifted away with the sea breeze.
Ten! (For the fastest updates: http://w/a｜p.1｜6｜k|x|s.c｜o|)
Huang Zhengchun’s eyes widened with surprise. Even with the others prepared against him, he had still slain three more warriors in that short span, pushing his kill count into double digits! He had outright eliminated ten percent of their force!
A terrifying killing rate. Huang Zhengchun’s eyes bulged, and the water around his body vibrated slightly. Zhenqi surged into his legs, and he propelled himself out of the water, stepping on the shoulders of the warriors ahead as he charged directly toward Xue Tian.
No more casualties! I must deal with him personally! Huang Zhengchun narrowed his eyes to slits. His wet clothes slapped against the air with a "crack" sound as he moved. His left hand was encased in a shimmering silver power gauntlet, which suddenly solidified into a massive iron block.
A silver arc of blade light sliced through the pervasive blood fog, coldly and fiercely aimed at Huang Zhengchun’s face. The sharp sword energy cut the incoming sea breeze entirely apart, counter-pressing against Huang Zhengchun, making his short hair flutter violently.
A master? Xue Tian circulated his Zhenqi rapidly, dropping his stance but moving forward instead of retreating. The Iai-giri sword transformed once more into a swarm of silver serpents writhing in the air, forming a blade net.
Sen-dan Fujin Dan-san-ga was unleashed again.
Against the Twelve-Star master, the Sen-dan Fujin Dan-san-ga Xue Tian cast this time possessed far greater momentum and might than before!
A trace of surprise flickered in Huang Zhengchun’s eyes. Consecutive ultimate techniques? Bold, and clever too, knowing that facing a higher-ranked opponent required such power. Perhaps even the two deputy captains couldn't handle this single move individually? But...
"Break for me!"
Huang Zhengchun twitched his shoulder, his entire arm launching forward like a rocket with an auxiliary booster, striking the true point of impact within Xue Tian's myriad of silver blade lights.
The two-star gap, coupled with his prior observation, gave Huang Zhengchun confidence that this strike could easily shatter Xue Tian's technique and blade.
Huang Zhengchun smiled, but Xue Tian’s eyes held not surprise or panic at the impending destruction of his blade, but a hint of a smile dancing in his battle-hungry gaze. Nearly a hundred blade shadows, as if encountering a colossal magnet, rapidly retracted back into the Iai-giri sword at that instant.
The hundred silver serpents converged, unleashing a light brighter than ever before, transforming into a single, blinding silver dragon. It carved an arc past the incoming power gauntlet, heading straight for Huang Zhengchun’s neck. The intensely cold Zhenqi aura hadn't even reached him, but the hairs on Huang Zhengchun's back already stood on end. Goosebumps erupted across his body—the scent of death was assaulting his very core.
What a sharp blade! What astonishing Bai-dao Gui-yuan (Hundred Blades Returning to Origin)! Huang Zhengchun’s eyes bulged with astonishment. For such a young martial artist to absorb all the deployed blade intent back into the sword body was incredible! But it was still too late.
Taking a deep breath, Huang Zhengchun shifted his shoulder, suddenly transferring the power from his left arm to his right shoulder. A resilient, elastic force erupted from his right arm just as the blade edge approached, launching like a missile from his limb, instantly radiating a dazzling light. A metallic sheen subtly showed beneath his muscles.
New Martial Art: Vajra Battle Body! An advanced evolution of the Iron Battle Body!
Only now did Huang Zhengchun truly reveal the essence of his martial skills. This 'missile' style of his new fist technique extended his already launched arm by several centimeters, slamming toward the body of the Iai-giri sword.
Du Peng watched from afar, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. The speed of these two was too fast. If he intervened, he would likely be dead in an instant.
Impressive! Xue Tian’s eye corners also jumped. The Vajra Battle Body of a Ten-Star was formidable! Its robust defense could withstand a certain amount of sword strikes. But alas, if he were facing Qin Fen, this punch would put this Eleven or Twelve-Star martial artist at a disadvantage...
Even if I’m not Qin Fen, don’t underestimate me! Xue Tian’s eyes narrowed suddenly, and the blade rotated sharply. The keen edge rotated first, beating the approaching iron fist.
Clang!
The sound of clashing metal rang out piercingly. Huang Zhengchun’s fist felt a searing pain. This young martial artist, even at full power, could still alter the angle of his blade mid-strike—a true genius! But alas...
The gleaming Iai-giri exploded like it was filled with gunpowder, emitting a sharp, concussive blast. Countless fragments of metal sprayed outward!
The sword shattered! A cruel smile touched Huang Zhengchun’s lips; this exchange was worth it! Although his flesh was grazed, even reaching the bone, disabling a swordsman’s blade was akin to taking half his life.
Pfft, pfft...
Several fragments of the broken blade grazed Xue Tian’s body, causing spots of his previously untouched skin to burst into bloody mist. His tiger’s mouth (the area between the thumb and index finger) instantly turned bright red, looking ready to split open.
Clashing head-on with a Twelve-Star martial artist, Xue Tian felt a dull numbness in his arm. The fine steel battle blade, imbued with sparks of metal, failed to sever the opponent’s arm. This Twelve-Star master was clearly a powerhouse even among his own rank.
Huang Zhengchun didn't pause; the left arm he had retracted suddenly sprung forward again. The striking power gauntlet shot out, its powerful rocket booster turning it into a near-missile.
Xue Tian’s eyes widened. He instantly invoked the Dragon Shroud, a movement technique Qin Fen favored for dodging linear attacks, just as the power gauntlet scraped past his cheek.
Before Xue Tian could recover, Huang Zhengchun stomped the sand beneath his feet as if beating a drum, leaping directly toward Xue Tian’s face. His shoulders twitched repeatedly, striking out like the firing pins of a machine gun, his two arms—like bullets from the same weapon—constantly launching forward. Dozens of fist shadows instantly filled the space before Xue Tian.
The Golden Triangle warriors gasped, the cries catching in their throats, their eyes already wide with shock. Their captain was using this special new martial art technique that rapidly drained stamina: Machine Gun Fist!
Xue Tian planted his feet firmly, his body swaying like a giant tumbler while executing rapid evasive maneuvers. He dodged the majority of Huang Zhengchun’s attacks, startling the Golden Triangle warriors into continuous cries of amazement. What kind of movement technique was this?
Bang! Crackle...
Huang Zhengchun felt the solid impact of his fists against his opponent’s body, hearing the familiar sound of cracking bone returning to his ears. A surge of satisfaction filled him—this slippery opponent had finally been hit.
Good, one hit, and the battle is... (Read novels continuously at: http://w/w/w.1/6/k/X/S.c｜O/M).
Huang Zhengchun was inwardly pleased, but suddenly a figure flashed before his eyes. Xue Tian’s right arm hung limply, passing through the Machine Gun Fist, while his left arm delivered an elbow strike directly toward his face.
Come on, then! Huang Zhengchun was even more delighted. Did he think the Vajra Battle Body feared a Ten-Star elbow strike? Once he closed the distance, this young man was utterly defeated!
His machine-gun-like fists now coiled like a bizarre yellow dragon, bypassing Xue Tian’s back and rapidly retracting. This new martial arts technique: Immortal Binding Rope!
Combined with the hardened body of the Vajra Battle Body, if he could just lock the opponent in an embrace, very few martial artists of the same star rank could escape. The result was almost always the opponent’s bones being crushed by this hard body, leading to death.
Slap! Huang Zhengchun’s arms clamped onto Xue Tian’s lower back clothing. The incoming elbow strike was also right in front of him.
Just a little more... Huang Zhengchun’s heart skipped a beat. The arms about to restrain Xue Tian suddenly accelerated their contraction, and he jerked his head aside to dodge rapidly.
A blade! In the instant the elbow strike neared, Huang Zhengchun saw a gleaming short blade suddenly spring out from the fabric near Xue Tian’s elbow!
A second blade! Huang Zhengchun suddenly remembered something: many swordsmen kept a second blade, which was often the truly fatal one.
No matter how tough the body of the Twelve-Star Vajra Battle Body was, its face could not be completely impervious to blades and bullets. Being struck by a blade here could lead to death just as easily.
Both were racing against time. Huang Zhengchun’s arms reached Xue Tian’s back first. The slight panic in his heart lessened a bit; he had won this exchange.
Huang Zhengchun’s two arms, hard as metal, tightened violently, aiming to hug toward the chest. A triumphant smile curled his lips—finally, I’m going to win!
"Thank you..."
A barely audible word drifted from Xue Tian’s mouth. A chilling sensation shot up Huang Zhengchun’s spine, and simultaneously, he felt an icy blade energy near his lower body.
A third blade! The arms Huang Zhengchun had wrapped around Xue Tian’s body instantly loosened and retracted rapidly as he tried to push Xue Tian away.
There was a third blade? Huang Zhengchun couldn't believe it. Even possessing two blades was rare for a swordsman; this young man had three? If he had known about the third blade, he should have attacked first with his knee strike!
"Too late..."
Huang Zhengchun looked into Xue Tian's eyes, which held a mocking smile, and read the unspoken message.
Too late, indeed... Huang Zhengchun’s spirit plummeted. He shouldn't have relied so heavily on the almost invincible defense of his Vajra Battle Body and ignored the opponent's lethal capabilities.
The Vajra Battle Body was not truly invincible. At the Twelve-Star level, it still had weaknesses—the lower abdomen. While this area was much stronger than that of ordinary martial artists, capable of resisting general kicks, it could not withstand blade attacks. Especially a perfectly sharp blade, which could easily pierce the chainmail-like iron underpants...
Pfft....
A short blade sprang out from beneath Xue Tian’s trouser leg near his right knee. Accompanied by the powerful knee strike, it easily pierced the supposedly impervious Vajra Battle Body.
If you want me dead, I'll take you with me!
Huang Zhengchun screamed, spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood. The arm he had retracted swung back in an elbow strike that tore the air with a whistle, slamming toward Xue Tian’s heart.
Die, and we die together!
Xue Tian flinched and leaped backward like a monkey. He twisted his wrist, the short blade now in his hand, and flung it like a throwing knife.
Pfft... Crackle....
The blade deeply pierced Huang Zhengchun’s throat. Xue Tian rotated in mid-air and landed back on the sand. His right arm emitted another sharp sound. The dying beast's counterattack was still ferocious; the elbow strike missed the heart but still injured his already wounded right arm.
The suffocating storm of attacks ended in an instant. Huang Zhengchun’s eyes were wide as saucers, filled with disbelief. A dignified Twelve-Star martial artist had been killed by a Ten-Star youth? His final, unyielding gaze stared fixedly at the sky, as if demanding to know heaven why this had happened.
Pfft..... Xue Tian couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of blood. The Vajra Battle Body, in that single moment it embraced him from behind, had still managed to damage some of his internal organs.
In just an instant... Xue Tian’s face was pale as he bent over, managing a wry smile. A Twelve-Star martial artist was indeed a Twelve-Star master. Without Qin Fen’s monstrous physique, fighting opponents with such high defense was truly a losing proposition.
"Xue Tian...."
Du Peng was just about to move his ankle when he saw Xue Tian raise his left arm, signaling them to stop.
"Don't come over, the two of you. Joining the fight will only be a burden. Spend time with Old Qin; tell him if he can't heal my body soon, your brother is truly going to die here." Xue Tian forced himself to stand upright despite the throbbing pain in his back, looking up at the cold, fine drizzle falling from the sky and sighing, Being a hero is not easy.
Xue Tian looked down at his own condition. His clean military uniform was now ragged and covered in bloodstains and filth from the enemy’s blood and his own. He had never looked so wretched.
Nearly ninety Golden Triangle warriors stared in shock at the blood-soaked young man. He had instantly slain ten enemies, and then, despite being wounded, took down their Twelve-Star captain, Huang Zhengchun. Where had this monstrous young man come from?!
This body... can it still endure the fight against these eighty or ninety opponents? Xue Tian shook his head weakly, a bitter smile playing on his lips. He lifted his head once more, and the confidence in his eyes reignited: "I say, we can continue. This is the first step on my road to becoming a hero."
The facial muscles of several dozen Golden Triangle fighters twitched uncontrollably. This body can still fight? A strong gust of wind might bring him down! He still wants to fight? This kid must truly be insane.
"What, you aren't attacking?" Xue Tian lightly weighed the short blade in his hand. "Very well, then I shall initiate the attack. Welcome to the world of the Raging Slash!"