"Ah!" Meng Tian let out a scream of agonizing pain, and the momentum of the Blood Moon Saber momentarily weakened. Teng Qingshan seized the opening with a sweep, intending to cleave Meng Tian's chest open.

But Meng Tian, knowing he was facing a life-or-death moment, stomped hard with his feet the instant his left arm was pierced, leaping away at top speed. Though he fled swiftly, his left arm was still severed by Teng Qingshan's Samsara Spear, and a gash was left across his chest.

Whoosh! A figure cloaked in blood-red sped away into the distance.

"Teng Qingshan, this debt of blood, I, Meng Tian, shall repay in the days to come!" Meng Tian roared. Teng Qingshan's gaze was sharp and cold.

"Seeking death!" Teng Qingshan surged forward with incredible speed, a crimson silhouette and a black silhouette plunging one after the other into the darkness of the wilderness. ...

"This... how is this possible?" The men stared, dumbfounded.

"Teng Qingshan actually defeated Meng Tian, severing one of his arms and leaving him severely wounded!" The leader exclaimed in shock. The men beside him quickly inquired, "Big Brother, isn't that Meng Tian a master on the Earthly Ranking?

How could he be defeated by Teng Qingshan? Now that Teng Qingshan is in pursuit, will Meng Tian be killed?" The leader pondered before replying, "Meng Tian's speed was clearly superior, but with a severed arm and heavy injuries, he will certainly slow down the further he runs.

If Teng Qingshan truly pursues him relentlessly, he might very well kill Meng Tian!" Just then— A large crowd surged forth from behind them—it was Teng Qinghu, Du Hong, and the Black Armored Army soldiers, along with Zhu Chongshi and the others. Zhu Chongshi’s face changed drastically when he saw the severed arm on the ground.

He immediately turned and demanded of the watching men, "Where are Meng Tian and Teng Qingshan?" The leader quickly reported, "Esteemed sirs, what we just witnessed was Meng Tian and Teng Qingshan battling. Meng Tian lost an arm and escaped.

Teng Qingshan is currently in pursuit!" "Meng Tian lost?" Du Hong, Teng Qinghu, Zhu Chongshi, and the others couldn't hide their delight. Any martial artist would generally follow the Earthly Ranking.

Upon hearing Meng Tian announce his name and witnessing his saber techniques, they had guessed his identity. Everyone had been deeply worried for Teng Qingshan, as the opponent was an esteemed figure ranked on the Earthly Ranking.

** In the wilderness, Teng Qingshan chased relentlessly. "I've severed one of his arms; this Meng Tian must hate me profoundly.

Fleeing while grinding his teeth and swearing revenge." Teng Qingshan was keenly aware of the importance of eliminating roots, especially when facing someone of such high strength who harbored such intense hatred for him. Teng Qingshan glanced around.

"Hmm, no one is nearby!" Whoosh! Teng Qingshan's speed instantly soared!

A movement technique—Horizon Strider! "He severed my arm; this hatred must be repaid." Meng Tian was consumed by resentment.

"He's still chasing me? Hmph, his speed...

how could it compare to mine!" Meng Tian was supremely confident. He relied on speed for victory, and he had just unleashed a forbidden technique, making him even faster.

Indeed... If Teng Qingshan hadn't employed the Horizon Strider movement technique, catching up would have been impossible.

"What?" Meng Tian felt the rush of air behind him and turned his head, his face draining of color. Teng Qingshan was actually moving faster than him!

"Impossible!!!" Meng Tian's mind refused to accept it. "Meng Tian, accept death!" Teng Qingshan roared.

"I am already severely wounded. If this fight continues, I will certainly lose my life to Teng Qingshan.

Earlier, my disadvantage lay in my Blood Moon Saber being shorter than his spear! This time, even if his long spear pierces me, I will take the chance to kill him." Meng Tian resolved himself, determined to kill Teng Qingshan at any cost.

Even if he died, he would drag Teng Qingshan down with him! Meng Tian acted with maniacal fury.

With a roar, he shouted, "Let's die together!" The Blood Moon Saber in his hand sliced toward Teng Qingshan, trailing a chilling gleam of cold light. Meng Tian was ready to meet Teng Qingshan’s fierce spear thrust.

But— He was wrong. This time, Teng Qingshan did not unleash the 'Shadow-Following' spear technique.

Instead— "Hahaha..." Teng Qingshan laughed heartily, swinging his long spear overhead. It was as if he were gripping a simple wooden club, devoid of any martial intent from any known staff or spear art—he swung it randomly and ferociously, smashing it down toward Meng Tian!

Shhh-shhh~~ Teng Qingshan's arm muscles bulged! Rumble!

Like a sudden clap of thunder from nowhere, the spear strike Teng Qingshan delivered generated a terrifying explosive sound. The surrounding earth burst open due to the formidable internal energy wave.

"Peng!" A deafening explosion sounded, followed by a spray of crimson mist ahead. "Haha, exhilarating, truly exhilarating!

It's rare to unleash all my strength like this." Teng Qingshan looked at the mud-caked ground dyed red with blood. That simple smash had contained the ultimate power of his body—eighteen thousand pounds of brute force!

One force overcomes ten skills! No matter what your technique, no matter your intent!

If I swing my spear, I can smash you into explosive pulp! There was no corpse left on the ground.

Eighteen thousand pounds of brute force, delivered by that terrifying swing, had propelled the spear to an incredible velocity! Furthermore, the air ahead of the spear was compressed; when the Samsara Spear impacted Meng Tian, his entire skeletal structure instantly shattered.

The compressed air exploded, obliterating Meng Tian completely, leaving no trace of bone or flesh. Eighteen thousand pounds of power!

The peak strength of the Inner Strength School! Meng Tian, the master of the Earthly Ranking, was utterly annihilated in the face of such absolute power.

The only intact item Meng Tian left behind was one—the Blood Moon Saber! "This Blood Moon Saber is indeed a divine weapon; it hasn't warped or cracked even under my eighteen thousand pounds of might," Teng Qingshan admired, picking up the blade.

"Meng Tian, you are the first Earthly Ranking master I have killed, and this Blood Moon Saber shall serve as the proof!" Teng Qingshan surveyed the surrounding darkness. "The land of the Nine Provinces is filled with countless experts.

Having killed Meng Tian today, perhaps the world will now know my name!" ... In the dark night, outside the dilapidated Inn of the Three Stones, the Black Armored Army men and Zhu Chongshi waited.

"Why isn't Qingshan back yet?" Teng Qinghu grew anxious. Zhu Chongshi, standing nearby, smiled faintly.

"Don't worry. Since Brother Qingshan has already severely wounded Meng Tian, even if he couldn't kill him, he shouldn't be in any danger." Despite these words, everyone knew that a master from the Earthly Ranking, when fighting for their life, could still be terrifyingly dangerous.

At that moment— Footsteps sounded. From the darkness, Teng Qingshan emerged.

"Qingshan!" Teng Qinghu’s eyes lit up with joy, rushing forward first. "Brother Qingshan, how did it go?" Zhu Chongshi also stepped forward.

Teng Qingshan smiled calmly and raised the Blood Moon Saber in his hand. "From this day forward, there is no more Meng Tian." Though they had mentally prepared themselves, everyone present was still shocked.

Wounding an Earthly Ranking master was one concept; killing one was another entirely. "Qingshan, you killed Meng Tian.

That means you are now also an Earthly Ranking master!" Zhu Chongshi praised. Du Hong beside him chimed in with delight, "Commander, you are so young!

To be ranked on the Earthly Ranking, you could also make the Hidden Dragon Ranking! Being on both lists simultaneously—haha...

you will be the first in our Guiyuan Sect!" Everyone was ecstatic. They all knew the ironclad rule governing the ranking system: if an individual single-handedly slew a master listed on the Earthly Ranking, or forced an Earthly Ranking master to admit defeat outright, the victor would directly take the slain master's place.

This was the fastest route! Merely injuring them was insufficient to usurp their rank.

This meant Teng Qingshan would immediately be ranked sixty-first on the Earthly Ranking! "Sixty-first on the Earthly Ranking!" A chorus of admiration rose from the group.

Across the Nine Provinces, countless aspiring martial artists challenged Earthly Ranking masters daily, yet the masters rarely engaged. Even when they did, they usually won.

Many challengers were killed, yet still, waves of people sought the notoriety. By killing Meng Tian, Teng Qingshan would step over Meng Tian's corpse to directly ascend to the sixty-first position on the Earthly Ranking.

From this moment on, Teng Qingshan was no longer an ordinary martial artist. Many people would seek him out, hoping to defeat him.

"The more the better. Preferably, some true powerhouses should come," Teng Qingshan looked forward to it.

Loneliness haunts the powerful; when a worthy opponent appears, a master finds true happiness. ...

"Brother Zhu, what were our losses?" Teng Qingshan inquired of Zhu Chongshi. A shadow of sorrow crossed Zhu Chongshi's face.

"Of my eighty guards, thirty-six died, and eighteen were gravely injured. Most of the rest sustained minor wounds.

In short, only twenty-six remain capable of fighting." Teng Qingshan sighed inwardly. Losing more than half their force was indeed tragic.

"Old Du," Teng Qingshan looked at Du Hong. Du Hong’s expression was grave.

"Commander, we lost two brothers, and one is seriously wounded—he was lucky; the sword pierced through a gap in his waist armor and didn't take his life! Everyone else is relatively fine." The Black Armored Army soldiers, protected by heavy armor, usually survived light strikes, but a solid hit often meant certain death.

Two dead, one critically injured—this was the cost for the Black Armored Army. "And the enemy?" Teng Qingshan asked.

"The enemy lost over eighty men. A dozen more fled when they saw the tide turn," Du Hong reported.

Zhu Chongshi clapped Teng Qingshan on the shoulder. "Brother Qingshan, don't dwell on it.

Thankfully, you were here and gave the warning early; our poisoning was shallow enough for our internal energy to expel it. Had it been a little later...

or if you hadn't held back Meng Tian, we would truly have been finished this time. I wonder who could dispatch a master of Meng Tian's caliber.

But in a way, it’s a blessing; since you killed Meng Tian, you now rank on the Earthly Ranking." "Everyone, it's getting late. Let's quickly tend to the bodies of our fallen brothers and then rest early.

We must set out first thing tomorrow morning," Zhu Chongshi suggested. Everyone headed toward the back courtyard to prepare for handling the deceased.

"Qingshan, you are truly incredible," Teng Qinghu walked alongside Teng Qingshan, speaking excitedly. "Our Teng Clan finally has someone who can be listed on both the Earthly Ranking and the Hidden Dragon Ranking!

If my grandfather and the others knew, they would probably wake up smiling from their dreams!"