let out a sigh. It had taken Wanyan Tiegu two years to reach the Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation—a testament to how slow he was. But that was five years ago. What changes had those five years brought to his strength? Furthermore, even at the level of Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation, the people in their team couldn't contend with him. "Let's discuss breaking through," suggested quietly to , his gaze fixed on the dark figure. "Wanyan Tiegu has the strength of Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation. The three of us together stand little chance of victory, even using JL..."

nodded in agreement. Though based on Wanyan Tiegu's pace—two years after his bloodline awakened to reach Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation—it was unlikely he had reached the true peak of that level again. Yet, even at the peak state of Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation, combined with five years of actual combat experience and accumulated Dou Qi, his power was formidable, far beyond what the three of them could counter. "Break through?" looked over the cargo in the surrounding carriages. "Just abandon this mission?" "Abandon it?" sighed helplessly in response. "What else can we do? If you launched a sneak attack, you might succeed, but now..." "Are you going to let us pass or not?" Wanyan Tiegu roared impatiently from atop his horse. "I'll count to five. If you don't move, I'm charging in with my men!"

"Let me try. If it doesn't work, we can still attempt to break through then." leaped onto his horse, drawing the standard-issue military saber. He slapped his horse's flank and rode toward the blockade, raising his voice. "Are you Wanyan Tiegu? Come out and face justice!"

The desolate wilderness was silent save for the restless pawing of hooves. Under the tense air, the loud challenge rang out with startling clarity.

Both the group and the mercenaries were stunned by the sudden outburst. For a few brief moments, only the distant echo of 's shout remained as everyone stared dumbfounded at him.

Boss Liang gripped the few strands of his remaining hair, shouting internally: Is this young man insane? Even if you want to die, let me be the one to report it! If you ride out there and shout like that, the ferocity of will erupt, and they will surely slaughter every last one of us before stopping.

stared blankly at 's retreating figure as he rode out. He knew the opponent was a Bloodline Warrior! He knew Wanyan Tiegu had achieved Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation five years ago, yet this young man dared to charge forward on horseback? Did he truly believe he could win? No matter how outstanding he was, he was merely a warrior who hadn't even stepped inside an advanced War Academy. The opponent was a ruthless veteran hardened by years of carnage.

Wanyan Tiegu sat stunned on his horse, looking at the young warrior emerging from the formation, brandishing a common saber. He laughed. "How long has it been?" Wanyan Tiegu almost choked with laughter. "How long has it been since someone dared to challenge me like this? A little thing like you isn't even worth my attention..."

"Are you afraid?" rode forward with the leisurely air of someone strolling in the market. "I heard that the heads of the ten great bandit leaders beyond the frontier carry bounties in both the Zhence Dynasty and the Demon Race. Lately, I've been worrying about paying my tuition fees for the War Academy. I might as well use your head as tuition."

Wanyan Tiegu laughed so hard he bent over his horse, but an icy surge of killing intent continuously gathered between his brows. Dominating the frontier relied not just on sheer brute force, but also on maintaining a terrifying reputation. Once that reputation faded, challengers would emerge endlessly. No matter how powerful you were, you would be drowned by them.

Only through killing! Only through blood and life could one forge a monument that no one dared to challenge! Wanyan Tiegu had believed he had forged such a monument, only to discover today that someone dared to test it.

"Come out then," chuckled, hooking the tip of his saber. "If you won't come out, but instead command to raid us, we will certainly fight to the death. Even if your is strong, I doubt you can escape without losses, right? Now, I give you a chance: defeat me, and I will clear the path for you and release your members."

The smile vanished completely from Wanyan Tiegu's face, his hearty laughter freezing instantly. His hook-like eyes carefully scrutinized . He suddenly realized he had underestimated this young man; in just a few short sentences, had managed to sow discord between his tenth lieutenant and the small squad of . Dozens of mercenaries were not to be trifled with; if they truly fought to the death, someone in the squad was bound to die.

Wanyan Tiegu stroked his chin. If he refused to fight now, the squad beside him would look down on him, and upon returning to the bandit camp, it would spread rapidly. Then more challengers would appear, and even the other leaders would cast disdainful glances his way.

", remember this! Today, this battleground was opened by me, Wanyan Tiegu! When we return to the stockade, don't try to steal the credit from me." Wanyan Tiegu pulled the reins, moving forward slowly.

Beneath ’s matte black metal mask, a pair of bright eyes curiously assessed the young mercenary who remained so composed facing the notorious Black Wind leader. Was he simply too thick-skinned to understand what a vicious man looked like? Or did he possess such powerful familial backing that even an organization like , one of the ten great bandit groups beyond the frontier, had to tread carefully?

Wanyan Tiegu stopped less than fifteen meters from . He dismounted smoothly. He tilted his head slightly. "Get down. Your advantage probably isn't mounted combat, right?"

The mercenaries all froze. How could Wanyan Tiegu, famous for his brutality and never hesitating to kill, act this way today?

A faint, icy glint appeared in 's eyes—a flicker of understanding. Wanyan Tiegu intended to capture his opponent alive! Then, using the cruelest methods, he would slowly torture his prey to death, warning anyone else who might dare challenge him that defeat meant a death by torture.

jumped off his horse readily. Mounted combat was indeed not his strong suit; he had planned to lure the opponent into a chase, then pivot and flee on his horse while launching a surprise arrow attack on Wanyan Tiegu. That plan, however, had to be shelved for the moment.

Wanyan Tiegu stood casually, his saber still hanging at his waist, not even drawn. How much skill could a mere student who hadn't crossed the threshold of the War Academy possess? raised his saber level over his head, his left hand gently supporting the blade’s body, his legs slowly sinking into a crouch...

In that instant, the eyes behind ’s cold black iron mask suddenly exploded with astonishment, and a chilling current shot straight up Wanyan Tiegu’s spine to his brain.

It was only a single moment, a single posture.

The expressions of nearly everyone present shifted in different ways. , with his drawn and supported saber, rose like a mountain erupting from the flat earth! Dou Qi! It erupted in a single instant! Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation—!

Nine Battles! Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation! The black pupils behind the black metal mask, thin as needle points, instantly elongated into vertical black slits! abruptly stood up from the carriage, his shock unmistakable on his face. ’s eyes and mouth gaped simultaneously. It was Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation! A young man who wasn't a Bloodline Warrior possessed the ability of Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation before even entering the War Academy? How was this possible? It was impossible! This single thought flashed rapidly through the minds of every expert on the battlefield.

showed no mercy. The 108 Dou Qi vortexes surrounding him spun madly. His leg muscles instantly swelled, and his body sank down with a deep crouch, then exploded upward in a surge. The black mud on the ground scattered in all directions like a giant black flower blooming instantaneously. The brilliance in his eyes surged, and his saber seemed fused to his arm. His body lowered so far that his chest nearly scraped the ground, launching forward with the low growl of a beast, like a striking leopard cutting through the air. The saber, radiating a cold sheen like the moon on a dark night, pierced through the fierce aura radiating from Wanyan Tiegu and cleaved toward his forehead.

[Eight Strikes of Tree Felling]! The saber hacked down with full force, the blade edge whistling piercingly as it cut the air, like a child's whistle. The glint of cold light was laced with the pungent aura of bloody slaughter, revealing the scent of severed limbs and gore that clung to the saber from its journeys across the frontiers.

Two years of life-and-death tempering in the Valley of Four Seasons had transformed 's Eight Strikes of Tree Felling from the crude to the miraculous. Every movement naturally carried a killing intent born of life and death. "Where did such a fierce kid pop up from?"

Wanyan Tiegu was so shocked his scalp nearly jumped. His bloodline power erupted completely, his Dou Qi soaring straight to the level of Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation! The needle-thin pupils rapidly released countless black, fine lines toward the edges of his eyeballs. These lines intertwined to cover the entire eyeball, as if segmenting it into countless thin threads, or resembling the compound eyes of an insect, flashing with an eerie light.

In a panic, Wanyan Tiegu drew his saber and met the attack above his head, clashing blade against blade. His wrist, arm, and shoulder registered the potent impact with a slight ache. He was shocked again, shifting his stance to deflect the saber's power to the side.

However, ’s movements were even faster than expected. It seemed he had anticipated this exact maneuver. As the blades collided, used the rebound force to lift his saber slightly, then channeled the power of his waist and shoulder into a single cohesive force, slamming the saber down once more.

No deflection possible! He had no choice but to meet it head-on! The two sabers crashed together again, sending dazzling sparks flying from the metallic impact! The ear-splitting collision echoed out into the empty distance.

Having gained advantage with the first two strikes, didn't pause at all. His Dou Qi seemed to require no recovery time, erupting directly for the third time as the saber fell again!

Third strike! Wanyan Tiegu’s eye veins bulged. Ignoring his surprise at ’s recovery speed, he gritted his teeth and raised his blade to block again.

Fourth strike! Fifth strike! Sixth strike... Thrust! Slash! Diagonal sweep! Once seized the initiative, his saber exploded into action. A common military saber transformed into more than a dozen streaks of bright light, appearing from different positions, completely enveloping Wanyan Tiegu within the flurry of combat. Bursts of metallic sparks flew, accompanied by the incessant sound of metal smashing together, making it sound as if a dozen men were simultaneously hacking at each other with blades!