Chapter 158: A Sudden Change

"Retreat? Too late."

Su Yu stood atop a treetop, killing intent surging in his eyes.

In this mist, his Five Senses Divine gave him a massive advantage. Combined with his Coin Tossing Technique, which had reached the Perfection Realm, slaughtering ordinary Martial Artists was as easy as mowing grass.

He didn’t even need to see his enemies. Relying solely on the sounds of footsteps and breathing carried on the wind, he could lock onto each one’s position.

"Sky-Scattering Gold!"

With a flick of his wrist, Su Yu sent a handful of Flying Locust Stones shooting out like a torrential downpour.

WHIZ! WHIZ! WHIZ!

The sharp whistle of stones tearing through the air echoed endlessly through the mist.

"Ugh!"

"Argh—!"

Screams of agony rang out one after another. Of the retreating Water Bandits, some were struck through the back of the head, others had their throats pierced. They fell in swathes, like wheat before a scythe.

"You bastard! Stop this instant!"

Han Qinhu’s eyes widened in fury. As he watched his men fall one after another, the rage in his heart finally erupted.

"Fierce Tiger Fist!"

The Qi and Blood in his body surged. He was like a ferocious tiger descending a mountain as he threw a savage punch toward his front-left.

BOOM!

The ferocious force of the punch carried a gale that felt almost solid, instantly blasting away the mist for dozens of yards. The few Flying Locust Stones still in midair, aimed at his last remaining men, were obliterated into dust by this terrifying Fist Force.

As the mist scattered, it revealed the black-clad figure in the treetop.

"Found you!"

Han Qinhu let out a savage grin. The ground cracked beneath his feet as his figure shot toward the sky like a cannonball.

"You little bastard! You dare kill so many of my brothers? I’ll tear you limb from limb!"

Unleashing the full might of his Third Acupoint Perfection Qi and Blood, Han Qinhu’s aura was now even more terrifying than a true tiger’s. Towering over his opponent, he brought one massive hand down toward Su Yu’s head with suffocating force.

Before the blow even landed, the biting gale it generated stung Su Yu’s face. Behind him, the tree trunk began to crack and splinter with a continuous CRACKING sound.

When Han Qinhu saw that Su Yu seemed to be frozen in fear, not even attempting to flee, a savage grin spread across his face. ’You can’t escape now, you damned thing!’

In the distance, the three remaining Water Bandits watched, their eyes filled with cruel delight:

"Third Boss is mighty!"

"Kill that bastard who only knows how to use sneak attacks!"

"There’s no escape for you, you animal!"

However, faced with Han Qinhu’s astonishingly powerful strike, Su Yu’s expression remained calm. He neither dodged nor evaded.

"Good!"

VMMMM!

He instantly pushed his Black Stone Body Forging Skill to its limit.

Like splashed ink, a deep cyan sheen instantly covered his right upper arm and forearm before spreading to his fist, encasing his entire right arm in a layer of Black Iron Profound Armor!

"White Ape Asks the Way!"

Su Yu clenched his right fist, his Qi and Blood roaring like a great river and converging on a single point as he slammed it head-on into Han Qinhu’s palm!

BANG!!!

Fist met palm, creating a deafening, muffled boom.

A violent shockwave radiated outward from the point of impact. The tree Su Yu had been standing on instantly snapped with a loud CRACK. Before the falling treetop even hit the ground, the ensuing gale tore it to shreds, clearing out an area that was like a vacuum!

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

Su Yu landed and was forced back four steps. Each step stamped an inch-deep print into the hard ground before he finally managed to dissipate the terrifying rebound force. His right arm trembled slightly, and the Qi and Blood within his body churned violently.

Across from him, Han Qinhu only took two steps back before steadying himself.

He shook out his hand, a flicker of shock in his eyes:

’Third Acupoint? This kid is actually at the Third Acupoint realm too?’

’And... what a tough hide! And what incredible strength!’

Han Qinhu was inwardly horrified. ’Judging by the kid’s Qi and Blood fluctuations, he’s clearly just entered the Third Acupoint realm. How could he take a direct palm strike from me, someone at the Perfection Realm?’

’What the hell kind of genius is this?!’

But the shock quickly morphed into an even more intense killing intent.

"Su Yu, is it? What a genius! Too bad you ran into me!"

Han Qinhu’s lips peeled back in a grin, revealing chalk-white teeth. "Give you a few years, and I might actually have to steer clear of you. But right now... your realm isn’t high enough! Die!"

"Tiger Roar Fist!"

Han Qinhu pushed his Qi and Blood to the limit. His fists flew like the wind, each punch accompanied by the faint, rumbling sound of a tiger’s roar.

He was a true veteran expert of the Skin Tempering Realm. His hide had long been trained into a seamless whole, leaving no weaknesses. The air crackled and exploded wherever his fists passed, a testament to their astonishing power.

Su Yu’s brows knitted tightly; he could only defend passively.

He pushed his White Ape Fist to its limits, coordinating with his Black Stone Profound Armor to face the attacks head-on!

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The two exchanged dozens of blows in an instant.

But the gap between them was gradually becoming apparent.

With every clash, the light of the Cyan-Black Profound Armor on Su Yu’s body dimmed a little. Han Qinhu’s Qi and Blood was simply too abundant and tyrannical; its relentless, concussive force was dismantling Su Yu’s defense bit by bit.

’It’s no use! The gap in our Qi and Blood is too great!’

Su Yu sighed to himself.

Although they were both at the Third Acupoint realm, he had only broken through two days ago. Han Qinhu, on the other hand, had been immersed in this realm for a decade and had even touched the threshold of the Flesh Refining Realm.

Even relying on his Black Stone Body Forging Skill at the Skillful Realm, he couldn’t completely bridge the gap!

"Hahaha! Kid, the moment that turtle shell of yours shatters will be the moment you die!"

Han Qinhu had a sharp eye and saw at a glance that Su Yu was already at the end of his rope. He laughed wildly as he intensified his assault, each punch heavier than the last, forcing Su Yu to fall back repeatedly.

"Haha, Boss, kill that bastard!"

"Arrogant brat. Instead of running, he actually thought he could turn the tables on us. Now he’s going to pay with his life!"

"So-called genius, my ass! He’s still going to be slaughtered by the Third Boss!"

Seeing this, the three Water Bandits grew bold. They fanned out and closed in, sealing off all of Su Yu’s escape routes.

"Vine Demon Lock!"

His White Ape Fist was outmatched, so Su Yu immediately drew his saber and began to tangle with his opponent.

The light of the saber blade was like silk threads, carrying a viscous Power that attempted to entangle Han Qinhu’s fists.

"Not bad, kid. To think you have a saber technique like this! A pity your strength is lacking!"

A flicker of shock crossed Han Qinhu’s eyes, quickly replaced by a savage grin. He slammed his fists together, using his powerful Qi and Blood to clash directly with the saber’s edge.

CLANG!

The sound of metal striking metal rang out.

An immense rebound force traveled up the blade, making the webbing of Su Yu’s hand go numb and nearly causing him to lose his grip on the Mo Yuan Saber. That layer of Black Stone Profound Armor, already on the verge of collapse, finally shattered from the impact and dissipated into nothingness.

"You’re finished!"

A savage grin spread across Han Qinhu’s face as he saw Su Yu’s Black Stone Profound Armor shatter.

Su Yu knew it as well; in his normal state, he was no match for an opponent at Skin Tempering Perfection.

An enemy at Third Acupoint Perfection, like Han Qinhu, had a hide that was a single, seamless unit, much like the Golden Bell Shield from the Martial Arts of his previous life. It was nearly impossible to break their defense, and what made it even more formidable was the complete lack of any weak points!

Against his previous enemies, even those with slightly stronger Qi and Blood, he could have used a combination of his saber arts and Body Technique to injure their vitals. But now, that method was useless!

This was what made a Martial Artist at the Skin Tempering Realm Perfection so terrifying!

’In that case, I have no choice but to activate Violent Ape Blood Fury!’

A sharp glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. Just as he was about to activate it, he suddenly spun around and fled toward the distant riverbank!

"Where do you think you’re going!"

Seeing Su Yu flee, Han Qinhu had no intention of letting him go. He gave a savage grin and pursued him.

When the three Water Bandits saw Su Yu rushing toward them, they immediately moved to surround him. If they could just block Su Yu for a moment, his death would be sealed!

Despite the impending crisis, Su Yu’s expression remained calm as he continued to charge toward the water’s edge.

In the next instant, the situation changed dramatically!

The previously calm surface of the Black Water River exploded without warning.

A plume of water shot thirty feet into the air!

A terrifying, suffocatingly malevolent aura, carried on a sky-full of mist, instantly enveloped the entire riverbank.