The small courtyard was secluded and quiet, shadows cast by foliage scattered across the ground. A youth in a green robe stood amidst them, exuding an aura of innate naturalness.
"Young hero, who are you and what business do you have?"
âHeart-eating Ghostâ Zhang He asked with a genial smile.
To be impatient could disrupt a great plan, and if not necessary, the six of them had no desire to draw their weapons. Within this little town were two venerated figures from the righteous path. If they were to sense the confrontation, it would be troublesome.
Moreover, the arrival of this youth seemed suspicious, perhaps thereâs something more to it.
"I am here for some people."
Shi Xiaoleâs gaze swept across the six faces. The low level disguises they wore may fool ordinary people, but how could they fool him, who had mastered the art of Pity Flower Treasure Identification?
"Who are you looking for?"
Xiao Qian asked coldly, showing a trace of impatience.
In other circumstances, he could wipe out scores of lads like this one with a single swipe of his hand.
"There are six people in total. One is Black Darkness Elder, one is Kong Datong, another is Xiao Qian, another is Chen Da, and the last two are Zhang He and Li Baorong."
With each name Shi Xiaole called out, the faces of the six men grew darker. At the end, their twelve eyes resembled venomous snakes, chilling the air.
"We know none of these six people. Why are you looking for them?"
Zhang Heâs smile faded.
"I am here to kill them."
Shi Xiaole said light-heartedly.
"Hahaha..."
Black Darkness Elder laughed frantically in anger, his chest heaving vehemently.
It was as if they, grand figures of the Devil Path, were mere prawns in shallow water trifled with by a dragon. Since when did they become easy pickings for any youngster to threaten?
Could it be because they had been silent for too long that people had forgotten their once formidable prowess?
"Lad, who sent you?"
Kong Datong squinted his eyes, sensing the surroundings, the seriousness on his face swiftly changing into perplexity.
There were quite a few passers-by nearby, but based on his cultivated intuition, none of them posed a threat.
As for Shi Xiaole, he would rather believe pigs could fly, than to believe the youngster possessed skills comparable to his own.
A man in his twenties, no matter how gifted, wouldnât suffice. Even Jade Fan Scholar, the most prodigious figure in the Eight States of Martial World, only reached venerated mastery in his thirties.
The other five also wore puzzled expressions, clueless about the source of Shi Xiaoleâs confidence.
"Our identities have been exposed. Itâs not safe to stay here."
Kong Datong suddenly spoke.
"Hmm."
The others nodded, preparing to fly away. Before they left, Kong Datong struck a palm blow towards Shi Xiaole, trying to pressure out his backup.
"What is the meaning of this? Are you treating me as if I donât exist?"
Shi Xiaole counterattacked. With one hand held behind, the index finger on his left tightened into his palm, rapidly springing out. A massive force transformed into a finger strike, directly meeting Kong Datongâs palm strike head-on.
This was the lifelong unique skill of Wuxia Master Half Willow, named Pangu Axe, or also known as Nuwa Finger. It was the culmination of various schools and sectsâ finger strength cultivation methods. With the majesty of the Shaolin martial arts, cleverness of Mount Hua martial arts, its might was unmatched.
"What?"
Kong Datongâs body that had been mid-air was forced to retreat. The disguise on his face was blown away by the strong wind, revealing his true appearance filled with utter shock.
Impossible, how is this possible!
Though it was a casual strike, only four-tenth of his strength was used. But even then, it was enough to defeat esteemed figures in the Martial Worldâs rankings and even those on the list of the devil path.
Where on earth did this lad come from?
"All of you, stay."
Shi Xiaole extended both hands and successively used Pangu Axe, executing it shot by shot like bullets propelled out, their speed unmatched due to them being amplified by the full power of the Wind Intent Realm.
Even the five illustrious Devil Path figures, who were mid-air, barely had time to respond before they had to leap back to the square through the gaps in the finger intent.
"My goodness!"
While Kong Datong and Shi Xiaole were exchanging blows, the commotion here drew the attention of nearby inhabitants. They happened to see Shi Xiaole single-handedly forcing back the five masterful fighters. Everyone was profoundly shocked, rooted to the spot.
"Master, who is that person? He is so young!"
On the rooftop to the east, a girl of about fourteen or fifteen was standing next to an old man, hopped excitedly.
"A top-notch martial artist. An unparalleled heroic youth thatâs uncommon in the martial world."
The old man was dressed ordinarily. The only thing that stood him out was his straw sandals.
If a connoisseur was here, they would recognize this man as one of the two venerated figures of the righteous path who had entered Jade Town, âNine Mysterious Elderâ Ge Jiao.
"You single-handedly repelled five top fighters of the Devil Path. Who exactly are you?"
At a pavilion in the distance, stood a middle-aged man with a purple crown on his head, a long beard hanging below his chin, and profound eyes. He was the other venerated figure from the Righteous Path, âZhihua Hermitâ Pan Yiheng.
The two esteemed figures originally planned to enter Jade Town in hopes to find Xie Xiaofeng or even Black Darkness Elder and the others but didnât expect to witness such an extraordinary scene.
Even with their maturity, they couldnât help but be awed.
"Five Ghost Legs!"
Kong Datongâs face flushed red, and murderous intent filled his chest. Using this left foot as an axis, his right leg kicked out with a speed that was hard to catch with the naked eye.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Five footprints, indifferent to their order, spun like a big millstone. Not only was Shi Xiaoleâs body frozen in place, but so was the space he occupied.
What Kong Datong had grasped was the profound Prisonerâs Intent in higher realms, reaching 20% mastery. With his cultivation of over a hundred years, Shi Xiaole had the illusion of even his soul being locked down.
The Faceless Divine Skill was silently triggered yet suppressed. With a crisp sound, Shi Xiaole unsheathed his sword.
Back in the Flame Cloud Mountain Range, besides the Red Dragon Sword, he had also forged three other inferior spirit swords.
The Destroying Star was used once disguised as Xie Xiaofeng on Mountain Cang.
But the one he used now was another sword, which balanced sharpness and momentum. It was a rare soft sword, hidden within Shi Xiaoleâs belt.
He named it, Hidden Edge!
The moment the Hidden Edge Sword was drawn, Shi Xiaoleâs body soared like a divine dragon heavenward, carrying the roar of the Heavenly Dragonâs Sword Qi divided into six strands, striking towards the six famed figures from the Devil Path with wind-like speed.
This was the lifetime mastery of the suzerain of Zhijiao Mountain Villa, the âUndying Divine Dragonâ, Dragon Bushi - the seventeen techniques of Heavenly Dragon.
Boom!
Kong Datongâs kick still had a considerable reserve, which was shattered instantly by the Heavenly Dragonâs Sword Qi. The stiffened hair and constricting pupils showed his rage. He simply refused to believe that Shi Xiaole was a high-level expert capable of rivaling him. Therefore, he only used 60% of his power in the last kick, and the result was dots of light shooting before his eyes, as if his perception of life was being turned upside down.
"Damn!"
"You little brat, you are too arrogant!"
"I am going to cripple you!"
Black Darkness Elder, Xiao Qian, Chen Da, Zhang He, and Li Baorong - their looks all soured after neutralizing the Heavenly Dragon Sword Qi respectively.
Who were they? Commanding awe across the Martial World for nearly a hundred years, intimidating both the righteous and the devilish, no one dared to belittle them, even the famous figures of the righteous path dare not!
But now, what did they see? A rookie, who might not even be twenty years old, was provoking all six of them at once, what a Martial World joke!
Thud, thud, thud.
Footsteps rang one after another.
Many people heard the chaos here and came running from afar.
"Little Shi!"
With a joyous shout, behind Lady Bizan, Lan Xiaodieâs eyes sparkled brightly as she called out to Shi Xiaole, dashing forward.
"Come back."
Lady Bizan grabbed Lan Xiaodie, her pretty face showing fear.
The look of Kong Datong and others had already spread among the high ranks of the righteous path. Therefore, Lady Bizan recognized Kong Datong at first glance. And who else could be with Kong Datong besides Black Darkness Elder and the others?
These were the six big crocodiles of the Devil Path!
The Gu Family, Flying Fist Sect, and other righteous factions also arrived one after the other and blocked major streets. But upon recognizing the people, they immediately retreated several tens of meters. Some peopleâs faces turned pale with fear.
"Everyone, thereâs no need to be afraid. We have Elder Ge and Elder Pan."
âBroken Sun Blade Marquisâ Gu Nanfeng yelled. He tried to boost morale, as much for himself as for others.
The news of Xie Xiaofengâs appearance this time was too strange. Those with low martial skills dared not come. Those with high martial skills, many had searched around, but left having found nothing.
The righteous path only had two famous powerhouses to maintain order. They thought it would be more than enough, but they didnât expect these six big devilish heads to be so audacious. Half a month had passed, and they hadnât left yet.
Things got bad. The two old famed powerhouses could at most block two people. What to do with the remaining four devilish heads?
Due to the imposing strength of Kong Datong and others, âBroken Sun Blade Marquisâ was greatly destabilized. He didnât pay Shi Xiaole any attention.
Of course, the main reason was that he didnât see Shi Xiaole fighting six opponents alone.
Some people did notice Shi Xiaole. However, it took them a while to register what was actually happening. They thought the young man had the gall to challenge the powerful opponents, not knowing he was courting death.
"Master, quickly save Little Shi!"
Upon hearing others mention Kong Datongâs identity, Lan Xiaodie started trembling. Pulling at Lady Bizanâs hand, she swayed it non-stop. Tao Xingyu, standing beside her, also looked anxious and restless.
"Today, all of you, have to die!"
Having been identified, Black Darkness Elder couldnât be bothered to pretend anymore. He ripped off the disguise on his face. Murderous intent surged from him.
The other four devil heads followed suit.
Well, they had been too patient for too long. Why not seize the opportunity today, go on a killing spree, and let the Martial World recognize their strength again.
The killing intent interwoven by the six big devils of the Devil Path, spread like a gloomy cloud covering the sky and blotting out the sun, with layers spreading across hundreds of meters.
Every expert within the influenced area, whether from the righteous or devilish path, felt their legs tremble. They were filled with despair, as if facing the end of the world.
"So strong!"
âFlying Sky Fist Marquisâ Chen Xiao, the Flying Fist Sect chief clenched his fists, feeling powerless.
Is this the power of famed experts? Just their momentum alone saps away his courage to fight. Chen Xiao affirmed he couldnât withstand a casual strike from any one of the six.
"You six devils, donât bully the young."
A surge of purple momentum exploded, thrusting into the devilish momentum, relieving some of the pressure for many. âZhihua Hermitâ Pan Yiheng had stepped forward.
On the other side, âNine Mysterious Elderâ Ge Jiao also came forward, neutralizing some of the pressure with his own momentum.
The appearance of the two old and famous righteous path figures somewhat appeased the fear in the hearts of many. But when they compared the numbers on either side, many hearts went cold, like falling into an ice cave.