Chapter 214 - 108: Legendary Quality, Indestructible True Skill

The moment Li Qianxiong was pinned to the tree, the entire battlefield in the dense forest seemed to freeze, abruptly falling into a dead silence.

Whether it was the brawling bandits or the blood-soaked experts of the River Gang, all eyes subconsciously turned to the bloodstained tree.

Just moments ago, though everyone had their own opponent, they couldn’t help but divert their attention to the battle between Yang Jing and Li Qianxiong.

The outcome of their duel was the key to the entire fight.

Yet, when Li Qianxiong was truly pinned and killed by the spear, the corpse hanging from the trunk, reeking of blood and silently proclaiming the end of the Flying Horse Thieves, left everyone too stunned by the sudden outcome to speak.

’The leader of the Flying Horse Thieves, who had terrorized Yuhe County and been a thorn in the side of the authorities; the top-tier expert at the Peak of Dark Energy, whose Palm Force could shatter stone... was just... dead?’

Many stared blankly at the corpse, which was slowly stiffening on the tree trunk, their eyes filled with disbelief.

The dead silence lasted only a moment before it was shattered by the complete collapse of the Flying Horse Thieves.

"The leader is dead!"

Someone let out a desperate cry, instantly igniting the fear in the hearts of all the bandits.

Their will to resist, like a punctured balloon, vanished in an instant.

Some bandits dropped to their knees with a THUD, tossed aside their weapons, and began kowtowing repeatedly, begging for their lives. "Mercy! Have mercy!"

Others turned and fled, not even bothering to retrieve their blades and axes, desperately scrambling deeper into the mountain forest, wanting only to get as far away from this hellish battlefield as possible.

The formation that had been putting up a last-ditch resistance completely disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but chaos and the wails of the wounded.

Li Tieyun’s grip on his iron ruler tightened, his heart lurching in shock.

He looked at Yang Jing’s calm, expressionless face, then back at Li Qianxiong on the tree trunk, and couldn’t help but swallow hard.

He knew Li Qianxiong’s strength all too well. In terms of raw power, Li Qianxiong was even slightly superior to him. Yet, against Yang Jing, he hadn’t even lasted a hundred moves, dying so cleanly and decisively.

’This young man’s power is beyond my imagination.’

Just then, he noticed that the bearded man in front of him had a chaotic presence, revealing an opening in his technique.

Clearly, Li Qianxiong’s death had completely shattered the third-in-command’s morale. His eyes darted about and his footing was unsteady; he was looking for a chance to slip away.

"Where do you think you’re going?!"

Li Tieyun shouted, seizing the fleeting opportunity. His iron ruler struck like a viper emerging from its den, his assault suddenly becoming much fiercer.

The bearded man was already being suppressed by Li Tieyun. Now, with his mind in turmoil, he was completely on the defensive, barely able to parry and with no strength to retaliate.

Although Li Tieyun had the upper hand, he knew his opponent was, after all, a Dark Energy expert. A quick victory wouldn’t be easy, so he could only press his advantage steadily, gradually wearing down the man’s strength.

After confirming that Li Qianxiong was truly dead, Yang Jing slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

His eyes were calm yet carried an intangible pressure. Any bandit his gaze fell upon was scared out of their wits. They either kowtowed like pounding garlic or scrambled away, and not a single one dared to meet his eyes.

Soon, his gaze landed on the fight between Li Tieyun and the bearded man.

Yang Jing started walking toward them.

His pace wasn’t fast, but it carried an invisible, intimidating aura. Each step felt like it landed on everyone’s heart.

The bearded man caught sight of Yang Jing walking toward him out of the corner of his eye. The young man’s face was expressionless, but it sent a chill deep into his bones.

Li Qianxiong’s fate was still fresh in his mind. He had no doubt that the moment Yang Jing joined the fight, he would be killed instantly.

"Damn it!"

The bearded man was terrified, his courage completely broken. He threw caution to the wind, feinted an attack, and turned to flee.

But in his panic, he exposed an even greater opening.

How could the experienced Li Tieyun let such a chance slip by?

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He flipped his iron ruler and, with a whistling sound, swung it viciously at the bearded man’s neck.

THWACK!

The sharp edge of the iron ruler sliced clean through the bearded man’s neck.

The fleshy head flew into the air, tracing an arc of blood before landing heavily on the ground and rolling a good distance away. Its eyes were still wide open, filled with terror and unwillingness to die.

The headless body swayed for a moment before crashing to the ground. Blood gushed out, staining the earth beneath it red.

Li Tieyun panted heavily, his hand gripping the iron ruler trembling slightly. He looked at the head on the ground, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

’The once-feared Flying Horse Thieves... their story ends just like that.’

He looked up at Yang Jing, saw the young man watching him, and cupped his fist in salute. His tone was tinged with admiration. "Young Master Yang, what excellent skill."

Yang Jing returned the salute, his tone calm. "Gang Leader Li, you flatter me. If you hadn’t righteously intervened and tied up so many of the Flying Horse Thieves’ experts, I wouldn’t have succeeded so easily. Your iron ruler technique is fierce and powerful. I am impressed."

Hearing this, Li Tieyun laughed and waved his hand. "Young Master Yang, you’re being too modest. If you hadn’t scared that third-in-command, the bearded one, out of his wits and forced him to reveal such a huge opening, I’m afraid it would have taken me quite a bit more effort to take him down."

He glanced at the bearded man’s corpse on the ground with a sigh of emotion. "When it comes down to it, Young Master Yang, your intimidating presence is far superior."

"Gang Leader Li’s strength was already far greater than his. Taking him down was only a matter of time," Yang Jing replied with a frank smile.

The two men looked at each other and smiled, and much of the distance between them, born of unfamiliarity, dissipated.

This was mainly because Li Tieyun had witnessed Yang Jing’s strength. He knew Yang Jing was no small fry—a man destined to reach the Transformation Realm—and so he deliberately sought to befriend him.