In a mountain forest outside Luoshui County.
Seeing Jiang Ning suddenly emerge from behind a large tree, Xu Yunfeng was momentarily stunned.
"It's you!" Xu Yunfeng exclaimed.
"Indeed," Jiang Ning nodded.
"You discovered us long ago?" Xu Yunfeng asked, his expression growing serious.
Before Jiang Ning could respond, the dark-skinned man impatiently interrupted.
"Why waste time talking to him?"
"It's getting late! Let's kill him quickly and go home to our wives!"
With that, he grinned menacingly at Jiang Ning.
"Heaven has a road, but you won't take it; hell has no door, but you barged in!"
"Blame yourself for offending someone you shouldn't have and coming to a place you shouldn't be."
Then, his gaze shifted downward, landing on Jiang Ning's right hand.
"Oh? You're trying to draw your sword? Do you think you can resist?"
Hong Chengtao continued to approach Jiang Ning, laughing as he did.
"Deputy Gang Leader Hong, be careful!" Xu Yunfeng warned, his expression grave.
Hearing Xu Yunfeng's words, the woman in the leopard-skin outfit couldn't help but interject.
"Hall Master Xu, you're being overly cautious! Deputy Gang Leader Hong's Iron Sand Palm has reached perfection. A single strike from him can shatter stone and break metal. Why be so careful with this brat?"
Meanwhile, Hong Chengtao, despite his menacing grin, was not as reckless as he appeared. He had already secretly gathered his strength, pushing his Iron Sand Palm to its limit, preparing for a full-force strike.
As a seasoned veteran of the martial world, he understood the importance of caution.
He could mock his opponent, but he never underestimated them.
If he had underestimated his opponents over the years, he would have died countless times.
So, even though he didn't believe Jiang Ning posed any real threat, he didn't dare let his guard down.
After all, the situation seemed suspicious to him.
As Jiang Ning had said earlier, he had discovered their pursuit long ago.
If that were the case, why would Jiang Ning leave the city and come to this remote mountain forest?
Only a fool would choose such a path to certain death.
And someone Shen Congyun valued so highly couldn't possibly be a fool.
Therefore, in Hong Chengtao's view, Jiang Ning must have some hidden advantage, some confidence that he could deal with their pursuit.
Even though Hong Chengtao couldn't figure out what that advantage might be, it didn't matter. Whether he understood it or not, he was ready to strike.
At that moment, Jiang Ning tightened his grip on the longsword.
His Qi and blood surged through his body, and his strength was ready to burst forth.
A moment later, Hong Chengtao was within ten feet of Jiang Ning.
Swish
Jiang Ning drew his sword, and a cold light flashed.
"Good timing!"
Seeing Jiang Ning draw his sword, Hong Chengtao shouted.
He then thrust out his right palm, which had already been somewhat dark. As he exerted force, it took on a blackish-red hue.
Jiang Ning, having drawn his sword, swung it down with tremendous force.
Hum
A vast and powerful force erupted, flowing into the sword, causing it to tremble and hum.
Then, the sword descended with unstoppable momentum.
This strike was Jiang Ning's full power, enhanced by the first layer of the Ninefold Force and the second breakthrough of his Woodchopping Saber Technique.
This was Jiang Ning's strongest strike in his normal state.
"Not good!!"
Seeing the speed and force of the descending sword, Hong Chengtao's pupils contracted sharply, and he felt a sense of impending doom.
Before the blade even landed, he felt an overwhelming pressure.
"Something's wrong!" he thought again. "But I can't retreat, and there's no time to retreat!!"
With that, Hong Chengtao clenched his teeth and pushed his Iron Sand Palm to its absolute limit.
Meanwhile, not far away, Xu Yunfeng and the two deputy hall masters also saw the descending sword, and their pupils contracted in shock.
"What a fast sword!"
"That sword is too fast!!"
In the next moment
Clang
The blade met Hong Chengtao's palm, producing a metallic clang.
Hong Chengtao's eyes filled with terror.
As the sword struck his palm, he truly felt the horror of Jiang Ning's strike.
Even though his Iron Sand Palm could shatter metal, Jiang Ning's sword split his palm open.
The tremendous force sent him flying backward.
"How can he be so strong?" Hong Chengtao thought in panic.
As he flew through the air, he glanced at his right hand.
His palm was split in two. The Iron Sand Palm he had been so proud of, combined with his minor success in skin tempering, which allowed him to break weapons with his bare hands, was now useless. The white bones of his hand were exposed, and his right arm was twisted and deformed from the force of the blow.
"How can he be so strong?" Hong Chengtao thought again, unable to believe it.
"He's only been practicing martial arts for a little over a month. How can he be this powerful?"
"With one strike, he crippled my right arm. If he strikes again, I'll have to sacrifice my left arm to block it."
"But how will I block the third strike?"
"Does that mean he can kill me in three strikes?"
Thinking this, Hong Chengtao felt a deep sense of fear.
He had worked so hard to rise from the bottom, and he hadn't even had time to enjoy his success.
He didn't want to die!
"I don't want to die!!"
Hong Chengtao repeated this thought in his mind.
All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
In that split second, he made up his mind, and his gaze became resolute.
At the same time, Xu Yunfeng's expression turned extremely grave.
After just one glance at Hong Chengtao, he immediately turned and fled, using all his speed.
"Something's wrong!"
"If even Hong Chengtao was severely injured by Jiang Ning in one strike, I'll just be throwing my life away if I stay. I have to escape!"
"I need to escape as fast as possible. The farther I run, the better my chances of survival!"
At that moment, before Hong Chengtao even hit the ground, he shouted.
"Hall Master Xu, Xiao Yuan, Shangguan Yu, the three of you attack now! This kid used a forbidden technique to drain his body's potential. After that one strike, he's exhausted!"
"Yes, Gang Leader!" The woman in the leopard-skin outfit and the man with a sinister expression immediately responded.
They exchanged a glance and then turned to flee.
Xu Yunfeng, however, reacted even faster than them and was already sprinting toward the edge of the forest.
"You!!!" Hong Chengtao, seeing this, felt a surge of anger, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
All of this happened in an instant.
Jiang Ning glanced at the flying Hong Chengtao.
"My strength has indeed improved beyond recognition!"
He thought to himself, then tightened his grip on the longsword.
He then looked at the two fleeing figures and the retreating Xu Yunfeng.
"Perfect, I'll use them to test my new technique!"
"At this point, I can't let Xu Yunfeng escape!"
Jiang Ning focused his mind.
Thud
His heart began to beat heavily, and a powerful force surged through his body.
In this state, Jiang Ning's skin turned slightly red, his pupils dilated, and his body entered a state of excitement.
In this state, all the negative emotions in his mind, such as tension and slight fear, were swept away.
"Kill!" Jiang Ning whispered.
He gripped his sword and moved with incredible speed, covering several feet in a single step.
Like a gust of wind, he charged toward Hong Chengtao!
As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot.
Moreover, Hong Chengtao was the strongest among them, having already reached the ninth rank of martial arts.
"Don't push me!!" Seeing Jiang Ning rapidly approaching, Hong Chengtao's eyes flashed with madness.
At this moment, Jiang Ning held his sword, his gaze icy cold.
In less than a second, he was in front of Hong Chengtao.
"Die!"
Jiang Ning shouted, unleashing all his strength, and the first layer of the Ninefold Force erupted.
Hong Chengtao, seeing this, pushed his left hand to its limit.
This palm strike contained over a decade of his training.
But even so, his eyes were filled with despair.
Even if he could block this strike, how would he block the next one?
Clang
The sword struck Hong Chengtao's left hand, producing a metallic clang.
Then
Squelch
The blade cut through flesh.
Hong Chengtao's eyes were filled with utter despair and horror.
Blood sprayed out, gushing like a fountain.
Jiang Ning passed by Hong Chengtao!
At this moment, under Jiang Ning's strike, Hong Chengtao's body was split in two and cut cleanly in half.
Normally, the first time killing someone, Jiang Ning would feel nervous, even fearful.
But at this moment, after unlocking his body's limits, all those negative emotions were swept away. His heart remained calm, unaffected by the act of killing.
After passing Hong Chengtao's corpse, Jiang Ning's gaze locked onto Xu Yunfeng.
Since he had already chosen to act, Xu Yunfeng was on his list of people who must die.
At this moment, Xu Yunfeng, sensing the commotion behind him, turned his head while running.
Seeing the scene behind him, his soul nearly left his body.
"How is this possible!"
"How could Gang Leader Hong die so easily!!"
Then, seeing Jiang Ning rapidly closing in, a deep sense of despair filled his eyes.
Hong Chengtao had been killed by Jiang Ning in a single exchange.
How could he possibly survive?
At this moment, Xu Yunfeng thought of his blind mother waiting for him at home.
A deep sense of guilt flashed in his eyes.
"Mother, I'm sorry! I failed to keep my promise. I didn't achieve success and bring glory to our family!"
In the next moment, Jiang Ning closed in on Xu Yunfeng.
He drew his sword and slashed down, this time using only his normal strength, without activating the Ninefold Force.
After two consecutive strikes with the first layer of the Ninefold Force, he felt a sharp pain in his right arm.
And against Xu Yunfeng's strength, in his current state of unlocked limits, there was no need to use the Ninefold Force.
Clang
Xu Yunfeng raised his sword to block, and the two blades collided, sparks flying.
Then, Xu Yunfeng's sword was sent flying from his hand.
"This strength!!!" Xu Yunfeng felt his tiger mouth go numb, and he was filled with terror.
Facing Jiang Ning directly, he now understood why Hong Chengtao, with his perfected Iron Sand Palm and minor success in skin tempering, had been killed in just two strikes.
Jiang Ning's strength was too overwhelming, too terrifying.
Even though Xu Yunfeng had reached the ninth rank of martial arts, he was completely outmatched.
In the next moment, Jiang Ning knocked Xu Yunfeng's sword away and then swung again.
Swish
The sword cut through the air, and a head flew high into the sky.
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