Zhao Ming stood with his sword drawn.
The sixth-stage bandit looked at him and laughed.
"Young cultivators from Firmament Sword Sect really are arrogant."
Zhao Ming didn't respond.
His eyes remained fixed on the man's feet.
Yi Feng noticed it immediately.
He's observing him too.
Zhao Ming suddenly moved.
Swish!
His sword pierced forward.
The bandit blocked.
CLANG!
Zhao Ming was forced back several steps.
The sixth-stage bandit smiled.
"Fourth Stage?"
Zhao Ming steadied himself.
"Yes."
Yi Feng's eyes narrowed.
So Zhao Ming had already reached the Fourth Stage of Qi Gathering.
He had broken through quickly.
The bandit laughed.
"You two are only Fourth Stage cultivators. Do you really think you can defeat me?"
Zhao Ming glanced at Yi Feng.
"We don't need to defeat him alone."
Yi Feng understood immediately.
They had a numbers advantage.
But numbers alone wouldn't be enough.
The gap was too large.
The bandit suddenly attacked.
BOOM!
Zhao Ming blocked the first strike.
Yi Feng attacked from the side.
Mountain Breaking Sword!
The bandit turned his body and blocked Yi Feng's sword.
At the same time, Zhao Ming's sword came toward his back.
The bandit cursed and jumped away.
He landed several meters away.
His expression had changed.
"You two…"
Yi Feng didn't give him time to recover.
He rushed forward.
Wind Chasing Sword!
His sword moved rapidly.
Zhao Ming followed from another direction.
The two swords attacked from completely different angles.
The bandit was forced to defend.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel collided repeatedly.
Yi Feng felt the pressure increasing with every exchange.
He's still stronger than both of us.
Zhao Ming suddenly shouted.
"Left!"
Yi Feng reacted instantly.
The bandit's fist passed through the space where his head had been.
Yi Feng countered.
Pierce!
The sword struck the man's shoulder.
Blood splashed.
The bandit roared.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
A powerful burst of essence erupted from his body.
BOOM!
Yi Feng and Zhao Ming were both thrown backward.
Yi Feng crashed into a tree.
Pain spread across his back.
He immediately stood up.
Zhao Ming wasn't far away.
He had also been injured.
The sixth-stage bandit breathed heavily.
His shoulder was bleeding.
His eyes were filled with killing intent.
"You've angered me."
He raised his weapon.
"This ends now."
The surrounding guards became increasingly nervous.
The other bandits were still fighting.
Several had already been defeated.
But the sixth-stage cultivator remained standing.
Luo Zheng looked at Yi Feng and Zhao Ming.
"If you two can't stop him, retreat!"
Yi Feng ignored him.
His eyes remained on the enemy.
He couldn't retreat.
Not yet.
He had learned something from their battle.
The man's cultivation was stronger.
His essence was stronger.
His physical strength was stronger.
His experience was greater.
But he wasn't invincible.
The wound on his shoulder proved it.
Yi Feng slowly raised his sword.
"Zhao Ming."
"What?"
"Can you hold him for three breaths?"
Zhao Ming looked at him.
Then his eyes narrowed.
"What are you planning?"
"Something risky."
Zhao Ming smiled slightly.
"Fine."
He stepped forward.
"Three breaths."
The bandit charged.
Zhao Ming met him head-on.
CLANG!
The impact shook the entire road.
Zhao Ming's feet dug into the ground.
His arms trembled.
But he didn't retreat.
"ONE!"
Yi Feng began circulating the Life and Death Art.
His essence moved through every meridian.
"Two!"
Zhao Ming was pushed backward.
Blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"THREE!"
Zhao Ming suddenly jumped away.
Yi Feng's eyes opened.
His sword moved.
Mountain Breaking Sword!
The attack struck the exact location where the bandit's injured shoulder had been.
BOOM!
The bandit's expression changed.
He raised his weapon to block.
But his injured arm couldn't produce enough strength.
CRACK!
His weapon flew from his hand.
Yi Feng's sword stopped at his throat.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
The sixth-stage bandit stared at the blade.
He had lost.
Not because Yi Feng was stronger.
Not because Zhao Ming was stronger.
But because the two had combined their strengths and exploited his weakness.
Yi Feng slowly lowered his sword.
"Who sent you?"
The bandit remained silent.
Zhao Ming walked closer.
"Answer him."
The man suddenly laughed.
"You think this is over?"
Yi Feng frowned.
The bandit looked toward the forest.
"You're already too late."
Before anyone could understand his words—
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from behind the convoy.
Everyone turned.
One of the merchant carriages had been destroyed.
Smoke rose into the sky.
Luo Zheng's face turned pale.
"No…"
Yi Feng looked toward the burning carriage.
"What happened?"
Luo Zheng clenched his fists.
"The real target…"
He stared at the destroyed carriage.
"…wasn't the convoy."
His eyes fell on one of the remaining carriages.
"It was the cargo."
To be continued...