Before the words had even faded, the man—a middle-aged figure clad in a plain blue robe—leapt into the air. With a sharp whistle, he cut through the wind and lunged toward Xiao Xiong, his movement accompanied by a faint rumble like distant thunder. His palm shot forward in a swift, deadly strike.
Xiao Xiong, ever the proud hero, still carried himself with commanding presence. He harbored deep disdain for such overbearing aggressors. His eyes flashed with sharp resolve as he let out a thunderous shout. Seeing the incoming attack, he gathered his inner strength into his palm, bracing himself. He raised his hand to meet the blow, not daring to be careless.
At the instant their palms met, the force was fierce and unrelenting. After only a few exchanges, Xiao Xiong was already struggling to keep up. He twisted his body to evade a strike, then swept his right leg in a horizontal arc, forcing his opponent back a step. Yet two more palm strikes came howling toward him. Exhausted, Xiao Xiong raised his hands to defend. He blocked the first strike, but when the second came, he lacked the strength to resist. He hastily turned aside—
Bang!
The blow landed squarely on his right shoulder. Staggering, Xiao Xiong cried out, "Who exactly are you?!"
The man replied calmly, "I am Li Han, the Left Envoy of Yin and Yang from the Nine Heavens Palace."
Xiao Xiong said bitterly, "This is a duel between our two sects. Why is the Nine Heavens Palace interfering?"
Originally, Xiao Xiong had intended to take advantage of the situation to eliminate Gu Yi, the leader of the Weifeng Gang. Unless he was rid of him, he would never rest easy. Yet he had not expected Gu Yi to have already secured powerful reinforcements.
At this moment, Gu Yi stepped forward with a cold smile. "If Xiao Xiong wants to kill me, it won't be that easy! Left Envoy Li Han—finish him!"
Just then, Shi Tian, Chief Escort of the Dragon-Tiger Escort Agency, hurried forward, his voice ringing clear. "This is a contest between two sects. Since Xiao Xiong has already won, there should be no further fighting."
Gu Yi sneered. "Chief Escort Shi, Xiao Xiong struck me earlier, yet you said nothing. Why do you suddenly speak of justice now?"
Shi Tian replied, "When Li Han of the Nine Heavens Palace struck Xiao Xiong just now, I could not stop it either. I am merely a witness."
Gu Yi's voice turned cold. "Then step aside. Otherwise, we'll deal with you as well!"
Shi Tian was taken aback. Back then, Gu Yi had begged him repeatedly to act as a witness, and he had reluctantly agreed. Now, facing such a turn of events—
Suddenly, a voice rang out:
"Isn't the Nine Heavens Palace meddling a bit too much?"
The voice was clear and resonant, echoing distinctly in everyone's ears. It seemed to come from afar, yet sounded as though it was right beside them, like the toll of a great bell.
All eyes turned toward the source. Two men were approaching.
Li Han, the Left Envoy, recognized them at once and said, "So it is Qin Wei and Wang Tao, the Dragon and Tiger Elders of the True God Palace. What guidance do you offer?"
Qin Wei walked forward with a grin, testing the situation. "This is a dispute between two sects. Why is the Nine Heavens Palace inserting itself?"
At that moment, another figure drifted in like a ghost—it was Ling Yun, the Right Envoy. He strode forward and said, "Whether the Nine Heavens Palace is meddling too much is not for you to decide. What brings you here today?"
The successive developments left even the onlookers astonished. What had begun as a simple duel between two sect leaders had now drawn the attention of both the Nine Heavens Palace and the True God Palace.
Tiger Elder Wang Tao said, "For the Left and Right Envoys to speak so rudely—truly disgraceful."
Li Han replied in a deep voice, "We uphold justice in the martial world. There is nothing improper in what we do."
Qin Wei chuckled. "If you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place. There is something rather suspicious about all this."
Wang Tao glanced at Shi Tian and said meaningfully, "Chief Escort Shi of the Dragon-Tiger Escort Agency knows the full story. Why don't we let him speak?"
Hearing this, Shi Tian grew uneasy. Stammering, he said, "Heroes, I am merely a witness. Since both the Nine Heavens Palace and the True God Palace have stepped in, it is no longer appropriate for me to remain. I shall take my leave." With that, he cupped his hands and quickly departed, unwilling to be caught in the conflict.
Ling Yun, the Right Envoy, then declared loudly, "If your True God Palace seeks to dominate the martial world, I'm afraid your strength is still insufficient! You will not be able to interfere in today's matter!"
Qin Wei responded, "Our Heavenly Way Alliance exists to eliminate evil and uphold justice. This matter—we will definitely intervene. What can you do about it?"
At these words, the surrounding martial artists looked on with heightened interest.
Ling Yun glared fiercely and roared, his voice like a broken gong, "Qin Wei, don't think I fear you!" His massive frame trembled as he suddenly attacked. His right palm shot forward with overwhelming force, like a mountain collapsing. The strike came without warning—a blow charged with gathered power. A fierce gale surged forth as his left palm followed, his body already rushing in.
The skill of a master was evident. His movement and attack left the onlookers secretly shaken, all thinking: "Truly worthy of the Right Envoy—his martial arts are formidable!"
In that instant, Qin Wei revealed himself to be no ordinary fighter. He raised his right hand to block, his left guiding and redirecting, then leapt backward, scoffing, "Ling Yun, after nearly a year, your skills haven't improved at all!"
The two had fought many times before—neither gaining the upper hand. Hearing this insult, Ling Yun seemed to suffer a great humiliation. His attacks grew fiercer as he roared, "Just hope you can survive what's coming!"
Before his words had even ended, Qin Wei shouted, "Then let's see!" With that, he struck out with a powerful palm, unleashing a surge of inner force.
Ling Yun roared in response, "Take this!" His body shot forward like lightning, his palm crashing down.
Perhaps it was the nature of the strong—never willing to yield. Qin Wei did not retreat, meeting Ling Yun head-on. In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged dozens of moves. Their palm techniques were astonishing, their battle fierce and evenly matched. The spectacle was electrifying.
Just then, four figures arrived.
Qin Wei struck out again, his palm as swift as lightning. This strike, powered by pure internal energy, would have severely injured Ling Yun had it landed. Ling Yun twisted aside, narrowly evading the blow.
The force slammed into the ground—
Boom!
A crater nearly a foot deep was blasted into the earth.
At the sight, everyone present was left speechless in shock.