Now, among the two Grade-Entering Fist Techniques mastered by Su Mu, Tiger Subduing Fist was approaching perfection, while the other, Rock Shattering Fist, was also nearing great success. Coupled with a Jade-Level Enlightenment as high as 12 points and near-perfect control of his physical body—
Su Mu could switch between the two fist techniques with ease during combat, or even execute them simultaneously. Just now, his fist attack began with a Tiger Roar from Tiger Subduing Fist to seize the initiative and seize the mind, then followed with a deceptively light strike of Rock Shattering Fist to blast Zhang San's skull apart.
"Bastard!"
At the sight of Zhang San's head being smashed to pulp in one blow and dying on the spot, someone roared in fury.
Shhh shhh shhh!
In an instant, three gleaming swords, cold as frost, flashed like three white ribbons, slashing through the air from three different directions toward Su Mu.
No ordinary thugs or riffraff could remain in Wu Heng's residence. These four men were Wu Heng's painstakingly cultivated true confidants and the elite of the Black Tiger Gang.
The four cooperated with flawless familiarity, having survived many bloody battles together. In a four-against-one situation, even an Entry-Level Refining Power Martial Artist would likely be killed on the spot if the slightest error was made.
"Avenge Zhang San!"
One attacker arrived first, his long saber carrying a sweeping gale as it slashed down with deadly speed, the blade aimed directly at Su Mu's throat—the fatal point.
Whoosh!
But this saber only struck empty air; beneath the saber was a fading afterimage like a bubble that burst and vanished. Su Mu had seen through the other two's strikes as well—his astonishing five senses, matched with his terrifying Jade-Level Enlightenment, erupted with full effect at that instant.
He read their intentions in a flash; the trajectories of the other two sabers appeared vividly in his mind. Su Mu suddenly stepped forward.
Startled Sparrow Step.
Double Sparrow Jump.
Wind whipped at his feet as Su Mu's figure flickered continuously, leaving the two attacking from tricky angles to slash only at empty space. The one in direct confrontation, boasting of revenge, found his expression transforming in terror.
He saw, in those eyes, the startled sparrow growing infinitely larger, filling his pupils; facing such unranked martial artists, Su Mu chose simply to cover his shoulder and arm with Dark Force, charging forward with the explosive burst of Startled Sparrow Step, like a fierce bear crashing into the attacker's chest.
Five Animals Qigong—Furious Bear Shaking Tree!
Aaahh!
Su Mu's power-enveloped shoulder and elbow crashed mercilessly into the man's chin and solar plexus; with a shrill, miserable scream, crisp cracking of bones rang out as this Black Tiger Gang member's breastbone and jaw shattered, then Dark Force surged through the body, detonating at the solar plexus, where a still-beating heart exploded with a mighty bang.
Pfft—
The victim barely got out a single scream before spurting blood by the liter and collapsing limply to the ground, never to rise again.
The mighty physique forged by a perfected Five Animals Qigong, together with the long-term effects of Three-in-One Body-Strengthening Soup, unleashed alongside Limit Break's Dark Force—this was overwhelming force, pure and simple.
"Damn it!"
Su Mu's completely unreasonable fighting style filled the remaining two Black Tiger Gang members with both shock and fury. Yet, battle-hardened as they were, they sought to exploit the brief opening after Su Mu's attack, slashing repeatedly with their sabers.
The blades crisscrossed in a blink.
But each lightning-fast strike left only fading afterimages in the air. Before Startled Sparrow Step, their offenses were useless. Su Mu danced through their attacks, weaving amidst their blades, leaving them both drenched in cold sweat, their hearts gripped in terror.
Just then, the man watching all along from the sideline—Wu Heng, eyes fixed on Su Mu—could sit still no longer.
"Out of my way!"
Infusing his voice with inner power, his roar thundered like a bolt from the blue. With two Black Tiger Gang minions down, Wu Heng's heart steadied; now, he was confident in his grasp of the invader's true strength.
This man, like himself, had mastered Dark Force—both were Ninth-Grade Martial Artists at the Hidden Energy Realm. Wu Heng's confidence was unshakable. If he'd only had enough Bone-Forging Ointment, perhaps it would've been him—Wu Heng—rather than Zhao Xuan who first reached Eighth Grade Bone Forging in Qingshui Town.
Wu Heng believed his innate talent and bone structure surpassed Zhao Xuan's.
This could be seen clearly in their progress with Gale Fist; Wu Heng had achieved greater success earlier than Zhao Xuan, and he could vaguely sense that the Dark Force within this opponent was inferior to his own.
"Face my fists if you dare!"
Wu Heng strode forward in giant steps, raising his fists—each the size of a sandbag—to smash at Su Mu's face with full force.
Even before his fist arrived, a blast of force swept over, whipping Su Mu's long black hair into a frenzy, his cheek feeling actual pain as if scraped by something sharp.
"Hmm?"
Su Mu murmured softly. Wu Heng's technique looked slow, but the surging wind it stirred was so solid that it cut like a blade—this was a fist technique he'd never encountered before.
Facing Wu Heng's unfamiliar fist style, Su Mu poured Dark Force into his arms and, using the Monkey Play of Five Animals Qigong for offense and defense, spread his arms wide across his chest like an iron wall of defense.
Boom!
Fist and arms crashed together, Dark Force clashed turbulently, sending a series of dull explosions echoing in the air.
"Die!"
Wu Heng's fist hammered out, his confidence doubling. He could clearly feel that, even in the Dark Force clash, he had the upper hand—his internal force outmatched Su Mu's. This opponent merely possessed strange brute strength.
But that brute force was not enough to reverse the situation—victory was in hand.
At that, Wu Heng unleashed punch after punch—like a raging storm. He studied only one fist technique: Gale Fist—and had devoted himself to it for twenty-three years. Every blow embodied his twenty-three years of skill!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
With each Gale Fist, gales howled furiously through the courtyard, causing the pines to sway wildly, branches and leaves rustling as if in a tempest.
"He's dead for sure now!"
"Indeed… Master Wu's Gale Fist is still as majestic as ever!"
The two Black Tiger Gang members gasped with awe. On the field, Wu Heng's arms swept about, the wind surging in their wake—truly awe-inspiring.
At Wu Heng's move, both of them had already retreated to either side, but neither dared to relax, keeping their eyes pinned on Su Mu like a pair of vicious hounds.
Should Su Mu show even a moment's opening in his duel with Wu Heng, both would charge in without hesitation and hack him to death with Wu Heng's cooperation.
"This man is far stronger than any Ninth-Grade Martial Artist I've encountered before. His skill in this fist technique runs deep—were this a different place and time, he'd be worth pitting everything against in a duel."
"But this isn't a contest…"
Su Mu's eyes narrowed coldly. His purpose in coming here tonight was not to test martial skills or train himself, but to kill.
The commotion in the manor must surely have spread by now. Though none dared approach, thanks to the Black Tiger Gang's infamy, there was no time to delay further.
Their exchange was rapid—ten or more rounds flashed by in only a few heartbeats.
Su Mu knew fully well that his inner power was lacking compared to Wu Heng's. And this fist technique the man used countered him slightly—those sweeping gales dulled the explosive force of Su Mu's own physique.
"It seems... I can't hold back anymore. Time to use my full strength!"
All at once, Wu Heng felt a shudder in his heart as Su Mu's aura, driven thus far as if beaten and forced to defend, instantly transformed. The nimble white ape morphed in a blink into a bloodthirsty tiger barreling down the mountain.
Fierce killing intent radiated from Su Mu. He took a deep breath, driving his internal qi and power to the limit. In the Limit-Breaking State, his near-flawless control over his physical body was shattered in an explosion of power.
Every acupoint in Su Mu's body hummed, his physical limits suddenly breached.
Beneath his cloth mask, his face flushed red—he was stacking the Twin Tigers in Limit-Breaking State.
No matter how fierce the gale, how consummate the fist technique—he would simply smash it head-on: One strength breaks ten skills!
Tiger Subduing Fist—Vajra Subduing Tiger!
Roar!
A ferocious tiger's roar rang out in the courtyard, shrill and thunderous.
Boom!
The wind follows the tiger, the clouds follow the dragon.
The surging wind dared not resist the tiger's roar and vanished instantly. Wu Heng felt as if Mount Tai were bearing down upon him; at the instant their fists collided, an unstoppable power crashed into him—a force like a thousand-jin hammer twisted his right arm violently.
Crack!
The bones in his right arm snapped audibly, yet the shockwave continued, driving Wu Heng stumbling backward several steps before he found his footing again.
"This monstrous strength… could you be a Bone Forger Martial Artist?"
Ninth Grade Refining Power and Transforming Force; Eighth Grade Bone Forging and Marrow Penetration. A martial artist in the Bone Forging Realm refines the power deeper into the flesh, tempering every bone until it is like refined iron—their body far outstripping a Refining Power Martial Artist, their qi power doubled.
Wu Heng's face changed utterly for the first time, his eyes showing unmistakable terror. The difference between martial artists of different grades was a mountain not easily scaled; except for freakish talents, an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist would overwhelmingly crush any Ninth-Grade opponent.
Desperation flashing in his mind, Wu Heng thought of escape. Instantly, he shot toward one of the Black Tiger Gang members for cover.
But how could Su Mu allow that? His feet pounded the ground as Startled Sparrow Step sent him flashing forward; his free left hand suddenly became a tiger's claw, lashing out sharply.
Fierce Tiger Pounce!
A single strike hammered Wu Heng's remaining left wrist—another piercing shriek resounded as the bones in his left wrist were shattered.
A moment ago, Wu Heng held the upper hand, suppressing Su Mu completely; in the next, a stunning reversal played out.
Wu Heng's right arm was broken, his left wrist ruined; his strength gutted almost entirely. The outcome was settled.
Not until this moment did the Black Tiger Gang members present—and Wu Heng himself—suddenly, with fright, realize: the give-and-take from before had only been Su Mu holding back.
No—'holding back' was too mild a term. This was letting the sea run dry (utter annihilation) by comparison.
"Who exactly are you? I, Wu, have never caused you offense; why do you seek my life?" Wu Heng's face twisted in pain as his arms throbbed; beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled from his brow as he spoke in terror.
A Ninth-Grade Refining Force Martial Artist was a top-tier figure in Qingshui Town. A Bone Forger Martial Artist—there was only Zhao Xuan. That was why the Black Tiger Gang could run rampant in this part of the world.
In troubled times, the fist is law.
Beneath the waning moon, Su Mu—aura fierce—took a step forward. "Master Wu, do you still recognize this saber?"
Su Mu unclasped the long saber from his waist.
Shhh—
The saber flashed from its sheath, Wu Heng's pupils contracted to pinpoints as he saw, clear as day—a notch was missing from the blade's edge.
This notch, Wu Heng could recognize at a glance—it was one he'd made himself, the excuse he'd used to rob Su Mu of his Thirty-Refined Long Saber.
"This saber?!"
Before he could finish, the saber plunged into Wu Heng's chest, piercing clean through—white blade in, red blade out. Leaning close, Su Mu whispered for only Wu Heng to hear:
"Master Wu, didn't you say the saber I forged was flawed—even chopping firewood was a struggle? Strange, I think it's rather sharp."
…