Chapter 81: A Display of Might, Visceral Refinement Martial Cultivator, Gleaming Iron Armor

Chapter 81: A Display of Might, Visceral Refinement Martial Cultivator, Gleaming Iron Armor

"Ahhh!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream tore from the captain's throat.

Deng deng deng.

The immense impact felt like his arms would be ripped from their sockets, his body stumbling backward uncontrollably. A searing pain erupted from his wound, spreading like a spiderweb through his limbs. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans burst from his forehead.

Blood dripped steadily onto the floor, seeping into the wooden planks and staining them crimson.

"Kill him! Kill that bastard!"

The captain roared, his voice raw with pain and fury, nearly losing his mind to the agony.

The archers snapped to attention at his command. Any hesitation they'd shown at injuring their own comrade vanished, replaced by cold, razor-sharp focus.

"You damn cowards! I hate sneaky bastards like you the most! Kill them!"

Before the archers could loose their arrows, heavy footsteps thundered from the stairwell.

In a flash, Zhu Bao led a group of Lianyun Fortress bandits charging up the stairs. Leaping forward like a falling boulder, he cleaved through an archer mid-air, splitting the man in two with a single stroke.

"Damn it! Kill them all!" The wounded captain's pupils constricted as he saw Zhu Bao. Abandoning thoughts of vengeance against Su Chen, he barked new orders.

The combatants on the street quickly noticed their arrows thinning. When another archer collapsed, the battle's momentum shifted decisively.

"Junior brother, are you alright?" Li Mo rushed to Su Chen's side, his face a mix of concern and astonishment.

The memory of Su Chen's earlier display still stunned him. Those arrows, loosed with casual precision, had become deadly weapons. Each shot had been fatal, saving Hong Ming while eliminating several archers.

"I'm fine."

Su Chen shook his head calmly, though inwardly he regretted not killing the hidden attacker. Still, he'd avenged his comrades.

Both Li Mo and Hong Ming had helped him greatly. He'd never stand idly by while they were murdered—especially by their own side.

"Xiao Chen! Li Mo! Come here! Gather together so we don't get separated!"

Hong Ming shouted as Zhu Bao's reinforcements arrived. With the battle heating up, he needed to protect the disciples as best he could.

Unfortunately, his injury hampered him. Without it, defending them would be much easier.

Su Chen and Li Mo exchanged glances, then nodded.

"Go first, Senior Brother Li Mo. I'll cover the rear!" Su Chen said.

Li Mo didn't argue. Su Chen's strength now far surpassed his own. Letting him guard their flank was far safer.

Moving in tandem, they advanced toward Hong Ming. With each sweep of his arms, Su Chen sent another bandit crashing to the ground, lifeless.

Now unshackled, Su Chen's power revealed only a fraction of its depth. Hong Ming and the others watched in stunned silence as he moved.

No bandit could withstand three blows. Wherever Su Chen struck, enemies fell, foaming at the mouth, their bodies convulsing before going still.

"Little junior brother... your strength..." Liu Fang couldn't help exclaiming.

"I've broken through to a new cultivation stage!" Su Chen replied plainly.

The group froze at his words, expressions shifting in surprise.

"Excellent!" Hong Ming's face lit with joy. He exhaled sharply through his nose, nodding firmly.

Li Mo's face flickered with momentary confusion before he hissed in disbelief.

Qin Hao, still shaken, stared at Su Chen in utter shock. The boy he'd once left in the dust had broken through again—so quickly that it felt like a cruel joke.

"Ha! You're all useless!"

A thunderous roar shook the air as a figure leapt from a nearby tavern roof. Zhu Bao's massive form dominated the scene, his great blade carving through martial cultivators like a scythe.

"Die, you madman!"

Before Zhu Bao could slaughter more, Han Baichuan, head of the Han Clan, flashed forward, his sword a blur of elegance as he confronted the bandit leader.

"Hmph, old fool! Let's see if I'm worthy enough for you!"

Zhu Bao's eyes blazed with fury. He lunged like a shadow, his blade crackling with thunderous force.

Han Baichuan's gaze sharpened. Though his expression darkened, his movements remained fluid as he met the charge with ethereal grace.

Elsewhere, the battle reached its peak.

Boom! Three figures staggered backward. Sun Yun and Zhu Hu barely steadied themselves, their faces pale as they faced Tao Dingfang.

"Visceral Refinement Martial Cultivator!" they gasped in unison.

Tao Dingfang smirked, his voice laced with arrogance. "I told you—you'll die here today!"

"Hmph! You've only just reached the Visceral Refinement stage. We admit we can't match you one-on-one. But if you think killing us is that easy..." Sun Yun sneered.

"How long can you last?" Tao Dingfang licked his lips, his face twisting with madness.

"You're asking the wrong question. Ask how long your men can last!" Sun Yun scoffed, then whistled sharply.

From the shadows, more figures surged forward.

"You wanted to challenge the Pure Land Sect? Let's see how you handle this!"

Tao Dingfang's eyes gleamed as he spotted the dozen Pure Land Sect cultivators charging.

"Ha! So you finally show yourselves! I was beginning to think you'd fled! Since everyone's gathered, let's begin the feast I've prepared for you!"

"What?!"

Sun Yun and Zhu Hu's faces paled as the ground trembled. A blinding black light surged toward them.

"That's... the Ironclad Legion!"

Dozens of warriors in gleaming iron armor charged forward, their lances lowered like stampeding beasts. The Ironclad Legion—Hong Yue's elite force of martial cultivators clad in unyielding steel, each worth ten ordinary men.

The sight left Sun Yun and Zhu Hu reeling.

"Again!"

Tao Dingfang snarled, his foot slamming into the ground, fracturing the earth beneath him. He vanished like a phantom, reappearing mid-lunge.

Sun Yun and Zhu Hu exchanged grim looks before charging forward together.

Victory or defeat remained uncertain until the final blow. For now, they had one goal—kill Tao Dingfang. Even crippling him could turn the tide.

"Kill!!!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end