Chapter 280: Chapter 156: Slaying the Eighteen Bandits
The enemy was hidden while they were exposed. Calling for support was the best choice.
Relying on one’s formidable Martial Arts Power to rashly charge forward and slay the enemy was something that only happened in fictional stories.
Neither Chen Cheng nor Shen Qingyao would make such a foolish choice.
CRACK!
The Whistling Arrow shot high into the sky, exploding with a deafening bang that resounded through the clouds. It blossomed into a purplish-red firework, visible for miles.
Chen Cheng pulled Shen Qingyao, and they ducked into the weeds by the side of the road, concealing themselves.
...
"Damn it, these two fat sheep from the Shen Family are more vigilant than I thought! Brothers, charge! Kill them and let’s get out of here!"
A curse rang out, and a dozen or so figures burst from the woods on the hill, rushing toward where Chen Cheng and Shen Qingyao were hiding.
There were twelve bandits in total, all wielding Broadswords. They moved with incredible speed, but in Chen Cheng’s eyes, it was nothing impressive. Most of the bandits were at Skin Grinding Realm Perfection, with three or four at Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm.
What surprised Chen Cheng was that these bandits maintained a kind of Battle Array, faintly forming a powerful formation.
The formation created by the twelve of them was already quite formidable, enough to even face a Martial Artist at Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm head-on.
Shen Qingyao, crouched beside Chen Cheng, had been a little nervous, but after getting a clear look at the bandits’ strength and their formation, she heaved a long sigh of relief.
Even with their Battle Array, she was confident she could slay them with ease.
She knew the power of a Battle Array was far beyond what a Martial Artist at Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm could handle, so she gave up on the idea of testing Chen Cheng’s Martial Arts Power.
"Stay back and support me! I’ll kill them!" Shen Qingyao exclaimed, then charged out with her Longsword in hand.
She was incredibly fast, appearing before the bandits in the blink of an eye. She unleashed her Frost Snow Sword Stance, her Longsword carrying an icy, heavy, and ferocious power as she slashed at their leader.
"Watch out, that’s Sword Momentum!"
The bandit leader’s heart leaped in alarm. He roared and swung his Broadsword in a vicious slash.
The other bandits acted in perfect unison, their Broadswords slashing out in a profound and meticulous technique. It was a Perfect Level Saber Technique.
Twelve Perfect Level Blade Techniques slashed out. Guided by the Battle Array, they converged into a single, tyrannical Saber Momentum that resembled a bolt of lightning, meeting Shen Qingyao’s Frost Snow Sword Stance head-on.
BOOM!
The Saber Momentum and Sword Momentum clashed, erupting in a deafening roar.
The aftershock carved a ravine several meters deep into the ground.
Shen Qingyao was sent staggering back by the tremendous recoil, retreating several meters before she managed to regain her footing.
The power of the Battle Array was truly terrifying. Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but feel a pang of alarm.
But the twelve bandits were in an even worse state. The force of the impact sent them tumbling to the ground, yet they seemed uninjured and quickly regrouped.
"Oh no, these bandits are wearing Heavy Armor!" Shen Qingyao cried out in alarm.
A Battle Array combined with Heavy Armor was not only more powerful, but its defense was also more terrifying. Even if she went all out, she wouldn’t be able to defeat them quickly.
Just then, six more black-clad figures appeared on the mountain path, rushing toward them.
Clearly, the bandits had reinforcements, and these six newcomers seemed even more formidable.
Shen Qingyao began to panic. If she used all her strength, she could probably escape, but she feared Chen Cheng would be left to die.
At that moment, the twelve bandits with broadswords reformed their Battle Array and charged again.
"Go all out! We’ll kill these twelve first!" Chen Cheng roared.
With no time to think, Shen Qingyao leaped into the air. Unleashing her Frost Snow Sword Stance with all her might, she thrust her sword down from above.
The twelve bandits didn’t dare to be careless. They swung their broadswords in an upward slash, and the Battle Array once again condensed its Saber Momentum, sweeping ferociously up toward Shen Qingyao’s Sword Momentum.
BOOM!
Another violent roar echoed out. Shen Qingyao retreated dozens of feet before landing steadily on the ground.
This time, Shen Qingyao’s Sword Momentum was swifter and concentrated on a single point. In contrast, the twelve bandits’ Saber Momentum was more scattered, and its power was naturally no match.
They were sent tumbling in all directions by the heavy force, unable to quickly reform their ranks.
In that instant, a figure shot out like a ghost. His Long Saber moved with incredible speed, flashing across the bodies of the bandits.
SHLICK... SHLICK... SHLICK... SHLICK...
The sound of the Long Saber slicing through flesh rang out again and again. Though the bandits wore Heavy Armor, the weak points in their defense—their armpits, the backs of their knees, the crooks of their elbows, and their necks—were all slit open, sending blood fountaining into the air.
It was Chen Cheng, who had taken advantage of the bandits’ unsteady footing to launch a surprise attack with his Deer Cutting Saber Technique.
With his Perfect Level Deer Cutting Saber Technique, combined with his ghost-like speed from his Body Technique, Chen Cheng slew all twelve bandits before they even had a chance to catch their breath.
"Excellent!" Shen Qingyao had just recovered her breath when she saw this, and she was overjoyed.
The six bandits who had just arrived, however, were beside themselves with fury. Their leader roared:
"You dare kill my brothers from the Shadow Eighteen Bandits? You’re courting death!"
These six bandits also wielded Broadswords and were faintly forming a Battle Array. Their strength was clearly far greater. Roaring, they charged toward Chen Cheng, intent on killing him.
"Hmph! You’re the ones courting death!" Shen Qingyao snorted. With a few bounds, she was in front of the bandits.
Her Longsword flashed repeatedly as she unleashed her Phantom Sword Stance.
Layers upon layers of sword-shadows surrounded the six bandits as she struck again and again. The attack’s power was no weaker than her Frost Snow Sword Stance; in fact, it was even more ferocious and deadly.
However, these six bandits were clearly stronger. They all seemed to be Great Success Martial Artists of the Muscle Strengthening Realm, and the Heavy Armor they wore was even heavier.
