Chapter 74: Fierce Battle
Bald Wolf Wang Xian and Sword Trickster Bai Yuxian. These were the two individuals extensively detailed in the Pleiades Guild's intelligence dossier. Their general appearance, height, physique, posture, unique techniques, and so on were all meticulously recorded. And when it came to their past battles, there was no shortage of accounts.
So when Wu Yuan burst through the door, he recognized them at a single glance. His focus fell on Bai Yuxian, his primary target. Without hesitation, he swung his saber. With the eruption of Threefold Power Surge, paired with the Thousand Mountains secret technique, the horrifying speed of the swing sent a chill down Bai Yuxian's spine. Where did this formidable expert come from?
Clang! Despite his surprise, Bai Yuxian was still a first-rate Adept. He reacted swiftly and drew his sword to meet the oncoming attack. Simultaneously, he retreated with such force that he crashed into the wall behind him.
The clash between saber and sword left a deep gash on Bai Yuxian's abdomen, staining his white garments red with blood. In fights between martial artists, life or death was often determined in an instant.
"Damn it!" Bai Yuxian gritted his teeth, regretting his earlier decision to remove his body armor for a moment of pleasure. Had he not done so, this injury may have been avoided.
He focused his mind, controlling his abdominal muscles to stop the bleeding. But no matter how well he could control his body, injuries were sure to affect his strength.
Escape! In the same instant that Bai Yuxian was wounded, he had crashed into the wall behind him with a force exceeding 100,000 catties, tearing through it as if it were made of paper-maché. A gaping hole was left in its wake, scattering debris throughout the room.
Bai Yuxian immediately fled for his life. Having clashed with the disheveled man once, he already discerned that his opponent’s strength approached that of a Savant expert. He was no match for him.
As for Bald Wolf Wang Xian? He can only send him thoughts and prayers. Bandit experts might share bonds of brotherhood, but most had not reached the point of perishing together.
He dodged it? Wu Yuan's eyes flickered, though he remained unsurprised.
He was originally aiming for the man's neck. But realizing his strike would miss its mark, he swiftly adjusted its trajectory towards Bai Yuxian's abdomen. If the blow had landed, the combination of the Black Mountain Saber's sharpness, Wu Yuan's terrifying strength, and well-honed saber skills would have cleaved the man in half. What a shame!
No first-rate Adept was weak. Bai Yuxian narrowly avoided Wu Yuan's deadly strike, suffering only a minor injury.
Whoosh!
Unable to achieve his goal in one strike, Wu Yuan did not pause his step. He moved with lightning speed, stirring up gusts of wind. The relentless blade now shifted its aim towards Bald Wolf Wang Xian, who was scrambling to get up.
Fear filled Wang Xian's eyes. In a single strike, this intruder had forced his second brother, a first-rate Adept, to retreat?
Facing Wu Yuan's incoming attack, Wang Xian wanted to resist, but the vast disparity in strength left him powerless to react. The blade swept past.
The sharp Black Mountain Saber sliced through his neck. Wang Xian's head soared through the air, while a torrent of blood spurted from his chest cavity, staining the beautiful woman who was still lying in the bed with a bewildered expression.
Bald Wolf Wang Xian was dead!
Thump~ Wu Yuan caught the airborne head with the tip of his saber, smoothly opening the body bag he held in his left hand. With a flick, he deposited the head into the bag, securing the knot and casually fastening it to his waist.
With the head in his possession, all he had to do was deliver it to the Pleiades Guild, and the task would be completed.
Wu Yuan executed the entire sequence of movements with the fluidity of a flowing stream. It was as though he had rehearsed it countless times, the motion becoming second nature to him.
The body bag provided to him by the Pleiades Guild had excellent sealing properties, ensuring that no blood would seep through.
Large, and bloody too.
Wu Yuan's eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in the woman on the bed drenched in splattered blood. Swiftly, he grabbed the stacks of silver notes and gold notes at the foot of the bed, stowing them in his robes.
Boom! Wu Yuan propelled himself into the air with a sudden burst of strength, his figure blurring as he soared five or six meters high, crashing through the roof with a thunderous impact.
His determined gaze locked onto Sword Trickster Bai Yuxian, who had managed to place several dozens of meters between them.
"Ah!!!" A piercing scream echoed from the partially collapsed house. It appeared that Fairy Fragrant Zither had just come back to her senses.
...Escape? Do you think you can escape from me?
I’ve only killed three people, this is far from enough mist. How can I allow you to slip away?
Wu Yuan’s leg muscles trembled violently and the muscles on his thighs bulged to their limits. Unleashing a burst of power, his speed doubled, and he morphed into a ghostly light speeding across dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.
This was a secret escape technique called Ghostwalk.
Physical constitution was the foundation of martial arts, but secret techniques were equally important. The disparity between a martial artist armed with secret techniques and one without was massive.
These so-called secret techniques weren't anything mysterious. They were simply a means of manipulating the musculoskeletal system, inducing rapid vibrations, contortions, and exertions within a condensed timeframe. In exchange for immense energy consumption and even potential bodily damage, one could achieve a temporary surge in power.
Thousand Mountains was Wu Yuan's most formidable offensive type secret technique, honed through rigorous practice. As for Ghostwalk? It was a movement type secret technique he created in his previous life with the aid of technology, in his pursuit of the limits of speed.
The secret technique took a significant toll on the body, but the results were astonishing. The distance between Wu Yuan and Bai Yuxian closed at a visible rate.
..."What’s happening?"
"Where?"
"It looks like something happened in Fairy Fragrant Zither's courtyard." Many guests, courtesans, and pimps in the neighboring courtyard houses heard the noise of a wall shattering. Looking over, they saw a figure clad in a white robe burst out from a courtyard house, nimbly stepping on rooftops and advancing rapidly.
It was closely followed by a sharp scream. Then, an even faster figure broke through the roof, leaping across dozens of meters of empty air, hot on the heels of the first man.
So fast? Bai Yuxian was shocked. Even a Savant expert might not necessarily be this fast.
But if he's a Savant expert, that saber strike should have ended me! Could he be using a legendary secret technique?
As a first-rate Adept, Bai Yuxian was very knowledgeable. But before he had time to think of anything else, Wu Yuan was already upon him.
"Die!" Just as the assailant was about to reach him, Bai Yuxian suddenly twisted his torso. The sword in his hand flexed like a venomous serpent, thrusting towards Wu Yuan. It was swift and fierce, just like his moniker, Trickster Sword.
At this moment, Wu Yuan was in a vulnerable position mid-air, with no surface he could draw strength from.
Good, I was afraid you wouldn't fight back! Instead of fear, Wu Yuan felt delighted, and he sent forth a slash with the Black Mountain Saber.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Blade rays lit up. The weapons of the two experts collided more than ten times in an instant, the terrifying forces reverberating through their limbs and onto the rooftop, unleashing shockwaves in every direction. The courtyard building they were on collapsed in an instant.
Swoosh! Yet another blade ray cut across like lightning. Bai Yuxian had no time to evade, resulting in a grievous wound on his arm. He retreated hastily.
"Stand back!"
"Run!"
"How powerful, are they first-rate Adepts?" At this moment, the once jovial crowd in the Moonlit Haven had scattered in terror, many courtesans fleeing for their lives. Though they were weak, they could tell that the two experts wielded immense power through the havoc they wreaked in their battle.
"Halt!" A thunderous command rang out.
Several figures plunged down fiercely from the main building of the Moonlit Haven. An imposing man in black armor led the group, hurtling toward Wu Yuan like a streak of lightning.
"It's the Moon Guardians! The Moon Guardians have sprung into action." A guest exclaimed with a hint of curiosity in his voice.
The guards of Moonlit Haven were collectively referred to as Moon Guardians, renowned for their strength.
"It's Iron Tower Long Er, he's here." Those who were familiar with the inner workings of the Moonlit Haven wore expressions of astonishment.
Long Er, the top powerhouse of this branch of the Moonlit Haven, seldom took action.
"Help! Your guests are being assassinated." Bai Yuxian roared, running towards the experts from Moonlit Haven for refuge. Wu Yuan was too strong! Bai Yuxian acknowledged that there was no way he could escape from the assassin on his own.
"Begging for help?" Wu Yuan seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll, but his pace didn't slow down, "From the moment of your cowardly retreat, your fate was sealed."
Boom! Wu Yuan gave chase, his speed surpassing that of Bai Yuxian by far. Bai Yuxian barely fled ten meters before Wu Yuan caught up to him again, who followed up with another swift strike of his saber.
Clang! Bai Yuxian brandished his sword in defense. He no longer hoped to overpower Wu Yuan, focusing solely on protecting himself. In his desperation, he was astonishingly able to parry Wu Yuan's saber strikes.
I can withstand it; there is still hope. A glimmer of optimism blossomed within Bai Yuxian's heart.
He knew that he wasn’t just any ordinary customer. If his true identity were exposed, the city guard might even move to arrest him. But at this critical juncture, he had to rely on the power of the Moonlit Haven to preserve his life.
Whoosh! Yet another blade ray streaked through the air, prompting Bai Yuxian to instinctively defend himself in his usual manner. But in the blink of an eye, that blade ray multiplied into dozens of rays, blotting the sky.
It was the secret saber technique -- Thousand Mountains.
"No." Bai Yuxian's eyes filled with fear, his sword swinging desperately in an attempt to ward off the relentless onslaught of Wu Yuan's saber technique.
Clang! Clang! Clang! The air resonated with a cacophony of jarring clashes. In an instant, the two weapons crossed more than ten times.
A head was sent flying, blood splattering in all directions. The figure in white robes loosed his grip on his weapon and crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.
The second family head of the Bloodwolf Gang, Bai Yuxian, was dead!
With casual nonchalance, Wu Yuan picked up the severed head and deftly patted down Bai Yuxian's garments, extracting a bundle of silver notes. Then, he somersaulted to pick up the dropped sword. Bai Yuxian's sword was a fourth-grade superior weapon at least.
Just as Wu Yuan was about to leave, a shout rang out. "How dare you kill a guest of the Moonlit Haven, die!"
Boom! Like a god descending from the heavens, the burly figure swooped down from the wall with fearsome speed, landing so heavily that the ground cracked beneath his feet. Following that, a dazzling crimson streak sliced through the air, hurtling directly towards Wu Yuan!
An expert! Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed.
With just one swing of the saber, he understood that this burly man was undoubtedly the strongest adversary he had faced thus far.
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