"Do you really think I'm an idiot? That I'd be foolish enough to come here alone and wait for you to surround me?"

"Or perhaps… you think I wouldn't call for reinforcements!?"

Chen Fei tilted his head back slightly, his pitch-black eyes, as clear and deep as obsidian glass, fixed on his opponents with a mix of ferocity and mockery. Then, he suddenly chuckled and finished speaking. He had barely finished speaking when several figures with powerful auras appeared, streaking in from the distance. They charged into the heart of the battlefield, their forms revealed amidst a sudden cloud of dust and the astonished stares of the crowd.

BOOM!

Several formidable auras erupted, soaring into the sky and sweeping across the battlefield.

A chorus of sharp hisses filled the air. "This is…"

The scene stunned everyone, especially the members of Tiger Leopard Hall. Their expressions changed dramatically as they gasped in shock. They never expected this little beast to have backup, and such powerful backup at that… An icy dread pulsed from the depths of their hearts, so terrifying their legs nearly gave out and their scalps tingled with fear.

The figures were none other than Wang Dashan, Ruan Jing, and Yama. With two at the Innate Early Stage and one at the Innate Middle Stage, all in their peak condition, their presence was enough to make anyone's face pale with shock.

After all, this was two Innate Early Stage experts plus an even stronger one at the Innate Middle Stage! A lineup like this was a rare sight even among the major powers of the Lingnan Mountains, let alone the entire southern region. And yet, here they were…

When the three men appeared behind Chen Fei, the expressions of their opponents changed instantly. The twisted, savage sneer on Kang Zhouxue's face vanished, and the faces of Zhou Ye and the last remaining Innate Early Stage expert turned grim.

"It's you!? Yama! Ruan Jing! Why are you all here together? Are you declaring war on our Tiger Leopard Hall? Don't forget, Tiger Leopard Hall answers to Lord Luo Zun!"

Clearly, they all knew each other. Yama hailed from the Hong Kong Black Market, a behemoth easily on par with their Tiger Leopard Hall. Then there was Ruan Jing. Although he was only at the Innate Early Stage, he was backed by the Celestial Group, a powerful and privileged government department. Why would men like these show up here, siding with that little beast?

Could it be...

Their faces turned incredibly grim. Even Qing Hu, the second strongest expert in Tiger Leopard Hall, wore a dark expression. His eyes scanned back and forth between Yama and Ruan Jing as he said sternly, "The two of you… don't you think you owe Tiger Leopard Hall an explanation?"

Yama suddenly erupted in a stream of curses. "Explanation? An explanation, my ass! Wipe that filthy look off your face and stop questioning me. You know damn well what you've done!"

Qing Hu frowned deeply. "What do you mean by that, Yama?"

"What do I mean?" Yama stared Qing Hu down, not backing down an inch as he spoke with cold fury. "Qing Hu, don't tell me you've forgotten. Me, Ruan Jing, and Ming Daochuan… we all came from the same master. We are martial brothers!"

"Ming Daochuan…" Qing Hu paused, comprehension dawning on his face. "So that's it. You're here to avenge that old bastard? A pity! He should be on his last breath by now. Poisoned by Lord Luo Zun's Black Blood Demon Poison, even he couldn't have survived. Serves him right! Hahaha! HAHAHAHA!" He broke into a cold, scornful laugh, only now recalling the connection between the three.

A mocking smile spread across his face. They really were martial brothers. Such deep brotherly affection. Truly touching... Heh.

But just then, Chen Fei's voice cut in. "Uncle Master Yama, please hold off that old bastard for me. Uncle Master Ruan, Director Wang, I'll trouble you two to finish off the pair of severely injured ones." He seemed completely nonchalant as he assigned tasks to the trio. Then, he slowly turned his gaze toward Qing Hu. From his pitch-black eyes, a raw, menacing killing intent was blatantly unleashed.

"As for him," Chen Fei said, his cold gaze fixed on Qing Hu, "he has a filthy mouth. It seems twisting his head off is the only solution." Ming Daochuan was his master; how could he not be enraged hearing him slandered and cursed like this?

"Alright, leave that one to me," Yama agreed, casting one last cold glance at Qing Hu before locking his gaze onto the visibly unsettled Zhou Ye nearby. "Don't worry, he won't escape my grasp." As old acquaintances, they both knew perfectly well who was stronger and who was weaker.

"Fine, we'll take the other two," Ruan Jing nodded with a smile, his gaze sweeping over Kang Zhouxue and the other injured expert. "Considering how badly wounded you are, it seems there's no escape for you today."

"Don't worry, Chief Instructor Chen," Wang Dashan added. "Mister Ruan and I will handle these two." He paused and glanced at Ruan Jing. "Mister Ruan, which one do you want?"

"Either is fine… him," Ruan Jing replied with a slight smile, casually pointing a finger. He was pointing directly at Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue.

That left the last Innate Early Stage expert for Wang Dashan. The battle was about to erupt.

"Damn it…"

Seeing this, Kang Zhouxue, Zhou Ye, and the others nearly ground their teeth to dust. They had never imagined a day would come when they would be pointed at and chosen for slaughter like livestock. But now, they were helpless, a bitter taste filling their mouths. Although it looked like an even four-on-four fight on the surface, the reality was far different. Aside from Qing Hu, both Dominating Black Arm Saber Kang Zhouxue and the other Innate Early Stage expert had been severely wounded by Chen Fei. Even Zhou Ye, an Innate Middle Stage master, was far from his peak. To make matters worse, he was already weaker than Yama to begin with.

If a real fight broke out now, they would surely be at a massive disadvantage.

"Looks like it's a one-on-one for us, then," Chen Fei's cold voice rang out again. His pitch-black, obsidian-clear eyes stared intently at Qing Hu, a faint trace of murderous intent leaking out. "Still," he said slowly, "it seems they won't be lonely on their journey to the afterlife. I'm sending you to accompany them."

BOOM! RUMBLE…

A terrifying pressure swept out, filling the battlefield. The members of Tiger Leopard Hall stared at Chen Fei in disbelief. After fighting for so long and expending so much energy, the boy still dared to challenge their second-strongest expert, Lord Qing Hu.

Has this kid gone mad? many of them sneered inwardly. Even at his peak, so what? He's no match for Lord Qing Hu.

But as they were internally mocking Chen Fei for overestimating his own strength, he had already moved.

WHOOSH!

His body shot forward like a bolt of lightning. A furiously burning Yan Sword appeared in his hand, and he slashed down at the over-two-meter-tall Qing Hu, its scorching light cleaving through the air.

"Foolish boy." Qing Hu watched Chen Fei's incoming attack with cold eyes. A chilling sneer appeared on his rugged face as he made no move to dodge. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, a grey Bronze Ancient Sword shot out from his sleeve with bewildering speed. Gripping it tightly, he thrust it forward.

CLANG!

A hair-raising screech of metal on metal echoed across the field. All eyes were fixed on the center of the battlefield, where Chen Fei, gripping his Yan Sword with muscles bulging and veins taut, was locked in a stalemate against Qing Hu's Bronze Ancient Sword.

Chen Fei suddenly sidestepped, retreating five or six meters. He squinted at the rust-speckled weapon in Qing Hu's hand. "A Magic Artifact?"

"Die!" Qing Hu's cold, hoarse voice was his only reply.

His massive frame surged forward, his ancient sword leading the way. The tip of the blade was wreathed in a thick, dark mist, as if a terrifying, snarling specter was trapped within it, its malevolent presence suffocating to behold. A dull hum emanated from the weapon. Visible ripples of power flowed from the Bronze Ancient Sword into Qing Hu's body, and with every step he took, the ground within a half-meter radius of his feet cracked and splintered.

"It's just a Low Grade Magic Artifact. You don't really think this is enough to beat me, do you?" Chen Fei scoffed at the sight. The Yan Sword in his hand vibrated, and a powerful, scorching aura erupted from it, causing the blade of fire to swell in size. Flames leaped two or three meters into the air.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The two engaged in a heart-pounding duel, their swords clashing with resounding force. But gradually, the ghostly aura clinging to the Bronze Ancient Sword began to melt away under the heat of Chen Fei's Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire.

"Damn it, how can this be?" Qing Hu's expression twisted in shock. He couldn't believe that even a Low Grade Magic Artifact like the Bronze Ancient Sword couldn't overwhelm his opponent. This was a weapon of a Qi Practitioner! An ordinary martial artist shouldn't be able to block it.

"The truth is right in front of you," Chen Fei said in a low voice. "And besides, you're not the only one who has a Low Grade Magic Artifact." As he spoke, a deep light flashed in his other hand, revealing a small, palm-sized mirror. It was, of course, the very Low Grade Magic Artifact he had spent so much to create: the Mystic Stone Mirror.

And it was in no way inferior to the Bronze Ancient Sword in his opponent's hand.

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