Zhong Lin leaped into the crowd, his Ghost Head Blade sweeping down through the air, forcefully compressing the surrounding air to create a brief vacuum. A streak of white flashed by, and a Protector in front of him was instantly disemboweled.
The might of his blade was so fierce and overwhelming.
At that moment, Zhong Lin seemed to merge with his long blade. Wherever his mind focused, the blade’s light would be there.
This was the charm of the full-level "Wind-breaking Saber Technique," reaching the realm of its creator.
Human Blade Unity, a Grandmaster of blade techniques.
A sinister smile appeared on Zhong Lin’s lips as he stepped forward, power surging, his blade’s light unstoppable and unopposable.
In the midst of the crowd, Zhong Lin moved like an agile ape, his blade cutting with precision. The atmosphere was tragic, and his aura grew increasingly heavy.
Meanwhile, the other five masked men were equally unrelenting, each displaying their skills, slaughtering the guards.
Among these five masked figures, three were Seventh Grade Bone Forging Realm experts like Zhong Lin, wielding tremendous strength, with every move packed with immense power.
The other two, though only in the Eighth Rank Muscle Strengthening Realm, punched like the wind and moved swiftly like arrows. Combined with their weapons, they were equally formidable.
In just a moment, the dozen or so Protectors left behind were all dead.
Someone shouted, and the six of them continued to pursue Du Chong without any pause.
"Young Master, hurry, the city gate is not far ahead. The magistrate of Mei County will surely save us, and we can escape this danger soon."
Yun Ye’s voice carried a hint of joy.
"Alright, Yun Ye, don’t worry. Once we get past this ordeal today, I will surely reward you well."
No wonder he had received elite education from a young age; even at this moment, Du Chong was instinctively making empty promises.
But at this time, he was gasping heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead, his hair disheveled, and his body stained with blood, bearing no resemblance to his usual refined appearance.
Just as the two were feeling hopeful, a streak of black light came attacking from the sky.
Du Chong screamed as he fell to the ground, blood gushing from his calf, where a spiked iron ball had pierced through.
Yun Ye quickly halted his steps.
Six figures arrived one after another, surrounding Du Chong and Yun Ye.
Each held a weapon, their cold eyes looking over.
"Young Master, step back."
Yun Ye, with a grave expression, stood before Du Chong, drawing his long blade from its sheath, scanning the six masked men, a sense of despair weighing on his heart.
"Young Master, please take care of my wife and children."
Saying this, he tapped his toes on the ground, his figure rising as he charged toward Zhong Lin like a flying arrow, delivering a horizontal slash with great force.
What the hell, out of so many people, you chose to attack me? You think I’m an easy target?
Zhong Lin stepped back instead of advancing, his body swaying like a willow in the wind, easily dodging the slash, and lightly supported it with his right hand.
"Instant Kill Skill."
A Sword Shadow flashed, and a short blade materialized in Zhong Lin’s hand, swiftly slicing across Yun Ye’s throat.
With almost no effort, accompanied by a crisp sound, blood gushed out, and Yun Ye, who was mid-air, crashed to the ground, clutching his throat with his hand but unable to stop the blood from spurting.
Though the expressions of the other masked men were unseen, the shock in their eyes was obvious.
They all knew Yun Ye, the Guardian of the black market, a strong Seventh Grade Bone Forging Realm martial artist. Yet now he was killed with a single blow, and they didn’t even see how Zhong Lin drew his blade, instantaneously raising their guard, wary of Zhong Lin monopolizing Du Chong.
As if telepathically, the five masked men exchanged glances, slightly swaying as their steps shifted, slowly forming a united front.
Zhong Lin twirled his blade, the force shaking off the blood on it like dewdrops, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the short blade vanished as if it was merely an illusion.
He looked around at the others, his voice hoarse and aged, taunting, "Cultivation Technique is not gold or jewels to be copied at will. I don’t wish to oppose you. You two over there, search his body."
Zhong Lin pointed at the two Eighth Rank martial artists, directing them to search Du Chong’s body.
Facing Zhong Lin, the strongest among them, the two dared not refuse, quickly stepping forward to search.
The other three Seventh Grade martial artists silently breathed a sigh of relief. Although collaboratively they did not fear Zhong Lin, they did not wish to offend such a strong figure either.
Sitting helplessly on the ground, Du Chong’s calf had been pierced through, with his last protector Yun Ye now slain. He, who was just an Eighth Rank martial artist, was already filled with despair.
He instinctively raised his sword against the two approaching to search him, but he was easily subdued like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
One of the masked men even snorted, directly stepping on Du Chong’s injured calf, eliciting a heartrending scream.
After a round of searching, they indeed found a book at Du Chong’s chest, titled "Red Sun Stance."
With the unearthing of this book, Zhong Lin could clearly feel the breathing of the surrounding masked men become a bit more rapid.
"So this is it, Stance Skill. They say Middle Third Grades martial arts are not like the Lower Third Grades’ dynamic skills, but static ones, using Stance Skill to sense and nurture Qi-Blood, to strengthen it and then condense it. This truly is the Blood Coagulation Technique I’ve searched for twenty years."
One of the masked men was trembling with excitement, his voice carrying traces of sobbing, a sign of extreme excitement.
The two Eighth Rank martial artists instinctively opened the secret book, but their expressions changed immediately, shouting angrily, "The secret text has been altered."
The words stirred everyone’s attention, prompting several to attempt seizing the book.
Zhong Lin’s angry shout stabilized the crowd’s emotions.
"Give it to me to look at."
The person hesitated for a moment but eventually tossed the book over. Zhong Lin caught it and opened it immediately.
The secret manual was merely a dozen or so pages. Upon opening it, a fragrance of ink wafted out, causing Zhong Lin’s heart to sink.
The scent of ink meant this secret text had been copied recently.
Flipping through it, the first half was filled with illustrations, confirming what the man had said; it was not like "Iron Mountain Skill" dynamic boxing skills but static stance postures.
The last two pages contained textual descriptions. A quick glance revealed they were breathing techniques accompanying the Stance Skill, only many parts were covered with ink, causing the text to be incomplete.
Zhong Lin’s face darkened as he handed the secret book to another person.
"Indeed, it’s been altered."