CHAPTER 418: CHAPTER 416: AN UNEXPECTED PERSON

Captain Fang and Xu Tai’s attacks met in midair.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Amidst the astonishingly loud noise, both of their attacks rapidly dissolved into nothingness. The immense shockwave formed shattered the ground instantly, leaving a massive pit several meters in radius.

The faces of those nearby turned pale, filled with dread.

The residual shockwaves from their clash were too overwhelming for them to bear.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP...

Captain Fang retreated several steps before steadying himself.

"Not bad, you actually managed to block my attack. Considering your strength, I’ll give you a chance. Pledge loyalty to me from now on, and I can spare your life," Xu Tai said. Surprised to see Captain Fang blocking his attack, Xu Tai rolled his mighty hammer in his hand and spoke arrogantly.

Captain Fang remained unmoved, blue Sword Gang erupting from the Longsword in his hand. He hummed softly, "I’m afraid you don’t possess such capability."

"Outrageous!" A harsh sound came from behind Xu Tai, as some Black Wind Camp bandits mockingly retorted.

Xu Tai’s facial muscles twitched, a cruel gleam in his eyes. He smirked, "Since you don’t appreciate kindness, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

BOOM!

His words barely finished when a loud explosion burst from Xu Tai’s body, making him seem larger. His muscles bulged, his aura surged dramatically, and the ground beneath him immediately cracked.

"What a horrifying aura! I wonder if Captain Fang can win."

"Captain Fang is in danger! What should we do? Should we go help?"

"This is a contest between experts of the ninth level of the Heavenly Court Realm. There’s no room for us to intervene; going up would only make us a burden."

"Now we can only pray for Captain Fang’s victory. Otherwise, our Shangfeng Escort Agency will likely be doomed today."

The nearby escorts glanced at Xu Tai, their faces slightly pale. Xu Tai’s aura was overwhelming; even from such a distance, it made them tremble.

Luo Feng calmly observed everything, his view differing from the others. Xu Tai’s aura, though broadly scattered and seemingly exaggerated, carried limited power. Captain Fang, on the other hand, with his reserved and contained power, was like a sharp sword with inner radiance. His realm far surpassed Xu Tai’s. Moreover, judging by the results of their first exchange, Captain Fang’s combat experience far exceeded Xu Tai’s. Therefore, Xu Tai was the one in danger now.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Xu Tai roared and charged at Captain Fang, his powerful figure radiating a terrifying aura.

"Annihilation Wind Hammer! Die!"

BOOM!

With a powerful stomp, Xu Tai leaped into the air. His giant hammer loomed like a dark cloud pressing down, overshadowing Captain Fang as if it would crush everything to pieces.

Facing the oppressive shadow of the hammer, Captain Fang stood his ground. He swept his Longsword and let out a long cry.

"Shatter!"

The cry thundered like lightning, scattering the clouds in the sky. Sharp as a sword, Captain Fang’s entire body erupted in an azure glow. In that instant, he seemed to merge with his sword, soaring upwards and launching a piercing thrust into the air. This sword strike was incredibly sharp, tearing a huge rift in the air. Accompanied by a piercing shriek, it met the shadow of the hammer head-on.

CLANG! CLANG!

The azure sword radiance fiercely erupted, continually striking the center of the giant hammer. It was as if a Thunderbolt echoed between the cliffs. The intense Qi Force shockwave was too blinding to look at.

Captain Fang moved extremely fast, launching dozens of sword strikes in a single breath. After dozens of sword strikes, Xu Tai’s offensive aura slowed, and he was sent flying backward, staggering several steps before steadying himself.

THUD!

The sound of footsteps rang out as Captain Fang landed steadily on the ground, his figure upright, his aura like a mountain peak.

"He blocked it! He blocked it!"

"Captain Fang blocked it!"

"How many sword strikes did Captain Fang just unleash? Did you all see clearly?"

"The speed was too fast, how could we see clearly? I’d say there were at least dozens of strikes!"

After a brief silence, the entire cliff suddenly erupted with excitement. The nearby escorts all watched Captain Fang enthusiastically. Captain Fang had deflected such a terrifying blow, giving everyone a glimmer of hope for victory. Their eyes twinkled with excitement.

Luo Feng smiled. Both Xu Tai and Captain Fang were mid-stage cultivators of the ninth Heavenly Court Realm, but Xu Tai possessed Innate Divine Strength, and in terms of raw power, he surpassed Captain Fang. However, a duel between Martial Artists wasn’t just about whose attacks were more powerful. Martial Arts realm, experience, and Cultivation all affected the outcome. Captain Fang was able to gain the upper hand despite his disadvantage, relying not on external factors, but precisely on his experience and Cultivation! Others might not have seen it, but Luo Feng could see clearly. Each of Captain Fang’s sword strikes had hit the weak points in Xu Tai’s attacks. It was a true case of the weak overcoming the strong.

"Dammit!" Two moves had failed to harm his opponent, and he himself had fallen to a disadvantage. Xu Tai was enraged. He roared and immediately launched his third attack.

"Black Wind Shakes the Nine Provinces, Overturns Rivers and Seas!"

Amidst his roar, Xu Tai clenched his right fist, black airflow gathering around it, and slammed it towards the ground.

BOOM!

The ground suddenly cracked open, and shockwaves, like gigantic waves, rippled out along the ground in all directions.

"AH!" A few Black Wind Camp bandits who couldn’t dodge in time were sent flying by the shockwave’s aftermath, coughing up blood. Even those standing further away felt the ground shake and struggled to keep their balance.

Captain Fang had his Gang Qi protecting him, so he didn’t suffer any impact damage, but his figure still swayed slightly.

"Now let’s see how you resist! Die!" Xu Tai, his eyes glowing red, smirked ferociously at Captain Fang. An illusory mountain peak materialized around him. Immovable as a mountain, he ruthlessly smashed his hammer towards Captain Fang.

BOOM!

Strong winds howled; the entire mountain seemed to tremble under the hammer’s strike.

"Mere bluster! Fall!"

A chilling voice echoed. Captain Fang, who was initially swaying, suddenly steadied himself. His body bobbed gently as if standing on river waves, completely unaffected by the impact. With a cold smile, Captain Fang advanced instead of retreating. His Longsword vibrated, launching wave after wave of azure Sword Gang, each strike magnificent. These Sword Gangs, as if possessing eyes, consistently struck the weak points in Xu Tai’s attacks.

DING! DING! DING...

After launching dozens of sword strikes in one breath, Captain Fang finally made Xu Tai’s figure waver; his giant hammer was knocked back three inches by the Sword Gang.

SCHLICK!

A sword gleam flashed, and a bloody hole appeared on Xu Tai’s right shoulder. He retreated continuously, almost falling to the ground.

"Captain Fang has won!"

"Who would’ve thought Captain Fang was so strong, defeating even the Black-faced Wolf Xu Tai! Our Shangfeng Escort Agency will surely make a name for itself in the Jianghu!"

The surrounding escorts, seeing this, felt their spirits soar.

Luo Feng, watching from the side, silently nodded in approval. This duel was, without a doubt, incredibly exciting. Captain Fang, using his own Martial Arts experience, had managed to defeat the stronger Xu Tai. This sparked many new realizations in him.

Xu Tai steadied himself, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and glared viciously at Captain Fang. He laughed ferociously, "I never imagined such a small escort group would be hiding a master like you."

Captain Fang walked towards Xu Tai step by step and said coldly, "Lead us out of Black Wind Ridge."

"You dare to injure me, and you still think you can leave Black Wind Ridge unscathed? What a joke! Do you honestly believe you can kill me?" Xu Tai threw his head back and laughed loudly, his gaze defiant as he looked at Captain Fang, showing no sign of fear. His words dripped with arrogance, as if Captain Fang were the injured one, not him.

A murderous glint flickered in Captain Fang’s eyes. He said icily, "Don’t forget, I am an escort. My duty is to protect the cargo, so the Jianghu rules of one-on-one duels don’t apply to me."

As he finished speaking, Captain Fang waved his hand and ordered, "Ready your crossbows!"

SHINK! SHINK! SHINK...

The sound of crossbows being drawn echoed around them. The surrounding escorts all aimed their crossbows at Xu Tai.

Xu Tai’s face turned pale. A mid-stage Heavenly Court Realm expert was already difficult to handle; with these crossbows added, even he couldn’t possibly escape unscathed.

"Lead us out of Black Wind Ridge, and I’ll spare your life. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!" Captain Fang declared, his gaze icy.

Yao Qing dismounted her horse and walked to Captain Fang’s side. Her beautiful eyes coldly watched Xu Tai as she said, "Uncle Fang, there’s no need to waste words on him. Kill him, and let’s leave."

Xu Tai’s pupils constricted sharply. Just moments ago, he had been the one speaking such words. Unexpectedly, the tables had turned, and now he found himself in this predicament.

"Hmph! Do you really think I’m a fish on the chopping block, at your mercy?" Xu Tai snorted coldly. A ferocious look flashed across his face as he looked towards the escort caravan and yelled, "Second Brother, you’re still not showing yourself? How long are you going to wait!"

At his words, everyone was startled; even Captain Fang couldn’t hide his surprise.

Xu Tai’s Second Brother? Wasn’t that Liu Zixuan, the White-Faced Wolf, second-in-command of the Black Wind Camp? He was here too?

Luo Feng also frowned slightly, scanning his surroundings. He hadn’t sensed any other Heavenly Court Realm experts nearby.

SWISH!

While everyone was still in shock, a red gleam suddenly pierced the air, attacking Captain Fang with lightning speed.

"Captain Fang, watch out! Hidden weapon!" Luo Feng, seeing clearly that a dagger was aimed at Captain Fang, immediately shouted a warning.

SCHLICK!

Upon hearing this, Captain Fang tried to dodge but was half a beat too slow. Blood splattered as the dagger pierced his right shoulder.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Tai roared. His body shot up as he swung his giant hammer in a wide arc.

THUMP!

Hit by the aftershock, Captain Fang spat out blood. His figure was flung backward, skidding more than ten meters before he barely managed to stand.

"Uncle Fang!" Yao Qing cried out, her face paling in alarm, and rushed over to support Captain Fang.

Captain Fang waved his hand and said weakly, "Miss, I’m fine."

After speaking, Captain Fang turned to look at the escort caravan, his gaze turning cold. "An honorable person doesn’t resort to ambushes. Second-in-command of the Black Wind Camp, show yourself."

Footsteps sounded, and a figure emerged from the escort caravan. The newcomer was in his twenties, with a smile on his face and a tall, straight posture.

"Liu Tao..." A sharp glint flashed in Luo Feng’s eyes. The man emerging from the escort caravan was indeed Liu Tao! The moment that person had attacked, Luo Feng had sensed it was him who had ambushed Captain Fang.

"Second Brother! You’re finally out!" Joy and surprise filled Xu Tai’s face.

Hearing Xu Tai’s words, the surrounding escorts looked at Liu Tao, their expressions filled with shock and growing terror.

Xu Tai’s Second Brother was, of course, Liu Zixuan, the White-Faced Wolf, second-in-command of the Black Wind Camp! This man was a late-stage Heavenly Court Realm expert, his strength unfathomable, and he had been hiding within their escort caravan! With him here, it was likely no one would escape today.