Chapter 147. A Surprise for You All
The next day, November 15.
Level Four zone, the Bai Family’s main headquarters.
WHOOSH!
Bai Jinwu was practicing his movement technique, the Cloud-Treading Step.
The moment his foot came down, the green bricks beneath him shattered inch by inch. His whole body shot forward, so fast that the air itself let out a shrill scream.
Combined with each move of his Seven-Kill Fist, he seemed to carry the power to split mountains and rend the earth.
“Good! The Cloud-Treading Step has finally reached a Major Mastery!”
Bai Jinwu stopped moving and burst into laughter, feeling slightly relieved inside.
He knew that it had been nearly a month and a half since Xu Yuan broke through to the seven-meridian level.
Judging by Xu Yuan’s usual pace, he would likely complete his accumulation soon. He might even reach the eight-meridian level any day now.
How could that be allowed?
Once that happened, the Shangyang Residence side would also have two eight-meridian martial artists, and the advantage on their side would vanish completely.
And then...
“There is a good chance that Qin Chuan is waiting for Xu Yuan to break through so the two of them can join forces and kill me!”
Bai Jinwu knew that news of his arrival in the Level Four zone could not be hidden for long. Combined with Qin Chuan and Xu Yuan’s recent movements, it was not hard to guess what they were planning.
“Fortunately, I was still one step faster in the end. I cannot give them any more time. Tonight, I will strike first!”
Bai Jinwu knew very well that he could not let himself be dragged into the enemy’s rhythm. He decided to seize the timing and make full use of the advantage on his side.
Crack!
Bai Jinwu struck an old tree beside him and snapped it in half at the waist. With vicious malice, he said, “This time, I will make sure that Xu Yuan dies without a burial place!”
After that, he cleaned himself up and headed for the Chief Overseer’s residence.
...
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
The moonlight spilled down like silvery brushstrokes, making the earth glow as if it were shining.
Tongren Street.
One of the three streets under Xu Yuan’s command.
Bai Jinwu brazenly led two seven-meridian martial artists and came straight here to launch a surprise attack.
The commotion was enormous, and it quickly drew the attention of the people nearby.
On the other side, after hearing the news, Han Li swiftly met up with Yang Cang.
When Han Li saw the situation, he gave a faint laugh. “Looks like Bai Jinwu could not hold himself back and made the first move?”
Yang Cang narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. “I heard he even brought another seven-meridian martial artist with him. And the Chief Overseer’s residence is still some distance away... That brat Xu Yuan is probably finished.”
Han Li immediately said, “Let’s go over and take a look. By the way, what did Zhang Li say?”
Yang Cang shook his head. “He said he was going to report to the Chief Overseer first.”
“What a fool!”
Han Li let out a scornful laugh. “No wonder he never gets to eat any of the good stuff!”
With that, the two of them went to Tongren Street and began watching from the shadows.
In the street, several people were already facing each other across the road. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
“Xu Yuan, we will meet again. You were lucky enough to escape last time, but this time you will not be so fortunate!”
With a ferocious grin, Bai Jinwu struck first. His whole body lunged forward, borrowing the momentum of his charge as he threw a punch.
Xu Yuan’s expression shifted slightly. Could it be that his opponent had some kind of support this time?
He sidestepped half a step and dodged the punch, trying to flee toward the surroundings, but Bai Jinwu quickly forced him back again.
His figure flashed, clearly faster than before, and then several waves of punch force came crashing in.
Xu Yuan hurriedly retreated, but he still took a few hits. For a moment, he fell into the disadvantage and seemed about to slip into real danger.
“Hahaha, Xu Yuan, are you still trying to use the same trick as last time?” Bai Jinwu sneered, his attacks continuing without pause.
On the other side,
when Han Li saw this, his eyes flickered. He said, “Now is the time. Move! We cannot really let Xu Yuan fall here, or we will not be able to stop Bai Jinwu either.”
Although Yang Cang would have liked to watch Xu Yuan suffer a bit longer, he knew the situation was urgent. He joined forces with Han Li and charged into the fight.
What none of them knew, however,
was that Xu Yuan was deliberately showing weakness this time. He wanted to see whether Bai Jinwu still had any hidden cards left.
Who would have thought that Han Li and Yang Cang would suddenly jump in at this moment?
Xu Yuan kept a wary eye on his surroundings while circling at the edge of the fight, using movement to contain the enemy and letting the two of them serve as the main force.
But the gap between the seven-meridian and eight-meridian levels was so vast that Han Li and Yang Cang simply could not make up for it. After only a few dozen exchanges, the two of them were already starting to falter.
Han Li groaned bitterly inside. He had thought that with Yang Cang joining him, even if they could not defeat Bai Jinwu, they should at least be able to hold him off for a while.
But only after truly crossing hands with him did he realize that the might of the eight-meridian level was far beyond what they could withstand.
Every punch that came at him felt like a mountain crashing down. Every palm strike was like raging waves slamming against the shore.
The martial arts he had always been proud of could scarcely even break through Bai Jinwu’s defenses.
‘Damn it, how did Xu Yuan manage to contend with him before?’
Yang Cang was in an even more miserable state. Bai Jinwu sent him flying back with a palm strike. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and his face turned deathly pale.
“Two pieces of trash dare come here to throw away their lives?”
Bai Jinwu almost laughed in anger. Did they really think the eight-meridian level was something any random cat or dog could come and challenge?
At that moment, Xu Yuan’s pupils contracted slightly.
It’s here!
A shadow burst out from the darkness and lunged at Xu Yuan like a ghost!
That person’s aura was deep and powerful. He was clearly also at the eight-meridian level!
It was Zhao Wuji, the Bai Family’s Chief Overseer of the Level Four zone.
He had been hiding in the darkness the whole time, waiting for exactly this moment!
But Xu Yuan had long been on guard. He drove the Wandering Dragon Step with all his might, and with a single sway of his body, he evaded the fatal blow.
After missing his strike, Zhao Wuji did not pursue. He merely stood with his hands behind his back, forming a pincer with Bai Jinwu and surrounding Xu Yuan and the other two in the middle.
“Xu Yuan.”
Zhao Wuji spoke indifferently. “You have ruined my Bai Family’s plans time and time again. Today, it is time to settle things once and for all.”
Xu Yuan ignored him. Instead, he looked at Han Li and Yang Cang and said with a half-smile, “You two battle overseers arrived at a very timely moment indeed.”
Han Li’s face turned ashen, and he could not say a word.
He had wanted to come and pick up an easy advantage, but not only had he failed to get one, he had ended up dragging himself into the pit as well.
Yang Cang clutched his chest, equally filled with regret and hatred.
Had he known that Xu Yuan was this good at stirring up trouble, he would never have come to join the excitement, even if someone beat him to death!
Bai Jinwu, however, gave them no time to reminisce. In a cold voice, he said, “Brother Zhao, deal with these three first. It will not be long before that old fox Qin Chuan arrives.”
Zhao Wuji nodded. His body moved, and he lunged straight at Xu Yuan!
Meanwhile, Bai Jinwu turned and went after Han Li and Yang Cang.
The battlefield instantly exploded into chaos!
“Looks like there are only the two of you after all.” Xu Yuan swept his gaze around, then suddenly smiled faintly.
“What do you mean?”
At those words, Zhao Wuji felt a trace of unease.
“Nothing. I am just giving you a surprise.”
As he spoke, Xu Yuan finally stopped concealing his aura.
A surge of qi and blood far thicker and more immense than before roared out of his body like a raging tide.
The force of that aura was so overwhelming that both Bai Jinwu and Zhao Wuji felt their hearts jolt at the same time.
“This is... the eight-meridian level?!”
Bai Jinwu cried out in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.
How was that possible?!
It had only been a little over a month since Xu Yuan broke through to the seven-meridian level. How had he already reached the eight-meridian level?
Zhao Wuji’s face changed drastically as well, but with the arrow already on the string, there was no choice but to release it. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “So what if he is at the eight-meridian level? There are two of us at the eight-meridian level. Are we supposed to fear him alone?”
Bai Jinwu came back to his senses, and vicious light flickered in his eyes. “That is right. Together, kill him!”
The two of them charged forward once more.
But Xu Yuan did not dodge. Instead, he advanced to meet them head-on.
Berserk, activate!
BOOM!
The qi and blood in his body exploded upward in an instant. A faint red glow rose over his skin, and that violent power surged through every part of his body as though it might tear him apart from within.
Immediately afterward, a bronze-colored radiance flowed over the surface of his body, intertwining with the red glow to form a strange yet formidable defense.
Xu Yuan’s figure instantly turned into an afterimage. His speed was astonishing, several times faster than before!
“Where did he go? Is this some kind of illusion art?!”
Bai Jinwu’s pupils shrank violently. That punch had clearly locked onto Xu Yuan, so how had he suddenly lost sight of him?