Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chapter 345: Chapter 169: Attitude (2)

In a flash, like a mere afterimage, Ning Chong was sent flying.

In a single instant, Ning Chong—the Lin Kui of Feng City’s Golden List and a young prodigy with Eight Pillars of Blood Qi—was utterly defeated.

Fortunately, the bandit leader’s attention was focused entirely on the two luxurious carriages at the rear. That last strike had been nothing more than a casual swat to clear a “roadblock,” not a killing blow. Otherwise, Ning Chong would already be a corpse.

Watching this unfold,

Chen Cheng gained a new and profound understanding of the dangers of the Northern Territory.

Meanwhile,

the other two hidden masters Chen Cheng had targeted were rapidly closing in.

The one in front was powerfully built and bare-armed, with a tattoo of a huge, snarling crocodile on his bicep.

His Body Technique was grand and sweeping. Each step shook up a small cloud of dust, and he carried the momentum of a tiger charging down a mountain, radiating a savage, brutal pressure.

The one following him was lanky, his skin pale, like a dried-up old snake. He wielded a narrow-bladed thin sword in each hand, their tips trembling slightly and emitting a low hum.

Their target was also the two luxurious carriages.

‘It really is better to keep a low profile when you’re away from home.’

Chen Cheng composed himself, his gaze immediately shifting to follow their movements.

In the next instant,

the bandit leader leaped into the air, instantly closing the distance to the first carriage. He landed on the shaft, about to charge inside.

WHOOSH—

Suddenly, a terrifying blast of air erupted from within the carriage.

The curtains were blasted outwards, billowing wildly. The brocade hangings whipped about, and silk ribbons and tassels flew everywhere.

Everyone’s line of sight was blocked. They couldn’t see clearly what was happening inside, only a blur of chaos and shadow, like a bottomless abyss that could swallow everything around it.

ZING!

From within that abyss, the cry of a sword split the air.

The sound wasn’t loud, but crisp and brief, like a silver needle tearing through silk, or like a branch, frozen brittle in the dead of winter, being snapped by a sharp blade.

The ringing sound rose and fell in an interval so brief it was almost imperceptible.

It spilled out from behind the curtain, and then, in an instant, all was silent again.

It was as if it had been nothing more than the flick of a finger.

The curtains fell. The brocade hangings, silk ribbons, and tassels all settled back into place, looking just as they had before, as if nothing had happened at all.

The bandit leader was still frozen in the posture of stepping onto the carriage, his body rigid.

One breath.

A thin red line appeared on his neck.

Two breaths.

The red line widened rapidly. His head tilted, slid from his shoulders, and struck the shaft with a THUD before rolling onto the ground.

From his severed neck, a pillar of blood shot into the sky, spraying five feet high.

“Th-this… This is too strong…”

Zhao Dongping’s hand, which had been stroking his bowstring, froze instantly, his knuckles turning white.

“A… a Divine Treasure Sword Cultivator!?”

Su Bing’s mouth hung half open, her eyes vacant, as if half her soul had been frightened away.

Fang Lang was silent, feigning composure, but his frantically bobbing Adam’s apple betrayed the tumultuous storm of shock he couldn’t suppress.

Ning Chong, still sprawled in the distance, could only crane his neck, staring dumbfounded at the now-headless bandit leader who had so casually swatted him aside.

Not far behind them,

the burly, crocodile-tattooed man skidded to a halt. His body swayed as he fought to kill his forward momentum.

The other man, the lanky one with the Dual Swords, looked as if he had been yanked to a stop by an invisible hand, nailed to the spot, not daring to take even half a step forward.

‘That just now… was a sword?’

Chen Cheng’s brow furrowed.

This time, he hadn’t even seen an afterimage.

In a blink, a great master with Nine Pillars of Blood Qi had been decapitated.

He silently lowered his gaze.

He looked at his own hands, clenched them into fists, then slowly unfurled them.

‘I should learn how to use a weapon.’

‘Saber, spear, sword, halberd… I have to master one of them until it’s as strong as my fists and feet.’

‘In the Northern Territory, it’s crucial to have another ace up your sleeve.’

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the situation outside shifted once more.

Fang Lang and Su Bing leaped down from their carriage. One after the other, their figures shot straight toward the burly, crocodile-tattooed man.

Fang Lang’s movements were heavy and fierce, his palms striking as densely as a sudden downpour, each blow carrying the power to shatter stone.

Su Bing, by contrast, was as nimble as a fish, gliding close to the ground to attack her opponent’s lower body. Her strikes were incredibly cunning, each one aimed at a vital point.

From the rear, Zhao Dongping provided cover with his bow drawn taut, ready to support them with an arrow at a moment’s notice.

With the bandit leader dead, Fang Lang, Su Bing, and Zhao Dongping held nothing back, seizing the chance to attack together.

Even though the brawny man was also a great master with Nine Pillars of Blood Qi, he was completely overwhelmed by the three of them, his situation perilous and his chances of victory nil.

Meanwhile, the lanky man, who was positioned a little farther back, paid no mind to his companion’s fate. He turned and ran.

His Body Technique was like a twisting snake as he shot away, skimming silently across the ground with incredible speed.

Just then, a slender figure leaped out and single-handedly blocked his path.

It was Huang Jiao.

She was also a great master with Nine Pillars of Blood Qi. In a one-on-one fight, she was not the least bit intimidated.

Without any superfluous feints, in the instant she brushed past the lanky man, the edge of her palm struck him square in the chest.

The palm strike looked light and airy, like a casual brush of her hand, but the lanky man’s body was sent flying backward as if struck by a charging horse, his arms flinging wide uncontrollably.

His thin swords flew from his grasp, spinning through the air before being flung to either side.

THUD!

With a muffled sound, the lanky man slammed heavily onto the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood.