Chapter 22: First-Rate Adept

"Anyone else?" Wu Yuan asked coldly. His voice was hoarse and not loud, but it carried an intimidating presence that sent shivers through the Vicious Tiger Gang members scattered about the courtyard.

Bodies were strewn across the courtyard house. The blood flowing from the forehead of Gang Leader Yang Long was strikingly conspicuous. The source of it all was the bronze-masked man in the center of the courtyard, brandishing a spear.

Who else would dare step forward?

He must be Gang Leader Yang Long of the Vicious Tiger Gang. A second-rate Adept? His power and speed aren't bad, but I overestimated him. He couldn't even block my spear!

Wu Yuan glanced at the bulky corpse lying on the broken wood.

The lower limit of a third-rate Adept's power was 20,000 catties. The lower limit of a second-rate Adept's power is 30,000 catties. The gap between them wasn't too large. Yet at the moment Wu Yuan unleashed three times his strength, he burst forth with 60,000 catties of power, comparable to a first-rate Adept! In terms of power, he was nearly twice as strong as Yang Long. Adding the gap in skill, one spear strike was enough.

In the world of martial artists, life or death was decided in a moment, unless the combatants were evenly matched. Few battles lasted hundreds or thousands of rounds before a victor emerged.

What terrifying spear technique.

The tall young man in beast hide’s pupils contracted.

The less astute members of the Vicious Tiger Gang could not see what had happened clearly. But the tall man in beast hide saw everything. The moment the bronze-masked man clashed with Yang Long, his speed surged, causing the power of the spear to skyrocket!

It was a world of difference compared to the power he had previously displayed. If one were to say that the masked man had previously shown the power of a second-rate Adept, that one spear strike belonged unequivocally to the realm of first-rate Adepts.

Since when did a first-rate Adept skilled in spear arts appear in Li City? Or perhaps, he actually mastered Threefold Power Surge?

Many thoughts raced through the mind of the man in beast hide.

First-rate Adepts were rare even within the Cloudstride Sect. Such people were eligible to rank amongst the top echelons. Each one of them was an influential figure with a renowned reputation.

As for Threefold Power Surge? Amongst first-rate Adepts, those who could grasp Twofold Power Surge were few and far between. Threefold was even rarer!

"Fire the arrows! Quick, fire the arrows, kill him!" The short, stout man known as Li Ye roared in anger. His shouts echoed with terror, yet tinged with a dash of madness. Gangsters were largely motivated by wealth, but also shared bonds of brotherhood. Yang Long was someone Li Ye recognized as an elder brother, a sworn brother in life or death!

Though fearful, the archers on the surrounding courtyard walls still instinctively obeyed the command. Arrows shot at Wu Yuan like bolts of lightning.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Wu Yuan blurred, dodging a dozen arrows in succession while simultaneously flipping his left hand. A throwing knife materialized within his palm.

Whoosh!

Under the glow of the torches, the knife moved like a stream of light across the night sky.

Thud~

The throwing knife pierced through the head of the stout man, easily penetrating his helmet. His skull was shattered like a watermelon, and he fell from the high wall. The second family head of the Vicious Tiger Gang, Division Head Li Ye, was dead!

This scene sapped away the last bit of courage from the remaining members of the Vicious Tiger Gang. The gang's last Adept in the headquarters, the fifth family head, also revealed a look of terror. He no longer dared to issue commands. He had zero confidence in blocking that throwing knife.

"The gang leader is dead! The second family head and fourth family head are also dead!"

"Run!"

"The Vicious Tiger Gang is finished. Flee! Let’s join some other gang." The thugs retreated like the tide. They had no intention of avenging their gang leader, who was already dead along with most of the other family heads. Even if they risked their lives to kill the man in the bronze mask, would it change anything?

In the blink of an eye, only two figures remained in the expansive courtyard, aside from the lifeless bodies scattered about: Wu Yuan who stood on the ground, and the tall, slender young man in beast hide positioned on the second floor.

"You, I presume, are not a member of the Vicious Tiger Gang." Wu Yuan's voice was hoarse and deep. He remained extremely vigilant, his hand never leaving his spear. He had noticed something off about the young man in beast hide.

Unphased. Composed and relaxed.

Moreover, when the three Adept experts had arrived earlier, Evil Tiger Li Ye was following behind the gang leader, Yang Long. The young man in beast hide, on the other hand, walked beside the gang leader. All this highlighted the young man's peculiarity.

"Indeed, I am not a member of the Vicious Tiger Gang, but Yang Long was my junior brother." The young man in beast hide calmly said, "I don't know why you invaded the Vicious Tiger Gang, but fights between martial artists have always been this way. I only hope that you can give me Yang Long's body, so I can take it back to our sect for a proper burial."

"Sect?" Wu Yuan grew alert. He remembered the intelligence from Starcom Consortium. Yang Long was not a local of Li City, could he have a huge background?

"You can have the body. But," Wu Yuan lightly lifted his long spear, running it over the fabric covering Yang Long's body.

Clatter~

A green jade vial fell onto the blood-soaked ground.

"This belongs to my master, I beseech you to leave it behind," the tall youth draped in beast hide spoke, a hint of urgency lining his voice.

"Your Master's possession? But this is my spoils of war, naturally, it is mine." Wu Yuan gently flicked the long spear in his hand, flipping the jade vial into the air, and then catching it.

"You may take the corpse," Wu Yuan stated, staring directly at the other party.

"Leave the jade vial." The youth clad in beast hide stared intently at Wu Yuan, "I don't want to fight you, don't force me."

"Force you?" Wu Yuan smirked, clutching the jade vial as he retreated swiftly, intending to leave the courtyard house. He could tell that this jade vial was no ordinary object.

"Stop!" A thunderous roar echoed. The tall youth in beast hide pounced over ferociously, nearly overtaking Wu Yuan in an instant.

Boom! Boom!

Two immensely heavy hammers appeared in his hand, instantly engulfing Wu Yuan in their gigantic shadows.

It's fast

. Wu Yuan's pupils constricted.

Too fast.

Among all the martial artists Wu Yuan had encountered so far, this person was undoubtedly the fastest. He instantly realized that this man was a true expert. Even if he wasn't a first-rate Adept, he was close to reaching that level.

Clang! Clang!

Their weapons collided. Wu Yuan’s spear danced like a dragon in the sea. His muscles and bones erupted with their full strength as he blocked the powerful strikes of the large hammer continuously. One strike after another, like continuous tidal waves, forced Wu Yuan to keep retreating.

More than 50,000 catties of strength, a first-rate Adept.

Wu Yuan finally deduced solemnly. This time, he was in real trouble.

One could not become a first-rate Adept through just training and eating. One also needed a certain level of skill. Why? Only when a martial artist's mastery over their body reached a sufficient level, could they unlock the latent physical potential concealed deep within, elevating their physical strength to unprecedented heights. Physical strength and martial skill complemented each other, few excelled in only one aspect.

Boom! Bang!

The hammer was a heavy weapon that overpowered one's foes with its momentum. In the hands of the youth in beast hide, the two large hammers were as light as toys. Paired with his movement technique, they swept imposingly toward their target with unmatchable power.

Wu Yuan's spear danced like a dragon, clashing repeatedly with the hammer and accurately blocking each blow, guiding the impact to the sides while avoiding a direct hit. With that, he surprisingly managed to hold his ground.

Wu Yuan had a higher martial skill level. But the youth in beast hide was overwhelmingly strong and he executed his hammer technique skillfully. In the lightning-fast exchange of blows, he rendered Wu Yuan completely powerless to exploit any weaknesses.

Just twelve hammer blows later, Wu Yuan seemed unable to withstand the continuous attacks, and the spear slipped out of his hands. He was sent flying backward, landing next to Yang Long's body.