While the masked man was threatening them, deep down, he was silently exclaiming:
'Damn... they went from being a few level sevens to becoming level nines in less than a month! There are even two half-step Manifestation realms among them. That's just terrifying!
No. I can't let them go. I have to stop them no matter what! I am sure they will return to settle the grudge between our Fu Family and them! It is either they fall or we fall. No, wait, I am an expert of the Manifestation realm, they will definitely be the one that fall today!'
Meanwhile, Li Tengfei was already going through all their options and planning the best course of action.
'Okay... let's see. An Zihao and Xiao Yu are both half-step Manifestation Realm Expert. An Zihao's powerful attacks with his halberd paired with Xiao Yu's flexible whip skills should already put some pressure on this guy. With Lu Mengyu flanking from the side with her saber, that should at least give us a chance to draw. Now, if in addition to that, I take him by surprise with the techniques that Ancestor Li taught me and that I have not yet revealed, we have a good chance of severely injuring him or even kill him. It may not be easy but we can do it with some teamwork... and some luck'
Despite such a precarious situation, Li Tengfei still thought it out rationally and formulated a plan. He made a few signals with his hands to get An Zihao and Xiao Yu to start the attack seeing the masked guy was apparently in deep thought.
Both An Zihao and Xiao Yu dashed towards the masked man, covering a distance of about 15 m in an instant.
A halberd slashed through the air, while a flexible whip blocked the only escape route. A frown appeared on the man's face.
'It seems like I still underestimated them.'
He then put on a serious expression and prepared to jump at the perfect moment to avoid both of the attacks. But just at that moment, a powerful saber slash fell onto the man. In the end, he decided to take the whip lash head on as it would hurt him less than the other attacks.
Just when he was going to take on the whip lash, a sword appeared from his dead angle, so fast that it could even threaten his life. He used all his might to move to the left and avoided the fatal attack, but the sword nevertheless left a shallow wound on his arm.
Upon seeing blood, the others attacked more and more ferociously, to the point where no one realised Li Tengfei had retreated and was waiting for an opportunity. A few seconds later, an opportunity indeed presented itself. However, the masked man still believed he had the upper hand and could crush them at any moment, and he prepared to reveal his trump card.
Li Tengfei prepared himself to use that special technique. Ancestor Li said that if Li Tengfei were to use it, he could severely injure a Rank 1 Fragmentation Realm expert. Yes! A Rank 1 Fragmentation Realm expert! So no need to mention a mere Manifestation Realm expert.
At that moment, the sky became darker in a flash. Thick clouds covered the horizon, as if a thunderstorm would erupt at any moment. Additionally, the air seemed to have a sticky feeling to it and froze every being caught in this unusual territory.
A powerful sword slash descended upon the masked man, so powerful that even the man felt as if he should kneel before it. At the same time, powerful lightning bolts flashed across the sky and struck down in random directions, decimating anything that stood on their way and followed by the roaring thunder.
*pa*
At this moment, everyone came out of their daze and looked at the object that hit the ground. They were left aghast when they realised it was the expert's head. The group now all looked at Li Tengfei with fear and reverence.
'How did he do that!' An Zihao, Lu Mengyu and Xiao Yu all asked themselves.
However, no one voiced out this question openly. Everyone has their own little secret, no?
--------------------
After the man was unmasked, they were shocked to find that it was the Third Elder of the Fu Family.
"Did we really kill the Third Elder?" Lu Mengyu asked disbelievingly. The others too were shocked that they had killed someone of such a high status. It was partially due to his overconfidence but also due to Li Tengfei's overpowered technique. Indeed, who would have thought that a peak Body Refinement Realm brat could unleash such terrifying power!
They rummaged through the belongings of the dead man and managed to find some spirit stones, some coins and a token with a 'Fu' character on it. It was decided that Li Tengfei would take the Spirit Stones and the token. Maybe it would prove useful in the future?
The small group decided to return to their base, but they deemed it too dangerous to stay in the vicinity, so they marched away, along the bank of the nearby Yangzi river. They hopped on board of a passing transport ship and traveled down the waters.
-------------------
Inside a grand palace,situated inside Luoyang City.
"What?! Third Elder got killed by some Body Refinement brats?! He was a Rank 4 Manifestation Realm expert and studied the Crouching Tiger Technique!" a thunderous voice boomed. Every person present could only lower their heads in fear. Another voice answered:
"Yes, Third Elder's life crystal just got shattered. It is highly possible that the targets defeated him. Although I do not know how he failed, what is sure is that these brats have something powerful with them."
"Do a background check on them. I want all related information." said the first voice while sighing.
At this moment, a servant came and directly announced:
"Family Head, the tracking Array on Third Elder's token has moved and is now heading to the mouth of the Yangzi river."
A smile bloomed on the old man's face. Although the chances were slim, there was still some hope.