---
Chapter 31: Xie Hu's Team is Completely Wiped Out
Xie Hu sneered, a mocking smile on his face.
"Are you really so bold as to speak like this?"
Although he didn't know the true strength of the person in black, Xie Hu was confident in his own abilities. Having begun to grasp the essence of the Martial Arts Concept, he believed that unless his opponent was a Martial Master, he could easily defeat them.
And as for Martial Masters, those were figures who were at the head of their factions, so why would they concern themselves with such a trivial matter?
The man in black, who appeared to be hiding his identity with his mask and attire during the day, didn't seem like a powerful figure at all.
Still, as the captain of his team, Xie Hu knew better than to act rashly. He wasn't one to throw away his life without careful consideration.
"Rat, go and test his strength. If things don't look good, retreat immediately. I'll be right here watching," he ordered calmly.
"Understood, Brother."
Xie Shu, though surprised by the sudden appearance of the man in black, quickly calmed down after hearing his older brother's voice. With his brother here, there was no reason to fear. If things went south, they could always fall back.
Without further hesitation, Xie Shu raised his knife and charged toward the mysterious figure.
However, they had gravely underestimated the man in black. Yang Yi, with the strength of a seventh-level warrior and aided by the 1,000 shadow soldiers—each also at the seventh-level—was far stronger than Xie Shu could have anticipated.
After all, when Yang Yi was still only at the fourth level of martial arts, he had already defeated the pig-headed masked man, a peak-level martial artist.
"Crack!"
Xie Shu's blade was shattered effortlessly by Yang Yi, and before he could react, Xie Shu was sliced in half.
The scene froze for a brief moment.
Yang Yi, wielding the sword taken from the pig-headed masked man, had delivered such a lethal blow that it exceeded expectations.
"Dacheng's Bloody Sword Technique actually killed Xie Shu with just a simple strike. How incredible," Nangong Qing marveled under his breath.
It was a sword technique known to many, but even then, seeing Xie Shu, a mid-level martial artist, be cleaved in two with such ease was astonishing.
"His physical body... It's simply unimaginable. To achieve such power without using any spiritual martial arts, how strong must his physical condition be?" Nangong Gou exclaimed, his voice filled with awe. It was hard to comprehend how someone could have reached this level of strength.
"Such a display... That was a wind-blade sword strike, wasn't it?" Nangong Yadun asked in confusion. The wind blade, one of the deadliest techniques, was commonly known, but seeing it used with such mastery left everyone in disbelief.
"Not just any wind blade. He used it in conjunction with the Bloody Battle Sword Technique," Nangong Qing clarified, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"Ah!" Xie Hu screamed in horror.
"Brother!" he wailed in anguish, his face contorted with shock and grief as he stared at the mangled remains of his younger brother.
The sight was enough to break anyone, and Xie Hu was no exception. His younger brother had just been sent to test this man's strength, and in mere moments, Xie Shu was gone.
Xie Hu, trembling with fury, gripped his sword tightly, his voice dripping with venom. "I will make you pay for this!"
He held the remains of his brother tightly, his anger surging as he glared at Yang Yi.
"You are truly shameless! Did you ever consider the consequences of your actions?" Yang Yi taunted coldly.
"You will regret this. You think you can just kill my brother and walk away?" Xie Hu bellowed, his rage rising to a fever pitch.
"This is your retribution," Yang Yi responded flatly, indifferent to Xie Hu's anger.
"Die!"
Xie Hu roared in fury, his sword already in motion. In an instant, a massive blood-red tiger manifested before his blade. The tiger roared loudly as it lunged toward Yang Yi.
"Is he really a Martial Master?" Nangong Xiuqin gasped in shock. "That blood tiger attack... Xie Hu's power has clearly reached the realm of Martial Arts Concept!"
"Look at the power he's summoning. This isn't just a normal sword strike. This is the essence of martial arts! His strength is beyond anything we imagined!" Nangong Wei's voice quivered with awe and fear.
"But why hasn't he reached the Martial Master realm yet?" Nangong Yadun asked, still uncertain.
"Because Xie Hu is still in the process of grasping the Martial Arts Concept," Nangong Qing explained. "If he survives this battle, I believe he will reach the Martial Master stage soon."
As Xie Hu launched his blood tiger attack, Yang Yi quickly analyzed the situation. Realizing that a direct confrontation was too risky, he swiftly dodged the attack, using his enhanced speed and agility. Even though Yang Yi hadn't yet mastered any special movement techniques, his strength in his shadow-melting state made him a difficult target to hit.
"Crack!"
The blood tiger crashed into the ground where Yang Yi had been standing moments ago. With a flick of his wrist, Yang Yi retaliated, charging toward Xie Hu with lightning speed.
"You're too slow!"
The blood tiger's attack had failed, but now Xie Hu wasn't going to hold back. He called upon the remaining three members of his team to assist him in surrounding Yang Yi.
Despite their overwhelming numbers, Yang Yi wasn't intimidated. He gathered all his strength and summoned his shadow powers.
"Wind Blade!"
Yang Yi released the combined attack of his Bloody Battle Sword and the Wind Blade technique. The storm of sword energy surged outwards, engulfing Xie Hu's team in a flash of blinding speed.
"Ahhh!"
The three remaining members of Xie Hu's team were struck down in an instant, their bodies torn apart as blood splattered across the battlefield.
Xie Hu, enraged beyond measure, screamed in fury.
"You think you can defeat me? I am a Martial Master!"
With that, Xie Hu charged at Yang Yi, his sword gleaming in the sunlight.
But Yang Yi didn't back down. Instead, he prepared himself for the final strike.
"I'm not afraid of you."
With a single slash, Yang Yi cut through Xie Hu's defense and shattered his blood tiger attack.
"Impossible!" Xie Hu gasped in disbelief, his sword trembling in his hand.
Yang Yi stepped forward, slashing his sword down with immense power. The strike cleaved through Xie Hu's body, splitting him in half.
"Pah!"
The battle was over.
Xie Hu's bloodied remains lay on the ground, his team now wiped out. All five members had fallen before the might of the man in black.
Nangong Qing and the others watched in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The entire fight had ended far too quickly for them to process.
"Is... Is it really over?" Nangong Gou asked, his voice shaking with disbelief.
"Xie Hu and his team are gone... just like that," Nangong Wei muttered, his eyes wide with shock.
The man in black had completely wiped out Xie Hu's group without even breaking a sweat.
"Thank you, senior. We owe you our lives," Nangong Qing said, bowing deeply to the figure.
But to their surprise, the man in black simply ignored them. He casually examined the fallen bodies and collected a few items from them, including their warrior terminals. After that, without a word, he turned and vanished into the distance.
---