Outwardly, Wang Anfeng carried an intimidating presence, shocking everyone present, single-handedly breaking the status quo with his indifferent and detached demeanor. However, within Shaolin, the martial artists possessed extremely high skills and were seasoned veterans of Jianghu, and they could naturally see the discomfort in the youth.

    Wu Changqing noticed a faint redness at the young man''s earlobes, his mouth twitched into a subtle smile before looking back at Hong Luoyu, who was merrily spinning around on the mountain, and sighed, "Luoyu, you''re being too mischievous..."

    Like the wind scattering shadows, the figure of the elusive thief abruptly stopped. The hillside was dotted with lifelike copies of Hong Luoyu, numbering in the hundreds, all uniformly turning their heads towards Wu Changqing. This made the old man''s scalp tingle, and then he heard the thieves utter a harmonious chant, reverberating through the mountains, defiantly declaring,

    "What mischief? This is a secret technique of the Divine Thieves Sect. How can it be called mischief?!"

    Each thief''s face was marked with an expression of vehement righteousness as they argued,

    "Know that in a clash between experts, martial arts experience is just one aspect of victory or defeat. A confident aura is critically important. The so-called act of killing also targets the heart!"

    "If my opponent clashes with me but cannot see through me, then out of his full strength, he would not be able to exert even seventy percent. With pervasive wariness, he will inevitably pull his punches, making it difficult to unleash his full strength. The unpredictability of the human heart is like an abyss, isn''t it more potent than the deadliest poisons and miracle medicines in the world?"

    "Thus, a battle that would have been evenly matched may very well turn into a lopsided domination, or even an upset victory with the weak defeating the strong, few triumphing over the many. It is not impossible. As the Military Family says, use the orthodox to unify and the unorthodox to win. When the unorthodox and orthodox are integrated, the cycle is endless. How can such martial artist''s technique of killing and fighting be dismissed as mischief?"

    "I think it''s you, old Medicine King, who''s causing mischief," replied Luoyu.

    A slight twitch appeared at the corner of the elder''s mouth.

    Hong Luoyu''s words were well-founded and pointed to the struggle for aura in combat. Cultivators of martial arts with strong vigor were accustomed to the decisive nature of life-and-death battles—a matter of mere moments. Without enduring spirit and becoming timid, one would indeed be on the path to defeat.

    Yet, the brilliant smile on Hong Luoyu''s face couldn''t be suppressed. His brows danced with excitement.

    Suddenly, there was a rustling sound, and all the figures on the mountain dispersed cleanly. Hong Luoyu emerged in front of Wu Changqing, hanging upside down in mid-air, swaying back and forth, and brazenly said,

    "In any case, trust me!"

    Wu Changqing restrained the impulse to slap the mischievous face and laughed insincerely, "Trust you?"

    "I would trust you as far as I could throw you," he said.

    He paused, feeling his words might have been too harsh. Soft-hearted in his old age, he stroked his beard and softened his tone,

    "However, that Light and Shadow Division martial skill you used just now, what kind of technique is it?"

    "Does the Divine Thieves Sect also possess such mystical arts? I always thought that only Heavenly Secrets Island was invested in researching such curiosities."

    Hong Luoyu was momentarily taken aback and replied,

    "What technique?"

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    Wu Changqing stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening, "The technique that just created all those afterimages..." Sёarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Hong Luoyu''s confusion deepened. Glancing at Wu Changqing, his face was filled with suspicion that he was being played with, and he frowned,

    "That thing..."

    "Is just something you can do by running, right?"

    Wu Changqing''s expression froze, looking at the thief who seemed even more bewildered than himself, a corner of his mouth twitched.

    Then, remembering how the excited thief had merely used his qinggong to create countless afterimages, if he were to use that technique combined with his mouth... At this thought, a chill went down his spine. Looking at Hong Luoyu beside him, who couldn''t contain his triumphant smile, he couldn''t help but inwardly grumble,

    "Indeed, this thing..."

    "Is nothing but a catastrophe!"

    .........................

    Wang Anfeng observed the numerous martial artists before him.

    His expression was as cold and impassive as ever.

    Yet his face was somewhat feverish, and he felt like running away; had it not been for the disguising material on his face, he might have already lost his composure.

    Meng Yuexue stood protected behind the young man, noticing his tightly clenched fingers behind his back, constantly rubbing his thumb, her eyes slightly widened.

    Was he nervous?

    But to everyone else, it appeared different.

    Zhu Xiao scowled and scoffed, "It seems you''ve decided to go against Immortal Pavilion?"

    "Quite the audacity!"

    As he spoke, he relaxed his hold, throwing the broken Whip Lock onto the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust and air. He then pulled another weapon from behind his back—a steel tool that looked more like a herb-digging hoe than a weapon for killing.

    However, the sharp edges that could crack open rocks were by no means inferior as weapons. One end featured a pointed chisel, while the other resembled a blunt tool. Clearly, this weapon could employ both dagger and hammer techniques. Those unfamiliar with it could easily suffer a nasty surprise in a clash.

    Wang Anfeng''s eyes narrowed slightly.

    Having seized the initiative, he had already taken control of the situation. With so many people around, including martial artists whose Internal Strength did not pale in comparison to his own, a true melee would not guarantee Meng Yuexue''s safety with his martial arts alone.

    What should he do now?

    He had never experienced such a situation before. Just then, Zhu Xiao, who had been harboring intentions of probing, brandished his weapon and sent two arcs of dark green Qi Force slashing diagonally at him. His body stayed low as he lunged forward rapidly. As he moved, he shifted unpredictably from left to right, creating several afterimages.

    Gongsun Wu, the Rat of the Skies who stood behind him, pupils dilating, instinctively took a half step back.

    These two strands of Qi Force were not like the Sword Qi killing techniques favored by swordsmen. The dark green color contained extreme poison. A mere touch could kill an ordinary person instantly, and their body would turn into pus and blood after death, a truly miserable sight. Even martial artists could not withstand it for long. This technique was among the top lethal methods of the Immortal Pavilion.

    Looking at Wang Anfeng once more, he thought that this man''s overconfidence was likely to cost him dearly.

    At that moment, Wang Anfeng had already sensed the peculiarity within the two strands of Qi Force. He forcibly restrained his impulse to leap out of the way, and faced Zhu Xiao''s charge, the self-assured demeanor of the Immortal Pavilion members, and the schadenfreude-filled gaze of Gongsun Wu without expressing any emotion. He raised his right hand.

    He flexed his fingers, and flicked them lightly.

    A burst of air exploded violently.

    Beneath Wang Anfeng''s feet, the heavy blade kept ringing incessantly. The ground in front of him was sheared away layer by layer. Zhu Xiao''s heart nearly stopped beating. He had already charged to Wang Anfeng''s side when he suddenly rolled away like a donkey, retreating several meters. His heart pounded wildly within his chest.

    What the hell was that...

    Zhu Xiao''s eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.

    The two ''Poison Dragon Fang'' strikes that he had nearly exhausted his strength to deliver were shattered by a single flick of that man''s finger?

    Was this person made of cast iron?

    He almost wanted to curse out loud.

    Even if someone had cultivated their Horizontal External Skill, the strongest aspect of the ''Poison Dragon Fang'' was not the Qi Force, but the deadly poison hidden within it. Ordinary martial artists could not even withstand a single blow, much less dare to avoid it. Yet this person showed no reaction whatsoever?

    In his shock, he subconsciously looked at Wang Anfeng''s fingers.

    They were still fair and slender.

    And were slowly withdrawn.

    Zhu Xiao felt a great fear in his heart, knowing he had encountered a tough opponent. Still, thinking about the elder from his sect, he wasn''t willing to leave in such a sorry state. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Wang Anfeng''s eyes lift slightly.

    The young man''s fingers trembled imperceptibly.

    The Golden Bell Shield was enough to nullify nearly eighty percent of the Qi Force, but the residual pain was still there.

    At the same time, the Mixed Yuan Body within him, which could neutralize countless poisons, was rapidly circulating, sending waves of warmth through him. It was clear how ruthless and potent the poison in Zhu Xiao''s technique was. This Divine Skill, the Mixed Yuan Body, incorporated many poisons into its fundamental medicinal principles, turning them into pure Vital Energy for the martial artist to absorb. However, Wang Anfeng did not channel this Vital Energy into his Dantian. Instead, he directly stimulated the same Vital Energy through the use of the Medicine King''s legitimate heir''s martial arts, the Star Pointing Finger Technique, and flicked his finger lightly.

    A fierce wind tore through the air.

    A pure white Finger Force pierced through the void, instantly spreading several zhangs away, aiming straight at Zhu Xiao. The latter felt a tingling on his scalp and his heart nearly stopped beating. At that moment, among the Immortal Pavilion members, a woman wrapped Gongsun Wu with a silver chain, flicked her wrist with force, and threw him towards the Finger Force.

    Since Gongsun Wu was slightly inferior in martial arts to that person and had not been able to avoid it in time, he was impaled through the heart by the Finger Force after being thrown, and collapsed to the ground, spitting blood, his life fading away.

    Meanwhile, Zhu Xiao hit the ground, rolled over, and, not caring for his dignity, turned and ran, shouting:

    "Run!"

    "Quick, run!"

    Seeing the situation resolved, Wang Anfeng withdrew his finger and let out a slight sigh of relief internally. He had been concerned about the presence of other experts here, which was why he had been unwilling to cause too much of a disturbance. Sending these people running was the best outcome.

    Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang by his ear. His expression froze slightly, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

    With a sigh in his heart, the young man leaped down, tapping the hilt of his heavy blade with his right foot. In a whistling sound, the blade transformed into an afterimage, flying towards Zhu Xiao. They had similar levels of Internal Strength, but Zhu Xiao had utterly lost his will to fight. Using his movement technique, he dodged the incoming blade.

    The heavy blade fell to the ground.

    Wang Anfeng had already appeared before the heavy blade. He stepped down with his right foot and grabbed the handle of the blade with his left hand. When Zhu Xiao noticed the approaching figure, he clenched his teeth, spun around, and exerted all of his Poison Skill, striking fiercely at Wang Anfeng. The dark green Qi Force shrouded an area of about a zhang, ominously undulating.

    The other Jianghu martial artists just passing by felt dizzy and staggered after taking a breath, which showed how fierce the poison was. The strength of the Immortal Pavilion''s Poison Skill made everyone tremble.

    Amidst the poison mist, Zhu Xiao bellowed in rage, his hands slamming heavily on Wang Anfeng''s chest.

    He felt a momentary elation in his heart, only to find his hands felt as if they had struck an iron lump, sending a painful shock through them. Realizing the person before him had profound Horizontal External Skill, his heart tightened and he tried to retreat quickly, but suddenly realized he could no longer move.

    The air waves erupted fiercely.

    Zhu Xiao''s pupils constricted. Inside his body, the Poison Skill he had diligently cultivated for who knows how long began to reverse flow towards the person in front of him. He nearly lost seven-eighty percent of it in an instant, his complexion turning deathly pale. He suddenly remembered something, his expression changed drastically, and he cried out:

    "The Poison..."

    Before he could finish, Wang Anfeng stepped forward, raising his right hand to clasp his cheek. His wrist moved, and the heavy blade in his palm roared dully, sweeping upward and slicing across his throat. The vibrations of the blade stifled his voice.

    His life abruptly cut short.

    PS: Here is the first update...