Chapter 737 - Show Yourself

“Rumble.” A deep roar echoed, it sounded like the sound of faraway thunder.

This palm was fast and vicious, its formidable power a shock to many.

“Dong…” As if a bronze bell had rung, the Pu-named middle-aged man took a step back, his expression unchanging.

A middle-aged man stepped out of the shadows, he looked like an honest peasant with his long face, it seemed like he had lived a difficult life and had many troubles and worries that left him with a perpetual scowl, one could feel his sorrow just by looking at him.

He was an Amethyst Mountain’s disciple, Zhao Jiang.

Zhu Tianhua came beside Zhao Jiang and whispered, “Senior Zhao, look out for that fella, he’s cunning!”

Zhao Jiang nodded. “He looks flighty but is actually a crafty one, I know, I saw him.”

A serious look crept onto Xiao Sun’s handsome face as he asked rudely, “Are you a disciple of Amethyst Mountain?”

Zhao Jiang nodded. “Yes.”

“As one of the four major sects, isn’t it embarrassing for the Amethyst Mountain to send a disciple to be an Imperial Residence’s Protector?” Xiao Sun derided. “I feel so bad for the Amethyst Mountain, you guys are truly moving backward!”

Zhao Jiang faintly replied, “You don’t have to worry about that. Are you a disciple of the Li Dynasty’s Ferris Sleeve Faction?”

“As expected from Amethyst Mountain, you sure know the Li Dynasty well.” Xiao Sun grinned cheekily.

Zhao Jiang warned gravely. “Do you know that you’re bringing trouble to your faction? If you anger Chief Chu, he could just go to the Great Li to exterminate your entire faction!”

“Haha, what high-sounding sentiments!” Xiao Sun guffawed although something flashed fearfully in his eyes.

Zhao Jiang turned and looked at the Pu-named middle-aged man. “And are you a disciple of the Li Dynasty’s Golden Bell Faction?”

“Are you trying to say that I’m also bringing trouble to the Golden Bell Faction?” Senior Pu guessed coldly.

Zhao Jiang nodded. “You’re right. Chief Chu might not able to do anything about the Holy Church of Light but it’s a piece of cake for him to destroy your factions. The Golden Bell Faction probably only has two or three disciples like you so it’s as easy lifting a finger to kill everyone!”

“Xiao Sun is right, you really talk big!” The Pu-named man bit out.

Zhao Jiang sneered. “I see that you won’t shed a tear until you see your own coffin, it’s truly ridiculous that you would dare to carry out an assassination in an Imperial Residence at the Fairy City with such weak abilities!”

“We’ll have to try and see!” Xiao Sun proclaimed stubbornly.

As his words fell, he waved his sleeve and a whoosh slashed through the air like a blade.

Zhao Jiang flicked a finger.

“Pew!” His sleeve force was diffused into a mere breeze that everyone’s clothing fluttered along to.

Xiao Sun’s blood went cold but kept his sinister smile on his face. He took out a folding fan from his waist, it had white jade as its fan rib and white silk as its covering where there were the words “Flowing Cloud” written on it.

He swung the fan lightly.

Suddenly, a high-pitched “whoosh” rang out and a strong gust of wind rose, its sharp screech an indication of how powerful it was compared to the previous sleeve force.

“Flowing Cloud Fan!” Zhao Jiang uttered disdainfully and waved his sleeve.

“Plop!” The two strong forces collided with an ironically soft sound that resembled a pebble’s drop into a lake.

A heavy gale sprang up and sent everyone’s clothing into fits of loud flapping.

“What sleeve technique is this?” Xiao Sun asked, scowling.

Zhao Jiang shot back. “Iron Wall Sleeve! How does it compare to your Ferric Sleeve Technique?”

Xiao Sun chuckled coldly. “As expected from Amethyst Mountain! However, our Ferric Sleeve Technique still wins in terms of sleeve techniques!”

He gritted his teeth as he waved his fan around and brought about fits of high-pitched whistles.

Zhao Jiang responded with his Iron Wall Sleeve. After more than ten moves were exchanged, Xiao Sun’s face darkened. Then, he inhaled deeply and swung his sleeve strongly after his face grew a flustered red.

“Phew…” Vicious gales rose, it was as if a torrential flood had poured out of his sleeve and was rushing towards Zhao Jiang in aggressive waves.

Zhao Jiang flicked a single finger.

“Boom!” The loud thunder roar was like an explosion as its force surged across the courtyard like a tornado, making everyone squint on impact. Xiao Sun’s sleeve was left with a hole.

“Which martial art is this now?” Xiao Sun growled, his eyes were blazing with rage.

Zhao Jiang panned out calmly. “Destroying Touch.”

Xiao Sun turned to look at Senior Pu.

Although he had a secret skill, he knew that he had no chance of winning because he was already no match for Zhao Jiang so if his opponent also used a secret skill as he activated his own, Amethyst Mountain’s secret skill could only be more powerful than Ferric Sleeve Faction’s and further strengthen his opponent.

Senior Pu stepped up. “As expected of Amethyst Mountain, what a concrete foundation and a variety of unique techniques. However, there’s no use of knowing many types of martial arts if you aren’t proficient in one—you may have cultivated three hundred and sixty types of martial arts but I just need one Golden Bell technique to subdue all of your techniques!”

Zhao Jiang nodded. “The Golden Bell Faction is truly a strong faction, but are you sure that you can take on my Heaven’s Thunder Palm?”

“What’s there to lose in trying?” Senior Pu huffed arrogantly.

Zhao Jiang shook his head with a disapproving sigh. “Come on out!”

Three people suddenly appeared out of the shadows and came right in front of Senior Pu.

Zhao Jiang challenged. “Can you endure a few strikes of Heaven’s Thunder Palm?”

Senior Pu’s expression became grave.

He was a talented man who was able to cultivate the Golden Bell Technique to its peak and completely perfect it, he was confident that he could fend off this powerful Heaven’s Thunder Palm.

Nevertheless, Heaven’s Thunder Palm was Amethyst Mountain’s top-notch antique study, so the most he could take was three to four hits.

While Amethyst Mountain’s Heaven’s Thunder Palm had an astonishing formidable power, it also consumed one’s inner energy at an astonishingly fast rate, so Senior Pu was sure that his opponent could only send out two to three palms at a time and that he was at an advantage. Senior Pu decided that since he could not fight Chu Li, he was going to make him sad.

If he could kill all of these Protectors before him, he would be able to greatly elevate his status within the Holy Church of Light.

There was a ranking system among the Holy Church of Light’s officials, there were nine ranks in total and he was a Rank-Six while Xiao Sun was a Rank-Eight so if he could kill the Protectors in King An’s Imperial Residence, he could at least go one rank up.

The Holy Church of Light had already issued a kill order that allowed all High Officials to come to the Ji Dynasty to kill Chu Li and the successful person would ascend to a Rank-One High Official straight away.

Too bad the world hardly gave people what they wanted.

When he saw the three people stepping out of the shadows, his heart suddenly sank. It was the Phantom Yin Skill, these three fellas were Amethyst Mountain’s disciples too!

Xiao Sun laughed sarcastically. “The Amethyst Mountain should be ashamed to have sent four of their disciples to King An’s Imperial Residence as Protectors, this is too embarrassing!”

Zhao Jiang jeered. “You should just focus on figuring out how to escape this place. King An’s Imperial Residence is not a place that you can come and go as you please!”

“Alright, let’s see how powerful the Amethyst Mountain is!” Xiao Sun declared sarcastically.

He was going to give it his all; he knew that there was no way he could flee without giving all he had.

His aura suddenly changed as he seemed to have transformed into an ancient scholar who wore a high hat and broad girdles, his sleeves fluttered in the wind as his charisma hit its climax.

“Thump!” Zhu Tianhua threw out a punch in an attempt to interfere with his secret skill.

“Boom!” With a light flick of his sleeve, Zhu Tianhua was propelled backward, he crashed into a wall and slid down weakly to sit beside Hua Yuhao.

Hua Yuhao turned and looked at him with a bitter smile.

Zhao Jiang pointed at Xiao Sun and Senior Pu as he ordered, “Use your secret skills, I’ll keep this one busy while you three take the other one down!”

Their bodies started moving with a barely discernible flash, it was as if they were just shadows before their eyes.

They split into two groups and each charged at one opponent. Their swift movements were like lightning, as subtle as they were fast.

Zhao Jiang went for Xiao Sun.

“Bam, bam, bam, bam…” Xiao Sun kept waving his sleeves as he tried his best to escape but his body movement technique could not be compared to Zhao Jiang’s and was always forced backward.

Liu Xing and Xiang Feixue also cast their secret skills and attacked Xiao Sun.

After a while, Xiao Sun suddenly let out a long howl as his clothes inflated like a balloon and stiffly endured a Heaven’s Thunder Palm. He then quickly fled and in a blink of an eye, disappeared into the shadows of the night.

Zhao Jiang did not bother to chase him because it would be hard to survive a Heaven’s Thunder Palm’s strike, he would not be able to live long although he was able to escape.

He then switched his target to the man named Pu.

As a vague golden gleam shone through Senior Pu’s skin, the middle-aged man kept a poker face and was indifferent towards the four Amethyst Mountain disciples’ attack, he just continuously threw out his fists, each attack rapid and powerful.

Liu Xing did not manage to evade his punches in time and took a heavy blow. He was forced to accompany Zhu Tianhua and Huo Yuhao in their injury corner.

As Zhu Tianhua sat leaning against the wall and watched Zhao Jiang and three others besiege Senior Pu, he took a glance at a small tree at a corner of the courtyard. “Seems like there’s no need to chop off the Kindred Tree!”