Yuan’s Ascension

He couldn’t afford to delay any longer. Wu Yuan was too powerful, and he feared that his junior brother might be struck down in a moment of weakness. The pair martial brothers fought as a team, maintaining their aggressive momentum while also staying cautious, striking with precision and ensuring that Wu Yuan couldn't retaliate.

Then, Wu Yuan suddenly changed his approach. He no longer fought head-on, instead shifting to a defensive stance, retreating or deflecting their attacks. Despite being at a slight disadvantage, Wu Yuan displayed uncanny resilience and unbelievable speed, successfully parrying all attacks from the two experts.

Lu Yuming, standing a hundred meters away, was left in awe as he watched the three experts clash with overwhelming strength. Any one of them could probably defeat him in just a few moves.

"The three of them have employed their secret techniques, they're all desperate." Mo Jingchen immediately evaluated the physical conditions of the three combatants.

The two of them arrived just after Wu Yuan, Zhushan, and Tangru began their battle, but they did not join the fray.

"The two disciples trained by Old Yuanhu have grown even stronger than before, especially Zhushan. Though he hasn't made any notable achievements of late, his strength is likely not much weaker than mine during my prime." Mo Jingchen sighed retrospectively.

He recalled a time when he wouldn't have considered Zhushan or Tangru worthy opponents. 50 years ago, even Old Yuanhu had to show him respect, addressing him as 'Senior'. Such a shame. The fist fears the vigor of youth, the martial artist fears old age; this was a perennial truth. For martial artists who had yet to reach the limits of the human body, their bodily functions would invariably start declining from the age of 60, and Mo Jingchen was far past that age.

"Senior Uncle, aren't we going to join the fight?" Lu Yuming asked.

"Wait," Mo Jingchen replied with a single word.

"You're not qualified to participate in their battle. At best, you can only slightly restrain him. One wrong move could lead to your death. As for me?" Mo Jingchen sighed softly, "I don't have the endurance they possess. In a prolonged battle, my defeat is certain."

"That Shadow Blade is just as strong as me. Hmm, maybe even slightly stronger than me. If I were in his position, facing a combined attack from Wang Zhushan and Chen Tangru, I would likely already be dead. Yet, he has managed to hold his ground effortlessly," Mo Jingchen said in a somber tone.

Lu Yuming listened with a startled expression. But he had to admit, he was indeed incapable of intervening in a battle of this caliber.

"Whether it's Shadow Blade, Wang Zhushan, or Chen Tangru, they are all our enemies. None of them will willingly give up the Chu-Jiang Token," Mo Jingchen murmured, "Their usage of secret techniques puts a great strain on them, rapidly consuming their stamina and energy. Let's wait until they're on the verge of determining the victor, or when both sides have sustained crippling injuries. That's our chance to strike."

"Will they give us that chance?" Lu Yuming couldn't help but ask.

"They don't have a choice. Both sides lack trust, so they can't possibly team up against us."

"If Wang Zhushan and Chen Tangru proactively attack us under the watchful eyes of everyone here in Li City? Hmph! In ten days, Grandmaster Yu will bear her sword and march on Yuanhu Villa," Mo Jingchen stated with conviction.

Lu Yuming subconsciously nodded in agreement. No one knew Shadow Blade's origins or identity, but the identities of Zhushan and Tangru were widely known. The monk could flee, but the temple could not.

"Neither side can trust each other. Zhushan's side will never allow Shadow Blade to escape," Mo Jingchen shook his head. "So, they have no choice but to fight to the bitter end. Unless, of course, Shadow Blade is willing to surrender the Chu-Jiang Token. But why would he so readily give up such a valuable asset?"

The two of them continued to keep their distance, approximately 100 meters away from the raging battle. They observed but did not engage, prepared to join the battle at any time.

Boom! Boom! The intense battle continued and the three experts covered hundreds of meters as they fought, leaving a trail of obliterated walls and demolished houses in their wake.

"Hmm? Tangru is in trouble!" Mo Jingchen's expression suddenly shifted. "We can't wait any longer."

Whoosh! Like a streak of darkness, he leaped into battle!

…

Bang! Bang! Clang! Tangru and Zhushan rained attacks on Wu Yuan. As direct disciples of a Grandmaster, they had received personal instruction from Old Yuanhu himself, who tailored secret techniques to match their unique physical traits. Secret techniques came in countless names and variations, but at their core, they could be categorized into three types—faster speed! Greater strength! Higher resilience!

Tangru's spear moved faster with each strike, each thrust deadly enough to pierce flesh and draw blood. Zhushan's hammer grew heavier with each blow. One swift as the wind, the other solid as a mountain. Wu Yuan could only defend himself, even while unleashing the Thousand Mountains secret technique to its fullest extent.

But every valley had a floor, every peak, a summit. Secret techniques demanded immense strength and stamina. The more powerful the technique, the greater the toll it took on the body, making it unsustainable over long periods. From the moment the three of them went all out, a full eleven seconds of intense battle had ensued.

Clang! At some point during the furious exchange, Tangru's fearsome attacks slowed down noticeably, and he swiftly retreated backward. It was clear that he was unable to maintain this level of intensity. But how could Wu Yuan let him escape?

"Kill!" Wu Yuan’s body blurred as his speed rose. He blocked Zhushan's hammer with his saber, using the momentum to charge straight toward Tangru.

Clang! Clang! Clang! A flurry of strikes followed. Tangru was a picture of grim determination, struggling yet hopelessly outmatched.

"Senior Brother!" Zhushan charged recklessly at Wu Yuan in a panic, desperate to save Tangru.

Swoosh! A sudden streak of light flashed, and the attack intended for Tangru was abruptly redirected towards Zhushan. The strike, too fast and too close, caught Zhushan off guard.

Blood sprayed into the air. Zhushan's eyes widened in shock, and his hammer fell to the ground with a resounding clang as his hand instinctively went to his throat. But the blood poured out, defying any attempts to staunch its flow.

Swoosh! With another lightning-fast saber slash, Zhushan’s head was flung into the air, while his robust body fell to the ground with a thunderous crash.

Zhushan, ranked 121st on the Human Rankings, was dead!

Swish! Like a venomous snake, a sword pierced through the darkness in near complete silence, aiming for Wu Yuan.

“Old fool, scram!" Wu Yuan roared, evading the strike with a surge of speed.

Blade rays filled the air. Ghostwalk and Thousand Mountains! Two secret techniques were deployed simultaneously.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Saber and sword clashed at lightning speed, their shrill ring echoing in every direction.

Wu Yuan instantly seized an opening in the opponent's swordplay. Or perhaps, it wasn't an opening at all, but simply that the elderly man was moving a tad slower. The blade ray grazed Mo Jingchen's chest, slicing diagonally downwards. His clothes split apart, and the terrifying force instantly propelled the old man backward.

Instead of going after the old man, Wu Yuan turned his attention to Tangru. Maintaining Ghostwalk, his speed soared beyond 100 meters per second as he tore through the sky, straight for his target who was frantically escaping in terror.

When he was 100 meters from Tangru, he threw out three throwing knives. Tangru's face flushed red as he twirled his spear in a desperate attempt to defend himself.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Tangru blocked all three throwing knives, but the terrifying power embedded in them caused him to stumble and fall from the roof to the ground below.

A figure swooped down like a giant roc.

Whoosh! Whoosh! An unyielding barrage of blade rays surged forward, leaving Tangru no chance to react. With great effort, he managed to fend off two slashes. Then a cold glint flashed and a severed head met the earth, blood spraying in its wake.

Tangru, ranked 98th on the Human Rankings, was dead!

Wu Yuan quickly picked up Tangru's spear while patting down the man's chest. In no time, he found a stack of banknotes and a small jade vial of unknown contents.

Time to leave! Without hesitation, Wu Yuan leaped up, fluttering through the air like a nimble butterfly. In a series of agile bounds, he soared over the city walls, vanishing into the endless night.