Chapter 201: Controlling a Hundred Swords with Qi
A spirit-grade upper-class blade technique, even if only a single move, should never be underestimated.
The "Heavenly Heart Sword Technique" was merely a spirit-grade lower-class sword technique. Whether in power or variation, it was far inferior to the Crescent Moon Blade Technique displayed by Iron Hunchback.
Zhang Ruochen had only cultivated the "Heavenly Heart Sword Technique." At this moment, using it would clearly be unable to block Iron Hunchback.
Just as Iron Hunchback's blade came slashing down, suddenly, centered on Zhang Ruochen, within a radius of a hundred zhang, all the war swords began trembling incessantly, influenced by an invisible sword intent.
"What's going on?" The crowd was greatly alarmed.
Those evil-path martial artists tried to hold down their war swords with both hands, yet the swords still flew toward Zhang Ruochen, circling around him.
"Whoosh—"
Nearly a hundred war swords all flew to the space above Zhang Ruochen's head, rotating in flight, as if serving their master like a retinue of swords.
Even the sword in Lin Ningshan's hand slipped from her control and flew away.
"This is... controlling swords to fly through the air... Only by reaching the legendary Sword Heart Illumination can one achieve this." Lin Ningshan stared incredulously at that mysterious young man, as if looking at a monster.
Had he actually reached the realm of Sword Heart Illumination?
Once one achieved Sword Heart Illumination, they would surely condense a "Sword Intent Heart." Using the "Sword Intent Heart," they could mobilize a hundred swords, a thousand swords, or even ten thousand swords.
Even among Heavenly Extreme Realm cultivators, no one had ever been heard to condense a "Sword Intent Heart" and reach the realm of Sword Heart Illumination.
Only Half-Saints could attain that realm.
A youth of just over ten years had done it—how astonishing was that?
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Lin Ningshan would never have believed it.
"Even the Seventh Prince, with his heaven-gifted talent, has only reached the peak of 'sword following the heart's movement.' He has actually reached Sword Heart Illumination. If this news gets out, the throne of the number one genius of the thirty-six commanderies of Demon Ridge might change hands."
At the same time, Lin Ningshan knew that even if she told this to others, they probably wouldn't believe her.
Iron Hunchback, seeing the war swords flying all over the sky, was also greatly startled, and his blade slowed slightly.
Just then, Zhang Ruochen uttered a single word: "Strike!"
Pointing his finger forward, the one hundred and two war swords, as if guided, transformed into a river of swords, surging rapidly toward Iron Hunchback.
Blade and swords clashed, producing a "crackling" sound.
In the end, the spirit-grade upper-class blade technique Iron Hunchback had unleashed was shattered by the swarm of swords. Three war swords pierced Iron Hunchback's body, sending him flying backward and inflicting severe injuries.
How could a single spirit-grade upper-class blade technique withstand a martial artist who had achieved Sword Heart Illumination?
"He's not dead yet?" Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but admire Iron Hunchback's martial arts cultivation.
If it had been any other Earth Extreme Realm Great Extreme Position martial artist, struck by Zhang Ruochen's full-force attack, they would surely have been pierced with dozens of bloody holes and fallen into a pool of blood.
Although Iron Hunchback had been struck by three war swords, he had dodged the vital points, so the wounds were not fatal.
"How old is he? How has he already reached the realm of Sword Heart Illumination?"
Iron Hunchback looked at Zhang Ruochen again, as if seeing a ghost, and roared in exasperation, "Form the formation!"
The experts of Black Tiger Hall in Earthfire City had almost all rushed to Lingyue Town. Although Zhang Ruochen had killed a batch of experts earlier, many evil-path martial artists had yet to act.
At Iron Hunchback's command, one hundred and eight people quickly rushed out and set up the combined attack formation once more.
"Swish!"
Lines of formation inscriptions shot up into the sky, forming a massive light sphere a hundred meters in diameter, enveloping Zhang Ruochen and Iron Hunchback within the formation.
Those formation inscriptions all converged toward Iron Hunchback.
The aura around Iron Hunchback grew stronger and stronger, the light of the Golden-Backed Divine Blade in his hand becoming increasingly bright. His clothes seemed filled with wind, bulging completely.
With the enhancement of the combined attack formation, Iron Hunchback no longer seemed like an Earth Extreme Realm Great Extreme Position martial artist; he appeared to have stepped into the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection.
"A complete combined attack formation, combined with an Earth Extreme Realm expert, makes the power entirely different." Zhang Ruochen's brow furrowed slightly, finally feeling the pressure.
After all, the gap in martial arts realm between Zhang Ruochen and Iron Hunchback was vast. Even in a one-on-one duel, it wasn't easy. That was why Zhang Ruochen had to unleash the power of Sword Heart Illumination to defeat Iron Hunchback.
Now, with the formation's power, Iron Hunchback had naturally become even stronger, rising to a new height.
"Boom!"
Iron Hunchback slashed his blade, unleashing a massive blade shadow over ten meters long, striking toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
Zhang Ruochen pressed his index and middle fingers together, mobilizing the Sword Intent Heart in his Qi Sea, and once again controlled the hundred swords.
Pointing his finger at Iron Hunchback, the hundred swords charged out simultaneously.
"Rumble!"
The massive blade shadow was torn apart by the hundred swords, dissolving into strands of true qi.
Zhang Ruochen was also not unscathed. His chest felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, his five organs and six viscera violently shaking. He took three steps back before managing to disperse that force.
This was Zhang Ruochen's first retreat.
"I must break the formation first to defeat Iron Hunchback."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze swept across, spotting a weak point in the formation.
He waved his arm, and the hundred swords simultaneously attacked that weak point.
"Heh! You think breaking the formation is that easy?"
Having finally gained the upper hand, Iron Hunchback naturally didn't want to see Zhang Ruochen shatter the formation. He flew down from midair, planted his legs firmly, and swung his blade to slash at the hundred swords.
Iron Hunchback's blade technique was indeed formidable. With a single slash, he scattered the hundred swords.
"Breaking your combined attack formation is as easy as turning my hand," Zhang Ruochen said.
Iron Hunchback sneered, "With me presiding over the combined attack formation, its power is many times greater than before. You still want to break it? Do you believe that this hall master can cleave you to death within the formation in just ten strikes?"
"No, I don't."
Zhang Ruochen had at least three methods to break the formation.
The simplest was to use the speed of the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow to evade Iron Hunchback's attacks. In other words, stall for time.
Given enough time, the evil-path martial artists maintaining the formation would naturally be unable to hold out, and the formation would collapse on its own.
But Zhang Ruochen didn't want to use that method; he intended to finish the battle quickly.
"Blazing Prairie for a Hundred Zhang."
Zhang Ruochen released the true qi from his body, transforming it into strands of spirit fire that covered a space of a hundred zhang, as if turning it into a sea of flames.
The temperature in the air rose higher and higher.
With Iron Hunchback's cultivation, he naturally wasn't afraid of spirit fire.
But those Yellow Extreme Realm and Mysterious Extreme Realm evil-path martial artists couldn't withstand the spirit fire.
"Who the hell is this kid? First, he summoned a hundred zhang of falling snow, creating a freezing cold. Now he's calling forth boundless flames, trying to burn us all to death here?"
"My clothes are on fire... Ah..."
"My face... Hall Master, save me!"
...
Although those Yellow Extreme Realm martial artists had true qi to protect their bodies, their true qi was thin and couldn't block the spirit fire. Soon, their clothes caught fire, followed by their hair and skin being ignited by the spirit fire.
Moments later, a hundred Yellow Extreme Realm martial artists fled in all directions, using various methods to extinguish the spirit fire on their bodies.
The combined attack formation was broken in an instant.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that the situation was lost, Iron Hunchback immediately leaped onto the back of the Flying Cloud Tiger, intending to escape.
The Flying Cloud Tiger spread its wings and soared into the air.
Iron Hunchback breathed a slight sigh of relief, having finally escaped. He thought to himself, "That inner palace disciple of the Martial Market Academy is simply too heaven-defying. I wonder what his background is. I must rush back to Earthfire City immediately and gather the experts from various forces to stop him."
Suddenly, a voice sounded behind Iron Hunchback.
"Iron Hunchback, do you still think you can escape?"
Somehow, that young man wearing a metal mask was standing on the back of the Flying Cloud Tiger, right behind Iron Hunchback.
"Pfft!"
Just as Iron Hunchback was about to turn around, his neck suddenly hurt, and his head flew up, seeing a headless body below.
"That's... my body..." The last thought flashed through Iron Hunchback's mind.
The infamous hall master of Black Tiger Hall had died at Zhang Ruochen's hands.
Zhang Ruochen caught Iron Hunchback's head and put it away. "The head of the Black Tiger Hall master should be worth at least a thousand merit points."
Eradicating a branch of the Black Market was worth a thousand merit points.
Killing the Black Tiger Hall master carried even greater significance than wiping out a Black Market branch.
Of course, a large branch like Earthfire City was a different matter. Ten other Black Market branches combined might only equal one Earthfire City.
Earthfire City was the largest Black Market in the southeastern part of Yunwu Commandery. If Earthfire City were wiped out, it would be a severe blow to the Black Market.
Of course, relying solely on Zhang Ruochen's own strength to eradicate Earthfire City was still a very difficult task.
"Since Iron Hunchback is dead, you are free. Go wherever you please."
Zhang Ruochen gently patted the Flying Cloud Tiger's head, then used the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow to leap off its back. His body paused nine times in midair before landing safely back on the ground.
"Roar!"
The Flying Cloud Tiger let out a tiger roar from within the clouds, as if grateful to Zhang Ruochen for sparing its life.
Then, it flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing at the edge of the sky.
Although he had let the Flying Cloud Tiger go, that didn't mean Zhang Ruochen would let the evil-path martial artists of Black Tiger Hall off.
Those who deserved to die still had to die.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen kill Iron Hunchback, the evil cultivators of Black Tiger Hall were all terrified. How could they dare to oppose Zhang Ruochen?
"Milord, spare our lives! From now on, we won't work for the Black Market anymore!"
"As long as you spare our lives, we'll do whatever you ask!"
...
They all knelt on the ground, kowtowing incessantly and begging for mercy with tears streaming down their faces.
Zhang Ruochen had killed more people today than he had in his entire life combined, and he didn't want to kill anymore. But letting them go seemed like it would also cause trouble.
Except for a few, the martial artists in the Black Market were almost all heinous criminals. Zhang Ruochen didn't believe they would truly reform.
How to deal with them?
Lin Ningshan hurried over, a fierce look in her almond-shaped eyes. "You can't spare them. If you let them go, who knows how many ordinary people of Yunwu Commandery will die at their hands in the future? Kill them! They all have to die!"
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Lin Ningshan, his eyes brightening. "In that case, I'll leave them to you to handle."
Then he added, "You can also take their heads back to Yuntai Mansion."
Zhang Ruochen wasn't deliberately giving these evil-path martial artists' heads to Lin Ningshan. It was simply because he really didn't want to kill anymore.
Killing was never a joyful thing.
Since Lin Ningshan liked killing, he would leave it to her.
Zhang Ruochen walked off into the distance, preparing to head to Earthfire City.
"Even if I have to kill, I should go after the true evil-path experts."
If he could wipe out Earthfire City, he should be able to obtain a large amount of cultivation resources and merit points.