The biting cold wind whipped at countless robes.
The atmosphere was heavy and肅殺.
Ruan Xiucheng stood his ground. He had escorted Chen Jiuyang fifty kilometers, and he would not take a single step further.
Chen Jiuyang had been severely injured by Jiang Haoran and had also sustained injuries in his fight with Ruan Xiucheng. However, Chen Jiuyang possessed a miraculous healing medicine, and his injuries had recovered to the state they were in before his fight with Ruan Xiucheng.
Chen Jiuyang intended to carve out a bloody path alone, and it remained to be seen how he would fare.
Approximately two hundred martial artists had gathered here, mostly at the Earth Realm, with a very small number at the Profound Realm.
However, such a grand formation and so many martial artists were enough to flatten some small countries.
If it were any other Grandmaster of the Earth Realm, especially one who was injured, their face would have turned ashen, and they would have turned to flee.
Yet, Chen Jiuyang’s expression was one of utter fearlessness. He calmly surveyed the group of martial artists before him, let out a soft scoff, and then took a verdant green leaf from his embrace, placing it in his mouth.
Ruan Xiucheng narrowed his eyes. Where had Chen Jiuyang obtained such a miraculous healing medicine?
Under the gaze of many…
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Chen Jiuyang's injuries rapidly receded, and his vital energy gradually returned.
Chen Jiuyang had initially thought these people would continue their tactic of making things difficult for him, which was why he had feigned an inability to recover further. But now that they had changed their approach, he no longer needed to conceal anything!
Seeing Chen Jiuyang's bone-exposed shoulder rapidly healing, with wisps of white smoke emanating from his body, many of the hundreds of martial artists facing him changed their expressions.
A few minutes later, Chen Jiuyang's injuries were fully healed.
The cold wind howled, and heavy snow fell. Chen Jiuyang stepped forward against the wind and snow, drawing his Yan Sheng Saber.
"Boom!"
A powerful and heart-pounding aura erupted from Chen Jiuyang, causing faces to contort.
"Come at me. Let's see if you can stop me here, or if I'll kill you all and carve out a path."
Facing hundreds of people alone, completely fearless, and even daring to provoke them – among all martial artists in the world, only Chen Jiuyang would dare to do such a thing!
"Truly unlike others…"
Ruan Xiucheng squinted, observing what was about to unfold. Besides him, many others were also watching from the shadows.
"Kill!"
An Earth Realm martial artist stepped out from the crowd, uttering a stern word. He then drew his saber and charged at Chen Jiuyang with a blank expression.
Following suit, the hundreds of martial artists moved in unison, charging at Chen Jiuyang with the momentum of a vast army, determined to settle their life and death with him.
Under the bitter winter, many lives were destined to be buried here.
"My saber is very fast. You won't feel any pain."
Chen Jiuyang took another step forward, slowly raising his Yan Sheng Saber, and uttered coldly, "Yuan Dao – Instant Light!"
A cold glint flashed like a shooting star. In an instant, a blinding cold light streaked across a thousand meters, followed by…
"Chii—"
"Ah!"
"Thump—"
Some had their heads severed by this saber strike, their blood spraying into the sky. Others had their limbs cut off, emitting screams. For a moment, it was like a living hell had manifested.
Chen Jiuyang's saber strike was immensely powerful, but among the martial artists ambushing him were also strong individuals. Some withstood Chen Jiuyang's strike and continued to charge towards him.
After the initial saber strike, some pupils contracted slightly: "If I'm not mistaken, Chen Jiuyang's aura seems to have increased slightly?"
"You are not mistaken. This old man also feels the same. This Chen Jiuyang is truly an unparalleled prodigy."
"An Earth Realm third-layer cultivator can withstand the might of a half-step Heaven Realm. Even the champions of the martial rankings in other provinces, no matter how talented, cannot compare to Chen Jiuyang; they all rank below him."
"If he can survive this perilous trial and reach Longjing, he should undoubtedly claim the top spot in this year's martial rankings."
"Fengcheng Martial Ranking First, Feng Province Martial Ranking First, Long Country Martial Ranking First. Achieving all three titles, being called the Zhuangyuan, is indeed fitting."
"Alas, it is a pity that this Chen Jiuyang is not under my tutelage. To have such a prodigy would bring honor to the sect and ancestors, leaving no regrets for eternity!"
Someone sighed. Were Ruan Xiucheng and the others not thinking the same?
"Kill!"
Some martial artists, with bloodshot eyes and trembling hands, tears welling up, charged at Chen Jiuyang. They knew they would die by Chen Jiuyang's saber, and they couldn't kill Chen Jiuyang. Yet, they still charged forward. For hundreds of years, their sects and families had nurtured them, and if they were ordered to die, they had no choice but to die!
They hoped to use the tactic of overwhelming numbers to stall Chen Jiuyang, even injure him severely, and ideally, kill him!
Another sword strike came, aimed directly at Chen Jiuyang's vital point.
The sword light flashed—
Shu!
"Well met!"
Chen Jiuyang shouted loudly, raising his saber to block instantly. However, this sword strike was incredibly powerful. Even though it was blocked, the dispersed sword energy still injured his body and made his palm tingle.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes flickered, and he instantly locked onto the martial artist who had just unleashed the sword strike. It was a martial artist in his early fifties, at the fifth layer of the Earth Realm!
"Bang—"
Chen Jiuyang's figure darted forward, charging with his saber lowered. In the blink of an eye, he was before the man, and the Yan Sheng Saber slashed upwards.
"Rumble!"
A terrifying wave of energy dispersed, and a powerful, pale-golden saber aura erupted.
"Clang—"
The man blocked Chen Jiuyang's strike with his sword, but the saber aura was not entirely blocked.
"Chii—"
Blood gushed out, and the man's sword-wielding hand immediately fell to the ground.
"Focused sword techniques, incomplete martial path. It seems they are from the north."
Chen Jiuyang felt a slight disappointment. He then raised his leg and kicked the man, now missing an arm, flying away. The man was sent flying dozens of meters before his fate remained unknown.
"Clang!"
As Chen Jiuyang moved, another martial artist attacked with an axe, moving at extreme speed. He inflicted a grim wound on Chen Jiuyang's back. Chen Jiuyang grunted and, turning, slashed down with his saber, splitting the attacker in half. The body was divided into two, with blood and entrails spraying out.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes turned icy: "These martial artists all seem to have incomplete martial paths, specializing in battlefield tactics and the way of the soldier!"
"What a clever scheme!"
The way of Dharma, the way of the soldier, the way of martial arts, the way of Gu—the martial arts world encompassed many disciplines. Previously, Chen Jiuyang had only been in Feng Province and Suzhou-Hangzhou, and had not witnessed the modern way of the soldier.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
In an instant, eight more martial artists jointly unleashed killing moves, attacking Chen Jiuyang.
"Yuan Dao – Break Through!"
Chen Jiuyang thrust his Yan Sheng Saber into the ground. The shape of the Yan Sheng Saber instantly expanded, protecting Chen Jiuyang within its form!
"Clang!"
The killing moves of these eight martial artists struck the form of Chen Jiuyang's Yan Sheng Saber, causing it to tremble slightly.
"Hmph!" Chen Jiuyang grunted, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. His eyes darkened as he roared:
"Die!"
Chen Jiuyang held the hilt of the Yan Sheng Saber planted in the ground with one hand, and the other hand suddenly extended, grasping at the eight martial artists from a distance.
The faces of these eight martial artists turned ashen, their scalps tingling. Then, a powerful surge of vital energy locked onto them, as if they were being crushed by a mountain.
"Bang—"
These eight martial artists were instantly crushed, their blood splattering everywhere, leading to their demise.
Chen Jiuyang stood in the pool of blood, his aura domineering and cold, like an emperor!