Chapter 251 - 250: Annihilating the Celestial Eagle Gang
Chapter 251: Chapter 250: Annihilating the Celestial Eagle Gang
After the group left the gates of the Qingxuan Sect, Yang Zhe took out a map, determined their direction, and said in a deep voice,
"Our target is the Celestial Eagle Gang in Linji City. It’s over two hundred and fifty miles from here. We must arrive before dusk tomorrow!"
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone responded in unison.
Then, led by Yang Zhe, the third team shot off like arrows loosed from a bow, racing toward Linji City to the northwest.
They traveled in silence, each person conserving their strength and centering themselves for the battle to come.
Along the way, they passed through a city, where the team restocked on food and water. After a short rest, they were on the road again.
A day later, at dusk, the setting sun stained the clouds a bloody red.
The silhouette of a city appeared on the horizon. Its walls were high and thick, its banners fluttering in the wind. It was Linji City.
"Linji City is just ahead. Everyone, stay alert!"
Yang Zhe stopped, his sharp gaze sweeping toward the city as he gave the order in a low voice.
Everyone nodded, checking their weapons and regulating their breathing. Their expressions grew solemn.
Fang Han gently gripped the Flowing Wind Sword at his waist. His eyes were calm, but he felt a faint stir of anticipation in his heart.
’I haven’t fought anyone since breaking through to the Fifth Grade. This is the perfect opportunity to test my current strength.’
"Once we’re in the city, we head straight for the Celestial Eagle Gang’s headquarters. Make it quick!"
With a wave of his hand, Yang Zhe led the group toward the gates of Linji City, striding into the blood-red sunset.
In Linji City, the afterglow of sunset stained the horizon a ghastly, bloody red.
There were few people coming and going at the city gates. Fang Han’s group presented their Identity Tokens.
The city guards didn’t dare to stop them, much less ask for an entrance fee, letting Fang Han’s party stride right into the city.
Most of the shops lining the streets had already lit their lamps, but the pedestrians on the road all hurried along with anxious expressions.
Yang Zhe’s gaze, sharp as a hawk’s, swept across the street. "Straight to the Celestial Eagle Gang headquarters," he said in a low voice. "We end this quickly. Don’t let a single person escape."
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone responded in unison. Their auras were restrained, but their eyes were as sharp as drawn swords.
According to their intelligence, the Celestial Eagle Gang’s headquarters was in the western part of the city.
Arriving in the west, they soon found it: a sprawling compound with high walls. Two menacing stone eagles stood guard before the entrance, looking somewhat sinister in the twilight.
"Who are you?"
Eight powerfully built men stood guard at the entrance, their temples bulging. They eyed Fang Han’s approaching group warily.
"We are disciples of the Qingxuan Sect, here to investigate the Celestial Eagle Gang’s practice of Demon Skills. Surrender immediately and submit to capture!"
Yang Zhe stepped forward from the group, his voice filled with unquestionable authority.
"Qingxuan Sect? What Qingxuan Sect? This is the private property of the Celestial Eagle Gang. Leave at once!"
The guards’ faces changed drastically at his words. One of them shouted back fiercely.
"Stubborn fools!"
Yang Zhe snorted coldly. Wasting no more words, he waved his hand forward.
"Attack!"
In an instant, eleven figures shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, charging brazenly toward the main gate of the Celestial Eagle Gang’s headquarters.
The eight guards tried to block them, but there was only a flash of swords and blades, accompanied by a few muffled thuds and miserable cries.
The eight men were sent flying like broken sacks, killed in an instant.
BOOM!
Yang Zhe took the lead, bursting into the Celestial Eagle Gang’s headquarters.
Inside, alarm bells rang wildly. Figures moved in the shadows, and a cacophony of shouts and the ringing of drawn weapons filled the air.
Dozens of Celestial Eagle Gang members swarmed in from all directions, weapons in hand.
But faced with the powerful auras of Qingxuan Sect elites like Yang Zhe and Fang Han, the faces of these ordinary gang members were filled with terror.
"Disciples of the Qingxuan Sect, why do you force your way into my Celestial Eagle Gang?"
A grim voice came from the inner courtyard. The crowd parted to let several people through.
The leader was a sallow-faced, gloomy-eyed man of about fifty. It was Yin Li, the Gang Leader of the Celestial Eagle Gang, also known as "Soul-Splitting Claw."
Following him were the vice leader, Elders, and five or six others, none of whom had a weak aura.
"Yin Li, your Celestial Eagle Gang has secretly practiced Demon Skills, violating the iron laws of the Qingxuan Sect. We are here today to purge you!"
Yang Zhe took a step forward, his ice-cold gaze locked on Yin Li.
"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext! The Qingxuan Sect may be powerful, but you can’t just slander us as you please! Brothers, fight them to the death!"
Yin Li’s expression changed. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by viciousness.
He knew the truth was out. Begging for mercy was useless; his only hope for survival was to fight to the death.
"Kill them!"
Spurred on by Yin Li, the members of the Celestial Eagle Gang roared and charged forward, brandishing their weapons.
"Leave no one alive!"
Yang Zhe ordered. The Qingxuan Sect disciples behind him instantly fanned out, each unleashing their own unique techniques as they met the Celestial Eagle Gang members head-on.
Neither the ordinary gang members nor their Elders were any match for them.
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
Fang Han’s eyes were calm as his Flowing Wind Sword slid silently from its sheath.
Facing the swarming gang members, he moved like a phantom, weaving through them. With every flicker of his sword, another man would clutch a blade in his throat and fall dead to the ground.
As he unleashed the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting, it exuded a terrifyingly sharp aura. The ordinary gang members couldn’t withstand it at all; often, they would only see a flash of light before they died.
Yun Qianyue’s swordsmanship was as cold and clear as the moon; Li Feng’s Blade Momentum was tyrannical and fierce...
The Qingxuan Sect disciples were all powerful, like tigers among a flock of sheep. Though the Celestial Eagle Gang had greater numbers, their members were cut down like wheat, and blood instantly stained the courtyard ground red.
WHOOSH—
Seeing his men being slaughtered, Yin Li let out a furious roar. His claws glowed with a faint light as he lunged straight for Yang Zhe, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.
’My men are no match for the Qingxuan Sect disciples. Only by capturing or seriously wounding Yang Zhe can I turn the tide.’
"You actually have Fifth Grade Cultivation! You really have been practicing a Demon Skill!"
The fighting spirit in Yang Zhe’s eyes flared. He met the attack with a palm strike, his Palm Wind incomparably fierce, and engaged Yin Li in battle.
The explosive sound of their clashing Qi Forces echoed without end.
Several Celestial Eagle Gang members who were too close were caught in the shockwave of the battle, sent flying while coughing up blood.
PFFT—
Fang Han’s sword flashed like lightning, piercing the heart of a Celestial Eagle Gang Elder who was trying to ambush another Qingxuan Sect disciple from the side.
His gaze swept over the battlefield. Under the assault of Yun Qianyue and the others, the Celestial Eagle Gang members were already showing signs of collapse, with men being cut down continuously.
Even the Gang Leader, Yin Li, was struggling to defend against Yang Zhe’s sharp Palm Technique and was struck in the chest by a gust of Palm Wind.
He sprayed a mouthful of blood and staggered backward.
Pressing his advantage, Yang Zhe moved like lightning, striking with a palm aimed directly at the crown of Yin Li’s head, determined to kill him on the spot!
Suddenly—
WHOOSH!
A slightly stout figure shot out from the inner courtyard like a ghost, moving with astonishing speed.
Though he started later, he arrived first, slamming a palm toward the back of Yang Zhe’s heart. The Palm Wind was insidious and vicious, carrying a foul, pungent stench.
A sense of danger flared in Yang Zhe’s heart. He had no choice but to abandon his attack on Yin Li and turn to block with his palm.
BANG!
As their palms met, Yang Zhe felt a sinister, cold Inner Qi invade his meridians through his arm, shaking his entire body.
With a muffled grunt, he staggered back several steps, his face instantly paling. He had clearly suffered a disadvantage from the sneak attack.
The portly figure had used the momentum to place himself in front of Yin Li.
The newcomer was a slightly plump, fair-faced middle-aged man of about forty.
He wore a brocade robe and looked like a wealthy merchant, but his small eyes held a hint of sinister coldness.
"Qian Yong!!!"
The moment Fang Han saw the portly middle-aged man, his pupils contracted, and a surge of killing intent welled up from the depths of his heart.
This was the man, Qian Yong, the former Qingxuan Sect Steward who had embezzled the Sect’s Spirit Iron. To cover his tracks, he had sent people to ambush the transport team, putting Fang Han in grave danger, and had then defected.
’I can’t believe he’s been hiding in the Celestial Eagle Gang! And judging by his aura, he’s broken through from the Sixth Grade he was at when he defected to the Late Stage of Fifth Grade. For his Cultivation to surge so dramatically in such a short time, he must have been practicing a Demon Skill.’
"Senior Brother Yang, be careful! That fiend is the traitorous Steward, Qian Yong!"
Fang Han shouted the warning urgently, his body already moving to rush toward Qian Yong and support Yang Zhe.
"Junior, don’t even think about interfering!"
Seeing this, Yin Li suppressed his injuries and roared. He sprang up, his claws letting out a sharp shriek as they tore through the air to intercept Fang Han.
Although he was wounded by Yang Zhe, his Early Stage of Fifth Grade Cultivation remained, and his attack was still formidable.
"Get out of my way!"
Fang Han’s eyes turned cold. The Flowing Wind Sword let out a clear, piercing ring.
The Inner Qi from his Early Stage of Fifth Grade Profound Wind Technique surged into the blade. He brazenly unleashed the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting, and a beam of sword light, like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky, shot straight at Yin Li!
Yin Li’s vision blurred, and the sword light was already at his face. Its speed was beyond his imagination. He turned pale with horror and hastily raised his claws to block.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG... PFFT!
However, Fang Han’s Inner Qi Cultivation Technique was a rare Top Grade Cultivation Technique, and his Martial Technique was an even rarer top-level Martial Technique.
Not only was his Inner Qi purer and more condensed, but his Martial Technique was also stronger. The power he displayed was far greater than that of an ordinary Early Stage of Fifth Grade Martial Artist.
After a mere dozen exchanges, Fang Han’s sword light pierced through the shadow of Yin Li’s claws and left a thin line of blood on his neck.
Yin Li’s movements froze abruptly. He clutched his throat with both hands as blood gushed between his fingers. His body went limp and collapsed.
The Gang Leader of the Celestial Eagle Gang was dead!
Meanwhile, the fight between Yang Zhe and Qian Yong had become completely one-sided.
Qian Yong’s Palm Technique was devious and malicious, and his Body Technique was not weak. On top of that, his Late Stage of Fifth Grade Cultivation gave him a solid edge over Yang Zhe.
In just a short time, Yang Zhe was already wounded, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, completely suppressed.
BANG!
Qian Yong seized a moment when Yang Zhe paused to breathe and planted a Palm Seal on his chest.
Yang Zhe, as if struck by a heavy blow, spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.
A murderous glint flashed in Qian Yong’s eyes. He was about to give chase and finish him off.
Suddenly, he sensed something and spun around, just in time to see a flash of cyan sword light streaking toward his back like a startled swan.
Before the sword arrived, its incomparably sharp Sword Momentum already made his skin tingle.
"It’s you!"
Qian Yong recognized Fang Han as one of the disciples from the transport team back then.
His portly body twisted with an agility that defied his size, and he slapped a palm back at the sword light.
CLANG!
Palm and sword collided with a deafening explosion.
Fang Han felt a massive, cold force surge toward him. His body swayed, and he took half a step back.
Qian Yong’s palm also trembled, and a trace of shock flickered in his eyes.
He never imagined that in just over a year, Fang Han—who had been just an insignificant disciple—would have grown so strong.
"Senior Brother Yang, leave this man to me!"
Fang Han stepped in front of Yang Zhe, his icy gaze locked onto Qian Yong.
"Junior Brother Fang, be careful! His Demon Skill is bizarre, and his Palm Force is extremely sinister and cold!"
Yang Zhe struggled to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and looked at Fang Han’s back. A complicated emotion flickered in his eyes as he spoke in a low voice.
"I will be."
Fang Han nodded slightly. He pointed his Flowing Wind Sword diagonally at the ground, its tip trembling and letting out a soft hum.