Chapter 290 155: Fatal 7 Yin

Man Shengming's martial arts were far from weak. After all, his moniker, "As Precious as Gold," was well-known throughout the martial world.

Ruan Yuqing had heard of the man's reputation. He had also exchanged a couple of moves with Luo Qingyi in front of the inn earlier, and it was clear he was a skilled fighter.

But she never expected him to collapse at the first touch.

It was truly astonishing.

Jiang Ran had no intention of catching Man Shengming. He even took two steps back to avoid his fall.

He simply let the man's body crash to the ground.

The moment his body touched the surrounding grass and trees, they instantly yellowed and withered.

"Poison!"

Ruan Yuqing's expression changed drastically.

Jiang Ran was also taken aback.

'He hadn't caught Man Shengming out of caution.'

'The man's defeat was too strange. He had to be wary of a ploy—a sneak attack while Jiang Ran was trying to catch him.'

'He never imagined the man was already afflicted with a deadly poison!'

He immediately looked up at the man who had initiated the attack, only to see that his face had turned a deathly, cyan shade. Blood was trickling from all seven of his orifices.

Then, the flesh all over his body began to swell and contract, like a doll being inflated to its limit. With a sudden BOOM, the man exploded into pieces.

His blood had already turned a cyan-black color. As his body burst, it splattered all over the heads and faces of the surrounding men.

Anyone splashed by the blood screamed in agony.

The moment the blood touched their skin, it made a SIZZLING sound, possessing the power to dissolve flesh and corrode bone.

In the blink of an eye, the poisoned men had fallen to the ground, dead.

Seeing this, Jiang Ran's eyes narrowed.

"Who's there?"

"HAHAHAHA!!!"

A peal of laughter suddenly echoed from all directions, its source erratic and impossible to pinpoint.

"I had intended to use these greenhorns, fresh to the martial world, to kill you, you Assassin."

"But I never expected someone would play the hero, allowing you to save your own skin."

Jiang Ran scanned his surroundings and chuckled.

"Senior, what impressive skill. A poison technique like this is truly unparalleled in the martial world."

"This humble junior wishes to witness Senior's magnificent presence. I ask that you grace me with an appearance."

"I think not."

The voice echoed all around them.

"Your martial arts are formidable, boy. Though I consider myself among the very best, I have no confidence I can take you down without being injured myself."

"Otherwise, why would I have bothered to use others to do my dirty work?"

"Now that my plan has fallen short, there's even less chance I'll act myself."

"After all, I have made countless enemies in the martial world. If I were to be injured at your hands, it would give them the very opening they're looking for. That would be a disaster."

"But don't get too comfortable, boy... I will be following you every step of the way. From this day forward, whether you're eating, drinking, sleeping, or relieving yourself, you'd best be on your guard..."

"Don't you dare give me an opening!"

Hearing this, Ruan Yuqing's brow furrowed.

"Senior, I am Ruan Yuqing of the Shuiyue Sword Sect..."

"The Shuiyue Sword Sect and I have no connection. There's no need to say another word."

"If you don't wish to die, leave now. If you insist on staying by his side, I fear you'll find it difficult to stay alive."

The hidden man chuckled.

"By the way, that stutterer isn't dead."

"I'd like to see if a great Young Hero like you is the type to watch a man die without lifting a finger."

As the voice faded, Jiang Ran's sleeves stirred. His hands, hidden within his cuffs, moved, but what he was doing remained a mystery.

The next moment, he shot into the air.

In mid-air, he tapped his foot and his figure vanished in a flash.

When he reappeared, he was already over thirty yards away. He thrust both palms forward in a sudden, unified strike!

The wind from his palms carried an overwhelming force.

It was as if the very clouds in the sky had gathered and were now crashing down.

This was the Heaven-Covering Divine Palm!

"What?"

From a dark patch in the forest, hidden within the tall grass, an old man shot his head up, completely stunned that his position had been exposed.

It was too late to dodge. He could only flip his hands and meet Jiang Ran's Heaven-Covering Divine Palm with a palm strike of his own.

BOOM!!!

In that instant, the point of impact became the epicenter of a shockwave that radiated in all directions. Within a radius of over thirty yards, a deafening blast tore through the air, sending sand, stone, and shredded vegetation flying.

"Young Hero Jiang!"

Ruan Yuqing's heart clenched.

'Since this man is an expert in poison, his palm strikes must surely contain some hidden trap.'

'If Jiang Ran falls for it, what will they do?'

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a figure was sent flying backward.

Like a shooting star, he snapped one tree in half, tumbled through the air, and crashed into another before finally hitting the ground.

As he staggered to his feet, he coughed up a violent spray of blood.

Just then, a figure landed gracefully. It was Jiang Ran.

The one spitting blood was an old man dressed in gaudy, colorful clothes, his messy hair completely unkempt.

One of his eyes seemed to be blind and was covered with an eyepatch. His other eye, however, was a shocking emerald green.

He stared up at Jiang Ran, blood still dribbling from his mouth.

"Such profound Inner Strength!"

"That single palm strike has ravaged my meridians and shattered the bones throughout my body..."

"Truly... I truly cannot face you head-on..."

"But you won't be living much longer either... My Seven Yin Divine Palm isn't so... so easy to receive."

"To trade this broken body of mine for your life in its prime..."

He trailed off, his eyes widening in shock. On Jiang Ran's hands, he now saw a pair of deerskin gloves that hadn't been there before.

He was utterly dumbfounded.

"Since I knew you specialized in poison, how could I not take any precautions?"

"Your Inner Strength is no match for mine, so it never penetrated my meridians."

"And the poison on your palms was blocked by the deerskin. What can you possibly do to me now?"

Jiang Ran stepped forward.

"I couldn't trouble you to follow me from the shadows, Senior. So I decided to save you the effort."