Chapter 141: A Surge in Strength

This Tiancheng Group is truly a breeding ground for thugs; they are a veritable syndicate of villains, and the Xia family is even more arrogant than they are.

As one young man swung his fist at me, I tilted my body slightly and grabbed his arm. With a sharp crack, I snapped it completely.

"Aaaah!"

He clutched his arm and shrieked. The other young men glared at me, then rushed over in a group. Faced with this bunch of second-grade amateurs, I did not even draw my blade; I didn't even move from my spot.

Confronting their storm of fists, I remained unhurried, parrying rapidly while landing blows on their chests. From start to finish, I did not shift my feet once, yet all of them were soon on the ground, clutching their chests in agony.

At this point, the middle-aged leader finally lost his composure. He smiled at me and said, "Oh? This young brother has quite the skill. May I ask who you are?"

I didn't even look at him. I tossed my guest elder token from Tianyang Mountain onto the table and replied, "Lin Yao, Guest Elder of Tianyang Mountain."

"Holy crap, Brother Yao, you have this kind of identity? You were hiding it well!"

The middle-aged leader's smile froze instantly. He said to me, "Young brother, don't think that just because you're a Tianyang Mountain elder, you can do whatever you want. You—"

Before he could finish, I slammed a fist into his mouth. He spat out blood instantly, losing a whole row of teeth.

"Keep yapping, and I'll tear your mouth off. Furthermore, if you come to trouble the Li family again, or harass Tianyang Mountain, I will raze Tiancheng to the ground! Get lost!"

The middle-aged man understood the gravity of the situation. He hurriedly gathered his lackeys and scurried away, though he shot me a vicious glare before leaving.

I retrieved my token into my ring and sat on a nearby chair.

"This Tiancheng Group... I’ll have to properly deal with them when I get the chance. They are far too shameless," I muttered. Old Master Li and Lao Li finally relaxed.

"Young brother, I owe you once again."

Old Master Li hadn't wanted to trouble me, but without me, they truly couldn't have resolved today's situation. I waved my hand dismissively and told him, "It's nothing. If Tiancheng Group comes to cause trouble again, just call me directly. Even if they hadn't come for you, I wouldn't let them off the hook just for harassing our Tianyang Mountain."

With that, I bowed politely to Old Master Li.

"So young, yet possessing such strength and serving as a guest elder of Tianyang Mountain—truly impressive."

I could tell that Old Master Li spoke these words with genuine sincerity, and I gave a modest smile.

"Alright, since the matter is resolved, I should be heading back."

Old Master Li wanted to treat me to a meal, but I politely declined. With no other choice, he had Lao Li and Li Zijian drive me; if I refused again, it would be rude.

The three of us took the elevator downstairs. Li Zijian kept asking me, "Brother Yao, how did you become a guest elder of Tianyang Mountain? Could I become one too?"

I thought for a moment and replied honestly, "I don't know, maybe?"

Lao Li chimed in from the side, "With your skill, you wouldn't even qualify as an inner-sect disciple at Tianyang Mountain."

Li Zijian pursed his lips and stopped asking.

When we reached the underground garage, I got into the Li family’s luxury sedan and headed toward the mountain where my granduncle lived. However, an accident occurred. Just as we exited the garage, we were intercepted by a few people.

Among them were two cultivators at the fifth grade of Spirit Flower, on the verge of breaking through to the sixth. Another was the middle-aged man I had punched earlier. He was wrapped up like a mummy, which nearly made me laugh out loud.

The moment I saw them, I stepped out of the car.

"It’s him! Get him!"

The middle-aged man spoke with a lisp, but he was still audible. The two fifth-grade Spirit Flower cultivators received the order instantly and drew two identical short swords from their rings; they appeared to be a matching set.

I did not hold back and drew my Snow Blade.

They were incredibly fast, typical of assassin-style fighters, closing the ten-meter gap in an instant. I channeled my energy with one hand and launched a Bolt of Thunder as soon as I saw an opening. Though it didn't hit either of them, it gave me a chance to counterattack.

With a single strike, I sent the one on the left flying several meters back, though he managed to block with his short sword, avoiding any substantial damage. Having gained this breathing room, I slipped into the rhythm of the Winged Shadow Blade Technique.

As we fought, I realized their short-sword skills were impressive; they could be used for close-quarters grappling or as long-range throwing weapons. Naturally, the swords could return to their hands—very useful weapons indeed.

However, their technique was lacking. Despite their speed, every time I landed a hit, the web of their thumbs was jarred with intense pain. They realized their weakness and deliberately avoided direct clashes, seeking an opening for a killing blow.

I swung my Snow Blade rapidly, dancing through the space like a butterfly. Suddenly, both of them threw concealed weapons. I was forced to leap high to dodge the attack. They seized the moment to rush forward, slicing my calf.

Although it wasn't a vital area, it hindered me nonetheless. This enraged me, and I unleashed several Bolts of Thunder, following up with a Five-Thunder Strike. The ensuing explosion filled the area with thick smoke and debris, severely impairing visibility.

I closed my eyes and carefully sensed the spiritual fluctuations before me. Suddenly, a blade thrust toward me from the left. I flipped away and plunged my sword into the attacker's shoulder. As the smoke cleared, I withdrew my blade and jumped back. The other one tried to sneak up on me, but I detected him instantly and kicked him back.

Seeing they couldn't defeat me, the two began to whisper to each other. I didn't act rashly, wanting to see what trick they had up their sleeves. As I watched them, both pulled a white pill from their rings and swallowed it.

The next second, I felt a surge of spiritual energy erupting within them, almost as if it would tear their bodies apart. They roared and charged again. I could no longer discern their cultivation level; they must have taken some kind of cultivation-boosting elixir.

"This is going to be difficult..." I muttered, bracing myself in a defensive stance.

Their speed had increased significantly, and their short swords moved with fierce, ringing power. Yet, I was certain this was only temporary. I was forced into a passive parry, unable to even execute my blade techniques.

With no other choice, I used one hand to parry while quickly forming the Bagua Arhat Array with the other. As the array manifested, I held it in place to mitigate the damage. Their speed and strength now surpassed mine, and every strike aimed for a lethal point—truly insidious. If not for my agile footwork, I would have been riddled with holes by now.