Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill

The plan for tonight was for Ghostly Wound to make his move, capture Chen Cheng, and deliver him to Wang Xuanjiu, while also faking a sneak attack on the Wang Family.

While the Wang Family appeared to be in chaos, Wang Xuanjiu and Ghostly Wound would then proceed to the Shen Family.

With the combined power of two Perfect Martial Artists of the Organ Refining Realm, they could easily annihilate the Shen Family and carry off its experts.

But Ghostly Wound never imagined that Chen Cheng had actually cultivated a Second Layer Realm, and one so terrifyingly powerful that it was far beyond his ability to defeat.

Logically speaking, for the Wang Family to establish a foothold in Linji City, Wang Xuanjiu would never be willing to expose his secret alliance with Ghostly Wound.

Unable to defeat Chen Cheng, Ghostly Wound's best option was to escape and regroup.

But now, facing a life-or-death crisis with his very survival at stake, how could he possibly worry about such things?

In a flash, Ghostly Wound made up his mind. He turned and shot off at top speed toward the Wang Family estate.

'It seems my guess was correct. Ghostly Wound really is in league with the Wang Family!'

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Cheng's eyes as his body suddenly accelerated.

'Since I've hooked a big fish, I should naturally keep the pressure on.'

'First, I'll beat Ghostly Wound half to death. Dealing with Wang Xuanjiu will be much easier after that!'

Terrified out of his wits, Ghostly Wound ignored the cost, ignited all his Qi Blood Power, and fled for his life!

...

「North of the Inner City, at the Jiang Family estate.」

The Jiang Family Ancestor stood at the highest point of his roof. Sensing an incomparably powerful aura from the direction of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall, he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh:

"That boy, Chen Cheng... to think he could force a hidden Perfect Martial Artist of the Organ Refining Realm to use a desperate, life-or-death killing move at the cost of his own Qi Blood. He's far more than just the strongest expert below the Organ Refining Realm!

"His Martial Arts Talent is simply astonishing, far surpassing that boy Zheng Hun. Yet for him to fall in such a manner... Truly, the heavens are jealous of genius!

"Such a pity! Such a shame!

"Hm...?"

Sensing two powerful auras heading toward the Wang Family estate in the eastern part of the city, the Jiang Family Ancestor let out a soft sound of surprise, a suspicious look on his face.

He hesitated for a long moment, but ultimately, he did not act.

No matter what happened, watching from the sidelines was the best choice for the Jiang Family.

...

「West of the Inner City, at the Qin Family estate.」

Atop a tall gatehouse, the Qin Family Ancestor wore a complex expression. He, too, was filled with shock and uncertainty as he gazed into the distance toward the Wang Family estate.

...

「East of the Inner City.」

Not a single lamp was lit in the vast Wang Family estate.

Everyone in the Wang Family had been ordered to bed early, and a deep silence blanketed the area.

The only signs of life were the few Hospital Martial Artists standing guard at the various intersections leading to the core area—the Wang Family ancestral home.

The Wang Family's elite forces had all followed the main army to the Great Wilderness Mountain Range, leaving behind these Hospital Martial Artists. Their Martial Arts Power was mediocre at best; some hadn't even reached the Skin Grinding Realm.

This was why, when the Wang Family Ancestor had been away a few days prior, an expert was able to raid the family at night, easily injuring two Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm Martial Artists and kidnapping them.

These Hospital Martial Artists didn't even know where the intruder had broken into the Wang Family estate.

On the outskirts of the Wang Family estate, near a street corner to the south, four Hospital Martial Artists clutched their Long Sabers, huddling against a wall to shelter from the cold wind.

"Brother Zhao, you don't think anything bad will happen tonight, do you?" a young Hospital Martial Artist asked the man in charge.

"The Old Patriarch is home. With him personally standing guard, what could possibly happen?" the Hospital Martial Artist named Zhao replied lazily.

"I thought I heard something from the south," the young Hospital Martial Artist said. "It couldn't be experts fighting, could it?"

The Hospital Martial Artist named Zhao cursed, "Why are you worrying so much, kid!

"The Old Patriarch made it clear: even if the sky falls, it's none of our business. We just stay put and keep our heads down..."

Suddenly, a gust of sinister wind swept by. The Hospital Martial Artist named Zhao's vision went black, and he collapsed, unconscious.

The other three reacted as if they had witnessed some great terror, their eyes wide as they, too, collapsed to the ground.

Ghostly Wound, shrouded in Yin Evil Qi, flashed over the high courtyard wall and sped toward the Wang Family's core area.

He held a glowing skull in his hand, from which poured streams of inky, ethereal light so dense it seemed solid, ready at any moment to defend against the pursuing Chen Cheng.

Just moments ago, Chen Cheng had finally caught up to him, and he had taken another fist imbued with the aura of the Rising Dragon Realm!

If not for the thousand-year Yin Evil Qi released by the skull Treasure Artifact in his hand—a power far surpassing the aura of his Second Layer Yin Evil—Ghostly Wound feared he would have been killed by that single punch!

Even so, Ghostly Wound was still severely injured. His Qi Blood Power had dwindled further, and he was nearing complete exhaustion. His face was a mass of wrinkles, making him look ancient.

Previously, Ghostly Wound might have still harbored fantasies of joining forces with Wang Xuanjiu to kill Chen Cheng.

Now, however, he had only one thought: get to the Wang Family as fast as possible, have Wang Xuanjiu hold Chen Cheng off for a while, and then use the opportunity to escape for good!

Before long, he finally reached the ancestral home in the core of the Wang Family estate. Without hesitation, Ghostly Wound burned his body's Innate Origin to ignite all his Qi Blood Power. His body suddenly accelerated, shooting like an arrow from a bow into the Wang Family ancestral home.

In just a few breaths, he arrived outside the Wang Family's forbidden grounds.

There, he saw a figure in black standing on a rooftop at the edge of a cliff. It was none other than Wang Xuanjiu.

"Wang Xuanjiu! Let's strike together and kill this boy!"

Ghostly Wound roared as he landed on another rooftop. The skull Treasure Artifact in his hand gushed with inky, ethereal light, which condensed before him into a massive Ancient Spear over ten feet long. He aimed it from afar at Chen Cheng, who had just arrived and now stood proudly on the eaves of the forbidden grounds' main gate.

Wang Xuanjiu, however, did not reply. His gaze swept over Chen Cheng, his expression a mixture of shock and uncertainty.