Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

"You wretch, you dare to insult me! You're seeking death!"

A middle-aged man stood at the entrance of the bar, his face grim as he stared at Zhao Dong. He was dressed in black, his body lean and taut, with gaunt cheeks and a fierce glint in his eyes. He was Fang Yunshan, ranked seventh on the East Sea's Earth List.

Zhao Dong looked at the man, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "So you're Fang Yunshan? Seventh on the East Sea's Earth List?"

"Hmph! So you're not completely blind. Kneel and cripple your own meridians, and I'll grant you a swift death!"

"I have no feud with you. Why are you causing me trouble?" Zhao Dong asked deliberately. He was testing Fang Yunshan, trying to find out if he knew about the killing of Lei Qiang. If Fang Yunshan knew, it meant Hong Wu definitely knew too, and that meant he was in grave danger.

Fang Yunshan only responded with a cold, sly smile. He tilted his head slightly toward the entrance and called out, "Come in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a few people walked in, led by none other than Zhang Ze's father, Zhang Longbo.

Zhao Dong's pupils shrank. Had they found out he was the one who had ruined Zhang Ze's mind? He had seen Zhang Longbo and a group of people chasing him that day, so he instantly recognized them as members of the Zhang Family.

Zhang Longbo had a head of white hair and a weathered face. But beneath the weariness, his expression was tinged with ferocity as he stared at Zhao Dong venomously. "You are Zhao Dong? You're the one who harmed my Ze'er!"

Zhao Dong frowned. "Old man, don't spout nonsense. How do you know it was me?"

Zhang Longbo clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot. "Don't think I don't know! You had a conflict with my son that day, and it started over that bitch Zhou Yu! Zhou Yu died in our family villa, and my Ze'er became an idiot. If you weren't the one who did it, who else could it be?"

"Don't make baseless accusations. It really wasn't me," Zhao Dong shrugged.

"Still denying it when you're about to die? Master Fang, please act and eliminate this cruel, ruthless scoundrel!"

Seeing he could no longer talk his way out of it, Zhao Dong looked at Zhang Longbo and gave an unsettling smile. "Let me tell you the truth, Zhang. I'm the one who turned your son into a drooling fool. That son of yours is worse than a pig or a dog, with his despicable conduct, preying on the weak. Being an idiot suits him just fine!"

Zhang Longbo's eyes nearly burst from their sockets as he roared, "You bastard! It really was you! I'll kill you and avenge my son!"

Fang Yunshan stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked at Zhao Dong and said coldly, "Since you've admitted to it, prepare to die."

"You old bastard, who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that? Ptooey!"

Fang Yunshan smiled coldly. "Enjoy running your mouth. Soon enough, I'll rip out your tongue, break all your limbs, and turn you into a human swine. Let's see how tough you are then!"

As soon as the words fell, Fang Yunshan took a step forward with his right foot, and the floor shattered instantly from the formidable strength. He then leaped into the air, charging toward Zhao Dong like a thunderbolt.

With a cold smile, Zhao Dong advanced instead of retreating, swinging his fists to meet Fang Yunshan head-on.

BOOM!

Their fists collided, unleashing an invisible shockwave. Glass throughout the bar instantly shattered.

Fang Yunshan looked shocked. "Aren't you only at the sixth level of Inner Strength?"

"Who told you that, you old dog!" Zhao Dong gave a cold smirk, his fists flying toward Fang Yunshan like a sudden squall.

Fang Yunshan steadied himself and battled fiercely with Zhao Dong. Their speed was incredible; bystanders could only see a series of dazzling afterimages. Within the space of a few breaths, they exchanged dozens of blows. Fang Yunshan grew more and more astonished, his heart sinking with each passing moment.

He thought he could easily slay Zhao Dong, but how could the boy's strength be so formidable?

In a moment of carelessness, Zhao Dong's fist shot forward and slammed into Fang Yunshan's chest.

Fang Yunshan stumbled back several steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He was utterly shocked.

I'm at the eighth level of Inner Strength! How can I be no match for Zhao Dong? The kid is only in his early twenties. Even with immense talent, reaching the sixth or seventh level of Inner Strength would already be remarkable! This is impossible!

Little did he know that Zhao Dong was a Cultivator. At the fourth level of Qi Refinement, his strength was already enough to contend with an expert at the ninth level of Inner Strength.

"I refuse to accept this! Again!" Fang Yunshan roared, his eyes glowing with a venomous light as he charged again like a madman. This time, he held nothing back, unleashing the strongest power he could muster.

"Tiger Roar Claw!"

With a great roar, an invisible pressure radiated from Fang Yunshan's withered palm as it clawed fiercely toward Zhao Dong's heart.

Zhao Dong frowned slightly. He sensed the danger in this attack and retreated just in time to dodge it. The claw still tore through his clothes, leaving several bloody gashes across his chest. An inch closer, and it would have disemboweled him.

Zhao Dong gave a cold smile. "You think you're the only one with techniques? Watch this! Mystic Sky Fist!"

Mystic Sky Fist was the first technique in the Mystic Sky Technique, which contained thousands of moves. It was the simplest, yet also the most brutal. The punch seemed to carry the force of a thousand tons, bearing down on Fang Yunshan with terrifying pressure.

Fang Yunshan sensed the danger and hastily dodged. The punch slammed into the wall behind him. Instantly, the wall erupted in a cloud of dust. Bricks, as fragile as tofu, shattered and flew everywhere, leaving a gaping hole.

Zhao Dong was secretly astonished. The Mystic Sky Fist really was powerful.

Fang Yunshan's pupils shrank, his face a mask of lingering fear. He now realized Zhao Dong's strength was not just his equal—it was possibly even greater! Fang Yunshan wanted to run, but he was ranked seventh on the Earth List. Wouldn't he become a laughingstock if he fled from a junior?

Thinking this, Fang Yunshan gritted his teeth and clashed with Zhao Dong once more.

This time, Zhao Dong also held nothing back. Every move he made was intended to kill. Their fists met flesh, sending whistling winds and sonic booms echoing through the bar. A sharp, numbing pain shot through Fang Yunshan's arms, making them feel useless. He had been able to block the first few punches, but his strength was now failing him.

"Chasing Cloud Steps!"

With a low shout, a technique from the Mystic Sky Technique surfaced in Zhao Dong's mind, and he immediately put it to use. His footwork instantly became swift and erratic. In a flash, he appeared behind Fang Yunshan and slammed a palm down on his back.

PFFT!

Fang Yunshan spat out a mouthful of blood and rolled across the ground several times, landing flat on his face. That single palm strike had shattered his bones and ruptured his internal organs, leaving him on the verge of death. Covered in dust and grime, he lay on the ground, his face a mask of pain, shock, and utter disbelief. Spitting blood, he pointed a trembling finger at Zhao Dong. "You... how can you be so strong?"

Zhao Dong's face was grim as he advanced step by step. Fang Yunshan shrieked in terror, "Don't... don't come any closer! What are you doing? You wouldn't dare touch me!"

"And what if I do?"

No sooner had Zhao Dong spoken than he appeared before Fang Yunshan like a specter and grasped his throat. In truth, with his current cultivation realm, Zhao Dong could have killed Fang Yunshan instantly. However, having just embarked on the path of cultivation, he wasn't yet familiar with its various techniques or the fine control of Spiritual Energy within his body. Fang Yunshan's realm may have been lower, but he had trained for many years, and his killing techniques were masterfully honed. That was the only reason he had lasted several rounds against Zhao Dong; otherwise, he would have died from that first palm strike.

Zhao Dong lifted Fang Yunshan from the ground by his neck. Clawing painfully at Zhao Dong's hand, he rasped, "Let... let me go! You can't kill me!"

"You tried to kill me. Why can't I kill you?"

"You dare—"

Before Fang Yunshan could finish the word, Zhao Dong channeled power into his fingers and snapped his neck.

Fang Yunshan's legs gave a final kick as his eyes bulged wide. His breathing stopped. Even in death, he couldn't believe he had died at the hands of Zhao Dong.

Nearby, Yan Yan and Xu Yafei were both stunned, watching the scene unfold with their mouths wide open. An expert ranked seventh on the East Sea's Earth List... slaughtered by Zhao Dong, just like that?

At that moment, a strange light shimmered in Xu Yafei's eyes, and she felt a spark of excitement. Zhao Dong... he was actually getting stronger and stronger! Maybe one day, he could truly stand at the pinnacle. Maybe he could actually defeat Hong Wu! Her heart pounded in her chest. She saw hope. She saw the light of dawn!

Zhao Dong tossed Fang Yunshan's body aside and turned to face Zhang Longbo. The man was trembling uncontrollably, already scared out of his wits.

This was one of the top experts in East Sea, and Zhao Dong just killed him? He'd paid twenty million for Fang Yunshan to do the killing, but in the end, Fang Yunshan was the one who croaked?

Zhang Longbo dropped to his knees, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Lord Zhao! I was wrong! I was blind! I would never dare to trouble you again!"

Zhao Dong's expression changed subtly as a strange sensation bubbled up from deep within him. This isn't good!

Suppressing the sensation, Zhao Dong said to Zhang Longbo in a low, hoarse voice, "Return to your Zhang Family. Don't speak a word of this to anyone. I will be visiting your home soon. If you act wisely, I'll spare your family. But if you dare to harbor any ill intentions, I will annihilate every last one of you!"

Tears of joy streamed down Zhang Longbo's face. He kowtowed several times to Zhao Dong and scrambled out of the bar.

The moment Zhang Longbo was gone, Zhao Dong could no longer hold on. He sprayed a mouthful of blood, his face turned deathly pale, and he staggered before collapsing to the ground.

In the final second before losing consciousness, he looked at Xu Yafei, who was rushing toward him, and managed to say, "Take me... somewhere secluded... now!"

With those words, Zhao Dong blacked out.