Chapter 460: Tang Family Stick Technique
Zhao Dong glanced at the old man, who was watching the scene with the expression of a bystander enjoying a spectacle, and felt his own face darken with frustration. This old guy is certainly unconcerned. Isn't he afraid of getting splattered with blood? But recalling that the old man was no simple character, Zhao Dong decided not to bother with him.
Recollecting himself, Zhao Dong's icy gaze pierced the men.
"Kill him!" the tall man snorted. Immediately, the four seventh-level Great Grandmasters behind him charged out.
Their approach was ferocious, and their attacks were killing blows from the very start, holding nothing back. The deadly moves were as fierce as the descending wrath of the heavens, their terrifying auras whipping up gales that kicked up clouds of dust.
The narrow alley was thick with killing intent. Zhao Dong's eyes narrowed; he didn't dare to underestimate them. Although he no longer considered seventh-level Great Grandmasters a threat, these four were perfectly coordinated. Plus, with two more masters waiting in reserve, Zhao Dong had to be on guard.
Zhao Dong sidestepped the first man's punch, then flipped over to evade a Slamming Leg from the second. When the third man attacked, Zhao Dong threw a punch of his own, forcing him back. It wasn't until the fourth man closed in that killing intent finally erupted from his eyes.
Activating the Body Transformation Technique, his physical strength soared. He met the man's punch with his right palm, caught the fist, and gripped it tightly. Then, using the full power of his waist and back, he swung the man in a wide arc through the air and smashed him violently onto the ground!
SPURT!
Blood erupted from the man's mouth. Before he could react, Zhao Dong landed on top of him, bringing his full weight down and shattering the man's arm. Immediately after, he drove his fist into the man's face.
THUD! The sound was like a watermelon bursting open. The man's face caved into his skull, and all signs of life vanished as blood and brain matter splattered everywhere. The scene was grotesquely horrific.
"Nice one! That was a good hit! Woo-hoo!" the old man cheered excitedly, looking for all the world like a hooligan watching a boxing match. Zhao Dong shot him an annoyed glare before spinning around to face his remaining enemies.
The three remaining masters were well-trained. Though shocked by Zhao Dong's methods, they didn't hesitate for a second. "This man is stronger than a seventh-level Great Grandmaster! We can't fight him one-on-one!" one of them warned. The other two grew wary.
The three men reached for their waists, and gleaming daggers appeared in their hands.
"Your life is forfeit!" they roared, attacking in unison. Having learned their lesson, their movements were perfectly synchronized, leaving Zhao Dong no opportunity to pick them off one by one.
"A mantis trying to stop a chariot," Zhao Dong sneered. His Spiritual Energy began to boil as he fully activated both the Mystic Sky Technique and the Body Transformation Technique.
The next moment, Zhao Dong's skin turned crimson as golden blood flowed beneath it. He took a step forward, and a barrier of golden Spiritual Energy enveloped him completely!
"What is that!?" the three men cried out in shock. They had never seen such strange Spiritual Energy. "It doesn't matter what it is, he has to die!" After their initial surprise, the killing intent in their eyes only intensified. The stronger he proved to be, the more certain they were that he could not be allowed to live.
"You're courting death!" Zhao Dong sneered and lashed out with both fists, aiming for two of the three men. Facing a three-pronged attack, I have no other choice. My only chance to survive is to take out two of them!
It all happened in a flash.
BOOM! His fists, wreathed in golden Spiritual Energy, slammed into two of the daggers, causing them to explode instantly. The massive force turned the countless shards into lethal projectiles, riddling the two masters. Their eyes bulged wide as their life force rapidly faded. Why? How can he be strong enough to shatter daggers with his bare fists!? That was their last, bewildered thought.
At the same time, the third master's dagger pierced Zhao Dong's protective Spiritual Energy and stabbed deep into his lower back. Having landed the blow, the master tried to pull the dagger free and retreat, but it was as if it were welded to Zhao Dong's flesh—like the sword in the stone. No matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge an inch.
The master panicked. Just as he decided to abandon the dagger and flee, Zhao Dong spun around, his bloodshot eyes fixed on him.
"You—!" the man gasped in terror. But before he could utter another word, he felt a sudden chill in his chest. As he collapsed, the last thing he saw was Zhao Dong holding a... beating heart.
"Incredible! Great fight! Finish them!" the old man's cheers rang out once more.
Zhao Dong was in no mood to pay him any mind. A searing pain flared from the dagger lodged in his waist. He quickly threw the freshly refined Healing Pills into his mouth, his eyes fixed warily on the two men who had yet to make a move.
Just four ants, and they managed to injure me. This puts me at a serious disadvantage.
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. The tall man applauded slowly. He glanced at the corpses on the ground, his eyes cold. "A bunch of trash," he said, then stepped forward with a sinister smile. "Worthy of the man our Young Master holds in such high regard. You do have some skill. It seems this trash was no match for you at all."
Clutching his wound, Zhao Dong sneered, "Using your own men's lives to exhaust my strength... The Xiao Family is as bloodthirsty as ever."
"Heh, bloodthirsty? I don't see it that way," the tall man said with a shrug. "This world has always been about the survival of the fittest. Only the strong deserve to live.
"Their dying at your hands only proves they were inferior.
"Besides, if they had managed to kill you, they wouldn't have had to die, now would they?"
"So you think you have me cornered?" Zhao Dong asked, his expression defiant.
The man mocked, "You really are unbelievably arrogant. Even at full strength, how could you possibly be a match for one of us, let alone two? Now you're injured, and you're facing both of us. Do you really think there's any way for you to survive?"
"Enough with the chatter! If you're going to fight, then fight! This old man is getting impatient!" the old man suddenly urged, frowning.
Zhao Dong resisted the urge to slap the old codger. Does this old geezer just thrive on chaos? The only reason I'm stalling is to recover some of my strength!
The two masters glanced at the old man. They had, of course, been aware of his presence all along. But being powerful cultivators themselves, they had also sensed something strange about him, which was why they had been unwilling to provoke him.
They snapped their gazes back to Zhao Dong and sneered, "Time to send you on your way!" As the words fell, each man pulled a small rod from within his robes. With a flick of their wrists, the rods extended into two-meter-long iron staves.
"Staff That Sweeps the World!" the tall man bellowed, his long staff sweeping out horizontally. Dense Spiritual Energy gathered along its length, leaving an arcing afterimage in the air.
At the same time, the shorter man leaped high, vaulting over his companion. His staff became a blur of rapid thrusts, creating a storm of afterimages as he charged Zhao Dong.
"Staff That Sweeps the World... Staff That Shatters Heaven and Earth... They actually know the Tang Family Stick Technique!?" the old man's eyes narrowed as he instantly recognized their moves. A hint of worry appeared on his face. "This young man is in trouble now!"