"Cease your arrogance! Fine, as you suggest, a one-on-one duel. We'll each send three people. That way, you'll be utterly convinced when you lose! The losers will kneel and beg for mercy! Joseph, you go first," the brocade-robed youth leading the Black Tiger Gang said angrily.

  "Yes, Senior Brother Ryan!" A sturdy-looking youth wielding a large ringed blade stepped forward from the crowd and jeered at the people from the Thunder Blade Sect, "You cowards of the Thunder Blade Sect, who dares to fight me!"

  "Fight it is then. Erik, tear this brat's mouth apart later, teach him the consequences of having a foul mouth," Felix sneered.

  "Yes, Brother Felix! I'll definitely slice his stinking mouth with my blade, show him the price of having nothing but a sharp tongue."

  Erik was a lean, short youth who carried two willow-leaf sabers. His steps were light, suggesting he was quite swift.

  With a shout, the two engaged, blades flashing instantly. Joseph of the Black Tiger Gang fought with wide, powerful strokes, his heavy saber whistling through the air, looking quite imposing. Erik, forced into a corner by Joseph, blocked a couple of strikes and then resorted purely to evasion.

  The Black Tiger Gang members cheered loudly.

  "Go on, Senior Brother Joseph! Chop him down with one blow! Show the Thunder Blade Sect how powerful we are!"

  "Senior Brother Joseph is amazing!"

  Meanwhile, the Thunder Blade Sect disciples were sweating nervously, though Felix appeared composed and at ease. Leo watched the martial contest before him with great interest. Previously, whenever he passed the Thunder Blade Sect's training grounds, he had always thought the disciples' techniques were incredibly impressive and their movements dazzlingly fast, some even too quick to see clearly.

  However, the movements of both combatants now seemed somewhat clumsy in his eyes. Even Erik, who clearly favored agility and was obviously using his speed to drain Joseph's stamina.

  Leo saw Felix's intention at a glance; it seemed Felix had also spotted Joseph's weakness, hence sending Erik. Yet, in Leo's view, Joseph's footwork wasn't particularly fast either. Despite Erik's agile leaps and jumps, Leo felt he could seal off Erik's escape route with just one sword thrust.

  It seemed cultivators were truly incomparable to ordinary martial artists. Before, he couldn't have discerned these tactics so clearly. A wave of joy washed over Leo. He was only at Qi Refining Level One now; if he reached Level Two, he would likely become even more formidable.

  "Brother Felix, what should we do? It looks like Erik might not be able to hold off the Black Tiger Gang member," a young woman in white beside Felix said with a worried look.

  "Don't worry, the real show is yet to come," Felix replied, appearing completely unconcerned.

  Indeed, just as both Felix and Leo had anticipated, after more than twenty exchanges, Joseph's relentless, powerful assaults proved ineffective. He was now drenched in sweat, clearly running out of steam. One of his swings was even slower than before. Seizing the moment, Erik, who had been circling, dodged the strike, stepped in close, and swiftly slashed his short blade towards Joseph's face. Joseph, horrified, jerked his head back but couldn't avoid it entirely. A several-inch-long gash appeared at the corner of his mouth.

  "Haha! The Black Tiger Gang only knows how to brag. When it comes to real action, they're useless!"

  The Thunder Blade Sect disciples finally relaxed and burst into laughter.

  "It's best of three! There are still two rounds left; the outcome is far from certain. What are you gloating about?" the brocade-robed youth roared. Having lost the first round, he couldn't afford to lose the second, or the third would be moot. He strode forward. "I'll take the second round! Which of you is coming to die?"

  "Does the Black Tiger Gang only know how to boast?" Felix drew his long saber, pointed it directly at the brocade-robed youth, and launched a head-on slash.

  The youth hurriedly parried.

  Clang! Clang!

  The sound of clashing blades rang out. The brocade-robed youth and Felix were roughly equal in skill, but Felix's blade technique carried more ferocity, even a murderous intent. His practical experience was richer. The brocade-robed youth's movements were often flashy but impractical, wasting unnecessary energy. After six or seven exchanges, Felix seized an opening and executed a combo move, the "Thundering Blade Technique." Four consecutive slashes sent the youth stumbling backward.

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  The youth's longsword was nearly knocked from his grasp. Shocked and realizing he was no match for Felix, the youth flushed with anger and humiliation. "What are you standing around for? All of you, attack! Beat these Thunder Blade Sect dogs to the ground!"

  "Kill them!"

  At his command, the other dozen or so Black Tiger Gang disciples drew their weapons and charged at the Thunder Blade Sect members.

  "Despicable! Brother Felix, watch out!"

  The Thunder Blade Sect disciples shouted in fury as both sides clashed. Overall, the Thunder Blade Sect disciples were slightly superior, but the Black Tiger Gang had the advantage in numbers, often fighting two against one. Felix himself was surrounded and attacked by the brocade-robed youth and two other disciples. Struggling to hold his ground, within moments, two Thunder Blade Sect disciples were cut down by the Black Tiger Gang, and even Felix received a searing slash on his back.

  It seems I have to intervene. Leo thought. He might ignore others, but Felix was his childhood friend and had always looked out for him in the Thunder Blade Sect. However, suddenly transforming from an unskilled laborer into a formidable martial artist would undoubtedly attract attention if word got out. While he could handle ordinary martial artists, who could guarantee there were no other cultivators in Nordgard County?

  Thinking this, Leo tore a strip of coarse cloth from his clothes and tied it over his face. He drew the short sword from his waist and rushed forward swiftly.

  "Haha, you Thunder Blade Sect pups! Today, I'll show you what I'm capable of!" The brocade-robed youth, his face contorted, thrust his sword towards Felix's abdomen. He was used to being influential among the younger generation of the Black Tiger Gang, yet he couldn't even last ten moves against this man. This humiliation had to be repaid twofold; otherwise, his rage would never subside.

  "Brother Felix!" the young woman in white cried out. She saw that Felix had just parried the other two attackers, his initial force spent and new strength not yet gathered. There was absolutely no way he could avoid this thrust.

  Clang!

  A gray figure flashed by. The brocade-robed youth's sword was knocked aside. He felt a blur before his eyes, then a sharp pain in his abdomen as he was sent flying by a kick.

  The gray figure didn't stop after kicking the youth away. With remarkable agility, he pounced on another Black Tiger Gang disciple. After a couple of exchanges, his sword wounded the disciple's arm.

  In mere moments, the gray figure injured seven people, and no one could withstand more than a single move against him.

  "Retreat!" The Black Tiger Gang disciples were terrified. The brocade-robed youth, his face deathly pale, urgently shouted the order. Then, leading the others, he beat a hasty and ragged retreat.

  "Thank you, brother, for your timely assistance. If not for you, I fear none of us would have made it back safely today. May I ask your esteemed name? The Thunder Blade Sect will surely repay this kindness!"

  Regaining his composure, Felix looked at the gray-clad youth with admiration. To injure seven people so effortlessly—even a top-tier martial arts master might not do much better.

  "Repayment is unnecessary. The Black Tiger Gang disciples have suffered a loss and will likely return soon with stronger reinforcements. This is no place to linger. You should leave quickly," Leo said. Without another word, he leaped onto the roof of a building lining the street and disappeared from their sight.

  Once he landed on the other side of the roof, Leo immediately pulled off the coarse cloth from his face. He shook his slightly sore wrist. He had exchanged a few forceful blows with the Black Tiger Gang disciples, and his wrist felt a bit numb. These were just ordinary gang disciples. If he faced renowned top-tier martial artists, or even legendary masters, he might still be outmatched. It seemed that after cultivating The Primordial Chaos Scripture, the increase in strength was secondary. His enhanced vision and perception of his surroundings were what truly set him apart from martial artists. In terms of raw power, he was probably still somewhat inferior to a top-tier martial artist.

  In a luxurious room at the Nordgard East Sun Inn...

  A middle-aged man with a dignified, square-jawed face slammed his palm on a table. With a crash, the sturdy wooden table instantly shattered into a pile of splinters.

  "Outrageous! The Black Tiger Gang dares to disregard martial ethics and gang up on our Thunder Blade Sect disciples! We must settle this score!"

  "Junior Brother Louis, there's no need for such rage. If this were in Misty Veil Peaks, we could storm their gates directly. But this is Nordgard County; the Black Tiger Gang are the local power, so of course they act arrogantly. Fortunately, Felix and the other disciples weren't seriously injured. This gathering of Arn 's sects is a mixed bag, and the Sect Leader hasn't arrived yet. For now, let's observe quietly. When the Martial Arts Conference convenes, we can publicly denounce the Black Tiger Gang in front of all the sects, issue a formal challenge, and properly deflate their arrogance," said a half-bald, elderly man with graying hair sitting nearby, shaking his head.

  "Fine then, we'll wait for the Sect Leader's arrival before deciding further. But you mentioned a masked swordsman who came to your aid. What happened there?" The square-jawed man, Viktor, was the Head of the Punishment Hall of the Thunder Blade Sect and also Felix's master.

  "This disciple is also puzzled. That person's martial arts were extremely high. He covered his face with cloth and seemed unwilling to reveal his identity. He successively injured seven Black Tiger Gang disciples, frightening off the rest. That's how we managed to escape safely. Otherwise, under the Black Tiger Gang's Besiege, we would likely have been captured," Felix said, his face full of gratitude as he mentioned the masked man. However, another thought occurred to him. "But judging by his build, his age probably isn't much greater than ours."

  "What? Not much older than you, yet with such skill?" Viktor and the gray-haired elder exchanged looks of shock. "To defeat six or seven Black Tiger Gang members unscathed, he must be at least at the level of a top-tier master. Among the younger generation in the martial world, those with such ability can be counted on one hand, and they're usually nearly thirty."

  "To think Nordgard County is a place where dragons and tigers hide. But since that person doesn't wish to reveal his identity, let it be. Judging from this incident, he is a friend, not a foe. That's ultimately a good thing for us," the gray-haired elder said, shaking his head.