Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 21: Ten Steps, One Kill

As a fearsome major gang within Li City, the Vicious Tiger Gang was typically the one trampling over other villages and towns. It had been a long time since anyone dared to attack their headquarters.

But today, someone had infiltrated their territory!

Over 300 gang members surrounded a courtyard house in the northwest of the stronghold, with more members rushing over from all directions.

As the headquarters of the Vicious Tiger Gang, coupled with the recent recruitment of new members, over 700 members were currently gathered in the stronghold. Their combined force made for a truly imposing sight.

Who would have thought that besides the eight visible guards in that prison, there were actually two more guards in hiding?

As slippery as a ghost, he once again skillfully evaded several incoming arrows. His spear shot forth in a lightning-fast motion.

Thunk~ A bloody hole opened in the forehead of the gang member charging at the front, and his lifeless body collapsed. They were no match for Wu Yuan.

There are too many of them. The Adept I killed at the start should have been a third-rate Adept. I just don't know which family head he was.

In the Vicious Tiger Gang, there were six family heads, all Adepts. According to the information from the Starcom Consortium, only the main family head was a second-rate Adept, the rest were third-rate Adepts.

Wu Yuan was rather successful in both sneaking in and setting fire to attract the attention of the gang members. Of the eight prison guards, four of them left their station to extinguish the fire. Wu Yuan's execution was exceptional as well, with four throwing knives instantly killing the four guards.

But he failed to anticipate the two guards hiding out of sight in the large courtyard house. A signal flare was lit almost immediately. With no other choice, Wu Yuan opted for an aggressive strike. In the end, he found himself ensnared in layers of encirclement.

However, taking such a risk is worth it. At least, I confirmed that the chieftain is still alive. Wu Yuan, wearing a bronze mask, recalled the sight of the wound-laden chieftain in the prison.

If Wu Yuan had decided to withdraw at the first instance of discovery instead of scouting the prison, how could these martial novices and martial virtuosos have trapped him? However, Wu Yuan only confirmed Chieftain Wu Qiming’s location and status, but he did not bring him out of the prison.

Escaping with the chieftain would severely hamper my mobility. We won't be able to get far. Even if I survive, the chieftain will surely perish.

As long as I operate alone, even if I ultimately fail to dissolve the Vicious Tiger Gang, they may not realize that I'm here for the chieftain.

The moment Wu Yuan confirmed the chieftain was alive but immobile, he chose— to strike! With his might alone, he would obliterate the Vicious Tiger Gang.

The Vicious Tiger Gang is but a gang of bandits, they won't fight to the death. As long as I kill their leader and a bunch of members, the rest will naturally scatter in fear.

A well-trained army would collapse after losing 30% to 40% of its soldiers, let alone a band of wealth-seeking bandits.

"Get him!"

"Old Xu is dead. He must be a second-rate Adept at least, where is the gang leader?"

"Surround him! Quickly, release the arrows!" The throng of gang members hemmed in from all directions, but the courtyard house was narrow, with walls, buildings, and trees blocking their way. At most, only a dozen could reach Wu Yuan at once.

Whiz! Whiz! Whiz! Arrow after arrow tore through the air towards him. These gang members might only possess the strength of a few thousand catties, but each arrow was imbued with staggering power, forcing Wu Yuan to avoid a direct hit. But with his exceptional perception and superior agility, it looked as if he was taking a leisurely stroll, effortlessly dodging every arrow flying his way.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Arrows struck the trees with fearsome power, causing massive trunks to explode on impact. Where they struck door frames, gaping holes would appear in the woodwork.

"Ah!" A blood-curdling scream echoed as an arrow ruthlessly punctured the thigh of a gang member, causing blood to spurt out.

The battlefield was in chaos, and the archers positioned on all sides of the courtyard had little regard for their own comrades.

"Die, all of you!" In Wu Yuan's hand, the Luminous Silverfrost Spear danced like a swimming dragon, drawing circles to deflect the incoming attacks. Then, it swiveled and countered with force.

Splotch~ Blood splattered across the ground as gigantic wounds appeared on the throats of three gang members. They slumped to the ground instantly.

After finishing off that Adept earlier, Wu Yuan cast aside his saber and took up his spear to slay the thugs surrounding him. In group battles, the spear and axe reigned supreme!

How exhilarating! Wu Yuan's eyes shone brighter as his killing intent intensified.

With every gang member he killed, he felt more invigorated. The energy he had depleted from the journey and fights seemed to be mysteriously recovering. He grew increasingly bolder as he fought!

What is happening? Wu Yuan felt a flicker of confusion. He sensed something wrong with his condition, but couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was. He only felt the rise of adrenaline, and raging killing intent.

Thump~ Thump~ Thump~ One by one, the bodies of the fallen gang members began to pile up, creating a macabre mountain of corpses. Most were pierced in the center of their forehead or their throats, while some were pierced in the chest or abdomen, inevitably meeting their demise.

In terms of power, Wu Yuan's physical strength had improved from a few days back. Now, he was nearing 20,000 catties, meeting the minimum standards for fifth-grade martial artists. Compared to these gang members, his power was overwhelming.

His martial skill was even more fearsome. He wasn't particularly proficient with the spear, but as someone at the Rigid Yet Supple stage, each stroke of the weapon was as natural as the sky itself, allowing him to defeat hundreds of enemies single-handedly. This was why the thugs identified him as a second-rate Adept.

Any ordinary gang member who dared fight him was left either dead or injured. And yet, Wu Yuan was still conserving his energy. If he unleashed Power Surge, erupting with a multiplied force ten times the power of these gang members, he could sweep through them without the need for technique!

Bang~ Bang~ Bang~ Like a streak of lightning, he swung his spear in a large circle once more. Terrifying power exploded from the spear shaft, sweeping away six members of the Vicious Tiger Gang.

The silver spear suddenly sped up, rotating around the spearhead!

"No!" A thug looked on helplessly as he was suspended in mid-air, his eyes filled with despair.

Splat! Splat~ Splat!

Of the six gang members, four were pierced through the head, instantly killed. Their bodies crashed to the ground. The other two members were pierced through the shoulder and arm respectively, blood gushing out, but they were fortunate to have avoided dying outright.

"Too terrifying!"

"His spear technique is unpredictable, we can't kill him."

"Since when did Li City give rise to such an expert?" The group of gang members who had come to besiege him all looked on in terror, and their steps slowed involuntarily.

If there was hope for victory, they would naturally fight. But if death was a certainty, who would give up their lives willingly?

So far, Wu Yuan had killed over a hundred gang members. Bodies littered the entire courtyard, a sight that would make anyone shudder.

And this last move was witnessed by Gang Leader Yang Long, Division Head Li Ye, and the tall man in beast hide, who were hurrying over.

"What a formidable spear technique! Such skill is rare even among second-rate Adepts." The tall and thin man clad in beast hide praised, "However, his physical strength appears to not have reached the second-rate Adept level." With keen observation, he discerned Wu Yuan's true level of strength.

"Face your death, boy!" boomed a voice.

The hundreds of thugs surrounding the courtyard house looked over. Wu Yuan also peered into the distance.

A muscular man appeared, wielding a huge machete. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, approaching Wu Yuan at astonishing speed.

He charged directly into the courtyard house.

"Gang Leader!"

"The gang leader is here. He'll definitely kill him." Joy and fervor filled the hundreds of Vicious Tiger Gang members. All of them firmly believed in their leader's strength.

Let's watch for now. The tall and thin man in beast hide garments arrived half a step later, but didn't rush to attack.

All those who joined the fighting earlier turned their attention to the center of the courtyard, trying to catch a glimpse of the two fighters.

Raging Tiger Yang Long moved with phantom-like steps, covering a distance of more than ten zhangs without slowing down. He charged fiercely towards the motionless Wu Yuan.

Whoosh! A chillingly fierce light was reflected off the blade. If the attack struck true, it would surely cut Wu Yuan in half.

"The gang leader's machete." The members of the Vicious Tiger Gang were abuzz with excitement. It was with this machete that Yang Long made a name for himself among the millions in Li City.

My junior brother may not be incredibly talented, but after decades of practice, his skill with the machete isn't weak.

There was the sound of a spear tip cutting through flesh.

Bang! The robust figure of Yang Long crashed into the front gate, scattering fragments of wood as he fell heavily to the ground. He no longer drew breath. Blood trickled from between his brows, gradually staining the ground red.

The boisterous courtyard fell silent. Everyone gazed in shock at the scene before them.

The gang leader of the Vicious Tiger Gang, a second-rate Adept, was slain in a single strike?

And Wu Yuan seemed to have remained still the entire time. Only the blood dripping from the spearhead was telltale proof of what had happened.

His gaze swept through all four corners of the courtyard.

"Anyone else?"

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