That’s the Sect Leader of the Profound Sun Sect, whose strength is unfathomable!
Yet Lu Dingtai dared to point at his nose and curse, naturally shocking everyone.
Even the officers under Yan Sifu, lurking in the distance waiting for an opportunity to ambush, were in turmoil.
"What is the background of this Lu Dingtai, facing someone a level higher in strength, yet not afraid at all?"
"Seems like he was that Zhao Ya’s master!"
"Is Yunxiao County really such a land of talents?"
Meanwhile, Xie Tianfeng was so furious that he laughed instead.
"Very well, since your disciple is not in the Capital City right now, I’ll begin settling this debt with you, his master."
With that said, Xie Tianfeng rushed towards Lu Dingtai like a violent wind.
Lu Dingtai knew that he was no match for Xie Tianfeng in terms of Body Technique, so he didn’t even try to dodge.
While recuperating for twenty-three years in Yunxiao County, the only significant fight he had was right after breaking through to the Fifth Realm.
The rest of the time, he lived like a retired official, either reading or writing every day.
But only Lu Dingtai himself knew that his competitive spirit never changed.
Facing the overwhelming force rushing towards him now, not only was Lu Dingtai unafraid, he was instead exhilarated.
The Qi Blood throughout his body seemed to be burning like a raging fire, his strength instantly soared to the peak, and then Lu Dingtai stepped forward, throwing a punch.
This punch could be said to be the strongest strike Lu Dingtai had unleashed since advancing to the Fifth Realm.
Both the timing of the strike and the contained power had reached perfection.
Seeing this, Xie Tianfeng’s face revealed a trace of seriousness, but he still coldly shouted two words.
"Courting death!"
Then he unleashed the long-stored Profound Yang True Strength.
Profound Yang True Strength was originally a closely guarded secret of the Profound Sun Sect, but to be honest, before Xie Tianfeng, it wasn’t considered very powerful, far inferior to the great sect legacies Beyond the World.
Precisely because of this, the previous visit from Jin Cunyue of Bright Moon Valley was so arrogant.
But once it was in Xie Tianfeng’s hands, everything changed.
Xie Tianfeng was passionate about the Martial Dao, and after over twenty years of devoted research, he successfully improved the Profound Yang True Strength.
Although its might was still not on par with the great sect Secret Techniques Beyond the World, it had undergone a qualitative change compared to before.
Plus, this strike had been long prepared, making it practically a sure-kill.
Bang!
After a dull, drum-like sound, Lu Dingtai grunted, and his body was instantly sent flying backward a dozen meters.
After landing, he wiped away the trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth without a care and smiled.
"Refreshing, my muscles and bones have been itching these days, and this shock made it much better."
Compared to Lu Dingtai, Xie Tianfeng only wobbled a bit and took two steps back.
Seemingly with the upper hand, Xie Tianfeng’s face only grew uglier.
Because, after all, he was a genuine Meridian Opening master, yet he failed to kill Lu Dingtai with two attempts.
Especially the second time, after the exchanges, he sensed his own Qi Blood was also shaken.
This naturally left him furious and alarmed.
"Stubborn!"
He said this as he dared not hold back any longer, mustering all his strength as he charged toward Lu Dingtai.
Previously, in front of Wei Tianlin and others, he had boasted about testing Lu Dingtai’s capabilities.
So if he couldn’t resolve Lu Dingtai swiftly, his reputation would be utterly tarnished.
Lu Dingtai’s expression was solemn, and despite his uncontrollably trembling arms, he slowly raised his fists, intending to meet the opponent.
This scene was also witnessed by everyone.
"Master!" Miao Shaocheng and Xu De, who were fighting in the distance, shouted hoarsely upon seeing this.
The elders of the Golden Saber Institute and Wunian Academy were filled with both shock and pity.
They never expected Zhao Ya’s master to be so formidable, able to withstand two of Xie Tianfeng’s moves and still not falter.
But that was about it; this move of Lu Dingtai’s would be impossible to withstand.
After all, a Meridian Opening master is a Meridian Opening master, far beyond what the Fifth Realm could contend with.
As Xie Tianfeng drew closer to Lu Dingtai, a sinister smile appeared on his face, feeling the thrill of claiming another life.
But then he sensed an indescribable peculiarity.
No sound nor killing intent, but the wind brushing his body seemed disturbed by something.
It was only Xie Tianfeng who could notice; any other person wouldn’t have realized it.
But as soon as he did, before he could react, a blade light flashed in front of him.
A breathtaking, dazzling blade light as brilliant as a shooting star.
Xie Tianfeng’s eyes filled with fear, abandoning any thought of Lu Dingtai, and tensing his muscles, he unleashed all the Profound Yang True Power stored in his Dantian to cover his body, hoping to block this sudden strike.
But he was still a step too late, or rather, the strike simply came too fast.
Just as the True Power throughout his body was yet to fully surge out, the blade’s edge had arrived.
"Ah ah ah..." Xie Tianfeng suddenly screamed, desperately moving his body back by three inches.
This three-inch gap was crucial, allowing Xie Tianfeng to barely evade the fatal strike to his neck.
Though his neck was spared, his chest wasn’t, and it received the blade’s full impact.
Splat.
The razor-sharp blade mercilessly sliced through skin, severing blood vessels and tendons, only stopping upon hitting the bone as hard as jade.
With a grinding sound, those nearby even saw sparks fly from Xie Tianfeng’s chest.
It was the remarkable sight of the blade cutting into the ribs.
Following this, Xie Tianfeng retreated urgently.
The blood spurting downwards stained the street red, startling all who watched.
When he landed, a huge, ghastly wound was visible on his chest, revealing bone and a faintly pulsating heart beneath.
This sudden turn left the entire scene silent.
Both sides, previously engaged in fierce combat, paused in unison and turned to look this way.
"It’s Ya!" Miao Shaocheng immediately recognized the figure on the ground, long sword in hand, exclaiming with joy.
Zhao Ya nodded at Senior Brother Miao, then solemnly saluted towards Lu Dingtai.
"Master, your disciple is here."
Lu Dingtai gazed at the imposing young man before him, full of satisfaction.
In the end, his myriad thoughts condensed into a single sentence.
"Good child, I’m glad you’ve returned safely."
Zhao Ya smiled, "Master, whatever needs to be said, we can save it for later. Please hold the fort for me now."
With that, he turned his gaze towards Xie Tianfeng in the distance.
"Sect Leader Xie, I must admit, you’re really slippery, even managing to evade that strike; that’s quite a feat."
Zhao Ya arrived after Xie Tianfeng and Lu Dingtai had exchanged two moves.
However, he didn’t reveal himself immediately, instead using the Spirit Turtle Hibernation Technique to hide and wait for an opportunity.
Only when Xie Tianfeng, trying to save face, attacked with full force did Zhao Ya stealthily approach and make his move, intending to kill with a single strike.
Unfortunately, it ended in failure, as Xie Tianfeng narrowly escaped.
Yet even so, Xie Tianfeng had suffered a severe setback.
After all, the massive wound on his chest was no joke; an ordinary Martial Artist would have died.
At this moment, Xie Tianfeng’s expression was extremely grim as he continuously circulated his Qi Blood.
Finally.
The wound on his chest stopped bleeding, and then with a face of utter malice, he looked up.
"Zhao Ya, lurking in the shadows to ambush, you’re utterly despicable," Xie Tianfeng spat venomously.
Zhao Ya, however, was unfazed and smiled, "Enough with the nonsense. Lucky you to dodge the first strike, now try withstanding another."
With that, Zhao Ya kicked off the ground, rushing at Xie Tianfeng like a hurricane.
His speed was such that Xie Tianfeng’s vision blurred, and Zhao Ya was already upon him.
In a frightened jolt, Xie Tianfeng shouted, "Stop him for me!"
Nearest Xie Tianfeng were several elders of the Profound Sun Sect who quickly moved to intercept Zhao Ya.
But just as swiftly as they rushed forward, they were driven back even faster.
In an instant, several blade lights flashed, followed by the elders’ cries of pain as they retreated, wounded.