In Hope City, everybody was assigned their missions.
Aside from the Military Department’s personnel, there were no other regular people here. Even those who managed businesses in Hope City were martial artists.
This was a military town. When a big battle started, everybody had to participate.
...
Night fell once again.
In the middle of the night, it was not just Fang Ping’s team that took action. At the city gates, Fang Ping and the others encountered many teams.
Qin Fengqing complained as he marched with his team. “Without entering Rank-4 and honing the internal organs, there’s no way to see clearly. It’s like being shortsighted—only ten meters or so is visible. If anyone gets lost tonight, we won’t even know where to run.”
“Shut up. Lower your voice!”
The Peak Rank-5 teacher-in-charge rebuked him in a whisper.
Qin Fengqing felt sheepish. He walked a little while, then tugged on Fang Ping and said, “Actually, moving with a big group doesn’t earn you many benefits. Little Fang, consider this. The two of us will kill our way to the back of Sky Gate City...”
Fang Ping’s head hurt. ‘How are you so f*cking long-winded? You’re even more long-winded than I am!’
“Now, Sky Gate City’s entire military is on the move. There are fewer people at the back. If we can kill our way to their nest and bag a big one, the Grandmasters won’t be bothered anymore.
“Let me tell you. Last time, that brat Wang Jinyang and I went and dove in behind the enemies... Hehe, do you know? We got a huge sum of money—a cultivation-aiding energy ore the size of a fist, one catty heavy!”
The worth of energy ores was calculated per gram. Qin Fengqing had obtained one that was a catty heavy. Fang Ping’s attention was snagged instantly. That was 15000 credits, nearly 400 or 500 million!
“Is that true?”
“Of course it is, but that son of a b*tch Wang Jinyang is inhumane. He said he contributed more and claimed most of it, only leaving a small part for me...”
“Yet you’re only Peak Rank-3?”
“Go to hell. You know jack. I bought a B-grade dadao and spent a large chunk on that. I spent the remainder on medicinal pills and used them to cultivate Combat Techniques.
“Don’t think that I’m just Peak Rank-3. I can beat up five of you!”
“Keep bragging, and I’ll beat five of you, do you believe it?”
“Nonsense!” Qin Fengqing sniffed and continued boasting. “I can have a peak outburst of 500cal in one blow. A Rank-4 would die too.
“You think that just because your Vitality recovers a little quicker that you can block my attack?
“Also, I run fast. You won’t be able to hide. Even if you don’t die in one blow, there’s no way you can survive two!”
“You keep bragging. You, a Rank-3, want to kill me? Even a Rank-6 couldn’t kill me.”
“That’s because that person was dumb and was probably fooling around instead of going for a one-hit KO. If it were me, I wouldn’t have given you a chance to run.”
“You’re speaking as if this would be true. When we return, I’ll find you for some one-on-one training!”
“Who’s afraid of who!”
“That’s right. You’re so rich, yet you haven’t returned that 3 million you borrowed from me last time?”
“What?”
Qin Fengqing was suddenly confused. ‘I borrowed money? I borrowed 3 million from you? But why don’t I have any impression of this?’
The instructors in front wanted to throw up blood. Were these two b*stards think they were going on a date?
They were about to fight for their lives!
They had a team of 300 martial artists. Here, with students and instructors, there were only around a hundred.
How could they even think of delving behind the enemy line?
...
During the 50 li of travel, these people did not maniacally consume Vitality like Fang Ping did. They had trudged along for close to two hours before they finally reached their destination.
The instructors wore somber expressions, and the other students’ faces were all serious too.
Qin Fengqing looked serious for three seconds before the facade collapsed. He said quietly, “Teachers, you guys have to block the Rank-6 ones. I really can’t beat them. You can send one or two Rank-4 or Rank-5 ones over. I think I can kill them.”
The instructor-in-charge felt like his head was going to split. He swept a glance over Qin Feng Qing before saying suddenly, “You and Fang Ping go off on your own. Don’t go with the other students!”
They could not avoid an arrangement like this. These two were discussing Rank-4s and -5s. Other Rank-3 students did not have this capability.
If they really lured a few Rank-4s or -5s over, then if they met the Rank-3 students, it would be instant-kills.
Of course, there were a few Rank-3 powerhouses among the students too, but their combat results, when compared to Qin Fengqing’s who had killed a Rank-4 or Fang Ping’s who had killed a Rank-5, was lacking quite a bit.
An Upper-stage Rank-3 battling a Peak was still alright, but encountering a Rank-4 would be problematic.
Qin Fengqing’s face radiated joy and he swiftly nodded.
Fang Ping, on the other hand, was confounded. ‘I never said I wanted to go with this bastard!
‘I was preparing to kill the Rank-1, -2 and -3 ones! Many a little makes a mickle!’
“Move after 3 minutes. No matter how many you’ve killed, in 15 minutes or whenever we arrange an evacuation, all of you must retreat at once. Understand?”
“Understood.”
“When you enter the campsite, the Rank-3s move as a unit aside from the two of you. We’ll look for middle-ranked martial artists. Remember, unless you’re killed in battle, all the teachers aren’t allowed to let any middle-ranks cross the border!”
The instructor’s tone was brimming with icy sternness. Nobody objected. This was customary. There was no need to consider it too much.
Fang Ping was frustrated yet again and really wanted to shout: “I don’t want to go with this b*stard!”
...
Time trickled by.
The martial artists still had the notion of time passing. When the 3 minutes were nearly up, one of the instructors pulled back a bowstring and let fly a few arrows. A zinging noise broke the air, and a few martial artists at the periphery of the campsite were instantly struck by the arrows, killed on the spot!
“Kill them!”
The same time the arrows were shot, the others fervently dashed out of their hiding spot and charged toward the other party’s campsite.
Fang Ping was stunned for a moment. They were not hesitant at all?
Qin Fengqing spoke as he dashed, “Come on! What show are you watching here? Are you taking these martial artists for fools? We have so many people. The moment we get close, our Vitalities will be revealed. We still have to rely on strength in the end at the ambush. We’ve only gotten the initiative...”
There were middle-ranked martial artists guarding the campsite. You could not sneak-attack unless you were much stronger than them.
Otherwise, the death of one would immediately attract notice.
The martial artists’ night ambush was mainly to eliminate the Rank-1 and -2 martial artists. In the middle of the night, Rank-1 and -2 martial artists could not see clearly and were pretty much fish in a barrel.
“F*ck, I thought...”
Fang Ping was speechless. ‘I thought we were going to silently kill a few first, get noticed and then duel...’
It was currently not what he imagined at all!
As they ran, the martial artists at the campsite all reacted instantly. With a big battle incoming, all the martial artists were constantly in a battle-ready condition. Only fools would be sleeping soundly in these times.
One of the instructors adept at archery managed to kill a few of the martial artists guarding the opening. In the blink of an eye, they dashed into the campsite and started fighting an opposing middle-ranked martial artist who had dashed out.
Fang Ping’s pace was a little slow. By the time he ran to the campsite, deaths had already occurred!
A Peak Rank-5 instructor from MCMAU swung a long ax and sliced a few of the Rank-3 martial artists surrounding him in half!
“Disperse!”
Another Rank-5 instructor shouted. The other instructors battling suddenly sprinted further, drawing their opponents to them.
Qin Fengqing casually slashed an Early-stage Rank-3 martial artist to death, looked at Fang Ping and yelled, “What are you looking at? The middle-ranks have all been led away. Teacher Wu is going against three others—let’s lure one over to kill!”
Fang Ping was a little uncoordinated. The other Rank-3 students were all currently dueling the Rank-3 martial artists on the campsite.
Although there were people surrounding Fang Ping and Qin Fengqing here too, Qin Fengqing was indeed not weak. When he killed these people, it was basically a one-hit KO.
Previously, Fang Ping found the situation very confusing, but in reality, a real duel was messy but not confusing.
The instructors lured their opponents deeper in to kill whereas the students killed at the periphery.
However, things did not go entirely to plan. There were a few more middle-ranked martial artists at the campsite than the instructors. Some of them did not want to be lured away and broke out from the battle, desiring to head to the periphery to kill.
Consequently, the instructors who were usually warm and kind currently looked like they had gone insane. A few instructors held up quite a few enemies by themselves, not letting them leave the circle of battle.
“These... These are our instructors?”
Fang Ping muttered. His hand movements were not slow as he slashed his saber downward, killing a scurrying Rank-2 martial artist on the spot.
Noticing Fang Ping’s desire to pick up the loot, Qin Fengqing said angrily, “Kill them all first, then pick them up. Pick up the middle-ranked ones’ or the Rank-3 ones’. Rank-1s and -2s are all poor beggars. We have to evacuate in 15 minutes. Can you be a little quicker?”
“I... Didn’t say I’d move with you!”
Fang Ping protested indignantly. ‘This motherf*cker is blaming me!’
Qin Fengqing did not bother with him and sprinted to the front, bellowing, “Teacher Wu, let a Rank-4 come over!”
The instructor he was yelling at was currently surrounded by three others, constantly moving back as the battle went on. Hearing this, he did not blather on and immediately avoided one of them, giving that person a chance to leave the battle.
That Catacombs martial artist did not behave as the instructor expected though and continued attacking him.
Qin Fengqing wasted no time and dashed up to slash the opponent once before hurriedly running back, shouting, “Fang Ping, do a big move and hack him some ten times!”
Fang Ping really wanted to spit blood. ‘What exactly do you want to do?’
Qin Fengqing did not care whether Fang Ping was willing or not. ‘You’ve killed a Rank-5 before. Killing a Rank-4 isn’t difficult. What’s there to be afraid of!’
Fang Ping was exasperated. Everyone was fighting to the death at the moment. He could not allow this b*stard to dash toward the Rank-3 students now, could he?
Just as Qin Fengqing ran past him, Fang Ping gave a low roar and stepped forward, raising his saber and swinging it down!
Clanging sounds reverberated non-stop. The Rank-4 martial artist who had run over roared and erupted with all his strength, sending Fang Ping stumbling back with one blow.
Fang Ping fearlessly raced forward, raising his saber and hacking down yet again!
Going with this method of his, he would have to wait for the opponent’s Vitality to be nearly depleted before he could kill a Rank-4.
While the two of them were entangled, the Qin Fengqing who had earlier run to who knew where suddenly leaped out from behind Fang Ping!
“Witness my mountain-cleaving blow!”
Qin Fengqing bellowed, the blood-red beam covering his dadao extremely strong!
This move was very quick—so quick that even Fang Ping could not react!
The expression of the Rank-4 martial artist facing him changed, but he could not move back in time. Just as he heard the sound and before Qin Fengqing finished speaking, Qin Feng Ping’s blade slashed across his shoulder, diagonally splitting him in two.
“Phew...”
Panting heavily, Qin Fengqing smiled and said, “Easy. Just one attack. Fang Ping, do it like this...”
While he was still speaking, Fang Ping had already squatted down, hands moving so fast they were a blur, and felt around the opponent’s body, gathering everything he had on him into his arms.
“You dig out his heart... I won’t do it.”
Fang Ping felt rather repulsed and did not move his hands. Qin Fengqing was speechless. ‘Motherf*cker, your hands are so fast, yet why were you so slow to draw your weapon?’
It was not Qin Fengqing’s first time doing something like this. He very quickly dealt with the energy heart. This b*stard had a big leather pouch tied to his waist and shoved it in a very familiar move.
The two of them had pretty much killed a Rank-4 in an instant and attracted the attention of the Catacombs martial artists.
In the next moment, two Rank-4s dashed out from the instructors’ battles and toward the two of them.
Qin Fengqing’s expression changed slightly, and he shouted, “Teacher, there are more of them!”
Among the crowd of instructors currently fighting, someone indiscernible shouted a reply, “Hold them back first. These b*stards are pretty durable. We can’t help you now!”
“F*ck me!”
Qin Fengqing was helpless. Two against one was easy-breezy, but one-on-one was no walk in the park!
Fang Ping was actually doing much better than Qin Fengqing. Seeing this, he brandished his blade and said, “One-on-one, you get rid of one first!”
“How about I give both of them to you?”
“F*ck off!”
Qin Fengqing cursed a few times but still moved forward and blocked one of them with his weapon.
Fang Ping also speedily confronted the other. He did not talk nonsense and erupted his consecutive slashes straightaway!
After one outburst did not make the opponent stagger, Fang Ping continued dishing out outbursts!
As Fang Ping was fighting, Qin Fengqing suddenly ran over, breathing heavily as he said, “Let’s exchange. You do him!”
“I...”
Fang Ping wanted to swear at him violently. ‘This son of a b*tch wants to take advantage of me!’
“We’ll split it thirty-seventy!” Qin Fengqing called.
Fang Ping had no more objections and exchanged opponents with Qin Fengqing at once.
Consequently, after they exchanged opponents, Fang Ping’s four consecutive slashes were executed. The opponent suddenly disappeared and reappeared at Qin Fengqing’s head in the next moment.
Qin Fengqing screamed, “Stop him!”
Fang Ping’s expression darkened. He stepped into the air, saber horizontal across his waist as he slashed at the opponent!
The opponent dodged it yet again and appeared at Qin Fengqing’s side in the blink of an eye. Qin Fengqing, who was currently holding off another person, was close to tears as he scurried to dodge the opponent, shouting angrily, “Your movements are too slow!”
“He’s too fast!”
Fang Ping was helpless too. ‘The opponent doesn’t want to face me and is focused on killing Qin Fengqing. What can I do?’
“Change back, or you’ll be the cause of my death!”
Qin Fengqing was getting desperate. Fang Ping’s speed was slower than him—at least, his speed of attack was too slow and could not block the enemy. If they went on this way, Qin Fengqing would really be killed.
Fang Ping did not object to his and swapped places once again, exchanging opponents with Qin Fengqing, back to the previous one. This time, Fang Ping’s movements sped up.
With a low roar, Fang Ping raised his saber and swung it down hard without caring how much Vitality it consumed!
The martial artist in front of him was not as fast as the previous person and could not dodge the attack, forced to face it head-on!
After attacking several more times, Qin Fengqing fumbled, blocking the other person’s attacks, shouting as he jumped around to avoid him, “Give him a few more ferocious swipe. I’ll take the opportunity and kill him with one blow, but when I do that, I’ll be run through by this b*stard too. You have to help me block him!”
“I can’t block him.”
“You dunce, you’re too slow! No—you run fast, but your attacks are too slow! Don’t you know Manic Explosion is considered a swift technique among Saber Techniques? Concentrate on your attacks and sense the tracks of the opponent’s movements. Don’t just keep hacking people’s weapons!”
Fang Ping, this b*stard, really did not attack fast enough. If we had the speed, the opponent would have no time to block with his weapon.
“Tracks?”
“During a duel, there are tracks from the Vitality’s movements. Concentrate on sensing them...”
Fang Ping’s eyes lit up. ‘What concentrate on sensing? I forgot that my Mentality can sense the movement of energy particles!’
Just as Qin Fengqing finished speaking, Fang Ping suddenly launched an attack. The Rank-4 martial artist in front of him lagged a beat, and the back of his hand was slashed, fresh blood flowing from it!
“I see. I can identify weak points by sensing the opponent’s Vitality tracks. I’ve learned something...”
A dim light shone from Fang Ping’s eyes. Seeing this, Qin Fengqing was a little surprised too and quickly said, “Quick—remember to block him. Otherwise, my Vitality will be completely depleted and the opponent can kill me with one blow!”
“Hold out a little longer. If I can’t block him...”
“Then I won’t let you go even if I become a ghost!”
The two of them shouted at each other energetically. The opponents could not understand anyway.
Fang Ping felt a tinge of respect for Qin Fengqing. ‘You’re really trusting me so much. If I can’t block him and you get run through, you wouldn’t really come find me, would you?’
Inhaling lightly, Fang Ping swiftly said, “I’ll cleave this b*stard some ten times first. You find an opportunity to kill him in one move. If I can’t block him, pray for yourself. At most, I’ll lose 5 million...”
“5 million?
“We’re at this point now and you’re still caring about 5 or 10 million? Don’t be so obsessed with money!”
Qin Fengqing had no words to oppose him. ‘Forget it. It’ll be as you say.’
“Coming!”
In the next second, the speed of Fang Ping’s hands increased greatly, and he slashed the opponent’s weapon ten times in a split-second. The slashed opponent staggered and was forced back!
Qin Fengqing’s speed was also extremely quick, and in the blink of an eye, his changdao had already been swung at the opponent’s skull.
Behind him, a longsword was heading straight for the back of his head too.
Fang Ping did not think. The saber in his hands tore through the air, sweeping the longsword aside with a “ding”!
While the two of them exchanged blows, Qin Fengqing had already cleaved open his opponent’s head.
After that, he rolled, dodging Fang Ping and the other guy, panting heavily. “I can’t go on. You hold him off, let me recover for a bit.”
“You... You can only execute two motherf*cking moves?”
Fang Ping was speechless. ‘You’re too useless!”
“Nonsense. I killed a Rank-4; do you really think I kill Rank-4s like dogs? Block him quickly—f*ck me, block him! He wants to kill me!”
Qin Fengqing rolled away yet again, avoiding the enemy’s sword. He was so scared, his face blanched. He saw that people were surrounding him and could not help staring at Fang Ping, moaning, “Hurry and kill him. If another one comes, I’m done for.”
“My ultimate move can’t kill him!”
“Then your ultimate move is a dud! How do you even cultivate? If I had your Vitality, I’d be able to kill a Rank-4 in one move, you useless trash!”
“If you keep criticizing me, I’ll abandon you!”
“Don’t! Master Fang, you keep going. It’s fine if you just keep chipping away at him. Still... You’re really a little useless. Your four consecutive slashes don’t link up at all. You say that your outburst is more than 300cal, but it might not even be much stronger than any random move of mine.
“Can you not force the slashes? If not for your Vitality, I really could kill 10 of you!”
“Then how should I attack, according to you?”
“Anticipate. Anticipate his next move from the movement of his Vitality... He has a sword-retraction period after his attacks. Take advantage of this and kill him in one move!”
“Anticipate?”
“You don’t know this?”
“Not really.”
“You brainless oaf,” Qin Fengqing hissed, then said seriously, “It’s a type of combat intuition. Your combat intuition sucks. Of course, it comes with experience. You have too little experience in fighting Catacombs martial artists...
“Forget it. I can’t explain it to you. Also, stop pausing in the middle of your consecutive slashes. Once your four consecutive slashes break, it won’t reach that effect.
“Your Vitality is badly spilling over. Learn to gather your strength. Your changdao is so big—not every bit of it has to be evenly covered with strength. Gather your strength at one point. You’ve been using a saber for so long—how can you not even know this!
“You know how to jab with your foot, right? When you jab out with your foot, do you distribute your strength all over your foot?
“You gather it at the tip of your toes, where you have the strongest Vitality outburst. You don’t know this?
“It’s the same principle with using your saber. You’ve wasted a good half of your Vitality’s strength. Are you slashing air?”
“That’s true...”
Fang Ping mumbled. Lu Fengrou had mentioned this before too, but saying it was simple. Doing it was not as another matter.
A saber was an external object after all. If he wanted to use it as easily as he controlled his arm, it was no easy task.
Qin Fengqing dodged the opponent’s sword yet again, yelling as he rolled away, “Don’t lose focus! Block him, block him—imagine your changdao is part of your arm. Where you gather strength is where you have to gather your Vitality. A B-grade saber draws Vitality very easily. You have such a good weapon and a strong Vitality—if you can’t kill a Rank-4, you’re wasting such good conditions. If I had your conditions, I’d dare to slash a Rank-7!”
Fang Ping was completely speechless. ‘What an exaggeration. I can exaggerate too!’
However, what Qin Fengqing said did make some sense. Fang Ping did not lose focus again and imagined his changdao was his arm...
In the next moment, Fang Ping’s Mentality shifted slightly, moving to his changdao.
Fang Ping could sense the distribution of energy over it very clearly.
“I can do this too...”
Fang Ping’s Mentality quaked, and suddenly, he gathered all his Vitality at the one spot on his blade!
“Slash!”
With a shout, Fang Ping’s saber fell and met the edge of the opponent’s sword.
Snap!
With a crisp sound, the longsword broke off!
“Another slash!”
Fang Ping roared again. His changdao moved as fast as lightning, tearing through the night sky in an instant...
Pfft!
The sound of metal slicing reverberated. Fang Ping’s saber flashed with blood before being retracted. The opponent had been diagonally sliced in two.
“Old Qin, your guidance isn’t bad! I’ll minus a million off your debt. 4 million is enough!”
Qin Fengqing was confounded and muttered darkly, “You learn very quickly!”
If it went on this way, could Fang Ping kill him too?