A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

Chapter 157 Those who block my fist, centaurs shatter.

Shen He's voice sounded somewhat distorted in the rain, and the rain curtain hanging from the edge of his straw hat obscured the upper half of his face.

Zhou Yuan placed the teacup on the table, the bottom of the cup making a dull thud as it touched the surface.

"Since it's your senior brother's invitation, why not go?"

Zhou Yuan stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes.

He turned his head and looked at Zhu Mengran standing to the side.

"Senior sister, please rest for now. I'll come find you again tomorrow."

Zhu Mengran pursed her lips, crossed her hands in front of her, and unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingertips.

She sensed an extremely oppressive atmosphere, yet she couldn't see through the undercurrents beneath the calm surface.

"Yes, I'll wait for my junior brother."

Zhu Mengran responded in a low voice.

Zhou Yuan strode out of the hall, and Shen He turned around, the water droplets on his raincoat falling to the ground.

The two figures quickly disappeared into the thick darkness and rain.

The aroma of tea still lingered in the hall.

Zhu Xiaowen looked in the direction the two had left, then stood up, leaning on the armrest of the bamboo chair, a complex emotion appearing on his aged face.

"Mengran, what do you think of Zhou Yuan?"

Zhu Xiaowen's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Zhu Mengran was stunned for a moment and didn't react.

"Which aspect is Father asking about?"

"In every aspect."

Zhu Xiaowen walked to the door and looked at the puddles outside the threshold.

"His character, his integrity, and—his current methods."

Zhu Mengran remained silent for a moment, recalling Zhou Yuan's composure when he served tea and his eyes, which remained as calm as a lake.

"That would be excellent, of course."

She lowered her head, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

"Although Junior Brother Zhou is a bit decisive, it's all for his own protection."

Zhu Xiaowen stroked his goatee and sighed.

"Mengran, you're not getting any younger."

He turned around and his gaze fell on his daughter.

"The marriage with the Wu family before was a mistake on my part, which caused you to suffer."

However, Zhou Yuan is currently unmarried. His current identity is the Jingye Envoy of the Jingye Division, a sharp blade in Luochuan City.

Many prominent families are certainly planning to send their female relatives there.

If you are interested in him, I'll risk my old face and go and put in a good word for you.

Zhu Mengran lowered her head even further, her breathing slightly rapid, but she didn't utter a single word of refusal.

Jiang Qian and Han Ming, who were sitting on the side, exchanged a glance.

They still remembered how Zhu Xiaowen had snubbed Zhou Yuan back in the martial arts school.

Now that Zhou Yuan is gaining momentum, he is even thinking of pushing his daughter over there.

This undisguised utilitarianism aroused a hint of contempt in the two men.

The rain intensified along the inner city's main street.

Shen He walked ahead, his steps steady beneath his raincoat, even possessing a rhythmic quality.

Zhou Yuan walked side by side, his steps slow and steady.

The Divine Travel Six Void Technique was running at full speed, and every rustling of grass within a thousand feet around him was perceived.

He could hear Shen He's steady breathing, and he could also hear the sound of raindrops hitting the bluestone slabs.

"I thought Wang Tengfei would get away. Thank you for killing him for me."

Shen He broke the silence first, speaking in a calm tone as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"You're welcome."

Zhou Yuan responded.

"I've wanted to kill him for a long time."

"I originally thought you would kill Third Junior Brother as well."

Shen He paused for a moment and turned his head to the side.

"I never expected you to spare his life."

"Why kill him when we have no grudge against each other?"

Zhou Yuan countered with a question.

"From what you're saying, he's still alive."

"He's barely hanging on."

Shen He let out a soft laugh, his tone tinged with cruelty.

"He lives off the swill from the pigsty, his limbs are broken, and his tongue has been pulled out. He's like a worm now, wallowing in the mud every day."

These vicious words, spoken from Shen He's seemingly gentle face, felt extremely incongruous.

"It has to be you."

Zhou Yuan commented.

"I thought I was ruthless enough, but compared to you, I'm nothing."

He stopped and stood in the rain.

"The only thing I'm curious about is, how did you dare to come back?"

Shen He also stopped. He didn't turn around, but just looked at the dark alley ahead.

"Because this time I'm confident I can kill you."

Shen He turned around, his eyes beneath the bamboo hat radiating absolute confidence.

"So confident?"

You'll find out in a moment.

Shen He continued walking forward, his raincoat swaying in the breeze.

It was already evening, and the sky was terribly gloomy.

The main avenue of the inner city was pitch black, like a giant beast lurking in the rainy night, its blood-red maw wide open.

"I know you won't be afraid."

Shen He's voice came from ahead.

"You know me that well?"

Zhou Yuan followed.

"Aren't all you geniuses like this?"

Shen He continued walking forward.

"Relying on your talent, you look down on everyone. Take now, for example. Even if I told you I was confident I could kill you, that danger was imminent, you would still follow. Wouldn't you?"

Shen He's figure disappeared completely into the darkness.

"You really know me well."

Zhou Yuan stood still and muttered something to himself.

He didn't think Shen He was bluffing.

In my perception, faint red dots have already appeared on the pitch-black street ahead.

That was an unusual phenomenon caused by a large amount of qi and blood converging together.

Zhou Yuan strode onto the main thoroughfare of the inner city, Tianjie.

This long street, paved with wide bluestone, stretches for thousands of feet.

pat.

pat.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves rang out in the quiet night.

At first there was only one sound, then it became more frequent and heavy.

It's like a heavy hammer striking a drum.

call!

Countless torches lit up without warning.

The firelight tore through the darkness, illuminating the long street.

Zhou Yuan stood in the middle of the long street, his gaze sweeping forward.

A dozen or so warriors clad in heavy black armor rode equally armored warhorses in a line.

Only their eyes were exposed, and their chilling killing intent seemed to freeze the air.

The Eighteen Riders of Yanyun.

The aura emanating from each knight represents the second level of Blood Transformation.

This uniform level of skill, coupled with the murderous aura emanating from the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, was enough to terrify ordinary martial artists.

Behind Zhou Yuan, footsteps were equally frequent.

He turned around and saw several familiar faces.

The brothers Wang Xuanzhao and Wang Xuangan were gripping the hilts of their swords, their expressions sinister.

Wu Xingtong of the Wu family radiated a dark golden light, and he had already activated the Dragon Roar Iron Shirt technique to its limit.

At the very back, Wang Moheng, the head of the Wang family, was leaning on a cane. Although he had lost all his internal strength, his eyes were filled with madness.

Zhou Yuan looked around.

Almost everyone who had a grudge against him was present at this moment.

"You're still as composed as last time."

Shen He stood in the torchlight, the gentleness on his face gone, replaced by a twisted ferocity.

"You possess superhuman strength, allowing you to fight opponents of higher levels. So when I failed to kill you last time, I went back and analyzed the experience. The key was that we didn't have enough manpower. You can take on three at once; do you think you can take on eighteen this time? I refuse to believe you can survive!"

Shen He's voice echoed on the street.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense."

A cool, clear voice came from behind the black iron cavalry.

"We're in a hurry. We must take Luochuan County before the Second Prince arrives."

The sound of horses' hooves rang out again.

A man wearing a black cloak slowly walked out.

He sat on horseback, chin slightly raised, his eyes filled with aloofness.

Duan Hu.

Three layers of blood transfusion.

"Zhou Yuan, you insulted my mother and destroyed my Wu family! I wish I could eat your flesh and sleep on your skin!"

Wu Xingtong roared and strode forward, crushing the bluestone slabs with each step.

However, the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun were faster than him.

One of the riders suddenly accelerated.

The iron hooves trampled the ground, splashing up large sprays of water.

The knight held his spear level, and his blood energy erupted, with dark red light converging at the tip of the spear.

boom!

The air was torn apart by the high-speed impact of the spear, producing a piercing shriek.

The impact, carrying the immense force of man and horse as one, aimed straight for Zhou Yuan's chest.

Zhou Yuan stood still, without flinching.

His figure appeared somewhat thin in the firelight.

A cruel smile appeared on the black knight's lips.

Since their formation, the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun have undergone the most brutal trials; martial artists of the same realm are utterly insignificant before them.

The martial artist before me is too young.

"Die!"

The black-clad warrior roared in anger.

Just as the spear was less than three feet away from Zhou Yuan, Zhou Yuan moved.

His spirit roamed the six realms.

His figure seemed to vanish into thin air, and the next instant, he appeared in mid-air.

Zhou Yuan lowered his waist and rotated his hips, causing the blood and qi in his body to surge wildly into his right fist like boiling magma through his meridians.

Five feet of thick blood energy condensed on his fist.

Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, third level.

A force of ten thousand jin.

Zhou Yuan threw a punch at the oncoming knight.

boom!

A deafening explosion rang out on the long street.

The blast of air burst forth, forcefully displacing the surrounding rain.

The arrogant Yan Yun knight, along with his heavily armored warhorse, instantly disintegrated under this punch.

Blood, flesh, and shattered armor flew in all directions.

"Anyone who blocks my fist will be shattered, man and horse alike."

Zhou Yuan landed on the ground, the bluestone slab beneath his feet intact, and his voice rang out steadily in the deathly silent street.