Chapter 62: Challenging the Realm of Mastery

“Third Uncle, please stay calm. The terrain ahead is treacherous; beware of enemy ambushes,” Fang Xian said serenely. He then took out his powerful bow, tied a packet of medicinal powder to the arrowhead, and fired it toward the cliff above.

A sharp sound echoed as the powder burst upon the cliff, releasing a large cloud of yellow dust that enveloped the entire area. The powder was not poisonous, but blended with pungent herbs; anyone who inhaled it would be unable to stop sneezing.

As expected, soon after, sneezing erupted from both above and below the cliff. Some could not help but leap up, revealing their positions to Fang Xian, who watched from afar.

“All archers ready! After three volleys, charge!” Fang Xian shouted. Three thousand soldiers fired dense arrows toward the cliff, advancing as they shot.

After three rounds of arrows, they were only half a mile from the cliff. The elite fighters at the front let out a unified battle cry, leading the three thousand soldiers in a fierce assault.

Among the more than a thousand soldiers lying in ambush at Peach Mountain Stronghold, a third were killed by the sudden rain of arrows. The rest, plagued by sneezing, had no heart for battle; many bandits turned and fled.

Yet, the soldiers of Qingyun Stronghold, fierce as tigers descending from the mountains, surged from all directions, encircling and slaughtering the Peach Mountain soldiers—more massacre than battle, for the defenders offered little resistance.

The commander, a first-class expert, tried to escape but was intercepted by Ye Hongxiu. After a dozen rounds of combat, Ye Hongxiu struck him down with a single move.

The divine whip that Feng Ling had acquired was later entrusted to Fang Xian to deliver to Ye Hongxiu. She cherished it, and wielding it alongside her martial arts, her strength reached the pinnacle of a first-class expert. Slaying an ordinary first-class opponent was effortless.

“Kill!” Except for Ye Qingyun, Fang Xian, and a few others who did not join the fight, as well as four other divisions guarding the perimeter, the central six teams surged forward, killing most of the bandits lurking in Peach Mountain Stronghold.

“We surrender!”

“Spare us, we surrender!”

Three to four hundred surviving bandits threw down their weapons and knelt to beg for mercy. Fang Xian ordered the slaughter to cease and summoned several minor leaders among the surrendered bandits. “Does anyone among you know me?”

One minor leader had followed Tang Zhi to South Departure Stronghold and was wounded in a duel, only to be treated by Fang Xian. Now, seeing Fang Xian, he was deeply astonished. “Are you Mister Fang?”

“You’ve been to South Departure Stronghold? You’ve seen me?” Fang Xian asked, fixing his gaze upon him.

“My name is Feng Sanshun. I was wounded in a duel at South Departure Stronghold and was fortunate enough to have Mister Fang treat me. I will never forget your kindness,” Feng Sanshun replied respectfully.

“Would you be willing to betray Peach Mountain Stronghold and follow me? I wish to take the stronghold with minimal cost. If you help me, you’ll be the chief contributor, and I guarantee a good life for you and your family,” Fang Xian asked directly.

“Feng Sanshun is willing to serve Mister Fang, even unto death,” Feng Sanshun knelt and cupped his hands.

“Excellent. I have a plan. Gather trustworthy men; if it succeeds, you’ll have a place in Qingyun Stronghold.” Fang Xian was overjoyed. Feng Sanshun soon selected over ten loyal subordinates and explained the stakes to them.

Then, the main force from Qingyun Stronghold advanced, while Feng Sanshun led more than a hundred men in a feigned retreat to Peach Mountain Stronghold. Of these, only a dozen were genuine Peach Mountain bandits; the rest were Qingyun elite fighters disguised in Peach Mountain attire.

“Hurry, open the gate! The enemy is coming!” Feng Sanshun and his group returned only to find the stronghold gates tightly shut. They stepped forward, shouting loudly.

“It’s Feng Sanshun and his men,” someone stationed atop the stronghold recognized them.

“How come only you returned? Where are the others? Where are the Qingyun men?” the first-class expert guarding the gate demanded.

“Third Chief, we ambushed only the Qingyun vanguard, but their main force soon overwhelmed us. The others are dead; only we escaped to deliver the warning. Qingyun Stronghold is only two or three miles away, let us in quickly!” Feng Sanshun shouted, his companions echoing him.

“Attack Peach Mountain Stronghold!” From two or three miles away, the sound of battle cries could be heard; Qingyun’s troops were now visible.

“Let them in quickly,” Third Chief Flowerbeard finally agreed. At this moment, an extra hundred men defending the stronghold would be useful. Leaving them outside would impact morale.

“Come in, quickly!”

“Prepare to defend the stronghold!”

The gates were opened, and Feng Sanshun’s group was ushered inside while defenders hurried to ready heavy weapons atop the gate. Should Qingyun launch a direct assault, the cost would be steep.

“Kill!”

No sooner had Feng Sanshun’s group entered than they killed the gatekeepers. A figure leapt skyward, striking at Flowerbeard atop the gate—none other than Gan Scarface, a first-class expert concealed among the group.

“Attack!”

There were four first-class Qingyun experts hidden in the group, over twenty second-class fighters, and a number of third-class martial artists; the rest were elite soldiers. They erupted in a sudden assault, throwing the hundreds of Peach Mountain defenders into chaos. Meanwhile, Qingyun’s main force advanced swiftly, joining the attack and quickly seizing the gate.

“Split up and advance. Feng Sanshun, guide us. Take the stables and storehouse, secure the mountain paths,” Fang Xian’s orders rang in every ear. Feng Sanshun and his men split into pairs, leading squads to the stronghold’s key locations.

“Ye Qingyun, you scoundrel! This is outrageous!” From the summit came Tang Zhi’s furious roar—Ye Qingyun had already found him, and the two were locked in combat.

“Peach Mountain Stronghold will fall today. Surrender and you will not be killed!” Ye Qingyun shouted, suppressing Tang Zhi, his voice ringing throughout the stronghold.

Aside from a handful of loyal bandits, most hesitated. Yet as Qingyun’s forces surged up the mountain, Peach Mountain Stronghold offered almost no resistance.

A thunderous crash and cries of battle erupted.

The few first-class experts of Peach Mountain were all engaged by Qingyun’s champions. Any bandit willing to surrender simply discarded their weapons and were spared, but those who kept their arms were slaughtered without mercy.

Suddenly, a deafening crash—Tang Zhi was sent flying by Ye Qingyun, blood spraying as he battered through the air. But he used the momentum to charge toward Fang Xian, whom he had already noticed and recognized, seeing him direct the assault against the bandits. Now, though gravely wounded, he sought to kill him.

“Stand back,” Fang Xian’s close attendants, including the concealed Li Daqi and other first-class experts, were about to intervene, but Fang Xian stopped them. He drew his Death Star Sword and advanced.

After his battle with Zhu Shimai in South Departure Stronghold, Fang Xian had achieved significant breakthroughs; his physique had improved, and the mysterious energy he wielded could now be used like internal force, displaying qualities of a grandmaster.

A month had passed since then, and his strength had only grown. His mastery of martial arts had deepened, and facing the heavily wounded Tang Zhi—who at best was now equivalent to an ordinary grandmaster—Fang Xian wished to test his own power.

With a thunderous clash, Fang Xian’s Death Star Sword struck Tang Zhi’s Nine-Ringed Blade, failing to break it, as it was imbued with the grandmaster’s external internal force.

The forceful collision sent Fang Xian back several steps, but he swung his sword, roared, and charged again. Though he was forced to retreat repeatedly, he held his ground.

“Don’t worry, let him try,” Ye Qingyun, Ye Hongxiu, and the others arrived, stopping anyone from intervening, allowing Fang Xian to test himself against Tang Zhi.