Chapter 74: Chapter 72: Fierce Tiger Shocks the Sky

"Holy shit, he’s here already?"

As Jiang Chen darted through the dense forest, he suddenly heard a roar like booming thunder from behind. He jerked to a stop and looked back to vaguely see a cyan figure approaching, walking on air.

The figure was moving incredibly fast, rapidly closing in on his position.

"Son of a bitch! True Martial Realm experts can fucking fly? This is such bullshit!" Jiang Chen cursed out loud as he pushed himself to run even faster through the dense forest, but Zhao Qiankun only got closer.

Those in the True Martial Realm could walk on air.

’He’s flying in a straight line through the air while I have to sprint on the ground. Of course I can’t outrun him!’

Moreover...

No matter how he weaved and dodged, or what treacherous paths he took, he couldn’t seem to shake Zhao Qiankun’s lock on him.

Jiang Chen glanced up at the Curse Blood Mist, which glowed for over two thousand zhang, and felt a wave of helplessness. ’Carrying this thing around is like running through the night with a sun strapped to my head. Forget a True Martial Realm Third Stage master like Zhao Qiankun—anyone who isn’t blind could spot me in an instant!’

’For fuck’s sake... I have to find a way to shake this guy...’

As he sprinted at top speed, Jiang Chen’s ears twitched. He heard the roar of a great, rushing river to the east, and his eyes lit up. ’There’s a river over there. I just hope it’s not a dead end!’

Jiang Chen immediately changed direction and bolted east.

’Oh? He changed direction?’ A cold glint flashed in Zhao Qiankun’s eyes as he flew high above, and he sneered endlessly. ’Hmph. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I will hunt you down and tear you to pieces! Anyone who dares to provoke the might of my Qinghuo Gang deserves to die a thousand deaths, to be sliced by a thousand cuts!’

Walking on air, he resumed his pursuit of Jiang Chen.

「A short while later...」

Zhao Qiankun also spotted the ceaselessly flowing river and gave a cold smile. ’Trying to escape using the river? Too bad I won’t let you get your wish!’

BOOM!

His speed surged. Despite his imposing frame, he was incredibly agile in the air, and with just a few maneuvers, he overtook Jiang Chen.

"Brat, you can’t escape!" As the thunderous roar echoed, a figure shot past like a meteor and slammed into the ground right in front of Jiang Chen with a deafening BOOM.

The impact from the burly, bear-like figure kicked up a thick cloud of dust as cracks spiderwebbed across the ground in all directions.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The ground looked as if it had been ripped apart, the fissures spreading right up to Jiang Chen’s feet before they finally stopped.

Jiang Chen’s pupils contracted. Gripping his Cyan Blade Sword, he stared warily into the cloud of dust.

Amidst the swirling dust and debris, a burly figure emerged. He strode forward purposefully, his steps ringing like clanging iron.

A pair of cold eyes landed on Jiang Chen, and the man raised his thick eyebrows. "Martial Arts Ninth Stage? To think someone with your cultivation could kill both Gongsun Yang and Chen Yidao, along with hundreds of True Monarchs and Martial Arts Realm experts from the major powers... all fallen to your sword. I never expected to meet a genius like you from outside the Sword Sect. You are indeed worthy of my personal attention. I just wonder... can you even withstand a single punch from me?"

The moment his voice fell,

Zhao Qiankun charged toward Jiang Chen. He swung an arm as thick as a grown man’s thigh and threw a ferocious punch!

The straight punch tore through the air with a terrifying sonic boom.

A silver, metallic sheen appeared on the surface of his fist, as if it were encased in silver metal—fierce and powerful.

Jiang Chen quickly raised his sword to meet it. The man before him, Zhao Qiankun, projected an intense threat, and Jiang Chen didn’t dare be careless. He condensed his Wind Sword Intent into the Cyan Blade Sword, pushing his blade to its maximum speed to counter Zhao Qiankun’s power. Wreathed in Gale Sword Qi, the Cyan Blade Sword slammed violently against the silver Iron Fist.

KRRR-ACK...

A brilliant light exploded as sparks flew high into the air!

The collision of blade and fist erupted in a blinding shower of sparks, like a brilliant firework detonating in mid-air.

BANG!

Two wildly different powers erupted. Jiang Chen was blasted backward. With a flick of his wrist, he drove his blade into the ground to stop himself, but the terrifying force continued to send him flying. The sharp Cyan Blade Sword tore a gash more than ten meters long in the earth before his body slammed into a massive tree, finally halting his retreat!

BOOM!

The tree behind Jiang Chen shuddered violently before exploding from its core, sending splinters everywhere.

He glanced down. His Cyan Blade Sword was vibrating violently, emitting a low hum. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger had been torn open by the impact, blood streaming down his hand. Jiang Chen couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. ’What terrifying power. In terms of pure strength, this Zhao Qiankun surpasses many masters at the True Martial Realm Fourth Stage. And his arm can instantly turn to metal? What kind of bizarre technique is that?’

"Hahaha..."

Zhao Qiankun’s laughter was deafening. The silver metal on his fist slowly receded, revealing a small cut on his knuckles. He lifted his hand and licked the trace of blood from the wound, his smile turning savage. "Interesting. A mere Martial Arts Ninth Stage brat managed to make me bleed? Little bastard, I’m going to tear you in half with my own two hands! Gahaha..."

"Tyrant Step!"

A thunderous sound exploded.

A silvery light erupted from under Zhao Qiankun’s feet, coating even the ground he touched in a layer of silver metal. He moved with the stride of a tiger, his speed surging as he charged unstoppably toward Jiang Chen like an invincible overlord.

This time, he didn’t use any Martial Skills.

He was relying purely on his powerful physical body to rampage forward, like a frenzied giant bear!

Having already experienced the terror of Zhao Qiankun’s strength and physique, Jiang Chen had no desire to be struck by a rampaging bear. His figure flashed, and he dodged the incoming charge. Zhao Qiankun crashed into empty air, plowing a ten-meter-long, flattened path through the dense forest.

Zhao Qiankun spun around and charged again, and Jiang Chen dodged repeatedly.

"You little bastard, stop dodging if you have any guts!" Zhao Qiankun roared.

Jiang Chen spat. "What, I’m just supposed to stand here like an idiot and let you run me over?"

"Little bastard, you’d better pray I don’t get my hands on you, or I’ll tear you limb from limb." A cold light gleamed in Zhao Qiankun’s eyes. He clenched his fists, producing a sharp CRACK-CRACK sound, wishing he could rip Jiang Chen to pieces on the spot.

Dodging another of Zhao Qiankun’s charges, Jiang Chen suppressed the churning qi and blood within him. He took a deep, steadying breath, his expression grave. ’If this keeps up, this brute is going to wear me down and kill me. I have to find a way to escape... but his strength is too immense, and his body is hard as iron. Even my Wind Fluctuation would struggle to break his defense. It looks like... I have to use that one move!’

Jiang Chen took a deep breath.

His fleeing figure came to a sudden halt. He planted his feet, spun around, and faced Zhao Qiankun, his gaze as cold and fierce as a wolf’s. "Zhao Qiankun, you wanted a head-on fight, didn’t you? Fine! I’ll give you one!"

"Hahaha, that’s exactly what I wanted! Brat, time to die!" Zhao Qiankun roared with laughter as a silver light flashed over his arms, encasing them in a metallic layer.

His fists clanged like two metallic dragons swinging their tails as they smashed toward Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen met them with a punch of his own.

Their fists slammed into each other—a clash of titans!

BOOM—

The two Iron Fists crashed together. Jiang Chen’s entire body shuddered; the impact had fractured his arm. Gritting his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes, he roared like thunder, "FIERCE! TIGER! SHOCKS! SKY!"

BZZZZZ...

He threw the punch, and it shot out like a Spiritual Python soaring to the heavens, carrying a powerful and bizarre Shaking Power.

This was none other than Fierce Tiger Shocks the Sky, the First Technique of the Eight Celestial Dragon Divine Fist!

It was an Earth-Tier Martial Skill; even an average True Martial Realm Peak Powerhouse would not necessarily be able to master a technique of this caliber.

The punch carried a Shaking Power that bypassed all external defenses to strike directly at the bones beneath the metal armor.

A series of sickening cracks echoed, sharp and jarring. Zhao Qiankun’s expression changed drastically, and he let out a muffled grunt as the bones in his right arm fractured. He stumbled backward, his right arm hanging limply at his side, severely injured.

Jiang Chen gritted his teeth. His own right hand was a mangled ruin of flesh and blood; his injury was by no means light.

But without a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Chen spun around and sprinted toward the river at top speed.

"Bastard, stop!" Zhao Qiankun roared, his eyes bloodshot. He whipped a silver warhammer from his back and hurled it violently at Jiang Chen.

WHOOSH!

The silver warhammer tore through the air like a meteor, chasing after Jiang Chen.

However...

Just as it was about to strike him, Jiang Chen executed a Fish Leaping the Dragon Gate and dove into the turbulent river.

BOOM!

The silver warhammer smashed into the river, causing the water to explode upward in a colossal, hundred-meter-high column. By the time Zhao Qiankun reached the riverbank, Jiang Chen was long gone. All he could hear was the faint echo of Jiang Chen’s voice, carried intermittently over the roar of the rapids...

"Zhao Qiankun, I, Jiang Chen, will remember this debt! The next time we meet, I will have my revenge!"