After chatting a little longer with Sun Tao and learning he was on the verge of cultivating Gang Qi, Xu Yang had dinner in the dining hall and then walked out of the mountain gate.

It was now evening. The setting sun hung over the peaks, bathing the Yunling Mountain Range in gold. The mountains themselves resembled countless giant dragons lying in repose.

He didn’t use his Lightweight Skill, simply striding forward with a speed no different from an ordinary person’s sprint.

About ten kilometers from the mountain gate, two figures stood in the middle of the road, silhouetted against the sunset’s afterglow. Their shadows stretched long behind them, and a faint radiance emanated from their bodies.

"Xu Yang, we’ve been waiting for you. Today is the day you pay the price for the death of my senior brother, Zhu Yang," Ji Jincheng said, his face contorted with hatred.

The temperature around them plummeted as a murderous atmosphere filled the air.

Han Xing’s gaze was ice-cold, his eyes locked on Xu Yang. If Xu Yang dared to turn and flee, he would face pursuit from a Martial Artist who had already mastered Qi Cultivation Gang.

Xu Yang sighed. "You’re ambushing me here. Aren’t you afraid a passing disciple might see you?"

’Before, I thought Han Xing was gentle and courteous, like a scholar. I guess it was all just an act.’

The two of them had no feud; they had never even exchanged a single word. Yet, the killing intent radiating from Han Xing was far more intense than Ji Jincheng’s. It was as if Han Xing was the one who held a grudge against him, not Ji Jincheng of Gale Hall.

Ji Jincheng laughed. "Aside from someone like you with a Garrison mission in the city, who else would be passing through here now? And so what if someone does? Among the Outer Disciples, who would dare disrespect my Eagle Society?"

The Eagle Society’s strength was considered bottom-tier among the Outer Disciple organizations, but with Kong Yu ranked third on the Ten Heroes List, very few people would dare to underestimate them.

Xu Yang nodded. ’Having a powerful backer really is useful sometimes.’ "Where’s Kong Yu?" he asked. "He should want me dead more than anyone. Why didn’t he come? And I remember there’s someone else from Gale Hall named Li Xu. Why isn’t he here either?"

Han Xing said coldly, "You are not worthy of dying at the hands of Junior Brother Kong Yu."

Ji Jincheng quickly added, "Of course Senior Brother Kong Yu wants you dead. But he’s become a member of the Heroic Assembly and has been taken on a mission by one of their experts. As for Senior Brother Li Xu, Senior Brother Han and I are more than enough to kill you. No need to involve him."

’So Kong Yu didn’t come. Looks like I’ll have to deal with this again later.’

Xu Yang looked at Han Xing. "Brother Han, you and I have no feud, do we? Why get involved in this mess?"

Han Xing replied, "We don’t. But Junior Brother Kong Yu’s enemy is my enemy. I can’t wait for you to master Qi Cultivation Gang before I kill you. Although you’re far inferior to Junior Brother Kong Yu, you have some talent. Killing you after you reach that stage would be much more difficult."

"But rest assured, I will make it quick."

Xu Yang smiled. "In that case, my thanks to you, Brother Han. Go ahead, make your move."

He stood his ground as if he had accepted his fate, neither running nor begging for mercy.

Ji Jincheng was tempted to act, but then he remembered he hadn’t yet mastered Qi Cultivation Gang. Getting close to Xu Yang would mean facing a desperate, last-ditch counterattack.

"You have courage. It’s a shame you made an enemy of Junior Brother Kong Yu. Otherwise, we could have been friends." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Han Xing strode forward, his tone tinged with a hint of regret.

"Xu Yang, in your next life, remember not to provoke anyone from my Gale Hall!" Ji Jincheng yelled.

"Don’t resist. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee it’ll be quick."

Han Xing’s aura grew increasingly tyrannical. A scorching Gang Qi erupted from his pores, forming a red halo around his body.

Xu Yang knew he wouldn’t be able to catch Han Xing off guard. ’This guy tells me not to resist, but he’s on full alert, completely wary of a sneak attack.’

"Alright!"

Xu Yang nodded, and the motion drew Han Xing’s attention.

The next moment, the dirt beneath his feet exploded as he vanished from sight.

His Gang Qi surged in an instant, roiling like an enraged sea. His body shot forward like a thunderbolt, bursting through the cloud of dust as a series of sharp cracks, CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE, echoed from his frame.

The Golden Gang Skill circulated rapidly, and a faint silvery sheen appeared on his skin, making it seem much fairer for an instant.

The great dragon along his spine writhed as he drew his body taut like a massive bow. Another series of sharp cracks echoed out—eleven in total.

Thunder Shock Fist, with the Eleventh Layer of Force superimposed.

Relying on his Comprehension stat of eighty, he had gotten bored during his patrols the last few days and used the time to push the Force superposition of his Thunder Shock Fist to the eleventh layer.

A punch backed by the Eleventh Layer of Force was terrifyingly powerful. His fist tore through the air, creating a piercing shriek and sending out ripples visible to the naked eye.

Before the fist even arrived, a terrifying pressure slammed into Han Xing’s Protective Gang Qi. Even with the Gang Qi’s protection, he felt a crushing weight on his chest, as if a giant boulder had been placed there.

"Qi Cultivation Gang!" Ji Jincheng cried out, his expression changing dramatically.

’So treacherous!’

’Xu Yang had already mastered Qi Cultivation Gang, yet he hadn’t told anyone. The man’s cunning runs deep.’

"This is bad!" Han Xing’s face fell.

Although he had never let his guard down, he had never imagined that Xu Yang had already mastered Qi Cultivation Gang.

Mastering Qi Cultivation Gang was the kind of achievement every Martial Artist was eager to announce to the world. A breakthrough was always widely publicized. Yet Xu Yang had kept his a secret, letting everyone believe he was still in the Qi Gathering Realm.

The air boomed as shockwaves swept out.

The punch was as fast as lightning, its power like a crashing tidal wave. Before he had even closed the distance, Xu Yang threw his fist. The Force, wrapped in a furious wind, flashed red as tyrannical Gang Qi erupted from his knuckles and blasted forward.

Though caught off guard by Xu Yang having mastered Qi Cultivation Gang, Han Xing was still Han Xing. If not for Qin Ze taking advantage of his bloody battle with Gu Haoming, he would have been an undisputed top-three contender in this year’s Martial Arts Examination.

Sensing the fierce, overwhelming power of Xu Yang’s punch, Han Xing dodged to the side just as the Gang Qi was about to slam into him. Xu Yang’s Gang Qi grazed his body as it thundered past.