Chapter 124: Cleaving Heaven and Earth

"Is Wu Tian out of his mind? He's actually going to fight the leader of the Fierce Tiger Hall; that's nothing short of a death wish! Though, even if Wu Tian tried to run, he wouldn't get far."

"I can already see that ten thousand taels of gold finding its way into the Fierce Tiger Hall's pockets."

"Does this kid really think he's worth ten thousand taels? I honestly don't know what the City Lord of New Leaf City is thinking. This bounty is far too easy to claim, though it’s a pity it won't be mine."

As Hu Xiaofeng prepared to finish Wu Tian off, the surrounding crowd whispered amongst themselves. Some expressed pity, others contempt, and some were simply confused. In their eyes, Wu Tian was already a dead man.

*Boom!* With a muffled explosion, Hu Xiaofeng pushed off the ground with both legs, the force causing the earth beneath him to cave in. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Wu Tian.

"Such speed!" Wu Tian was startled, but he kept his composure, instantly exerting force to dodge.

"Oh?" A flash of surprise crossed Hu Xiaofeng’s eyes. "I didn't expect you to be able to react. It seems you have a bit of skill, kid."

"That goes without saying—and I have the skill to kill you, too!" No sooner had the words left his lips than the Black Dragon Blade appeared in Wu Tian's grasp, slashing fiercely toward Hu Xiaofeng.

*Boom!* A violent blade aura erupted, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

After dodging the strike, Hu Xiaofeng looked even more astonished. He stood rooted to the spot, looking at Wu Tian in disbelief. "I never imagined someone so young could possess such cultivation. You must be at least at the first level of the Martial Spirit realm!"

"First level of the Martial Spirit realm? Perhaps," Wu Tian said, tilting his head.

"No wonder there’s a ten-thousand-tael bounty on your head in New Leaf City. That’s perfect. It would be beneath me to kill someone too weak, but since you have some strength, this won't be bad at all." Hu Xiaofeng gave a cold smirk, gripped his heavy blade tightly, and swung it down with immense force.

With a thunderous crash, the ground in front of Wu Tian was gouged out by the overwhelming blade aura.

"Game over. You can die now!" Suddenly, Hu Xiaofeng appeared behind Wu Tian, his blade sweeping toward Wu Tian's neck.

Wu Tian had not activated 'Wind-Riding Step,' and compared to Hu Xiaofeng—a second-level Martial King—his speed was lacking. There was no way for Wu Tian to dodge this strike.

"Absolute Defense!" Wu Tian muttered.

Instantly, a blue energy barrier formed in front of him. Hu Xiaofeng’s strike, imbued with vast amounts of true energy, slammed heavily into the barrier.

*Boom!* A massive wave of energy rippled outward. The ground around Wu Tian sank at least a dozen centimeters, and Hu Xiaofeng’s violent energy exploded in all directions, whipping up a gale. Even those standing dozens of meters away could feel the crushing pressure. Yet, in the midst of it all, Wu Tian remained unscathed and perfectly unharmed.

"What immense power! As expected of the Fierce Tiger Hall leader—the strength of a Martial King is truly terrifying!" Niu Wuji shielded his face from the wind kicked up by the energy, his expression one of shock. "But Boss's divine weapon is even more impressive. Even such a powerful attack can't do anything to him. This is even more thrilling to watch than last time."

"Although Hu Xiaofeng is stronger than that fat man from before, Young Master’s cultivation seems to have improved even further," Old Li observed, watching Wu Tian intently.

"Young Master is always so unfathomable," Li Qingqing nodded vigorously.

Xiao Hui simply smiled. Though she remained silent, it was clear she was deeply concerned for Wu Tian.

Meanwhile, the hundreds of mercenaries and adventurers hoping to claim Wu Tian's head stared on, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"H-how is this possible?! He actually blocked Hu Xiaofeng’s attack! That strike was at the level of a Martial King, yet he blocked it without a single scratch. That’s... that’s too incredible!"

"Are you kidding me? He can even block a Martial King’s attack? Is he really that monstrous?"

"It seems Wu Tian has some high-grade defensive gear on him. Even a Martial King’s attack couldn't break through. It looks like killing Wu Tian won't be as simple as we thought!"

"You're right. He must have some kind of high-level defensive artifact; otherwise, he couldn't have blocked a Martial King's attack unscathed! Once you strip away that gear, he's just an empty shell—there's nothing to him."

Following the initial shock, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of astonishment and suspicion.

The spectators weren't the only ones stunned; Hu Xiaofeng was equally taken aback. "To block my attack without a single scratch... this is unbelievable! I could clearly feel a force repelling my strike. It seems you are wearing some kind of high-grade defensive equipment!"

Wu Tian said nothing, opting instead to swing the Black Dragon Blade directly at Hu Xiaofeng. Hu Xiaofeng, naturally, would not simply stand there and take it; he retaliated immediately.

*Boom! Boom!* The two began exchanging blows, their violent true energy spreading outward and forcing the surrounding onlookers to retreat further to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

*Wham!* Hu Xiaofeng landed another strike on Wu Tian, but it still failed to cause the slightest injury. He then leaped backward, exiting the range of combat.

Hu Xiaofeng stared at Wu Tian with burning, greedy eyes. "I never imagined such powerful defensive equipment existed in this world—to block my full-power attacks without a scratch! If I could obtain that gear, my strength would surely ascend to a new level!"

"You think you can just take it because you want it?" Wu Tian sneered. He leaped into the air, pouring his true energy into the Black Dragon Blade. "Wind and Cloud Rising!"

A massive hurricane of condensed true energy surged toward Hu Xiaofeng. However, Hu Xiaofeng stood his ground, raising his blade to strike back with a powerful surge of his own energy. *Boom!* The two forces collided and dissipated into nothingness.

"It seems the first stage of the Black Dragon Blade technique isn't effective against him. While 'Absolute Defense' is still active, I might as well test the third stage I just grasped!"

Suddenly, Wu Tian vaulted into the air, raised the Black Dragon Blade with both hands, and poured nearly half of his total true energy into it. The jet-black blade let out a tremor that sounded like a dragon's roar. Immediately following, Wu Tian’s energy surged out of the blade like a dragon, wrapping entirely around its length. In an instant, a colossal blade formed from condensed energy was born.

"Black Dragon Blade Technique, Third Stage: Heaven-Splitting Earth-Cracker!" Wu Tian muttered while suspended in mid-air. His expression turned fierce, and he swung the Black Dragon Blade down with both arms.

*Boom!* The giant blade of condensed energy struck Hu Xiaofeng directly. Sand and stone flew everywhere; those with weaker cultivation were sent flying by the sheer force of the shockwave. The area where Hu Xiaofeng had been standing was swallowed by a thick cloud of dust, rendering the situation inside invisible.

Every person present had the same thought: *What in the hell is that technique? How could it produce such destructive power? Just how strong is this guy, Wu Tian?!*

When the dust finally settled, everyone’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets at what they saw.