“Get out of the way!” When Ye Chu arrived at the Black Jade Inn, fighting could already be heard outside the entrance. A burly man wielded a long halberd shrouded in darkness. Every sweep carried ferocious power, sending cultivators flying. When the halberd smashed into the ground, the bluestone pavement shattered instantly.
Yet under such ferocious attacks, no one retreated. Instead, more cultivators charged forward. “Hand over the Dark Nether Ink Jade!”
Dozens of cultivators shouted in unison. Each erupted with power, brandishing weapons as they slashed towards the burly man.
Ye Chu and Ye Jingyun watched the scene. They slipped onto a nearby rooftop, staring straight at the man surrounded by the crowd. The two exchanged a glance and saw the same shock in each other’s eyes.
They had not expected the Dark Nether Ink Jade to attract so many people. In the arena below, there were dozens of cultivators encircling the burly man. Most had reached the Innate Realm, and seven or eight were already in the Primordial Spirit Realm.
“Fang Hei! Hand over the Dark Nether Ink Jade. Otherwise, you won’t leave Black Jade City alive today!” A Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator roared. His power surged forth, joining forces with the others in a combined strike aimed at killing Fang Hei.
“If you have the ability, then come and take it!” Fang Hei bellowed. His halberd swept out with extreme ferocity, smashing directly into one cultivator and cleaving him in two. Blood dyed the bluestone red.
Ye Chu and Ye Jingyun saw this and felt the caution in each other’s eyes. They now understood just how strong this man was. His strength had likely reached the upper grade of the Primordial Spirit Realm, or perhaps even higher.
“Get out of my way!” Fang Hei shouted. His power erupted, blasting straight towards the crowd. “If I want to leave, none of you can stop me!”
“Fang Hei, you won’t be leaving today. Pieces of Dark Nether Ink Jade appear in Black Jade City only a handful of times. If you had already reached the great cultivator level, we wouldn’t dare act against you. But you haven’t yet. This item belongs to us now!” A Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator shouted, blocking Fang Hei’s path of retreat.
“Then I’ll send you on your way!” Fang Hei roared. His halberd pointed straight at the opponent.
The Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator hastily retreated two steps. He shouted towards the surroundings, “Are you still hiding? If he escapes, none of us will get a share of that jade!”
With those words, hundreds of cultivators surged in from all directions. These hundreds split into four or five groups, completely encircling Fang Hei.
“The tyrant of the eastern district, Second-Rate Hoodlum!”
“The tyrant of the western district, Third Brother!”
“The Tiger King of the southern district!”
“The Big Sister of the western district!”
Everyone who saw these leaders could not help feeling a chill. Each one was a notorious figure in Black Jade City. All possessed strength at the upper grade of the Primordial Spirit Realm. They dominated their respective districts and acted tyrannically. Yet these top forces had actually joined together to deal with the burly man before them. Just how strong was he?
With these people taking action, it meant the city’s most powerful factions had all arrived. This time, the man was likely doomed.
Ye Chu was also shaken by such a lineup. He had not expected a single piece of Dark Nether Ink Jade to draw so many people. Even Ye Jingyun could not help sighing. “It seems this item really isn’t ours to claim.”
There were more than ten Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators present, not to mention the hundreds of others. If they dared step in, they would be instantly annihilated.
Yet what surprised Ye Chu was that Fang Hei showed no fear at all when faced with such a force. He looked coldly at the major factions surrounding him and snorted. “You really think highly of me. The strongest forces in Black Jade City have all come to encircle me.”
“We have heard of Madman Fang’s reputation and dare not underestimate you. Rumour has it that no fewer than ten Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators have died by your hand, including some at the upper grade. Your savage name echoes throughout this region. To be safe, we had no choice but to join forces against you,” the Tiger King of the southern district said with a smile as he stared at Fang Hei. This man truly was formidable. Countless cultivators had died at his hands. Without absolute certainty, who would dare act recklessly?
“You cannot stop me!” Fang Hei glared at the crowd and shouted.
“Hahaha…” The group burst into laughter. “Whether we can stop you or not isn’t up to you. We’ll find out once we try.”
As they spoke, ten Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators simultaneously erupted with terrifying power. Their attacks shot straight towards Fang Hei’s vital points. The strikes were domineering and ruthless, clearly intending to kill him in one blow.
Fang Hei did not dodge or evade. He unleashed a fierce strike. His halberd swept out horizontally, clashing with the weapons of the ten cultivators. A sound like metal colliding rang out.
“Clang…” Fang Hei was forced back, but the ten cultivators fared no better. They too staggered backwards.
Ye Chu and Ye Jingyun both felt shaken. They were stunned by the opponent’s strength. Fang Hei was far too dominant. This was a combined strike from ten Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators, yet he had blocked it. This man might not yet be a great cultivator, but he was not far off.
The Tiger King and the others were also shaken. They stared blankly at Fang Hei. None of them had expected his strength to have grown even further.
“We must kill him!” The killing intent in their hearts grew even stronger. They had long been at odds with Fang Hei. If he used the Dark Nether Ink Jade to reach the great cultivator level, it would become their nightmare.
Once he reached the great cultivator level, who among them could possibly stop him?
“Form the array! Join forces and kill him!” Second-Rate Hoodlum shouted. Hundreds of people combined their power. Spiritual energy surged, forming a grand array that strangled towards Fang Hei. Each strike from the array sent dozens of weapons stabbing at him.
“Come on then!” Fang Hei roared. His halberd danced. With utterly ferocious power, he forcibly blocked one attack from the array, sending numerous cultivators flying. Some crashed into the ground and spat blood.
“Too ferocious and domineering. This man is very strong!” Ye Jingyun sighed. She was still far from Fang Hei’s level. Facing such a person, she felt powerless and had already given up on claiming the Dark Nether Ink Jade.
“Let’s go back!” Ye Jingyun said to Ye Chu. With tonight’s lineup, it was simply impossible for them to obtain the Dark Nether Ink Jade.
Ye Chu ignored Ye Jingyun. His gaze remained fixed on the arena. Fang Hei truly was dominant, carrying the might of a fierce general. Every sweep of his halberd claimed lives. The scent of blood rose from the bluestone pavement.
Fang Hei was overwhelmingly strong. His ferocious halberd swept out repeatedly, disrupting the array before it could fully form. It could not mount an effective attack. In the end, the Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators had no choice but to charge to the front and block him together.
No one had expected him to be this powerful. Every time Fang Hei swung his halberd, their blood and qi churned. Fear grew in their hearts. This man was simply too strong.
“None of you are leaving today!” Fang Hei laughed heartily. His halberd smashed down ferociously on a Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator, severing his arm in an instant. Blood sprayed out, stark and gruesome.
This scene chilled the hearts of the many cultivators. Retreat began to form in their minds. One by one they backed away, staring at him in terror and not daring to make a move.
With his strength alone, Fang Hei had frightened so many cultivators into submission. His dominance was laid bare for all to see.