Chapter 322: My Fists and Feet Are Pretty Decent Too

Jiu Xingkong and his group weren't riding horses, but their feet moved incredibly fast, sometimes covering over ten meters in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, he sensed something and stopped in his tracks:

"You all return to Arhat Temple first. I'll catch up shortly."

"Yes."

The monks he had brought clasped their hands in salute, then quickly departed.

A few breaths later, over a dozen figures emerged from the shadows.

"You're from Extreme Flame Sword Manor?"

These swordsmen said nothing, encircling Jiu Xingkong and striking with the swiftness of thunder.

Jiu Xingkong let out a cold laugh. A vajra pestle suddenly appeared in his hand, and he charged toward the group of swordsmen.

A hundred zhang away, Yang Ling stood on a high vantage point, watching the scene unfold with some surprise.

"Martial artists from Extreme Flame Sword Manor are here to ambush Jiu Xingkong?"

"Their strength isn't bad, but they're only Lower and Mid Sixth-Rank."

"They can help wear down Jiu Xingkong's Vital Qi."

A hint of a smile crept into Yang Ling's eyes. He didn't rush to intervene, choosing instead to continue observing.

From Jiu Xingkong's techniques, he could see traces of the Mighty Vajra Palm.

"Using the principles of Mighty Vajra Palm to wield a vajra pestle... it's the same logic as me using the Dragon-Capturing Saber Technique to wield the Centenary Refined Kylin Pickaxe."

"But this vajra pestle of his probably has some background."

Just then, Jiu Xingkong seized an opportunity. He swung the pestle at a Sixth-Rank swordsman from Extreme Flame Sword Manor.

In that instant, it seemed as though Vital Qi surged into the vajra pestle. A massive phantom appeared faintly behind Jiu Xingkong, resembling a Buddha wielding a vajra pestle. The phantom's pestle merged with the one in Jiu Xingkong's hands.

The swordsman was struck and flew back spitting blood. Though he didn't die on the spot, he had lost all combat capability.

"The weapon in his hands is a Mid Sixth-Rank Divine Armament! But don't panic—activating a divine armament's spirit consumes a massive amount of Vital Qi. He doesn't have enough to waste!"

One swordsman shouted. The others didn't panic, instead forming a sword formation to surround Jiu Xingkong.

Jiu Xingkong couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"Arhat Temple's Arhat Salvation Sutra keeps this humble monk's Vital Qi flowing endlessly! You think you can drain me to death? Dream on!"

The two sides continued to clash. Though the Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen weren't highly cultivated, their combined sword formation possessed remarkable power.

They forcibly ground Jiu Xingkong's Vital Qi down to rock bottom.

Jiu Xingkong immediately activated the Arhat Salvation Sutra, restoring his Vital Qi to its peak in an instant.

Yang Ling was all too familiar with this scene. It was exactly what Mingxin had done back then.

"All of you, this humble monk will send you to the Western Paradise."

Jiu Xingkong's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice dripping with murderous intent.

Several of the Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen were already severely injured. The sword formation was teetering on the verge of collapse, and even those still standing were in bad shape, bearing wounds and nearly depleted of Vital Qi.

"Friends from Devour Heaven Palace, aren't you going to make a move?"

Suddenly, a swordsman shouted:

"Don't forget the agreement between our two sides!"

"Hmm? This is... part of the mission too?"

Yang Ling was taken aback. He hadn't expected these Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen to be cooperating with Devour Heaven Palace.

Jiu Xingkong paid no heed. Vajra pestle in hand, he charged at one of the swordsmen.

"Not good!"

Yang Ling locked onto Jiu Xingkong and tossed a Quenched-Gold Armor-Piercing Flying Dagger.

With his terrifying Strength and Agility, the dagger shot through the air like a bolt of lightning.

Wherever it passed, the temperature plummeted.

He hadn't brought Zhang Hongyu and the others precisely because he feared they'd die at Jiu Xingkong's hands, lowering his mission completion rating.

If these Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen were also tied to this mission, their deaths would affect his rating too.

At that moment, the Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen all sensed the terrifying dagger. Surprise flickered in their eyes.

Since when did Devour Heaven Palace have someone so skilled in flying daggers?

At the same time, Jiu Xingkong's hairs stood on end. A dangerous feeling surged through his heart.

He suspected that if he forcefully killed the swordsman in front of him, he would likely be severely wounded by that flying dagger!

In a flash, he made his decision!

Jiu Xingkong forcefully changed his trajectory, moving like a giant gecko, darting away in an instant.

The flying dagger missed him by a hair's breadth.

When it embedded itself in the ground, a thick layer of frost formed over an area several zhang in radius.

The surrounding temperature dropped even further.

Yang Ling didn't stop there. He continued to hurl Quenched-Gold Armor-Piercing Flying Daggers at Jiu Xingkong.

Jiu Xingkong moved with incredible speed and agility.

Even the daggers that had anticipated his landing point were dodged by Jiu Xingkong through sheer effort.

But the relentless barrage of daggers left Jiu Xingkong no room to breathe.

He kept evading, scurrying like a giant gecko.

More and more patches of ice appeared on the ground.

The Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen exchanged glances, seeing a strange light in each other's eyes.

"Impressive. He hasn't even shown himself, yet he's already pushed Jiu Xingkong to this state?"

"Which chief disciple of Devour Heaven Palace is this?"

Just then, Jiu Xingkong seemed to have pinpointed the source of the flying daggers.

Dodging as he moved, he charged toward Yang Ling's location.

What greeted him was a sky full of flying daggers.

Among them were Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Flying Daggers, Quenched-Gold Armor-Piercing Flying Daggers.

Ice Blades and Fire Blades.

Seeing this, Jiu Xingkong erupted with fury:

"You little worm! Don't let this humble monk catch you! A cowardly lowlife who only ambushes from the shadows!"

Faced with this spectacle, he had nowhere left to dodge!

He could at most evade a few daggers, so Jiu Xingkong immediately circulated his energy, activating his Vital Qi.

His entire body was enveloped in Vital Qi.

Ice Blades struck his Vital Qi, condensing frost and consuming a portion of his reserves.

Fire Blades hit his Vital Qi and exploded on contact, depleting even more of it!

In the span of just over a hundred zhang, Jiu Xingkong had burned through half his Vital Qi and still couldn't reach his target.

Suddenly, Jiu Xingkong changed direction, fleeing toward another side.

"He's trying to run!?"

The Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen were startled.

Seeing this, Yang Ling immediately emerged from the shadows to chase after Jiu Xingkong, hurling daggers at him from behind.

"So you finally showed yourself, you little worm!"

Jiu Xingkong's body shifted again, seemingly defying the laws of physics. He went from full speed to a dead stop in an instant, then spun around and charged at Yang Ling.

"A feigned retreat!? This bald donkey is cunning!"

The Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen drew their swords and rushed forward.

But at that moment, an incredibly terrifying aura erupted from the distance.

It came from the direction of King Subei's Manor!

"Not good! King Subei might be coming in person!"

The Extreme Flame Sword Manor swordsmen exchanged uneasy glances and, without a word, turned and fled!

"You bunch of traitorous scumbags!"

Yang Ling cursed inwardly, while his Spirit attribute, now reaching two hundred points, allowed him to perceive the terrifying aura behind him with even greater clarity.

"Is this the aura of a Grandmaster? King Zhao, the strongest below Third-Rank?"

"Hahaha! King Zhao is coming! It'll take him at most two ke to get here from King Subei's Manor!"

Jiu Xingkong roared with laughter as he continued charging at Yang Ling.

He was already confident of victory. There was no way his opponent could defeat him in two ke.

He had already secured his position of invincibility!

"Die, you brat!"

Yang Ling's expression suddenly turned calm. He smiled and said:

"Did you think all I could do was throw daggers? My fists and feet are pretty decent too."

A fierce gale swept across the area. Yang Ling's figure vanished from its spot, moving like a bolt of lightning as he actively charged toward Jiu Xingkong.