Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword

Seeing the strong Shi Gang wounded by a single sword strike from Zhou Heng, the other two revealed intense shock on their faces, having forgotten to attack altogether.

"What are you dazing for, hold him down for me!" Shi Gang roared in anger. He had always considered himself a genius, but to be defeated by a young man who had just entered the Bone Refinement Realm with a single move was infuriating and embarrassing!

The two from the Shi Family snapped out of their reverie, swinging their swords and blades at Zhou Heng.

In Zhou Heng's eyes, only Shi Gang could be considered an opponent. As for the other two... even without breaking into the Bone Refinement Realm, he had the strength to kill them with one sword strike!

Whoosh, he swung his sword horizontally, targeting the neck of one of them.

"Don't even think about it!" Shi Gang snorted coldly, slashing out with his blade. A fierce blade Qi surged towards Zhou Heng in a furious assault.

"If I want to kill someone, how could you possibly stop me!" Zhou Heng also snorted coldly, unfolding the Cloud Flying Step with extraordinary speed, easily dodging Shi Gang's strike. With a single stride, his figure continued to pounce forward without any hesitation.

Spurt! A spray of fresh blood passed by, and a beautiful arc of blood blossomed from the man's neck as Zhou Heng slid past, nimbly evading Shi Gang's returning blade.

"Damn it!" Shi Gang bellowed in a rage, Zhou Heng had killed two men in front of him, driving him to the brink of madness!

The last man from the Shi Family was shivering all over with fear. In his eyes, Zhou Heng was like the god of death. Even if Shi Gang was so what? He couldn't protect his own life! Suddenly, he let out a shrill scream and turned to run.

"Come back!" Shi Gang shouted angrily, not that he needed the other's help, but this act of fleeing was an admission that he was inferior to Zhou Heng, wasn't it?

This was what infuriated him the most!

But with the enemy right in front of him, he couldn't well give chase to punish him; he forcibly suppressed the rage in his heart. After all, one can run to the ends of the earth, but can't escape from a temple. When he returned to the Shi Family, he would make the runner regret ever being born!

Looking at Shi Gang's venomous and vicious face, Zhou Heng smiled faintly, "Don't worry about things that are so far off, you won't get the chance!"

He too gave up the chase, simply focusing on Shi Gang.

"Hahaha, do you think you can kill me?" Shi Gang scoffed, "Not to mention whether you're my match, with my speed, can you even catch up to me?"

That was a hard truth; the Cloud Flying Step indeed added some speed, but its greater advantage was in its profound and intricate variations! Of course, this was also because Zhou Heng hadn't received the full sequence of the movement technique, only the stepping technique, and thus could not be considered a true practitioner of the technique.

Zhou Heng's eyes flickered with killing intent as he gently shook the long sword in his hand, "You have no chance of escaping!"

Shi Gang couldn't help but throw back his head and laugh out loud. Wasn't that a huge joke, not even a chance to escape? Did the young man think he could kill him instantly!

"Then let me show you my true power!" Shi Gang's arms jolted, his muscles bulging out one by one, as a powerful aura burst forth from him, emanating the might of a ferocious tiger.

"You should feel honored, because you are the first to witness the fourth form of my 'Wind and Cloud Blade Technique'!"

He lifted his blade high, his veins visible as they throbbed, each muscle trembling as if it could hardly bear the force.

Actually, the Wind and Cloud Blade Technique consisted of four secret techniques, but the most powerful fourth technique had been lost to the ages, only for him to discover it among his family's vast collection of texts. Unfortunately, due to its antiquity, several phrases of the incantation were blurred beyond recognition. Although he tried to complete it as far as possible, it was inevitably lacking.

Despite this, the power of the fourth blade technique remained terrifyingly potent, so much so that every time he used it, it would drain his strength and even inflict rebound damage on himself!

Thus, this fourth blade technique was his secret weapon, originally reserved for a critical moment when he would compete with Shi Qingfeng for the position of family head. But now, apart from this ultimate move, he knew of nothing else that could threaten Zhou Heng!

"Wind and Cloud Dragon-Tiger Transformation!" he roared ferociously, stomping on the ground, boom, as if the earth itself was thundering. He sprung forward at high speed, the hard stone floor left with a three-inch-deep footprint because of him!

As he whirled his blade, a myriad of blade lights shot out around him, resembling a barrage of arrows descending, making one feel a sense of utter helplessness to hide or dodge!

A thought crossed Zhou Heng's mind; this blade technique also aimed to suppress the spirit! But compared to the Sky-soaring Nine Forms, it wasn't even qualified to hold a candle to it!

He must kill with one strike or at least severely wound him to prevent Shi Gang from escaping.

If that was the case—

Sky-soaring First Form!

Blade against sword, needlepoint against wheat awn!

At this critical moment, Shi Gang's movements suddenly stuttered!

It was as if the heavens and earth were repelling him, squeezing him, making it incredibly difficult to even twitch a finger! However, he was a person of resolute will, and though this could only affect him for an instant, he immediately recovered.

But in a fight between experts, even a slight oversight could have fatal consequences! Zhou Heng was no longer in the Flesh Refinement Realm, but a genuine practitioner of the Bone Refinement Realm!

A sword stroke passed, and the blade light was instantly annihilated, leaving only the magnificent sword Qi streaking across the sky like a meteor!

Shi Gang staggered, his left hand over his chest, blood seeping between his fingers, his complexion pale, his frame shaky as if he could barely stand.

A sword had pierced his heart, and the sword Qi nearly ruptured his heart. If he were to release his grip now, blood would spurt three to four feet. It was fortunate that he was a Martial Artist of the Bone Refinement Realm; an ordinary person struck by such a sword would have died long ago!

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He forcefully suppressed his injury with True Yuan Force, as long as he received timely treatment, it was still curable.

"I will definitely avenge this sword strike," Shi Gang turned his head and ran, not daring to exchange blows with Zhou Heng any longer.

"I've already said, you won't have that chance!" Zhou Heng coldly snorted, Soaring Clouds First Form unleashed again!

Shi Gang's figure halted once more, and although he had already taken a loss, he was still unable to remain completely unaffected.

That hesitation cost him his life!

Zhou Heng swept his sword through, with a clang, the Frost Cold Sword was sheathed, and he continued walking forward without turning his head.

Crack!

Shi Gang's legs gave in, and he knelt on the ground, his upper body leaning forward, and he collapsed with a thunderous fall, his eyes wide open and filled with unwillingness, while a pool of fresh blood surged out beneath him.

In the end, one still got away!

Zhou Heng's brows furrowed slightly, but since he had never revealed his identity, even if that person lived and returned to the Shi Family to spread the news, at most he could only describe his appearance—it was virtually impossible to find the Zhou Family!

He believed that the trouble he caused and the issues he provoked were naturally his own to bear. Zhou Heng did not have profound feelings for the Zhou Family but was also unwilling to bring trouble to his family because of this.

"Time to go home!"

When he uttered these two words, a strong yearning suddenly surged in his heart. He was eager to see Zhou Dinghai, to share his success and joy with the only relative he cared about and cared for him.

Father, you should have returned to the Zhou Family by now!

Zhou Heng leaped into the air and hurried toward the direction of Origin Stone Town.

A day passed, and in the evening, he found a clean cave to stay in. At midnight, as usual, he refined the free energy released from the black Broken Sword, but this time, he discovered that the amount of this free energy had not increased!

"My deductions were not wrong. This power was indeed cultivated by me over ten years, it ultimately does not have an infinite supply!"

"That's fine. The path of martial arts can only be walked by oneself after all!"

Four days later, Zhou Heng finally returned to Origin Stone Town.

The atmosphere of the New Year was already very strong. Every household was decorating their homes with lanterns and streamers, and from time to time, you could see children running around in new clothes on the streets, issuing cheerful cries.

Zhou Heng couldn't help but smile. For him, because there were strength assessments at the end of the year, this was the thing he dreaded most. Ever since he was eight years old, every New Year had been spent with his father in their yard.

This time, he could finally appear before everyone with his head held high and make his father proud!

At the entrance of the Zhou Family mansion, the vermilion gates were as usual, and eight guards were standing erect on duty just as before. The only difference was that there were several large lanterns hanging at the door, showing a strong festive color.

Zhou Heng took a deep breath and strode forward.

"Halt—Eh, Young Master Heng!" When the eight guards saw Zhou Heng, they were all startled, but after the surprise, they showed a strange expression on their faces.

Zhou Heng's gaze swept over them, feeling slightly puzzled—he might be seen as a waste in the eyes of the Zhou family, but he still carried the title of young master, and his father was an elder of the family. Any servant who saw him should behave with utmost respect, right?

But what were these expressions? They actually seemed to have a hint of schadenfreude!

What was going on?

He didn't bother to stoop to the level of a few servants, but simply asked, "Has my father returned?"

"Reporting to Young Master Heng, Elder Zhou returned three days ago!" a guard replied, his gaze towards Zhou Heng carrying a bit of confusion—when did this useless young master acquire such a terrifying momentum, like an unsheathed peerless sword, sharp and clear?

Zhou Heng was overjoyed and paid no further attention to the guards' strange expressions. His figure soared, rushing toward his own courtyard with Cloud Flying Step. As he opened the technique, his movements were mysterious, and the people on the road couldn't even see his appearance clearly before he was already gone.

Soon, he returned to his own residence and pushed open the gate, unable to resist calling out loudly, "Dad, Dad—"

Zhou Dinghai's response was nowhere to be heard. After Zhou Heng called out several times, he heard a weak voice answering, "Heng'er!" His face immediately changed, and he rushed into the bedroom to Zhou Dinghai's room.

A middle-aged man was lying on the bed, pale and exuding a strong sense of weakness—it was his father, Zhou Dinghai!

"Dad, what happened to you!" Zhou Heng was shocked, angry, and anxious. The father and son had been depending on each other since Zhou Heng was young. In his eyes, his father was his only relative in the Zhou Family, the only person he could rely on.

"No, no problem, just a minor injury!" Zhou Dinghai waved his hand, trying to prop himself up but his face turned red, and the head that had just been raised drooped again as he started coughing.

"Dad, don't move!" Zhou Heng quickly stepped forward, stuffing a pillow under Zhou Dinghai's neck so he could lean back comfortably.

"Heng'er, where have you been these past few days?" Zhou Dinghai only looked up and down at Zhou Heng, "You haven't been bullied, have you?"

Zhou Heng's nose tingled, his father had suffered such a serious injury but was only concerned about him, how could he not feel as if his heart was being cut by a knife.

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