<h4>Chapter 71: ughtering the Small Fry</h4>


    Zhongshan spotted the Kaiyang Sect disciples in the distance and felt a surge of joy.


    "Let''s go, we''ll head over there now," Zhongshan said.


    "Yeah," the two girls nodded, following Zhongshan down the hill, heading towards the northwest where the Kaiyang Sect disciples were located within the grand array.


    Along the way, Zhongshan tried to keep a low profile, but even so, there were still a few pairs of eyes watching him.


    Not far from Zhongshan''s location, within a forest, there were four pairs of eyes.


    Four men gazed at Zhongshan, and if Zhongshan noticed, he would have recognized them. Two of them were the junior disciples of the Zhao family who were sent to the Immortal Sect during the Dragon Gate Convention, while the other two were junior disciples sent by the Qian family.


    They were all Zhongshan''s juniors, but their aptitude and luck were much better than Zhongshan''s.


    "Is that Zhongshan? Last time at the Dragon Gate Valley, he already looked younger, but I didn''t expect him to look even younger in just over a year."


    "Ancestor... no, it should be Senior Brother. Did Senior Brother and the n leaders fail to kill Zhongshan?"


    "It seems Zhongshan hase here, and the n leaders have missed their chance."


    "Yeah, I didn''t expect Zhongshan to have such good luck."


    "What should we do now? Should we take action against him?"


    "His aptitude is extremely poor, but his methods in the mortal world are surprisingly strong. Keeping him alive will threaten our Zhao family sooner orter. Since Senior Brother and the n leaders haven''t encountered him, let''s take him out on behalf of the n leaders. It''s also a way to repay the secr Zhao family."


    "Yeah, Zhongshan has only be a cultivator for a little over a year. He definitely doesn''t have any powerful techniques, and his cultivation is inferior to ours. But those two people in ck robes behind him, I don''t know their origins."


    "Their origins? You don''t need to worry. Those two people in ck robes must be Zhongshan''s subordinates, and their strength definitely doesn''t match Zhongshan''s. The four of us should have no problem dealing with them."


    "Alright," the other three nodded in agreement.


    Then, the four men dashed out of the woods and intercepted Zhongshan.


    Zhongshan paused as four more figures suddenly appeared in front of him. Another group blocking his path?


    As Zhongshan examined the faces of the four men, his eyes narrowed gradually. He slowly drew therge de from his back. Zhongshan recognized them—they were the Zhao and Qian family members chosen by the Immortal Sect this time. Unexpectedly, he encountered these old foes here.


    Zhongshan had seen all sorts of situations. Even the cultivators at the Golden Core stage were in by him not long ago. These four youngsters wouldn''t stand a chance against him.


    However, facing four opponents, Zhongshan, with his cautious nature, wouldn''t ck off at this moment.


    "Ling''er, protect Yinn. I''ll deal with these four," Zhongshan whispered to the girls.


    "Zhong, long time no see," one of them said with a sword in hand, smiling.


    "Why are you blocking my path?" Zhongshan asked in a deep voice.


    "Haha... You''ve already drawn your de. Don''t you know?" another one mocked.


    "You four came with swords. Naturally, I must be prepared. But do you really think you can kill me?" Zhongshan continued, squinting.


    "Why would we need all four of us to kill you? I alone..." one of them mocked, but before he could finish his sentence, Zhongshan leaped forward, wielding his de. With immense ferocity, Zhongshan struck down fiercely towards the person who was speaking.


    With a swift and forceful strike, Zhongshan''s de carried an overwhelming aura. It caught the person off guard, and in a hurry, he raised his sword to block.


    The other three also hurriedly swung their swords to rescue, but Zhongshan''s attack was too sudden. With all his strength and the ultimate move of the Great Yang Divine Art, Zhongshan struck directly at the weakest point of the opponent''s sword.


    <i>ng!</i>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    In just one move, the sword broke, and the person was cleaved in half by Zhongshan''s de,pletely extinguished.


    Zhongshan was too dominant. Even without using the Demonic Body Refinement Technique, in a situation where their Qi levels were equal, he could deliver a fatal blow without any hesitation.


    Before the blood could stter, Zhongshan quickly twisted his body to evade the swords of the other three.


    Though the two girls trusted Zhongshan''s strength from a distance, they couldn''t help but feel worried.


    Zhongshan dodged the swords of the three men and swung his de towards another person.


    <i>ng!</i>


    As the des shed, both men retreated swiftly.


    At that moment, the three men finally realized the magnitude of their mistake. Their family elders sought the help of their ancestors to deal with Zhongshan, showing how seriously they regarded him. Yet, they recklessly rushed forward without proper consideration. Zhongshan''s swift execution of one of them served as a stark wake-up call, forcing them to sober up and no longer underestimate Zhongshan. They quickly coordinated their efforts to avenge their fallenrade.


    钟山''s lips curled into a cold smile as he swung his long de, swiftly charging towards the spot where the three men had surrounded him.


    Zhongshan wasn''t showing off; whether it was swordsmanship or knife skills, they both required stepping stones to achieve higher levels. Practicing a set of knife techniques alone every day might increase their power, but it wouldn''t be as effective as realbat.


    Zhongshan plunged into the fray, spinning around his body.


    <i>ng, ng, ng!</i>


    With each twist, he deflected three long swords. Zhongshan''s precision was impable; every sh urred precisely at the weakest point of the opponents'' swords.


    With minimal effort, he disarmed all three opponents, simultaneously delivering a sidelong sh.


    He struck mercilessly!


    With one fell swoop, another person''s chest was shed open, a result of everyone''s cautious approach. Otherwise, they would have already been disemboweled by Zhongshan.


    The intense battle below quickly drew the attention of many factions. However, upon seeing that the four fighters had only formed a faint aura of Qi around their swords, without fully manifesting their Qi into sword energy, many were disappointed. Afterward, some turned their gaze back to Tian Sha."Is it just him? Only at the Innate Realm, and yet he dares to enter the battlefield?" Gu Lin shook his head in disbelief.


    Hearing Gu Lin''s words, Mr. Shuijing didn''t say much either, just smiling and nodding with his feather fan. Princess Qian You, however, nodded as if agreeing with Mr. Shuijing''s words.


    Although everyone''s attention was on Tian Sha''s mountain peak, the sudden sounds of battle below still caught the attention of some, especially Qing Si.


    Qing Si turned her head to look and her eyes widened. Zhongshan? How could Zhongshan be here? And he was fighting alongside three others. Qing Si immediately turned her flying sword towards Zhongshan''s direction.


    <i>Swish~</i>


    Zhongshan blocked two long swords with a single sh, then swiftly dispatched another Innate Fourth Stage expert with another strike.


    An expert? What''s an expert to him? Despite Zhongshan''s poor innate talent and slow cultivation speed, his insight was extraordinary. He had mastered his knife skills to perfection and even expanded their power ording to his own insights. Facing three opponents without fear, he effortlessly eliminated another one. After fighting for a while, instead of feeling exhausted, Zhongshan felt his entire body rxed.


    Only two opponents remained. With a fierce gaze, Zhongshan aimed his long de at them.


    His intimidating re made the two opponents feel a tightening in their chests. There was a sense of urgency to escape. With only two of them left, a feeling of deathly fear quickly spread throughout their bodies, greatly reducing theirbat effectiveness.


    As Qing Si flew closer...


    <i>Swish~</i>


    Another fierce strike, and another opponent fell to Zhongshan''s de.


    Thest remaining opponent turned and fled, having lost the will to fight. But Zhongshan was relentless. Seeing the fleeing figure, he infused his long de with Qi and threw it.


    <i>Swish~</i>


    A strike through the heart!


    But some still watched Zhongshan, especially those at the Innate Realm. Zhongshan''s fight was easier for them to understand. One against three? No, one against four, and yet he had already in one?


    On a nearby mountain peak, Chi Jiu furrowed his brows. "Young Master, the injuries caused by this person''s secret technique seem to have healed? It''s strange; it''s only been two days."


    The young man nced down at Zhongshan and a glint of understanding shed in his eyes. "Really? He''s healed? Good then."


    Simrly, to the north of the formation, Princess Qian You spotted Zhongshan''s group. Upon recognizing Zhongshan''s face, she furrowed her brow, a hint of puzzlement in her eyes.


    "He''s not dead?" Princess Qian You eximed in surprise.


    Beside her, Mr. Shuijing also saw Zhongshan and nodded. "His name seems to be Zhongshan, Innate Fourth Stage. His knife skills are unexpectedly fierce. If he were to enter the battlefield, he would undoubtedly be a formidable general."