Chapter 48: Ethereal Pursuit

Whoosh! Just as Wei Wuwei thought his eyes were about to be blinded by a powerful gust of wind, a figure cloaked in coarse gray cloth suddenly appeared before him, attacking the man in dark clothing, who was employing finger techniques, with both hands and feet.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Having witnessed the recent clashes, Ji Yuan no longer dared to underestimate martial artists. The martial world was indeed treacherous; the nine young heroes he had encountered before were mere novices!

He had not intended to use sword techniques, and with no blade at hand, he resorted to the fist, foot, and claw techniques described in the Iron Punishment Battle Post.

Straight punches, hooks, sweeping kicks, knee strikes, arm swings, and powerful kicks—each move was like a relentless storm, dense and impenetrable!

No one could discern where the gray-clad man, whose hair was tied back, had emerged from. Against Wei Wuwei, the man in black had only needed one hand to employ his finger techniques, but now, even using both hands, he struggled to parry, and his eyes could barely keep pace.

Within just a few breaths, the man in black's arms grew numb. Beneath his garments, his fingers, palms, and arms were already red and swollen in many places, and he was sustained solely by his True Qi.

‘What kind of monster is this?!’

The man in black could only parry; he had no opportunity to counterattack. Furthermore, each collision felt like striking an iron pillar, inflicting immense counter-shock in addition to the pain. In mere moments, his protective True Qi felt as though it would disperse.

‘His footwork is disrupted! That’s it, his movement technique isn't as good as mine!’

Ji Yuan's heart stirred, and his spiritual energy flowed. His body, having just delivered a punch, swayed like a nimble snake, vanishing from the man in black's sight in an instant, only to reappear at his side as the man’s heart pounded wildly.

The man in black reacted with extreme swiftness, executing a palm-blade strike with his left hand, intending to force Ji Yuan back, but in that same instant, he felt his arm seized.

Ji Yuan's five fingers came together, thrusting into the man's left armpit.

With a 'crack,' the man in black's left shoulder wrenched upwards in agony.

Simultaneously, Ji Yuan's hand formed an eagle claw, clamping onto his shoulder, then sliding down to the opponent's wrist, where he twisted it with a firm grip.

Crack... crack... crack...

With three sharp cracks of bone, his left arm went numb amidst excruciating pain, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a gray shadow at his feet.

Thump! Snap...

His left leg was already dislocated, and before he could react, Ji Yuan seemed to shift positions, appearing instantly on his right side.

Snap! Snap!

His right arm, from wrist to shoulder, was completely dislocated.

At this moment, Ji Yuan, sensing he had finally subdued the man in black, felt a surge of both exhilaration and tension. He grabbed the man in black by the hair, lifting him up, and presented him to the other master, who hadn't had time to offer support or intervene, and to the remaining few bandits.

“Ugh… argh…”

The black-clad master, held aloft by Ji Yuan, was in excruciating pain, sweating profusely and breathing shallowly. Each inhalation and exhalation inflicted intense suffering on his body, as if he were being tortured.

Suddenly, an eerie silence descended upon the scene, as everyone stared at the enigmatic master who had appeared so abruptly.

He wore simple, coarse gray clothing and his hair was tied back. His face was dark, and a large, dark birthmark seemed to cover half of it. He appeared expressionless, yet exuded a chilling, lethal aura.

The impression of this person could be summarized in three words: Very dangerous!

After a long silence, the other man in black finally spoke, his voice clearly filled with extreme apprehension.

“Iron Punishment Skill! Such powerful and fierce attacks, such heavy hands! Who are you, sir, a master from official circles?”

In truth, no one present, including Wei Wuwei, was without fear. This man's recent actions had been terrifyingly brutal, crippling a previously unfathomable master in mere breaths.

Given such a display, Wei Wuwei, uncertain of the newcomer's intentions, didn't even dare to breathe.

“Whoosh…”

Exhaling a long, quiet breath, Ji Yuan finally allowed the exhilaration of his first true combat encounter to subside. He also confirmed his earlier assessment: despite only having practiced martial arts for a few months, his spiritual energy had tempered his body and now circulated in place of True Qi, combined with his exceptional natural comprehension, meant his martial arts were far from mediocre.

‘Or rather, very strong!’

This realization was not baseless; it stemmed from his recent combat experience, the other man’s wary tone, and the tense breathing and pounding hearts of those surrounding him.

His recent attack might have been a tad heavy-handed, but the man in black was hardly a paragon of virtue.

Given that display of martial arts, it was natural for him to be mistaken for a government master, and it could even be said that Ji Yuan had deliberately guided them to that conclusion.

When the man in black uttered the words 'Sword Intent Post,' Ji Yuan's heart stirred, and he immediately felt it was very likely the calligraphy scroll in his own home.

Logically, Lu Shan Jun, a tiger spirit, never left Ox-Kui Mountain. Where would he acquire calligraphy imbued with martial sword intent? It was clearly something he had only recently obtained.

Now, this group had once again set their sights on the Wei family's Blue Jade. Furthermore, the men in black who appeared later clearly seemed to belong to the same faction as the so-called Thirteen Bandits of Yan. The two men in black were also clearly of higher status than the Thirteen Bandits. When the two appeared, although the Thirteen Bandits remained silent, their subtle shifts in demeanor indicated astonishment, revealing that they were unaware of the black-clad men's presence, suggesting a disparity in their intelligence.

This instinctively led Ji Yuan, as an outsider, to suspect some form of organized conspiracy.

While his past life's films and literature had warned Ji Yuan that getting embroiled in such affairs would be troublesome, it was an entirely different matter if this group’s targets were items like the Sword Intent Post and the Blue Jade.

Ji Yuan lowered his voice, then employed a subtle voice-altering technique from the Iron Punishment Battle Post, using his spiritual energy. This caused a slight vibration in his throat, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse and deep, yet full of power.

“Patriarch Wei, do these individuals have a vendetta against your Wei family?”

Wei Wuwei jolted, then instantly realized the question was directed at him. He could only assume the newcomer was an ally, not an adversary. It made sense, however; the Iron Punishment Skill could not be falsified. A master from official circles capable of cultivating such a martial art to this level must be an 'Iron Catcher' type, someone who would not tolerate minor transgressions or deviations from societal norms.

“Many thanks for saving me, Esteemed Sir. I, Wei, hold no grudge against these individuals, and my Wei family has always fostered good relations. If there were any unresolved feuds, as the newly appointed patriarch, I couldn't possibly be unaware of them!”

At this point, Wei Wuwei hardened his resolve. Since the matter of the Blue Jade was already known to those with malicious intentions, he voiced his suspicions to Ji Yuan.

“Furthermore, very few people know about my Wei family’s ancestral Blue Jade. These individuals, openly demanding the Jade, clearly came prepared. The incident concerning the Fan family’s Sword Intent Post in Dingyuan Prefecture was also carried out by the Thirteen Bandits previously, so I suspect they certainly have other plans!”

“Hmm, let's subdue them first, then talk!”

The moment Ji Yuan’s words concluded, an alarm blared in the hearts of the other man in black and the remaining bandits.

The next moment, this mysterious master from official circles transformed from stillness into motion, flashing before the man in black in an instant, his fists and claws striking once more.

Seeing Ji Yuan’s move, Wei Wuwei did not remain idle either, attacking the remaining Yan bandits alongside his two guards.

It was not until this moment, directly facing Ji Yuan, that the other man in black truly comprehended the immense pressure. After only a few breaths of exchange, he already felt unable to withstand it.

While deploying every means to resist the onslaught, his footwork constantly retreated in evasion, and both his arms were already so painful that they hindered his parrying.

“Sir, do you truly intend to exterminate us? Do you not desire to ascend further—to gain glory, wealth, high office, and generous emoluments?”

Seeing Ji Yuan completely ignore him, the man in black desperately cried out.

“Sir, do you not wish to stand above all others? Do you not wish to become an immortal?”

At this, Ji Yuan not only did not relent in his assault, but instead executed a peculiar shift in his technique. Using his right arm as a blade, he performed the blade techniques from the Iron Punishment Battle Post. The man in black felt the distance he had just gained instantly vanish. A hand-blade strike, faster than his reaction, pierced through his guarding hands and struck him directly in the chest.

“Thump…”

The man in black’s body was sent flying, and while still airborne, Ji Yuan caught his foot.

“Hup!”

As if swinging a heavy club, the man in black was slammed to the ground with another 'thump,' leaving him with only enough strength to convulse.

Meanwhile, Wei Wuwei and his two guards had also concluded their fight, with all four remaining bandits having their vital points sealed.

“Becoming an immortal? You try to deceive me with such nonsense?”

Ji Yuan sneered, looking down at the man in black on the ground.

“Ugh... ugh... The path to immortality is elusive... but, but not entirely without trace... Legend says Zuo Kuangtu has already broken through martial arts to enter the Dao. You, you ask this Wei Wuwei again... the Wei family’s Blue Jade... ugh... its origin is, is not ordinary...”

The man in black endured his body’s agony, finishing his words in ragged gasps. His long-cherished hope was finally on the verge of realization, and to fall so close to it was unbearable!