They?
Who are they?
The four people present, except Ming Qi, had no time to ponder this question, for the "they" Ming Qi had mentioned had already arrived.
They moved swiftly and steadily, their movements sending the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surging around them.
There were more than ten of them, and they fanned out towards Ming Qi and his companions at an incredible speed.
They were dressed in black, embroidered with a silver dragon with bared fangs and claws. As they charged, the silver dragon embroidery continuously reflected a dazzling light.
It was not night, but these black-clad men acted with impunity. Although the area surrounding the trading area was desolate, it was not deserted. Passersby, without exception, avoided the group, staying as far away as possible and quickly disappearing.
Ming Qi had anticipated this as the worst possible outcome, but it still happened.
Ming Qi's senses were exceptionally sharp. Even without an enemy visible, he could detect danger simply by the murderous intent permeating the air. Therefore, he sensed the moment the black-clad men moved.
Escape was out of the question.
Ming Qi didn't choose to flee. From the moment the black-clad men appeared, he began to observe their every move with rapt attention, taking in every detail.
These men were clearly well-prepared and confident. The source of this information was undoubtedly Junbao Pavilion.
"Black clothes, silver dragon, left-handed sword?"
At this moment, Tang Qi's eyes were fixed on the fastest black-clad man in the center.
Besides his black clothes embroidered with a silver dragon, another distinctive feature of this man was the long sword he held in his left hand, the blade dragging across the ground, stirring up a trail of dust.
The man's footsteps were as swift and smooth as a horse stepping on a flying swallow, their flow imperceptible.
"She's a master!"
Seeing this person leading the charge, Ming Qi's heart raced, his expression darkening.
"She's holding a knife in her left hand, and... she's a woman?"
Tang Qi, on his part, was racking his brains. He'd clearly seen these fragments somewhere before, but he couldn't recall where.
"Be careful! They're coming!"
At that moment, Ming Qi warned, gliding to meet the knife-wielding woman.
While engaging the blade-wielding woman, Ming Qi quickly glanced around. Thirteen people were attacking, and this woman was clearly their leader. Seeing Ming Qi leap forward to stop the blade-wielding woman, five of the remaining twelve, in unison, rushed over to support her.
Although the blade-wielding woman had a beautiful face, she now exuded a murderous aura, just like the blade she held.
Seeing Ming Qi coming head-on, the Blade Girl gently swung her left hand, and the blade of her long sword traced a semicircle on the ground. The blade suddenly soared, and a whirlwind of saber energy emanated from it.
"Such a powerful aura!"
Ming Qi couldn't help but admire the woman. Although it was just a simple swing of the sword, it was rare to see someone so powerful and domineering in such a simple blow.
Ming Qi naturally wouldn't choose a head-on confrontation. The opponent's five helpers arrived at his command. If they were suppressed by a single blow, there would be no chance of recovery.
Ming Qi's feet shifted strangely, and at an incredible angle, his body dodged the oncoming hazy saber energy.
Long sword in hand, the woman exuded an indescribable dominance. Seeing her strike easily dodged by the opponent, a glint of light flashed in her bright eyes. She twisted her body, and the long sword in her hand spun again. With a wide swing, a crisscross of saber energy and light shadows followed Ming Qi.
Clouds of dust billowed from the ground. Ming Qi, unleashing the Nine Steps of the Great Void to its fullest potential, dashed frantically, relying on his incredibly solid innate foundation to once again dodge the domineering, relentless cross-blade attack.
Swish!
Ming Qi had barely dodged when he saw a crescent-shaped sickle slashing diagonally from the side. Simultaneously, a flash of light and shadow appeared before his eyes, and a strange-looking three-pronged fork pierced his lower body.
Snap!
A crisp whip crack echoed in the air, and a venomous whip, like a venomous snake, wrapped itself around Ming Qi's waist.
The opponent's attacks were continuous and coordinated, with not a single flaw in between. This truly astonished Ming Qi.
Seeing no way to evade, Ming Qi acted decisively. He lightly clicked his right index finger on his ring. With a soft hum in the air, the mid-grade spiritual weapon, the Nifeng Longsword, was in his hand. He simultaneously shrank back, and as he tilted his head back, the sword had already thrust forth with a flash of lightning.
Close combat was Ming Qi's forte. Although the opponent's attacks were incredibly coherent and seemingly impenetrable, Ming Qi's shrewd judgment managed to carve a narrow opening.
Tilting his head back, he narrowly dodged the oncoming scythe blade, while simultaneously using his sword to block the whip that wound around his waist. Most incredible of all, even while so distracted by the enemy, Ming Qi still managed to muster the strength to raise his left sleeve, sending several jets of black light scattering, precisely striking the trident sweeping towards his lower body.
Temporarily dodging the combined attack of the three opponents in this narrow window, Ming Qi rolled several steps before quickly leaping to his feet.
"Let's fight one-on-one if you dare."
Ming Qi was no fool. Six against one—such a bizarre formation—even if he were truly a peerless demon, he would have been defeated.
"Boss, don't listen to this brat's nonsense. The five of us brothers will beat him up!"
One of them spoke immediately.
The man holding a long sickle looked a bit strange, but after the combined attack of the three men just now, Ming Qi no longer dared to underestimate this unusual weapon.
At this time, the other two who hadn't attacked had already positioned themselves behind the Blade Woman. One of them was holding a long staff, while the other held a crossbow!
Fuck!
Ming Qi was completely speechless. He couldn't figure out what these people were up to. This bizarre combination was truly unsettling.
He grumbled inwardly, but Ming Qi didn't dare underestimate the enemy. The combined attack of the three men just now had already left him somewhat overwhelmed. Now, adding a long-range sniper, a shot at the most critical moment, could be fatal.
"Brothers, attack!"
The burly man wielding the long staff shouted, his entire body trembling as a white shield illuminated. He flicked his staff forward and charged.
What a pace!
Ming Qi was speechless again. This was the kind of scene only seen in high-tech games, like killing powerful elite monsters.
Escape was out of the question. Not to mention the six of us here, there were seven more locked in a fierce battle with Tang Qi and the others. Even if he fled unscathed, he'd still have to come back.
"Wait."
The Blade Woman seemed to be seriously considering a one-on-one duel with Ming Qi, and she spoke up to stop the restless five.
"Boss, you're not really planning to fight that brat, are you?"
The fair-skinned young man holding the crossbow asked, puzzled, upon seeing the Blade Woman halt their attack.
"Don't move."
The bladed woman said again, then stepped forward, clearly intending to challenge Ming Qi in a duel.
Ming Qi hadn't expected the woman to actually agree, but now that she had actually chosen a duel, he was naturally pleased. However, even if she agreed, Ming Qi wouldn't be able to escape his predicament. After all, she was most likely after the item on him.
"If I win, will you stop bothering us?"
Ming Qi asked, looking at the woman who had taken a few steps forward, her long sword raised.
"The boss won't allow it."
"What benefits did they give you that would be worth risking your life for?"
"A contract."
"What contract?"
"You don't need to know that!"
Swish!
The woman stopped talking and drew her sword.
The blade flashed with a sharp, domineering aura.
Seeing negotiation hopeless, Ming Qi could only settle for the next best option. A one-on-one fight always offered a better chance of success than a group brawl. Besides, even if he defeated this domineering woman, the outcome was still uncertain.
With this in mind, Ming Qi didn't hesitate. He raised his Nifeng longsword, unleashing a stream of Heavenly Official Sword Qi.
The sword and blade energies collided in mid-air, a dull thud echoing as the two men closed in.
Since the opponent hadn't yet reached the Xiantian realm, the advantages and disadvantages of their weapons were still very apparent. Long weapons couldn't be used at close range, and Ming Qi naturally understood this principle. After unleashing a burst of sword energy, he immediately moved in close, attempting to swiftly penetrate the core of the opponent's blade.
The woman in black also instantly understood Ming Qi's intentions and, of course, would not let him succeed. Seeing Ming Qi approaching with swift footwork, she immediately stepped back, swinging her longsword vigorously, sending streams of blade Qi whistling out, all surging towards Ming Qi.
Dozens of crisscrossing blade energies completely blocked Ming Qi's path. In this incredibly short moment, the black-clad woman's movements didn't falter. With a twist of her hands, a hazy, earthy-yellow aura instantly permeated the blade.
"Cross Heaven-shaking Art!"
With a high-pitched voice, the black-clad woman soared into the air, her blade radiating a vast expanse of earthy-yellow spiritual energy, instantly forming a small vortex of blade energy.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, the soaring black-clad woman sent the domineering blade swooping down, carrying a vortex of blade energy with it.
With his path blocked by the black-clad woman's blade energy, Ming Qi was forced to retreat quickly. However, as if completely calculated, the black-clad woman struck in Ming Qi's direction.
The strike was precise and ruthless, revealing the black-clad woman's vast combat experience. It's hard to imagine how such a woman could cultivate such a swift and decisive fighting style.
Ming Qi's mind raced, countless thoughts racing through his mind in an instant. He made up his mind in an instant, and suddenly swung the Nifeng Sword in his hand, its tip pointing downward. Simultaneously, his right hand tightened its grip on the sword, and a trail of blood quickly spread along the previous wound!
In the blink of an eye, Ming Qi unleashed the Blood Shadow Footwork, transforming into a blood-red afterimage. With a few steps, he managed to escape the attack range just as the vortex of sword energy completely landed.
Bang!
The powerful impact of the sword energy vortex kicked up a cloud of dust, but Ming Qi clearly saw the black-clad woman's left-handed longsword attacking again!