The man had already noticed Xiao Zihan and, seeing him being carried on the back by Xing Ao, it was evident that Xiao Zihan was the one he intended to kill. However, he didn't order his men to kill Xiao Zihan because the dozen or so people in front of him were already keeping them busy. He felt overwhelmed, regretting that the situation was not as simple as he had thought, and he shouldn't have taken on this mess. If things went wrong, the boss would demand his head.

But now, he was in a difficult situation and had no choice but to confront it head-on. Grinding his teeth, he swiftly increased the speed of the curved war knife in his hand, almost two feet long, repeatedly slashing towards Yue Feiyang. He aimed to overwhelm Yue Feiyang with momentum and strength.

Yue Feiyang felt a faint pain in his tiger's mouth as the opponent's knife force vibrated. He realized the brute strength of the opponent was formidable. Not being one to meet force with force, when he sensed the sudden increase in the opponent's strength, he immediately changed his strategy, dodging the powerful and heavy swings of the opponent's war knife.

Xiao Zihan signaled Xing Ao to let him down, supported by Qin Fangyue. Among their group, three had already been cut down, blood flowing, their fates uncertain. The remaining ones were in a disadvantageous position. Xiao Zihan thought that killing a few thugs on the opposing side would have little effect on the overall situation. Their own group of more than ten strong and fearless men was a rare talent. If they could undergo further training, their combat strength would be unimaginable.

Drawing a dagger from his waist, Xiao Zihan held it in his hand. Taking a deep breath, the Hunyuan Qi within him began to flow slowly. (Xiao Zihan had given a name to the unnamed martial art he practiced, calling it the Hunyuan Qi Art, because the move "Hunyuan Wuji" was based on this martial art.) The unique spiraling energy originated from his dantian, circulated through the meridians all over his body, and the warm flow made his strength multiply, giving him a feeling of dominating everything.

The dagger in his right hand, under the shimmering silver light of the moon, cut through the chilling air with its sharp blade. A cold light sparkled, and a stream of light shot out at an electric speed.

One of the enemy's strong men, preparing to stab Yue Feiyang in the back, suddenly felt a severe pain extending from his throat to his whole body. He realized he couldn't control his body anymore, and even his head couldn't turn. Only his eyes could slowly move downward.

A finely carved dagger was right in front of him, plunged into his throat. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out, only a mournful "uh, uh" sound. The dagger, which seemed to have flown from nowhere, had penetrated his throat bone, indicating an immensely powerful force.

He fell silently, but his comrades were astonished. The fighting also quietly stopped.

All eyes turned to Xiao Zihan, who had to lean on Qin Fangyue to stand firm.

Xiao Zihan laughed heartily, pointing at the scar-faced leader and said, "Trying to kill me is not as easy as you imagined."

Hearing this, the scar-faced leader got furious, shouting, "Damn it, kid, if you've got guts, come and face me one-on-one. Do you think a small knife can intimidate me?"

Xiao Zihan casually said, "You need to understand, it's you who wants to kill me. Why should I come to you for a one-on-one? You're only arrogant because my leg is injured. In normal times, I could deal with you in less than a minute."

Scar-face remained silent, but his face turned extremely dark. He tightly gripped the handle of the war knife, taking steps towards Xiao Zihan.

Seeing this, the fierce men from the Howling Flying Hall quickly raised their machetes, blocking Scar-face's path.

"Step aside, let him come," Xiao Zihan arrogantly shouted.

The tough men, puzzled, looked at Xiao Zihan and then moved to the sides.

The night was dark, with a chilling wind blowing, carrying layers of cold. The nauseating smell of blood filled the air, almost every combatant stained with the blood of the enemy.

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Scar-face's steps continued, aiming directly at Xiao Zihan. However, just because the people in front made way, it didn't mean Xiao Zihan would engage him in a one-on-one. In front of Xiao Zihan was another person—Xing Ao. To get to Xiao Zihan, Scar-face had to pass Xing Ao first.

Xing Ao, who was initially empty-handed, now held a common machete. Though it was ordinary, facing Scar-face's sharp and heavy war knife, it was certain that Xing Ao would be at a disadvantage. However, Xing Ao showed no concern, holding the machete across his chest, blocking Scar-face's way.

Seeing someone obstructing him, Scar-face roared, "Get out of the way."

But Xing Ao remained unmoved, ignoring his shouts.

Scar-face, in rage, swung his arms, and the war knife cut through the air in a circular arc. Holding the knife with both hands, he delivered a powerful chop towards Xing Ao.

In terms of brute force, Xing Ao was never afraid of anyone. Also holding the machete with both hands, he shouted loudly, raising the blade.

With a loud "clang," after a fierce collision, Xing Ao stepped back, and Scar-face didn't gain any advantage either. The tremendous rebound force from the knife made him involuntarily take a step back. It seemed that the two were evenly matched, but Xing Ao had the upper hand in terms of strength.

Scar-face had never suffered a loss in a strength contest before, realizing that Xing Ao was not an easy opponent.

Quickly calming down, he stared at Xing Ao with determination. The war knife was already in the most convenient position, ready to launch a powerful attack on Xing Ao at any time.

Lifting the machete slowly, Xing Ao pointed the blade at Scar-face and said in a deep voice, "If you want to kill my big brother, you must pass through me first."

Scar-face was well aware of these facts, but at this moment, he felt a bit timid. His advantage lay in his strength; anyone who faced him found it challenging to deal with his brute force. However, it appeared that he was inferior to Xing Ao in terms of strength, and he had no confidence in defeating him.

Just as he hesitated, Xing Ao made a move. The machete came down with an unstoppable momentum, slashing diagonally. The blade swung with a slanting motion, leaving Scar-face almost no chance to dodge. Besides facing it head-on, his only option was to step back. However, retreating was not a good choice, as it would expose him to continuous attacks from Xing Ao.

So, he had to take this blow head-on.

This was well within Xing Ao's expectations. Xing Ao laughed heartily, his momentum increasing.

The two machetes collided again, but this time, Xing Ao didn't pause at all, while Scar-face was forced to take a big step back by the powerful force of Xing Ao.

Xing Ao, seizing the advantage, continued his assault. The machete struck Scar-face from various angles, each strike carrying great force and momentum. Scar-face had no chance to retaliate, and he found himself unable to defend against the relentless attacks.

At this moment, Scar-face's wrist became numb, and he could only grip the war knife with the survival instinct left in him. He hadn't anticipated that Xing Ao would be this strong.

Seeing the situation, Scar-face's subordinates knew that things were turning dire. If they didn't go to help Scar-face now, he would have no chance of survival. Someone shouted, and Scar-face's subordinates rushed to his aid.

However, Xing Ao didn't give them a chance. Shouting fiercely, he swung his machete down with overwhelming force, aiming to decisively defeat Scar-face.

Scar-face understood that if he could withstand this blow, he still had a chance to survive.

When people reach the edge of life and death, they often tap into the infinite potential hidden within their bodies. At this moment, Scar-face felt strength throughout his body and a vigorous fighting spirit. He knew clearly that he could withstand this blow.

With a loud "clang," he did manage to withstand the strike, but it didn't stop the inevitable end of his life.

After the seemingly ordinary machete and his war knife clashed, the war knife broke into two pieces. One piece flew high into the sky, and the other piece remained firmly gripped in Xing Ao's hand. The half of the blade swept down directly over Scar-face's head, drawing droplets of blood. The air seemed to become more turbid after being tainted with this fresh blood.

Scar-face's eyes stared at his war knife like a dead fish, filled with disbelief. He said, "How is this possible? I've blocked this strike, why..."

His eyes slowly moved, first onto Xing Ao, and then onto Xiao Zihan. "I... regret it. I shouldn't have come to kill you. I also feel sorrow for my big brother. He didn't listen to advice and got involved with someone he shouldn't have."

Scar-face fell, and his subordinates stared at him in bewilderment.

Xing Ao knew that taking advantage of Scar-face's defeat was the opportune moment to launch a decisive attack. If he waited until Scar-face's men were inflamed with revenge, it wouldn't be easy to deal with them.

He bent down, grabbed Scar-face's war knife, and charged into the enemy group, slashing at anyone in his way.

In the blink of an eye, five people from Scar-face's side had already fallen. The tough men from the Howling Flying Hall joined in with Xing Ao, swinging their machetes.

Scar-face's subordinates, who had come with him, panicked and fled without much resistance. They even abandoned their vehicles; saving their lives took precedence.

Coldly watching the scattered thugs fleeing, Xiao Zihan's mouth revealed a mocking smile. When he shifted his gaze to Scar-face, he asked Yue Feiyang behind him, "Feiyang, is he a talent?"

Yue Feiyang smiled faintly and said, "He's a valiant general. It's a pity to kill him, but there's no choice. Such a person can never serve two masters."

After hearing this, Xiao Zihan sighed deeply. Then, he resolutely said, "Feiyang, let's go back to the Howling Flying Hall. Fangyue, support me a bit."

After speaking, he had already taken a step forward with his uninjured leg. However, the support beside him suddenly disappeared, almost causing him to fall to the ground. Fortunately, Yue Feiyang was right behind him.

He quickly turned his head to look for Qin Fangyue, and saw her slender figure getting farther away.

He opened his mouth but made no sound. Qin Fangyue didn't give him any chance for explanation, clearly expressing her extreme anger towards him. However, Qin Fangyue was a woman who understood the overall situation. She didn't show her displeasure until after the enemy was defeated, and it was evident that she cared about him, staying by his side despite being deceived.

Xiao Zihan revealed a meaningful smile as he looked in the direction where Qin Fangyue had disappeared. Qin Fangyue was destined to be his wife; that was his decision.

"Feiyang, let's go back to the Howling Flying Hall."

"Big brother, I think we don't need to be in a hurry. If the strategist on the other side is truly clever, he wouldn't attack the Howling Flying Hall at this moment. Success in attack depends on surprise. This way, he can achieve his goal with minimal losses. Last time, he used a multi-point attack strategy. I believe this time he won't repeat the same tactic."