Chapter 165: Zhongshan's Charge

Zhongshan dashed forward with his blade, while Nan Batian brandished his giant guandao, charging ahead. As for Shui Wuhun, suddenly two men in elegant attire appeared in front of him. They were the sons of Dongcheng Tong and Xicheng Tong, holding a temporary equal status with Shui Wuhun. Thus, with them acting as a distraction, the situation became much more favorable.

The servants dared not intervene or obstruct, but these two could.

Meanwhile, the original guards of the tent were intercepted by Mo Yanbing's servants.

Zhongshan and Nan Batian faced off against Mo Yanbing and his forty-odd servants.

Zhongshan was only at the first level of the Golden Core stage, but he had activated the demonic essence, reaching the third level instantly!

With four times the power, the aura of his blade extended to twenty zhang. As for Nan Batian, his strength was not to be underestimated.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Zhongshan directly confronted the crowd, and amidst the clash of swords and blades, a tremendous force erupted. For a moment, sword qi and blade energy crisscrossed, Zhongshan stood at the center of the battle. Although he couldn't overpower his opponents, he did not fear them either, for he realized that their strength was only around the early to mid stages of the Golden Core realm.

It was no problem for Zhongshan to take on five opponents alone, but with more people, it became somewhat difficult. Yet, Zhongshan remained undaunted because he knew Shuitianya was on the summit of Fangshan. Once the battle began, Shuitianya would definitely intervene, and the conflict would surely cease. Moreover, even if he couldn't win, Zhongshan had a life-saving technique, the Red Phoenix Mist, though it was not convenient to use at the moment. For Zhongshan, this was his last resort. Once unleashed, it would be a matter of life and death.

"Batiān, charge at Mo Yanbing," Zhongshan suddenly called out.

"Alright!" Nan Batian roared as he swung his giant guandao and rushed towards Mo Yanbing alongside Zhongshan.

Though Mo Yanbing's servants engaged in combat with Zhongshan, none dared to go all out. Even though they were not yet appointed as imperial officials, if they were to die by their hands, it would surely cause trouble, especially considering Mo Yanbing was a fifth-rank official.

As Zhongshan continued his onslaught, his blade energy surged, with his giant blade striking directly towards Mo Yanbing.

Though Mo Yanbing was also at the Golden Core stage, his cultivation was not as advanced as Shui Wuhun's, only around the mid-stage.

Initially, his servants attacked Zhongshan while he stayed behind.

However, as the battle unfolded, Zhongshan's ferocity became evident. Despite being at the first level of the Golden Core stage, each of Zhongshan's strikes targeted the weak points of his opponents. Coupled with the fourfold power increase, Zhongshan appeared to be at the level of someone in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. At this moment, Mo Yanbing's servants hesitated to fully engage, showing fear and hesitation, which further exaggerated Zhongshan and Nan Batian's strength.

Golden Core later stage? The thought flashed through Mo Yanbing's mind as he hastily retreated.

"You bunch of idiots, why aren't you stopping him?" Mo Yanbing shouted as he retreated.

"Boom..."

Ten sword energies clashed with Zhongshan's blade energy. Upon impact, Zhongshan was pushed back by the immense force, leaving a deep pit in the ground. However, Zhongshan regained his footing and continued to charge forward. Nan Batian also followed suit, fighting with increasing vigor. Although others dared not go all out, both Zhongshan and Nan Batian sustained multiple wounds on their clothes.

Finally, with the combined efforts of Zhongshan and Nan Batian, they approached Mo Yanbing.

Seeing Zhongshan's ferocity, Mo Yanbing regretted not bringing more people.

Xiaosan had been guarding Mo Yanbing's side all along, and he too felt a hint of regret in his eyes. If only he hadn't spoken earlier, wouldn't it be better for the young master to retreat?

But it was too late. As Nan Batian used his giant guandao to fend off ten sword energies, Zhongshan seized the opportunity to slash at Mo Yanbing without hesitation.

"Roar..."

With a mighty roar, Zhongshan swung his large blade, trailing a long blade energy, fiercely slashing towards Mo Yanbing.

Mo Yanbing's eyes widened in fear, instinctively sending out a fifteen-zhang sword energy. However, faced with Zhongshan's overwhelming strike, it was undoubtedly a struggle on the brink of death.

Seeing Mo Yanbing's life hanging by a thread, all the servants showed fear and rushed to attack Zhongshan. They knew that if the young master died, they would still be implicated.

However, at this moment, Zhongshan's blade slightly deviated.

"Boom..."

A sky full of blood mist filled the air. After half a day of fierce battle, the first casualty had occurred.

Xiaosan, the one who had put Zhongshan in jeopardy, was struck down by Zhongshan's blade.

Zhongshan was establishing his dominance. Shuitianya had yet to intervene, leading Zhongshan to speculate that Shuitianya had left. Therefore, he had to rely on himself. The battle couldn't drag on for too long. Initially, these servants might have hesitated to go all out against him due to his identity, but as time passed, in the heat of the moment, they might forget such concerns.

Similarly, Mo Yanbing couldn't afford to die either. If he died or was injured, these servants might turn into fanatics, making the situation even more dangerous.

Hence, they needed to swiftly kill one person to instill fear in the rest.

Most of these servants had no grudges against him, and they hadn't even gone all out when attacking him. Therefore, Zhongshan abandoned the idea of killing them. There was one person who deserved death the most, Xiaosan. If not for him, Zhongshan wouldn't be in such a perilous situation. This was a life-and-death situation that could result in his demise if dragged out.

The first one to be targeted was Xiaosan. He had to be swiftly dealt with, no dragging things out.

With Xiaosan dead, silence fell around. The servants stared at Zhongshan, who stood beside the bloodied corpse. Mo Yanbing also retreated in fear.

Princess Qianyou heard the sounds of battle and walked to the edge of Fangshan, looking down below.

With just one glance, Princess Qianyou furrowed her brows. Though she didn't recognize Mo Yanbing and the others, she could tell that dozens of people were besieging two men wielding blades at the center. Some others were restrained from assisting.

Their strengths were not much different.

Two against forty-five, an inevitably losing situation. However, these two were extremely fierce, one wielding a giant guandao, and the other a large blade. The large blade? Why did it feel so familiar?

Because of the high vantage point, it was difficult to see their faces.

It wasn't until Zhongshan dodged a sword energy that Princess Qianyou recognized him.

She recognized him at a glance. It was him, Zhongshan? Sure enough, it was him.

Seeing Zhongshan, Princess Qianyou's lips curled into a slightly surprised smile.

Nine years ago, Bamen Mountain, that was the first time Princess Qianyou had taken such a big tumble. It had never happened before. At that time, Zhongshan only had the cultivation of the Xiantian stage.

It had always been a regret for Princess Qianyou, but later, she realized that she had developed a kind of admiration for Zhongshan.

Anyone who could make her fall was not an ordinary person. However, their contact had been short, and after returning, she had been busy with affairs, with no time to find him. Unexpectedly, he had come to her door on his own.

Moreover, last time, out of respect for Zhongshan, she hadn't probed with her divine sense. Now that she did, she found that Zhongshan's aptitude was surprisingly poor, no, it was too poor. Could such a person even reach the Golden Core stage?

But the fact was right before her eyes; he had indeed reached it.

As Princess Qianyou pondered, a hint of eerie smile crept onto her lips.

"Not good," Shuitianya was about to intervene when Princess Qianyou suddenly spoke up.

"Don't move," Princess Qianyou called out abruptly, wanting to observe Zhongshan's abilities closely.

"Huh?" Shuitianya frowned but nodded, refraining from interfering.

"Why would this person appear here?" Princess Qianyou looked down below and asked.

"He was recommended by the elder of Kaiyang Sect to enter the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty as a fifth-rank official," Shuitianya replied truthfully.

"Oh? What a coincidence. Has it been confirmed?" Princess Qianyou's eyes sparkled.

"Not yet. I just submitted the documents. We're waiting for the court's appointment," Shuitianya said.

"Well, I happen to need a guard. Let's transfer Zhongshan directly to my side," Princess Qianyou smiled.

"Does the princess know Zhongshan?" Shuitianya asked in astonishment.

"Heh, sort of. Attach my request. It should be approved easily. Fifth rank means third-tier guard," Princess Qianyou smiled faintly.

"Understood," Shuitianya nodded.

Then, everyone continued to watch below. Since Princess Qianyou had decided to employ Zhongshan, she naturally kept a close eye on his safety, just to see where his limits lay.

Intelligent and powerful. Truly a talented individual. However, two against forty-five, how could they possibly win? Despite using secret techniques to boost his strength fourfold, he was still only at the first level of the Golden Core stage.

"Boom..."

With a loud roar, Zhongshan slew an opponent below with a single strike, giving it his all. After that strike, everyone was stunned into silence.

"Hiss..."

Princess Qianyou watched in astonishment as Zhongshan paused after killing the man, and the others also stopped. Why didn't they attack angrily? What method did he use to stop them? This wasn't just a sparring match; it was a life-and-death struggle. Once blood was spilled, it would escalate into a frenzy of slaughter.

Although Princess Qianyou didn't know that Zhongshan's arrogant words had instilled fear in these people, it didn't affect her assessment of him.

"Intriguing. Shuitianya, you handle this. Bring Zhongshan to my residence later," Princess Qianyou instructed.

"Yes," Shuitianya immediately nodded in agreement.