Chapter 962

After exchanging no more than ten moves, he would surely take at least one or two strikes from her.

Yet her opponent was no ordinary martial artist.

It was Zhou Zhiruo, who had been aided by unfathomable divine abilities and had cultivated the Nine Yin and Nine Yang.

Originally, with sword drawn, Zhou Zhiruo had naturally been preparing to deploy the Mount Emei sword arts against her foe.

But once Iron Claw Feiying struck and she saw him execute such vicious, razor-sharp claw techniques,

Zhou Zhiruo's mind flashed in an instant; with a casual loosening of her grip, she plunged her long sword into the ground beside her.

Then, instead of retreating, she advanced, closing in, her hands forming claws as she too unleashed a set of claw techniques.

Iron Claw Feiying, as well as the onlookers from the Eastern Depot and the Wu Lin, were all greatly astonished.

Although Iron Claw Feiying was an Eastern Depot hound, ordinarily despised by the jianghu folk,

his talent was not poor, and his claw techniques truly shook the jianghu.

The sect leaders of ordinary Xiaomen Sect probably could not match Iron Claw Feiying.

Who would have thought that this delicate beauty, setting aside her long sword unused, would also unleash a set of claw techniques?

Could it be that this beauty, who looked barely past twenty, could surpass Iron Claw Feiying in claw techniques?

Isn't that a joke?

"Truly laughable—has this beauty never heard of my lord Iron Claw Feiying's reputation?"

"Most likely she hasn't."

"Sigh, what a pity! Such a beautiful lady—if Lord Feiying is a little more ruthless and claws her face, wouldn't that be a shame?"

"There's no helping it. She chose to be the enemy of the Superintendent and the Eastern Depot."

On the ridge, several Eastern Depot bosses watching the scene could not help muttering softly among themselves.

Cao Zhengchun's strength was extraordinary, and naturally he also heard what these men were saying.

He did not bother to intervene, for he himself shared exactly the same thoughts as these Eastern Depot bosses.

In terms of claw techniques, even he himself probably could not surpass Iron Claw Feiying!

Just as idle chatter went on here, Zhou Zhiruo had already begun trading claw techniques with Iron Claw Feiying over there.

If Iron Claw Feiying's claw techniques were broad and sweeping, yet concealing viciousness and agility,

then Zhou Zhiruo's claw techniques were vastly different.

Watching her execute the claw techniques, she seemed as if floating, like a fairy dancing and playing with shadows.

But when the claws arrived before one's eyes and clashed with Iron Claw Feiying's,

the claw-wind suddenly shifted, carrying a faint, eerie, terrifying intent.

Every time her claw technique had not yet struck, Iron Claw Feiying felt a sudden terror in his heart.

He could not even wait for her claws to arrive, immediately withdrawing and changing his move.

In just a few breaths of time, Iron Claw Feiying had already shifted through several Feiying Sect claw techniques.

But no matter how he changed, not a single move truly clashed head-on with Zhou Zhiruo.

Instead, he was forced to retreat again and again by her strange, treacherous claw techniques.

"Eh? What claw technique is this? How is it forcing Lord Feiying to retreat again and again?"

"What eyes do you have? Perhaps Lord Feiying is Wei Lianxiang, unwilling to scratch the beauty's face?"

Those Eastern Depot bosses noticed the problem and began muttering again.

Cao Zhengchun, Liaofan, and other Wu Lingaoshou also saw the problem.

The claw techniques this white-clad beauty displayed were truly ones that martial masters like Cao Zhengchun had never seen in their lives.

So much so that once her claw techniques unfolded, Iron Claw Feiying was greatly put on the defensive, able only to retreat again and again.

Cao Zhengchun frowned, pondering for a long while.

He felt that if he himself faced these claw techniques, apart from using his deep Yuan Tiangang Child Art to crush finesse with raw power, there was simply no way to cope.

But how could that be?

What on earth was this woman's background?

"Ah! Miss, you must not interfere.

It's not that I truly cannot beat you—I'm only afraid of ruining your lovely face!"

Iron Claw Feiying had fallen into a disadvantage, not daring to take even a single strike from Zhou Zhiruo, able only to change moves and retreat again and again.

But he also knew that if he kept retreating like this, his face would be utterly lost.

Unwilling to accept it, he tried to pressure her with words.

Zhou Zhiruo heard this and smiled charmingly, striking out with her claws as she said,

"If you can break through my claw techniques, then dare to strike.

Even if you claw my face, it would be my own fault."

These words, however, backed Iron Claw Feiying into a corner.

If he truly had the skill to break Zhou Zhiruo's claw techniques, how could he be in such a sorry state?

So he forced himself to shift through several more claw techniques, still not daring to make contact.

Rolling his eyes, he said again,

"Miss, I am a second-rank head of the Eastern Depot, an important official of the court.

Your striking me like this is truly most disrespectful.

If any mishap occurs, it will likely be to your disadvantage!"

He figured Zhou Zhiruo was young, so he deliberately tried to overawe her with his authority.

755 Miss, you have a connection with Mount Emei?

"Far too noisy—try my claws!"

Zhou Zhiruo cared nothing for the court; seeing this man retreat again and again only deepened her impatience.

Without further ado, she swept both hands forward and unleashed a killing-claw technique.

On the surface, the strike seemed aimed at the front of Tiezhua Feiying's body.

In truth, it had long since stirred the primordial force of heaven and earth, transforming into countless invisible claw-strikes.

Every direction around Tiezhua Feiying—every path of retreat—was sealed off.

Tiezhua Feiying, too, was a master half a step into the Heavenly Being Realm—how could he fail to sense the lethal danger within?

He knew the delicate beauty before him had already unleashed her killing move.

Retreat was no longer an option.

Suddenly hardening his heart, he channeled the iron claw on his right wrist, pouring every last drop of true essence in his body into it.

Then he launched his strongest strike, lunging at Zhou Zhiruo.

Only when she saw this attack did Zhou Zhiruo give a slight nod.

Now that's more like it!

Without dodging or yielding, she formed her snow-white, delicate palm into a claw and met it head-on.

Clang!

The crisp, ringing impact stabbed into the ears of every onlooker, leaving them all with a sharp, involuntary ache.

The next instant, Zhou Zhiruo's bare palm shattered Tiezhua Feiying's iron claw to pieces in a single grab.

With the iron claw broken, surging true essence flooded back into Tiezhua Feiying's body.

The backlash churned his five viscera and six bowels as if rivers and seas were overturning within him.

He spat out a mouthful of black blood, his whole body sent flying backward, slamming through several great trees before vanishing into the depths of the dense forest.

Gasp!

The Eastern Depot agents erupted in an uproar.

None of them had expected that in this very first clash, Tiezhua Feiying would be sent flying.

And not only was Feiying my lord blasted away—his signature iron claw was crushed to bits by that Miss's single grab!

Is that young lady's palm made of mortal flesh and blood?

Surely it can't be real?

More than a few rubbed their eyes in disbelief, but when they opened them again, they had no choice but to accept this impossible reality.

Even Cao Zhengchun narrowed his eyes slightly. After a long pause, he slowly spoke,

"This Miss's claw technique can truly be called first under heaven. May I ask where the young lady studied?"