Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty-Three: This Damn Thing Is Seventh Rank?

The paper figure's body, which had been affected while making moves in the forest, also became much more focused due to Jiang Yunzhou and Shen Qingru's kiss.

Jiang Yunzhou paused the paper figure's form, then suddenly struck the steel spear that had been pressed down with a powerful palm.

The surging qi shockwave shook both Erhu and Napolun apart.

Focusing his mind, the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou seized the moment when Erhu and Napolun were unsteady, leapt forward and thrust the spear downward.

Bang!

The ground instantly cratered a large pit.

Erhu and Napolun barely dodged the shock, but saw the black-clad swordsman, using the steel spear planted in the ground, exert force with both hands gripping the shaft, performing the move "Upright Spear, Collapsing Mountain".

Before they could fully react, a thunderbolt strike arrived before them, and they barely managed to raise their weapons to block.

Boom!

Even their combined strength couldn't stop it; both were flung away by the powerful force, blood spurting from the corners of their mouths.

Not only were Erhu and Napolun shocked, the white-clad heroine behind them was also startled.

Those two had just fought each other and were definitely experts among the Southern Wu rebels, yet under this black-clad swordsman they couldn't withstand three moves, not even getting a chance to launch a hidden weapon ambush.

That day in the Jade Stele Forest I clearly saw him act, but now it seems he was definitely concealing his strength back then.

Seeing this, the disheveled-haired man called Elder, who had been watching from behind, finally took action.

Yet I saw him step on the riverbank, his whole body like a dark shadow slipping between Erhu and Napolun.

As soon as that person rushed over, Jiang Yunzhou felt the surrounding air flow suddenly condense, affecting his bodily movements.

Without a doubt, this person's rank is definitely above seventh grade.

Fortunately, I had consulted Mr. Dong today on how to deal with opponents above seventh rank.

A Middle Third Rank can harness the qi of heaven and earth for personal use, but this operation varies in strength, and qi itself is an intangible thing.

Therefore, as long as I can disperse the condensed qi of the surrounding opponents, I can partially bridge the gap with higher ranks.

I happen to have a vast qi sea, and I pour qi into the paper figure without stint.

Whoosh!

The paper figure Jiang Yunzhou planted one foot, qi erupted, instantly shattering the surrounding qi-wall-like restraints.

The disheveled-haired elder hadn't expected this young man's qi sea to be so vast; his heart startled but his motion unaffected, he flung his right hand forward, the long black sleeve wrapping around part of the spear shaft.

Following, his arm bonelessly coiled around the spear shaft; taking advantage of suppressing the opponent's weapon, his other hand thrust a palm straight at the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou's face.

Since his true body wasn't present, Jiang Yunzhou felt no fear, wielding the spear with one hand like the disheveled-haired elder, then unleashed the move "Collapsing Fist Piercing the Sun".

The disheveled-haired elder's mouth curled slightly, Erhu and Napolun also followed with left-right pincer attacks, and the white-clad heroine behind them immediately warned:

"Don't palm-strike him!"

But it was already too late; the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou's domineering fist force had already hammered into the elder's palm.

The qi shockwave from the collision surged through the forest once more.

Southern Wu cultivators, when their poison arts reach a certain level, not only have toxic qi and flesh, but can even rear parasites within, hiding needles in their muscle.

And this Southern Wu elder is adept at this path; he had previously used this move to ambush the white-clad heroine.

At this moment, employing the same old trick, he naturally felt it was foolproof.

Yet what no one expected was that after the qi wave, Jiang Yunzhou's expression remained unchanged, while the disheveled-haired elder winced, brows knotted in pain.

Only then did Erhu and Napolun discover that the short needle hidden in the elder's palm for a sneak attack had been punched by the opponent, flipping out from the back of his hand and slantwise stabbing into his own shoulder.

Even the well-traveled disheveled-haired elder stared wide-eyed in shock, for this completely defied common sense.

This black-clad hero's delicate skin certainly doesn't look like someone who trains external hardening, and the feel just now was indeed flesh.

Moreover, even with immense qi, it's impossible to instantly deflect a sharp needle without a scratch upon contact.

Furthermore, my poisonous palm failed to inject its toxic qi into the opponent's body.

Just how did he manage that?

Seeing the opponent dazed by a punch, the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou unleashed his fist force a second time, shaking the elder so that he spat a mouthful of blood.

Thinking, "Formless Dark Paper Blade Spear, impervious to water and fire," stabbing with a needle in the palm to sneak-attack me is like pressing an iron nail into a titanium alloy steel plate with bare hands—purely self-inflicted suffering.

Combined with the fierce, boundless fist method of the Breaking Heaven Spear Technique, I naturally don't care about such sneak attacks.

Furthermore, with just your petty needle tricks, do you even dare to show them before me?

Seeing this, Erhu and Napolun also rushed forward to help, pressing the steel spear together with tiger claws and double wheels, hoping to jointly slay the black-clad hero.

The heroine gritted her teeth through right-arm pain, wanting to exert strength to help, but saw the black-clad hero not engaging in a strength contest with them.

Instead, he slipped a step, retreated, released his grip while simultaneously kicking back at the spear, and his form turned illusory.

His steps, originally incredibly fierce, suddenly became somewhat agile and crafty.

Although the disheveled-haired elder, Erhu, and Napolun are all experts with quick reactions, having constantly clashed head-on with the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou, the three pressing the spear too close unintentionally formed a balance.

At this moment, the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou suddenly changed tactics; his ghostly image broke free of the restraint and drew the paper sword still sheathed at his waist.

Taking advantage of their imbalance, wielding the black-sheathed paper sword with the Breaking Heaven Spear Technique, he unleashed "Turning Back to Break the Army"; the formidable pure-yang blade slashed diagonally at the upper bodies of the three.

Last time in the Jade Stele Forest, Jiang Yunzhou's first sword had been held back, but this time the situation was urgent, so he spared no strength.

Clang!

Seeing Jiang Yunzhou turn and strike with a sword, Erhu and Napolun, in tacit unison, raised their steel spears to block.

And the disheveled-haired elder of Middle Third Rank instinctively sensed the danger:

This sword is absolutely something I cannot block!

The disheveled-haired elder hurriedly pulled back his left hand, still able to rescue Erhu, and himself also sidestepped sideways.

Before Napolun, the nearest to the blade, could react, a unique black sword light had already sliced through the spear and pierced his body.

The black sword light that passed through him left a long scar on the ground, extending all the way to the lakeside where it kicked up water before stopping.

As the steel spear in his hand snapped cleanly, blood gushed from his chest; Napolun collapsed face-down in the pool of blood, eyes wide with disbelief, twitching twice before falling still.

Far away, the unkempt hair elder and Erhu, who had jumped to the side, watched as Napoleon was cut down by a single sword and the terrifying sword mark on the ground; their ashen faces held only disbelief and the relief of having survived.

The unkempt hair elder was still trembling with fear; it was the first time he had seen a black sword aura. If they hadn't dodged just in time, both of them would surely have been cut down together.

Erhu also gasped, panting in terror, and said:

"Elder, is this damn thing seventh rank?"

The unkempt hair elder also realized his judgment was wrong; this strength is definitely not seventh rank, but he didn't stir any surrounding aura, so he must be deliberately concealing his grade.

He's playing dirty with me, huh? Who exactly is this young man?

Not having figured out the situation, the unkempt hair elder suddenly raised his hand and said:

"Wait a moment!"

Before his words even fell, the paper man Jiang Yunzhou had already stepped on Napoleon's corpse and charged forward like an emotionless killing machine, his mouth uttering only two cold words:

"No waiting."

At the same time, he swung the black sword in his hand again.

Knowing there was no escape, the unkempt hair elder hurriedly gathered his strength and struck the ground with a palm.

Boom!

With a muffled boom, a large amount of purple-gray smoke suddenly erupted from beneath their feet, swallowing everything around them, even enveloping the paper man Jiang Yunzhou.

Seeing the vegetation trapped inside wither rapidly, the female warrior gritted her teeth through the arm pain, intending to draw a talisman for protection and rush in to save the black-clad swordsman, but after just two steps she saw a black shadow burst out of the smoke.

It was indeed that black-clad swordsman, unscathed—could this young hero be immune to all poisons?

Because the poisonous smoke behind was still spreading, the paper man Jiang Yunzhou, who had rushed out, said nothing, reached out and directly wrapped his arms around the waist of the immobile female warrior, hoisting her shocked form sideways and rushing out of the area where the poison smoke was spreading.