Bai Yunfei had forcibly manipulated the muscles and bones in his right arm, accepting the strain, all to shatter his opponent's soul skill with the brick!
Thud!
The brick landed squarely on Loong Tao Jia's wrist!
Loong Tao Jia's heart lurched. Yet, after this blow, he found his right arm was only slightly deflected, the pain wasn't intense, and no strange reaction occurred.
After a momentary shock, a flicker of relief passed through him. I was overthinking it! It's just an ordinary brick! At the same time, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. His arm, which had been knocked aside, abruptly halted its motion! Then, his right arm visibly swelled an entire size larger! It bent impossibly once more, striking towards Bai Yunfei's left shoulder!
He was equally willing to forcibly manipulate his arm, risking injury, to use Soul Skill: Folding Hand twice consecutively, all to land a heavy blow on his opponent!
After deflecting the opponent's arm, Bai Yunfei saw no special effect triggered. A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes. Before he could even retract the brick, he saw Loong Tao Jia unleash the soul skill again without pause!
This strike was sudden and ferocious. If it landed on the unprotected outer part of his left shoulder, without the defense of the Golden Silk Soul Armor, his left arm would be rendered useless, at least temporarily!
There was no time for deliberation. Bai Yunfei gritted his teeth, a trace of madness surfacing in his eyes. His right arm abruptly changed its trajectory once more! At the very last instant, he slammed the brick against his own left shoulder, using it as a shield against the incoming strike!
Thud!
Although the brick blocked it, the concussive force transmitted through it still forced Bai Yunfei back half a step. Sharp pain lanced through his left shoulder, but thankfully, it wasn't severe.
Even as he retreated, a flash of delight lit Bai Yunfei's eyes. In that instant of impact, he had felt a wisp of soul force flow into the brick in his hand. An effect had triggered! He just didn't know which one…
The thought formed instantly. He looked up and saw Loong Tao Jia opposite him, wearing an expression of utter astonishment, flying backwards!
Indeed! The effect with the highest probability, Knockback, had triggered successfully!
Such a precious opportunity could not be wasted. The moment Bai Yunfei steadied himself, he charged forward without hesitation. Pushing his Wave Treading Steps to the absolute limit, his speed actually surpassed Loong Tao Jia's backward flight!
Just as Loong Tao Yi, rushing from behind, managed to catch his brother, Bai Yunfei closed the distance! His left fist clenched and shot out like lightning!
Wave Superposition Art, Ninefold Fist Force!
Loong Tao Jia, caught by his brother, was still off-balance. Facing the incoming fist, he could only cross his arms defensively once more, channeling soul force to brace for the impact.
Fist met forearm with a muffled impact. A faint sound like cracking bone might have been heard. Then, Loong Tao Jia and Loong Tao Yi, who was supporting him, were sent flying backward again.
Bai Yunfei's momentum faltered slightly. The double overexertion of his right arm meant he could only attack with his left. The power was naturally diminished, and the movement felt awkward.
The brothers skidded back several meters before finally stopping. Loong Tao Jia's lowered right arm trembled faintly, a grimace of pain twisting his face. His right arm, which had taken the brunt of the blow, wasn't broken, but the injury was significant.
After this exchange, despite their three-on-one advantage, they were still losing ground!
Loong Tao Jia's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief—not just at the opponent's bizarre footwork, but also at that inexplicable brick.
"Attack together! Watch out for that brick in his hand!" Seeing Bai Yunfei charging again, Loong Tao Jia barked a warning. Then, ignoring the injury to his right arm, he led the charge forward.
Bai Yunfei gave his right arm a slight shake, feeling some improvement. A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but he pushed it aside. The situation favored him now. Defeat these three, rescue Liu Meng, and leave. That was the priority.
One against three, the four figures weaved and leapt across the spacious hall, locked in a fierce struggle. The three opponents, now wary of the brick's touch, fought with extreme caution. Bai Yunfei, relying on the Golden Silk Soul Armor's defense, didn't even bother dodging blows aimed at its protected areas. Only when necessary would he use Wave Treading Steps to evade. The brick whirled through the air, but decisive results remained elusive.
After several minutes of tangled combat, Bai Yunfei finally seized an opening. Deliberately leaving a gap in his defense on the left, he lured Loong Tao Yi into throwing a punch. In that instant, Bai Yunfei snapped the brick up to block it. The moment his fist touched the brick, Loong Tao Yi's face contorted in dread, expecting to be flung away inexplicably once more. He waited a heartbeat... but nothing happened. A wave of relief washed over him—just as a sharp pain exploded in his abdomen! Bai Yunfei had exploited that split second of distraction to land a solid kick.
Loong Tao Yi was kicked away. Bai Yunfei pivoted, using his back to take a punch from Loong Tao Jia head-on. Without pause, he swung the brick down towards Loong Tao on his right.
Loong Tao gasped in alarm, scrambling to dodge. He still caught the blow on his left shoulder—again, no effect triggered. However, his desperate evasion threw him off balance. Bai Yunfei's follow-up brick strike landed firmly on the top of his head!
Loong Tao Jia, beside Loong Tao, saw the attack and snorted coldly. He threw a punch straight at Bai Yunfei's back of the head. But then, something utterly unexpected happened mid-swing!
Without any warning, Loong Tao Jia's right cheek took a solid punch! Completely unprepared, he was sent sprawling sideways! And the one who attacked him… was Loong Tao, standing right beside him!!
Brick +10 Effect: Confusion Triggered!
Delight flashed in Bai Yunfei's eyes. He hadn't expected this headshot to trigger the effect with the lowest probability.
Under the Confusion effect, Loong Tao intended to attack Bai Yunfei, but his target selection was utterly uncontrolled. After punching his elder cousin away, he continued flailing wildly. Bai Yunfei stepped back, neatly avoiding a kick Loong Tao happened to throw. Loong Tao Yi, who chose that exact moment to attack, wasn't so fortunate. Like his brother, he took Loong Tao's kick completely unprepared, flying backward with a look of utter bewilderment.
The trio was separated once more. A sharp light gleamed in Bai Yunfei's eyes. As Loong Tao was just emerging from his confusion, still utterly bewildered about what had happened, Bai Yunfei drove a Ninefold Fist Force straight into his stomach! Loong Tao was blasted two meters away, crashing to the floor and unable to rise.
Then Bai Yunfei's figure blurred. Trailing a string of afterimages, he instantly closed on Loong Tao Yi, who had been kicked back by Loong Tao. A sweeping kick to the waist destroyed Loong Tao Yi's balance. Without giving him a chance to recover, Bai Yunfei launched a relentless barrage. Loong Tao Yi dodged frantically, but the third time he failed to evade, the brick connected—and Knockback triggered once more.
His trajectory sent him flying straight towards Loong Tao Jia, who had just been 'assaulted' by Loong Tao!
The instant Loong Tao Yi flew, Bai Yunfei matched his speed! He had already switched the brick to his left hand. Muscles bunched in his right fist as he drove a devastating punch into Loong Tao Yi's abdomen!
A fully charged Ninefold Fist Force! Loong Tao Yi had no power to resist. His speed surged violently. He spat a mouthful of blood and hurtled like a cannonball towards Loong Tao Jia.
Loong Tao Jia's face paled with horror. He desperately caught his flying brother, staggering back several meters under the impact before finally stopping.
"Wait... wait!!" Loong Tao Jia glanced at his unconscious brother in his arms, then looked up frantically at Bai Yunfei, who was poised to attack again. "Stop! We concede! Take her… take her with you!"
Bai Yunfei halted. His expression remained impassive as he stared intently at Loong Tao Jia, his eyes flickering slightly as he weighed the situation. After a moment, he flicked his right wrist, the brick vanishing. His gaze never left Loong Tao Jia as he slowly sidestepped towards the corner where Liu Meng lay.
Reaching her side, he gently gathered her into his arms. Then, moving deliberately, he walked towards the exit. His eyes remained fixed on Loong Tao Jia until he finally stepped out of the tavern. Only then did he turn and swiftly vanish down the street.
Long after Bai Yunfei had departed, Loong Tao Jia finally released a sigh of profound relief, a bitter taste filling his mouth. 'Deliberately losing'? We were never a match for him in the first place! And that was without him even using that soul armament spear! Those two powerful soul skills… and that baffling brick… We lost utterly…
Shaking his head helplessly, he glanced at the two figures lying on the floor. Thankfully, neither seemed seriously injured—a few days of rest would suffice. As for Loong Tao, who had possessed zero presence since the fight began, he was now huddled in a corner, staring blankly in the direction Bai Yunfei had left.
Loong Tao Jia scanned the hall. The entire space lay in ruins after the fierce battle. The floor bore numerous pits and depressions, testaments to the powerful impacts during the struggle.
He lifted his gaze, surprisingly looking towards the seemingly empty second floor. His expression shifted to one of deep respect as he spoke aloud, "Elder Liu…"
"Mm. Well done." A low, resonant voice drifted down from one of the rooms on the second floor. The door opened, revealing a man in his forties—none other than Liu Cheng, the Frostfire Sect Elder!!
Liu Cheng stood on the second-floor landing, his eyes sweeping over the four men in the hall below. "You performed admirably," he stated slowly. "Return home and recuperate. Once this matter is concluded, you shall receive what was promised."
Loong Tao Jia's face brightened with relief and anticipation. "Thank you, Elder Liu!" He gestured to Loong Tao, and together they helped the injured men out of the tavern…
Liu Cheng lowered his head, a pensive expression on his face as he examined an object in his hand—it was the pale blue bracelet Bai Yunfei had given Liu Meng that very morning!
"No doubt about it," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "That spear, glimpsed only briefly at the start... and that brick, which even Brother Zhenshan never mentioned... There is something profoundly strange about them!"
His gaze intensified as he stared at the bracelet. "This… this is clearly one of the ordinary pieces of jewelry he bought right here in the city, just three days ago when he first arrived at Jade Willow City. But now…" His words revealed an unnerving level of surveillance. Bai Yunfei had been under watch since the very moment he entered the city!
"Moreover…" Liu Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly. "I hadn't anticipated he would form a connection with the Jade Willow Sect. We can delay no longer. The plan must be advanced!"
Mentally finalizing his calculations, Liu Cheng also walked out of the Hidden Pleasure Tavern, turning onto another street.
However, not even Liu Cheng, a mid-stage Soul Sprite cultivator, noticed the figure observing the Hidden Pleasure Tavern from a rooftop nearly a thousand meters away. The man leaned casually against a raised corner ornament, a thoughtful expression on his face as he gazed intently at the building.
He appeared to be in his twenties, clad in silver robes with long hair, his features unremarkable. Perched on his shoulder was a small, mouse-like white beast—none other than Hong Yin, the young man who had spoken with Qin Zheng of the Heavenly Fate Sect and claimed to be the Blood Howl Wolf King's adopted son!
Only after watching Liu Cheng disappear down the alley did Hong Yin finally withdraw his gaze. He remained lost in thought for a few moments longer before vanishing silently into the shadows. The plot had thickened dramatically.