25: Iron Gate

The explosive power caused the short-haired man to shoot out like a cannonball. A blur of motion later, he was already in front of Zhao Bufan.

His fist, enveloped in thick True Qi, crackled with the sound of snapping bones and tendons. The next instant, a punch suddenly slammed towards Zhao Bufan's chest.

This punch was so powerful that it compressed the surrounding air, creating a series of dull sonic booms.

Zhao Bufan faced him as if facing a formidable enemy. He spread his fingers, twisting them as he likewise infused a surge of True Qi to block the large, sandbag-like fist.

Bang!

The sound of colliding True Qi rang out, and Zhao Bufan's tall, slender figure retreated more than ten steps before he managed to stabilize himself.

He looked at the smiling short-haired man with a somewhat grim expression, then lowered his gaze to his palm. Even with the True Qi enveloping it, a large area of redness and swelling still appeared on his palm.

"Iron Demon Fist? You are from the Tie Sha Sect," Zhao Bufan said in a deep voice.

After just one clash of fists, he could feel the opponent's immense strength, and the fact that he was forced back indicated that the opponent was undoubtedly a Limit Realm master.

Thinking of this, his expression couldn't help but become solemn.

Although he had suspected an ambush here, he had not anticipated that local School forces near Lianbo City would be involved.

According to the records, the Tie Sha Sect has two Limit Realm masters. Besides their Sect Leader, who is already over sixty, there is only the Tie Sha Sect's top master, Chen Zhong, whose reputation echoes throughout the surrounding region.

"Chen Zhong, do you know what you are doing? Daring to collude with demons against our Demon Suppression Division, do you really want your School to be annihilated?" Zhao Bufan's eyes were gloomy as he sternly shouted.

The Great Liang Kingdom's martial arts are flourishing today, which has led to the emergence of a large number of martial arts Schools. These Schools vary in strength, and their most significant characteristic is their respective martial arts Legacies.

The appearance of these Schools has, to some extent, helped the Great Liang Kingdom alleviate the troubles caused by demons. However, some individuals, relying on their strong martial arts, also commit evil in local areas. The actual pros and cons of this situation have become intertwined and unclear.

But overall, these Schools still respect the imperial court, and in many matters, they would defer to the Demon Suppression Division.

His identity exposed, Chen Zhong was not annoyed. The smile on his face did not diminish; instead, it became even brighter as he responded, "Lord Zhao, you are mistaken! If I eliminate all of you, how would this matter ever get out?"

Hearing this, Zhao Bufan immediately understood the opponent's intentions. Although he was unclear how the Tie Sha Sect had colluded with the demons, these details were no longer important.

"Then let's fight!" A resolute look appeared in Zhao Bufan's eyes. He suddenly took a step forward, swinging his sword towards Chen Zhong and Yan Qi.

Due to the Tie Sha Sect's intervention, the situation changed again. Among the more than ten Tie Sha Sect Disciples Chen Zhong brought, many possessed formidable strength. They, in cooperation with the wolf demons, began to attack the members of the Demon Suppression Division.

"Everyone, don't panic! We must hold off these damned fellows!" Cheng Yuanwu roared, attempting to stabilize the crowd.

However, before he could say much, he was surrounded by two Tie Sha Sect masters who quickly launched a fierce offensive.

Lu Ming slashed down with his blade, beheading a wolf demon attempting to ambush him from behind. He frowned, observing the increasingly chaotic situation around him.

Just as he was trying to find a way to break the deadlock, a whistling sound of something cutting through the air rang out, and Lu Ming's steps suddenly halted.

Sensing danger, he turned his head to look, and a cold glint rapidly approached. Relying on his perception of danger, Lu Ming tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the incoming hidden weapon.

Despite avoiding the attack, Lu Ming felt no relief in his heart!

He glanced at the dart deeply embedded in the ground nearby. Its sharp edge sent a chill down his spine.

The masked man standing not far away, who had attempted the ambush, looked at Lu Ming with a slight surprise. He hadn't expected the opponent to avoid the attack so easily.

"It seems your luck is good, but that's all it is," the masked man said disdainfully as he stepped forward.

Seeing the mockery in the opponent's eyes, Lu Ming stared back expressionlessly, his pupils gradually turning cold.

Another Initial Realm master. Although he was only in the Middle Stage of the Initial Realm, Lu Ming could sense a dangerous aura from him.

However, this was not surprising. After all, compared to demons who only used brute force and wild combat, these School Martial Artists, who underwent systematic training and knew the weak points of the human body, were truly formidable.

"Hmph, only knowing how to ambush with hidden weapons. I'd like to see what this rat-like fellow is capable of," Lu Ming said indifferently.

"You're courting death!" A fierce glint flashed in the masked man's eyes, seemingly enraged by Lu Ming's words.

The Iron Demon Fist is an extremely dangerous Cultivation Technique to Cultivate. If one is not careful during Cultivation, they might injure their own Foundation instead of harming the enemy. However, once Cultivated to Major Achievement, its strikes become incredibly fierce.

With a wave of his left hand, several darts shot out with a hiss. At the same time, the masked man leaned forward, rushing quickly towards Lu Ming.

Lu Ming was not afraid. He raised his blade and chopped, and with several crisp metallic clashes, sparks flew as Lu Ming's blade struck and sent the darts flying away.

Looking at the masked man who was attacking, Lu Ming's expression became solemn as he sensed the threat. He flicked his hand and unleashed a Blade Aura.

The sharp, crescent-shaped Blade Aura tore through the air, emitting a faint ripping sound.

Seeing that the young man opposite him could actually manifest Blade Aura, a hint of jealousy appeared in the masked man's eyes.

Those who can comprehend Protective Aura are all exceptionally talented individuals. Not to mention in a Demon Suppression Division of a small city, even in a considerably large School, as long as there is no enmity with the higher-ups, they would be heavily nurtured, with the expectation that they would serve the School in the future.

He had been on the Martial Dao path for over twenty years, Cultivating since childhood, yet he still hadn't comprehended it. Looking at Lu Ming, who was even younger than himself, the killing intent in his heart grew even stronger.

"Take this punch!"

With a low roar, the masked man's Cultivation Technique circulated, his entire body's Blood Qi surged, and his aura became incredibly fierce and brave.

He stomped heavily on the ground, leaving a half-palm-sized pit. The powerful force, like an explosion, rapidly surged through the bulging muscles of his arm towards his fist, like layers of ripples, intending to shatter everything in front of him.

Bang!

With a punch, the force directly shattered the unleashed Blade Aura and slammed towards Lu Ming's position.

This was Lu Ming's first encounter with these Jianghu Schools, and seeing how fierce this fist technique was, he couldn't help but be startled.

The fist, imbued with a bloody aura, rapidly approached. Feeling the suffocating, surging wind, the Blood Refining Yuan Gathering Skill within him operated at full power. The surging Blood Qi rapidly enhanced Lu Ming's control over his body. He stomped his foot and retreated.