Mercenaries in Two Worlds

Xia Yun looked at Zhang Qian curiously, wondering why this person liked being tortured so much.

Zhang Qian gripped his broadsword tightly with both hands, calmed his mind, and shouted in a deep voice, "Use your martial arts skills and see how I break through."

The confidence in Zhang Qian's words annoyed Xia Yun. For some reason, he actually believed that Zhang Qian could break his Heaven-rank martial skill. "Very good." Without further ado, Xia Yun flew towards Zhang Qian with a blur of afterimages. He unleashed a blood-red light, his right hand like a venomous snake biting at his opponent. This time, he held back, striking with his left hand and then thrusting back.

Having already been dealt a blow and left in a sorry state, Zhang Qian seemed to have many openings and could no longer withstand the next attack. With a slight sway, his body created a blur of shadows.

Those watching from the sidelines shook their heads, already knowing the outcome. The blood light was too strong; the two consecutive attacks were too close together, the power too concentrated, leaving no way to defend against it. They saw the red light of Xia Yun's other dagger, which had just been used for a chisel strike, surge and cover the entire blade, making it even more powerful than the previous strike.

Zhang Qian didn't need to look to know that this was the power of Blood Light, a high-level Earth-rank martial skill. One strike after another, each more powerful than the last, giving no one a chance to breathe. The most terrifying thing was that the more strikes there were, the more power was accumulated, and the stronger the power of the final strike was, which could even surpass Heaven-rank martial skills.

Holding my breath and concentrating, my mind was more focused than ever before. It was as if time itself had frozen and slowed down, while my consciousness surged and churned within me.

The illusion created by the afterglow of the setting sun flickered for a moment, and Xia Yun hesitated for a second with his dagger.

This was the moment Zhang Qian had been waiting for. Time seemed to freeze. Without further hesitation, he stabbed the dagger toward the center of its crimson glow.

Indeed, after studying the Blood Light martial art, Zhang Qian determined that the Crimson Center was both its strongest and weakest point. Although it required withstanding greater power, it could weaken or even prevent subsequent attacks.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Qian, leaning back, actually thrust out a knife straight at them. Amazingly, the tip of the knife collided precisely with the tip of the dagger that was thrusting at lightning speed. This control and precision startled Hong Yunyi, who was standing to the side. He could also make such a move, but it was only because of his Yuan Dan realm cultivation and his daily alchemy practice.

With another "clink," the knife shattered from the tip, cracks quickly spreading across the entire blade. With a "bang," the knife broke into pieces and scattered on the ground.

Zhang Qian was struck by the immense force and staggered back more than eight steps until he regained his balance by leaning against the wall.

The ending was the same, but the effect was completely different. Xia Yun's dagger faltered, its rhythm broken, unable to condense the blood light any longer, and could only unleash its finishing move. But Zhang Qian was already some distance away, and the power had not yet accumulated enough, so the attack he managed to deliver was rather weak.

Faced with the unarmed Zhang Qian, Xia Yun stopped the duel. With a flick of his wrist, as if shaking off water, the red light of the dagger vanished instantly.

Looking at Zhang Qian with a complicated expression, he didn't expect the other party to have such strong comprehension, he was simply a prodigy. But he didn't let it go easily, "You've lost three times, you're really weak. Fortunately, you're teachable and can still improve."

Ye Mei, standing to the side, found Xia Yun, who was only about sixteen years old with a still somewhat childish face, rather amusing, despite his mature tone. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, saying to Wang Yi, "This little brother is so cute."

Xia Yun turned around and happened to see that stunning smile. He was stunned. A blush appeared on his indifferent face, which was the appearance of a teenager in puberty.

"Cute? Where's the cuteness?" Zhang Qian grinned, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. "You're a promising student, you little brat."

……

Xia Yun really wanted to stab this guy, but little did he know that Zhang Qian had the same thought. The two looked at each other, as if they could see through each other's thoughts, and were both stunned for a moment before letting out a cold snort.

Everyone was completely bewildered, not understanding what was wrong with the two of them.

Zhang Qian wanted to say a few more words, but Hong Miao laughed and interrupted him, saying, "You two are truly promising young people. You will definitely become outstanding individuals in the future."

Wang Yi didn't understand anything from beginning to end. He just agreed when others said it was good and he was amazed when others were amazed. Unfortunately, his cultivation level was too low, and he couldn't keep up with the pace of the crowd.

Since acquiring Zhang Qian's improved cultivation technique, the Wang family mercenary group has all experienced rapid improvement, except for Wang Yi, who seems to have remained unchanged. His talent is truly terrible and there's no way to help him.

At this point, all he could do was repeat, "Yes, a dragon among men." He even put on a profound expression, which was quite impressive.

"Such powerful control and comprehension." Hong Yunyi had the highest cultivation level and saw more. Suddenly, a thought arose in his mind: he wanted to know if this young man had the potential to become an alchemist. Before he could speak, the other party became smug.

"Thank you, thank you." He changed from his focused demeanor during the competition to his goofy nature, accepting the offer without any modesty.

"A defeated opponent." Xia Yun's silent remark caused Zhang Qian's hands, which were holding a gift, to freeze in mid-air. He was momentarily embarrassed and filled with resentment. He vowed that one day he would pin Xia Yun to the ground and beat him to a pulp.

"Hahahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter.

Hong Yunyi, who was about to speak, quickly shut his mouth, thinking to himself, "Never mind, this person is too unreliable."

If Zhang Qian knew he had missed such a great opportunity, I wonder if he would have covered himself with a blanket and cried his heart out.

Ye Mei and Wang Yi quietly covered their faces. Luckily, they didn't bring Wang Er today, otherwise these two idiots would have put on a show here. Instead of calling it the Wang Family Mercenary Group, they should just call it the Wang Family Medical Clinic, which specializes in taking in oddballs.

After leaving the Hong family, the three were in high spirits. Although Zhang Qian did not obtain a weapon, he saw a broader horizon for martial arts and became full of motivation.

As the sun gradually sets, it shines through the clouds on the horizon, casting a golden hue over the entire world. Occasionally, the joyful sounds of farm children drift from afar, only serving to accentuate the tranquility and peace of the moment.

Along the riverbank, wild grass swayed gently in the setting sun, and a gentle evening breeze dispersed the smoke rising from distant houses.

The three remained silent, appreciating the picturesque scenery.

"Sigh." Zhang Qian seemed to have thought of something. The dim sunlight shone on his face, making his features look sharp.

Ye Mei's hair was slightly disheveled by the wind. She gently gathered it behind her ear with her delicate hand, revealing a profile as beautiful as a magnolia. Perhaps moved by such a beautiful sight, her voice was as gentle as water, "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Everything was beautiful and picturesque, except…

Zhang Qian's words were shocking.

"Today should be called the Day of the Rise of the Strong."

"What? I didn't understand." Ye Mei paused, then pursed her lips. "As expected..."

"Anniversary of the Rise of the Strong."

"Huh? Wang Yi, what did Zhang Qian say?"

"I have no idea."

"Oh, he's acting crazy again. Just ignore him."

"Wait for me! You two, don't walk so fast, listen to me!"

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