```

"Kill!"

But as soon as a volley of arrows had been fired off, Zhao Qing was already bearing down on Su Changkong like a ghostly apparition, attacking him!

Chop!

Su Changkong, with a sword in each hand, delivered a powerful and heavy chopping cut from above, powerful enough to split a chunk of ironstone in two, leaving a smooth cut surface as if it were a mirror.

"Clang!"

Zhao Qing intercepted the blade with his bare hand, relying on the sturdiness of the pair of black gold gloves he wore. He grabbed the sword blade with his left hand, pivoted on his foot stance, and launched a punch from his bow stance with his right fist towards Su Changkong!

"Thump!"

Su Changkong released his left hand and countered with his fist. The power of the Divine Strength Realm burst forth, and amid the explosive sound, Zhao Qing once again hastily retreated.

"Whizz, whizz, whizz!"

The very next moment, a series of mechanism sounds ensued, and more than ten arrows propelled by strong kinetic energy hurtled through the air!

Su Changkong could only concentrate fully, dodging and blocking these arrows.

After a volley of arrows, Zhao Qing stuck to him like gum once again!

Zhao Qing's plan was simple.

All he needed to do was to entangle Su Changkong, prevent his escape, and then allow a group of subordinates to attack from afar with crossbows continuously without allowing Su Changkong a moment's breath!

Su Changkong had to deal with a peer at the same high level, as well as nearly twenty crossbowmen's hidden arrows. The double drain on his physical and mental stamina was enough to ensure his inevitable demise here!

"The corpse of a Martial Artist at the Divine Strength Realm... does have some value indeed!" Zhao Qing grinned viciously under his mask.

This Zhao Qing was indeed a tough opponent, stronger than Shi Hanshan, and with a pair of metal gloves of an unknown material to bluntly contend with Su Changkong's Iron-Cutting Sword, coupled with the shots from nearly twenty crossbowmen, Su Changkong felt a tremendous pressure!

But it was odd that under this pressure, Su Changkong felt not fear or panic but rather a kind of exhilaration. His blood was flowing extremely fast, True Qi swiftly circulating in his body, his spirit fully focused as if everything around him had quieted down, and his perception of his surroundings became exceptionally clear.

The rushing Zhao Qing and the incoming arrows all appeared in exquisite detail!

Su Changkong's spirit seemed to merge with his body, undergoing a kind of sublimation, as if the sound of a bottleneck breaking could be heard, and a surge of strength rose beneath his skin!

"Tie up his sword, and his threatening power will be greatly reduced!"

Zhao Qing, unaware of Su Changkong's transformation, stretched out his hands clad in metal gloves to grab Su Changkong's Iron-Cutting Sword.

Having seen Su Changkong's fierce Blade Technique used to kill several Martial Artists before, Zhao Qing understood that as long as he could withstand Su Changkong's Iron-Cutting Sword, Su Changkong would be like a tiger without claws!

And with nearly twenty crossbowmen working together, killing Su Changkong would be like taking candy from a baby!

"To be killed by your own sold weapon, you must die with lingering resentment, right? My money isn't that easy to take!"

Zhao Qing sneered secretly to himself, this was playing the long game to catch a big fish.

Iron Cutting Blade Technique. Splitting Cut!

However, at this moment, Su Changkong once again held up his sword, and with a chopping cut towards Zhao Qing, the strike was plain and unremarkable but swift as lightning, as if plummeting from the sky.

"Clang!"

Zhao Qing indeed caught the sword blade with both hands, but his expression changed drastically. He felt that Su Changkong's sword was heavier than expected, a massive force pressing down as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

The trembling force transmitted through his arms, causing severe trembling and pain as if they were about to split, and he staggered back several steps uncontrollably before he could unload the force.

```

"What's going on? Both of us are in the Divine Strength Realm... how can he suppress me?" Zhao Qing found it somewhat unbelievable. Both in the Divine Strength Realm, even if there were gaps, it shouldn't be to the extent of being utterly overpowered!

"So that's how it is... Divine Bravery Stage warriors possess the courage to face a hundred foes alone and need real combat to temper their spirit and body. And I lack the pressure of real combat! That's why I've hit a bottleneck!"

Su Changkong meanwhile also realized this at the moment.

Having reached the peak of the Divine Strength Realm, one needed exhilarating combat to provoke a metamorphosis in both flesh and spirit, and indeed, Zhao Qing, coordinating with a host of crossbowmen, had given Su Changkong no small amount of pressure. This led to Su Changkong, who had already reached a bottleneck, to naturally break through his limits!

"Whizz, whizz, whizz!"

Arrows flew towards Su Changkong, who this time chose not to dodge but instead raised an arm to protect his head and neck.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

Arrows striking Su Changkong's upper body produced a sound like the ringing of metal, bouncing off him.

Su Changkong's gold-threaded mail provided excellent defense against arrows and hidden weapons. As long as he guarded his critical points, these long-range crossbow bolts couldn't hurt him!

"What... Golden Bell Cover? Iron Shirt?" A barrage of arrows bounced off Su Changkong's body. Zhao Qing was taken aback, his first thought being whether this Ghost Face had also mastered Horizontal Training Hard Skills?

"You like catching my blade? Then I'll give you enough to satisfy you!"

After withstanding a volley of crossbow bolts, Su Changkong's eyes grew cold as if solidified.

Whoosh!

Su Changkong wielded his Iron-Cutting Sword, but this time he used it not to chop but to "smash." As he circulated his Turtle Breathing True Qi, his arm muscles swelled, and he smashed the broad side of the Iron-Cutting Sword's palm down on Zhao Qing with a gust of wind that brought a heavy pressure!

Zhao Qing clenched his teeth, bracing both hands protected by black metal gloves against the falling Iron-Cutting Sword.

"Crack, crack, crack!"

In the midst of the heavy metallic impact, the Iron-Cutting Sword descended like a thousand-tael hammer. Zhao Qing painfully grunted, managing to block the blow, but the immense force sent shock waves that shattered the bones in his hands!

"Divine Bravery Stage... are you a Divine Bravery Stage martial artist?" Zhao Qing, in excruciating pain, saw black before his eyes and cried out in shock.

Body Refinement Great Achievement, Divine Bravery Stage, a single arm could possess a thousand taels of divine strength, able to swing weapons weighing a hundred taels, like a humanoid ferocious beast!

If Su Changkong were merely in the Divine Strength Realm, he couldn't possibly overpower Zhao Qing physically to this extent; only a Divine Bravery Stage martial artist could do so!

Su Changkong naturally didn't bother to explain to Zhao Qing.

"I really hate... being betrayed!" Coldness filled Su Changkong's eyes, frigid to the core. He had struck a deal with Zhao Qing, delivering quality crossbows, but from the very start of the transaction, Zhao Qing had been plotting against him. As soon as he purchased enough crossbows, he turned them against Su Changkong. How could Su Changkong not be enraged?

"Wait a second! We can talk this over; I am from Black..." Zhao Qing's palms throbbed with excruciating pain, sweat trickling down; he hastily began to speak, seeking to make Su Changkong hold back.

However, Su Changkong didn't hesitate for an instant. He closed the distance and delivered a slashing blow, pouring out all the murderous intent in his heart!

Shick, shick!

Splitting cut, horizontal chop!

Su Changkong executed two rapid strikes in succession, cutting crisscross through the air as though slashing simultaneously. Zhao Qing wanted to block them, but his shattered hands were willing but weak.

Amidst the sound of flesh being torn, Zhao Qing's mask split in two, revealing a pallid, sinister face appearing to be in his thirties or forties. His eyes were filled with fear and unwillingness. A line of blood appeared on both his head and waist and then widened, severing his body in two!

"Thud!"

Zhao Qing's body now bore a cross-shaped wound, tearing into four separate pieces that scattered on the ground, drenching it with blood and viscera in a ghastly mess!