The Rising Phoenix

"Looks like we finally have something to warm up our limbs!" Ning Shoukai drew his spear with a sharp flourish, stepping up right beside him.

Xie Zixin and Xie Fengge also smoothly fanned out into broad combat positions. Xie Qingge remained positioned slightly behind the front line, her sharp, perceptive eyes rapidly sweeping over the surrounding guard force.

There was a surprisingly large crowd of them. At least twenty armed men, and judging by their disciplined spacing and practised movements, this was clearly not their first time shaking down or murdering helpless travellers.

"The townsfolk have already bolted their doors and shut down their shops." Xie Qingge noted softly, observing their eerie surroundings.

The busy street stalls had been bustling only moments ago, but the exact instant the guards cornered their group, the terrified shopkeepers had silently closed their shutters and vanished into the shadows.

"You are spot on, Qingge." Xie Fengge nodded, adjusting his blade’s grip. "They are clearly used to this exact routine, which means we are far from their first victims."

"Hmm... Everyone, stay alert." Xie Yanlin stated flatly. "These guards are actually trained militia, not mindless street thugs."

"Even better!" Xie Jingguo grinned, his eyes sparking with competitive fire. "That just means they would not fall apart after a single punch!"

"Don’t get too arrogant." Xie Zixin reminded him dryly from the flank.

"I am not being arrogant, Zixin! I’m being excited!" Xie Jingguo retorted with a laugh.

"Those two things are practically identical when it comes to your brain." Xie Zixin countered seamlessly.

"Enough banter." Xie Yanlin raised his hand, his authoritative tone bringing instant silence to the group.

The six young cultivators instantly locked into perfect combat focus.

Xie Yanlin fixed his gaze on the guard captain. "This is your final chance. Stand down and let us leave in peace."

The leader’s face darkened into a scowl. These arrogant brat kids really knew how to push his buttons.

"You fools still don’t understand your place!" The leader barked angrily. "If you want to leave this town with your lives, leave that winged Qianlima behind!"

"And leave that pretty girl back there too!" One of the sleazy guards yelled from the back, eyeing Xie Qingge with a vile, lewd grin.

The rest of the guard squad burst into crude, mocking laughter.

In a fraction of a second, every single male student shifted their footing, seamlessly stepping in front of Xie Qingge to completely block her from their disgusting gazes.

"Kill the men! Attack!" The leader roared!

The moment the command left his mouth, the guards charged forward like a pack of wolves! Several heavy swords slashed toward Xie Yanlin simultaneously. They had naturally assumed he was the leader of the party based on his calm demeanour and wanted to eliminate him first to shatter the group’s morale.

Xie Yanlin’s body moved with practised grace. He took a swift step backwards, narrowly dodging the first descending blade before twisting his torso and striking the attacker’s wrist with the dense back of his hand!

Clack!

"Gah!" The guard’s fingers instantly went numb, his grip loosening as his sword nearly clattered to the cobbles.

Before the man could recover his footing, Xie Yanlin delivered a brutal, qi-infused kick straight to his midsection!

Bam!

The guard flew backwards like a cannonball, crashing violently into two of his companions behind him and taking them both down in a heap.

At the exact same time, two more guards lunged straight toward Xie Jingguo!

"Come at me!" Xie Jingguo shouted enthusiastically!

Stamping his foot onto the road, he channelled his earth elemental attribute. A solid wall of dense soil erupted from the stone cobbles, cleanly blocking the first descending sword. Utilising the split-second opening, Xie Jingguo stepped around the earthen shield and drove a heavy, qi-reinforced punch straight into the guard’s ribs!

Crack!

The guard coughed up a spray of blood as his ribs shattered, collapsing onto the ground like a sack of stones.

The second guard immediately attempted a surprise flank, swinging his sword toward Xie Jingguo’s neck.

Xie Jingguo ducked cleanly beneath the sweeping blade before sweeping his leg across the man’s ankles in a fluid breakdance movement.

The guard completely lost his balance, flailing wildly in midair.

Xie Jingguo grabbed him by his heavy collar and hurled him like a ragdoll straight into a third guard who was charging in! Both men crashed heavily onto the hard street.

Without missing a beat, Xie Jingguo leapt forward and stomped his boots heavily onto both guards’ chests before they could even attempt to push themselves up, knocking the wind straight out of their lungs!

"That’s three down for me!" Xie Jingguo yelled proudly over his shoulder.

"Stop counting your kills in the middle of a fight!" Ning Shoukai shouted back, parrying a sword strike.

"You are just jealous because I am winning!" Xie Jingguo argued back with a laugh. "You have not even taken down one yet!"

"Who says I have not?!" Ning Shoukai grinned, thrusting his spear forward like lightning!

Two guards attempted to pincer him at once, one slashing from the front while the other aimed a lethal strike at his exposed back.

Ning Shoukai ducked low beneath the first attack, sliding his footing toward the second guard as the blade whistled harmlessly through the air above his hair.

With a rapid twist, Ning Shoukai swung the shaft of his spear, smashing the heavy wood into the second guard’s shoulder with a sickening crunch. As the man howled in pain, Ning Shoukai instantly reversed his grip and jabbed the sharp spearhead straight into the guard’s thigh!

Another agonising shriek echoed through the street as the man dropped his weapon.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***