C11 Failure!

Just as the Zhao and Qian families were gearing up for a confrontation, a rustling noise suddenly emanated from the nearby woods. A young man emerged, parting the foliage. "No, it can't be. Wang Pingfan, what are you doing here?" Wang Yan exclaimed in astonishment.

"Quick, run down the mountain and alert everyone. We've been ensnared in their trap. We need our people to come up and rescue us," Wang Yan called out urgently.

Truth be told, the Wang family members harbored little hope. They were all too aware that Wang Pingfan had not even been a Martial Cultivator before. Even if he managed to make it up the mountain, he had only just achieved the status of Martial Cultivator. It was sheer luck that brought him this far, but that sliver of hope, however faint, lingered in their minds.

"Oh, is this the same guy who had the audacity to flirt with the City Lord's daughter? I heard he wasn't even a Martial Cultivator. How bold of him to ascend the mountain just after becoming one. You must be quite lucky to have not run into any Demonic Beasts, or you wouldn't have made it this far. But now that you've encountered us, there's no way you're leaving," Dongfang Ping said mockingly.

Two other youths approached Wang Pingfan. "Kid, you've got bad luck. Come here," one of them said before lunging to grab him.

Wang Pingfan remained composed, extending his palm. The Zhao and Qian families snickered. Did this kid have a death wish? He had just become a Martial Cultivator and thought he could put up a fight? But the scene that unfolded next took everyone by surprise. The youth from the Zhao family was effortlessly caught by Wang Pingfan's palm and hurled into a tree, knocking him unconscious.

Zhao Donglai watched with a cold smirk. "You've got some skills, kid. But don't get cocky just because you took down a three-star Martial Cultivator. We've got over forty people here, all at least three-star Martial Cultivators. Qian Fugui and I have reached the six-star level. So, what's your plan? You still think you can put up a fight?"

The Wang family's spirits lifted at the sight. Wang Qingshui cried out, "Brother Pingfan, make a run for it! We'll hold them off for you." Despite being weakened by poison, she was determined to rise. The Wang family was ready to make their stand, and Wang Pingfan acknowledged them with a confident nod.

Wang Pingfan offered a slight smile and a dismissive wave of his hand, "There's no need for a spectacle; these forty-odd people hardly merit my concern."

"Oh, if you're brimming with such confidence, let Zhao Ping and Zhao Dong have a go. Just be careful not to kill him; we wouldn't want the hassle of dealing with that," Zhao Donglai said with a sneer.

From the ranks of the Zhao family, two young men stepped forward. A voice from their group speculated, "I wonder how many moves this kid can withstand. One's a four-star Martial Cultivator, the other a five-star."

"Ha, it'll be over in a flash," another voice chimed in. Zhao Ping and Zhao Dong launched their fists simultaneously, each glowing with a fiery red light. A member of the Wang family cried out, "This is bad, it's the Zhao family's 'Flame Fist'!" The brilliance of the flames suggested that the technique might have been mastered to Great Completion. A single punch of that caliber could snap a large tree in two. Wang Pingfan was in peril.

Yet, Wang Pingfan remained unfazed, countering with a flurry of punches that erupted with a series of explosive sounds. With formidable force, he sent the two assailants flying, crashing into several large trees, leaving them spitting blood and their fates unknown. The onlookers were dumbfounded. Wang Qingshui exclaimed in amazement, "That's the 'Five Echo Fist' at Great Completion. How is this possible?"

Qian Donglai and Zhao Fugui furrowed their brows. They doubted they could withstand a punch like the one Wang Pingfan had just delivered. But then, with a cold laugh, they mused, "Wang Pingfan, you truly are formidable. In a one-on-one fight, even I might not be your equal. You've been concealing your strength all along, haven't you? But you're alone, and your entire Wang family has succumbed to the Muscular Decay Powder. Now that it's taken full effect, they'll be incapacitated for the next half-hour. Qian Donglai and I are both Six-star Martial Cultivators, and we have dozens of Martial Cultivators ranging from three to five stars. There's no way you can escape."

Wang Pingfan declared, "Run? Who said I'd run? Today, not a single one of you will escape."

Zhao Donglai let out a cold laugh. "We have no intention of running. Prepare to meet your end." With that, he threw a punch, the flames on his fist shining even more intensely than those of the previous two assailants, almost solidifying into actual fire. He had mastered the Flame Fist to the Great Completion stage. Yet, Wang Pingfan stood his ground, crouched slightly, clenched his fist, and his aura surged. He launched his own punch, colliding with his opponent's. Zhao Donglai, like the Zhao family disciples before him, was sent crashing into a tree, but remarkably, he did not cough up blood.

Wang Pingfan eyed him with astonishment. A six-star Martial Cultivator had just withstood his punch. Everyone halted and stared, unable to believe that Zhao Donglai had been knocked away by a single punch.

"What are you wearing?" Wang Pingfan inquired. Zhao Donglai ripped off his upper garment to reveal a bronze armor underneath.

Wang Pingfan narrowed his eyes at the sight of the bronze armor, standard issue of the Amethyst Empire. Within the Aetherwind Dynasty, only the kingdom's guards were privileged enough to don such armor, equivalent to a second-tier magical weapon capable of withstanding attacks from a Martial Master. It was surprising that the Zhao family had access to it, given its value of roughly ten thousand low-grade spirit stones and its scarcity even for those with the means to afford it. It was unexpected that the Zhao family would equip Zhao Donglai with such valuable armor.

The Wang family members were even more astounded, for the Seven Sound Fist that had just been unleashed by Wang Pingfan had reached the Perfection Stage of the seventh echo. In the entire clan, fewer than five had achieved this level. It was almost inconceivable that Wang Pingfan, at his young age, had already attained the seventh echo. In the midst of the shock, Zhao Donglai yelled frantically, "Qian Fugui, won't you take action? Do you plan to wait until he annihilates us all?"

Without hesitation, he swallowed a Qi Burst Pill, his aura skyrocketing. Upon hearing this, Qian Fugui's expression turned icy, and he too consumed a Qi Burst Pill, drawing the large saber from his back. A gasp escaped from the Wang family; it was the Qian family's Cold Moon Saber. With no more than five in existence, their worth surpassed even the bronze armor. Paired with the Qian family's Cold Moon Saber Technique, it was indeed a formidable combination.

Qian Fugui bellowed, "Everyone, attack him together! He's merely a five-star Martial Cultivator; his spiritual energy is definitely finite. With a strategy like the human wave, he won't be able to throw more than a few punches before he's overwhelmed."

The crowd surged forward in a rush, with Zhao Donglai and Qian Fugui—both seven-star Martial Cultivators—leading the charge. They were the only ones who could even hope to withstand Wang Pingfan's blows. The rest couldn't block a single punch. Yet, in less than ten minutes, the crowd, which had swelled to over forty, dwindled to just a handful. Wang Pingfan fought with increasing ferocity, his spiritual energy erupting ceaselessly. Zhao Donglai and Qian Fugui felt a chill in their hearts. How was this possible? How could his spiritual energy be so vast? It seemed to rival that of an eight-star Martial Cultivator.

Wang Pingfan was elated. The Chaos Scripture was truly formidable. The longer he fought, the faster it circulated, replenishing his spiritual energy more and more. He still had over sixty percent of his spiritual energy remaining. These people thought they could wear him down, but they were far from achieving that. Minutes later, Zhao Donglai and Qian Fugui stared at Wang Pingfan as if he were a monster, unable to believe they had been utterly defeated.

Zhao Donglai, his clothes torn and ragged except for the bronze armor he wore, yelled defiantly, "Wang Pingfan, you can't injure me!" With that, he charged forward like a man possessed.

Wang Pingfan smirked coldly. "Do you truly believe I can't hurt you?" Channeling his spiritual energy into his fist, he struck out. Zhao Donglai was sent flying once again, but this time, he coughed up blood.

Zhao Donglai howled in disbelief, "Impossible! This bronze armor can withstand the attacks of a Martial Master. How could you possibly injure me?"

Wang Pingfan responded, "True, your bronze armor can fend off a Martial Master's attack, but that's only if you're strong enough yourself. Even with the aid of a Qi Burst Pill, you're still just a seven-star Martial Cultivator. You probably can't even handle the residual shockwaves. If you could advance your realm by one more level, then perhaps you could withstand them. Zhao Donglai, let me show you just how formidable my fists really are."

Wang Pingfan charged forward with a burst of energy, his fists tightly clenched as he relentlessly pounded on the bronze armor. The reverberations from his punches penetrated Zhao Donglai's body, forcing him to cough up another mouthful of blood before he completely passed out. Wang Pingfan gently laid Zhao Donglai down and turned to face Qian Fugui, asking, "Well? Are you still up for a fight?"

With a resigned smile, Qian Fugui lowered his Cold Moon Saber and struck his own chest with an open palm, coughing up blood as he did so. "We concede defeat this time," he declared.

Wang Pingfan allowed himself a small smile. And just like that, the plot against the Wang family had crumbled to pieces.