Chapter 200: Assassination of Iron Unbeaten

Tie Bubai was violently thrown outside the Qingyun Sect's mountain gate.

Fortunately, he had brought his second disciple, Sun Chaozong, with him. Sun Chaozong possessed a formidable physique, with combat power comparable to a first-level Core Formation cultivator.

Waiting outside the Qingyun Sect, Sun Chaozong's expression drastically changed when he saw Tie Bubai being thrown out. "Master!" he exclaimed. "What happened to your hands and feet?" Then he gasped, "Your tendons have been severed!" He was horrified, realizing his master had been tortured beyond recognition after visiting the Qingyun Sect.

"Shh!" Despite being in extreme pain, Tie Bubai remained rational. He immediately stopped Sun Chaozong, whispering, "Do you want the whole world to know I'm crippled? Hurry, escort me back to the Giant Sect at once!"

As the Grand Elder of the Giant Sect, Tie Bubai was known even to young children for possessing numerous valuable items. If news of his crippled cultivation spread, it would be difficult to guarantee that ill-intentioned individuals wouldn't attempt to harm him.

Sun Chaozong quickly shut his mouth. He hired a carriage, helped Tie Bubai inside, and hastily drove away from Qingyun City. Coincidentally, Jiang Fan arrived just in time to witness Tie Bubai being helped into the carriage.

Jiang Fan remained discreet and quietly followed them. He decided to wait until Tie Bubai and his companion had left Qingyun Sect territory before making his move. Otherwise, Tie Bubai's unexplained death within the sect's borders would provide the Giant Sect with a pretext to stir up trouble.

He trailed them the entire way. With his cultivation crippled, Tie Bubai couldn't sense any danger, and Sun Chaozong's cultivation wasn't strong enough for keen perception. Neither of them noticed Jiang Fan following them.

Three days later, dusty from their journey, Sun Chaozong finally left Qingyun Sect territory and entered the domain of the Giant Sect. Ahead lay a strategic frontier town of the Giant Sect, where several powerful cultivators were permanently stationed. Once they entered the city, they would be completely safe.

"Hmph hmph hmph!" Tie Bubai lifted the carriage curtain, glancing back at the receding Qingyun Sect border with a sneer. "The Qingyun Sect is nothing but a bunch of soft-hearted fools! Since they crippled me, why didn't they just kill me? Do they truly believe I'll be grateful after they severed my tendons? No! I will dedicate my entire life to avenging myself, making them pay a blood debt!" His face contorted with rage, appearing grotesque.

Sun Chaozong's face darkened. "Master, rest assured!" he said. "After I escort you back to the sect, I'll return and secretly eliminate a few Qingyun Sect disciples to recoup some of our losses! I'll break their arms and cripple their dantian! I'll make the Qingyun Sect regret this!" Tie Bubai revealed a look of satisfaction, then immediately thought of Jiang Fan. His expression grew even more vicious. "Start with that disciple named Jiang Fan!"

"He's the one who caused this to me!" Tie Bubai spat. "You must investigate his background thoroughly for me! Find out where he lives, how many people are in his clan, how many dogs, how many chickens—investigate every single detail! I want to slaughter his entire clan, skin them, strip their bones, leaving nothing alive! I want Jiang Fan to live his entire life consumed by regret!" He heavily punched the carriage wall.

Normally, a casual punch from him would have shattered the entire carriage. But with his tendons severed, he couldn't exert any force. The realization only intensified his hatred for Jiang Fan.

Just then, his ears twitched. He faintly heard a slight, sharp scraping sound against the back of the carriage. Although his tendons were severed, his other senses were still sharp. In a flash, he decisively lunged forward, dropping to the floor. *Shhhwish—*

A sharp whistling sound accompanied a black sword as it pierced through the carriage and thrust inward. It grazed the back of Tie Bubai's head, and under the fierce sword qi, large clumps of his hair and scalp were scraped off, oozing blood. The pain made Tie Bubai roar, "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

*Shhhwish—* The first strike missed. Jiang Fan kicked open the rear of the carriage, bent down, and squeezed inside. "Heaven and Earth Starfall!" he declared, immediately unleashing his most powerful sword technique. With a terrifying thunderous explosion, the black sword ripped through the entire carriage, striking towards Tie Bubai's back amidst a deafening roar.

In that critical moment, Tie Bubai let out a roar and abruptly bent his waist. His muscles, dense and thick like cabbage leaves, visibly bulged. The instant the black sword pierced his skin, his muscles suddenly writhed, clamping the blade firmly. No matter how much force Jiang Fan applied, he couldn't thrust the sword deeper.

Jiang Fan's heart jolted. As expected of the Giant Sect's Grand Elder, even with his tendons severed and unable to attack, his defense remained impenetrable! Failing to achieve a decisive blow, he promptly withdrew his sword and retreated.

*Boom—* Just as he exited the carriage, an overwhelmingly powerful force descended from above. Without a doubt, it was Sun Chaozong attacking. "Nine Forms of Battle Heaven: Sky Splitter!"

Without hesitation, Jiang Fan raised his hand and met the blow with a punch. *Bang—* The immense force, like Mount Tai bearing down, instantly sent Jiang Fan plummeting. Just as his feet were about to embed him in the earth, turning him into a helpless stake, he decisively employed a movement technique.

He lightly tapped the nearby carriage with his toe, using the momentum to spring backward. *Boom—* He barely escaped as a massive foot descended from above, stomping on the very spot where he would have landed. The ground was left with a three-inch-deep indentation. If he had been caught, his bones would undoubtedly have shattered, leaving him severely injured.

Sun Chaozong's two attacks had failed. He stared, surprised and suspicious, at the mysterious figure before him, who wore a mask engraved with the character 'One'. "He took a direct punch from me," Sun Chaozong murmured, "and his arm isn't broken?"

Sun Chaozong was astonished. That punch had been his full power, a blow that even a fifth-level Core Formation martial artist who hadn't specifically tempered their body might not endure. Yet, this person was seemingly unscathed. In truth, Jiang Fan wasn't entirely unharmed.

His left hand throbbed with intense pain, and his fingers felt as though they might explode. If he hadn't cultivated the *Iron Blood True Scripture*, that strike would have completely crippled his arm. Mastered body cultivation truly was formidable. However, Tie Bubai had to die today!

He had heard every single word Tie Bubai had just uttered! The thought of them persecuting his loved ones, skinning them, and stripping their bones, sent a chill through him. His eyes turned frigid. "Heaven and Earth Starfall!" he declared, thrusting his sword.

Unparalleled sword qi, accompanied by a deafening dragon's roar, erupted. Sun Chaozong snorted. "With me here," he scoffed, "don't even dream of harming a single hair on my master!" He unleashed both fists, generating materialized qi that resembled a fierce tiger, lunging towards the potent sword qi. Simultaneously, Sun Chaozong glanced towards the strategic town behind him.

Such a massive disturbance here meant that the city's powerful cultivators would arrive within moments. He simply needed to stall this person, and they could then surround and eliminate him.

*Boom-bang—* The sword qi and fist collided, unleashing a powerful repulsive force that simultaneously pushed both men back. The difference was stark: Sun Chaozong stumbled rapidly backward, while Jiang Fan drove his sword into the earth. Using the counterforce, he gripped the hilt, spun half a turn, and then flung the sword forward. Its trajectory was undeniably aimed directly at Sun Chaozong!

"Heavenly Crippling Finger: Purple Qi Comes from the East!" Just as Sun Chaozong regained his footing, he was met with an incomparably fierce finger technique!

Sun Chaozong's expression shifted slightly. Jiang Fan's extensive combat experience proved quite troublesome for him; he realized he had encountered a difficult opponent. Immediately, he raised both arms, the muscles bulging like armor. *Pfft—* Yet, the Heavenly Crippling Finger was a technique capable of piercing even stone. How could mere flesh and blood hope to withstand it?