Flesh and blood flew across the Wang Family Moneyhouse.
Foul-smelling blood mixed with filthy intestines spilled everywhere!
Reflecting the dim yellow light of the hall in a bloody red hue.
It was as if the world had turned the color of blood. While Yang An was killing, the girls kidnapped by Zheng Huaiyi screamed and shrank into the corners; the more timid ones had already fainted from sheer terror.
Zheng Huaiyi also hid under a table, trembling uncontrollably.
At this moment, in the entire hall, the only two people left standing were Yang An and Wang Gou'er.
Looking at Yang An's calm demeanor.
Wang Gou'er was completely enraged, wishing he could swallow him alive and skin him whole. He pulled down the dog-head felt hat on his head. As he lifted his broadsword, the nine iron rings clashed, making a swish-swish sound.
"I merely let my guard down earlier, allowing a brat like you to take advantage! You've eaten the gall of a leopard if you think you're truly a match for your grandpa!"
"I'll chop you down with one strike right now!!"
Wang Gou'er boosted his momentum with a roar, raising his sword for a vicious downward cleave!
Facing this heavy, powerful strike, Yang An not only didn't dodge, but gathered all his strength and pushed off the ground with both feet, launching himself like a cannonball out of a barrel!
Ignoring Wang Gou'er's incoming broadsword.
Yang An thrust the dagger straight toward Wang Gou'er's face!
Seeing him use this suicidal, life-risking fighting style right off the bat again, Wang Gou'er grew frantic. "Who is the mad dog here, me or you?!"
Having just seen Yang An kill several men in a row with that dagger.
Wang Gou'er knew exactly how formidable that faintly glowing golden blade was. Not daring to trade lives with Yang An, he pulled back his Nine-Ring Broadsword and held it horizontally in front of his chest to block.
CLANG!
The crisp sound of colliding steel erupted between them.
The Nine-Ring Broadsword clashed with the glittering golden dagger.
Blazing sparks flew.
A massive force transmitted through the blade, and Wang Gou'er was shocked to find he couldn't hold his ground. Terrified, he was forced back several steps. The moment Yang An landed, his legs exploded with power again, launching him forward as he continued to hack viciously at Wang Gou'er with the dagger.
The speed was too fast.
Unable to dodge in time, a helpless Wang Gou'er could only endure the numbness in his arms and continue raising his sword to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Under Yang An's torrential, storm-like barrage, Wang Gou'er, forced into a passive defense, was repeatedly knocked back twenty or thirty feet, both his arms trembling violently!
Looking closely at the Nine-Ring Broadsword in his hands.
It had actually been chipped with four or five inch-deep notches by the golden dagger!
Horror filled Wang Gou'er's eyes!
He couldn't comprehend it. Yang An was a frail scholar! When exactly did he start practicing martial arts?! Where did he get so much physical strength?!
And where did the dagger in his hand come from?
It could even cut through his own Nine-Ring Broadsword forged from refined steel. Could it be a weapon forged from Black Iron?
The humiliation his sister and brother-in-law had suffered.
A towering, murderous rage surged in Yang An's heart. His attacks grew even sharper, giving Wang Gou'er no time to think. He raised the dagger again, aiming straight for Wang Gou'er's vital throat!
Having grown accustomed to the rhythm of Yang An's wild strikes.
Wang Gou'er, enduring the aching pain in his arms, raised his sword to block as usual.
Suddenly, Yang An changed his move!
Just as he was about to leap from the ground, he violently dropped his center of gravity and dove under. Leaning his body forward, he lunged several meters. In an instant, like flowing smoke and rosy clouds, he closed the distance and pressed right up against Wang Gou'er's abdomen!
"Not good!"
Wang Gou'er was alarmed and tried to press his sword down to chop at Yang An's neck!
But it was too late!
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Yang An's eyes. He unleashed a vicious flying knee, striking like a rainbow piercing the sun, heavily slamming into Wang Gou'er's abdomen!
Bang!
The massive force poured into his chest bone and blasted straight through to his back!
A tear ripped open the clothes on Wang Gou'er's back. Taking this hit, it was as if he had been struck by a battering ram. Spewing bloody water from his mouth, he flew eight or nine feet backward and crashed onto the floor.
The Nine-Ring Broadsword also fell to the ground with a clang.
Smashing onto the floor, Wang Gou'er endured the agonizing pain in his abdomen and back. Relying on years of life-and-death combat experience, he didn't even think before grabbing the dropped Nine-Ring Broadsword, rolling onto his side, and scrambling toward where Zheng Huaiyi was hiding!
Just as expected, the instant he rolled away.
Yang An had already viciously stabbed the dagger into the very spot on the floor he had just been lying on. With a hiss, the sharp flying dagger sank straight into the stone slab!
Wang Gou'er took the opportunity to execute a carp kick-up and stand up.
Pulling a few steps of distance away from Yang An.
Having taken a heavy knee to the abdomen, his stomach was churning violently. After vomiting blood, he bent over and wretched out the acid from his stomach along with the distress of his internal organs!
"Big brother is so amazing!"
At this moment, a tender girl's voice suddenly echoed incongruously through the hall. Yang An looked sideways and saw the little girl with a melon-seed-shaped face, still clutching the jade flute, her large eyes shining brightly.
Yang An had killed so many people.
The other girls had either fainted from fear or were hiding in the corners like quails; not a single one dared to look up. Yet Keke, the youngest among them, not only didn't hide, she wasn't even afraid of the bloody gore covering the floor.
Seeing Yang An look over and notice her.
She excitedly hugged the jade flute and started jumping up and down, cheering for Yang An. "Go big brother, go! Beat these bad guys to death!"
Hearing her voice, Wang Gou'er glared at Keke.
He wiped the filth from his mouth, stared at Yang An, and said, "Yang! You're finished! Now, even if you offer up your sister, I'm going to kill you! Old Zheng, give me the black dog blood!"
Zheng Huaiyi, hiding under the table.
Taking advantage of the distance Wang Gou'er had pulled from Yang An, hurriedly tossed the green gourd from his head into Wang Gou'er's hands.
Wang Gou'er twisted off the mouth of the gourd.
Inside the gourd was a thick, viscous black liquid. Once opened, it emitted a foul, fishy stench. Not finding it disgusting at all, Wang Gou'er began guzzling it down in massive gulps!
Although he didn't know what the hell that black dog blood was.
Yang An didn't need to think to know it was definitely bad news for him. While Wang Gou'er was drinking, he pulled the dagger from the floorboards and charged straight at him!
Whoosh!
As the medicinal liquid entered his stomach, Wang Gou'er's aura spiked abruptly. The Nine-Ring Broadsword brought a howling wind as it swung forward, intercepting Yang An halfway!
Yang An raised the dagger to block!
Clang!
A crisp sound exploded. Just as Keke was about to cheer for Yang An again, she saw Yang An—who had been suppressing Wang Gou'er the whole time—actually get forced back by this strike!
Yang An was also slightly astonished.
The force behind Wang Gou'er's sword swing far exceeded what it was before!
Moreover, hidden within that force was an extremely piercing energy. It traveled down the broadsword, through the dagger, and violently shocked the webbing of Yang An's hand until it tore, staining the white cloth wrapped around his hand red with blood!
This kind of pain felt exactly like being bitten by a dog!
Having taken a loss, Yang An hurriedly retreated, pulling some distance away from Wang Gou'er. He thought to himself: Brother-in-law once said, once a martial artist condenses a Divine Aspect and enters the graded ranks, True Essence is born. This allows them to use the power of their Divine Aspect, which drastically enhances the martial artist's own strength.
Both destructive power and defense receive a massive boost!
Yang An narrowed his eyes.
Carefully observing the changes in Wang Gou'er, he no longer rushed in to fight recklessly.
He saw that after Wang Gou'er drank the black dog blood.
He gradually began to merge with the dog-head felt hat he wore.
He literally transformed into something resembling a dog-headed man. The muscles on his body inflated like a blown-up balloon, making his entire frame several sizes larger. His back arched, his arms elongated until they nearly touched the floor, sharp claws grew from his fingertips, fangs protruded from his mouth, and his glowing green eyes radiated a terrifying, cold light!
In the blink of an eye.
Wang Gou'er had transformed into a half-man, half-dog monster!
It really is the power of a Divine Aspect! Yang An tightened his grip on the dagger.
Having completely activated the power of his Divine Aspect.
Wang Gou'er crushed the green gourd with a bang. Smiling coldly, he rested the Nine-Ring Broadsword on his shoulder. Seeing Yang An actively pulling away from him.
His figure blurred.
And he shot forward like a hunting dog, transforming into a black shadow.
His speed was who-knows-how-many times faster than before. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Yang An. Just as Yang An raised his dagger to counterattack.
Bang!
An explosive sonic boom of air pressure.
The black shadow Wang Gou'er had turned into vanished from in front of Yang An. Yang An was slightly stunned, then suddenly felt a violent gale sweeping toward the side of his face!
Without knowing when.
Wang Gou'er had already leapt into the air beside him, executing a sweeping kick!
Yang An twisted his body and crossed his arms to block. Although he managed to parry Wang Gou'er's strike.
Having activated the power of his Divine Aspect.
Wang Gou'er, whose punches and kicks were now wreathed in True Essence, had massively increased in strength. As the tremendous force surged forward, Yang An was still kicked several meters away.
His feet dug into the floor, carving long scratch marks.
Before he could even steady his posture.
He saw that Wang Gou'er had already landed from mid-air. The instant he touched down on all fours, he transformed into a black shadow once again like a vicious hound, lunging right at his face, raising his razor-sharp claws.
Wrapped in white True Essence, they swung fiercely toward his face.
Yang An hurriedly brought his arms together to protect his head.
Following a ferocious, booming impact, he was sent flying once again. His back smashed heavily into the wall, caving the structure in to create a crater nearly a foot deep.
Panting slightly, Yang An broke free from the wall.
Bringing down a large shower of crushed stone that fell to the floor.
Having endured two consecutive strikes from Wang Gou'er, his arms were dripping with blood. Keke, who had just been jumping joyfully and cheering for Yang An, had now pressed her little lips together, not daring to make a sound.
Wang Gou'er didn't press the attack.
He licked the blood from his claws, looked at Yang An, and chuckled, "The True Essence of the Bloodthirsty Demon Hound Aspect I cultivate is just like canine teeth; it can easily tear through the flesh and skin of ordinary people."
"Fighting like this is boring."
"Hurry up and activate your Divine Aspect, Yang Erlang."
"You humiliated me so badly at the Yang house. If I don't crush you along with the Divine Aspect you cultivate into pieces, I won't be able to quench the hatred in my heart!"