He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

The figure turned around, revealing a handsome yet cold face: "I am Zhang Beixing's friend, and I cannot stand by and watch him be bullied by you."

Zhou Ran's face turned extremely ugly: "You think you can stand against the entire Zhou family? You think you can protect Zhang Beixing? Let me tell you, you're courting death!"

The figure sneered, "Zhou Ran, do you think your Zhou family can control everything? Do whatever you want? Let me tell you, there is still justice and fairness in this world!"

Zhou Ran was stunned by the figure's coldness and determination. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Fine, since you're so eager to die, then I'll grant your wish." As soon as he finished speaking, he whistled, and instantly, more people surged in from all directions, surrounding Zhang Beixing and his group…

Faced with this new turn of events, Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure showed no panic or fear.

Zhou Ran watched as Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure walked towards him without fear, his anger burning. He waved for his men to prepare to attack, but at that moment, Zhang Beixing moved like lightning, dodging Zhou Ran's men's attacks with an extraordinary speed.

Immediately afterwards, countless fine needles, as thin as cow's hair, appeared in Zhang Beixing's hand. With a flick of his finger, the needles shot out like arrows, accurately targeting Zhou Ran's men. A soft "whoosh" sound rang out, and Zhou Ran's men stood motionless, as if frozen in place.

Zhou Ran was terrified. He hadn't expected Zhang Beixing to possess such miraculous abilities. He stared wide-eyed at Zhang Beixing, his voice filled with disbelief: "You... what kind of sorcery is this? How can you immobilize my people?"

Zhang Beixing's lips curled into a mocking sneer: "Zhou Ran, do you really think you've got me cornered? Do you really think you can control everything? Let me tell you, you're sorely mistaken! There are many things in this world that you can't even imagine."

Zhou Ran's face instantly darkened to a grim level. He took a deep breath and coldly said, "Fine, since you have this ability, then I can't let you live. Today, you will surely die!"

Zhang Beixing showed no fear and shouted back, "Zhou Ran, do you think you can kill me so easily and escape the law? Don't dream!" As soon as he finished speaking, the mysterious figure suddenly launched an attack. He swung his long sword, and the sword energy was so strong that Zhou Ran was forced to retreat several steps.

Zhou Ran steadied himself, looking at Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure, a sense of fear and unease rising within him. He realized that he might have truly encountered a tough opponent today.

But he was not about to give up so easily. He took a deep breath and roared, "Charge! All of you, charge! Kill them!"

However, his men remained frozen in place, as if under a spell. Zhou Ran was furious and rushed forward to take action himself. Just then, Zhang Beixing flicked his finger, and a flying needle shot towards Zhou Ran like lightning. Zhou Ran felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and he felt as if he were nailed to the ground, unable to move.

"This...how is this possible?" Zhou Ran's eyes widened, his face filled with horror and despair. "You...who are you? How can you possess such abilities?"

Zhang Beixing stared coldly at Zhou Ran: "Zhou Ran, your end is nigh!"

Zhou Ran trembled with rage, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch helplessly as Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure approached step by step, his heart filled with endless regret and fear...

Just as Zhang Beixing was about to deliver the fatal blow to Zhou Ran, a powerful aura suddenly descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield. Immediately afterwards, an old man dressed in a gray robe and holding a cane slowly floated down from the sky, standing steadily between Zhang Beixing and Zhou Ran.

The old man's appearance stunned everyone, including Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure. They looked at the old man with a mixture of wariness and curiosity, their hearts filled with doubt.

The old man looked at Zhang Beixing, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Young man, where did you learn the flying needle technique you just used? In all my years, I have never seen such a wonderful move."

Zhang Beixing frowned slightly: "Senior, this is my family's secret technique, which is not convenient to pass on to outsiders. May I ask what your purpose is in suddenly appearing here?"

The old man smiled slightly: "Young man, don't be nervous. I'm just an old man passing by. I saw a fight here and came to watch the excitement. I never expected to meet a master like you. It's truly an eye-opener for me."

Zhang Beixing breathed a sigh of relief: "So you were just passing by, senior. I'm relieved. I have no intention of being your enemy."

The old man shook his head: "Young man, you misunderstand. Although I do not wish to be your enemy, I am quite interested in your flying needle technique. I would like to test your skills and see how many of my moves you can withstand."

Zhang Beixing's heart tightened. He knew that the old man's ability to appear so easily and block his attack meant he was no ordinary person. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Since senior wishes to offer guidance, this junior will humbly accept. Please, senior, make your move!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in the old man's eyes. He lightly waved his cane, and a powerful gust of air rushed towards Zhang Beixing. Zhang Beixing dared not be careless. He dodged the gust of air with a swift movement, and then flicked his fingers, sending several flying needles towards the old man.

However, the old man's strength far exceeded Zhang Beixing's expectations. With a light flick of his cane, he knocked all the flying needles away. Immediately afterward, he flashed in front of Zhang Beixing and struck him with a palm.

Zhang Beixing felt a powerful gust of air rush towards him, and he was startled. He retreated with all his might, but the old man's palm strike was relentless, making it impossible for Zhang Beixing to escape.

Just then, the mysterious figure suddenly attacked, wielding his longsword to block the old man's palm strike. The old man looked at the mysterious figure, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Oh? I didn't expect there to be another expert here. Excellent, then I'll take you both on!"

After saying that, the old man flashed forward and attacked the mysterious figure, and the two instantly engaged in fierce combat.

Zhang Beixing was filled with worry and unease at this sudden turn of events. He knew the old man was powerful, and even if he and the mysterious figure joined forces, they might not be able to defeat him.

But now they have no choice but to fight with all their might...

This sudden battle has reignited tensions in the already tense situation.

Just as Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure were locked in fierce combat with the gray-robed elder, Zhou Ran suddenly sensed an opportunity to escape. Looking at the chaotic battlefield, his desire to survive grew stronger. He knew this was his best chance to flee.

So Zhou Ran quietly mobilized his internal energy, preparing to slip away in the chaos. However, just as he took a step, the gray-robed old man suddenly appeared in front of him in a flash.

"Zhou Ran, where do you think you're going?" The gray-robed elder coldly stared at Zhou Ran, lightly flicking his cane to freeze him in place. Zhou Ran was shocked; he hadn't expected the gray-robed elder to notice him. He stared wide-eyed at the elder, his voice filled with disbelief: "You... how do you know me?"

The gray-robed old man sneered, "Zhou Ran, do you think no one knows what you've done? Do you think you can escape legal punishment? Let me tell you, there are no secrets in this world! Your evil deeds have already spread throughout the entire martial arts world!"

Zhou Ran trembled with rage at the old man's words, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch helplessly as the old man approached step by step, his heart filled with endless regret and fear.

"Senior, spare my life! I know I was wrong, please spare my life!" Zhou Ran suddenly knelt in front of the gray-robed old man, pleading bitterly.

Looking at Zhou Ran's pitiful, subservient appearance, the gray-robed old man felt a surge of disgust and contempt. He coldly said, "Zhou Ran, do you think begging for mercy will do any good? That you can escape legal punishment? Let me tell you, no way! Today is your death day!"

After saying this, the gray-robed old man gently swung his cane, and Zhou Ran was completely immobilized. Then, he turned to Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure and said, "You two are quite good, managing to hold off this wicked Zhou Ran for so long. But you can rest assured now, I have him under control."

Upon hearing the gray-robed elder's words, Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure both breathed a sigh of relief. They knew that the gray-robed elder possessed extraordinary strength, and if they could obtain his assistance, the chances of exposing Zhou Ran's crimes and bringing him to justice would greatly increase.

"Thank you for your help, senior!" Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure clasped their hands in thanks to the gray-robed old man at the same time.

The gray-robed old man smiled slightly: "You two youngsters, there's no need to be so polite. I was just passing by and came to join in the fun when I saw a fight. I never expected to encounter such young masters as you. It's truly an eye-opener for me."

At this point, the gray-robed elder suddenly paused, turned his gaze to Zhang Beixing, and asked, "Young man, your flying needle technique is extremely amazing. Where did you learn it? Could you tell me a little about it?"

Zhang Beixing hesitated for a moment before saying, "Senior, to be honest, my flying needle technique is a family secret, and it is not convenient to reveal it to others. I hope you will understand." He knew that his flying needle technique was extremely precious and could not be easily shown to others.

Upon hearing Zhang Beixing's words, the gray-robed elder was not angered. Instead, he laughed heartily, "Good lad, you have guts! Since you're unwilling to speak, then so be it. However, I remain very interested in your flying needle technique. If there's an opportunity, we might as well spar again." Just as he finished speaking, suddenly, another powerful aura descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield…

Zhou Ran was frozen in place by the gray-robed elder, unable to move. Just then, another powerful aura descended from the sky like a storm, instantly sweeping across the entire battlefield. Under the pressure of this aura, everyone felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on their chests, making it difficult to breathe.

The force shot straight at Zhou Ran, sending him flying and crashing heavily into a large tree. With a loud bang, Zhou Ran's body slid off the tree like a broken sack, collapsing to the ground, motionless, clearly unconscious.

The old man in the gray robe looked at this sudden change with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He turned his head to look at the source of the aura and saw a middle-aged man in a black robe slowly floating down from the sky and standing not far away.

"Who are you? Why did you suddenly attack and injure the person I appointed?" the gray-robed elder asked in a deep voice. Although he knew that the black-robed middle-aged man was exceptionally strong, he had no intention of backing down.

The middle-aged man in black robes glanced coldly at the old man in gray robes and said, "Who I am is not important. What is important is that Zhou Ran is the target I have been tracking. He is suspected of multiple serious crimes, and I must bring him back for trial."

The gray-robed elder frowned slightly: "Since Zhou Ran is the target you've been tracking, why didn't you show yourself sooner? Why did you wait until we subdued him before appearing?"

The middle-aged man in black robes replied calmly, "I originally wanted to show myself earlier, but I was delayed by some things along the way. But it doesn't matter, it's not too late to show myself now. At least I can be sure that Zhou Ran can't escape this week."

Looking into the cold and resolute eyes of the middle-aged man in black, the gray-robed elder felt a surge of wariness. He sensed that this man was no ordinary person, and perhaps harbored a greater secret and power behind him.

Just then, Zhang Beixing and the mysterious figure also walked over. They looked at Zhou Ran, who had fainted on the ground, and the middle-aged man in black robes who had suddenly appeared, their hearts filled with doubt and curiosity.

"Senior, who is this...?" Zhang Beixing was about to ask about the identity of the middle-aged man in black robes when he was interrupted by the mysterious figure.

"No need to ask. Since this senior is unwilling to reveal his identity, then we need not press him further." The mysterious figure said, looking at the middle-aged man in black robes. "However, since you say that Zhou Ran is suspected of multiple serious crimes, could you perhaps provide evidence?"

The middle-aged man in black robes nodded and took out a document from his pocket, handing it to the mysterious figure: "This is a secret order I obtained from the government, which details Zhou Ran's crimes and evidence. You can take a look."

The mysterious figure took the document and began to carefully examine it. Zhang Beixing also joined them. The more they read, the more horrified they became. They realized that Zhou Ran had committed so many heinous crimes—it was utterly outrageous!
"Alright, now that Zhou Ran's crimes have been confirmed, let's take him back for trial." The middle-aged man in black robes said, walking towards Zhou Ran, preparing to lead him away...

However, just as the middle-aged man in black robes was about to take Zhou Ran away, the old man in gray robes suddenly reached out and stopped him.

"Wait!" the gray-robed elder said in a deep voice, "Although Zhou Ran has committed heinous crimes, I have still subdued him. I cannot let you take him away like this."

The middle-aged man in black robes frowned: "What do you mean by this? Do you intend to protect this criminal?"

“Covering up? Of course not.” The gray-robed old man shook his head. “I just feel that since Zhou Ran is our common goal, his fate should be decided by us together. You can’t just take him away unilaterally like this.”

The middle-aged man in black robes looked at the old man in gray robes with unwavering eyes and knew he was not joking. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Very well, since you insist, let's discuss how to deal with Zhou Ran."

The old man in the gray robe nodded: "That's more like it. Let's find a place to discuss this properly now."

Led by the old man in gray robes, the group arrived at a secluded cave. The cave was dimly lit but unusually quiet, undisturbed by anyone.

"Alright, now we can discuss how to deal with Zhou Ran," the gray-robed elder said, looking at the crowd. (End of Chapter)