Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Man no longer concealed his intentions and immediately shouted, "Good, Shen Chen, you're a real man."

He drew his knife decisively: "Then let's settle this today."

His breathing suddenly became heavy, like a whale swallowing the sea, and his muscles were clearly defined in the sunlight, full of violent curves.

He walked heavily, stepping on the ground towards Shen Chen, like a giant humanoid elephant.

Seeing that things were going wrong, Zhang Xiaolong took a step towards Zhuang Man: "Zhuang Man! If you want to fight, I'll accompany you. Why make things difficult for Shen Tou?"

"He's a nobody." Zhuang Man's face was full of malice. "I, Zhuang Man, have been a member of the gang for two whole years, more than seven hundred days and nights. I have risked my life for the stronghold and never missed a single task. Last time, when we attacked Zhao Family Village, I was the first to climb the city wall and made great contributions. If it weren't for my brother spending a lot of money to buy me the elixir, I would be a pile of bones by now."

"I've come this far, so why should a mere scholar like him, with his connection to Qin Pi, be able to trample on me?" Zhuang Man roared, his voice booming and sharp as a dagger, making the ears of those around him ring.

Zhang Xiaolong's pupils suddenly contracted: "So strong, his skills have improved recently."

Zhao Qianwang remained silent, while Zhang Xiaohu's face turned pale. Zhuang Man's shout had suppressed the qi and blood of others, demonstrating the prowess of a true qi martial artist.

"Xiaolong, step aside, I'll fight him." Shen Chen reached out and pushed Zhang Xiaolong aside.

"Shen Tou, don't be stubborn..." Zhang Xiaolong's words suddenly choked in his throat.

At this moment, Shen Chen's breathing quietly began, heavy and long, like a wind in an empty valley, no less than Zhuang Man's.

"The Visceral Realm!" The pupils of everyone present suddenly contracted to their maximum size.

"How is that possible?" Zhang Xiaolong was also stunned. He clearly remembered that Shen Chen had only entered the Qi and Blood Realm a few months ago, and his cultivation had been stuck at the Tendon and Bone Realm for some time.

Zhuang Man stared at Shen Chen, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes, followed by a surge of fervent fighting spirit: "Good, good, good! Shen Chen, you've been hiding your true abilities well; you've truly impressed me."

"We are fighting at the same level," Shen Chen said calmly. "This is a fair fight, except that you started cultivating earlier. Make your move."

"Then take this!" Zhuang Man stomped his foot on the ground, leaving a clear footprint, and charged towards Shen Chen like an arrow released from a bow.

He swung his nine-ringed broadsword, the iron rings on the blade clanging like wind chimes, the blade carrying the force of a thousand pounds as it slashed toward Shen Chen's shoulder.

The blow was powerful and heavy. Shen Chen did not choose to defend directly. He retreated quickly, twisted his waist, and the blade grazed past his shoulder before crashing to the ground with a thud.

"Such a fast reaction speed." Zhao Qianwangwu, who was watching from the side, was secretly surprised. If it were him, his arm would have been cut off by now.

Zhang Xiaolong was also surprised. Shen Chen's battle with Zhuang Man did not result in an immediate defeat. Instead, it was evenly matched. Shen Chen's immediate reaction to Zhuang Man's various attacks was textbook-level.

"Was he really just a clerical clerk before, and never fought anyone?" Zhang Xiaolong was somewhat doubtful. In just a few breaths, Shen Chen's combat awareness far exceeded that of ordinary people.

"Ping-ping-pong." In just a few breaths, Shen Chen and Zhuang Man had already exchanged four or five blows, with neither side gaining the upper hand, and sparks flying as their swords clashed.

Zhuang Man swung his sword with wide, sweeping strokes, but Shen Chen fought steadily, parrying each of his blows.

[Good fortune: You decide to conserve your energy, wait for the right moment to prepare your strike, and then deliver the decisive blow. Auspicious.]

[Bad Omen: You take the initiative to attack, attempting a fierce assault on the dealer's weak lower body, but your attacks are repeatedly thwarted.]

Zhang Xiaolong watched Shen Chen, who was only dodging, and felt anxious: "Attack his lower body! Why are you just dodging?"

He could tell that Zhuang Man's sword technique focused heavily on the upper body, leaving the lower body vulnerable. If he focused on attacking the lower body, he would definitely succeed.

But Shen Chen was only dodging and ignored Zhuang Man's obvious flaws.

"Zhuang Man has been in the Visceral Realm for much longer than Shen Chen. If this fight continues, Shen Chen will definitely be exhausted and defeated." The others also noticed the clue and couldn't understand why Shen Chen wasn't taking the initiative to attack.

Such a huge flaw, and you just leave it like this?

Zhuang Man swung his knife faster and faster, and seeing that Shen Chen showed no intention of attacking, his brows furrowed even more deeply.

"Something's not right? Why isn't he attacking my lower body?"

"Could it be that he saw through my stance training?" Zhuang Man frowned. He deliberately exposed a weakness in his lower body in order to lure Shen Chen into attacking and exhausting the latter's stamina.

He had practiced iron tree stump training, which allowed him to maintain a seemingly empty lower body while actually being rooted to the ground.

"Sizzle!"

Shen Chen deflected Zhuang Man's blade with a single stroke, and the blades rubbed together violently, sparking a burst of light.

Feeling the immense force emanating from the blade, Zhuang Man grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed: "This kid is indeed quite troublesome; he's been hiding his true strength very well."

Shen Chen dodged Zhuang Man's powerful attack, then held the knife in both hands, aiming the tips at Zhuang Man.

Both of them had beads of sweat on their foreheads, indicating that they had both exerted a lot of energy. However, judging from their complexions, Zhuang Man's complexion was noticeably rosier than Shen Chen's, and his blood and energy were more abundant.

"What? Are you admitting defeat?" Zhuang Man mocked Shen Chen as he distanced himself, seemingly withdrawing his attack.

"Zhuang Man, if you can withstand this strike, I will admit defeat on the spot," Shen Chen said loudly.

Zhuang Man gripped the knife hilt with both hands, staring intently at Shen Chen, and uttered a single, forceful word: "Come!"

Shen Chen stood still, relaxed, as still as a tree.

The next second, a dark shadow flashed by.

Before anyone could see what was happening, they saw Zhuang Man clutching his chest, his face as pale as paper.

Less than two feet directly in front of him, Shen Chen stood like a cypress, the blade of which was already piercing Zhuang Man's chest, and bright red blood flowed down the blade and dripped onto the ground.

"Clang!" The copper rings on Zhuang Man's broadsword broke off one by one, falling off the blade and scattering on the ground with a particularly jarring sound.

Shen Chen's calm voice rang out: "You couldn't block it."

Zhuang Man felt a sharp pain in his chest, his gaze vacant.

He swallowed hard, his unfocused gaze refocusing as he stared blankly at the blade embedded in his chest. He knew that if Shen Chen had advanced a few more inches, his life would have been in danger.

The scene fell silent, all eyes fixed on Shen Chen's sword, as if they were looking at some kind of idol.

"I lost."

Zhuang Man sighed in defeat, dropping his broadsword and saying in a hoarse voice, "You actually managed to master Qin Pi's moves; I'm completely convinced."

He had seen Qin Pi's swordsmanship and knew how powerful it was. He believed that no one below the True Qi Realm could possibly use such a sword.

But Shen Chen used it, and his skill was superb and impeccable.

Shen Chen sheathed his sword and said in a gentle voice, "Take Zhuang Man to the doctor for treatment."

Everyone looked at the injured Zhuang Man, their voices unconsciously carrying a sense of awe: "Yes, Chief Shen."