Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

A crisp metallic scraping sound tore through the gale.

Rhodes's dagger was drawn with a bang!

The chilling blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, slicing through the dim sky and carrying a suffocating stench of blood, aiming straight for Dawson's throat.

Dawson hadn't anticipated this.

He never imagined that this friend with whom he had once shared drinks would so decisively turn on him, leaving no room for negotiation.

"boom!"

Dawson's blood and qi surged instantly, and he instinctively retreated desperately, crossing his arms to protect his chest, the soft armor emitting a clanging sound.

"Grossa sent you to kill me! Did you?!"

Dawson roared angrily, "He doesn't want the Brotherhood to team up with our Iron Fist!"

Rhodes's blade strikes intensified rather than diminished, leaving a chilling afterimage in the air as the black blade flashed.

Why bother asking?

Rhodes's cold voice echoed in the wind, "Because you are already a dead man."

Dawson and Rhodes had sparred many times in the past, and Dawson lost eight out of ten times.

He knew, of course, that the other party's title of "First Iron Fist" was well-deserved.

Faced with Rhodes, who was now truly intent on killing, Dawson dared not confront him head-on and could only desperately leap backward, trying to create distance.

However, Rhodes's knife was faster, more ruthless, and more vicious than when they were sparring!

It was almost as short as a single glance.

"Whoosh!"

The black blade slashed upwards at an odd angle, defying the natural movement of human joints, and precisely cut into the gaps in the Dawson soft armor.

Fresh blood gushed out.

Dawson's right arm flew off at the root and slammed heavily into the pile of dead leaves.

"ah--!"

Dawson cried out in pain, his face contorted in agony, and he staggered backward.

He clutched his bleeding severed arm, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot, a deep, undisguised terror welling up within them.

"Boss!"

Engel, his eyes blazing with fury, roared and drew his short sword from his waist, rushing forward to try and stop him.

Rhodes didn't even glance at him.

A backhand slash sweeps across!

"Bang!"

The violent energy of blood and qi slammed into Engel's chest with the back of the blade.

Engel was struck dumb, his entire body was forced back more than ten meters by the knife like a kite with a broken string, he spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

"Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle!"

The blade flashed, like a leech clinging to a bone, closing in once more.

Dawson could only barely hold on with his remaining left hand, but against the terrifying swordsmanship of the peak realm, his resistance seemed so pale and powerless.

One cut, two cuts, three cuts...

Rhodes's every strike precisely severed Dawson's vitals and defenses.

The seventh strike landed.

"Pfft!"

The sound of flesh and bone separating filled the air, a sound that made your teeth ache.

Dawson's body paused in mid-air for a moment, and then, starting from the waist, he was neatly cut in two.

Internal organs mixed with fresh blood cascaded onto the withered leaves like a waterfall, emitting a strong, foul stench.

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang died on the spot.

Only after Dawson's body hit the ground did Rhodes slowly pull out his knife.

The blood-red blade gleamed with a chilling light in the twilight.

He carefully wiped the blood off the knife with his sleeve, pursed his lips, looked at the mangled corpse on the ground, and said in a low voice:

"I've warned you once. You shouldn't have done that."

In the distance, Engel clutched his collapsed chest, panting as he struggled to his feet.

Having just taken a powerful blow from Rhodes' back, his internal organs felt as if they had shifted, and every breath was accompanied by a tearing, stabbing pain.

"You...you actually dared to kill the gang leader..." Engel's eyes were bloodshot as he desperately and fiercely questioned, "Why?!"

Rhodes sheathed his sword, speaking in a tone as calm as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather.

"He crossed the line."

Rhodes looked at Engel and explained:

"Lord Grossa made it clear before he left that no faction under the Bonebreaker Gang is allowed to form a private alliance. This is an ironclad rule in the North."

Rhodes cracked his knuckles, preparing to step forward and finish off Engel as soon as possible.

Sudden.

Rhodes' heart clenched suddenly, and an extreme sense of danger, like a thorn in his back, made the hairs on his body stand on end.

He sensed something and suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the shadow of a large tree ten steps away.

A young figure dressed in black had been standing there quietly for some time now.

He was unarmed and carried no weapons.

His handsome face was expressionless as he thoughtfully stared at the pile of minced meat on the ground.

Westren!

A strong wind whipped up a flurry of withered leaves, creating a dim, yellowish barrier between the two.

Rhodes's fingers tightened slightly around the hilt of the knife, and a rare hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

Weston.

This name has become too well-known in the North District recently. Even the higher-ups of the Shattered Bone Gang are wary of this ruthless character who single-handedly annihilates alien species.

Rhodes took a deep breath and began to discreetly retreat.

He didn't want to get entangled with Xiren here any longer.

After all, Dawson didn't have many guards around him, so he could easily handle them.

But if Siren gives the order to organize the Brotherhood's elite musketeers to counterattack, he might really be left stranded in this forest.

However, despite his desire to back down, Rhodes did not feel that his life was in danger.

He was at the pinnacle of the Extreme Realm, the "Number One Iron Fist" of the Shattered Bone Gang.

He calmly moved his feet backward, then suddenly turned around, using the thick tree roots as leverage, and his figure, like a black cheetah, swiftly disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

However, after running less than half a kilometer, a feeling of extreme absurdity suddenly welled up in Rhodes' heart.

Behind me, came extremely heavy and rapidly approaching footsteps.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Each footstep seemed to shatter the ground, relentlessly pursuing with terrifying explosive force.

Rhodes turned around abruptly, a look of disbelief and astonishment flashing in his eyes.

The figure in the black coat actually caught up with him all by himself.

He stomped his foot on the ground, the soil cracking, and his figure burst forth with a sonic boom as he relentlessly pursued Rhodes's back.

Rhodes was taken aback, then let out a cold laugh.

"This kid is incredibly bold," he thought to himself.

He observed carefully and confirmed that Xilun not only did not bring his iconic heavy alloy gun, but he didn't even bring a short knife for self-defense.

He was completely unarmed!

Even if his strength and physique are legendary, how could he possibly fight against me, who is wielding a sharp blade, in this desolate wilderness without a weapon?

Rhodes hesitated for a moment, then simply stopped walking.

By this time, the two had run several kilometers, surrounded by towering trees and waist-high bushes. The Brotherhood's reinforcements would definitely not arrive here in time.

Lortis turned around, gripping his black knife, and looked at Xilen, who had stopped ten meters away, with a leisurely air.

He looked the other person up and down carefully, confirming once again that there were no hidden weapons on the person.

"You're being far too arrogant," Rhodes sneered, his eyes filled with contempt. "You dare to chase after me alone, empty-handed?"

Xiren stood in the wind, the hem of her coat fluttering in the wind.

He hung his hands naturally at his sides and calmly replied, "You're the arrogant one who kills someone outside my territory."

Rhodes seemed to have heard the biggest joke, and jokingly tapped his shoulder with the back of his knife.

"I'm not only going to kill Dawson, I'm going to kill you too."

A greedy glint flashed in Rhodes' eyes. "If I can just cut off your head, the champion knight, and take it back today, everything will be fine."

Moreover, I can immediately obtain that coveted rebirth potion from you.

Xilun rested his chin on his hand, watching him with great interest.

"And then what?" Siren asked. "If you dare kill me, aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Brotherhood headquarters?"

Fights between ordinary and extraordinary individuals are one thing, but it's still risky for civilians to attack knights.

"Your identity is indeed extraordinary."

Lortis snorted coldly and said indifferently, "However, once I kill you and get the regeneration potion, I have no reason to stay here."

With the strength of a second-tier 'Ripper', I can live a life of luxury anywhere in the world with that money.

Why waste your life working for someone else in such a run-down place as the North District?

Upon hearing this, Xilun suddenly laughed.

It was a cold smile, like seeing prey willingly jump into a trap.

"Then let's give it a try."

Before the words were even finished!

"boom!"

The frozen ground beneath their feet instantly exploded, creating a deep crater.

The next moment, Xilun's figure exploded like a thunderclap from a clear sky. He did not adopt any defensive stance, but instead took the initiative to close the distance with an overwhelming and violent aura!

Seeing this, Rhodes's eyes grew even more contemptuous.

No matter how strong one's external martial arts skills are, can a mere flesh and blood body really block the blade of an extreme realm with just one's bare hands?!

He suddenly raised his knife, the blade emitting a piercing hum as he channeled his qi and blood into it.

Just as he was about to strike, Rhodes suddenly said coldly, "Actually, you've been here for a while, haven't you?"

He stared into Xilen's cold eyes, trying to psychologically provoke him:

"You watched Dawson get chopped in two by me and deliberately didn't try to help."

Wait until he's completely dead, then come out under the guise of revenge.

In this way, you can effortlessly subdue that second-in-command named Engel and smoothly absorb the Iron Fist Gang!

"Silen, your heart is blacker than our Bonebreaker Gang's!"

Faced with these hurtful words, Xilun's eyes remained unmoved.

The next moment, he rushed in front of Rhodes.

Xilun's right hand suddenly opened, his five fingers like iron hooks forged from fine steel, forming a terrifying claw shape, aimed straight at Rhodes' face.

"court death!"

With a furious roar, Lortis brought down his black blade with the force of a thunderbolt!

"boom!"

The black blade landed with pinpoint accuracy on Xilun's waist and abdomen.

However, the scenario of splitting the other party in two as envisioned did not occur.

The next moment, Rhodes felt as if he had struck not flesh and blood, but an anvil that had never melted!

The immense recoil caused the blade to bounce violently backward, instantly splitting the web of Lortis's hand gripping the knife, causing blood to gush out. He was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his body stiffening on the spot.

The next moment, Xilun's ferocious left fist slammed into his chest, and Rhodes was sent flying backward as if hit by a train, crashing into two large trees before finally coming to a stop.

Meanwhile, on Xilun's side, the black knife pierced through his clothes and penetrated his waist and abdomen.

But it only penetrated two inches!

A sickening metallic clanging sound filled the air.

Rhodes's knife made a difficult cut through the skin, but eventually got stuck in Xilen's indestructible bone, unable to go any further.

This is the terrifying defense after mastering the "Bone Forging Iron Armor Ascetic Cultivation Method"!

Then, something even more chilling happened to Rhodes.

Within Xilun's abdominal muscles, an extremely peculiar twisting force seemed to emerge, like living tentacles, actually pushing and spreading out the knife wound stuck in the bone crevice.

Immediately, under the abnormal talent of "Golden Tortoise Cicada Shedding", the deep wound that exposed the bone began to close and heal itself at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Rhodes got up from the ground and staggered back two steps.

He stared intently at the disappearing wound on Xilun's waist, speechless, hardly believing his eyes!

"Using his own body as a shield?!"

Rhodes's voice trembled. "How is this possible! Your body... it's simply unbelievable!"

He felt as if the other person was wearing an invisible, thick iron armor, which was both hard and cold, making it impossible to touch them.

The punch that had just hit him was extremely powerful and domineering.

Lortis managed to steady himself, panting heavily, and stared intently at Xilen.

He noticed that the other person's slowly bleeding wound soon shrank and scabbed over, showing signs of complete healing.

"Could it be..." Lortis wondered to himself, a storm raging in his heart, "Could it be that this person's core breathing technique leans towards an extremely rare healing approach?!"

He forcibly suppressed his fear and coldly snorted, "You've got some skill! It seems your breathing technique is quite suitable for defense and taking hits!"

Xilun stood still, not saying a word, but simply patting the torn fabric around his waist.

Then, he slowly took a step forward.

In that instant, the "Great Sea Whale Guiding Technique" circulated wildly within his body, and a massive amount of blood and qi surged through his veins like a flood bursting its banks.

Lortis snorted coldly. Forced into a corner, he had no choice but to draw his sword again.

"Don't think that a tortoise shell is truly indestructible!"

This time, he poured all the peak-level energy and blood within his body into the blade.

A chillingly bright silver luster flashed across the black blade in an instant.

The next moment, Rhodes exploded!

"Silver Arc Slash!"

A three-meter-long silver slash tore through the air, accompanied by a piercing shriek, and slashed down toward Xilun.

Faced with the strongest attack from this extreme realm expert, Xilun neither dodged nor evaded.

He suddenly raised his right hand, and the skin and flesh on his five fingers receded, revealing a chilling claw shadow that looked like white bones!

He actually tried to catch a blade with his bare hands!

"boom!"

The skeletal claws and the silver blades collided violently in mid-air.

A visible, violent shockwave swept wildly in all directions, snapping the surrounding trees in half instantly and causing the ground to tremble violently as if an earthquake had struck.

The powerful impact caused Xiren's upper body to fall backward abruptly.

The violent force of the blade surged forward along his palm, and the silvery sharpness finally sliced ​​through his skin, causing even his hard, iron-like palm to bleed crimson blood.

But Xilun caught it!

Xilun paused only briefly.

The next second, using the force of his backward lean, he pushed off the ground with both legs, and his whole body exploded forward like a cannonball!

At this moment, Lortis was forced to sheathe his sword because his old strength had been exhausted.

His blood and qi were in turmoil, making it difficult for him to unleash a second strike within a fraction of a second.

This fatal flaw was seized upon by Xilun!

Xilun lunged forward, his right fist clenched, his muscles bulging to their limit, and with the force of a thunderbolt, he slammed down with a powerful punch!

"boom!"

The fist slammed into Rhodes' shoulder, and the ground seemed to tremble violently.

Rhodes let out a piercing scream, as if struck by a battering ram, and was once again violently sent flying.

He rolled on the ground repeatedly, flying a full ten meters, smashing through countless pebbles and tree stumps along the way before finally coming to a stop.

The ground was littered with jagged stones, a scene of utter devastation.