Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

CLANG...

The iron ruler and the heavy steel saber clashed, sending sparks flying. They were exceptionally bright in the pitch-black forest.

Wang Mazi felt the webbing between his thumb and forefinger go numb, nearly losing his grip on the heavy steel saber. A cold sweat broke out on his back.

’What a shame,’ Zhao Lin thought. ’If I were using my wrought-copper staff, that blow would have definitely sent his weapon flying.’ But for the convenience of flight, he had chosen the iron ruler as his weapon.

After his iron ruler had been bent during the assassination attempt on Wang Dazhao at the Tiger Head Gang’s headquarters, he had specially commissioned a blacksmith to forge a new one from refined steel.

Although it didn’t allow him to fully leverage his superior strength, it wouldn’t break easily either.

In the darkness, the five of them exchanged dozens of blows in a fierce, dizzying flurry.

On the bandits’ side, Xu Mabang and Wang Mazi led the assault. One saber, one staff—their two long weapons were powerful and heavy, weaving an impenetrable defense.

Liu Huaying with his Ghost Head Saber and Yang Dan with his Cyan Steel Sword took a more agile and cunning approach.

These four were the strongest fighters in the bandit crew, second only to Drilling Mountain Leopard himself. Though they couldn’t see in the dark, they could pinpoint Zhao Lin’s approximate location by sound. Their weapons flew at him relentlessly, making them seem like a porcupine bristling with quills.

Zhao Lin’s iron ruler struck out repeatedly as he circled the four men, but he couldn’t find an opening. As time wore on, however, he began to discern a pattern.

Fighting cooperatively in the dark was no easy feat. They had to avoid friendly fire while constantly covering for each other.

The four bandit leaders were actually split into two pairs: Xu Mabang with Liu Huaying, and Wang Mazi with Yang Dan.

The heavy weapon wielder was paired with an agile fighter. Whenever Xu Mabang or Wang Mazi had a lapse, Liu Huaying and Yang Dan could strike in time to cover it. Their coordination was seamless.

Zhao Lin’s echolocation was greatly diminished by the surrounding trees and vegetation. Although he held the initiative, he was temporarily unable to break through their four-man formation.

’At this rate, I won’t be able to take them down even if we fight until dawn!’

Zhao Lin’s mind raced. He suddenly noticed a large tree behind him, one that would take two people to encircle with their arms. A flash of Spiritual Light sparked in his mind.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

His iron ruler became a blur, a furious assault forcing Xu Mabang back. From the side, Liu Huaying swung his Ghost Head Saber, aiming straight for Zhao Lin’s chest.

Zhao Lin parried with his ruler, then deliberately stumbled, leaving an opening at his side.

Wang Mazi immediately leaped forward and brought his saber down in a fierce chop. But Zhao Lin was ready. He spun, dodging the attack and clearing the path behind him.

With a THUNK, the heavy steel saber bit deep into the massive tree.

Wang Mazi was shocked and immediately tried to pull it free.

Zhao Lin’s iron ruler flicked out like a viper’s tongue, stabbing toward his opponent’s heart.

Wang Mazi knew he couldn’t afford to lose his weapon, or the fight would be over for him. He refused to let go, even on pain of death, and shouted, "Yang Dan!"

Yang Dan understood the stakes. Without hesitation, he swung his sword at Zhao Lin’s wrist, hoping to force him back and buy Wang Mazi time to free his saber.

He didn’t realize, however, that he was precisely Zhao Lin’s target.

Zhao Lin feinted with his ruler, then smoothly brought it up against the Cyan Steel Sword. He pushed forward, and with a SNAP, the handguard’s prongs locked onto the sword’s blade.

The iron ruler had a prong on each side of the hilt, specifically for trapping blades. The moment Zhao Lin succeeded, he immediately twisted with all his might.

He already had the advantage in strength, and his iron ruler was heavier than the Cyan Steel Sword. With a single wrench, he tore the sword from Yang Dan’s grasp.

Having lost his precious sword, Yang Dan retreated in terror. Zhao Lin had already planned his follow-up, surging forward and extending his arm, bringing the iron ruler down on his opponent’s head.

Seeing his comrade in peril, Wang Mazi managed to yank his saber free with one hand and threw a punch at Zhao Lin’s shoulder with the other.

How could Zhao Lin let such a perfect opportunity slip by? He simultaneously expelled vital energy from three acupoints on his back—the Wind Gate, the Shen Tang, and the Great Bone—to propel himself forward in pursuit.

At the same time, he activated his Turtle Shell Force and took Wang Mazi’s punch head-on.

BANG!

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder, but Zhao Lin ignored it, pressing his relentless attack on Yang Dan.

The price of that punch was worth it. Disarmed and isolated, Yang Dan was no match for Zhao Lin. He couldn’t even last three moves before the iron ruler plunged into his lower abdomen.

THUD!

Yang Dan collapsed to a sitting position, clutching his stomach as blood spewed from his mouth.

The hearts of Xu Mabang and Liu Huaying sank. When Wang Mazi’s saber got stuck in the tree, it had blocked their path to help. They never imagined that in the blink of an eye, Yang Dan would be killed!

It was already a difficult fight with four of them. Now that there was one less...

Xu Mabang’s mind raced. He knew if they kept fighting, death was inevitable. He gave a low shout, "Fall back!"

The three of them simultaneously bolted for the edge of the forest.

Zhao Lin rolled his aching shoulder and strode after them.

Just now, Wang Mazi had divided his strength between pulling his saber free and throwing a hasty punch. He had only used a fraction of his power, so the damage was minimal.

"Do we split up or stick together?"

Once out of the woods, Liu Huaying turned his head to ask.

Xu Mabang knew what he meant. If the three of them ran together, it was likely none of them would escape once Zhao Lin caught up.

But if they split up, whoever was caught could buy the others time by holding out for even a moment longer before dying.

"Split up! Every man for himself!"

Xu Mabang said through gritted teeth.

Hearing this, Wang Mazi and Liu Huaying each called out "Take care!" and fled in different directions.

Xu Mabang glanced back at Zhao Lin emerging from the forest and broke into a dead sprint.

All three knew that the slowest one would be Zhao Lin’s target. They all ran for their lives with every last ounce of their strength.

Zhao Lin took in the scene at a glance, his brow furrowing slightly.

’Clever bandits.’ He knew that no matter how skilled he was, he couldn’t possibly chase down all three of them.

It seemed he would have to make a choice.

Xu Mabang was the bandits’ second-in-command and the strongest of the three. Even if Zhao Lin caught up to him, it would take some effort to kill him. If he went after Xu Mabang first, the other two would likely get away.

The same logic applied to chasing Wang Mazi. He was a pillar of the gang, his strength not much less than Xu Mabang’s.

Liu Huaying was the weakest of the three. If Zhao Lin could kill him quickly, he might free himself up in time to kill another. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

With this in mind, Zhao Lin made his decision instantly and leaped toward Liu Huaying.

Liu Huaying was fleeing in a panic when he suddenly heard a noise behind him. He glanced back and his heart sank.

He had assumed that since Xu Mabang and Wang Mazi had higher status, Zhao Lin would certainly choose one of them. He never expected to be the first one targeted.

While he was still reeling in panic, Zhao Lin was already upon him.

Liu Huaying had long been in charge of sentry duty and rarely engaged in direct combat. Seeing how Zhao Lin cut down men as if they were grass, his nerve had already broken. His knees hit the dirt, and he cried out, "My lord, spare me!"

"I know the defensive layout of Fuli Valley! If you’re willing to spare my life, I’ll tell you everything!"

Zhao Lin strode forward and said coldly, "Once I kill all of you, Drilling Mountain Leopard will be a toothless tiger, all alone. What damn good is a defensive layout then?!"

"Wait!"

Seeing Zhao Lin was unmoved, Liu Huaying began to sweat. He blurted out, "The Chief—no, Drilling Mountain Leopard—he said that after this escort job, he was going to lie low for a while, hire a top-tier assassin to kill you, and then come back!"

"I... I also know where the secret entrance to the mountain fortress is!"