Chapter 61: Matching An Expert of Bone Forging

Jiang Xincheng’s Butterfly Sword Art, however, hadn’t waited for the final martial exam. Instead, it first encountered an enemy from the Liu Clan. A tall, fair-skinned, robust, and rather beautiful woman with an oval face and large bone structure intercepted Jiang Xincheng in the bamboo grove as he returned from dinner that evening.

The Liu Clan was a small clan in the south of Jinguo Province within the Shenxia Alliance. But since it deserved the title “clan,” its influence couldn’t be too small. The Liu Clan lacked neither official sway nor economic power. In fact, they even controlled a small Yuan Crystal Mine, dominating an entire county with it.

Their assets totaled hundreds of millions. They secretly controlled the economy and authority of a county. Among them were numerous experts: over a dozen Primordial Warriors at the Bone Training Realm alone. Their strongest had already reached the pinnacle of the Bone Forging Late Stage, drawing very close to the Cloud Condensation Realm.

Once the Liu Clan stepped into the Cloud Condensation Realm, they could immediately break out beyond a single county and become a city-level clan. The beautiful woman blocking Jiang Xincheng right now was one of the Liu Clan’s dozen-plus Bone Forging Realm experts, and also a highly talented young-generation expert of the Liu Clan: Liu Shengnan.

Bone Forging Initial Stage!

“You are Jiang Xincheng?” Seeing the rather satisfied Jiang Xincheng who had just finished dinner, Liu Shengnan raised her delicate eyebrows and asked.

Jiang Xincheng nodded. “That’s right. And you?”

“Were Liu Yijun and Liu Yifeng beaten by you? And Bai Zhong too?” Liu Shengnan ignored Jiang Xincheng’s question and pressed on.

Jiang Xincheng frowned. “So you’re from the Liu Clan. I didn’t expect Liu Yijun and Liu Yifeng to be so valued. Suffering just minor injuries prompted you to call a Bone Forging Primordial Warrior to stand up for them. Beat one, and another comes. Your Liu Clan is truly troublesome.”

“I am Liu Yijun and Liu Yifeng’s cousin, Liu Shengnan. I passed through Tianhai City to see them this time, only to find them horribly bullied by you. So naturally, I came to meet you. Striking my Liu Clan members cannot go without consequence,” Liu Shengnan stated coldly. “I am a fair person. How you bullied Liu Yijun and Liu Yifeng, I will repay you double.”

Jiang Xincheng gave a faint smile. “One cousin [brother], one cousin [sister]. Quite the pair. How do you plan to repay me?”

“Shatter your limbs. Break your spine. Ensure you never rise again.” As she spoke, Liu Shengnan formed a fist with her right hand and shot it heavily towards Jiang Xincheng. “You don’t seem the obedient type, so I won’t bother making you do it yourself.”

Liu Shengnan attacked immediately, swift and decisive. Feeling the rushing gust of wind, Jiang Xincheng raised his brows and met it with a punch of his own.

Boom!

Fists collided. Jiang Xincheng was sent flying dozens of meters backward. In the contest of raw strength, Jiang Xincheng fell far short. Watching the flickering cyan light on Liu Shengnan’s fist, he acknowledged truly—an expert at the Bone Forging Initial Stage possessed bones tough as blue steel and terrifying power indeed.

The Primordial Force within Jiang Xincheng was four times that of an ordinary Primordial Warrior of his rank. His physical strength also surpassed them by more than double. His overall combat power already approached that of a Bone Forging Primordial Warrior.

Yet, Jiang Xincheng wasn’t actually one. Against a true Bone Forging Primordial Warrior in a head-on clash, he inevitably suffered a significant setback.

Seeing Liu Shengnan charging forward again, seemingly unharmed, Jiang Xincheng’s expression turned grave. His right hand moved, and the black-red Mysterious Steel Sword appeared in his grip. Like a dancing butterfly, it slashed towards Liu Shengnan’s fist.

“An Origin Force Weapon!”

Sensing the sharp aura emanating from the Mysterious Steel Sword, Liu Shengnan’s face changed slightly. She hastily withdrew her fist. Though strengthened at the Bone Forging Initial Stage, rendering it tough as blue steel, her fist was still flesh and bone. It could resist ordinary blades, but against an Origin Force Weapon channeling Primordial Force, it stood no chance.

Retreating several steps, Liu Shengnan pulled out a pair of gauntlets and slipped them onto her hands. “You have an Origin Force Weapon? So do I.”

Words spoken, Liu Shengnan swung her fists once more and lunged at Jiang Xincheng.

Seeing the rusty-looking gauntlets on Liu Shengnan’s hands, Jiang Xincheng was also slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected her to possess such a rare Origin Force Weapon, particularly a pair of gauntlets.

But so what?

A gleam flashed in Jiang Xincheng’s eyes. The Mysterious Steel Sword transformed into a butterfly, dancing gracefully as it met Liu Shengnan’s gauntlets.

Hard against hard. Fierce versus fierce. Mysterious Steel Sword and gauntlets interwove.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In the blink of an eye, sword and gauntlet clashed several times. The Butterfly Sword Art coupled with the double offensive power of the Mysterious Steel Sword forcibly amplified the intensity of Jiang Xincheng’s attacks several times over. Even so, facing Liu Shengnan’s gauntlets, he still hadn’t gained the upper hand.

Amidst the jarring sounds of impact, Jiang Xincheng burst backwards several steps. Liu Shengnan, however, fared no better. She also retreated several steps. More tellingly, several sword marks had appeared on the gauntlets covering her hands.

Shock surfaced on Liu Shengnan’s face. She had already been surprised earlier when Jiang Xincheng, at the Mid Tendon-Training Stage, had absorbed the force of her punch head-on with minimal injury.

But what truly astonished her was that with that Origin Force Weapon, Jiang Xincheng could match her on equal footing. Moreover, due to the gap in their weapons, she had suffered slight harm.

A Mid Tendon-Training Primordial Warrior, capable of standing toe-to-toe against a Bone Forging Initial Stage Primordial Warrior! Several minor realms separated them, and a full major realm! Before today, Liu Shengnan would have deemed such a tale utterly unimaginable.

Yet the reality was unfolding before her eyes. Liu Shengnan’s expression darkened with unprecedented gravity.

Prior to this, disposing of Jiang Xincheng had merely seemed a trivial chore. But at this moment, Liu Shengnan placed him as an unparalleled enemy.

“Die!”

With a furious roar, Liu Shengnan threw herself forward again. The gauntlets on her hands became like boulders. Each punch carried immense power as she assaulted Jiang Xincheng.

“Ferocious Tiger Pounces On Prey!”

Every technique Liu Shengnan used boasted powerful momentum and overwhelming force. What’s more, it was the authentic Arhat Fist, cultivated by her to its peak!

Of course, the so-called Arhat Fist wasn’t an Origin Force Combat Skill. It was an ancient fist art from the Hua Nation, renowned for its sheer power. Every blow was brutal, every strike compelled a frontal clash, making the opponent hard-pressed to evade. Even with Jiang Xincheng’s Origin Force Combat Skill Butterfly Sword Art, landing an unexpected hit proved difficult.

Liu Shengnan’s Arhat Fist forced confrontation. Against opponents weaker than her, such a fighting style was remarkably effective—destroying everything in its path.

But against an opponent whose attacking power surpassed hers? The outcome was tragedy: shattered bones and tendons, instant death. Jiang Xincheng stood somewhere between these extremes.

Despite being merely a Mid Tendon-Training Primordial Warrior, the ferocity of Jiang Xincheng’s attacks rivaled Liu Shengnan’s. The two seemed evenly matched. Faced with the relentless onslaught of her Arhat Fist, any slip-up could lead to utter defeat.

However, armed with decades of experience from his past life, how could Jiang Xincheng truly be cornered by Liu Shengnan’s Arhat Fist?