The next instant, Fang Shuwen suddenly threw a punch.

BOOM!!!

The force of the straight punch shattered Shi Li’s massive frame. Everything from his waist up was blown to pieces, his upper torso exploding into a rain of flesh and blood.

It then fell alongside the hail, spattering every martial artist from the Northern Domain.

Fang Shuwen slowly withdrew his fist.

’With my level of Martial Arts, killing Shi Li wasn’t actually that difficult.’

However, the Vertical Demon Hundred Kills Fist certainly had its merits. By countering it with his Sea-Shaking Divine Fist, Plum Blossom Scattering Hand, and Four Seas Dragon Fist, he gained new insights from the shifts in Fist Force.

’I have to admit, with my talent and comprehension quadrupled, the benefits I’ve gained from this battle are almost impossible to describe.’

"Next! Who’s up?!"

Fang Shuwen took a moment to absorb his gains, then stood proudly, waiting for the next challenger.

However, the fighting spirit that Shi Li had ignited was just as quickly extinguished by the gruesome manner of his death.

’So what if we can wear down Fang Shuwen’s Inner Strength?’

’We’d still die, wouldn’t we?’

’If I had Martial Arts on par with Shi Li, wouldn’t it be more logical to wait until the others have worn Fang Shuwen down before making a move?’

Sometimes, even when facing a powerful enemy, not everyone can unite and act as one solid block.

Internal strife and scheming are always inevitable.

’If someone else contributes a little more, I can contribute a little less. Then, during the final struggle, I’ll have a little more strength than them and can seize a greater advantage.’

Although such scheming seemed foolish when there was no glimmer of victory in sight, it was a fundamental flaw in most people’s nature.

Fang Shuwen looked at the massive, dark crowd before him. Not a single person dared to step forward. For a moment, he felt a bit exasperated.

Just as Fang Shuwen was considering whether he should try to taunt them into action again, a voice called out from the distance.

"The Demon Evil God’s Martial Arts are truly unparalleled. You have been a true eye-opener for us heroes of the Northern Domain."

"Heroes?"

Fang Shuwen looked around.

"Where are they?"

The faces of the Jianghu people before him instantly turned as dark as iron.

It also made Wang Lu’an, who was walking forward, falter. ’This man’s arrogance is off the charts!’

’He’s ignoring a whole city full of masters?’

But looking at the path Fang Shuwen had carved to get here, and then at the so-called Jianghu experts who looked like a flock of startled birds, Wang Lu’an ultimately sighed.

’Trying to rely on this rabble to take down Fang Shuwen is nothing but a pipe dream.’

He took a step forward, cupped his fist, and began to speak.

"I am Wang Lu’an, the..."

Before he could finish, he felt a vicious gust of wind rushing toward him.

He snapped his head up to see Fang Shuwen’s fist already right in front of his face.

In that instant, every curse word Wang Lu’an had never uttered in ten lifetimes welled up in his chest.

’What is wrong with this guy?’

’Is he not even going to give me a chance to speak?’

’I’m the City Lord of Anyue City, for crying out loud... and he just attacks on sight?’

As the man who became City Lord of Anyue City, Wang Lu’an was naturally no ordinary person. He immediately thrust out his arms to block, intending to first deflect Fang Shuwen’s punch. His plan was to then feign weakness, invite Fang Shuwen to the City Lord’s Mansion as a guest, and then spring the deadly trap devised by Han Xiao, the Thousand Gold Ghost Hall Master, to assassinate him.

However, he had overestimated himself and completely misjudged Fang Shuwen.

Fang Shuwen was not the type to listen patiently to speeches, much less give anyone room to carry out their treacherous plots.

If this were happening in the Eastern Domain, perhaps there might have been a chance.

But now he was in the Northern Domain, surrounded by enemies. Why would he listen to this Wang fellow’s nonsense?

The fist struck with unstoppable force, shattering his arms in an instant. Both limbs were blown to smithereens.

The moment his guard was broken, the fist landed on his torso.

BAM!!

A huge spray of blood erupted from Wang Lu’an’s back. The clothing there disintegrated, and for a moment, the vague shape of a fist could be seen stretching the skin and flesh from within.

Immediately after, the Fist Force that had entered his body exploded.

Wang Lu’an’s entire body was blown to pieces, his remains scattering everywhere!

"City Lord!!?"

"City Lord Wang!?"

"Fang Shuwen, how dare you kill the City Lord!?"

The eyes of everyone from the Northern Domain nearly popped out of their sockets.

As the City Lord of Anyue City, Wang Lu’an commanded his own troops and was considered a powerful figure of his generation.

Who would have thought he’d run into someone so utterly unreasonable?

He hadn’t even finished speaking before Fang Shuwen shattered him with a single punch.

Hearing their cries, Fang Shuwen paused, looking surprised.

"What City Lord? That was the City Lord?"

He glanced at the scattered pieces of the City Lord, thought for a moment, and said:

"If you really can’t bear to lose him, why don’t you try to piece him back together? Maybe he’ll still be usable."

The crowd fell silent at his words, not because they were actually considering trying to reassemble the man.

It was because Wang Lu’an was already dead. What was the point of spouting more useless crap?

The problem now was that Fang Shuwen was standing right there. With so many of them, could they really do nothing to him?

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH, SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH!!

Several figures shot out from the crowd. It was the same group that had been discussing how to deal with Fang Shuwen in the City Lord’s Mansion earlier.

But as they looked at Wang Lu’an’s remains on the ground, their expressions varied.

Some of them even glanced toward Han Xiao.

He was the one who had proposed feigning weakness.

And look what happened. Weakness was certainly on display, but it didn’t seem to have helped at all.

Most importantly, the City Lord was now dead.

If they still tried to invite Fang Shuwen to a banquet or something similar, even a fool would see there was a problem.

’So now... it seems the only option left is to fight?’

This was the worst-case scenario!

They had been here for a while, having arrived even before Fang Shuwen had challenged people to come up one by one.

They had watched with their own eyes as Fang Shuwen stepped into the city and began his massacre.

It was safe to say that not a single one of them dared to face Fang Shuwen head-on.

Just then, Fang Shuwen’s voice cut in.

"Are you all planning to fight me together? Good. That’ll save me some trouble."

When these words reached their ears, everyone from Bai Hongzhou, the Master of the Meridian Hall, to Zhuo Qingshan, the Master of the New Rain Pavilion, turned pale.

At that exact moment, a peal of laughter suddenly echoed, growing closer.

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a monk in black robes and a golden kasaya flying through the air. In the blink of an eye, he landed atop a building at the crossroads.

The monk pressed his palms together and proclaimed:

"Amitabha Buddha!

"Benefactor, your heart is filled with such immense killing intent!"

Fang Shuwen glanced up. Just as he was wondering where this monk had come from, he heard someone in the crowd gasp.

"Buddha’s Mouth, Demon’s Heart!?"