But today, while fending off countless feathered arrows head-on, Xu Hao finally felt the crisis again!
When the number reaches a certain level, it can truly cause a qualitative change!
However, Xu Hao understood that a crisis also meant an opportunity.
He had been at the early level of the Grandmaster Level for some time, but each small realm within the Grandmaster Level was not easy to advance.
Through his cultivation over these days, he felt his Qi Force had reached a minor peak, and to advance, he just needed an opportunity.
Today, it was possible that with all this pressure, he might even successfully advance to the middle stage of Grandmaster Level.
Therefore, he was deliberately practicing his control over Qi Force.
The better he got at controlling his Qi Force, the more naturally it would grow. When it reached perfection, he would likely advance to the next realm smoothly.
The path of cultivation is neither difficult nor easy to speak of.
It's about persistence; gradual progress – even if not obvious at times – will eventually bring about a qualitative change after cumulative efforts.
Just like the seemingly endless barrage of arrows, each feathered arrow seemed so fragile before Xu Hao, but when they enveloped the sky like a swarm of locusts, nobody could ignore their force anymore.
At this moment, Xu Hao was at a bottleneck period. Presently, he was striving to surpass his limits, hoping to enter a higher realm.
The slowdown in speed, the shorter distance of arrows hitting the ground, it was all due to Xu Hao's increasing control over his Qi Force and strength. He was managing to neutralize rounds of arrow attacks using less Qi Force, while still preventing the arrows from injuring him.
Cao Zhi couldn't see the subtlety of it at all. He just thought that Xu Hao was about to run out of strength. He laughed loudly, "Xu Hao, stop playing the hero. Just surrender obediently, and maybe I'll leave your corpse intact. Otherwise, you'll be shot through the heart with a thousand arrows and explode to death! But rest assured, after you die, I'll take your top-grade women and take good care of them! Hahahaha!"
Cao Zhi laughed extremely wildly, as if everything was under his control.
As long as Xu Hao weakened for just an instant, he would be shot through the heart with thousands of arrows and die immediately!
As for escaping, under such intense arrow fire, attempting to flee would probably only hasten his death!
And many of the Cao family members following him also burst into laughter, continuously taunting Xu Hao with extremely unpleasant words.
"Xu Hao, weren't you acting all arrogant? Why aren't you so capable now, huh?"
"I've always thought that he was just bluffing before, with a high martial arts realm and pretending to be very powerful. It made people keep guessing if he had any major power backing him up. But now, look at him about to be pierced by a thousand arrows, with no one coming to his rescue. This means he has no backing at all."
"You've analyzed it quite right. I reckon that's the case. People do love to fly false colors. He did so in order to grow, to intimidate the local powers of Huadu. Too bad for him, he was unlucky to encounter our Cao family's brilliant and martial Cao Zhi. His life of brilliance is about to come to an abrupt end!"
"Young Master Zhi, after you've taken Xu Hao's women, don't forget to let us have a taste!" one of Cao Zhi's cronies said to him.
Cao Zhi laughed heartily, "Hahaha! Don't worry, after I'm done with them, naturally you guys will have your chance. If I have something to eat, I won't let you go hungry!"
"Hahaha! Young Master Zhi, you are a true man, generous and loyal!" Those cronies of Cao Zhi were thrilled, knowing Xu Hao's women – who didn't know they were all more beautiful than the next, each surpassing the Heavenly Immortal in looks?
Who wouldn't want such women?
It was a pity that they all belonged to Xu Hao alone!
They had long been drooling over them, but with Xu Hao's formidable strength, no one dared to make a move on them.
Yet Xu Hao was currently at the crucial juncture of a breakthrough and didn't bother to pay any attention to these people. Once he broke through, he would settle accounts with them properly!
Cao Ren suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the group coldly, saying, "Considering you are from the same family, I warn you, mind your words. Otherwise, you'll regret it later!"
"We'll regret it? Don't make us laugh! No way we will regret anything!" My Virtual Library Empire (*) hosts the original.
"That's right, Cao Ren, you're no longer the Family Head of the Cao family. You're nothing now, and you no longer have the right to lecture us. Just shut your damned mouth!"
Cao Zhi sneered, "Elders, Cao Ren and his son are stubborn and shortsighted, only thinking of outsiders. I suspect they've colluded with Xu Hao long ago, otherwise why would our Cao family be repeatedly defeated during this time?"
Upon hearing this, the several elders nodded slightly, feeling that Cao Zhi made sense.
The Cao family wasn't lacking in strength after all; they were one of the Seven Small Families of Huadu. By rights, they shouldn't be so miserably suppressed by a single Xu Hao.