Chapter 48: Just That and Nothing More |
Ning Qi's figure was as elusive as a white cloud, sometimes dodging the Qi force, sometimes swinging the Longxiao Sword, internal energy clinging to it, slicing the Qi force into fragments.
But at that moment, Iron Eagle took the initiative to charge forward at lightning speed.
Ning Qi shifted his stance accordingly.
With just a tip of his toe, his momentum changed drastically. His gaze turned indifferent as he dashed forward like a dragon in the night, moving even faster than Iron Eagle.
The Misty Wandering Dragon Step that he created was an unmatched technique, excelling in both agility and explosive bursts of speed. Its sudden eruption made Iron Eagle’s heart skip a beat—he immediately sensed danger.
But it was too late.
The two of them charged toward each other, the distance of several dozen zhang closed in a single breath.
Iron Eagle stared at the cold-eyed middle-aged Daoist, a chill creeping up his spine. But on such a narrow path, the brave win in the clash. He had confidence in his Sky Eagle True Qi. If he backed down now, his momentum would falter, and he might return empty-handed—or worse, not at all.
Only three zhang remained.
He roared in his heart.
“Sky Eagle Claw!”
His eyes flashed with a vicious glint. A surge of Qi force erupted from his body and tore through the air via the cold claws, instantly forming two terrifying talons of Qi force. One could even hear the piercing eagle cry that shook one’s spirit.
It was a killing move from the get-go!
With this move, Iron Eagle had been unstoppable, even once killing a Qi Origin Realm expert.
But Ning Qi was no ordinary man.
That sky eagle’s shriek had almost no effect on him. Having feigned death multiple times, his willpower was far stronger than others of his level.
Facing the eagle claw True Qi,
Ning Qi’s expression remained unchanged—just as calm and cold as ever.
In Iron Eagle’s astonished gaze, Ning Qi casually swung his sword. From two zhang away, the Longxiao Sword struck. What surprised Iron Eagle was that the energy flowing from the sword wasn’t Qi force, but a wave of red and blue internal energy.
“Inner Origin Realm?!”
Iron Eagle found it ridiculous, and then almost burst out laughing. So the guy in front of him was just a pig in tiger’s skin? A mere Inner Origin Realm had actually scared him, someone at the Qi Origin Realm?
But the mocking laughter never came.
Iron Eagle's eyes bulged wide with disbelief.
That red-and-blue internal energy extended from the Longxiao Sword and in an instant crossed three zhang.
Ning Qi gently swung his sword.
Though he was three zhang away, the internal energy had already struck.
The power of his physical body was also fused into it.
To Iron Eagle, it was as if two massive mountains—one of fire and one of ice—came crashing down. The faint roar shook his scalp, and waves of searing heat rushed toward him, mixed with a chilling cold that made his heart tremble. This kind of terrifying sword intent—he had never even heard of it. And the internal energy was even more frightening.
The Sky Eagle True Qi was shattered instantly with almost no resistance.
Within the three zhang range, the internal energy sword Qi was unstoppable and continued slashing.
Iron Eagle's soul nearly fled from his body. He barely managed to raise a protective Qi shield, but his entire body froze on the spot.
He slowly looked down.
A horrifying wound stretched from his left shoulder down to his right abdomen. Blood was about to gush out, but was frozen by an extreme cold, blooming into icy blood flowers.
“W-What… what the hell is this?”
Iron Eagle’s eyes bulged out. He tried to move his hands, but his life force was draining at a terrifying speed.
He could feel it—that so-called internal energy was pulsing, spinning, slicing. His protective Qi shield was like brittle paper, cut apart almost instantly.
You call this the Inner Origin Realm?!
But he would never get the answer.
Ning Qi swung his sword again.
A slash to the throat—ice bloomed, and the blood that was about to burst out instantly froze.
Iron Eagle’s body fell to the ground.
Ning Qi’s eyes flickered.
“This guy… was weaker than I expected.”
White Mist Realm? Looks like it's just that and nothing more.
Ning Qi now had a clearer understanding of his own strength.
His first time fighting a Qi Origin Realm expert, and he was quite satisfied with the power of his Triple Coldflame Sword. Breaking through the White Mist Realm's protective Qi shield was easy. Of course, maybe this guy just wasn’t that strong within the White Mist Realm.
“I need to go help the senior brothers.”
Ning Qi glanced at the corpse. There was no time to deal with it now, so he rushed toward the Martial Arena—battle still raged on there.
But what he didn’t know was—
At the very moment he killed Iron Eagle, the situation at the Martial Arena changed.
Originally—
Iron Dragon had been fighting all the True Disciples alone, and still had energy to spare. He even had time to taunt them, keeping everyone’s focus on him.
“Tsk tsk, Qingzhou folk always said that Daoist Longshan’s disciples are all geniuses, but seeing you today—looks like you're just average.”
But just as he finished speaking, his expression drastically changed.
A dull, twisting pain came from his heart.
His pupils filled with disbelief.
“Second Brother is dead?!”
“How is that possible?!”
Iron Dragon was so stunned he almost got slashed by Ye Qinghe’s sword. Ye Qinghe cursed:
“A coward hiding behind tricks at your age? No wonder you're too scared to provoke my Master. Give me a few more years, and I’ll butcher you like a pig!”
Iron Dragon threw out a punch. The force sent everyone retreating.
He ignored the trash talk, staring toward the Scripture Pavilion in shock, waves of panic crashing in his heart.
Back when the Three Fiends of Iron Ridge had their fateful encounter, each of them swallowed a Heart-Link Gu worm. It boosted their martial cultivation and allowed them to sense each other's lives.
If one died, the others would know.
And now—
Iron Eagle's Heart-Link Gu had died. That said everything.
“How is this possible? He just left not long ago. Maybe he hadn’t even reached the Scripture Pavilion yet. How could he die so fast? That means... he had no chance to fight back at all?!”
A sliver of fear crept into Iron Dragon’s eyes.
To be able to kill Second Brother instantly—even if it was a sneak attack—it couldn’t be someone weak.
“Is there another hidden expert in the Zhenwu Sect? Or did Daoist Longshan come out of seclusion?!”
“F***! That b*****d Wang tricked us!”
Iron Dragon gritted his teeth, fear prickling his skin.
Even though he kept cursing “Daoist Longshan” with every breath, if they really had to face Daoist Longshan, he'd be the first to run. That man’s reputation wasn’t empty talk—it was built with countless kills.
Even the three of them together weren’t enough to face him.
They dared to act arrogant in the Zhenwu Sect only because they thought Daoist Longshan was locked in life-or-death seclusion.
“We need to retreat! Fast!”
Iron Dragon immediately wanted to pull out. He had no thoughts of avenging Iron Eagle. With a hidden expert lurking, and now the backlash of the Heart-Link Gu weakening his strength, he had to find a place to recover immediately.
If he kept dragging this out, he might die here too.
Iron Dragon’s fists flew wildly, sending dragon-shaped Qi blasting out in every direction. Explosions rang out nonstop.
But Jiang Baishan and the others weren’t easy targets either. They quickly noticed Iron Dragon’s intent to flee.
They didn’t know what happened—but one thing was certain:
They couldn’t let this guy just come and go as he pleased.
What do you take the Zhenwu Sect for? Some roadside tavern?