Chapter 239 - 236: Seven Thousand

At these words, the scrawny man couldn't help but reveal a pained expression, his outstretched hands curling slightly.

With such ferocious Sword Qi having just exploded inside him, damage to his Meridians was a certainty.

"You are a Daoist Sect Disciple. Why have you appeared here, and why are you blocking my path?" Seeing only Chen Qingyang, the man was utterly bewildered.

Chen Qingyang retorted, "You're from the Demon Sect, and I'm from the Daoist Sect. When we meet, we are bound to draw swords. Is that not how it should be?"

Though he could clearly see Chen Qingyang's Cultivation was only at the Fifth Realm, he remained extremely restrained. "That's not how it works. Besides, I'm not a Yu Xiao Demon Sect Disciple, and I have no grievance with you. There was no reason for you to attack me!"

Chen Qingyang had two theories.

'One, his Cultivation is regressing from the Sixth Realm of Essence Condensation, and attacking recklessly will only accelerate the decline.'

'Two, my last attack already injured him, so he's wary of me. He's being far too cautious!'

Chen Qingyang sneered, "Whether I should or shouldn't isn't for you to decide."

When he struck with his sword again, his movements were considerably gentler. Thrusts became horizontal cuts, and horizontal cuts became parries. In short, his attacks lost their ferocity, taking on a more defensive posture. He was testing the waters.

Across from him, Senior Brother Qin remained calm and composed. His own moves were economical, just enough to block Chen Qingyang and no more. He knew Chen Qingyang was probing, and he was determined not to reveal his true condition.

Gradually, Chen Qingyang's Sword Momentum grew denser and more relentless, becoming impenetrable. Still, Senior Brother Qin remained as serene as a calm wind and a light cloud, parrying each blow with unhurried ease.

As expected of someone who had fallen from the Half-Step Foundation Establishment Realm. His Cultivation was no longer what it once was, but in a fight, he was still deeply experienced and cunning.

Chen Qingyang pressed his attack, altering his Sword Momentum. He was determined to force Senior Brother Qin to reveal his true condition.

The Five Elements Sword in his hand pulsed with a swirl of five dazzling colors. A rosy luminescence radiated from it, and with every leak of frigid Sword Qi, the very air seemed to turn as sharp as needles.

His Sword was constantly growing stronger.

It flickered, now bright, now dark; now high, now low; now near, now far... making it impossible to predict.

"Take this!"

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Qingyang roared.

He gripped the hilt with both hands. The Five Elements Sword seemed to shove the very air aside, sending out ripples in all directions. It then cut through the sky with a sonic boom, appearing before Senior Brother Qin in an instant.

Senior Brother Qin finally decided to drop the pretense, like an aging lion suddenly raising its proud head. As he made his move, he brandished his Magical Artifact: a Glazed Ball.

Upon closer inspection, it was carved from Bronze, its exquisite detail rivaling that of an ivory sculpture. Intricate patterns covered its surface, flowing and shifting of their own accord, giving rise to wondrous phenomena.

It shot straight for the Five Elements Sword, its power erupting in that instant. The sword's blade turned from solid to ethereal before being scattered into nothingness.

'What a powerful Magical Artifact!'

But Senior Brother Qin didn't know that Chen Qingyang had a follow-up to this overt attack. Right behind him, brilliant flames erupted from thin air, their appearance so abrupt it would catch anyone off guard.

Yet who would have thought that Senior Brother Qin was already prepared? A cold sneer played on his lips as a black-and-white light radiated from his body, spreading like splashed ink.

The ink-like light formed a sphere, shielding his entire body. Chen Qingyang identified it at once: Xuanji Gang Qi.

'He's finally done with the act. He's preparing to use a killing blow.'

"And here I thought you were some great master, but it seems you're nothing special after all!" Having blocked two consecutive killing blows, a faint sneer touched Senior Brother Qin's lips.

The Qi Mechanism around his body erupted violently, and he seemed to transform into a different person. Only at this moment was the full might of the Sixth Realm of Essence Condensation completely unleashed.

'He's finally stopped hiding it!'

His left hand formed a hand seal while his right tightly gripped the Exquisite Ball. The ink-like light shrouded the sphere, and a strange Qi Mechanism emanated from it, seeming to connect with heaven and earth.

Chen Qingyang instantly felt the air around him begin to solidify. He could feel a crushing pressure from all directions, and every movement he made now cost an immense amount of True Power.

'I've never seen a technique like this before!'

He himself was now just a hair's breadth from a breakthrough in his Cultivation, and the True Essence within him was incomparably dense. He remained motionless, quietly watching to see what his opponent would do next.

He watched as the Exquisite Ball in Senior Brother Qin's hand swelled to be dozens of yards across, hovering above his own hand.

'Perfect timing!'

Chen Qingyang cheered inwardly. He didn't dodge or evade. Mustering all his strength, the Qi Vortex at the Xuanji point in his body surged to its absolute limit. A powerful stream of True Power flowed out from him, forming a layer of Xuanji Gang Qi.

Then, he held the Incense Burner in his left hand and the Dragon Pearl in his right. One side of his body pulsed with emerald light while the other blazed with roaring flames. This was the first time in any battle that Chen Qingyang had unleashed his entire arsenal.

BOOM! RUMBLE!

The valley trembled and the clouds dispersed. The plants and trees across the land were flattened, and even birds dozens of miles away shrieked in alarm, bolting into the heavens.

After the exchange, Chen Qingyang remained standing motionless, though his face had grown somewhat pale.

As for Senior Brother Qin, he was not looking so good. A trickle of fresh blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. A cultivator of the Sixth Realm of Essence Condensation had clashed head-on with a mere Fifth Realm cultivator and had actually lost the exchange.

All of Senior Brother Qin's earlier arrogance was gone, replaced by an almost pleading tone. "What is it you really want? Just tell me. Whatever I can give you, I will. There's no need for you to throw your life away here!"

"Haha." Chen Qingyang was completely unmoved. "I don't want anything. Only your life." 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

The words had barely left his lips before he was charging at Senior Brother Qin again.

Just as Senior Brother Qin focused all his attention on him, Lin Qingxuan, who had been hiding in the shadows for a long time, finally made her move.

A Magic Staff appeared on the horizon, vanished in an instant, and reappeared before Senior Brother Qin. It had now grown to be dozens of yards long, blotting out the sky as it whipped up a fierce gale and came crashing down.

Focused entirely on dealing with Chen Qingyang, Senior Brother Qin never saw the attack coming. He was instantly sent flying back dozens of yards.

As the saying goes, opportunity knocks but once. Chen Qingyang pushed his True Essence to its absolute limit and struck again with the Five Elements Sword, hitting Senior Brother Qin squarely in the chest.

The Sword Qi from this strike was every bit as ferocious as the first. It poured into his Meridians, wreaking utter havoc.

"AARGH!"

Senior Brother Qin let out a bloodcurdling scream and plummeted downward, Chen Qingyang's Sword still lodged in his chest.

But suddenly, Chen Qingyang sensed something was wrong. Just as he tried to retract his sword, he saw that his opponent had gripped the Five Elements Sword firmly with both hands. A platinum light erupted from the man's abdomen.

Chen Qingyang reacted in a flash, instantly deploying his Xuanji Gang Qi to protect himself. But who could have foreseen it? CRACKLE! The Gang Qi shattered, and he was sent flying.

He even left behind several trails of blood hanging in the air.

"Senior Brother!"

Lin Qingxuan had remained hidden not only to deliver a fatal blow but also because she had seen that Chen Qingyang was handling the fight with ease. But who could have imagined the situation would turn so quickly?

However, he quickly stabilized himself in mid-air. "I'm fine! Don't let him escape!"

Seeing this, Lin Qingxuan was relieved and focused her full attention on Senior Brother Qin.

Wounded by two sword strikes, Senior Brother Qin was in a much worse state than before. He hadn't managed two steps in his escape before Lin Qingxuan blocked his path.

At that moment, Lin Qingxuan's long hair danced and her robes billowed as five Magical Treasures flew around her, each with a unique color and wondrous properties.

First the Earth Root Inscriptionless Stele, then the Mingtang Exquisite Tower, followed by the Venerable of the Upper Jiang Palace, the Spirit Platform Treasure Lotus Seat, and finally, the Xuanji Star-Attracting Wheel. She held nothing back, sending all five Magical Artifacts smashing toward him.

"You little bitch!"

The moment he saw her, Senior Brother Qin understood everything. He had only enough time to spit out that single curse before the five Magical Artifacts completely overwhelmed him.

Chen Qingyang watched from a distance, marveling inwardly at the wondrous sight.

These five Magical Artifacts combined the five forces of Yin Fiend, True Fire, Damaging Essence, Godslaying, and Star Power. Guided by Lin Qingxuan's Divine Soul, they complemented one another, their power profound and their transformations endless!

How could the heavily injured Senior Brother Qin possibly resist? The final blow from the Xuanji Star-Attracting Wheel was especially devastating; its Star Power detonated on impact, smashing him deep into the ground.

THUD! A cloud of dust billowed up, obscuring him from view. Only the sound of constant coughing could be heard. "Bitch... you bitch... I should have had Master kill you long ago..."

Long ago... But "long ago" was long gone. He had lost his chance.

How could Lin Qingxuan let him live? Having succeeded with her attack, she struck at Senior Brother Qin once more. Seeing this, Chen Qingyang was alarmed and hurriedly shouted, "Junior Sister, wait!"

'This man has no karmic tie to me. If he dies at Lin Qingxuan's hand, I won't get many Immortal Seedlings. This whole trip will have been for nothing!'

Upon hearing him, Lin Qingxuan did indeed stay her hand.

The ring of a sword sang out, followed by the incomparable, rosy light of the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual exploding within the cloud of dust.

The Five Elements Sword pierced his chest for a third time. As the Sword Qi raged through his body, Chen Qingyang felt almost no resistance.

"Haha... Master, oh Master, so this is the Disciple you raised! She actually took a lover from the Daoist Sect! One day, she'll kill you..."

Those were Senior Brother Qin's last words.

Sheathing the Five Elements Sword, Chen Qingyang let out a long breath. His Meridians ached slightly when he circulated his True Qi, but other than that, he was not seriously injured.

Small golden words floated before his eyes. He had obtained 7,123 Immortal Seedlings.

That was quite a lot—almost a thousand more than one would get from an ordinary cultivator of the Sixth Realm of Essence Condensation. It seemed that if this Senior Brother Qin hadn't died today, he would not only have stabilized his Cultivation but might even have advanced another realm.

But now, dead was dead.