Xu Yangyi and Zhao Wuye stared each other down, neither of them taking their eyes off their opponent. The demon slayer was calm, but while Zhao Wuye’s expression was undisturbed, his heart was in tremendous shock! He’d figured out earlier that Xu Yangyi was young, but he hadn’t expected at all that the other’s young age wasn’t just that—Xu Yangyi’s cards absolutely weren’t weak! 

And to his surprise, he hadn’t foreseen that his own chain of masterstrokes wouldn’t be able to injure Xu Yangyi! In particular… the other’s last divine ability. The attack was so mighty that it caused his heart to shake and his flesh to crawl.

“Fellow Daoist, must you insist on this mortal struggle?” Zhao Wuye was gloomy-faced as he asked. His heart was a tangle of complex emotions, and he was terribly worried. He’d rushed a step ahead first and asked everything, killing Liu Shuren, yet Xu Yangyi just happened to drop by. Leaving was already an inconvenience for him, so he acted as bait, wishing to harness some of Xu Yangyi’s inside information. 

Once Xu Yangyi had spoke, Zhao Wuye had guessed it to be the Thousand Illusions. At that time, the drum of retreat had sounded in his heart. A cultivator able to purchase the Thousand Illusions was one that he couldn't afford to provoke. Not to mention himself, the clan behind him couldn’t stand to offend such a cultivator.

But unexpectedly, he’d been instead recognized by Xu Yangyi. His first thought was to take action without heed to rest, a cutting of weeds and elimination of roots. He’d settled on a plan and executed his clan’s killing move. This move had a nickname, known as “Three Rings Encasing Moon”. This was their clan’s most exquisite killing move, chained in succession. It was one move of three divine abilities. No matter whether the opponent countered, attacked, or escaped, there was a contingency. 

Nonetheless, he never imagined that this “root” would actually be so difficult to remove. Ten years had already passed since he stepped into the middle stage, yet he couldn’t even catch this young little imp!

“Only a dead man can keep a secret.” Xu Yangyi’s expression was devoid of the slightest change, and he said icily, “After I wipe the floor with you, I think you’ll be very willing to talk about what you know.”

Arrogant! 

Zhao Wuye laughed through gritted teeth, “Since that’s how it is, let's have our aces see to the true crescendo of this battle.”

“Hundred Soldier Hall…” Zhao Wuye sucked in deeply again, and his ten fingers formed claws that crossed over his chest. “Thousand Mountain Snow.”

Swoosh… Swoosh… Swoosh!

 Starting from a single blade, qi knives grew to ten in number and then over a hundred! In an instant, they converged behind him! 

Life Sacrification!

 Qi revolving around him and Life Sacrification long since waiting and poised on a spear, Xu Yangyi understood that the thunderous attack just now hadn’t attained its intended effect. What followed next was the proper showdown, the moment of clashing powers. He held extraordinary faith in his own might!

[1]

Boom!

 Two orbs of raging fire burned in Xu Yangyi’s hands. This time, the insurrection of qi was even fiercer than just before! 

“Where did this little monster run out from?!” Zhao Wuye was both frightened and furious. The other’s voice was so young; how could this opponent have such a strong foundation? Not daring to spend more thought on this, he suddenly waved both of his hands and roared, “GO!!!”

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

 Countless sounds of breaking wind instantly rang out! Several hundred flying qi daggers arced forth like the shower of a tempest, even leaving remnants of white spiritual force in the air! As for Zhao Wuye’s hand, it now stretched into his pocket at lightning speed to take something out.

“Ten Cardinals Red Lotus!” Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Yangyi whipped both of his hands ahead, and two fire dragons, their roars shaking the heavens, welcomed the rain-like curtain of knives!

Boom!

 In the next second, A great qi explosion erupted inside the room! This blast was several times more violent than the one from before! Two entire stories had turned into fine powder under this strike!

Clank clank clank.

 Countless fragments and shards of wood and glass went flying everywhere. The two divine abilities had canceled each other out! All that remained was the violent qi fluctuating in the sky!

For the first time, coldness was born in Zhao Wuye’s heart. It seemed to be a casual taking of turns, incredibly intense, but Zhao Wuye clearly understood himself. Of divine abilities, he knew three moves. Presently, all three had been exhausted, unable to deal with Xu Yangyi at all. As for the other, from the beginning to end, Xu Yangyi had used only one move, a single force to cleave through numerous methods!

Does he have other hidden trumps? If he does, how am I going to handle them? 

Zhao Wuye’s heart was in chaos, so in the instant these two divine abilities collided, he fished out a white talisman without consideration. Sticking it on his leg, he turned around and fled unhesitatingly! 

This little imp… His backer is astonishing and so is his strength! Continuing to duke it out here with him is too unwise! Especially… the danger of also losing here… 

This thought flashed through his mind like a swiftly pricking needle.

Swoosh!

 His figure was like a tornado. Under the Spirit Traveling Talisman’s reinforcement, Zhao Wuye had obtained a level of speed that only left an afterimage. Yet just as he ran ten meters out, he was like a car with the brakes slammed down on. It was an abrupt halt.

Drip…

 A drop of cold sweat landed on the ground. Zhao Wuye’s face appeared to be somewhat cramped, and bean-sized pearls of sweat desperately seeped out from his head. His mouth slightly ajar and his eyes wide open, he was rigidly nailed in place like so. A feeling of deadly crisis spread out from behind him. Such clarity and turmoil caused him to feel as if there was a terrible demonbeast standing at his back!

Ba-dum… Ba-dum…

 His heart seemed to throb at the side of his ears. He understood very well that as long as he moved, he was doomed to instantly lose his life!

Azure Dragon Seeks Cauldron! As the Ten Cardinals Red Lotus rumbled, Xu Yangyi had already formed this move. Amidst the following qi fluctuation and the flames created from the Ten Cardinals Red Lotus’s eruption, Zhao Wuye hadn’t paid attention to the surrounding qi as he departed with all his might. All of it was being madly channeled into Xu Yangyi’s fist. A spiritual pressure that caused Zhao Wuye’s mind to shake took unflagging aim at him.

“Escape?” 

A young man’s voice was heard from behind him. Zhao Wuye clenched his teeth hard and made a long sigh, raising both of his hands. “Fellow Daoist, stay your hand! If you stop, I’ll tell you everything you want to know!”

The kid actually still has a divine ability! How old is he?! Based on his voice, he shouldn’t be over thirty! Which great clan’s genius is he?

Xu Yangyi gazed calmly at Zhao Wuye’s back. He didn’t want to immediately kill the other. There were too many points subject to doubt in this matter. How had the other found this place? A coincidence? He doubted it was a coincidence. 

At worst it’s…

 A wisp of killing intent flashed through Xu Yangyi’s eyes. If Zhao Wuye was one Floatingcloud’s people… then he had to die. 

“The police will be here soon.” Xu Yangyi’s voice rang out from behind. “In ten minutes at most. I’ll give you a chance to get out of this alive.”

Zhao Wuye’s heart ached as if it was dripping blood. He’d never expected by any conceivable possibility that he would kick an iron plate! However… his purpose in coming was too horrifying. Speaking about it would leave him miserably begrudging! In his heart, heaven and man waged war, and his complexion suddenly whitened. His temple veins pulsed a good few times, and his mouth closed and opened, opened and closed, yet not a word came out.

“Ten.” At the same time Zhao Wuye hesitated to come to a decision, an apathetic voice rang out.

What should I do?! 

Zhao Wuye’s face was wet with cold sweat.

“Nine,” Xu Yangyi said neither slowly nor swiftly.

“You!” Zhao Wuye shouted angrily. How could Xu Yangyi be so shameless?! Had ten seconds passed?!

There wasn’t one shred of emotion in Xu Yangyi’s gaze, and he looked at Zhao Wuye like he was looking at a dead man. “When I get to zero, I’m going to cripple your qi sea.”

Zhao Wuye’s heart was madly beating! 

Ruthless…

 For a cultivator, wasting the qi sea was even harder to suffer than death! Nonetheless, his train of thought was derailed because he heard a hellish voice in the next instant. 

“One.”

What? What about eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one?! 

At this very moment, Zhao Wuye’s heart plummeted to a freezing point. He clearly sensed an orb of terrible qi boiling behind him!

“Zero.”

“I’ll speak!” Between life and death, Zhao Wuye almost had no choice whatsoever, even crowing as he screeched. In the next second, he only felt his throat sweeten. A majestic tsunami-like spiritual force, seemingly only the size of a fist, sealed itself on his back without warning!

A frightening spiritual-force tide exploded on his body, and with a retching sound he vomited a mouthful of blood. This blow sapped him of all his battle strength! He sighed gently, however. Xu Yangyi hadn’t killed him. This was an indication that the other could decrease this move’s power...

“There’s still eight minutes.” Xu Yangyi stood at his original position and coldly studied Zhao Wuye. “Last chance.”

“...” Zhao Wuye sensed the blood and essence in his chest flip and turn, and continued to suppress the chaotic and roving pain from the spiritual force inside his body. Firmly calming his emotions, he gasped for air and glared daggers at Xu Yangyi. “I’m the deputy clan elder of Longsu’s Zhao Clan. I’m known as Zhao Wuye. In the northwest, I’m famous for my power.”

“...” On the contrary, Xu Yangyi found these words somewhat unexpected and swept an eye over Zhao Wuye. “Deputy clan elder?”

“...” Zhao Wuye was so angry that he nearly spat out another mouthful of blood! 

What’s the meaning of such a skeptical expression? Fine, even if I fell head first in your hands, can’t you be a bit perceptive? You think everyone’s like you? Less than thirty years old, but capable of mastering two super-powerful divine abilities? Is a Core Formation master your dad or grandpa?!

Zhao Wuye was none the wiser that he was confronting a true provincial paragon, an A-rank legion commander. If Xu Yangyi fell into the hands of an unknown deputy elder of a minor clan here at the northwest border, to say so would be truly ridiculous, laughter revealing teeth. 

However, Zhao Wuye had guessed one point incorrectly. Xu Yangyi’s divine abilities weren’t two, but four. Merely, Xu Yangyi still wasn’t familiar with the last two. Divine abilities were also divided into grades. Zhao Wuye clearly understood that the two divine abilities in Xu Yangyi’s hands definitely weren’t something off the street. They were no doubt prime products among prime products!

“Yes.” His temple veins throbbing chaotically, Zhao Wuye gritted his teeth and laughed, “Liu Shuren had his own path of death to take. Fellow Daoist, you know, I’m only the first to come. If I wasn’t the one to come, a Foundation Establishment Senior would’ve come rushing over in less than a week.”

“He posted the item he was deciphering for you online.” Zhao Wuye’s laughter was cold. “In a mortal’s thoughts, this doesn’t matter. He wasn’t sure what this object was, so he posted it to a famous antique forum for advice. Ordinarily, no one would’ve paid attention to this if he posted it, but he messed up. Shouldn’t have put it out there now…”

Xu Yangyi raised a brow and lifted his chin, indicating for Zhao Wuye to continue.

“Hold on… Fellow Daoist…” Zhao Wuye wiped a bloodstain at the corner of his mouth, his laughter strange. “The cultivation world is going to face a great storm soon…”

Xu Yangyi calmly looked at Zhao Wuye and eventually laughed, “If you don’t speed up a little, I guarantee you’ll get to experience what a true storm is like very soon.”

Zhao Wuye choked back on a mouthful of blood surging up his throat and licked his lips. He forced down his anger and said, “This business happened three days ago.”

1. “Long since waiting and poised on a spear”. This is an idiom that originates from the annals of Jin dynasty text. The intention behind this is an idea that one uses ones spear as a pillow to rest and waits to attack their foe at daybreak.

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