Chapter 648
by fanqienovelChapter 648: Sword Divides Life and Death (Part 2)
Hu Qi’s situation had deteriorated to a dreadful extreme.
Far from being an ordinary individual, Hu Qi boasted a cultivation level at the seventh level of the Purple Palace. Like Old Knife, he hailed from a battle camp, having endured hundreds of skirmishes, amassing a wealth of experience in duels with fellow cultivators.
Yet, never had he encountered such a perilous predicament!
Wang Chen had yet to unsheathe his sword, yet the sword intent he emanated had already engulfed Hu Qi.
It was as though he had been abruptly transported to a snowy wasteland, enveloped in a vast expanse of blinding white, the silence profound and unnerving.
The piercing cold disregarded the protective spell’s defenses, stealthily infiltrating Hu Qi’s body, freezing his blood and rendering his magical energy nearly unmanageable.
What manner of swordsmanship was this?
At that moment, Hu Qi’s terror was indescribable.
Yet, like a drowning man clutching at straws, Hu Qi was acutely aware that without immediate self-preservation, he would be cast into an eternal abyss.
Involuntarily, he let out a cry of desperation and reached into his storage bag with his right hand.
He clutched a pale golden talisman tightly.
This life-saving treasure symbol, once activated, could withstand assaults from an initial stage Golden Core; nothing beneath Golden Core could breach it.
If he could just secure a moment’s respite, Hu Qi still harbored a chance to flee.
The notion of slaying Wang Chen was now the furthest thing from his mind!
Yet, in the next instant, Hu Qi’s hand, clutching the talisman, fell away.
His right hand was severed cleanly at the wrist, the wound as smooth as a mirror, not a single drop of blood spilling forth.
While Hu Qi remained bewildered and unaware, Wang Chen had already drawn his sword.
With a single stroke, he had severed Hu Qi’s right hand!
“Ah!”
Hu Qi paused for a heartbeat before the reality struck him, the intense pain from the wound eliciting a scream of agony, his face contorted in torment.
This high-level Purple Palace cultivator sought to counterattack with all his might; however, a web of sword light descended, completely enveloping him, ruthlessly slicing through his garments, flesh, and bones…
【Heavenly Merit +700】
As the second notification appeared in his vision, Wang Chen turned with composure to confront his final adversary.
Old Knife.
When Wang Chen had slain Hu Qi, this valiant and fierce Purple Palace battle cultivator had the chance to strike.
Yet, he hesitated.
That fleeting moment of indecision allowed Wang Chen to determine the outcome of life and death with Hu Qi.
Now, it was Old Knife’s turn!
As Wang Chen’s icy and pitiless gaze swept over him, Old Knife involuntarily shuddered and instinctively retreated two steps.
His courage and battle intent evaporated in that instant!
Wang Chen’s formidable power had etched an indelible mark upon Old Knife’s very soul.
He suddenly realized that he was far from the strong and fearless person he had imagined himself to be.
“I… surrender!”
Before Wang Chen could make a move, Old Knife struggled to utter those words, his face burning with shame.
This was, in fact, a very reasonable choice. Earlier, the three of them had joined forces and were utterly defeated by Wang Chen. Now, left alone, what chance did he have to stand against Wang Chen?
Old Knife’s close combat skills, which he prided himself on, seemed like mere child’s play when used against Wang Chen.
They were utterly insignificant!
“Surrender?”
Wang Chen let out a bemused chuckle. “How could you even think of that?”
Did he really believe that surrendering would solve everything?
Even a child wouldn’t think so naively!
Clenching his teeth, Old Knife growled, “If you kill me, once the Forbidden Prison Office investigates, you won’t escape either.”
Fearing that Wang Chen might not believe him, he quickly added, “Master Sun of the Forbidden Prison Office is unparalleled in Heavenly Merit techniques. With your cultivation level, there’s no way you can evade his pursuit!”
Heavenly Merit techniques?
Wang Chen laughed. “Do you have any other last words?”
Heavenly Merit techniques were the least of Wang Chen’s concerns. His Cultivation Panel had already blocked dozens of divinations.
All of them at Golden Core level!
Though each defense cost him 10 points of Heavenly Merit, Wang Chen had just gained 1300 points.
That meant he could block it one hundred and thirty times!
Even Master Sun’s Heavenly Merit techniques couldn’t sustain such relentless calculations.
Seeing the mocking smile on Wang Chen’s face, Old Knife’s heart sank like a stone.
Wang Chen wasn’t afraid of Golden Core-level Heavenly Merit techniques?
“Then let’s die together!”
Realizing that he couldn’t persuade Wang Chen to spare him, Old Knife’s ferocious spirit flared up once more.
He lunged forward abruptly, his body swelling rapidly as his clothes disintegrated into ash.
Yellow and black fur erupted from his skin, and a long, whip-like tailbone extended from his spine. Old Knife’s muscles bulged grotesquely, his teeth and nails elongating and sharpening into deadly claws.
In an instant, a monstrous half-human, half-tiger creature stood before Wang Chen.
“Roar!”
Old Knife let out a roar filled with unbridled fury.
If he hadn’t been pushed to the brink, he would never have unleashed his innate power.
Tiger Beast Transformation!
Old Knife carried a trace of the ancient spirit tiger’s bloodline. By activating it through his family’s secret method, he could instantly transform into a powerful tiger demon, temporarily gaining strength comparable to a quasi-Golden Core.
But once the Tiger Beast Transformation was complete, there was no turning back—he could never return to his human form.
The outcome was self-evident.
Thus, this innate divine ability could only serve as a means of mutual destruction!
At that moment, the anguish, despair, and fury within Old Knife were indescribable.
All his pain, despair, and rage transformed into a vengeful force as he fiercely swung his tiger claws, forcefully deflecting the oncoming Longyuan Sword.
Huh?
Wang Chen was momentarily stunned.
The strength of his opponent had increased severalfold compared to before!
Instantly on high alert, he swiftly employed Shortening the Earth to create distance, manipulating his flying sword to release strands of sword energy that coiled toward Old Knife.
Old Knife roared relentlessly, his tiger claws slashing repeatedly, tearing apart and shattering the incoming strands of sword energy!
Even when the sword strands struck him, they only grazed the surface of his fur.
After transforming into the Tiger Beast, his combat prowess and Defense had soared to an astonishing level.
“Come and fight!”
Old Knife bellowed, “Come and kill me!”
Wang Chen had initially intended to execute another sword move, but upon hearing his opponent’s roar, he immediately withdrew and retreated.
Old Knife stood there, claws bared and teeth gnashing, only to realize his target had disappeared.
His intelligence, clearly diminished in this state, took three breaths to catch up, and with a furious roar, he lunged forward, using all four limbs to give chase.
In a single leap, he covered a hundred steps!
The two of them raced through the long underground tunnel.
In the blink of an eye, Wang Chen returned to the underground chamber where Old Demon Han had once been.
“Run!”
Old Knife, hot on his heels, saw that Wang Chen had nowhere left to flee and shouted, “Keep running!”
Boom!
In response, a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens.
Sky Thunder!
Caught off guard, Old Knife was struck squarely, leaving him momentarily speechless.
White smoke rose from his head as he collapsed to the ground, his body scorched black.
Yet, Old Knife had not suffered a fatal blow, and he retaliated.
Lying on the ground, he suddenly twisted his body, lashing out with his long tiger tail like an iron whip toward Wang Chen.
A howling gust of wind followed!
Thousands of razor-thin wind blades materialized out of thin air in an instant.