Volume 1 Volume 5 Chapter 132

Volume 5 Chapter 132: The Trouble of Demon Beasts (Part 2)

As Xu Qingfan finished speaking, something unexpected happened.

Xu Qingfan thought that after he refused, Zhang Yi would suddenly become angry.

But in reality, Zhang Yi did act suddenly, but what first caught Xu Qingfan’s attention was something else that changed.

Just as Zhang Yi was about to make a move, there was a loud rumble from behind the crowd, where Jin Qinghan had just gone to dig, followed by Jin Qinghan’s painful groan, as if he had been seriously injured.

Hearing Jin Qinghan’s groan, Xu Qingfan was startled and couldn’t help but look back, losing focus for a moment.

And at that moment, Zhang Yi struck suddenly.

Zhang Yi’s eyes flashed with silvery light, and in an instant, Xu Qingfan, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong all felt a sharp pain in their heads. Xu Qingfan managed to endure it, but Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong couldn’t withstand the pain and collapsed to the ground.

This was the third time the two of them had been caught by Zhang Yi’s "Art of Annihilation," with no way to resist. Besides Zhang Yi being much stronger than the two of them, the "Art of Annihilation" was also truly hard to defend against.

Although Xu Qingfan wasn’t as weak as Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong against Zhang Yi’s attack, he still couldn’t help but feel a sharp pain in his head. His body hesitated, and his guard dropped. The momentary distraction from Jin Qinghan’s sudden scream finally revealed a flaw in front of Zhang Yi.

Taking this opportunity, just before the moment of a flaw, Zhang Yi raised his right hand, and a silver light shot toward Xu Qingfan’s chest.

This silver light moved very quickly, piercing into Xu Qingfan’s chest in the blink of an eye, and Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying, his two bodies, did not have time to help.

Zhang Yi wanted to ask Xu Qingfan for the "World Defying Sword," but he did not intend to kill Xu Qingfan just yet. This silver light was a silver needle that, after piercing into Xu Qingfan’s chest, instantly disappeared. Xu Qingfan felt a chill spreading from his wound throughout his body. The Spirit Qi flowed freely, but he had an uneasy feeling in his heart.

At the same time, Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan attacked Zhang Yi.

Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan were Xu Qingfan’s duplicates, made entirely of energy. Although Zhang Yi’s "Art of Annihilation" was powerful, it could not harm them, so she could only rely on her speed and agility to dodge and avoid them, finding herself at a disadvantage and close to being defeated by the two duplicates.

Just then, Zhang Yi flipped her right sleeve and suddenly took out a silver ball, throwing it to the ground. When the silver ball hit the earth, it exploded with a dazzling silver light, temporarily blinding everyone. Although Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan were not blinded, they could not sense Zhang Yi’s presence in the silver light.

"Xu Qingfan, you have been poisoned by my ‘Poison of Ice Lotus.’ Within three years, without the antidote, you will become a frozen corpse. On this day three years from now, bring the ‘World Defying Sword’ to the place where we first met, or I will destroy the antidote immediately. Remember, I am the only one who possesses the antidote to the ‘Poison of Ice Lotus’ in this world."

As Zhang Yi’s words faded, the dazzling silver light gradually dimmed. When everyone finally opened their eyes, Zhang Yi had already vanished from sight.

Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying looked around in confusion, but they did not see any trace of Zhang Yi.

Xu Qingfan felt the coldness in his chest slowly spreading throughout his body, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

It can be said that Zhang Yi’s success in his ambush this time had a lot of luck involved; if Jin Qinghan hadn’t unexpectedly appeared and distracted Xu Qingfan, even though Zhang Yi’s "Art of Annihilation" could cause Xu Qingfan great pain, he would definitely have been able to dodge the poisoned needles shot by Zhang Yi.

Unfortunately, there is no ‘what if’ in this world.

"Senior Brother Xu, how are you?"

Upon hearing Zhang Yi’s words before he left, Dongfang Qingling couldn’t help but feel anxious. Ignoring the intense pain in her head, she hurriedly got up from the ground, ran to Xu Qingfan, supported his arm, and looked closely at his expression, asking with concern.

This was the first time the two had physical contact. Seeing Xu Qingfan’s surprised expression, Dongfang Qingling couldn’t help but blush, but she still worriedly asked further.

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "I’m fine. Let’s first see what happened to Junior Brother Jin."

Saying this, Xu Qingfan pushed away Dongfang Qingling’s hands that were supporting him and quickly flew towards Jin Qinghan’s direction.

At this moment, there were two immense forces where Jin Qinghan was located. One was Xu Qingfan’s, and the other, a mix of heat and cold, was actually Feng Qingtian’s!

Feng Qingtian actually came back!

The loud explosion from the clash of powers kept ringing, with bright lights flashing and golden-red glow covering half of the sky.

"But the poison in you…"

The situation on Jin Qinghan’s side was urgent, but Dongfang Qingling was more worried about Xu Qingfan. Meanwhile, Xu Xiurong was a bit bewildered, as so much had happened in an instant; she only knew to follow closely behind Xu Qingfan and Dongfang Qingling.

"Don’t worry, I have the precious antidote pill from ‘Medicine King Valley’, and besides, some of the cultivation methods I practice are also the nemesis of all poisons. I will be fine. Right now, we need to go to Junior Brother Jin."

As they spoke, the three of them flew to where Jin Qinghan was, but found Jin Qinghan and Feng Qingtian in a fierce battle. Jin Qinghan was still at his peak, wearing golden armor, protected by the "Eight Evil Consciousness King" behind him. In his hands, he held a golden giant sword made of Spirit Qi that changed in length freely, and a golden thread with which he attacked, unpredictable and mysterious.

However, compared to Jin Qinghan unleashing all his power, Feng Qingtian only controlled dozens of flames that surrounded him, slowly moving like a star defender. Although Jin Qinghan’s attacks were extremely sharp, they were all blocked by these flames.

Feng Qingtian fought while retreating; even though he was stronger than Jin Qinghan, he didn’t want to fight longer, and Jin Qinghan couldn’t do anything about him.

What caught Xu Qingfan’s attention was that in Feng Qingtian’s hand was a person who had just been buried in the mountain, "Ri". He was covered in dust, looking disheveled, exhausted, and pale.

"Ri" is still alive!

Feng Qingtian has returned, clearly to rescue "Ri."

No one expected that Jin Qinghan, who originally aimed to rescue Little Black from the mountain, would instead save "Ri" first!

When Xu Qingfan and the others arrived, especially noticing that Xu Qingfan had reached the Golden Core stage like Jin Qinghan, Feng Qingtian’s expression became serious.

Jin Qinghan sees Feng Qingtian as the most important rival in his life, and Feng Qingtian also views Jin Qinghan and Xu Qingfan as his rivals, just after Zhang Xusheng.

Even though Feng Qingtian is naturally proud, he has no confidence to defeat the teamwork of the rapidly improving Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan.

Moreover, since he is holding "Ri," he cannot fully unleash his power due to his concerns.

Suddenly, Feng Qingtian’s gaze turned cold; the dozens of fireballs surrounding him shot out in all directions, exploding and shattering mid-flight, creating a tremendous roar, forcing Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong to dodge from the terrifying explosions.

Taking advantage of the moment, Feng Qingtian quickly flew away with "Ri."

"Jin Qinghan, Xu Qingfan, you two are great rivals. I am happy to see how much you have both improved, but sadly, this is not the time for a competition. However, that day will come."

As Feng Qingtian walked away, his cold voice still echoed in the valley.

At the same time, the voice of "Ri" also arose, perhaps not wanting to lose face in front of Feng Qingtian, so his tone returned to its usual proud and elegant self.

"Xu Qingfan, you truly surprised me. It seems we are destined to meet again. But next time, you won’t be so lucky."

Although he said this with a proud and elegant tone, the last sentence revealed "Ri’s" bitterness towards Xu Qingfan.

Clearly, for "Ri," being defeated by Xu Qingfan was a great shame.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong were blocked by the explosion, helplessly watching as Feng Qingtian and "Ri" quickly disappeared from view.

※※※※

On the other side, while Xu Qingfan and the others watched Feng Qingtian and "Ri" escape into the distance, Zhang Yi was thinking about swiftly heading towards the prosperous Middle-earth, secretly planning her next move.

"This time, the loss is truly severe. After much effort, I managed to control six puppet cultivators, but they were just killed like that. In the next three years, I must find a way to control six more."

"However, it is good that I confirmed that Xu Qingfan is indeed the same as Xu Fan from that day. It seems he really didn’t deceive me. The ‘Poison of Ice Lotus’ and the escape tool ‘Silver Light Barrier’ were both given to me by him. It seems he anticipated this situation long ago. In any case, I owe him a favor now, and it looks like I can only ally with him."

"Although I confirmed that Xu Qingfan is indeed Xu Qingfan, I haven’t managed to reclaim the ‘World Defying Sword’ this time. Thankfully, I have placed the ‘Poison of Ice Lotus’ on him. After three years, I can be sure he will return the ‘World Defying Sword’ to me."

"Although the ‘World Defying Sword’ can counter Zhang Xusheng’s Immortal Body, my ability is still too weak. Even with the ‘World Defying Sword’, I can’t harm him at all, so I must quickly increase my strength. Am I really going to practice that quick-boost method? I’ve only practiced a little during this time, and my progress has been so great, which is indeed mysterious. However, that method does too much harm to the body."

"Also, the ‘World Defying Sword’ has not fully grown yet. Before I can use it to kill Zhang Xusheng, I must first use it to kill countless beings to absorb their blood and souls."

…

While quietly thinking about future plans, Zhang Yi suddenly flew dozens of miles away but seemed to have discovered something and suddenly stopped. With a wary expression, he looked ahead.

Just ten or so steps in front of Zhang Yi, a middle-aged scholar was quietly hovering there, as if he had been waiting for him for a long time.

Just as graceful and mysterious as before, even his appearance bore a slight resemblance. If it weren’t for the many times Zhang Yi had met him over the years, he could have easily mistaken him for a disguised Zhang Xusheng.

And the matter with Xu Fan and the "Poison of Ice Lotus" that she gave to Xu Qingfan, or the "Silver Light Barrier" she used to escape, all came from this person.

And this person was Liu Ziqing, who had disappeared for many years and had been looking for ways to take revenge on Zhang Xusheng!

Years ago, Liu Ziqing led many elders and disciples of Qingxu to break away from Qingxu, and looking at Liu Ziqing’s mysterious aura now, his strength was more than double what it was back then. Clearly, the Divine Sense Original Souls of those cult practitioners from Qingxu Gate who followed him had been absorbed by him using secret methods.

At this moment, Liu Ziqing’s cultivation had reached an unknown level; even though Zhang Yi had reached the Golden Core Stage, he was still unable to see through it.

"Have you seen Xu Qingfan?"

Liu Ziqing smiled lightly and asked softly.

Zhang Yi, with a cold expression, slowly nodded his head.

"Did you manage to get the ‘World Defying Sword’ back?"

Liu Ziqing asked again.

"No." Zhang Yi shook his head. "But he has already been hit by the ‘Poison of Ice Lotus.’"

Liu Ziqing still smiled gently. After hearing Zhang Yi’s words, he showed neither regret nor joy, simply saying, "I told you before, that Xu Qingfan is very clever, and his cultivation method is extremely mysterious. It’s not so easy to defeat him."

Zhang Yi snorted coldly but did not reply.

Liu Ziqing seemed completely unfazed by Zhang Yi’s rudeness and asked, "So, are you willing to ally and cooperate with me?"

Zhang Yi stared at Liu Ziqing for a while and suddenly asked, "You were badly defeated by Zhang Xusheng and later forced to be reborn, taking over someone else’s body to survive. Now you are no longer a Mahayana Stage master, while Zhang Xusheng’s abilities have become increasingly profound. What confidence do you have to help me defeat Zhang Xusheng?"

Liu Ziqing’s expression did not change, but his smile grew brighter as he slowly replied, "In the Shenzhou Continent right now, this catastrophe is undoubtedly a game of chess, where all forces are players. ‘Ming’ is one player, Zhang Xusheng is another, the Righteous Alliance is another, we are one, and the Zhong family, which is about to make a comeback, is also a player. The ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ used to be counted as one, but unfortunately, they have lost their strength and are now out of the game. With the fate of the world at stake, betting their lives and the lives of others, each side struggles. In this chaotic situation, strength is no longer the key to winning. What truly decides victory is each side’s perspective, whether each player can use their strengths against others, whether forces can preserve their power while others exhaust themselves, and whether one can see through the opponent’s flaws. I have that perspective, but you do not."

Zhang Yi snorted again but did not deny it. Besides being the top expert under Zhang, she had always been regarded as a strategist by him. Whatever decision Zhang made, he would always ask for her opinion. However, she had to admit that in the game of chess Liu Ziqing described, her perspective was far from sufficient.

But Zhang Yi stubbornly said, "Your perspective is still not as good as Zhang Xusheng’s."

Liu Ziqing did not get angry at all and smiled, "But Zhang Xusheng does not know about my existence, and that is the key point."

Hearing Liu Ziqing say this, Zhang Yi paused for a moment and finally said slowly, "After forming an alliance, our target is only Zhang Xusheng."

Liu Ziqing smiled and said, "Of course it’s only Zhang Xusheng."

Being able to ally with Zhang Yi seemed to make Liu Ziqing very happy as he smiled and said, "In that case, we should start our next steps."

※※※※

On the other side, after Feng Qingtian escaped with "Ri," he flew straight for several dozen miles before stopping.

"You don’t need to support me anymore; I have recovered some Spirit Qi and can float now."

Hearing "Ri’s" words, Feng Qingtian did not hesitate at all. Even though he was only holding "Ri," he felt very uncomfortable because he was not used to being so close to others.

Before Jin Qinghan dug "Ri" out, "Ri" had been trying to clear the collapsed mountain for two months, digging hundreds of meters. Just as he was about to give up due to running out of Spirit Qi, Jin Qinghan began to dig Little Black, which connected to the tunnel "Ri" had dug, saving his life.

At this moment, "Ri" finally recovered a little. Although his eyes were still dull and he looked messy, he at least had the ability to float in the air.

"Do you want me to take you back to the base?"

Feng Qingtian looked at "Ri" for a moment, then slowly asked.

"No, thank you. I will go straight back to the Western Desert; I need to rest for a few years this time."

"Ri" shook his head and said.

Feng Qingtian knew that with "Ri"’s pride, after failing the mission, he would naturally feel embarrassed to face the members of the "Ming" organization whom he had once looked down upon.

But Feng Qingtian thought of something else.

"So, this battle taught you a lot?"

Feng Qingtian suddenly asked.

"Ri" paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed softly and said, "Indeed, the battle with that Bo Guangyan helped me understand many things. By the next time we meet, the skills I developed should be perfected."

Feng Qingtian nodded but said, "Alright, I will report your decision to the two elders, ‘Heaven’ and ‘Earth.’"

"Ri" nodded and was about to turn and fly into the distance when he suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, "By the way, why did you save me? From what I know, you shouldn’t like me very much."

His tone was calm, as if he were discussing someone else’s affairs.

Feng Qingtian’s answer was very straightforward.

"Because you are still useful."

"Ri," however, did not care at all, laughed heartily, and quickly flew off into the distance.

But as he turned to fly away, with his back to Feng Qingtian, a mysterious light flashed in his eyes, and no one could tell what "Ri" was thinking at that moment.

※※※※

After watching Feng Qingtian leave with "Ri," Xu Qingfan did not seem to mind; instead, he looked at Jin Qinghan with concern.

Earlier, Jin Qinghan’s painful groan made him very worried.

After the golden armor disappeared, Jin Qinghan’s true form was revealed to everyone, and they saw a shocking scar on his chest.

Xu Qingfan quickly placed his hands on Jin Qinghan and used the "Way of Life and Death" to heal his wounds. After a moment, the injury on Jin Qinghan’s chest healed quickly, and the unhealthy red marks from his burn also restored to their original skin color.

"What happened?"

After the healing was complete, Xu Qingfan asked.

It turned out that Jin Qinghan was trying to open a mountain path to rescue Little Black, but he didn’t expect that "Ri" was also trying to create a tunnel in the collapsing mountainside, and in the end, the two tunnels happened to intersect.

At that moment, "Ri’s" Spirit Qi was nearly exhausted, but he spotted Jin Qinghan first. In a surprise attack, he left a scar on Jin Qinghan’s chest.

Just as Jin Qinghan was about to counterattack, Feng Qingtian suddenly appeared, and Xu Qingfan already knew what happened next.

Slowly sighing, Xu Qingfan was about to say something when both he and Jin Qinghan paused and looked towards the valley outside.

"Someone is coming."

Xu Qingfan said slowly.