Chapter 216: If That Day Truly Comes

In such a small coal cave, the Red-Blood Ape Talisman Beast he had gotten from Xu Changsheng couldn’t be fully utilized. As the centipede beast bored towards him, Qin Haoxuan used a Heaven-Cleaving Slash, condensing a cyan blade of qi and chopping at its midsection.

CLANG!

The cyan blade of qi shattered, while the centipede beast merely shuddered, completely unharmed, and continued to bore towards his heart. If he were to be struck by this beast, whose body was as hard as gold and iron, even with his tough physique, a large hole would be torn in his chest. Qin Haoxuan did not dare to gamble with his own life. Without a care for his image, he did a clumsy donkey roll on the ground, narrowly dodging the attack.

BOOM! The centipede crashed into the wall of the coal cave, creating a small hole several meters deep. The cave trembled again, and the lump of coal near Hua Yang rolled a little closer.

Seeing Qin Haoxuan’s wretched state, Hua Yang sneered, gritting his teeth. “You little beast, you actually dared to ambush me. I will make you regret ever coming into this world!” As he spoke, he changed his hand seal, and the centipede, which had just bored a hole in the wall, nimbly drilled its way out and charged at him again.

Qin Haoxuan’s gaze turned cold. He once again condensed a Heaven-Cleaving Slash, the cyan blade of qi tearing through the air, as if he wanted to perish together with Hua Yang. At this moment, he no longer held back his strength. His arms trembled, and spiritual energy poured into them. The ‘ghost’ tattooed on his arms began to come to life. Two great ghosts emerged from his arms, like left and right guardian deities, like malevolent gods suddenly descending.

Ghost God… Advent!

After the fierce ghosts descended, the already damp and dark mine tunnel was instantly filled with a swirling yin energy, and the temperature plummeted in an instant. Seeing the suddenly appearing ghosts, Hua Yang’s scalp went numb, and a chill ran straight up his spine to the back of his head. He could not have imagined that such a young kid would have such a ferocious technique.

The fierce ghost on his left arm transformed into a giant fist that enveloped his own, a manifestation of the art. Transformation! Ghost God Transformation! Hua Yang’s heart leaped in shock again. This kid has actually cultivated the Advent of the Ghost God to the second level?

The ghost fist slammed heavily into the body of the centipede beast, creating a crisp sound like striking iron. The centipede was sent flying a great distance, but it was only knocked back. After being sent flying, it recoiled and charged at Qin Haoxuan again.

Qin Haoxuan’s heart pounded. Since he had succeeded in cultivating the Advent of the Ghost God, he had been invincible. Now, in a stroke of genius, he had suddenly reached the second level in the middle of battle, yet he still couldn’t take down this centipede?

Hua Yang, however, laughed with great satisfaction. “You little beast, don’t think you can harm my Iron-Backed Centipede just because you have some evil ghost. My Iron-Backed Centipede is not something you can deal with!”

Qin Haoxuan’s expression was impassive; he didn’t bother to argue. These past few days, he had grown accustomed to all sorts of battles. Facing the charging centipede again, his entire being entered a state of empty clarity. He simply raised his arm and threw another punch.

One punch! The centipede was sent flying again. Its body coiled against the wall and, like a spring, it launched another attack, its speed several points faster than before.

Hua Yang’s expression hardened, his face incomparably savage as he roared, “You little beast, go to hell!”

Qin Haoxuan’s arms trembled, and the two great ghosts transformed into a set of arm guards and a battle shield, protecting his front to meet the centipede’s charge. The powerful collision sent him flying backward into the wall, and a shower of coal rained down. The two great ghosts reverted to their original forms and pounced directly on Hua Yang. The centipede, also knocked back by the impact, could only curl into a ball to block the assault of the ghost gods.

And at that very moment, the lump of coal at Hua Yang’s feet suddenly changed. Xing, who had been disguised as the coal, appeared behind him. At this moment, he was not holding back at all. Transformed into his demonic form, he was incomparably handsome. His two pale hands plunged through the chest of Hua Yang, who had been completely focused on Qin Haoxuan.

SQUELCH…

Hua Yang’s heart was directly crushed by Xing. He let out a tragic cry, and the hand seal he had been using to control the Talisman Beast dissipated. The centipede, which had just curled into a ball, reverted to a small paper talisman and fluttered to the ground.

With his heart gone, Hua Yang’s eyes widened, staring in disbelief at Qin Haoxuan and at Xing, who had just crushed his heart. His eyes were filled with despair and incredulity. He could not have imagined that there was another person hidden behind him, and that they had attacked him at such a critical moment.

“You little beast… to think that I would fall at your hands…” Hua Yang’s face was full of unwillingness. To think that he, who had been so cautious his entire life, and the spirit stones he had painstakingly accumulated, would now fall into the hands of these two who had ambushed him, he couldn’t help but feel enraged.

With a trembling hand, he drove the residual spiritual energy in his body. A talisman on his body rose up, flashed with a white light, and then shattered. Before he died, Hua Yang clutched the bag that held his entire life’s savings. To make it easier to carry, he had specifically exchanged all his low-grade spirit stones for second-grade ones. A look of unwillingness was on his face, and then he glared at the two of them with a venomous expression. “You little beasts, just you wait… The news of my death has already been sent to my master, and that talisman just now has recorded your appearances… My master will soon come to avenge me…”

The moment his words fell, he stopped breathing, his pupils dilated, dying with a grievance.

This time, using the Advent of the Ghost God had been even more taxing than the fight with Hao Xiu. Qin Haoxuan was shocked to find that he had consumed a full third of his spiritual energy.

He and Xing exchanged a look. “What bad luck. We kill one Perfected Man Hulu, and four people come to avenge him. I’ve just killed another one, and now he’s called his master to get revenge. I hope his master isn’t a Spirit Tree Realm expert, or I’ll be in trouble!” The vast gap in strength between the Spirit Tree Realm and the Spirit Sprout Realm was not something he, at the Fifth-Leaf, could contend with, no matter how many fortuitous encounters or tricks he had. To be able to escape from a Spirit Tree Realm expert was already a stroke of luck.

“Why don’t we leave the army camp?” Xing suggested. “The tracking spell that old dog Chi Lian put on you should have worn off by now, right? By my calculations, the time is already up.”

Qin Haoxuan’s face was grim as he just shook his head. For some reason, a tiny remnant of the spell, which should have expired long ago, still lingered on him. If he were to go out now… he could still be caught. For now, he could only continue to wait until all traces of it were gone.

“Damn it! How is it not gone yet? That old dog’s spell must have something special about it!” Xing sighed helplessly. “For now, we can only hope that rogue cultivator’s master isn’t excessively strong.”

Qin Haoxuan took the bag that Hua Yang had been clutching even in death. Seeing the bloody hole in his chest, he asked with some confusion, “That’s not right. Didn’t you crush his heart? How did he not die immediately? He was still able to speak and send a message.”

Xing rolled his eyes and said, “The cultivation world is just that magical. Normally, someone whose heart has been destroyed should die immediately. I don’t know what kind of secret art that old fellow had to be able to live for that little bit of time. If I encounter a similar situation in the future, I’ll just smash their head in.”

Faced with this situation, Qin Haoxuan could only sigh. The cultivation world was, after all, different from the mortal world. He could only learn from this lesson. In the future, if he encountered a similar situation, he would smash their skull.

He then opened the spoils of war. A pile of glittering second-grade spirit stones fell out. A quick count revealed there were only fifty. Seeing them, Xing smacked his lips. “Receiving an inheritance is the best feeling. Fifty second-grade spirit stones!”

“This is not reliable at all. That Xu Changsheng said he had at least eight thousand low-grade spirit stones on him, but this is only five thousand! A difference of three thousand!” Qin Haoxuan’s face was a picture of grief.

Xing rolled his eyes at him and sneered. “A snake trying to swallow an elephant. You only spent five hundred stones and just acted out a play to earn five thousand, and you’re still not satisfied? You made a huge profit! Quick, see if there’s anything else!”

Qin Haoxuan rummaged through the bag again. These rogue cultivators would carry all their valuables on them when they went out. This Hua Yang was a famous miser; he should have quite a few good things on him, right? However, he only found some Earth Evasion Talismans, low-level spiritual talismans, and other such trivial items in the bag. None of them were very valuable.

As he was rummaging, he found a fist-sized crystal. The crystal was entirely red, with no spiritual energy fluctuations; it didn’t seem like a spirit stone. He turned it over and over in his hand and thought to himself, This Hua Yang, a complete cheapskate, wouldn’t carry something worthless on him. This thing probably has some value; it’s just that I don’t recognize it.

At this thought, he cast a questioning look at Xing’s face. The moment Xing saw the red, fist-sized crystal, his handsome face contorted. His breathing became heavy, his face flushed, and an expression of extreme greed appeared in his eyes. He looked as if he was about to snatch it.

Seeing his reaction, if Qin Haoxuan still didn’t know it was a good thing, then he would have lived in vain. He hid the red crystal behind his back, preventing Xing from seeing it, and asked with a wicked smile, “Yo, from the looks of it, you know what this is. Shall we chat?”

Xing took several deep breaths, and the excited expression on his face faded slightly. He then shook his head and put on a look of confusion. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen such a thing. It’s probably not worth much. Let me hold it and see; maybe I can recognize it.”

If he couldn’t see that Xing was lying, then Qin Haoxuan would be an idiot. He said, “Since you don’t recognize it either, then I’ll just put it away. We can talk about it later when we find someone who does.”

Xing’s just-calmed face immediately became agitated again. He said quickly, “Don’t put it away! I know what it is!”

Qin Haoxuan stared at him with a deep gaze. “Then speak.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you. The red crystal in your hand is the blood of a flood dragon that failed to transform into a true dragon. And this flood dragon was likely infinitely close to becoming one; it was just one final step away. A pity it failed. And dragon’s blood is an extremely precious thing. Because once a dragon dies, most of its blood will evaporate, leaving only the dragon’s dan,” Xing said with a helpless look at him. “This dragon’s blood is of no use to you. But if you give it to me to eat, my strength will greatly increase. I won’t even be afraid of that Spirit Tree Realm Master Chi Lian.” As he spoke, he looked at Qin Haoxuan with a feverish gaze. “Just give me this dragon’s blood to eat. After I eat it, no matter if it’s Master Chi Lian or Hua Yang’s master who comes for revenge, with me protecting you, you won’t have to be afraid.”

“There’s such a treasure?” Qin Haoxuan said, examining the flood dragon’s blood in his hand. “I remember in the Taichu Sect, there was a lesson that said flood dragon’s blood has the ability to extend one’s life. Cultivators have hunted them extensively, and now they are a rare sight. My Master Xuanji’s lifespan is short right now. Although he has the Spirit Liquid to help, if he had this flood dragon’s blood to supplement it, I imagine not only would his lifespan be extended, but his cultivation might also have another breakthrough.”

“Heh heh…” Xing said, crossing his arms. “That’s on the premise that you can make it back to the Taichu Sect alive. Otherwise… with all the goodies you’re carrying, after you run into Master Chi Lian, you’ll just be a treasure delivery boy.”

Qin Haoxuan had to agree with him. Xing raised his eyebrows proudly. “Well? Why not just give the dragon’s blood to me to eat? At that time, even if we run into that old dog Chi Lian, we won’t have to be afraid of him.”

The moment Qin Haoxuan stretched his hand out towards him, he suddenly pulled it back. “I remember that flood dragon’s blood contains a violent component. A cowardly person who consumes some of it will become a fanatic battle-lover. If a battle-lover consumes too much, they will not recognize their own kin… I remember that if a demon obtains flood dragon’s blood, while their combat power will soar, they will also kill both humans and animals alike?”

“But I will remember you,” Xing said, looking at him very seriously. This simple answer carried a great deal of confidence. Xing had also admitted that if he consumed the flood dragon’s blood, he would for a long time become a bloodthirsty mad demon who only knew how to kill. He would mercilessly attack any moving object and destroy it. But in his heart, he would still have Qin Haoxuan. Even if for a period of time he became a bloodthirsty mad demon who only knew slaughter, he would never harm him.

But what about others? His master had once said that a cultivator did not need to be concerned with killing. If there was an obstacle on one’s path of cultivation, then one should simply cut it down with a single sword strike. To kill one person, ten people, a hundred people… Qin Haoxuan asked himself if he could do it with a hardened heart. If a thousand people were to harm him, then he would kill a thousand. But the people in this army camp, and the mortals of the Soaring Dragon Nation, had never provoked him. For ten thousand, a hundred thousand people to die because of him… he couldn’t do it.

At that moment, Xing’s gaze was exceptionally sharp as he looked at him. Qin Haoxuan could “hear” the words in his eyes clearly. I, Xing, why should I care about the lives of others? As long as you, Qin Haoxuan, are alive, the debt of a thousand, ten thousand lives can fall on my shoulders. Give me the flood dragon’s blood.

Qin Haoxuan repeatedly shook his head. If Xing killed thousands, tens of thousands… then what? He would surely attract the attention of the Taichu Sect. Against the entire sect, even the entire cultivation world, there would only be one end for him: death.

Rest assured. After I kill Master Chi Lian, I will turn and leave. No one will be able to catch me.

Where can you go? Outside the Soaring Dragon Nation? Even if you can get out of the country, can you escape the cultivation world?

The two of them looked at each other for a long moment in silence, yet they knew each other’s thoughts. Finally, Xing was the first to withdraw his sharp gaze. He repeatedly shook his head. “One day, you will pay the price for this soft heart of yours. We of the cultivation path should cut down all obstacles with a single sword strike.”

“It’s not that I’m just a bleeding heart,” Qin Haoxuan said, putting the flood dragon’s blood away. “When it’s time to kill, I will not be soft-handed. This dragon’s blood, we will go back and grind a little bit of it into powder and have you take it with other medicines. Not only will it allow you to maintain your sanity, but it will also speed up the recovery of your cultivation.”

“But, that will still be too slow,” Xing sighed. Qin Haoxuan knew that this “slow” was not because he was anxious to recover his own combat strength, but purely because he was worried about Master Chi Lian catching up.

Alive? Who doesn’t want to live? Qin Haoxuan patted his back. He just couldn’t be so selfish as to make Xing the public enemy of the world just so he could live.

“One day, I will become the public enemy of the cultivation world,” Xing suddenly said after a long silence. He stared into Qin Haoxuan’s eyes. “I am a demon, you know. As my power recovers more and more, one day I will not be able to conceal myself like this. At that time, never mind your Taichu Sect, even a supreme great sect, upon knowing, will send people to hunt me down. At that moment… I will surely be the enemy of the entire world.”

Qin Haoxuan wanted to speak, but Xing raised a hand to stop him. “If that moment truly comes, you must remember that you do not know me. If that day truly comes, and my hands are stained with the blood of the Taichu Sect, do not blame me. If that day truly comes, do not let me see you on the battlefield. If that day truly…”

Qin Haoxuan kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying. Xing sat on the ground and did not continue speaking. The two of them were once again locked in a gaze.

Qin Haoxuan’s fists had unknowingly clenched tightly together. Cultivating… seeking the Dao… since entering the Taichu Sect, he had often asked himself, why cultivate? Why seek the Dao? Humans always want to live forever. But besides not wanting to die, for what reason do they not want to die?

Qin Haoxuan had once asked his Master Xuanji and his Senior Brother Pu Hanzhong out of confusion, but no one had been able to give him a clear answer. Xuanji had only said that one day, he would find the answer. He knew that now, he had found it. Although this answer was a bit… damn it, but he had indeed found it.

Qin Haoxuan did not want Xing to die, nor did he want him to be besieged by the cultivation world. But how could he achieve this? The answer was very cliché, so cliché it made him want to laugh. But it was only this cliché answer that could work. Peerless cultivation, the ability to ascend to the heavens, a power that the entire cultivation world had to look up to.

“What are you thinking about?” Xing said, getting up and patting the dust off his rear. “You’re not thinking of becoming the number one person in the cultivation world, are you? Why don’t we go back first and get some of that dragon’s blood powder? If the Dragon Demon Golden Body has that to supplement it, your cultivation speed will scare the piss out of you.”

The two of them walked side by side under the afterglow of the setting sun, their shoulders slung over each other. They had survived another day. Their next goal… was to survive the next.