Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 57

Volume 6 Chapter 57: Confrontation, Calculation

"Roar…"

With a loud roar, the world shook, and the skies changed color. Filled with endless hatred and anger, Zhong Ling charged at Xu Qingfan again after breaking Xu Qingfan’s "Cycle of Life and Death," without looking at the battlefield or at the Zhong family Fifth Brother who was being held by Xu Qingfan.

Xu Qingfan was surprised that Zhong Ling could break his "Cycle of Life and Death." Although this version of the technique was not as powerful as in its prime, it was still Xu Qingfan’s highest skill, praised by Mr. Liu, and had even sealed a top master who was suppressing his own strength. Xu Qingfan had great confidence in it.

However, although Xu Qingfan was surprised, he did not show any panic. He scoffed softly, circulated his Spirit Qi silently, and kept the Zhong family Fifth Brother between himself and Zhong Ling, waiting for the moment when Zhong Ling hesitated.

To Xu Qingfan’s surprise, Zhong Ling seemed completely unconcerned about the life and death of the Zhong family Fifth Brother, fiercely charging at Xu Qingfan without the slightest hesitation, aiming to kill both Xu Qingfan and the Zhong family Fifth Brother!

At this moment, the Zhong family Fifth Brother’s reaction was clearly less brave than that of the Zhong family Eleventh Brother. Seeing Zhong Ling rush at him aggressively, he forgot the pain of the "Cycle of Life and Death" within him, struggling with his hands and feet, his face filled with panic.

"Could it be that the people of the Zhong family are so heartless, not caring about the lives of their own brothers? But looking at the reactions of the other Zhong family cultivators after another member’s death, it shouldn’t be like this."

Seeing Zhong Ling charge towards him, Xu Qingfan felt a bit anxious. After the series of fierce battles and injuries, coupled with the curse he was under, Xu Qingfan was nearing his limit. The reason he had gone to great lengths to capture the Zhong family Fifth Brother instead of killing him was to use him to escape. He did not expect that Zhong Ling would have no feelings of kinship.

"I can only use my last move."

As Zhong Ling got closer and closer to him, Xu Qingfan sighed quietly in his heart.

However, just when Xu Qingfan was about to take action, Zhong family Fourth Brother suddenly intervened.

Unlike Zhong Ling, Zhong family Fourth Brother had grown up with Zhong family Fifth Brother and Eleventh Brother, and they shared a deep bond. He absolutely could not let Zhong Ling kill Zhong family Fifth Brother.

"You idiot."

This was the second time Zhong family Fourth Brother had insulted the Zhong family master.

While Zhong family Fourth Brother was shouting, his thirteen green ghostly figures behind him started to move, and in the next moment, they had surrounded Zhong Ling.

When Zhong family Fourth Brother summoned these ghosts earlier, Xu Qingfan felt a strong sense of danger. Now that they were unleashed, their power was indeed remarkable.

The ghosts surrounded Zhong Ling and began to spin and dance around him. In an instant, Zhong Ling was surrounded by a green glow. He hesitated and showed a look of disbelief as he suddenly stopped his advance. After a moment, he moved again, charging in another direction while attacking continuously and roaring in anger, ignoring Xu Qingfan and the ghosts around him.

As Zhong Ling charged further and further away, gradually disappearing from sight, Xu Qingfan felt a shock in his heart. Zhong Ling’s actions were clearly controlled by illusions in his mind, believing that Xu Qingfan was fleeing. In reality, Xu Qingfan remained suspended in mid-air, not realizing that these spirits could manipulate such a powerful being like Zhong Ling. Luckily, the moment Zhong family Fourth Brother summoned these spirits, Xu Qingfan had already seized control of Zhong family Fifth Brother; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

At the same time, Xu Qingfan noticed that as time passed, the green light around the spirits grew brighter, while Zhong Ling’s attacks became weaker. Clearly, in addition to controlling Zhong Ling’s mind, these spirits were also absorbing energy from within him.

What Xu Qingfan did not know was that he viewed Zhong family Fourth Brother’s move as too powerful. "Devouring Soul" certainly had a strong influence on the mind, but it easily controlled Zhong Ling because Zhong Ling’s heart was filled with deep resentment and his soul had yet to fully merge with his body. It would not be so easy to affect Xu Qingfan’s mind.

However, that being said, even if the power of "Devouring Soul" was less than Xu Qingfan imagined, this move could still pose a challenge to a fully powered Xu Qingfan, and he had no confidence in facing it, let alone in his current state.

"Every disciple of the Zhong family should not be underestimated. They are much stronger than ordinary cultivators of the same level."

Seeing the power of "Devouring Soul," and recalling the earlier secrets of Zhong family Eleventh Brother and the "Corpse Demon" summoned by Zhong family Fifth Brother, Xu Qingfan thought to himself, glancing at Zhong family Fourth Brother with an increasingly cautious expression.

His current situation could not withstand another fierce battle.

…

Meanwhile, Zhong family Fourth Brother, after experiencing the shock of Zhong family Eleventh Brother’s death, the disbelief at Zhong family Fifth Brother’s capture, and the anger at Zhong Ling’s reckless attacks, had quickly regained his calm.

Quietly watching Zhong Ling quickly fly away under the control of "Devouring Soul," gradually disappearing from everyone’s sight, Zhong family Fourth Brother also turned to look at Xu Qingfan, his expression calm, as if controlling Zhong Ling was an easy task for him.

His gaze was quiet yet full of endless danger, constantly sizing up Xu Qingfan, noticing Xu Qingfan’s white clothes stained with blood, yet his figure remained strong; seeing Xu Qingfan’s pale face but determined eyes; observing Xu Qingfan, who was injured in many places, yet still exuding a fierce spirit. Although Xu Qingfan killed one of his brothers and captured another, Zhong family Fourth Brother’s eyes still showed a hint of admiration, yet more deeply, there was profound anger.

However, whether it was anger or admiration, both were hidden deeply in Zhong family Fourth Brother’s eyes, and to Xu Qingfan, it felt like Zhong family Fourth Brother was watching him from afar without stopping.

The noisy battlefield returned to silence, Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan were back in front of Xu Qingfan, and the Corpse Demon and Death God Clone had stopped fighting. In this silence, Xu Qingfan and Zhong family Fourth Brother faced each other.

After a long time, seeing Xu Qingfan still standing tall, his eyes still bright, without a hint of weakness, a trace of helplessness flashed in Zhong family Fourth Brother’s eyes. If Xu Qingfan had shown any sign of weakness during this time, he would have immediately acted to kill Xu Qingfan.

"I think you are close to your limit now, right? You let go of Fifth Brother, and I will let you go; a life for a life, that’s fair, how about it?"

Zhong family Fourth Brother stared at Xu Qingfan and spoke slowly.

Xu Qingfan held back the coldness caused by his gradually numbing body and excessive blood loss, forcing himself to stand upright, unwaveringly meeting Zhong family Fourth Brother’s gaze. He knew that if he showed any sign of weakness at this moment, Zhong family Fourth Brother would take the risk to strike.

"I will let him go, but not right now. You Zhong family people don’t take promises seriously. What if I let him go and you go back on your word?"

Zhong family’s Fifth Brother was not as brave as Zhong family’s Eleventh Brother. At that moment, his eyes were filled with fear and worry as he looked pleadingly at Zhong family’s Fourth Brother in the distance. If it had been Zhong family’s Eleventh Brother, he would have already struggled and shouted at Zhong family’s Fourth Brother not to care about his life or death. However, this did make things easier for Xu Qingfan.

Seeing the clear plea in Zhong family’s Fifth Brother’s eyes, Zhong family’s Fourth Brother let out a slight sigh and asked, "How do I know that after I let you go, you will release Fifth Brother?"

Xu Qingfan said coldly, "I am not one of the Zhong family. I value trust very highly."

At this moment, the curse from Zhong family’s Eleventh Brother had spread to Xu Qingfan’s entire chest, and the numbness was spreading to his arms, abdomen, and neck. Knowing time was running out, Xu Qingfan shouted, "Please make your decision quickly; my patience is not very good."

Zhong family’s Fourth Brother sighed again but then smiled slightly and suddenly asked, "Taoist Friend Xu, your abilities are impressive. You can fight against the four of us from the Zhong family and achieve such great results. I admire that, but perhaps you are too focused on the battle with us and have overlooked something."

Upon hearing Zhong family’s Fourth Brother’s words, Xu Qingfan felt an unexpected sense of unease. As time went on, his injuries worsened. He squinted slightly to hide the fading light in his eyes and asked in a serious tone, "What do you mean by that?"

Zhong family’s Fourth Brother smiled slightly but did not answer. Instead, he turned to look in another direction.

Xu Qingfan followed his gaze and felt a shock in his heart when he noticed that Dongfang Qingling had been captured by an "Ecstasy Corpse." The "Ecstasy Corpse" called by Zhong family’s Fifth Brother had already been killed by Xu Qingfan, and this one was clearly summoned by Zhong family’s Fourth Brother. Xu Qingfan had not noticed when Zhong family’s Fourth Brother summoned this "Ecstasy Corpse."

What surprised Xu Qingfan even more was that although Dongfang Qingling’s strength could not be considered high, she was at the peak of the Real Golden Core Stage, which was equal to the "Ecstasy Corpse." It should have required a lot of effort for the "Ecstasy Corpse" to capture her, but Xu Qingfan had not noticed a single anomaly from the beginning.

But no matter what, Dongfang Qingling was truly captured by the "Ecstasy Corpse."

At that moment, when Xu Qingfan looked at her, Dongfang Qingling was no longer the strong and decisive person she used to be. She met Xu Qingfan’s gaze for a moment, then slowly lowered her head and softly said, "Senior Brother Xu, I’m sorry."

It was uncertain whether Xu Qingfan was too injured and seeing things, but when Dongfang Qingling lowered her head, it seemed as if a green light flashed from her eyes.

That green light was like the glow from the "Devouring Soul" summoned by Zhong family Fourth Brother earlier.

Seeing Dongfang Qingling captured and realizing his plans had failed, combined with his worsening injuries, Xu Qingfan felt a wave of dizziness and his body swayed slightly. He quickly took some elixirs from his sleeve and swallowed them, gradually regaining his senses.

Dongfang Qingling fell into such a predicament because of me, and she has devoted herself to helping me over the years; I cannot leave her behind.

Xu Qingfan sighed inwardly and thought to himself.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s situation, Zhong family Fourth Brother smiled slightly. Now that he had regained control of the situation, he didn’t need to risk killing Fifth Brother, but instead slowly asked, "So, Taoist Friend Xu? Have you thought about my suggestion?"

Xu Qingfan looked deeply at Zhong family Fourth Brother, then slowly said, "I accept your conditions, but you must agree to two of my requests."

"You say."

Fourth Brother of the Zhong family smiled and said.

"First, when I release this person, you must also let go of my Junior Martial Sister Dongfang."

"Okay."

"Second, you must tell me what curse the person I just killed cast on me before he died."

Hearing Xu Qingfan say this, Fourth Brother of the Zhong family paused slightly, then seemed to realize that Xu Qingfan was still in a situation of certain death, so telling him this was not a problem. He smiled and said, "It’s no problem. What you are afflicted with is not one of those minor curses, but the most powerful technique from my Zhong family’s ‘Dark’ arts, called ‘Corpse Refining.’ After being hit by this technique, your body will gradually feel numb. Over time, this numbness will grow stronger and spread throughout your body. When you can no longer feel anything, you will become a mindless zombie, controlled by the caster."

After a moment, Fourth Brother of the Zhong family’s tone became darker and more gritted, "Now that Eleventh Brother is dead, you won’t be controlled, but once you become a zombie, the killings will become your instinct, causing even greater harm. Originally, we had no grudges against each other. The reason for our fight was simply because of Zhong Ling. It wouldn’t have been a problem to help you break this technique, but unfortunately, I am not skilled in the ‘Dark’ arts, and the Eleventh Brother who could have helped you has already been killed by you."

After speaking, Fourth Brother of the Zhong family stared closely at Xu Qingfan, hoping to see despair and regret on Xu Qingfan’s face. Unfortunately, Xu Qingfan remained calm after hearing his words, leaving him quite disappointed.

"Then, we can trade hostages."

There is no Taoist spell that cannot be broken. This is the lesson Liu Huaxiang taught Xu Qingfan long ago. At this moment, although he felt frightened by the power of "Corpse Refining," he was not desperate. He only remembered the words of Zhong family’s Fourth Brother, waiting for the moment to escape, and said coldly.

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Zhong family’s Fourth Brother lightly waved his hand. Suddenly, the Ecstasy Corpse flew over to him with Dongfang Qingling, while Xu Qingfan handed Zhong family’s Fifth Brother to Xu Zhiyuan beside him.

"Let’s begin."

Zhong family’s Fourth Brother said slowly.

As Zhong family’s Fourth Brother finished speaking, Xu Zhiyuan with Zhong family’s Fifth Brother and the Ecstasy Corpse with Dongfang Qingling slowly moved toward Zhong family’s Fourth Brother and Xu Qingfan.

Both sides were cautious at this moment, so the speed was slow. After a brief moment, the Ecstasy Corpse and Xu Zhiyuan finally came together, and then they began to exchange hostages.

To Xu Qingfan’s surprise, Zhong family’s Fourth Brother did not take the opportunity to attack.

Xu Qingfan did not either.

"Senior Brother Xu."

When Dongfang Qingling flew to Xu Qingfan’s side, she did not hesitate at all and quickly flew towards Xu Qingfan, feeling guilty and excited.

At the same time, Zhong family Fifth Brother was also flying quickly towards Zhong family Fourth Brother.

Strangely, at that moment, Xu Qingfan was not paying attention to Dongfang Qingling but was looking at Zhong family Fifth Brother. Zhong family Fourth Brother was not watching Zhong family Fifth Brother approaching him either; he was focused on Dongfang Qingling.

Finally, Dongfang Qingling reached Xu Qingfan’s side, and Zhong family Fifth Brother also arrived beside Zhong family Fourth Brother.

"Fourth brother, I’m sorry, I…"

Zhong family Fifth Brother said regretfully but was interrupted by Zhong family Fourth Brother, who gestured for him to look in Xu Qingfan’s direction, a mysterious smile crossing his lips.

Zhong family Fifth Brother felt puzzled; he turned to look and saw Dongfang Qingling, who was either alive or dead, unable to control her emotions any longer. Forgetting her shyness as a woman, she stretched her arms to embrace Xu Qingfan.

Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback as Dongfang Qingling voluntarily hugged him, feeling warm and soft in his arms.

But Xu Qingfan did not see that Dongfang Qingling, resting her head on his shoulder, suddenly had bright green eyes and opened her small mouth, fiercely biting at the side of Xu Qingfan’s neck.

On the other side, the Fifth Brother of the Zhong family showed a proud expression.

"Ah!"

A sudden scream pierced the air.

Hearing the scream, the proud look in the Fifth Brother of the Zhong family quickly disappeared, replaced by shock and disbelief.

The scream did not belong to a man or a woman, nor was it from Xu Qingfan or Dongfang Qingling, but it was extremely haunting, like a ghost crying out.

On Xu Qingfan’s side, he suddenly punched Dongfang Qingling in the stomach. A golden-white light shone between his fingers. Although the power of the "Holy Spirit Buddhist Relic" had not fully returned, it could still be released to some degree. This energy was deadly to ghostly beings.

Suddenly, a thick green mist emerged from Dongfang Qingling’s body. The mist quickly dispersed after leaving her, and the previous scream came from within this green mist.

Xu Qingfan picked up the unconscious Dongfang Qingling and coldly stared at the distant Fourth Brother of the Zhong family, sneering, "Just now, there were only twelve ghosts controlling Zhong Ling, and one is missing. Do you think I cannot count?"

After a moment of surprise, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family regained his composure and said with a smile, "I didn’t expect you to discover that I let the ‘Devouring Soul’ invade your younger martial sister’s body and control her mind, hiding it so deep."

As he spoke, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family suddenly stopped smiling and coldly asked, "Even if you saw through my plan earlier, you have already reached your limit now. Can you still fight against my two brothers? It’s just the difference between dying early and dying late."

While the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family was speaking, the Fifth Brother was staring angrily at Xu Qingfan, surrounded by swirling black mist, preparing to summon the zombies again.

After the Fifth Brother of the Zhong family finished speaking, he threw out thirteen black flags again, ready to launch an attack once more.

A great battle was about to begin, but Xu Qingfan no longer had the strength to fight.

However, there was no hint of panic on Xu Qingfan’s face; instead, a slight smile appeared on his lips as he softly said, "Did you think you were the only one who could scheme? Since you started plotting against me, I have no need to feel guilty for betraying you."

Just as Xu Qingfan was mumbling to himself, the Fifth Brother of the Zhong family, who was attempting to summon the zombies, suddenly trembled, his face twisted in pain, crying out as his body shook. The thick black mist in front of him quickly began to dissipate.

Seeing the Fifth Brother’s strange condition, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family was alarmed and rushed to his side, asking, "Fifth Brother, what’s wrong?"

The Fifth Brother of the Zhong family was trembling, seemingly too weak to speak, but after a moment, he finally managed to say, "Fourth Brother, danger, quickly hide!"

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

On the other side, Xu Qingfan clapped his hands, and there was a loud boom. Zhong family’s Fifth Brother’s body suddenly exploded.

It turned out that the "Cycle of Life and Death" that Xu Qingfan had entered into Zhong family’s Fifth Brother’s body was not taken back during the hostage exchange, and the explosion was a result of a change in the "Cycle of Life and Death," caused by the clash of life and death energies inside.

After the explosion occurred, Xu Qingfan did not hesitate any longer. He controlled Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan, guiding himself, Dongfang Qingling, and Little Black as they quickly fled toward the distance.

Xu Qingfan held a "Sky Escaping Talisman" in his hand and began to use it, sending out an unknown wave from the spiritual talisman.

Xu Qingfan knew that the explosion had greatly harmed Zhong family’s Fifth Brother, but it could not hurt Zhong family’s Fourth Brother.

Indeed, on the other side, as the smoke—oh, the blood mist—cleared away, Zhong family’s Fourth Brother appeared, glaring fiercely at Xu Qingfan who was fleeing into the distance, anger and hatred filling his eyes. Just as he was about to pursue, he heard a groan coming from beneath him. Looking down, he found the shattered body of Zhong family’s Fifth Brother lying on the ground, still alive, but moaning in pain.

Xu Qingfan controlled it well. This explosion had dragged Zhong family’s Fifth Brother to the edge of life and death; whether he lived or died depended on immediate help. Of course, even if he was saved, the shattered Zhong family’s Fifth Brother would never regain his strength in this lifetime.

Watching Xu Qingfan escape, a look of struggle and hesitation appeared in Zhong family’s Fourth Brother’s eyes, but in the end, he snorted coldly and flew toward Zhong family’s Fifth Brother.

Xu Qingfan could kill whenever he wanted, but this brother must be saved now.

When Zhong family’s Fourth Brother landed on the ground and kept feeding healing potions to Zhong family’s Fifth Brother, a burst of shining light appeared in the distance, and suddenly, Xu Qingfan and the others vanished.

Frustrated, Zhong family’s Fourth Brother stomped his foot again and continued treating Zhong family’s Fifth Brother. After a long time, he finally pulled Zhong family’s Fifth Brother back from the brink of death.

But just then, Zhong Ling returned, filled with a chilling anger!