Chapter 350

Chapter 350: Absorb Evil Energy

The explosion at the Evil Snake’s tail didn’t blast out even a drop of blood or shred of flesh and bone. Instead, it left only a huge hole billowing black smoke in its massive body. Because all the blood, flesh, and bone inside it had been completely burned away by the intense heat of the Heavenly Fire Storm. The snake’s head—which had been stubbornly clamped onto Lou Yun’s arm—finally drooped, limp and lifeless. Then the entire body collapsed onto the ground.

Lou Yun withdrew his fist. He opened his mouth and softly exhaled. A formidable surge of heaven and earth energy surged forth, instantly dispersing all the poisonous fog that had engulfed his vision.

The appearance and state of the Evil Snake made it clear, even to a fool, that it was dead!

Yet Tang Qianqiu could not accept this reality. He knew the Evil Snake’s power was such that even him, a Heavenly-level Evil Weapons Master, had to regard it with caution!

As for Chang Feng and Mo Bingju, they were both stunned speechless!

The three bore almost identical expressions, staring wide-eyed at the corpse of the Evil Snake on the ground. Each wondered the same thing: What method had Lou Yun used to kill this Evil Snake?

Especially since they all witnessed the Evil Snake spraying poisonous fog the moment it bit the common weapon in Lou Yun’s hand. At such close range, even if Lou Yun was prepared, he must have inhaled a trace or two of the venom. Yet he still managed to kill the Evil Snake!

Lou Yun’s method was actually quite simple: he used the Heavenly Fire Storm.

During the struggle with the Evil Snake, he realized its body was far too resilient. Without drawing the Dream Emperor Sword or unleashing the true heaven and earth energy, he couldn’t harm it.

If the outside was invulnerable, what about the inside?

All living beings, whether human or demon beasts, could strengthen their skin and muscles through cultivation, but the internal organs could never be tempered in the same way. So Lou Yun reasoned: if he could strike inside the Evil Snake, he might injure it.

Thus, he deliberately provoked the Evil Snake, baiting it to swallow him whole. The snake took the bait!

Once the Evil Snake swallowed his fist, Lou Yun seized the moment to unleash the Heavenly Fire Storm.

No matter how strong or cunning the Evil Snake was, it remained only a demon beast. Its intelligence fell short of a human’s. Its insides could never withstand the searing heat of the Heavenly Fire Storm. Even without the final explosion from the Thunderstorm Fire, the snake was doomed!

Lou Yun wasn’t unscathed either, however. The common weapon he had drawn out for temporary use was utterly ruined by the overwhelming heat, reduced to a pile of scrap metal.

Of course, such a loss was easily bearable for Lou Yun!

After dispelling the Evil Snake’s poisonous fog, Lou Yun concentrated slightly. The outer armor formed by concentrated evil energy instantly dissolved as he drew it into his own body, revealing his true appearance. Then he turned around, fixing Tang Qianqiu with a cold, mocking smile.

Tang Qianqiu’s gaze locked fiercely onto Lou Yun’s face. At that moment, he finally recognized him: this was the brat who had thwarted his plans not once, but twice before. He simply couldn’t fathom why Lou Yun would appear within his refuge, the Ghostly Valley.

But as Tang Qianqiu’s sweeping glance caught sight of Chang Feng and Mo Bingju, understanding dawned on him. They must be allies!

Seeing the emotions alternating across Tang Qianqiu’s face, Lou Yun knew he was recognized—and he intended it. With the Evil Snake dead, the only remaining threat in the entire Ghostly Valley, besides Tang Qianqiu’s silent master, was Tang Qianqiu himself!

Their clash was inevitable. And in this fight, Lou Yun couldn’t afford the luxury of holding back his heaven and earth energy like against the snake. He saw no reason to hide his true identity any longer.

"Tang Qianqiu, it’s been a long time!"

At Lou Yun’s greeting, Tang Qianqiu’s lips twitched. His fury boiled uncontrollably. He ground his teeth. "Brat! You again! Time and time again you ruin my plans! Now you trespass into my Ghostly Valley and kill my Evil Snake? Your life alone can settle this debt!"

His words still hung in the air when Tang Qianqiu instantly accelerated. His fist shot forward as he charged straight at Lou Yun, driven by the desperate desire to blast him down in a single blow and then subject him to prolonged torment. Only that could quench his hatred.

When it came to speed, Lou Yun undoubtedly surpassed Tang Qianqiu. Yet he made no move to evade this assault. Instead, he bent his knees slightly, sinking his body and hardening his resolve. He stood his ground without flinching.

Not until Tang Qianqiu was nearly upon him did Lou Yun suddenly throw his own fist in retaliation!

Lou Yun wanted to give it a try. Having ascended to Heaven-level Realm, was Tang Qianqiu’s strength now greater or weaker than his own?

Though Tang Qianqiu attacked in a rage, his experience and shrewdness ensured his strike wasn’t wild. The reason he chose a physical blow rather than summoning his evil weapon mirrored Lou Yun’s purpose entirely: he too sought to measure the changes in Lou Yun’s strength over the years, now that he was a Heavenly-level Evil Weapons Master!

"Boom!"

Both holding the same motivation, their fists collided violently. An earth-shattering boom reverberated, accompanied by a dull grunt. The two figures met and instantly separated.

Lou Yun remained rooted to the spot. His feet seemed nailed into the earth; his entire body stood motionless. Tang Qianqiu, however, emitted that grunt as he staggered back four, five steps, only then managing to dissipate the powerful force transmitted through his arm.

In terms of comparing strength, Lou Yun won decisively!

A flash of astonishment clearly crossed Tang Qianqiu’s face. Throughout Lou Yun’s fight with the evil snake, he had been utterly focused on observing Lou Yun’s every move. Yet he hadn’t detected that Lou Yun possessed such a powerful force beyond just swift footwork. Little did he know, Lou Yun had only used evil energy against the evil snake, never tapping into the true natural energy.

Now, Tang Qianqiu finally understood. Though his own cultivation had leaped from the Earth level to the Heavenly level during this time, Lou Yun’s strength had also advanced. So, he cast aside any underestimation.

With a clang, a black long sword appeared in Tang Qianqiu’s hand.

Seeing Tang Qianqiu finally draw his evil weapon, Lou Yun’s expression remained relaxed. He didn’t even prepare to wield his Dream Emperor Sword, instead standing empty-handed, silently waiting for Tang Qianqiu’s attack.

Since Lou Yun hadn’t summoned a magical weapon during their previous clash’s opening, Tang Qianqiu knew Lou Yun’s physical strikes were exceptionally potent. Thus he showed no anger.

Slicing through the air, Tang Qianqiu brandished his evil weapon and charged at Lou Yun again. Compared to bare-handed combat earlier, the aura radiating from him now was undeniably stronger. After all, unlike Lou Yun, his power derived entirely from the evil weapon—wielding it restored his confidence.

As the evil weapon cut through the air, it drew wisps of surrounding evil energy, enveloping the entire blade like cotton. Thus, despite Tang Qianqiu’s speed, this thrust came without a whisper of sound.

This shift stirred Lou Yun’s thoughts. The evil weapon seemed capable of unleashing far greater power in this highly concentrated evil environment!

This indeed was the truth. Evil weapons formed from condensed evil energy. Within environments rich with such energy, they’d actively absorb it regardless of their wielder’s intent.

Despite Tang Qianqiu switching from bare hands to his evil weapon, Lou Yun remained unmoved. He stood fixed in place, eyes locked onto the approaching blade.

Spectators Chang Feng and Mo Bingju nervously watched the duel. Lou Yun’s outcome would determine their fate, and his apparent recklessness sparked unease in them.

As Lou Yun stared at the charging evil weapon—which simultaneously absorbed surrounding evil energy—an idea suddenly sparked in his mind.

If the evil weapon enhanced its power by absorbing evil during attacks, could he do the same?

The moment this thought arose, Lou Yun decided to try. He raised his hand high, pores on his palm snapping open to release a powerful suction force.

Instantly, the surrounding evil energy surged toward Lou Yun’s palm like ants drawn to honey, overwhelming and frantic.

Compared to the passive absorption by Tang Qianqiu’s evil weapon, Lou Yun’s conscious and active draw was far swifter. Within moments, his entire arm was sheathed in thick, swirling evil energy.

Lou Yun felt his arm growing heavier—a sure sign his idea had worked—and delight spread across his face. Witnessing this, the other three were utterly shocked.

Tang Qianqiu especially, his mouth agape. Although he’d earlier mistaken Lou Yun for an evil weapons master, he now knew Lou Yun’s true nature. Yet the fact that Lou Yun could absorb evil energy identically to him left him dumbstruck, beyond words.

But his thrust was already unleashed, the arrow nocked and unreleasable. Despite his inner turmoil, Tang Qianqiu roared defiantly as the evil weapon finally shot toward Lou Yun’s position.

At the same instant, Lou Yun began lowering his arm, thickly encased in evil energy. Though his movement seemed agonizingly slow—as if his arm weighed thousands of pounds—in reality it met Tang Qianqiu’s blade instantaneously.

Their collision—Lou Yun’s arm against Tang Qianqiu’s weapon—created no sound. Each shrouded in their layer of evil energy, they clashed like cotton-wrapped entities.

Yet Tang Qianqiu distinctly felt an immense pressure forcefully pinning down his evil weapon.

This force proved overwhelmingly heavy, like a mountain gradually forcing his blade down. Even at his utmost exertion, Tang Qianqiu couldn’t lift it, nor could he retract it!

In that moment, Tang Qianqiu sensed an illusion: Lou Yun’s mastery and comprehension of evil energy far surpassed his own.