Chapter 119: A Contest of Bloodshed

Huang Qianqian was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Ye Jinglun. Was this some kind of conjuring trick?

Zhou Qi offered no explanation. He descended toward the ground with the two of them, waiting calmly for the three cultivators to arrive.

"I’ve finally found you again. Heaven has pity on me! I refuse to believe you have that array formation this time," the old man sneered gloomily.

"I am curious—how did you manage to track me?" Zhou Qi asked, voicing his internal doubt.

"It really is you. I don't mind telling you: although you change your appearance every time, that azure Immortal-Slaying Sword of yours is far too conspicuous. It would be impossible not to notice it." Seeing that Zhou Qi was in no hurry to flee, the old man spoke with a triumphant chuckle.

Zhou Qi was stunned. He had been meticulously altering his appearance, never suspecting that the sword beneath his feet was the flaw. Now that he knew the source of his exposure, he would be sure to pay attention next time.

"If you truly need demon cores or beast cores, I can sell them to you. Why must we fight to the death?" Zhou Qi suggested.

"What a joke! You killed so many of my subordinates; how could I ever forgive you? Besides, given the massive gap in strength between our sides, why should I bother buying them? Isn't it much better to get what I need without spending a single spirit stone?" the old man scoffed.

Zhou Qi remained silent. He figured the old man likely mistook Huang Qianqian for Jiu'er. If the man knew she was a Golden Core stage cultivator, he might not be wearing such an expression—though it was unclear if Huang Qianqian would even deign to intervene. She would either have to sacrifice a flame or waste a chance to strike.

After his physical refinement, Zhou Qi’s confidence had soared. He felt he could put up a fight. If he truly couldn't win, it wouldn't be too late to ask for her help. Moreover, he still had plenty of Bewildering Immortal Arrays left; whether to leave or stay was entirely up to him.

"Since you insist on robbing me, then come and try your best," Zhou Qi shouted, secretly transmitting a message for Ye Jinglun to prepare.

"Go," the old man commanded the two fourth-level Foundation Establishment cultivators to advance, while he himself retreated, clearly wary of Zhou Qi’s bizarre arrays.

The two cultivators moved to attack, one from the left and one from the right. One faced Zhou Qi, the other Ye Jinglun. As for Huang Qianqian, they ignored her entirely; having never seen her strike in their previous encounters, they assumed her combat prowess was mediocre. The old man had already retreated to a distance, beginning to set up an anti-flight array to prevent them from escaping.

"Go!" One cultivator launched an iron ruler at Zhou Qi. It was a mid-grade spirit tool, growing larger as it flew, its etched markings glowing brilliantly. Zhou Qi felt as though he were being measured by the ruler; no matter where he dodged, he remained within its range of attack.

Since he could not evade it, he simply chose not to. "Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin!" The Immortal-Slaying Sword transformed into a giant blade, meeting the ruler head-on.

When the blade and ruler collided, a thunderous roar erupted. Upon the first contact, the Immortal-Slaying Sword was knocked aside. Seeing his spirit tool prevail in a single strike, the cultivator wore a triumphant smile, the iron ruler continuing to bear down on Zhou Qi with immense pressure.

"Dragon Transformation!" Zhou Qi’s hand morphed into a dragon claw, reaching out to grasp the massive iron ruler.

"Courting death!" The cultivator sneered as he saw Zhou Qi attempt to grab his tool with a bare hand. He shouted, and the ruler accelerated, aiming to crush Zhou Qi’s palm.

Zhou Qi ignored the threat, his claw continuing toward the oncoming ruler. With a sharp *crack*, the claw and the ruler collided. Zhou Qi’s hand was not crushed; he was merely forced back two steps by the impact, his claw now firmly gripping the iron ruler. The tool trembled violently, struggling to break free.

The cultivator was horrified. He hurriedly tried to shrink the ruler to recall it, but the dragon claw shrank along with it, maintaining its iron grip. The tool emitted a reluctant, mournful whine before Zhou Qi squeezed hard, and it went still.

"Mystic Thunder Evasion!" Zhou Qi vanished in a flash of lightning, reappearing behind the cultivator. The man was still struggling to retract his iron ruler and, sensing someone behind him, tried to change his stance, but it was too late.

Zhou Qi’s fist struck the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. Zhou Qi had become incredibly proficient at this; his positioning and force were honed to perfection—a profound, intuitive mastery that could be felt but not described.

Seeing the fourth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator disposed of, the old man was shocked. He hadn't seen Zhou Qi in months, yet he never expected his physical body to be so formidable. Although the Immortal-Slaying Sword had absorbed some of the ruler's power, catching a spirit tool barehanded was not something an ordinary body-refining cultivator could do.

Ye Jinglun was locked in a heated battle with the other cultivator. As a body-refining cultivator, he was at a disadvantage due to his inferior spirit tool, otherwise, he would have won long ago. His "Manifestation Bell" technique was astonishingly powerful; relying on that skill and his body-refining arts, he was trading blows evenly with his opponent. Seeing that he was in no immediate danger, Zhou Qi ignored him.

The fifth-level Foundation Establishment old man’s face grew grim. He had assumed two fourth-level cultivators would suffice, yet one had already fallen. He would have to step in himself.

"I must admit, you surprise me. Every time we meet, you bring new revelations. Brat, your good luck ends here. Use whatever tricks you have left!" With those words, an ancient-looking medicine cauldron appeared before him.

The cauldron was antique, covered in countless intricate patterns; it was clearly no ordinary object. If one could obtain it, it would surely be invaluable for both alchemy and combat.

Seeing that Zhou Qi had no intention of deploying a Bewildering Immortal Array, the old man finally moved. His hands formed seals: "By my cauldron, invert heaven and earth! Expand!"

As he finished the incantation, the cauldron spun rapidly, growing larger and larger, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Its power intensified steadily.

Zhou Qi’s expression turned solemn; the power of this cauldron was formidable. He dared not take it lightly. "Mountain Holding Seal!" The phantom of Jade Dragon Mountain appeared, growing increasingly solid. Zhou Qi coughed up a mouthful of essence blood, staining the grey mountain red as a murderous aura began to brew within it.

Still not feeling secure, Zhou Qi released his own killing intent, and the crimson Jade Dragon Mountain became truly lethal. With the dragon essence blood now in his possession and his own astonishing recovery rate, he was not like Xiao Bai, who would be left crippled after spitting two mouthfuls of blood. By his estimates, he could afford to cough up dozens.

Seeing the terrifying momentum of Zhou Qi’s technique and realizing he had sacrificed his own essence blood, the old man felt a twinge of nervousness. It would be disgraceful to be defeated by a second-level Foundation Establishment cultivator. With that thought, the old man also spat out a mouthful of essence blood, and the medicine cauldron turned blood-red, its power surging even further.

Huang Qianqian watched from the side, clicking her tongue in amazement. They had only just begun to fight, and already they were spitting blood—were they competing to see who had more?

The power of the cauldron reached its zenith. The old man glared at Zhou Qi and bellowed, "Suppress!"

The great cauldron flew toward Zhou Qi with the force of a collapsing sky. Zhou Qi did not hesitate, launching the Jade Dragon Mountain. The blood-red mountain, laden with intense killing intent, flew to meet the cauldron.

A deafening *boom* echoed, so powerful that Ye Jinglun and his opponent were knocked off-balance and forced to stop their fight to watch the earth-shattering collision.

Under the impact of the cauldron, the Jade Dragon Mountain began to shatter, dissolving into nothingness. Within moments, the Mountain Holding Seal was crushed, and the cauldron continued to plummet toward Zhou Qi with the force of a thunderbolt.