Boom!
In the night sky, two figures radiating powerful, vigorous primordial energy clashed fiercely. Every collision of their primordial energy whipped up violent shockwaves, reverberating across the night like claps of thunder.
Standing suspended in midair, Lu Jin's Thunderfire Feather Robe hummed and vibrated as fire and lightning surged across it, constantly inhaling and exhaling the primordial energy of heaven and earth to replenish his body.
In the earlier fierce battle, his Thunderfire Feather Robe had suffered some damage. Dark venomous blemishes were visible across his arms, corroded into his flesh by Guo Kui's highly toxic primordial energy during their intense clash.
“Lu Jin, you old bastard, you can certainly take a beating!”
An icy voice drifted from across the way. Flowing around Guo Kui was black, venomous primordial energy that faintly coalesced behind his back into a colossal black scorpion tail, its sharp barb gleaming with an eerie sheen.
Guo Kui's breathing was slightly ragged, scorch marks from thunder and fire scarring his body.
Prior to this, he and Lu Jin had already fought an all-out magical duel, both sustaining considerable damage.
Yet Guo Kui didn't care in the slightest about his own injuries. Instead, he glared sinisterly at Lu Jin, his eyes laden with mockery. In the previous exchange, his toxic energy had penetrated Lu Jin's body. Though Lu Jin's thunderfire primordial energy had injured him in turn, Guo Kui felt he had made an absolute windfall. According to the intelligence he had gathered, Lu Jin was an old wreck on his last legs whose oil was burnt out and lamp extinguished. The countless old injuries festering within Lu Jin's body needed only a spark of toxic energy to trigger a catastrophic cascade of internal collapse.
What surprised Guo Kui a little, however, was how Lu Jin had managed to hold on for this long.
According to the intel, Lu Jin's old wounds should have erupted by now.
What's going on? Didn't the reports say this old bastard was running on empty? Why hasn't he collapsed yet?
Or is this his final dying burst? But what kind of dying burst can last this long?
Guo Kui's eyes flickered with gloomy bewilderment.
Lu Jin paid no heed to Guo Kui's sarcastic taunts. Instead, he cast his gaze down toward the dense forest below, where he spotted the dispersed poisonous mist and two faint glints of golden light flickering in the shadows.
Those were Lu Ming's Golden Pupils.
A gratified smile touched the corners of the old man's lips.
It was the signal they had agreed upon beforehand.
Ignoring Guo Kui completely, Lu Jin fluttered his Thunderfire Feather Robe, transforming into a streak of thunder and fire that plummeted down to land right in front of Lu Ming.
Guo Kui was somewhat baffled, though his mouth continued to jeer, “Old bastard, are you heading down to leave your last words?”
Nobody paid him any mind. As soon as Lu Jin landed, Lu Ming stepped forward without a word. Placing his palms over the toxic blemishes and wounds on Lu Jin's arms, emerald flames swirled across his hands.
Moments later, Lu Jin flapped his Thunderfire Feather Robe and soared back into the sky.
“Come again! Weren't you trying to drag this old man to death? Here is your chance,” Lu Jin said impassively. Without waiting for Guo Kui to respond, he lashed out with the Thunderfire Whip, sweeping up boundless lightning and roaring flames into an overwhelming onslaught.
Guo Kui was thoroughly shocked.
He clearly sensed that the toxic marks he had planted inside Lu Jin's body had been eradicated. More importantly, most of the wounds he had inflicted earlier had vanished into thin air.
What did that kid do?!
Why does it look like Lu Jin has made a full recovery?!
Incredulity raged in Guo Kui's heart, but there was no time to ponder it. Lu Jin's violent thunder and fire were already upon him. Forcing his toxic primordial energy to erupt, he thrust his palms forward, sending venomous palm prints crashing out to meet the assault.
Boom! Boom!
The fierce battle erupted once more.
This time, Guo Kui noticed that Lu Jin had abandoned his cautious approach. Instead, he fought with relentless, suicidal aggression, actively trading blows and injuries!
Had this happened earlier, Guo Kui would have been overjoyed. In his eyes, trading blow for blow in Lu Jin's fragile condition was nothing short of suicide.
But now... he wasn't so sure anymore.
Rumble!
Surging, thick waves of primordial energy churned the air, sweeping across the night sky like howling gales.
A moment later, Lu Jin's Thunderfire Whip smashed ruthlessly into Guo Kui's chest, shattering a large patch of his pitch-black feather robe. The violent thunderfire primordial energy forced blood to seep from the corners of Guo Kui's mouth.
Guo Kui did not take the hit in vain, however. His sleeves fluttered as dark, scorpion-tail toxic energy pierced straight through Lu Jin's shoulder.
Both were wounded at the same time and fell back in disarray.
And Lu Jin happened to descend directly toward another spot below where golden light was flickering.
The instant he landed, Lu Ming darted out. Without a word, he pressed his hand against the shoulder pierced by the scorpion tail, channeling Life's Flame to rapidly heal the injury.
Just moments later, the wound on Lu Jin's shoulder was mostly healed. Letting out a booming laugh, the old man flapped his Thunderfire Feather Robe and rocketed into the sky, barreling straight toward Guo Kui once more.
And this time, Guo Kui finally saw it clearly: that little whelp from Thunderfire Hall was actually healing Lu Jin?!
And wasn't this healing speed a bit too absurd?!
At this moment, Guo Kui felt blood rushing to his head, ready to burst into profanities.
Damn it, wasn't this supposed to be a one-on-one duel?!
Why did you bring along a pocket healer?!
Infinite healing and sustain, is that it?!
Guo Kui felt like a complete idiot. Time and again, he had traded injuries with Lu Jin to wear him down and force the old bastard to burn out, only for his own injuries to pile up and his own condition to deteriorate. Meanwhile, Lu Jin remained full of vigor, fighting fiercer by the second.
“You damned little whelp, die!”
Guo Kui roared in fury and threw out a palm strike. Heavy toxic energy coalesced into a colossal hand, slamming down toward the patch of woods where Lu Ming was hiding.
Boom!
Before the toxic palm could land, thunder cracked through the night sky. A streak of silver lightning crashed down, obliterating and swallowing the poisonous strike whole.
“Guo Kui, your opponent is this old man. Weren't you trying to wear me down? Why stop now?” Lu Jin asked with a faint smile.
Guo Kui ground his teeth. “Lu Jin, you're utterly despicable!”
To drive the cunning, ruthless chieftain of the Peach Mountain Bandits to call someone despicable showed just how infuriated he was by Lu Jin and Lu Ming's coordination.
Guo Kui shifted his gaze toward the woods, trying to pinpoint Lu Ming's location, only to discover that during the brief moment Lu Jin intervened, that slippery brat had already vanished into the depths of the forest.
From the previous two exchanges, Guo Kui understood that the kid would pop up somewhere else next time, flashing his golden light to guide Lu Jin. This prevented him from staying in one spot and getting flushed out in advance.
This little whelp is utterly revolting.
The Peach Poison Restriction has been broken, and Fan Li and the others are bogged down. If this drags on and the Qingyuan Ward Office mobilizes to encircle us, things will turn ugly.
Guo Kui suddenly felt that the situation, which had seemed well within his grasp, was spiraling out of control.
I can't drag this out any longer.
Guo Kui finally abandoned the idea of wearing Lu Jin down. If he dragged it out any further, he might be the one leaving his last words.
Killing intent surged in Guo Kui's eyes. Reaching inside his feather robe, he retrieved a blood-red pouch inscribed with dark red runes that flickered irregularly, emitting a pungent stench of blood.
Creepy scuttling sounds rustled from within the pouch, like countless creeping bugs squirming over one another.
The High-grade Divine Ability Weapon: the Ten Thousand Scorpion Bag.
Guo Kui channeled primordial energy into the Ten Thousand Scorpion Bag, breaking the seal at its opening. In the next instant, a torrent of blood-red primordial energy erupted into the sky. Foul and rancid to the extreme, it was laced with deadly poison capable of severely crippling a Divine Ability Master.
Yet as the blood-red primordial energy surged forth, Guo Kui did not use it to attack. Instead, he let out a long howl and actually swallowed that horrific, venomous torrent whole!
Seeing this from the forest below, Lu Ming didn't dare show himself again.
Evidently, with things having developed to this point, Guo Kui's painstakingly calculated tactic to wear down the old man had fallen completely flat. He had no choice now but to stake everything on a lethal finishing move.
...
Meanwhile.
Within Qingyuan Ward, a feather robe flowing with sword light materialized around Lin Changkong. He tore through the air, shooting out of the city like a streak of golden light.
Just as he was about to clear the city gates, however, a figure appeared before him, barring his way.
“Ward Master Zhou Xuan?” Lin Changkong narrowed his eyes slightly at the person who had appeared. Zhou Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, draped in a flowing azure feather robe that radiated a faint, refreshing fragrance.
“Hall Master Lin, leaving the city at such a late hour? Is there some urgent matter? Why not tell me? Perhaps I can be of assistance,” Zhou Xuan asked with a smile.
“Does the Ward Master need something?” Lin Changkong asked.
“The moonlight is lovely tonight. I've invited Hall Master Shi Tong of the Red Sand Hall and Hall Master Shen Tai of the Mountain-Moving Hall for some wine and a nighttime chat. Would Hall Master Lin do me the honor of joining us?” Zhou Xuan said.
Lin Changkong's face remained impassive. After a few seconds of silence, a faint smile finally surfaced on his lips. “Since the Ward Master extends an invitation, how could I dare refuse?”
“Haha, wonderful. After you.”
Zhou Xuan nodded in satisfaction, gesturing politely before descending toward a nearby hilltop.
Lin Changkong glanced into the distance, his gaze flickering. Guo Kui should have already made his move, right? With his strength, dealing with an old bastard on his last legs shouldn't be an issue.
He had only intended to leave the city as an extra layer of insurance. But Zhou Xuan's appearance here was clearly no coincidence. Did he know something?
Why is he stopping me? The Ward Office has never interfered in rivalries between Divine Ability Halls.
Lin Changkong was somewhat baffled. Now that he was a True Primordial Energy Master, even Zhou Xuan had to give him some face. Reasonably speaking, an old wreck whose potential was tapped out held nowhere near the weight he did.
Any rational person would never choose to offend him just to take Lu Jin's side.
With numerous thoughts racing through his mind, Lin Changkong ultimately followed Zhou Xuan down onto the hilltop.
No matter. Even without his intervention, Thunderfire Hall was doomed tonight.
He would wait right here for the news of Thunderfire Hall's demise.
A stone pavilion sat atop the hill, where two figures were already seated.
They were none other than Shi Tong of the Red Sand Hall and Shen Tai of the Mountain-Moving Hall.
Lin Changkong showed no unusual expression, taking his seat to drink and converse freely with the other three.
Not long after, a figure hurried down from the sky. It was Zhou Fuling. Dispersing the wings of light on her back, she reported gravely to Zhou Xuan, “Fourth Uncle, the ward guards reported sensing the energy fluctuations of Divine Ability Masters clashing to the west of Qingyuan Ward.”
“It seems to be in the direction of the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce caravan escorted by Thunderfire Hall today.”
Hearing this, the expressions of Shi Tong and Shen Tai changed. Exchanging startled glances, they asked in disbelief, “Could the Peach Mountain Bandits have ambushed the caravan Thunderfire Hall was escorting?”
They were naturally aware of the recent feud between Thunderfire Hall and the Peach Mountain Bandits, as word had already spread across Qingyuan Ward.
“Divine Ability Masters clashing? Did Guo Kui, the chieftain of the Peach Mountain Bandits, personally make a move? Lu Jin is in grave trouble now.” Shi Tong had a complicated look on his face. Although his Red Sand Hall had competed with Thunderfire Hall for years and harbored deep grievances, seeing Thunderfire Hall targeted by such notorious bandits inevitably evoked a twinge of sympathy, like the fox mourning the death of the hare.
Both of them knew Lu Jin's condition. If he fought Guo Kui tonight, even if he managed to repel him, he probably wouldn't have long to live.
From now on, perhaps only three Grade 3 Divine Ability Halls would remain in Qingyuan Ward.
Zhou Xuan's expression darkened as well. Casting a glance at Lin Changkong, he said with noticeable anger, “These Peach Mountain Bandits are audacious indeed!”
He was genuinely irritated. He had assumed the Peach Mountain Bandits would at least wait until the caravan left Qingyuan Ward's territory and entered no-man's-land before ambushing them.
Yet they had struck on the very first night.
They truly had no regard for him as the Ward Master.
“Alert the ward guards! Reinforce them immediately and wipe out the Peach Mountain Bandits!” Zhou Xuan ordered coldly.
“Yes, Sir!”
Zhou Fuling turned immediately and flew off, flapping her wings.
Lin Changkong held his wine cup, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Heading there now is already too late.
Rate on N.U.
