Chapter 236 - 232: Each Side’s Calculations
Chapter 236: Chapter 232: Each Side’s Calculations
Peak of the Martial Arts Eighth Layer... Early Martial Arts Ninth Layer... Middle Martial Arts Ninth Layer...
Late Martial Arts Ninth Layer...
The Daluo Evil Skill was incomparably tyrannical, devouring with abandon.
Cao Bohao lived up to his reputation as a top expert on the Wind and Cloud List; his cultivation was vast and profound. After Ye Xing devoured a mere fifty to sixty percent of it, his own cultivation soared directly to the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. True Qi flooded his meridians, reaching a saturation point.
"Ah, my cultivation... Why has my cultivation fallen back to the Eighth Realm...? You damn brat... I’m going to kill you..."
Cao Bohao roared with terror and resentment in his eyes.
"Heh, plenty of people have wanted to kill me. You don’t even qualify!" A cold smirk played on Ye Xing’s lips as his five fingers, clamped on the top of Cao Bohao’s skull, suddenly twisted.
CRACK!
With a sharp crack, Cao Bohao’s head twisted around at an unnatural angle to face his back. Ye Xing had snapped his neck, extinguishing his life. The body fell to the ground with a THUD, completely dead.
In the martial world, the strong prey on the weak. Ye Xing had always been ruthless and decisive with his enemies. Mercy would only bring disaster upon himself later.
’There’s still about half of Cao Bohao’s Power left undevoured. A shame my cultivation has already reached the Peak of the Ninth Realm; I can’t advance any further,’ Ye Xing thought with a hint of regret.
After devouring Cao Bohao’s True Qi, Ye Xing’s cultivation had soared from the Eighth Realm to the Peak of the Ninth Realm, reaching the very limit of the Postnatal Realm. He could advance no further. The next step was the Innate Realm, but breaking through to it couldn’t be achieved simply by devouring True Qi. The greatest difference between the Innate and Postnatal Realms was that Innate Realm Martial Artists possessed a Dantian capable of storing Innate True Essence. Postnatal Realm Martial Artists, on the other hand, had not yet opened their Dantian, and their True Qi was still stored within their meridians.
For a Postnatal Realm Martial Artist to break through to the Innate Realm, they had to refine their True Qi, condensing it until it was incomparably pure. Only then could they break through the Qi Sea Acupoint in their lower abdomen and open their Dantian in one fell swoop.
Thus, Martial Artists from the Martial Arts Seventh Realm to the Martial Arts Ninth Layer were all referred to as being in the Qi Condensation Stage, signifying that this phase was focused on refining True Qi. One must understand that the power difference between chaotic and pure True Qi is enormous. Chaotic True Qi is like a lazy, undisciplined army, while pure True Qi is like a battle-hardened, elite force that conquers all in its path. Therefore, if one’s True Qi wasn’t refined enough, it was impossible to break through the Qi Sea Acupoint. Only pure, refined True Qi could do so, opening the Dantian and allowing one to form Innate True Essence.
’That Liu Liqun is treacherous. Gao Zhisong is probably in danger!’ Ye Xing’s eyes flickered. He glanced at his phone screen, then quickly shut it off.
Activating the Thousand-Faced Disguise Skill, Ye Xing’s face and even his aura began to change. Moments later, he had transformed into the spitting image of the Liu Family Grand Elder, Liu Lihong. From his facial features to his aura, he was a perfect match, without the slightest flaw.
The Thousand-Faced Disguise Skill was the signature technique of the Innate Realm expert Hu Yinjiu, an extraordinary auxiliary art. With it, one could roam the martial world without fear, no matter how many enemies they made. When it was time to leave, all one had to do was change their face and slip into a crowd. Lost in the vast sea of people, even the most powerful enemy would be helpless to find them.
After taking on the appearance of the Liu Family Grand Elder, Liu Lihong, Ye Xing took a set of the man’s clothes from his Qiankun Bag and changed into them.
After all, Ye Xing’s own azure robes were a potential giveaway. A sufficiently observant person might become suspicious. Only by changing into Liu Lihong’s clothes could he make the disguise seamless and reduce the chances of being doubted.
Once everything was ready, Ye Xing executed his Lightweight Skill and sped toward one of the stone chambers.
...
Meanwhile, in another stone chamber.
CLANG! PING! PANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three people were locked in a fierce battle. On one side was Gao Zhisong, wielder of the Seven-Snake Centipede Whip. On the other were the Liu Family Head, Liu Liqun, and the Cao Family Elder, Cao Weiyuan.
Liu Liqun and Cao Weiyuan were ganging up on Gao Zhisong, attacking him from both sides.
Gao Zhisong had previously fought a fierce battle of three hundred rounds against the Cao Family Master, Cao Bohao. His True Qi was severely depleted, and he had suffered a serious internal injury. Now, besieged by Liu Liqun and Cao Weiyuan, he was at a complete disadvantage. He could only do his best to defend himself as his internal injury worsened.
During the earlier battle between the Cao and Liu Families, Gao Zhisong, ranked seventy-ninth on the Wind and Cloud List, had fought against Cao Bohao, ranked seventy-first. Their strengths were not far apart, though Gao Zhisong was a slight notch below. Cao Bohao’s attacks were incredibly ferocious, and even though Gao Zhisong tried to conserve his strength by staying on the defensive, it was of little use. After three hundred rounds of intense fighting, Cao Bohao’s True Qi was severely depleted, and Gao Zhisong had likewise exhausted himself and even sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, Liu Liqun and Cao Weiyuan had only been feigning their own fight. On the surface, they appeared locked in a life-or-death struggle, but in reality, they were both preserving their strength. Liu Liqun held Cao Weiyuan as a hidden pawn, refusing to play him, instead letting Gao Zhisong take the full force of Cao Bohao’s attacks. Only when both Gao Zhisong and Cao Bohao were severely injured did he finally reveal his hidden piece. In the end, Cao Bohao was poisoned and left for dead, while Gao Zhisong was wounded and his Primordial Qi greatly diminished. It could be said that everything had gone according to his plan.
"Brother Liu, why must you press me so relentlessly? Just take the Qiankun Bag! Why are you so insistent on killing me!" Gao Zhisong shouted, swinging his Seven-Snake Centipede Whip as he desperately blocked the attacks from Liu Liqun and Cao Weiyuan.
Cao Weiyuan’s cultivation was at the Late Stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. While not a top expert on the Wind and Cloud List, he wasn’t far from it. If the list had two hundred spots instead of one hundred and eight, his strength would probably place him somewhere around the one hundred and eightieth or ninetieth rank.
As for Liu Liqun, on the surface, he was near the bottom of the Wind and Cloud List, ranked one hundred and sixth. But after clashing with him, Gao Zhisong realized Liu Liqun had been hiding his true strength. He was powerful enough to rank somewhere in the eighties on the list, only slightly weaker than Gao Zhisong in his prime.
"Brother Gao, that’s where you’re wrong. Unlike Cao Bohao, your injuries aren’t fatal. Give you a few hours, and you’ll recover eighty or ninety percent of your strength. If I don’t eliminate you now, I’ll have a real headache when you come back to snatch the treasure," Liu Liqun said with a chuckle, though a terrifying killing intent lurked in his narrowed eyes.
CLANG! DANG! DANG! DANG!
CLASH! PING! PANG!
Liu Liqun’s Sword Skill was cunning and vicious, coiling around his opponent like a venomous snake. Cao Weiyuan’s Saber Skill, by contrast, was all wide, powerful, and heavy swings. Gao Zhisong was barely surviving their combined assault. His right leg had already taken two hits from Liu Liqun’s sword, and blood streamed down, soaking his pants.
The battle was raging intensely when, suddenly—
The sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor outside. Judging by the sound, someone was running toward the chamber at high speed.