Chapter 110: Beheading Qu Zhang

With a casual flick, he produced a yellow talisman radiating malevolent energy. Infused with spiritual power, it transformed into several massive, sinister serpents that lunged toward Ling Chi with gaping maws.

Zhu’e let out a crisp blade-song, whipping up a searing wave of air as it slashed into Lin Xiao. Despite the protection of his spiritual talisman, he was sent flying backward by the sheer force of the blow.

Ling Chi’s massive frame shuddered, and his Extreme Yang energy crushed the serpents, dissolving them into nothingness.

Wielding Zhu’e with both hands, he swung it in a wide arc, sending a dazzling rainbow light crashing into Lin Xiao. This was followed immediately by a second, a third, and countless more flashes of light.

Protected by a shimmering radiance, Lin Xiao had begun spitting blood from the third strike onward. Now, his light grew dim, and he was on the verge of collapse.

"Useless trash. Wei Ming, go help him. I have my baleful corpse to guard me."

At Qu Zhang’s command, he struck the black coffin behind him, causing it to explode. A dark, baleful corpse, seven or eight feet tall and possessing the strength of the eighth level of the Qi Sea Realm, emerged at his side.

Wei Ming cast a glance at his uncle in the blood pool, then leaped into the air, driving a fist toward the back of Ling Chi’s head.

[Yang Thunder Undying Body]

Ling Chi instantly transformed into a purple-gold figure, his crimson blade-light continuing to hack away at Lin Xiao.

"Clang!"

Wei Ming’s fist connected with the back of Ling Chi’s head, producing a sound like metal striking metal. Wei Ming was sent flying back by the recoil, forced to watch helplessly as Ling Chi’s blade-light descended upon Lin Xiao.

"What an incredibly powerful physique," Wei Ming sighed inwardly.

The blade fell with heavy, crushing force, imbued with the power of the Extreme Yang.

Lin Xiao’s protective talisman shattered upon the first strike, and dozens of blade-lights vied to carve into his body. A dense series of wet, tearing sounds filled the air as the blade sank into flesh.

In an instant, Lin Xiao was minced into a pulp, and four or five hundred strands of thunderous spiritual energy flowed back into Ling Chi.

Ling Chi whipped his head around to stare at Wei Ming.

A fierce tiger turning its head strikes terror into all beasts; Wei Ming felt a chill run through his heart as he met Ling Chi’s crimson gaze.

"You want to play with fisticuffs? I’ll oblige you."

[Fierce Tiger Climbs the Mountain]

Ling Chi clenched his fists, slamming them into Wei Ming’s face like white-hot steel ingots.

Wei Ming scrambled to his feet, throwing his own fists in defense. Ling Chi flicked his feet, closing the distance and engaging in brutal, close-quarters combat.

Ignoring the blows Wei Ming landed on his chest and abdomen, Ling Chi drove his crimson fists into Wei Ming’s face.

In a flurry of three strikes, Wei Ming’s eye socket exploded, one eye utterly crushed by Ling Chi’s raw power.

As Wei Ming let out a wretched howl, Ling Chi pressed his advantage.

[King of Hell’s Triple Strike]

His iron fists rained down like a torrential storm, striking Wei Ming’s body and face countless times until six hundred strands of spiritual energy flowed back to him, at which point he finally stopped.

Wei Ming lay on the ground, beaten into a heap of flesh. Were it not for the fact that he needed to keep him alive to settle their business, he would have been unrecognizable.

Ling Chi wiped the blood from his hands, stretched with his arms crossed, and looked toward Qu Zhang.

"You old goat, it’s just you left now."

Qu Zhang was filled with shock and rage; even if he had acted personally, he could not have dispatched those two so quickly.

Ling Chi’s left eye condensed Extreme Yang energy, while his right eye churned with thunderous plasma.

Qu Zhang and the baleful corpse were formidable foes, and he knew he had to unleash his full power to have any chance of victory.

"Face the wrath of heaven, you old wretch."

Dozens of thunder pillars, each as thick as a barrel and wreathed in Extreme Yang energy, slammed toward Qu Zhang.

"How dare you ruin my work! I’ll have your life!"

Forced to interrupt his corpse-refining, Qu Zhang bit his fingertip and tapped it against the center of the baleful corpse’s brow. Together, they unleashed a towering surge of baleful energy to meet the thunder.

The black and red baleful aura collided with the thunder-spheres, the shockwave instantly collapsing half of the mountain cave.

Ling Chi leaped into the air.

[Thunder Flash]

Surging with endless thunder, Ling Chi moved with near-teleporting speed, drawing his blade to strike at Qu Zhang. The already crimson blade became blindingly brilliant.

[Overlord Cleaves the Mountain]

Accompanied by a roar, Ling Chi gripped his Zanmadao with both hands and brought it down upon the dual layers of black and red baleful energy.

A thunderous boom resonated through the cavern, rattling Qu Zhang’s spirit.

[Heng] [Ha]

Two mist-dragons—one gold, one crimson—surged forward, slamming into Qu Zhang’s soul with the force of an air blast.

"It’s you? The little brat from Willow Town who used thunder arts to kill my baleful corpse?"

"Your cultivation... it has already reached the sixth level of the Qi Sea Realm!"

Qu Zhang recognized the Heng and Ha energies, his voice filled with disbelief. He had lived for nearly a hundred years and had never seen anything so absurd as a boy who was at the Pulse Opening Realm a few months ago now possessing the combat power of a late-stage Qi Sea expert.

"What heavenly treasures have you devoured to advance your cultivation so rapidly?" Qu Zhang couldn't help but ask.

Ling Chi didn't answer, burying his head and launching a ferocious assault.

Qu Zhang and the corpse fought to defend against the Extreme Yang thunder while launching pincer attacks from both sides.

Ling Chi twisted his waist and stepped back, his Zanmadao leaving afterimages as the three figures clashed in a chaotic blur.

The baleful corpse swung its dark, razor-sharp claws, occasionally leaving long gashes on Ling Chi’s body, the wounds immediately tainted with black corpse poison.

Countless tiny arcs of lightning and Extreme Yang energy battled the poison within the wounds, sending plumes of black smoke into the air as the toxin was gradually purged.

Ling Chi ignored the pain. Each strike against the corpse felt like hacking into iron, the recoil numbing his arms and splitting the webs of his hands.

Qu Zhang, wielding an iron cane, kept sneaking in strikes that were becoming increasingly irritating. Ling Chi realized the old man was using the corpse to drain his spiritual energy and stamina.

"Hmph, I can fight you for days on end. I might as well play along and lure you into a trap, you old goat."

Ling Chi thought to himself with a sinister smile.

His movements grew faster, the blade-light merging into a single sheet, clanging incessantly against the corpse.

"Roar!"

The corpse, its attacks constantly interrupted by the blade-light, let out a frustrated, angry roar.

Recalling an old technique from Willow Town, Ling Chi acted with lightning reflexes, spitting a beam of crimson light from his mouth.

As the Extreme Yang energy entered the corpse, a series of rumbles erupted from within it. Dark, baleful energy poured out from its mouth and eyes, a truly gruesome sight.

[Eight Extremities, Quake Step]

With his right foot wreathed in thunder, he stomped onto the corpse's chest.

"Roar!"

The corpse’s chest collapsed with a hiss, spewing baleful energy.

The crimson Zhu’e pierced straight into its mouth, pinning it to the ground, immobile.

Endless thunder surged through the blade. The corpse struggled desperately, its movements growing weaker and weaker until, finally, it lay perfectly still.

Eight hundred strands of thunderous spiritual energy flowed back into him, and the thunder-crystal within his body grew even more robust.

Suddenly, the sound of air being pierced came from behind. Too late to dodge, Ling Chi could only twist to protect his vital organs.

"Clang!"

Taking advantage of Ling Chi’s distraction, Qu Zhang slammed his iron cane into his shoulder blade, shattering it instantly.

But the look of pain Qu Zhang expected did not appear on Ling Chi’s face; instead, he wore a look of arrogant triumph.

The corpse had been pinned and killed in an instant, leaving Qu Zhang unable to intervene in time.

"This brat’s reaction time is incredible. His grasp of the battlefield is simply absurd."

Qu Zhang swung his iron cane repeatedly, hoping to suppress Ling Chi while he was unarmed.

To his surprise, Ling Chi advanced instead of retreating, a savage grin on his face as he charged forward, bare-handed.

"I’m going to beat you to death with my own two hands, you old thing."

Ling Chi rarely spoke during a fight, but he couldn't help himself now; the thought of beating a centenarian to death was simply exhilarating.

He clenched his iron fists, his fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.

[Eight Extremities, Lion Opens Its Mouth]

Cloaked in thunder, Ling Chi suddenly reached out and seized the iron cane.

Leaning back slightly with his left leg supporting his body, he shot his right foot out like a cannonball, slamming it squarely into the center of Qu Zhang’s chest.

Qu Zhang’s iron-hard body was sent flying back like a lightning bolt.

[Thunder Flash]

Before he could even hit the ground, Ling Chi caught him by the throat.