Black Eats Black!

A flash of Sword Light, thunder roaring.

In an instant, Zhao Xuhe's head was taken from his shoulders by the Sword Light. Yet before it could hit the ground, his body abruptly exploded, turning into bones scattered across the ground.

"Which fellow disciple was waiting here for Zhao?"

After the bones shattered, a stream of Yin Qi shot out. A hundred meters away, it re-formed into Zhao Xuhe's figure, his face still carrying traces of panic.

Yet before his words had faded, the Sword Light followed like a shadow.

Shhk—!

The next second, Zhao Xuhe's head soared into the air again, only to turn into bones filling the sky. The Yin Qi retreated another hundred meters and manifested his figure once more.

"I—"

Boom!

"You—"

Crack!

"Enough!"

Dozens of Sword Lights filled the space. Only after being cut down more than ten times in succession did Zhao Xuhe finally regroup and seize an opportunity to evade the Sword Lights.

Though it lasted only an instant, Zhao Xuhe grasped it with precision. With a sweep of his sleeve, blood-colored smoke and dust instantly surged forth, shielding his entire body at its center. He then swallowed several pills in succession to recover from his wounds and restore his True Qi before finally splitting his attention to scan every direction.

"Lu Yang, it's you!"

Zhao Xuhe's gaze was like blazing torches. At a glance, he recognized that the Sword Lights which had killed him more than ten times came from the Divine Firmament Sword Control Art, immediately exposing Lu Yang's identity.

Even so, shock churned endlessly in his heart.

He had personally experienced the power behind those Sword Lights. It was not something an Early Qi Refining Stage cultivator could achieve. In only a few days, Lu Yang had actually reached the Middle Qi Refining Stage.

"This man must have encountered some great opportunity!"

At that thought, Zhao Xuhe restrained his fury, his heart overflowing with delight. "Good, good, good! Today truly brings double happiness to my door. I'll take this opportunity for myself!"

Outside the Lost Track Formation, Lu Yang wore a grave expression.

"What a thorny problem..."

He believed his attacks had already been ruthless enough, yet Zhao Xuhe had still caught hold of a sliver of life. He had failed to kill him outright with a single chain of attacks.

Zhao Xuhe had even seen through his identity.

However, the Lost Track Formation currently muddled all eight directions. His true body was hidden in the darkness, while he only attacked from afar with his Flying Sword. If they truly fought, his side still held the greater chance of victory.

At the same time, Zhao Xuhe also discovered the Lost Track Formation surrounding him. Though it was merely a crude trapping formation that he could easily break with a little time to deduce it, Lu Yang was disrupting him from the side, and his True Qi was currently less than half of its peak. For the moment, he could do nothing about it.

At that thought, Zhao Xuhe's eyes shifted, and he suddenly spoke.

"Brother Lu, come to think of it, there is no real enmity between us."

"Go!"

When your enemy was sick, you took his life. Naturally, Lu Yang would not reminisce with Zhao Xuhe and give him a chance to heal and recover. He immediately formed a sword art seal and continued attacking.

"Tch! Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

Zhao Xuhe's gaze turned cold. He abandoned any thought of stalling for time, instead forming a spell seal and raising a golden iron Imperial Seal into the air.

This object was called the Primordial Magnetic Golden Seal. It could draw in all metal and iron beneath Heaven and was specially made to counter Flying Swords. It was Zhao Xuhe's secret treasure kept at the bottom of his chest, intended for use against Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion disciples when he later went to the battlefield of the Righteous-Demonic War. Yet he had brought it out early, intending to restrain Lu Yang's Sword Light.

"Freeze!"

Zhao Xuhe activated the treasure seal, precisely catching a Sword Light that was slashing toward him. With a single stamp, he instantly subdued the Sword Light, leaving it unable to move or shift.

Lu Yang's expression remained unchanged at the sight.

He was still at his peak, while Zhao Xuhe was at his lowest point. This tug-of-war that consumed True Qi instead favored him, so he was not panicked in the slightest.

"My greatest advantage right now is that I'm hidden in the dark. With the formation concealing me, Zhao Xuhe can't find my position. Even if he has some method to turn defeat into victory, as long as I don't show myself, it will still have nowhere to be used. If I keep wearing him down, I'll definitely be the one who wins."

Thus, Lu Yang made up his mind. I simply won't show myself.

The Flying Sword? He did not want it!

In any case, Zhao Xuhe would not be able to refine his Flying Sword anytime soon. He would also have to expend True Qi to suppress it. That was exactly what Lu Yang wanted to see—he wanted to see how long Zhao Xuhe could hold on!

Rumble, rumble!

Standing outside the formation, Lu Yang circulated his True Qi. A strand of dense White Qi drifted out from above his head, transforming into a hand seal several zhang wide that struck down through the air into the formation.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about this method. It was simply using force to crush the enemy.

Zhao Xuhe's face immediately darkened. He knew that Lu Yang had seen through his scheme.

"Dog bastard!"

Zhao Xuhe could not help cursing inwardly. Lu Yang was clearly also only at the Middle Qi Refining Stage, yet he was so cautious and careful. How was Zhao Xuhe supposed to turn defeat into victory?

Though he still had enough strength left to risk his life, even if he killed Lu Yang, he himself would find it difficult to survive. How could Zhao Xuhe, who had only just obtained such an opportunity, possibly accept that?

As his True Qi dwindled further and further, Zhao Xuhe finally could not restrain himself and shouted, "Brother Lu, do you know what opportunity I obtained on this Coiling Dragon Island? A Third Grade true cultivation method that points directly toward the Great Dao of the Golden Core! If Brother Lu stops now, Zhao is willing to share the cultivation method with you!"

"A Third Grade true cultivation method?"

Outside the Lost Track Formation, Lu Yang abruptly rose to his feet. True Qi had nine grades and thirty-six tiers. Below Seventh Grade, there was no road to Foundation Establishment; below Third Grade, there was no gate to the Golden Core.

And now, Zhao Xuhe had thrown out a cultivation method that could allow someone to cultivate Third-Rank True Qi and potentially attain the Golden Core in the future!

What an enormous opportunity!

"No, wait."

Lu Yang took a deep breath, suppressed his greed, and sat back down. "This man is offering great profit because he still wants to lure me out. The moment I go out, I'll fall into his trap."

"Well? Brother Lu, can we reconcile?"

Inside the Lost Track Formation, Zhao Xuhe still tried to persuade him, only for a voice to suddenly come from every direction. "Foolish. If I kill you, the cultivation method will be mine anyway!"

"Brother Lu, that is not so." Zhao Xuhe shook his head and smiled. "Opportunities are ordained by Heaven. This Third Grade true cultivation method is an opportunity Zhao exchanged with Merit only after cultivating bitterly through three lifetimes. It has no fate with Brother Lu. Even if you kill me, the cultivation method will only fly away and never fall into your hands."

"What?"

Lu Yang was stunned at first, then his expression became cloudy and uncertain. Opportunities were ordained by Heaven? He had no fate with the cultivation method, so even if he obtained it, it would automatically fly away?

But Lu Yang quickly came back to himself and sneered. "If that is the case, why should I reconcile with you for the sake of this cultivation method?"

Zhao Xuhe hurriedly explained, "Brother Lu originally has no fate with the cultivation method. But if I willingly share it with you, then no fate becomes fate."

"...Fine."

After a moment of silence, Lu Yang said, "Copy the cultivation method for me, and I'll let you out."

"Let's do that." Zhao Xuhe agreed decisively. He then took out a jade case and opened it himself, revealing the two volumes of Dao Books within.

"The upper volume, the Nine Transformations Dragon Art, is a cultivation method for the Qi Refining Realm. It can cultivate a strand of True Dragon Sha, allowing one's combat strength to stand among the best within the same realm. The lower volume, the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scroll, is a cultivation method for the Foundation Establishment Realm. It can cultivate the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Control Dao Foundation, offering hope for the Great Dao of the Golden Core in the future."

After introducing the cultivation methods, Zhao Xuhe suddenly changed the subject.

"However, Brother Lu, I am currently injured and my True Qi is weak. If I simply give you the cultivation methods like this, what if you turn your back on me and break your promise?"

"...That's simple."

Lu Yang's eyes shifted as he voluntarily proposed, "You can give me the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scroll first, while keeping the Nine Transformations Dragon Art for yourself."

"I'm only in the Qi Refining Realm right now. Even if I have a Foundation Establishment cultivation method, I can't cultivate it. You also won't need to worry that I'll turn my back on you and take your life." At this point, Lu Yang's face was filled with sincerity. "After I let you out, you can give me the Nine Transformations Dragon Art. How about it?"

Zhao Xuhe thought it over and found that Lu Yang's words made perfect sense.

"A promise is a promise!"

Zhao Xuhe took the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scroll from the jade case. Lu Yang still did not reveal himself, instead condensing a great hand of True Qi to seize it from afar.

At the sight, Zhao Xuhe could only sigh inwardly, suppressing his final stray thought as he obediently handed the cultivation method to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang received the cultivation method and memorized it word by word, sentence by sentence. Then he bared his teeth in a smile.

"Goodbye!"

The next second, Lu Yang sank his Qi into his dantian and directly activated the Life-Killing Curse, detonating it without hesitation!

Boom!

A moment later, the smoke and dust filling the sky dispersed, revealing Zhao Xuhe's face, written all over with bewilderment.

"My cultivation method... is gone?"

Why had he self-destructed?

Fine, he self-destructed—but why not sooner or later? Why wait until after taking the cultivation method to self-destruct? Even he himself had not had time to read it yet!

"Lu Yang."

Zhao Xuhe stood in the wind, staring at the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scroll that had already turned to ash. As he repeated Lu Yang's name, his expression gradually twisted.

"You beast!"