The attack had come far too suddenly. Even if an early or mid-stage Ghost Lord cultivator had known beforehand that such a powerful and swift strike was coming, at such close range, dodging it would have been utterly impossible.
The attack was not only powerful but astonishingly fast. The instant its radiance flashed through the mountain forest, it had already arrived before Qin Fengming, with virtually no time lost in between.
"Pfft!" The abrupt sound of flesh bursting rang out across the scene.
Along with the explosive sound, a mass of bloody light flashed into being, followed by a shrill, agonized howl. Then a figure flickered and shot backward into the distance.
"Hmph. I never expected this humble one to fail to kill you with a single strike."
The trees swayed, and an extremely unsteady figure appeared in midair. It was none other than the middle-aged cultivator surnamed Xi, who had just taken Qin Fengming's blow and fallen into the mountain forest.
At that moment, the middle-aged cultivator surnamed Xi's left arm hung limp, completely devoid of strength. Black radiance flickered over his body, and a treasure garment gleaming with dark light appeared. It turned out that the reason he had emerged unscathed from Qin Fengming's attack was this protective treasure garment.
Qin Fengming's appearance had also changed drastically.
A bloody, mangled hole had appeared in his left shoulder, and his body was covered in bloodstains. His expression was hideously ferocious, while a cold light flashed incessantly in his eyes. He glared furiously at the middle-aged cultivator who had appeared before him, his teeth grinding audibly.
Although he appeared to be suffering severe injuries, the true situation was quite different.
With Qin Fengming's discernment, he had instantly realized that the opponent's attack had certainly been sealed within him by his