Radiant Moon Qi!

"Whoosh!"

Two burly men swung their thick arms and fists, launching a fierce assault on Tang Jie. Each punch carried a force as heavy as a thousand jun, forcing Tang Jie to retreat and dodge.

"Hahaha! Tie Yi and Tie Er are Corpse Puppets I refined. Before becoming my Corpse Puppets, they were top-tier first-rate martial artists. After becoming Corpse Puppets, they gained immense strength and their bones became as hard as refined steel. With the abilities of you martial artists, you can't even wound them! But don't worry, I'll refine you into a Corpse Puppet later. You'll definitely become even stronger than them!"

Seeing Tang Jie repeatedly forced to dodge by Tie Yi and Tie Er, the old man in the black robe burst into laughter.

This was the difference between martial artists and immortal cultivators!

In the martial arts arena, no martial artist could withstand a single saber strike from Tang Jie. Yet now, the two Corpse Puppets of the old man in the black robe had Tang Jie suppressed by their combined might!

"This guy... wants to refine me into a puppet like them?" Tang Jie's heart chilled upon hearing the old man's words.

Tie Yi and Tie Er before him were once first-rate martial artists like himself, but the result was that they were refined into zombie-like puppets by this old man in the black robe. The reason the old man targeted him was simple: he wanted to refine him into a Corpse Puppet as well!

Refining Corpse Puppets was considered a dark and heretical path in the cultivation world. The stronger the person was in life, the greater their strength and potential would be after being refined into a Corpse Puppet.

The old man in the black robe had seen Tang Jie's astonishing strength in the martial arts arena and was naturally eager to seize the opportunity. He had never encountered such a powerful martial artist before. If he could refine such a martial artist into a Corpse Puppet, he would gain a loyal subordinate and puppet!

Therefore, the old man in the black robe had waited outside the martial arts arena beforehand, identified Tang Jie as the so-called Bull Demon King, and appeared to intercept him on his way back!

"Clang, clang, clang!"

Facing the pincer attack of the two Corpse Puppets, Tang Jie continuously dodged and counterattacked. However, his normally invincible Iron Cutting Saber could only now tear through their thick armor and skin, failing to inflict fatal damage!

If he couldn't even break their defenses, how could he possibly defeat them?

Corpse Puppets were creatures of immense strength, bodies as hard as steel, fearless of death, and extremely troublesome.

Fortunately, although these two Corpse Puppets possessed great strength, they were, after all, puppet-like beings and lacked the martial arts skills from their previous lives. They fought based on instinct, their moves were crude and straightforward, lacking variation. Otherwise, Tang Jie would certainly not have been able to hold on for long under their combined assault.

However, Tang Jie felt no joy. The old man in the black robe in the distance had not yet made a move. If his attacks were added, Tang Jie would surely die!

"Tsk tsk... to be able to last this long under the combined attacks of my two Corpse Puppets, you are indeed a rare and powerful martial artist in this world. Die obediently! Become a Corpse Puppet and serve me for eternity!"

The old man in the black robe said coldly. The reason he hadn't used the extremely powerful fireball technique just now was to ensure Tang Jie's corpse remained intact. Otherwise, if he were missing limbs, his combat power would be greatly weakened after being refined into a Corpse Puppet.

"I'll use my Profound Nether Cone!"

A sinister smile appeared on the corner of the old man's mouth. Even against a first-rate martial artist, his two Corpse Puppets could finish the job quickly. However, Tang Jie's strength far surpassed that of an ordinary first-rate martial artist, so he decided to use his true abilities!

"Whoosh!"

The old man in the black robe flicked his sleeve, and from within his sleeve, a streak of black light shot towards Tang Jie at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.

"Clang!"

Almost instinctively, Tang Jie unleashed a lightning-fast saber strike. The half-broken blade in his hand collided with the streak of black light.

With a crisp ringing sound, the streak of black light was knocked away. Simultaneously, a powerful force transmitted through it, causing Tang Jie's arm to go slightly numb.

"Is this... a magic treasure?"

Tang Jie saw that the black streak of light that was knocked away was a sharp, pointed cone about a foot long. He was somewhat horrified because, after the collision, a notch had appeared on the edge of the half-broken blade in his hand!

Magic treasures were treasures crafted by immortal cultivators using precious materials. Their power far surpassed that of ordinary swords and sabers. Tang Jie's saber had only collided with it once, and a large chunk of its blade had shattered!

"Let's see how many hits you can take!"

The old man in the black robe chuckled, like a cat playing with a mouse. The black Profound Nether Cone hovered above the old man's head, guided by an invisible force, as agile as if it had a life of its own.

"No, I definitely can't withstand many more!"

Cold sweat beaded on Tang Jie's forehead. Facing the combined assault of the two Corpse Puppets and the attacks of the Profound Nether Cone controlled by the old man in the black robe, Tang Jie knew clearly that he couldn't hold on for much longer. Any slight lapse in concentration would mean his death.

"Is this what an immortal cultivator is like? This old man in the black robe might not be a major figure in the cultivation world, but he has pushed me to this point!"

Tang Jie's heart was heavy. The gap between martial artists and immortal cultivators was simply too vast. Any random immortal cultivator was a formidable enemy for even the top martial artists!

"In that case... I have no choice but to go all out!"

Tang Jie gritted his teeth, a fierce look in his eyes. He had to take a gamble; if he didn't fight desperately now, he wouldn't have another chance!

"Roar!"

A low growl erupted from Tang Jie's throat. A silver radiance bloomed from his body – Boyhood Art. Bright Moon Art!

The profound internal energy from the fourth layer of the Boyhood Art erupted. The surging internal energy vibrated the bodies of the two Corpse Puppets, forcing them to tremble. Tang Jie seized this opportunity, leaving behind an afterimage as he lunged straight towards the old man in the black robe.

Engaging with these two Corpse Puppets was meaningless. With Tang Jie's abilities, he couldn't inflict fatal damage on them. Only by killing the old man in the black robe who controlled them did he have a sliver of hope for survival!

"Too naive..."

A disdainful curve appeared on the corner of the old man's mouth.

"Profound Nether Cone, go!"

The old man's magic power controlled the Profound Nether Cone. At this moment, the Profound Nether Cone moved through the air at nearly twice the speed of its first appearance, transforming into a black lightning bolt that shot directly towards Tang Jie's heart.

This lightning-fast strike had surpassed the limit of what Tang Jie could track, but he didn't dodge. His eyes blazed with sharp light, as if transforming into a silver moon.

Bright Moon Art. Radiant Moon Qi!

The True Qi of the Boyhood Art within Tang Jie condensed and condensed. On his body's surface, a dazzling silver Qi aura formed, like a layer of armor. Under the full activation of the Boyhood Art, with True Qi infused, Tang Jie's muscles also hardened like refined steel!

The fourth layer of the Boyhood Art could condense internal energy into the indestructible Radiant Moon Qi, capable of both offense and defense! It was impervious to blades and spears!

"Puff!"

Tang Jie felt a sharp pain in his chest as the pitch-black Profound Nether Cone blasted into his sternum. The solidified Radiant Moon Qi was torn apart, piercing his muscles and driving forward. Tang Jie forcefully clenched his muscles!

A wave of pain and chilling energy surged through Tang Jie's entire body, almost causing him to faint instantly. But Tang Jie bit his tongue fiercely, using the stinging pain to keep his mind clear.

"I... how can I die here! Radiant Moon Qi! Kill him for me!"

Tang Jie's eyes turned red. He roared, blood gushing from his chest. The half-broken blade in his hand slashed forward desperately.

"Fool... your saber is too short!"

The old man in the black robe chuckled. Tang Jie's Iron Cutting Saber was only half of its original length. This slash was still more than a foot away from his neck, unable to reach him at all!

But the old man in the black robe's expression immediately changed. He saw silver qi erupting from the broken blade of Tang Jie's saber. The silver qi was as sharp as a blade, attaching itself to the broken edge and extending nearly two feet long!

"No... bad!"

The old man in the black robe shouted inwardly. He wanted to retreat and dodge, but it was already too late.

"Pfft!"

The sound of flesh tearing echoed through the air, and blood spurted like a fountain. The old man in the black robe felt a sensation of his head becoming light and his feet heavy. He saw a hunched figure in front of him, headless, with blood still gushing from its severed neck!

"Is that... me?"

The old man in the black robe was bewildered. Then, a head heavily impacted the ground, and he lost consciousness.