In the darkness, scattered sparks suddenly transformed into a dense rain of sword qi.
Every strand of sword qi blossomed with firelight and radiated a fierce sharpness before roaring away!
Su Xin, whose cultivation was at the first level of the Primal Energy Realm, and his similarly cultivated companion had originally attacked Xia Wuji at the same time. But when the Flame Sword Qi appeared, utterly panicked expressions immediately surfaced on their faces.
How could they dare attack any longer?
They hurriedly halted their forward momentum. One wielded a saber, while the other brandished a sword, unleashing defensive techniques in an attempt to withstand Xia Wuji's Flame Sword Qi.
But their defenses were nothing more than paper tigers, utterly meaningless. In an instant, the two men let out miserable wails as strand after strand of Flame Sword Qi pierced through their bodies!
Yet the Flame Sword Qi did not lose its momentum. Under Xia Wuji's spreading mental power, it suddenly changed direction and shot toward the remaining Sea of Qi Realm martial artists.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
The sword qi howled, and blood sprayed.
In the blink of an eye, no one remained standing in the area. Aside from Su Xin, everyone else had perished.
"Xia... Xia Wuji..."
"What... what cultivation are you really at?"
"Don't kill me... please..."
Lying on the ground covered in blood, Su Xin struggled to raise his head. He looked at Xia Wuji, who was roasting meat beside the fire, his face filled with pain and his heart overwhelmed by endless terror.
So... Xia Wuji was this powerful!
Xia Wuji ignored Su Xin. He merely tore off a roasted rabbit leg and ate it unhurriedly. Only afterward did he rise and walk over to Su Xin.
He raised one foot and stepped on Su Xin's head.
"Bang!"
Su Xin's head slammed heavily into the ground and sank into the earth.
Xia Wuji lifted his foot and said coldly, "Do you know why I didn't kill you?"
Su Xin said, "I know... I know... I know I was wrong. I apologize to you. As long as you let me go... I guarantee I'll never provoke you again. Besides, I'll definitely offer something that satisfies you to redeem my life..."
Xia Wuji sneered and said, "I spared your life neither to hear your apology nor to get something from the Su Household. Tell me honestly—where is Chu Jue?"
That Twelfth Prince of the Great Chu Dynasty, Chu Jue, had caused trouble again and again, and had even announced a bounty for Xia Wuji.
Naturally, Xia Wuji would not sit around waiting for trouble to come knocking again.
He wanted to seize the initiative for himself!
"The Twelfth Prince has a treasure that can lock onto the location of the Rock-Swallowing Behemoths. He's currently taking my brother and the others to hunt one..."
"They've already found a Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth..."
Su Xin did not dare conceal anything. Under the threat of death, he honestly told Xia Wuji everything he knew.
"Xia Wuji..."
"Young Master Xia, Brother Xia... Lord Xia... I've told you everything. Please, show mercy and spare me..." Su Xin sobbed bitterly, tears and mucus streaming down his face.
Xia Wuji sneered and said, "But did I ever say I would let you go?"
As his voice fell, he stepped down and crushed Su Xin to death.
From among the corpses, Xia Wuji found four Yuan Crystals and a number of pills. After putting them all into his Storage Ring, he released flames and burned the bodies, erasing all traces.
Immediately afterward, he set off with mysterious footwork and departed at tremendous speed.
The sky was gradually brightening.
Within the secret realm, in an area covered with jagged, grotesque rocks.
The Twelfth Prince, Chu Jue, Su Guang of the Su Household, and several scions of influential families at the Primal Energy Realm had gathered there.
"Reporting to the Twelfth Prince, everything is ready. We can make our move." Su Guang came before Chu Jue and clasped his hands.
Chu Jue, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed while circulating his energy, slowly opened his eyes and said, "There's still no news of that Xia Wuji?"
At the mention of those three words, Xia Wuji, Chu Jue's gaze turned icy cold, and dense killing intent spread from his body.
Su Guang said, "Please rest assured, Twelfth Prince. You've already issued a bounty. No matter how cunning Xia Wuji is, it won't help him. Within this secret realm, he has nowhere to go above and no path to descend below. His falling into your hands is merely a matter of time."
"For now, we should deal with that Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth first."
The other scions of influential families nodded one after another.
Chu Jue hummed and said, "You can rest assured as well. Follow this Imperial Prince to hunt the Rock-Swallowing Behemoth, and you won't be treated unfairly. I guarantee every one of you will enter the top ten and successfully pass this assessment."
As he spoke, Chu Jue rose and looked into the distance. "This Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth is equivalent to a tenth-level Primal Energy Realm martial artist. When we attack later, be careful and act according to the plan!"
"Yes!"
"Attack!" Chu Jue gave the order.
A look of deep anticipation surfaced on his face.
Hunting a One-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth yielded only two points; a Two-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth yielded merely ten points. But a Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth yielded a full hundred points!
At that moment, Su Guang, whose cultivation was at the third level of the Primal Energy Realm, immediately rushed out. After charging forward for some distance, he suddenly leaped into the air. An ultimate-grade treasured sword left its sheath, sword light burst forth, and he slashed viciously at the ground!
The ground split open beneath his sword, forming a crack.
"Roar!"
An enraged roar came from beneath the earth.
Immediately afterward, an enormous stone arm, like a mountain peak suddenly erupting from underground, swung toward Su Guang.
"Gale Talisman!"
In the distance, a woman at the second level of the Primal Energy Realm gave a soft shout. She formed hand seals with both hands and shot out a talisman. The talisman blossomed with light in midair, then transformed into a gale and swept away.
Just as Su Guang was about to be struck, the gale strengthened him. His body instantly shifted sideways through the air, successfully dodging the blow. He then landed and charged toward the Twelfth Prince, Chu Jue.
"Roar!"
The enraged roar rang out again, shaking heaven and earth. The ten-zhang-tall Rock-Swallowing Behemoth suddenly rose from the ground!
Within its enormous stone head were three eyes. One was a vertical eye, and gray, hazy light filled it.
A beam of gray light shot from the vertical eye and blasted toward Su Guang.
The Gale Talisman was still empowering Su Guang. He narrowly dodged the gray light, which struck the ground. In an instant, the ground actually congealed into a thick layer of stone hide, covering an area several dozen zhang in every direction!
This was what made the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth so formidable. Not only did it possess boundless strength and outrageously powerful defenses, but the light from its third, vertical eye also possessed the ability to petrify.
Su Guang's entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Under the stimulation of this immense danger, his speed surged another notch.
The ten-zhang-tall Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth pursued Su Guang madly.
Suddenly.
"Boom!"
"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"
Violent explosions erupted around the Rock-Swallowing Behemoth.
Chu Jue and the others detonated the treasures they had buried in advance throughout the area, directly blasting the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth onto its back. Many of the hard stones covering its body shattered.
"Go!" Chu Jue issued the command.
Everyone rushed out at once and unleashed all manner of powerful techniques. Taking advantage of the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth's fall, they bombarded it in a wild frenzy!
For a time, thunderous booms rang throughout heaven and earth, explosions following one after another.
"Roar!"
The Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth let out a tremendous roar. Enduring the immense pressure, it rose to its feet again. Its arms swept horizontally, while its vertical eye fired beams of gray light. Frightened, the scions of influential families from the Great Chu Dynasty hurriedly retreated and returned to Chu Jue's side.
Chu Jue snorted coldly and formed hand seals with both hands. A circular ring instantly flew out. This ring was a low-grade first-rank spiritual artifact. It expanded in midair before descending and encircling the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth.
The ring tightened!
The Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth's two arms and body were restrained and squeezed, shattering continuously!
"Congratulations, Twelfth Prince, on successfully hunting the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth!" Su Guang and the others immediately shouted. They stopped attacking and congratulated Chu Jue one after another.
According to the rules, whoever completed the final kill would receive the points.
A brilliant smile appeared on Chu Jue's face. He then drew a saber, which was likewise a low-grade first-rank spiritual artifact.
Next, he needed only one slash to obtain a hundred points!
But at that very moment, a figure swept over in an instant and actually landed directly on the head of the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth!
It was Xia Wuji, who had arrived!
He thrust his sword straight in!
The blade pierced into the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth's head!
Sword essence burst forth!
The Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth's head shattered completely!
Chu Jue and the group of influential scions stared at this scene, first stunned. Then, boundless fury erupted in every one of their hearts!
They had painstakingly schemed and risked their lives, only to make wedding clothes for someone else!
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