Chaotic Battle

"Damn!"

Zhang Yunhao harbored no illusions. He was indeed a skilled fighter, but there was no way he could take on so many experts. He immediately raised his hand, intending to throw the pearl to someone else.

Though Zhang Yunhao was extremely decisive, before he could throw it, a fierce whistle of air came from behind him. Then, two palms carrying different forces struck his back at the same time.

One belonged to Iron Bull Zhang Tong. This man, who had always seemed so trustworthy, was the first to use his Great Strength Palm to launch a Sneak Attack on Zhang Yunhao.

The other palm came without a sound—it was Ouyang Xing's Cotton Palm. He had endured for a long time. Though he feared Zhang Yunhao and was still poisoned, he still made his move at the first opportunity!

Because Zhang Yunhao held the Blood Origin Pearl!

Zhang Yunhao screamed and flew out like a kite with its string cut, crashing to the ground. Blood gushed wildly from his mouth as if it cost nothing. His gaze gradually dimmed, his breath grew weaker and weaker, and the Blood Origin Pearl slipped from his right hand and rolled to one side.

"The Blood Origin Pearl!"

No one paid Zhang Yunhao any more attention. Everyone lunged madly toward the Blood Origin Pearl. As for Zhang Yunhao, after suffering two devastating blows, he was surely dead! Besides, his breath truly had vanished!

What followed was a merciless free-for-all!

To seize the Blood Origin Pearl, even those who usually wore masks of righteousness went mad, tearing away every disguise and paying any price to claim the pearl!

The first to obtain the pearl was Dragon Subduing Master. His strength ranked among the top five present, but before he could burst into laughter, his junior brother, Tiger Subduing Master, Sneak Attacked him and gravely wounded him.

Before the Blood Origin Pearl, even blood brothers could turn against each other—what were mere fellow disciples? Yet Tiger Subduing Master did not gloat for long. The moment he obtained the pearl, several First-rate Experts besieged him. He was soon beaten to death.

The Blood Origin Pearl then changed hands again and again. Every exchange left someone dead or seriously wounded. No one could hold the Blood Origin Pearl for long, but no one cared. They only kept fighting for it, while the corpses and blood on the ground steadily piled up.

Ah!

With a shrill scream, Ouyang Xing, who had Sneak Attacked Zhang Yunhao earlier, died. His eyes were wide open at the moment of death—whether from unwillingness or regret, no one knew!

Not long afterward, Zhang Tong also became a corpse. The other First-rate Experts died one after another, while the lower-ranked Martial Artists died in even greater numbers and even faster!

No one knew how much time had passed. The hall was already covered in corpses, yet there was little blood, because it had all been absorbed by the Blood Origin Pearl!

Only two people could still stand: Life-Taking Spear Zhang Ba and Wind Cloud Saber Li Chu, both among the strongest First-rate Experts.

The increasingly sinister Blood Origin Pearl lay on the ground between them. After their bloody battle, both men were gasping heavily, their bodies and weapons drenched in blood.

Though exhausted, both Li Chu and Zhang Ba were filled with excitement and agitation. As long as they killed the person before them, they would obtain the Blood Origin Pearl, become the greatest under heaven, and dominate the world for at least fifty years!

At the thought of it all, their faces filled with madness and their eyes reddened terrifyingly. But just as their battle was about to erupt, a sizzling sound suddenly rose around them.

"Hm?"

The two turned their heads together and saw someone who should have died long ago desperately scattering powder over the ground. Whenever the blood in the corpses touched the powder, it swiftly turned into yellow water.

"Quite a lot has already been absorbed. This is a little troublesome."

That person was Zhang Yunhao. He frowned deeply, looking rather grave.

Seeing that another opponent had appeared, Life-Taking Spear Zhang Ba coldly asked, "You're actually not dead?"

"I knew they would Sneak Attack me, so naturally I didn't die."

Zhang Yunhao calmly answered as he scattered Corpse Dissolving Powder. The instant Ouyang Xing and Zhang Tong attacked him, he had reacted, tensing the muscles in his back and then using vibration to disperse the force. He had been injured, but was nowhere near death.

The reason Zhang Yunhao had vomited so much blood was that he had controlled his own blood and qi. As for his increasingly faint breath, that was the Turtle Breath Technique used to feign death. Zhang Yunhao had seen this secret manual in the Zhang Clan and learned a little of it.

In truth, Zhang Yunhao had not mastered it. His heart was still beating, and if anyone had carefully checked whether he was dead, they would certainly have found something amiss. The problem was, who had the time to do that then?

"Since you're not dead, I'll send you to your death. Spear Pierces the Moon!"

Life-Taking Spear Zhang Ba wasted no words. His spear ripped through the air as it shot toward Zhang Yunhao.

Zhang Yunhao tossed aside the Corpse Dissolving Powder without the slightest fear. Against such a long weapon, the most important thing was closing the distance. He first stepped with Tiger Step to evade, then lunged forward to reach Zhang Ba, his Tiger Claw striking repeatedly at Zhang Ba's chest.

Zhang Ba was no pushover. He blocked Zhang Yunhao's attacks with the butt of his spear while trying to open the distance. But at that moment, Wind Cloud Saber Li Chu suddenly charged in and slashed down. Layers upon layers of saber shadows enveloped both Zhang Yunhao and Zhang Ba.

"Bold indeed."

Zhang Yunhao flew into a rage and slapped the back of Li Chu's saber. Li Chu felt a tremendous force crash into him, numbing the web between his thumb and forefinger. Alarm rose in his heart, and Zhang Yunhao immediately rushed forward, delivering a ferocious Leopard Fist toward his chest.

"Gale Fist!"

Li Chu used his fist to block Zhang Yunhao's attack. With a bang, he staggered back again and again. Just as Zhang Yunhao tried to press his advantage, Zhang Ba's spear struck like a venomous snake flicking out its tongue.

Li Chu and Zhang Ba had originally been enemies as well, but because Zhang Yunhao was stronger than either of them, they instead joined forces against him. Both wielded weapons while Zhang Yunhao was empty-handed, leaving him somewhat wary.

Damn it. I should have learned a weapon technique or a body-tempering art.

Zhang Yunhao cursed inwardly, yet he was not afraid in the slightest. He suddenly switched from Leopard Fist to Snake Fist, striking Li Chu's saber with a jolt. A strand of Yin Force traveled along the blade toward Li Chu's palm. Agonizing pain shot through Li Chu's hand, but he still gritted his teeth and endured.

In the end, I have no true qi. Transmitting force through the air is too weak. If I broke through to the true qi level, one jolt would make him drop his saber.

Zhang Yunhao was not discouraged. If once was not enough, then twice; if twice was not enough, then three times. He used nimble footwork to evade their attacks while keeping his focus fixed on Li Chu.

Li Chu was repeatedly struck by Yin Force, and waves of pain battered him. Before long, his right hand had nearly lost all feeling, and his saber fell to the ground with a clang.

With Li Chu's saber gone, Zhang Yunhao's misgivings greatly faded. His fists howled with the force of a tiger, and he soon beat Li Chu until he vomited blood and died miserably.

With only Zhang Ba left, Zhang Yunhao no longer regarded him as a threat. Seizing an opening, he grabbed Zhang Ba's spear shaft with one hand and chopped down with the other like a blade. With a crack, the hardwood shaft snapped apart.

Then Zhang Yunhao flung the spearhead back at Zhang Ba, striking him squarely in the chest. Zhang Ba screamed and collapsed, bringing everything to an end.

At this point, Zhang Yunhao was the only living person left in the hall. But he knew this was not the end—it was only the beginning. He quickly stepped forward, intending to pick up the Blood Origin Pearl.

Just then, the Blood Origin Pearl suddenly transformed into a streak of blood-red light and flew into the passageway. Then a blood-red, withered figure slowly emerged from within. Around his neck hung the Blood Origin Pearl!