Harvest

"Chiiiiii—!"

The sickening sound of slicing instantly drowned out the wolf-tooth club's shrill wind.

Wang Tie's prized Bintie Wolf Tooth Club, the moment it touched the sword net, began melting like snow against a red-hot iron, shredded inch by inch into flying iron shavings scattering in all directions!

"What?!"

The sneer on Wang Tie's face froze, transforming into sheer terror.

He felt as if he hadn't struck a person, but a storm that would grind everything to dust!

How was this possible?!

After the terrifying Sword Qi shredded the wolf-tooth club, its momentum undiminished, it surged back along the club's shaft, blanketing his arm, chest, head...

"No—!!!"

Wang Tie let out a desperate roar, frantically trying to activate his "Jade Bone" for protection.

But this "Jade Bone," strong enough to block blades, was as fragile as rotten wood before this killing move designed to destroy from within!

Puff puff puff puff!

Dense sprays of blood blossomed in the air.

It all happened too fast.

From Wang Tie unleashing his killing move "Collapse Mountain Fall" to Qin Jue's desperate counterattack—it was merely the blink of an eye.

Boom!

The half-shattered wolf-tooth club slammed heavily beside Qin Jue, gouging out another crater.

And Wang Tie, still frozen in his downward chopping stance, toppled like a collapsing mountain, crashing to the ground.

His body was riddled with countless tiny bloody holes; every bone, meridian, and organ had been utterly pulverized by that terrifying vibrational force in that single instant!

Without even leaving a last word, this infamous bandit of the Chaos Stone Forest was dead beyond dead.

Clang.

The Cold Iron Sword slipped from his hand and hit the ground.

Qin Jue dropped to one knee, gasping heavily, cold sweat instantly soaking his clothes and dripping from his chin into the pool of blood.

His right arm hung limp, twisted unnaturally, and his tiger's mouth was a bloody mess, revealing stark white bone.

If he had been half a breath slower, or if [Thousand Threads] had been even a fraction weaker, he would be the one turned into paste.

"So this is... Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer..."

Qin Jue glanced at the corpse on the ground, a flicker of fear in his eyes, but more than that, the exhilaration of surviving a brush with death.

"If Wang Tie hadn't been so arrogant, trying to kill me in one blow and leaving his center wide open... this fight could have gone either way."

Qin Jue thought to himself. Wang Tie lost because he trusted his "Bone Penetrating Force" and "Jade Bone" too much, believing Qin Jue couldn't withstand that club strike, never expecting Qin Jue to possess such an unreasonable killing sword art as Cicada Wing.

In the end, he had won.

Qin Jue's chest heaved violently. He forcibly suppressed his surging blood energy, endured the searing pain, grabbed the Cold Iron Sword with his left hand, and slowly stood up.

His gaze swept across, piercing through the thick smell of blood, and locked onto Zhao Li, who had long since collapsed in terror not far away.

Zhao Li's face was ashen, his whole body shaking like a sieve, his crotch wet and warm—clearly, he had pissed himself in fear.

The sheer power of Qin Jue's attack just now, which even Wang Tie at Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer couldn't withstand and was blasted to bits, the rain of blood—that scene had completely shattered Zhao Li's mental defenses. Faced with an absolute gap in power, he felt as insignificant as an ant, unable to muster even a shred of resistance.

"Sp... spare me! Please spare me!"

Feeling Qin Jue's emotionless gaze sweep over him, Zhao Li finally broke down. He kowtowed frantically, his forehead smashing against the hard rock until it bled freely, not caring at all. "I... I was forced! It was all Wang Tie! He made me do it! I don't want the Snake Saliva Grass anymore... it's all yours! All yours!"

Sobbing and shouting, he fumbled to untie the Snake Saliva Grass from his waist, trying to toss it over as a peace offering, but his hands were shaking so badly that the valuable herb dropped right at his feet.

Qin Jue walked toward him, sword in hand.

His steps weren't fast, but each one landed like a heavy hammer slamming into Zhao Li's heart, making it contract until he could barely breathe.

"I've always been a reasonable man."

Qin Jue's voice was flat, betraying no emotion, yet it sent chills down the spine. "Just now, you said you'd leave me an intact corpse?"

"No, no, no! That wasn't me! That was Wang Tie! I... I'm just a follower..."

Zhao Li was so scared that tears and snot streamed down his face, his words incoherent, his whole body curling into a ball.

He shook his head wildly, clawing at the ground, trying to back away, but his legs were as limp as noodles, completely useless.

But when he looked up and met Qin Jue's indifferent eyes—

Can't find the book title? Try searching the author's name—maybe it just got renamed!

In that moment, Zhao Li's breath stopped.

Those eyes were too calm, as calm as if he were looking at a dead man, or rather, an ant that could be crushed at will.

"No... don't..."

Zhao Li's teeth chattered, making a clicking sound. He understood now—

Qin Jue's eyes were set with killing intent!

For a martial artist, mercy toward an enemy is cruelty toward oneself; uprooting the weeds and pulling out the roots is the most basic rule. Qin Jue had never planned to let him go from the start!

"Why... so ruthless..."

Zhao Li muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and despairing.

Even a dog deserved a way out at a time like this, didn't it?

Yet the next moment, his entire body trembled violently, and that fear instantly transformed into a monstrous surge of ferocity!

Since death was certain either way, he would fight like a cornered beast! A bloody light welled up in Zhao Li's eyes—the final struggle of a dying man.

"Since you won't give me a way out..."

Zhao Li jerked his head up, eyes bulging and bloodshot, his facial muscles twisted by extreme madness like a demon's!

"Then let's die together!!!"

Zhao Li, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly exploded into motion. The blood and qi within his body burned wildly, his legs unleashing unprecedented power as he lunged at Qin Jue like a rabid dog!

"Die!!!"

A dark blue dagger had somehow appeared in his hand, and he stabbed viciously at Qin Jue's lower abdomen!

At this moment, he no longer cared whether he himself would die.

He only wanted to drag the man before him down to hell with him!

He gambled that Qin Jue's right arm was crippled, his reactions dulled by severe injury; he gambled that Qin Jue, wielding the sword with his left hand, was less agile than with his right!

This was his only chance to survive!

But.

Qin Jue watched the dagger thrusting toward him, his expression not changing in the slightest. He merely gave his left wrist a slight shake.

"Hum—"

A faint cicada's chirp sounded in the air.

The Cold Iron Sword blurred in an instant, turning into a harsh streak of white light. It struck after the dagger yet arrived first, brushing lightly across Zhao Li's neck.

Cicada Wing—Flap Wings.

The scene seemed to freeze.

Zhao Li's forward charge came to an abrupt halt. The dagger in his hand was less than half an inch from Qin Jue's abdomen, but it could advance no further.

"Urgh... gah..."

His eyes bulged as he stared fixedly at Qin Jue, both hands clutching his throat, but torrents of blood gushed through his fingers.

"Courting death."

Qin Jue's voice was indifferent as he casually flicked the blood off his sword's edge.

Thud!

Zhao Li's body fell stiffly to the ground. Even in death, a lingering trace of madness and terror remained in his eyes.

Toward someone who wanted his life, Qin Jue never showed the slightest mercy. In this world that devoured men, mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself.

Having dealt with the two men, Qin Jue did not linger.

He quickly searched the two corpses.

On Wang Tie, aside from the broken wolf-tooth club, there were several dozen Gold Coins, a few thin Gold Notes, and several bottles of low-grade healing medicine.

Qin Jue picked up the Gold Notes and examined them. They were all in denominations of a hundred gold, five notes in total—five hundred Gold Coins.

Gold Notes were certificates issued by the Huangwu Divine Dynasty, accepted without hindrance throughout its territory.

"It seems this Wang Tie had some savings."

Qin Jue tucked the Gold Notes and Gold Coins into his bosom, then felt a thin booklet pressed against his body. The cover bore four characters: Black Sha Cudgel Technique.

"Mortal Tier Mid-grade... better than nothing."

Qin Jue stuffed everything into his chest, then bent down to pick up the Snake Saliva Grass that had fallen by Zhao Li's foot. This herb was a fine medicine for healing wounds and mending bones, capable of dissolving hidden injuries in muscles and sinews—just what he needed for his current condition.

The smell of blood here was too strong; it would soon attract other Fierce Beasts or martial artists. Right now, with his right arm severely injured and his combat power greatly diminished, he had to find a safe place to heal immediately and refine the Earth Vein Stone Marrow.

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