Breakthrough

With his gaze fixed on the Blood-robed Man not far away, Chi Feng's burly figure bent slightly.

In the tranquil cave,

Suddenly,

A powerful arc of wind spread out, and the ground centered on Chi Feng instantly cracked and sank, while his extremely muscular figure had already disappeared from the spot.

In Xu Yuan's vision, which was already completely filled with blood, a faint blue afterimage appeared and was rushing towards him.

Chi Feng's burst of speed was still very fast, but the sudden sense of oppression he had just experienced was gone.

This time, Xu Yuan didn't try to take the hit head-on.

As the force of the punch arrived, he shifted his leg to the side and back, his Cloud-Treading Boots tracing an arc on the ground, his figure shifting a foot to the side as if by teleportation.

A powerful gust of wind from the punch whistled past his cheek.

The force of a punch at such close range had once scraped his cheek, but now it merely ruffled his long hair and blood-stained robe.

His indifferent crimson pupils shifted slightly for a moment as Xu Yuan glanced at the halo appearing on the Barbarian King's muscular arms, then grinned.

"Your attack was quite loud."

"."

Chi Feng frowned upon hearing this, but did not reply. He withdrew his fist and raised his leg, unleashing his Source Qi, and his attack was about to strike again in an instant.

But Xu Yuan had no intention of standing there and taking the beating any longer.

Taking advantage of the moment when the Barbarian King withdrew his fist, Xu Yuan suddenly stomped his foot, and his other leg turned into a streak of blood as he kicked towards Chi Feng's chin.

A shockwave emanated from the tips of Xu Yuan's Cloud-Treading Boots and the stratum corneum at Chi Feng's jawline.

A moment of pause

Bang!!

Chi Feng's enormous figure transformed into an invisible afterimage and crashed straight into the top of the cave!

As countless fragments of rock and stone crumbled down from the cave ceiling, Root Bone shot down from the dust-filled ceiling toward the blood-clad figure on the ground!

Seeing this, Xu Yuan abandoned the idea of immediately going forward to finish off his opponent. He casually took a step to the side, bent down, and gently patted away the non-existent dust on his Blood Jade Glazed Robe.

Boom!!!

The next moment, a bone spike that shot up from the top of the cave pierced through the entire cave and into the ground next to Xu Yuan!

Standing up unhurriedly, Xu Yuan waved his blood-red robe, instantly dispersing the smoke and dust from both the top and bottom of the cave with a gust of wind. He stared at Chi Feng, who was lying prone on the cave ceiling.

"Chi Feng, your physical body, which you rely on, no longer holds any advantage over me."

Are you really in a hurry?

Chi Feng's deep blue eyes made it impossible to discern his thoughts. The cracking sound of the stratum corneum on his jawline was drowned out by his deep voice, "Agreeing to your terms of cooperation is tantamount to handing over the lives of my entire clan to you. If you cannot bear to hand over Wu Yuan to me, then there's no need for further nonsense."

"."

At this moment, Xu Yuan suddenly understood the feelings of those who had been targeted by him and were furious, but had no choice but to swallow their anger.

The Strange Ghost transformation was happening faster than he had imagined, and it was already spreading from his body to his consciousness.

He needs to obtain a Mortal Shedding Strange Ghost's Demon Crystal as soon as possible to prolong his life, but the prerequisite for doing so is that the Barbarian King cooperates with him, or at least does not interfere with him.

But judging from the current situation, Barbarian King is like a rock in a toilet—stinky and hard—and we will definitely not let him have his way.

Both sides are in a hurry.

The Barbarian King was eager to evacuate his people to protect the Holy City, and even more eager to rush back to the main battlefield within the Great Yan territory to take command of the war.

Xu Yuan was in a hurry to enter the Underground Palace to find the antidote for the Strange Ghost transformation.

However, the cooperation is stuck on the crucial step of mutual trust, and everyone is anxiously waiting for this opportunity.

From a purely rational perspective, Xu Yuan should have held back at this moment, just as the former Wanxiang Sect Master had tolerated the murder of his daughter for the sake of expediency.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan suddenly revealed a crazed, sinister smile.

Ren Nima?

At worst, I'll become Strange Ghost Walker, and your entire race will be wiped out!

Having completely abandoned any thought of persuading the Barbarian King, Xu Yuan quickly began to think about how to eliminate this obstacle in the latrine before him.

Chi Feng's body surface has an extremely strong protective layer of keratin, which greatly reduces the damage of his sword techniques. Moreover, since he has not yet comprehended 'intention', even if Chi Feng is injured, he can quickly heal himself.

"Click."

A crisp sound brought Xu Yuan's thoughts to an abrupt halt.

Suddenly, the Chi Feng on the cave ceiling deliberately shattered the keratinous layer at its lower jaw, followed by the shattered black keratinous layers at its neck, chest, and limbs, which fell into the pitch-black cave.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and chuckled softly:

"Ha, don't tell me that all that thick layer of dead skin is what's limiting your strength."

Rumble--

Before the words were finished,

The falling fragments of keratinocytes smashed into the ground, creating a cloud of dust.

"Horned armor is a means for our Holy Clan to resist the severe cold and protect us during hunting; it is not a container that restricts our power."

As the commotion subsided, Chi Feng stood atop the cave, his deep voice echoing softly within the cavern. "Our Holy Clan's cultivation method is similar to your human race's now-defunct martial arts path—constantly tempering the body, constantly improving one's strength, speed, and defense."

"So you're abandoning defense in exchange for so-called speed and power?"

Xu Yuan's eyes turned serious, and he slightly tightened his grip on Clear Speech, his sword technique beginning to circulate through his meridians, interrupting his words: "Is this considered a desperate gamble?"

"I simply made the right choice."

Chi Feng seemed to be preparing something as well. His deep pupils were fixed on Xu Yuan, and his calm tone stated a fact. "Given the speed and strength you've displayed, while the horned armor can provide me with protection, continuing this fight will likely turn into a war of attrition. By then, even if I manage to capture you alive, you will most likely have been completely transformed into Strange Ghost, and I will be unable to obtain any information from you."

"."

Upon hearing this, the tip of Xu Yuan's Clear Speech Sword was already filled with a blood-red light, and he let out a strange low laugh:

"You're thinking the same thing as me, but do you really think you can capture me just by giving up your armor?"

The keratin layer on Chi Feng's body had completely shed, and the dark blue barbarian god patterns had been embedded into his muscular body, unhurriedly:

"Uncertain, but I cannot die here."

"That's not up to you."

Buzz--

As soon as he finished speaking, a cacophony of sword clashes suddenly reached Chi Feng's front!

Without any hesitation, Xu Yuan, who had teleported there using the Void-Stepping Slash, pointed his sword, and the blood-ink-colored tip of the Clear Speech Sword pierced directly into the chest of the burly Barbarian Tribe in front of him.

Blood Ink Jade - Heavenly Edge!

The ink-splashed Sword-Ray that pierced into the opponent's flesh suddenly converged into a single point, piercing through the Barbarian King's chest without any obstruction. The Sword-Ray that followed then carved a bottomless sword hole in the top of the cave without any hindrance!

Using the remaining power of the Heavenly Edge Sword-Ray, Xu Yuan directly swung his sword upwards, preparing to cut the Barbarian King in half at the waist.

But at that moment,

"Smack."

Without warning, Chi Feng's one-armed hand grabbed his wrist.

The immense grip seemed poised to crush his wrist.

Xu Yuan had no intention of fighting this Barbarian King at this moment.

His current strategy for fighting the Barbarian King is very simple.

Not comprehending the "intention" means he cannot inflict irreparable damage, but it does not mean he cannot kill the Barbarian King in a short time.

By simply utilizing the minimal, imperceptible teleportation of the Void-Stepping Slash and the high lethality of the Blood Ink Sword Technique, one can quickly fill up with damage and kill the Barbarian King!

The situation was hopeless, Xu Yuan activated the "Void-Stepping Slash" technique, instantly solidifying his meridians as he prepared to retreat.

If one attack fails, retreat and continue roaming.

But Chi Feng, having lost his horn armor, launched a counterattack even faster.

With one arm gripping Xu Yuan's sword-wielding wrist, a foot imbued with immense strength braced itself under Xu Yuan's sword-wielding arm.

Before Xu Yuan could use the Void-Stepping Slash to teleport away,

Suddenly, with a sharp, forceful pull to both sides!

"Tear!"

A soft, grotesque sound of flesh being torn apart rang out. Xu Yuan's Void- Void-Stepping Slash was forced to stop due to this change. At this moment, three dark bone spikes suddenly pierced out from the stone surface behind Chi Feng.

The attack was unavoidable, and the blood-red mirror instantly froze in front of Xu Yuan.

In the blink of an eye, the blood-red mirror failed to slow down Chi Feng's Dao Domain as Xu Yuan had hoped.

The three Root Bone pierced through the Blood Mirror's protective layer without any hindrance, their dark blue sharpness penetrating Xu Yuan's chest, abdomen, and still-standing right arm!

Xu Yuan tried to steady himself, but the dark bone spurs kept spreading out from the rock layers, pushing him rapidly towards the bottom of the cave!

"."

Seeing this, Xu Yuan frowned slightly, wanting to gather the Void-Stepping Slash again to escape, but suddenly found that the Source Qi in his body was slowed down, and he could not use the Void-Stepping Slash immediately.

The aura emanating from these dark bone spurs actually put his body into a state similar to the Tianyan "Sealing" Technique!

Damn it, I got tricked!

This Dao Domain Bone Spike can actually break through magic!

He was puzzled as to why the mighty Barbarian King's Domain was so weak, but he never expected that these bone spikes could ignore magic and even slow down the flow of the source qi of those who were stabbed!

Without any hesitation, Xu Yuan activated the instincts of the Strange Ghost, editing his flesh and blood to free himself from the three dark bone spurs.

But it was all too late.

Old Man Luo was right.

When both sides have trump cards up their sleeves, even if someone could easily defeat the other, few would immediately unleash their full power.

No wonder it took Xu Changge a quarter of an hour to deal with those two Origin Beginning back in Jingjiang Prefecture.

In battles at this level, both sides have trump cards; a single misstep can lead to a series of disadvantages.

A difference of a fraction can mean eternity.

Countless bone spikes were already attacking from all directions of the cave in an instant!

"Sizzle!"

"Sizzle!"

"Sizzle!"

The sound of sharp spikes piercing flesh was incessant, and the entire cavern had become a hell of bone spikes!

The sound subsided.

The blood-clad figure had been pierced by dozens of Root Bone from all directions, pinning him firmly in mid-air, crimson blood flowing continuously down the bone spikes.

In silence,

A burly figure exuding a faint blue aura flew down from the sword cave at the top of the cave, stood in the void, and slowly landed in front of the blood-stained figure.

Chi Feng calmly grasped the severed arm in front of his chest and pulled it outwards.

"Pfft."

The severed arm, still gripping the Clear Speech Sword, was pulled from his chest, and black blood gushed out.

Chi Feng seemed completely oblivious to the pain, casually tossing the severed arm downwards and saying indifferently:

"Don't even think about resisting. My Bone Spur Dao Domain can restrict your Source Qi."

With his body impaled in mid-air, Xu Yuan stared at Chi Feng, grinning, his lips, smeared with crimson blood, carrying a mocking expression:

"Don't expect to get anything from me. I'm not afraid of pain."

"."

Chi Feng stared at him for a moment, then turned his head and glanced in the direction Li Qingyan had left:

"Very well, I will go and bring her back first, and then I will interrogate you."

The words were abruptly cut off before they could be finished.

A strange fluctuation caused Chi Feng to frown inexplicably, and a divine light flashed in his deep blue pupils.

A few beautiful cherry blossoms, tinged with blood, gently drifted down before his eyes, and the scene before him instantly changed.

A bone spur is still a bone spur.

But it was no longer pitch black, but a deep crimson like human blood.

Blood Marrow Drill!

His position had also switched with Xu Yuan's. Dozens of spiraling, blood-red bone spikes pinned his burly body firmly in mid-air, while the severed arm holding the sword remained embedded in his chest!

Illusion

The clan leader's insight made Chi Feng understand what had just happened.

Although he broke free from the illusion in an instant, that instant left him completely on the defensive.

Because Xu Yuan doesn't need any survivors.

A quick scan of the cave revealed three dark bone spikes piercing through the entire cavern, and then, out of the corner of Chi Feng's azure eyes, he spotted a one-armed, blood-red figure on the cave floor.

The information was gathered instantly, Chi Feng made a judgment in a flash.

Although he was trapped in an illusion, that guy still couldn't avoid the three bone spikes released by his Bone Spike Dao Domain.

In other words, the opponent has already been hit by his ' Spell Severance,' and their Source Qi is sluggish.

In an instant, the empty cave fell silent.

"Buzz--"

A buzzing sound,

The Chi Feng runes around Chi Feng shone brightly, and the pierced muscles instantly swelled up. Meanwhile, the dozens of spiral bone spikes that had been holding him in place cracked instantly. At the same time, his Dao Domain spread, and countless bone spikes surged out from all directions toward Xu Yuan!

Xu Yuan moved a split second before Chi Feng could make a move.

A streak of blood-red light, like a shooting star, streaked through the air as it hurtled toward the Barbarian King in mid-air.

Although he temporarily lost his human magic and swordsmanship, he still possessed the physical body of Strange Ghost, and his remaining arm, under his control, transformed into a hunting blade half a meter long.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

Chi Feng broke free of the bone prison, Xu Yuan, transformed into a blood-red meteor, was already wielding his arm blade as he approached!

"Buzz!!!!"

"Call"

"Call"

"Ha"

The cave was silent, filled with soft breathing, and littered with rubble and pits.

With trembling hands, Xu Yuan picked up the severed arm that was holding the Clear Speech Sword from the ground and pressed it against his own severed arm.

Under the action of the Fungal Armor, the severed ends of the arm were quickly glued back together.

As the Source Qi flowed in, the Clear Speech Sword, which was tightly gripped by the severed arm, emitted a buzzing sound, and the tip of the blade once again gleamed with a blood-ink Sword-Ray.

After doing all this, Xu Yuan looked up at Chi Feng was kneeling in a huge pit a hundred feet away.

As the battle neared its end, the Barbarian King knelt quietly, his chest pierced by a deep wound. His aura flickered, but his deep blue eyes remained calm and profound, as if he were deep in thought.

Xu Yuan ignored the other man's composure in his dying moments.

Neither he nor Chi Feng achieved their goal of quickly killing each other.

But he ultimately won the hand-to-hand combat, taking advantage of the illusionary advantage, the Strange Ghost's body, and the Barbarian King's already severely injured condition.

Although it was a Pyrrhic victory, he still won.

Carrying his sword, Xu Yuan slowly walked towards his opponent, his hazy consciousness causing his thoughts to wander.

However, if he could have used those powerful spells like the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique, he probably wouldn't have ended up in this hand-to-hand combat to the death.

In the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique, besides the close-combat Blood Ink Sword Technique, there are also many powerful spells recorded, similar to the Heavenly Word Mantra of the Yantian Art Technique.

It was precisely because of the existence of these powerful spells that Xu Yuan positioned himself as a esteemed 'Master of Laws' from the very beginning of his cultivation.

But things didn't go as planned.

Perhaps due to the limitations of Jing He's pure Yang physique and meridians in the Bewitching God Illusion Realm, he was unable to circulate the meridians of the powerful spells in the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique, resulting in his body having no habitual reaction to those powerful spells.

Therefore, he doesn't know how he went from being the esteemed "Mage" to a melee swordsman who only knows how to use the Blood Ink Sword Technique.

Well, it doesn't matter now. A mage who can't fight in melee isn't a good berserker.

His current Strange Ghost form and crimson Fungal Armor have transformed him into an almost invincible, bloodthirsty berserker.

However, it was thanks to the Strange Ghost's body that he was able to defeat the Barbarian King.

However, his father, maternal uncle, and Xu Changge, three powerful figures, all planned to train him to become a swordsman.

Thinking of his father in the Imperial Capital, Xu Yuan sighed slightly.

If we could just shake him over, he wouldn't have to fight so hard.

Furthermore, if that old man were to possess such an immortal body, his congenital illness should be able to heal itself, right?

And then there's the emperor on the Golden Throne Hall, nearing his end.

If he gave him a chance, the other person would probably be willing to become Strange Ghost.

As long as he becomes Strange Ghost, he can live, and thus the royal family and his Prime Minister's Mansion will have no reason to conflict for the time being.

If the two elders were to become Strange Ghost, they could continue their journey indefinitely, and the plan against the sects wouldn't be so urgent. Moreover, if these saints possessed the immortal bodies of Strange Ghost, annihilating those sects would be much easier.

And the Big Ice Block and them.

After the Big Ice Block and the others become Strange Ghost, they will be able to live forever.

As long as you become Strange Ghost

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan suddenly pictured Luo Xiran with her tumor-like appearance.

etc.

Wait a moment.

No, no, that's not right. Damn, something doesn't seem right!

Xu Yuan covered his brow, his scarlet pupils, devoid of white, contracted and dilated, then suddenly looked at the Barbarian King and smiled.

right.

He shouldn't be thinking that far ahead right now; he should kill this guy first, and then...

Then you ate him?

Xu Yuan licked his lips, but his thoughts immediately became chaotic again.

"Changtian."

A cold, beautiful voice, tinged with a smile, suddenly rang in Xu Yuan's ear; the voice was gentle:

"Don't resist it, all of this was bound to happen."

"By consuming this demigod, you will become stronger."

Xu Yuan abruptly raised his sword, his eyes fixed on the burly Barbarian Tribe before him, his scarlet pupils filled with madness:

"Shut up!"

"." Barbarian King.

"Great power can give you freedom from worry, and immortality can allow you to live forever with those you cherish. Don't you want that kind of life?"

A soft female voice, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, echoed seductively in Xu Yuan's ears, "And all you need to do is devour this half-saint."

Bang!

The ground shattered.

Xu Yuan's figure seemed to teleport to the Barbarian King's front:

"Chi Feng, I told you to shut up!"

"."

The Barbarian King calmly looked at the crazed "humans" before him, exhaled, and slowly pushed himself up from the ground, saying in a low voice:

"The Strange Ghost, do you want to tempt him to devour me?"

As they spoke,

A pure and flawless aura quietly emanated from his body.

In his hazy state of consciousness Xu Yuan was struggling against his body's instincts, completely unaware of the changes happening around him.

But Luo Xiran, who was observing this place through the blood-red Fungal Armor, noticed something amiss, and her voice became sharp:

"Changtian, kill him quickly! He's about to break through!"