Boom!
Lu Xuan drove his Cloud Qi forward. Like the rising sun, he crossed dozens of yards in an instant and struck at the three Ape Demons at the Qi Refining Second Layer.
"Arrogant brat!"
The three Ape Demons flew into a rage. Light blazed in their eyes, and a ghostly green hue surfaced.
Those at the Qi Refining Second Layer had far greater Qi than those at the First. More importantly, they had opened their Eye Apertures and gained a mysterious art.
Boom!!
But someone was faster than Lu Xuan.
Brilliant Cloud Qi, fierce and domineering, shot out from behind him.
Wei Zhixing.
Wei Zhixing was not only faster—he was brighter!
He shone from head to toe, as though a great sun had erupted inside him. Its glare was too dazzling to look upon.
Dry Yang True Qi—Eyes Cannot Behold. Filth Cannot Arise. At High Noon, Mighty Power Awakens.
Once this Qi was unleashed, the cultivator shone like the great sun, and no living creature could look him in the eye.
Eyes Cannot Behold rendered all manner of Mystic Eyes useless, too.
This was one of the rare kinds of True Qi especially suited to fighting above one's level, particularly against cultivators at the Qi Refining Second Layer.
With their Mystic Eyes lost, Second Layer cultivators lost a mysterious art. If all they had left was Qi, how were they any different from those at the First Layer?
Of course, True Qi was not invincible.
Lu Xuan's Dawn might appear capable of healing a thousand wounds, but some injuries were beyond recovery.
Dry Yang True Qi was the same. Against a truly superior Mystic Eyes technique, it would be useless.
But against three minor Qi Refining demons who had gathered only Mixed Qi, it was more than enough.
"Ah!!!"
The three Ape Demons at the Qi Refining Second Layer were activating their Mystic Eyes, hoping to wound Lu Xuan through their Eye Apertures first. But the moment they opened their eyes, they saw a blazing sun right before them. Pain stabbed through their eyes, and they screamed.
Boom!
As the three Ape Demons screamed, fire suddenly poured from Lu Xuan's Consciousness Sea.
Burning Heart Sunfire!
The fire was invisible but blindingly swift. In an instant, it entered the leading Ape Demon's Consciousness Sea.
The leading Ape Demon was experienced in battle. Though Wei Zhixing's Eyes Cannot Behold had caught him off guard and left his Mystic Eyes in agony, he forced himself to endure it and brought out a gray Dharma Bead to protect himself.
But he was too late.
Burning Heart Sunfire surged like a boiling sea of flames, engulfing the Ape Demon's entire Consciousness Sea in an instant.
"True Qi?!!"
"No!"
Those were the only two thoughts the Ape Demon managed to form. Then his entire Consciousness Sea "burned," and every thought that arose was reduced to ash.
Thud!
In an instant, the Ape Demon fell from the clouds and slammed straight into the river's surface.
Even amid such a fierce fight, Lu Xuan and the others had kept the Sea-Calming Art active. The water was still hard as iron, and the Ape Demon's fall split his head and left him bleeding.
Only the strength of his demon body kept the impact from killing him outright.
But... he showed no response to the pain. His body was alive, he was still breathing, and his Qi Sea continued to circulate, yet all light had vanished from his eyes.
The other two Ape Demons had no time to mourn him.
While Lu Xuan unleashed Burning Heart Sunfire, he had already pointed his other hand at another Ape Demon at the Qi Refining Second Layer.
Golden light shone at his fingertip. The phantom of a Golden Hoop appeared and descended toward the demon.
Origin Astral Heart Band.
Terror seized the Ape Demon. He hurriedly summoned a broken bronze mirror before him, covered his eyes, and drove his Cloud Qi to flee.
But the Origin Astral Heart Band seemed incorporeal. It passed through the bronze mirror in an instant and settled snugly on the Ape Demon's head, clamping his skull tight.
The Ape Demon stiffened, unable to move.
Shhk!
Lu Xuan brought out the Golden-Plume Sword and gave its Sword Qi a slight push. The ape's head parted from his body, and he died on the spot.
"Ah!"
By the time Lu Xuan turned, a Crimson Banner had pierced the last Ape Demon's chest, killing him where he stood.
In just a few breaths, all three Ape Demons at the Qi Refining Second Layer were dead.
Lu Xuan and Wei Zhixing were unscathed. Not even a speck of blood or dust had touched their clothes.
Such was the power of True Qi cultivators!
Killing three minor demons a level above them was truly like slaughtering chickens and dogs.
"Ah!"
Thud!
Above the great river, Central Balance True Qi and Netherstring Lunar Qi flashed in and out, darting left and right. Streaks of light also flew from the great boat behind them to lend support.
Screams rang out one after another. All twelve Ape Demons at the Qi Refining First Layer died on the spot.
Now only the Ape Demon Lu Xuan and the others had surrounded at the start remained.
He stood frozen, his eyes vacant as he stared at the river.
Aboard the Treasure-Gathering Boat behind them, Uncle Yuan's scalp tingled, and both his legs trembled uncontrollably.
"This, this, this..."
Those had been twelve members of the Demon Race at the Qi Refining First Layer—and three more at the Second!
And they had all been slaughtered like chicks?!
Uncle Yuan's mouth went dry. A word reached his tongue, but for a long while he could not force it out.
Because... the Qi he had gathered was Mixed Qi, just like theirs.
He felt their fate all too keenly.
He had always known that disciples of the Heaven-Gazing Sect possessed profound power and mysterious arts, but he had rarely seen them in action. Today's display had frightened him witless.
Had he truly dared let them call him "Uncle Yuan"?
They had shared a boat for so long, yet any one of them could probably have taken his head with a single thought. He was a barehanded mortal sharing a boat with tigers!
Zhang Xuange and the others were unsurprised. Without such abilities, how could they call themselves disciples of an Immortal Cult?
It was only a pity the two senior brothers had killed too quickly, leaving no Ape Demon at the Qi Refining Second Layer for them to test themselves against.
"Are there more of your kind?"
Lu Xuan and the other three rose into the air, their Cloud Qi flickering as they surrounded the original Ape Demon again and questioned him.
It was much the same scene as before, but the pressure bearing down on the Ape Demon was beyond comparison.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Without a word, the Ape Demon slapped himself hard across the face three times, then began smashing his forehead against the river.
"I was wrong! I was wrong!"
"Honored adepts, honored immortals, this little demon was wrong!"
"I shouldn't have killed for treasure. Greed blinded me!"
"Spare me, spare me! I'll be your slave, your pet!"
The Ape Demon kowtowed desperately, pleading for his life.
Halfway through, a powerful force wrenched his head up. His green eyes turned against his will toward the brilliant Cloud Qi above the great river.
"Are there more of your kind?"
Lu Xuan's cold voice came from within the Cloud Qi.
"Yes!"
"Yes, there are!"
"My clan at Lockmist Ferry has thirty-six Ape Demons in all. More than ten are still in the cave guarding the Spirit Bamboo and Mineral Jade."
"There's another at the Qi Refining Second Layer!"
The Ape Demon shuddered and hurriedly spilled everything like beans from a sack.
"I can lead the way. I only ask the honored adepts to spare me!"
"There's an Earth Vein Array in the cave, too. I can trick them into opening it for you!"
The Ape Demon spoke in a rush, impatiently revealing the Ape Cave's location.
But the only answer he received was a cold verdict.
"You killed for treasure and fed on human flesh. Blood hangs about you like miasma. You are no longer among those the immortal path holds dear under the Life-Valuing Principle..."
Then the Treasure-Gathering Boat passed by. A streak of golden light fell from its deck, killing the ape instantly. A great net rose and scooped up the Ape Demons' corpses along with the black-clad man, and the boat continued forward.
Only after the Treasure-Gathering Boat had traveled on for some time did a thin figure cautiously emerge from the shadowy mist.
Before you continue