The Might of Qi Condensation and the Arrival of Killing Intent

Qi Condensation Realm!

Those three words exploded in Chen Chen's mind like a thunderclap!

On the Martial Path, Body Tempering was merely the foundation—the tempering of the flesh and the forging of one's blood and qi.

Only by breaking the shackles of the physical body, sensing the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, drawing it into the body, and condensing the first thread of true qi within the dantian could one be considered to have truly crossed the threshold of cultivation and become a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator!

Body Tempering and Qi Condensation were separated by but a single step, yet the difference between them was as vast as clouds and mud!

A martial artist at the peak of the Ninth Level of Body Tempering would not even last three moves before a first-level Qi Condensation Realm cultivator!

And this White-robed Woman before him had condensed qi into ice with a flick of her finger and instantly killed a peak second-order demonic beast. Her strength was likely far more than merely the first level of Qi Condensation!

Chen Chen's heart sank straight to the bottom.

He suppressed his aura to the utmost limit. Even his breathing nearly stopped, and his entire body became like an unyielding rock, not daring to make the slightest movement.

He had no doubt that if he leaked even a trace of killing intent or was discovered by her, his end would be far more miserable than that Snow Jade Snake's.

Within the mountain stream.

After dealing with the Snow Jade Snake, the White-robed Woman stepped forward and carefully removed the Ice Spirit Grass from the crevice in the rocks, placing it into a specially made jade box.

Having done all that, she turned to leave.

Yet just as she turned around, her steps suddenly paused slightly.

Through her veil, her cool eyes suddenly glanced toward the boulder where Chen Chen was hiding.

At that instant, Chen Chen felt as though his heart had stopped beating!

An indescribably terrifying pressure descended like a mountain, making all the blood in his body seem on the verge of freezing solid!

He had been discovered!

Cold sweat instantly soaked Chen Chen's back.

The blood and qi within him instinctively began to circulate, preparing for one final desperate struggle.

But that gaze lingered on his hiding place for less than half a second before moving away.

The White-robed Woman seemingly did not take this "little bug" to heart. She merely said indifferently, "Let's go."

With that, she led the two elders away, vanishing into the depths of the forest after several flashes.

Only after that terrifying pressure had completely faded did Chen Chen slump against the rock as if all strength had left him, gasping for breath.

In that brief instant just now, he had truly felt the threat of death.

"So strong..."

Chen Chen muttered with lingering fear.

Was this the strength of a Qi Condensation Realm expert?

Just one look had left him unable to summon even the slightest thought of resistance.

He clenched his fists. Rather than feeling discouraged, an even fiercer flame ignited in his eyes!

"Qi Condensation Realm... One day, I'll reach it too! And even surpass it!"

This unexpected encounter had not dealt him a blow. Instead, it had filled him with an unprecedented thirst for greater power.

He steadied his emotions and was about to leave this place of trouble.

Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the Snow Jade Snake's ice sculpture.

"This was a peak second-order demonic beast..."

Chen Chen's heart stirred.

Killing it should earn quite a few Cultivation Points, right?

Though it had been killed by the White-robed Woman, if he added one more strike now, would the system count it as his?

It was worth a try!

He strode forward, driving the steel blade in his hand viciously into the ice sculpture's vital spot.

Crack!

The ice sculpture shattered in response.

[Ding! Killed peak second-order demonic beast Snow Jade Snake (frozen state), Cultivation Points +1!]

"..."

Chen Chen's mouth twitched.

Only 1 point?

It seemed the system was not so easy to exploit.

Still, something was better than nothing.

He shook his head and was about to pull back the steel blade.

Suddenly, he spotted a pigeon-egg-sized pearl amid the Snow Jade Snake's shattered corpse. It was snow-white throughout and emitted wisps of icy chill.

"This is... a Demonic Core?"

Chen Chen's eyes lit up.

Only a very small number of demonic beasts, through fortunate coincidence, could condense a Demonic Core within their bodies.

A Demonic Core was the crystallization of a demonic beast's essence. It contained vast energy and was an excellent tonic, whether used for alchemy or absorbed directly.

This Snow Jade Snake's Demonic Core was of extremely high quality. The energy it contained was likely greater than that of every demonic beast he had absorbed before combined!

What an unexpected windfall!

Chen Chen unceremoniously tucked the Demonic Core into his robes, his mood greatly improved.

After getting his bearings, he used the Seven Shadows Step and sped toward Qingyang City.

Half a day later, at the outskirts of the Black Wind Mountain Range.

Chen Chen appeared in a familiar area.

This was where he had counter-killed the Wang Family pursuers and the Black Wind Mercenary Group.

Looking at the chaotic scene in the valley, his eyes remained utterly calm.

Yet just as he was about to cross the valley, his steps came to an abrupt halt.

The Blood Tiger Jade Pendant at his waist, taken from Wang Lie, suddenly began to grow slightly hot and emitted an extremely faint red glow!

"Hmm?"

Chen Chen immediately took out the jade pendant, his brows tightly furrowed.

There was something strange about this pendant!

At nearly the same instant, a powerful sense of danger surged from the depths of his heart without warning!

Without a second thought, the blood and qi of the Fourth Level of Body Tempering erupted from him. He pushed the Seven Shadows Step to its limit, turning into an afterimage as he frantically dashed toward the forest to the side!

The instant after he left his original position.

Boom!

A crimson blade light descended from the sky like a burning meteor, cleaving viciously into the spot where he had just stood!

The ground was split with a terrifying ravine several meters long and bottomlessly deep!

Shattered stones flew everywhere, and dust billowed into the air!

"You little beast, your reactions aren't bad!"

A voice filled with endless resentment and killing intent swept through the entire forest like a rolling cold current.

Chen Chen abruptly looked up.

At the other end of the valley, a burly middle-aged man dressed in a black brocade robe stood suspended in the air!

He held a blood-colored saber, his eyes crimson. The terrifying pressure emanating from his body was several times stronger than even the two elders at the Sixth Level of Body Tempering from before!

Ninth Level of Body Tempering!

The Wang Family Patriarch, Wang Zhan!

He had actually come after him personally!

And... he could actually stand in the air!

No, that was not right!

Chen Chen quickly noticed that Wang Zhan stood atop a flying sword the size of a door panel. It was clearly a magical artifact capable of carrying someone through the air.

Even so, it was terrifying enough!

"Was it you who killed my Lie'er?"

Wang Zhan's gaze locked onto Chen Chen like two venom-coated blades. The hatred in his eyes made it seem as if he wished to devour him alive.

Chen Chen's heart sank to the bottom.

He looked at Wang Zhan, then at the scorching Blood Tiger Jade Pendant in his hand, and instantly understood.

Soul Chasing Jade!

This was a magical artifact refined from a pair of mother-and-child jade pieces. So long as one held the mother jade, one could sense the location of the child jade within a certain range!

He had been tricked!

From the moment he picked up this jade pendant, his whereabouts had already been exposed beneath Wang Zhan's very eyes!

"You little bastard, hand over your life!"

Wang Zhan gave Chen Chen no chance to catch his breath. With an enraged roar, he rode his flying sword and transformed into a streak of bloody light, shooting toward Chen Chen!

Before he even arrived, that incomparably sharp saber intent had already completely enveloped Chen Chen!

An unprecedented crisis of death descended!