A Safe Journey

Jiang Kaitai had fused with the Blood Fiend Power within the Seven Kill Stele, and his strength was astonishingly powerful.

Murong Qing was forced to dodge again and again, utterly bedraggled and unable to strike back at all.

Seeing himself driven into a corner by the violent Blood Fiend saber radiance, Murong Qing suddenly gritted his teeth, formed a hand seal, and gathered golden light in his palm before pressing it against his dantian.

In an instant, true qi erupted wildly around Murong Qing, and his aura surged severalfold.

Murong Clan secret art: Hidden Dragon Burning Gold Formula!

This secret art could draw out the ultimate potential of the Sea of Wheels within the dantian, instantly unleashing incomparably powerful inner force and true qi.

However, the consequence was that prolonged use would leave one's meridians unable to withstand the impact of such tremendous power.

At best, they would develop cracks and require a long period of recovery. At worst, their meridians would shatter outright, turning them into a cripple.

With the Hidden Dragon Burning Gold Formula upon him, dazzling golden true qi blazed from Murong Qing's Dragon-Pattern Azuregold Sword. He unleashed sword move after sword move, and the entire underground space was instantly engulfed in sword light.

Murong Clan secret inheritance: Dragon City Swordsmanship!

This swordsmanship was grand and majestic, truly carrying a hint of imperial bearing.

Under the twisting slaughter of his sword force, much of the Blood Fiend surrounding Jiang Kaitai was torn apart, and Jiang Kaitai's eyes also regained some clarity.

Only then did Jiang Kaitai begin using the Heavenly Wolf Saber Art and Northern Dipper Sky Wolf Slash against him. However, with his Blood Fiend Power weakened, the strength he could display was inferior to before.

Chen Yuan held his breath and widened his eyes, carefully watching Murong Qing fight from the edge of the cave entrance.

Previously, his opponents had all been martial artists from small gangs like Chu Ziping and Duan Kun. It was already impressive if they possessed one or two martial arts techniques.

Martial artists from top powers like Murong Qing were the ones who truly possessed countless trump cards and secret arts.

When fighting opponents of this level, he had to be cautious beyond cautious. He could not relax in the slightest.

However, after watching Murong Qing fight, Chen Yuan felt that Murong Qing had learned too many things without grasping their essence.

The Murong Clan's martial arts were actually quite varied. Swordsmanship, palm techniques, fist techniques, finger techniques—they had everything.

Though none of them ranked among the very best in the martial world, none were weak either.

Therefore, a normal Murong Clan martial artist should focus on one category of martial arts and use the others as supplements.

But Murong Qing seemed capable with every type, yet exceptional at none of them.

He was the classic case of having ambitions higher than the heavens but a fate thinner than paper.

He insisted on believing himself an all-round genius who could master anything. In the end, though he became proficient in everything, not one of them reached the true pinnacle.

Jiang Kaitai and Murong Qing fought fiercely for a full quarter-hour, and both of their powers began to decline sharply.

Jiang Kaitai's eyes had already regained clarity, but the Blood Fiend Power around him was rapidly diminishing.

At the same time, he felt the Source of Killing Intent within his body beginning to stir and backlash. It swelled and churned constantly, as if it wanted to return to the Seven Kill Stele.

That power caused excruciating pain throughout his entire body, greatly affecting his combat strength.

Murong Qing was no better off.

Though the Hidden Dragon Burning Gold Formula was powerful, it came at the cost of squeezing the body dry.

He had never used the Hidden Dragon Burning Gold Formula for so long before, and fine cracks had already appeared in his meridians.

If this continued, his meridians might shatter outright, turning him into a cripple!

The problem was, could a cripple still control a divine artifact?

While suppressing the restless, surging killing intent within his body, Jiang Kaitai looked at Murong Qing and sneered.

"Young Master Murong, are you still going to persist?

"Even if you outlast me in the end, so what? I will not obtain the divine artifact, but you will become a cripple as well!

"I know your Dragon City Murong Clan quite well. Though your branch is part of the direct line, it has never produced a single clan head. Your strength within Dragon City is weak to begin with.

"If you become a cripple, what good will it do even if you discovered a divine artifact? Won't you merely be making a wedding dress for someone else?

"When the time comes, you will watch the Murong Clan hold two divine artifacts and successfully restore its nation, all while you are a cripple. As a great contributor, will you feel honored? Hahahaha!"

Jiang Kaitai certainly knew how to provoke someone.

Those words pierced straight into Murong Qing's heart, nearly breaking his resolve.

He was not someone without selfish desires, someone who considered only the clan.

The clan's revival while he became a cripple was an outcome he could never accept.

But after a moment, Murong Qing calmed down and sneered. "I nearly fell for the tricks of an old dog like you!

"You want me to let you go? Keep dreaming!

"We've already reached this point. Even if I can preserve myself, the clan will not let me off.

"If I hold on until the Murong Clan receives word and sends people here, then even if I become a cripple, the clan will not mistreat me.

"You old dog, when that time comes, you will surely be doomed beyond redemption and die without a whole corpse!"

"Fine, then let's see who can outlast whom!"

Jiang Kaitai gritted his teeth and gathered the last trace of Blood Fiend around his body, blasting it toward Murong Qing.

Murong Qing likewise gathered his inner force and true qi to clash with it, but his attention was focused on a piece of ancient jade in his robes.

It was Starshift, the Divine-Artifact Avatar of the Murong Clan. Every direct-line disciple of the Murong Clan possessed one.

However, a Divine-Artifact Avatar could only be used once. Moreover, while this Divine-Artifact Avatar had decent defensive power, its offensive power was comparatively weak. It was best used to save one's life.

Unless he was driven to a desperate end, Murong Qing would not use it.

Both sides had now completely entered a war of attrition. They could not even use any proper moves anymore. It was entirely a matter of who collapsed first.

Murong Qing was waiting for the instant Jiang Kaitai unleashed his final burst of power. Then he would use Starshift to redirect that Blood Fiend Power back at him, ensuring Jiang Kaitai's death!

Seeing this, Chen Yuan silently took out the Fire Dragon Pill he had obtained earlier and swallowed it.

It was about time. Time to reap the rewards.

The instant the pill entered his mouth, Chen Yuan felt as though he had swallowed a ball of fire.

A violent burning sensation spread from his throat to his dantian, then finally through his limbs and bones.

Gripping the Wild Goose Feather Saber in hand, Chen Yuan strode out.

The moment the two of them saw Chen Yuan, their eyes immediately lit up.

Both were now nearing the point of exhaustion, and Chen Yuan's arrival was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Naturally, both believed that straw would crush the other.

"Kill him!"

Both shouted excitedly.

Their nerves were stretched taut, and both instinctively overlooked several things.

For instance, why Chen Yuan's aura and power had risen from the Body-Tempering Realm to the Blood-Shifting Realm.

The saber rang as it left its sheath, a startled swan flashing past.

When the brilliant saber radiance flashed through the underground space, Jiang Kaitai finally sensed that something was wrong.

What a fast saber!

When did Third Brother cultivate such a fast blade?

This Blade Intent and blade force are practically stronger than even my Northern Dipper Sky Wolf Slash!

And Third Brother's strength, he...

In the next instant, that Swan-Startling Saber Strike pierced through the thin layer of Blood Fiend around him, entering through his back and emerging from his chest.

Jiang Kaitai had never expected Chen Yuan to attack him.

Even if he had expected it, all of his strength was currently tied down by Murong Qing. He was already exhausted and had no way to resist.

Jiang Kaitai lowered his head to look at the Wild Goose Feather Saber piercing through his chest, then laboriously turned to look at Chen Yuan, his eyes filled with confusion.

How could the obedient and compliant Third Brother, who had always listened to him, betray him? How could he betray him!?

"Godfather, have a safe journey."

Chen Yuan smiled, violently pulled out the Wild Goose Feather Saber, then swung it again and directly beheaded Jiang Kaitai.

Jiang Kaitai had fused with part of the Source of Killing Intent from the Seven Kill Stele. Who knew whether his body had undergone some special change?

One slash was not enough. Cutting off his head directly was safer.

He had chosen to kill Jiang Kaitai first because Jiang Kaitai carried too many uncertainties.

In the original plot, Jiang Kaitai absorbed the Source of Killing Intent and fought Murong Li, experts from the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance, and Yuan Dongtian, the Blackwater Gang leader, alone before escaping. He was ultimately killed by a group of players.

Although, under Chen Yuan's deliberate manipulation, the qi and blood Jiang Kaitai had successfully sacrificed this time was not even one-third of what it had been before, leaving his combat strength far below its previous level, Chen Yuan still feared some uncontrollable change.

Therefore, killing Jiang Kaitai first was safer. As for Murong Qing's trump cards, Chen Yuan had more or less already figured them out.

Murong Qing had just withdrawn his nearly depleted true qi and was about to praise Chen Yuan for doing well.

The next instant, the saber rang and trembled. Chen Yuan's incomparably swift Swan-Startling Saber Strike suddenly slashed toward Murong Qing!

"You're courting death!"

Murong Qing's face was filled with furious disbelief.

No matter what, he had never expected Chen Yuan—the man who had previously taken the initiative to join him, who knew the times and understood when to advance or retreat—to dare rebel as well!

Why was everyone in the Heavenly Wolf Gang a traitor with rebellion written on the backs of their heads?

A faint flow of golden true qi surged across the Dragon-Pattern Azuregold Sword. Murong Qing unleashed the Dragon City Swordsmanship, its Sword Intent cold and severe, knocking Chen Yuan's strike aside amid ringing metal.

But in the next instant, Chen Yuan's inner force surged throughout his body as he pushed the power of the Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula to its limit.

Waves of qi churned atop the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand, like jade-blue billows surging and rolling, its might boundless!

Autumn Waters, Startled Goose, Wave-Treading Slash!

The immense force blasted Murong Qing backward step by step. He was already at the end of his strength, and he could barely even stir his true qi.

Yet under the medicinal effects of the Fire Dragon Pill, Chen Yuan's inner force surged wildly. The saber force in his hand condensed into afterimages, like autumn wind scattering fallen leaves, carrying endless savage killing intent amid the fluttering sky!

Autumn Wind Slash!

With the Fire Dragon Pill, he could now unleash the second of the three ultimate killing moves of the Autumn Water Startled Swan Saber.

Murong Qing violently stimulated the last trace of true qi within his body. He could even feel the meridians in his body snapping inch by inch.

The Dragon City Swordsmanship surged forth, grand and majestic, instantly sweeping away the autumn wind saber force filling the sky.

Accompanied by a crisp crack, even the Wild Goose Feather Saber in Chen Yuan's hand shattered into several pieces beneath Murong Qing's strike.

Chen Yuan's Wild Goose Feather Saber was merely an ordinary weapon forged by a blacksmith in Linked Mountains City.

Though it was made of refined steel, it was utterly incomparable to Murong Qing's Dragon-Pattern Azuregold Sword.

By now, the meridians throughout Murong Qing's body had begun to shatter. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper.

At the final moment, he forced himself to hold on and thrust his sword toward Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan had no weapon in hand, but rather than retreat, he advanced. His entire body suddenly crashed into Murong Qing's embrace.

The sword edge grazed past Chen Yuan's shoulder blade by the narrowest margin. The last trace of sharp true qi tore through his clothes, bringing up a splash of blood from his shoulder.

Chen Yuan seemed not to notice. His hands coiled around Murong Qing's sword-wielding right hand like spiritual serpents, Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand, hardness and softness unleashed together!

Deflecting force, breaking the wrist, crushing bone!

In an instant, Murong Qing's right hand was crushed to pulp by Chen Yuan's Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand, and the Dragon-Pattern Azuregold Sword fell to the ground.

Murong Qing howled in agony and reached into his robes with his left hand, tightly gripping the Starshift Divine-Artifact Avatar as he prepared to activate it.

But in the next instant, Chen Yuan twisted around and seized him. Under the Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand, the bones in Murong Qing's left hand were instantly crushed as well.

Snatching Starshift away, Chen Yuan stomped down with both feet, crushing Murong Qing's knees and turning him completely into a cripple.

"You wanted to use Starshift against me? What exactly was going through that brain of yours?"

Chen Yuan looked at Murong Qing and gently shook his head. "Your Murong Clan's Starshift can redirect and reflect any power, but the problem is that I cannot even project true qi outward. What are you supposed to reflect? My fists? Something this valuable should not be wasted in a place like this."