He was going to die anyway, so why keep holding his breath? He let himself breathe freely. Poisonous or not, he no longer cared; he just wanted one good, unhindered breath before he died. His body had been stifled ever since he entered the Divine Fire Domain.
Crack! Flying stone fragments struck Li Hongjiu's cheek, stinging fiercely.
At the fatal instant, the saber's tip veered aside and plunged in beside his neck. Its edge pressed against his throat, but went no farther.
He had already given up resisting and closed his eyes, yet the outcome he expected never came. He clearly felt the crushing pressure stop, followed by something else pressing against his body.
He checked himself. His blood qi had not leaked out. He really wasn't dead. Had they spared him?
His eyes flew open. The Three Gods-and-Devils Dharma Forms had surrounded him, with a saber held against his neck. Although its blade partly blocked his view, he could still see that what pressed against his heart should be the sword in one form's hand, while what rested against his abdomen should be another form's spear.
Then he saw Wu Jinliang staring at him curiously.
Only once the situation had stabilized did Chu Jingtang cautiously approach. He could hardly imagine it either: the formidable Li Hongjiu had been knocked flat and captured by Wu Jinliang in a single exchange. This was an astonishingly forceful turn of events.
"Hehehehe, Brother Chu, I left him alone earlier because I wasn't interested in squabbling over a moment's advantage. Peerless genius? Expert? See that? In the end, they all wind up beneath my saber!" Wu Jinliang swaggered and bragged, utterly delighted. He had never expected to capture Li Hongjiu so easily either. He had only tried one spear thrust.
As for why he