Chapter 298 - 182: Spirit Extinction Elixir
Lin Qianyin had a Tracking Talisman in hand, so there was no way Zhai Yuzhu could escape.
The fact that she could hide in this Nether Abyss Peak was already the limit for Zhai Yuzhu, a cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation.
As soon as Liou Yuan entered the valley entrance, he saw Lin Qianyin and two others forming a pincer movement, besieging a female cultivator with disheveled hair and tattered clothes in the center.
She carried a basket on her back, filled with some unknown herbs emitting a black mist. From beneath the tangled hair, half of a delicate face was visible.
If Liou Yuan hadn’t noticed a silver snake-shaped pendant around that female cultivator’s neck, identical to the one depicted in paintings of Zhai Yuzhu’s necklace,
he wouldn’t have dared confirm the identity of the female cultivator before him.
"Ha, being hunted by all the major sects and forced to hide in this Nether Abyss Peak, she’d be lucky if she’s doing well," Liou Yuan thought with a sneer, then shifted his gaze from Zhai Yuzhu to an area with a clear view, ready to watch the drama unfold.
Ultimately, this was still an internal affair of their Yanluo Sect.
Zhai Yuzhu and the three Yanluo Sect disciples, including Lin Qianyin, clearly knew each other.
Surrounded by the trio, Zhai Yuzhu showed no signs of panic or fear. She calmly swept the hair off her forehead, revealing a pair of eyes with a devilish charm, and gave a bright smile to Lin Qianyin in front of her: "To trouble Sister Qianyin to personally come here, it seems the sect’s Foundation Establishment truly hates me to the core."
"Miss Zhai, your crimes are grievous, and the order from above is to execute you on the spot," Lin Qianyin said, her hand resting on a black Profound Iron Greatsword, looking at the female cultivator before her with a complex expression.
"For the sake of our sect, I can give you a chance to meet with the Sect Leader. Surrender yourself, and come back to the sect with me."
"Sister Qianyin, you’re really naive," Zhai Yuzhu laughed, those eyes mocking as they looked at Lin Qianyin in front of her.
"Do you know how many fellow sect members I’ve killed?"
"Do you know how many loose cultivators I’ve slaughtered?"
"Going back to the sect with you would still mean death, but after unbearable torture."
"And that’s what you deserve," Lin Qianyin’s tone suddenly turned sharp, her Profound Iron Sword emitting a loud sword chant.
Lin Qianyin was arguably one of the top figures among Yanluo Sect’s outer sect disciples of her generation.
In the Jin Dynasty and Jiuli State, she was a recognized powerhouse at the Qi Cultivation level.
Upon hearing the sword chant from Lin Qianyin’s Profound Iron Sword, even Zhai Yuzhu couldn’t afford to be careless, her expression turning immediately solemn.
But soon, a playful look appeared as she continued, "With my dull aptitude, I’ve diligently cultivated in the sect for ten years without becoming someone of prominence."
"As the chosen ones, you were born far ahead on the path, unaware of the despair of us lower-level disciples."
"Only by taking a different path could I hope to catch up with you and see the hope of Foundation Establishment."
With that, Zhai Yuzhu pointed casually at the two Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer disciples surrounding her, tauntingly, "Without practicing the Blood Refining and Spirit Drawing Skill, would you two even give me a second glance in the sect?"
"The fact that you’re serious enough to surround me today proves that the path I chose was correct."
"Even at this point, you’re still so stubborn!"
"It seems there’s no longer any need to bring you back to the sect, Miss Zhai," Lin Qianyin’s words signaled the start of the attack.
The two Yanluo Sect disciples surrounding Zhai Yuzhu immediately responded, summoning their magical artifacts and preparing to strike Zhai Yuzhu.
Simultaneously, Lin Qianyin’s Profound Iron Greatsword emitted a burst of sword aura.
Though encircled by attackers, Zhai Yuzhu’s expression remained composed as before.
Feeling the tremors of spiritual power from the three around her, she showed no sign of evasion, and even a smile appeared on her lips.
Zhai Yuzhu’s calm demeanor made Liou Yuan, watching from the valley’s entrance, begin to second-guess himself.
"Too calm. Has Zhai Yuzhu reached Foundation Establishment?"
She was facing Lin Qianyin, the foremost sword cultivator among the younger generation of Yanluo Sect.
And she had two fellow sect members at the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation assisting her.
This formation could kill any cultivator below Foundation Establishment.
Zhai Yuzhu was either crazy or truly had a trump card.
Soon, Liou Yuan had his answer.
The first to have an accident were the two male Yanluo Sect cultivators at the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation.
Just as their surging spiritual power infused their respective magical artifacts, and before they could strike at Zhai Yuzhu, their expressions froze.
The spiritual power infused into their artifacts was like a leaky bucket, instantly dissipating into the air, unable to gather.
Not only did their artifacts encounter issues, but their bodies were also having problems.
They staggered, and one even spat out blood.
"Poison!" Liou Yuan’s first thought was poison.
The Disciplinary Hall’s intelligence had warned that Zhai Yuzhu was highly skilled in using poison.
"Take the Detoxification Pill!" Lin Qianyin’s first thought was also poison.
Fortunately, they knew of Zhai Yuzhu’s prowess and had prepared Detoxification Pills in advance.
While reminding her two companions, her Profound Iron Greatsword was already slashing towards Zhai Yuzhu.
Her cultivation was higher than her companions’, so she relied on her deep cultivation to resist the poison, and the sword aura from her sword directly cleaved at Zhai Yuzhu.
Bang! A golden light blossomed in the dim valley.
Lin Qianyin’s swordsmanship was fierce and domineering. As soon as she made her move, she revealed her momentum. The sword’s light cut down, and the surrounding rocks and gravel were swept aside by the sword’s force, leaving only Zhai Yuzhu locked in place by the sword’s light.
Zhai Yuzhu was not a pushover either. Although she was weaker than Lin Qianyin in terms of realm, her skills were not lacking.
Moreover, Lin Qianyin was poisoned, and the power of her sword was not as strong as in her prime. Zhai Yuzhu calmly mobilized the spiritual power within her, stirring up a bloody spiritual power that transformed into a mask of a fierce ghost in front of her.
Boom! The golden sword light struck the ghost face mask.
It only left a noticeable mark on it, without shattering it, leaving Zhai Yuzhu unscathed.
On the contrary, Lin Qianyin, due to swinging that sword, activated the poison, causing black blood to seep from the corner of her mouth.
Fortunately, after swinging that sword, Lin Qianyin’s hands were not idle, and she quickly took out a pre-prepared Detoxification Pill and swallowed it.
Zhai Yuzhu’s ghost face mask in front of her dissipated. She looked mocking at Lin Qianyin and the other two fellow sect members’ reactions, her voice carrying a sinister chill.
"Useless."
Her demeanor didn’t seem feigned, as if she was certain her poison could not be neutralized by the Detoxification Pill.
Sure enough, the faces of the two Yanluo Sect disciples who first took the Detoxification Pill changed dramatically.
Because, after consuming the Detoxification Pill they had prepared in advance, the chaotic spiritual power within them still did not change.
Lin Qianyin, witnessing this scene, also showed a somber expression.
Zhai Yuzhu did not give them much time.
The hand hidden beneath her tattered sleeve slowly rose, and between her five fingers, a black orb radiating a dim light was exposed to the air.
"Retreat!" Lin Qianyin dared not counter Zhai Yuzhu’s attack now, and after shouting, she quickly retreated.
Initially, she could withstand the poison for some time; however, swinging that sword forcibly triggered the poison, leaving her with no time to suppress it.
At this moment, she dared not face Zhai Yuzhu’s edge directly.
She managed to retreat in time.
The other two disciples at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer could not mobilize their spiritual power at all, barely budging three zhang.
Rumble! The black orb in Zhai Yuzhu’s hand exploded, devouring everything within a radius of several dozen zhang.
The black spiritual power fluctuations rampaged within that range.
Watching on the sidelines, Liou Yuan’s eyes showed a solemn expression.
"Good heavens, that Blood Refining and Spirit Drawing Skill indeed has some substance. The power of this one magic attack is comparable to the final sword of my Green Tide Sword Qi’s Shock Tide."
With such a powerful strike, the two Yanluo Sect disciples at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer might have stood a chance if they were in their full states.
But now, Liou Yuan simply shook his head, silently concluding the outcome for the two: "They’re doomed."
As the black energy fluctuations dispersed.
Only Zhai Yuzhu’s thin figure remained standing in the field.
The two Yanluo Sect disciples lay in pools of blood; their bodies were torn open, as if someone had flayed them.
One of them had already lost his breath on the spot, while the other still had a weak breath but was not far from death.
Zhai Yuzhu, in front of Lin Qianyin, emotionlessly extended a finger, pointing at the disciple with a waning breath, ending his life.
Having done all this, she again looked at Lin Qianyin, her eyes revealing greed.
"Five-Star Gold Acupoint Lin Qianyin, devouring your flesh and blood would be more nourishing than any spirit pills."
Lin Qianyin’s poisoning worsened, so severely that she, watching her companions die under Zhai Yuzhu’s hand, had no power to save them, with fresh blood continuously seeping from her nose and mouth.
"What kind of poison is this? This Detoxification Pill was refined by a Foundation Establishment Pill Master. You can’t possibly have alchemical skills surpassing those of a Foundation Establishment Pill Master." Lin Qianyin covered her nose and mouth, leaning her greatsword on the ground, questioning Zhai Yuzhu.
Perhaps she was too unwilling to accept it. Her full capabilities hadn’t even been unleashed before she was defeated like this.
It seemed like a question.
As an observer, Liou Yuan could see clearly what Lin Qianyin was doing.
Inside her, an extremely sharp aura was brewing.
The moment that aura spread, it directly activated the newly emerged sword qi within Liou Yuan.
It frantically roamed inside Liou Yuan, eager to rush out and compete with the aura within Lin Qianyin.
"Sword Qi!" Liou Yuan suppressed his desire to strike, a thought in his heart exclaiming, "As expected."
He had long judged that Lin Qianyin, having mastered both sword manuals, had comprehended Sword Qi.
That aura, in its unreleased state, was undetectable by ordinary people; only a sword cultivator like Liou Yuan, who had also comprehended Sword Qi, could sense it.
Zhai Yuzhu, feeling triumphant, was completely oblivious to the impending danger.
Upon hearing Lin Qianyin’s questioning, how could she pass up the opportunity to show off in front of a once unreachable genius disciple?
She laughed twice, and the silver pendant around her neck swayed violently with her laughter.
"This is an elixir I found at the place where I discovered that Blood Refining and Spirit Drawing Skill."
"Strictly speaking, it’s not a poison, but an ancient potion that suppresses spiritual power. If you hadn’t recklessly used spiritual power when poisoned, it wouldn’t have activated."
"Yet, once spiritual power is used, the potion’s power will manifest, transforming into the most lethal poison elixir, tearing apart your meridians."