Chapter 543 - 231: Annihilation (Part 3)
The throw was meant to sow chaos and trigger a fight, buying him a chance at survival.
However, he was fast, but someone else was faster!
The instant the Mother of Destruction left his hand, a figure cloaked in black shot out like a phantom—it was Chen Qing!
He had long been poised to strike. Pushing the Realm of Nonexistence of his Startled Swan Escape Shadow Technique to its limit, his figure seemed to merge into the very gaps of space. Despite moving later, he arrived first, snatching the Mother of Destruction into his grasp before Ma Tong or Liao Chuan could even touch it!
The vast Star Vitality Power flowed through his palm and into his body, instantly invigorating Chen Qing.
In that same instant, two incomparably fierce killing intents locked onto him!
"Courting death!"
Seeing the great treasure he nearly had get snatched away, Ma Tong exploded in fury. His giant hammer whistled through the air as it swept toward Chen Qing, carrying the power to shatter mountains and crack stone. The raging Astral Wind it generated sealed off a large area, cutting off any escape.
At almost the same time, Liao Chuan’s bowstring twanged again. A Bone-Eroding Poison Arrow shot out, silent as a viper in the night. It circled around the fray and flew straight for Chen Qing’s ribs, its angle Cunning, Ruthless, and Fierce!
"Help me get this Mother of Destruction, and the Forging Hall will reward you handsomely!" Ma Tong roared, trying to win Liao Chuan over.
From a distance, Liao Chuan’s raspy voice called out, "I want a Half-Spirit Treasure Level Longbow!"
He was clearly shouting to Ma Tong, planning to join forces to deal with Chen Qing first and discuss the distribution later.
"Done!" Ma Tong agreed through gritted teeth, his assault becoming even more ferocious.
The giant hammer fell like a toppling mountain while the Poison Arrow shadowed his every move, instantly placing Chen Qing in grave danger.
Seeing this, a cold, mocking smile touched Zhu River’s lips. He quickly swallowed an Elixir to suppress his injuries and restore his True Astral.
He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately turned and sped off into the depths of the Evil Mist.
The situation had become clear!
Seeing Chen Qing besieged, a glint flashed in Luo Qianjue’s eyes as he instantly made a decision.
’That black-robed man’s Star Essence True Gang can’t be faked. It’s a direct lineage technique of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect. He’s very likely an Inner Sect Elite, or maybe even a True Successor Candidate.’
’I don’t think he can handle both of them. If they take him down, I’ll be left with nothing.’
’We’re disciples of the same Sect. If I help him now, even if we don’t end up splitting the Contribution Points, I can still foster some goodwill and earn a favor from a powerful fellow disciple. This is a worthwhile trade!’
"I’ll help my fellow sect member first!"
Luo Qianjue let out a low shout as he suddenly unsheathed his long saber. The flash of its blade tore through the Evil Qi like a bolt of silk, letting out a clear, ringing cry. His incomparably fierce Saber Momentum crashed down like a waterfall from the heavens, aimed straight at Liao Chuan, who was firing from a distance!
Luo Qianjue held the firm rank of third greatest genius among the Hundred Sects of Xu Wang Mountain, and he was also widely recognized as their number one saber user. His mastery of the Saber Technique was profound. This single slash was so fast and vicious that it forced Liao Chuan to defend with all his might, leaving him no opportunity to continue attacking Chen Qing from afar.
Liao Chuan specialized in Archery. Once a close-combat expert like Luo Qianjue got ahold of him, he was immediately put on the defensive, facing one perilous moment after another. He could only struggle to hold on; how could he have any strength left to help Ma Tong?
On the other side, Chen Qing had completely suppressed Ma Tong.
Ma Tong’s giant hammer was immensely powerful and heavy. Empowered by his Late-stage Astral Force Cultivation, each of his strikes was incredibly weighty. An ordinary Mid-stage Astral Force cultivator would have likely been shaken to the point of numbness long ago.
But Chen Qing’s Five Elements True Astral was vigorous and domineering, and his physique, fortified by the Eight Extremes Vajra Body at the Mixed Yuan Realm, was exceptionally formidable.
He used his exquisite Body Technique to evade the brunt of the attacks, occasionally countering with a finger or a fist. Each counterattack contained a Power with immense Penetration Power. Even when Ma Tong unleashed several of his killing moves, he failed to gain any advantage.
’Who the hell is this person!?’
The more Ma Tong fought, the more shocked he became.
In the heat of the fierce battle, Chen Qing caught a glimpse of Zhu River about to vanish into the thick mist. Killing intent instantly surged within him.
’If Zhu River escapes, there will be endless trouble later!’
He deliberately created an opening, taking a glancing blow from the wind of Ma Tong’s hammer. Using the impact’s force, he floated backward. It appeared as if he had been knocked back, but he was actually moving straight toward Zhu River’s escape path.
At the same time, he flipped his palm over, and three pellets wreathed in purple lightning appeared—they were the Purple Sky Thunder Bombs he had taken from Wang Yang and Zeng Xiuzhu!
"Go!"
With a low shout and a flick of his wrist, Chen Qing sent the three Thunder Bombs shooting in a triangular formation toward the back of the frantically fleeing Zhu River!
Zhu River was already internally injured, his True Astral unstable. Hearing the Evil Wind rushing at him from behind, he struggled to turn and activate his Body-Protecting True Astral, simultaneously causing his Inner Armor to glow.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The three massive explosions almost merged into one as a violent blast of Thunder Power and shockwaves erupted!
Raging purple lightning engulfed Zhu River.
He let out a blood-curdling scream as his Body-Protecting True Astral shattered instantly. The glow of his Inner Armor dimmed, cracks spreading across its surface. The blast left his clothes in tatters and his aura incredibly weak.
Just as he staggered, before he could even regain his footing, Chen Qing was already upon him like a shadow!
With a flick of his palm, several jet-black Flying Needles, as fine as ox hairs and coated in deadly poison, shot out silently. They formed a small pattern in mid-air, sealing off every possible escape route for Zhu River!
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
Zhu River was at the end of his rope. How could he possibly defend against such insidious and cunning Hidden Weapons?
Several Flying Needles instantly pierced the vital acupoints on his body.
Before he could even circulate his energy to expel the poison, the True Astral Chen Qing had infused into the Flying Needles erupted!
"Argh—!"
Zhu River’s body convulsed violently as black blood trickled from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The raging Gang Qi inside him had turned his meridians into a chaotic mess.
Showing not a shred of pity, Chen Qing threw one last punch. His Five Elements True Astral condensed at his Fist Edge and landed squarely on Zhu River’s heart!
THUD!
With a dull thud, Zhu River’s chest caved in. The light faded completely from his eyes. His body flew backward like a broken sack, his life extinguished before he even hit the ground.
The ferocious Fist Force even blasted his corpse into pieces, reducing it to a bloody mist and leaving nothing intact.
Ma Tong, who had been preparing to give chase, witnessed the horrifying scene of Zhu River being blown into a bloody mist with a single punch. His scalp tingled, and a chill shot up from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his skull.
’This black-robed man’s methods are so ruthless and decisive, and his combat power is absurdly strong!’
’Even Zhu River, at Astral Force Perfection, was schemed against and killed by him. Although I have the advantage of my Weapon, I doubt I’d fare well against him alone. What’s more, Luo Qianjue and that disciple from the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect are still here, watching me like a tiger stalking its prey.’
"Let’s go!"
With barely any hesitation, Ma Tong made a swift decision. He barked an order, calling to the other disciples of the Forging Hall, then turned and fled for his life in the opposite direction from Chen Qing and Luo Qianjue, vanishing instantly into the thick Evil Mist.
Seeing that Ma Tong had fled and Zhu River was dead, Liao Chuan knew he couldn’t possibly hold out alone. How could he dare continue the fight?
He fired a feint arrow to force Luo Qianjue back, then his figure flickered a few times as he too vanished into the Evil Mist.
"You can have whatever Zhu River left behind."
Chen Qing sent a telepathic message to Luo Qianjue, and then he too disappeared from where he stood.
.....