Chapter 542 - 231: Annihilation 2
That aura of True Astral—condensed, sharp, and tinged with the essence of dying stars—was identical to the residual Gang Qi he had sensed where Wang Zhifu had fallen!
"It was you! You killed someone from the Wang Family?!"
Zhu River’s eyes locked onto Chen Qing.
"Someone from the Wang Family? Don’t you go making baseless accusations!"
Chen Qing, however, paid him no mind. He called out, "The two of you, the Mother of Destruction is still on his person!"
His words were like adding fuel to the fire. Ma Tong roared and swung his giant hammer even more ferociously, stirring up gusts of Astral Wind and forcing Zhu River to retreat again and again.
Liao Chuan also loosed a continuous stream of arrows. The pitch-black Poison Arrows, like life-stealing vipers, flew at Zhu River’s vital points from cunning angles, leaving him scrambling to defend himself.
Although Zhu River was at Astral Force Perfection and incredibly strong, he was besieged by two experts of the same level—one of whom was an impossibly unpredictable Archer. He was instantly overwhelmed, finding himself in constant peril.
He tried to use his Body Technique to break through the encirclement several times, but was always driven back by Ma Tong’s mighty hammer blows and Liao Chuan’s precise, vicious Arrows.
Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Chen Qing’s eyes.
He knew that if Zhu River escaped, he would become a major threat in the future.
’Since we’re already enemies, I might as well seize this chance. I’ll use them to kill him and eliminate this problem for good!’
At that thought, he hesitated no longer. With a flicker of movement, he cut into the fray like a phantom.
He continued to simulate the Star Essence True Gang, his moves vicious and cunning, aimed squarely at the weak points in Zhu River’s defense.
Chen Qing’s fingers formed a spear hand. Though he was using the Force Manipulation Technique of the Thousand Rain Flowing Shadow Spear, to an outsider it looked like a fierce Finger Technique or some other form of Fist and Foot Skills, which vaguely resonated with the Star Essence True Gang’s theme of dying stars.
Chen Qing’s entry into the fight immediately doubled the pressure on Zhu River.
Chen Qing’s true combat power had always been far beyond that of an ordinary Mid-stage Astral Force cultivator. Now with the three of them working together, Zhu River was immediately at a complete disadvantage.
"PFFT!"
In a moment of carelessness, Zhu River’s shoulder was grazed by one of Liao Chuan’s Poison Arrows. His Body-Protecting True Astral was instantly corroded, creating a gap. Although the arrow didn’t break his skin, the insidious Gang Qi made half of his body go numb.
"A great opportunity!"
Ma Tong saw the opening and brought his giant hammer down like a mountain!
Zhu River barely managed to raise a palm to meet it. Amidst a deafening crash, the impact sent his qi and blood into turmoil, and he staggered backward.
The moment his stance faltered, Chen Qing silently closed the distance and landed a heavy, hidden fist squarely on his back, over his heart.
"THUD!"
The punch seemed silent, but its Power penetrated deep into his body.
Zhu River’s entire body trembled violently. His face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
He whipped his head around and stared fixedly at Chen Qing.
’This kid’s Cultivation doesn’t even seem to be at the Outer Astral realm, so why is his Power so bizarre and domineering?’
The fierce battle here, especially the powerful True Astral fluctuations and the sound of Liao Chuan’s Arrows whistling through the air, had long since alerted people nearby.
Several figures came speeding out of the dense Evil Mist. The one in the lead had a sharp aura; it was none other than Xu Wang Mountain’s third-ranked genius, Luo Qianjue!
Following him were three other disciples from Xu Wang Mountain, all with Cultivation at the Mid-stage Astral Force. It was clearly their team.
The moment they drew near, they heard the words "Mother of Destruction," and their gazes instantly grew feverish.
The temptation of over ten thousand Contribution Points was something no Inner Sect Disciple could resist.
"People from the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect?"
When Zhu River saw the attire worn by Luo Qianjue’s group, his brows knitted together. ’This is bad,’ he thought grimly.
He hadn’t even dealt with the three in front of him, and now four Official Disciples from the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect had arrived. The situation was growing worse by the second.
Luo Qianjue’s sharp gaze swept quickly across the scene.
His eyes lingered for a moment on Ma Tong and Liao Chuan, who were clearly outside experts, before finally landing on the embattled Zhu River and the black-robed figure wreathed in Star Essence True Gang.
’Star Essence True Gang? Which Senior Brother from my Celestial Treasure Upper Sect is this? Why have I never seen him before?’
A trace of doubt flashed through Luo Qianjue’s mind.
Two of the disciples behind him were already eager to make a move. One whispered, "Senior Brother Luo, the Mother of Destruction is on that old man in red! Should we..."
Luo Qianjue raised a hand to stop them and said calmly, "Be patient. Let’s wait and see how things develop."
It was a three-way melee. Rushing in rashly would not be a wise move.
Chen Qing also noticed the arrival of Luo Qianjue and his group, and his heart stirred slightly.
He wasn’t familiar with Luo Qianjue, but he had often heard people mention him. The man was said to be quite warm-hearted and righteous, with an excellent reputation among the geniuses of Xu Wang Mountain’s Hundred Sects.
Chen Qing’s coordination with Ma Tong and Liao Chuan grew increasingly seamless, completely sealing off all of Zhu River’s escape routes.
Zhu River knew he wouldn’t be getting out of this easily. If he dragged it on any longer, death was certain.
A crazed and pained look flashed in his eyes. He abruptly pulled a pure crimson pellet from his robes and hurled it violently at the ground!
"BOOM—!"
An earth-shattering explosion rang out. The crimson pellet burst open, transforming into a terrifying cloud of fire that covered a radius of several dozen yards. A searing heatwave mixed with a violent shockwave swept out in all directions!
"A Thunder Fire Bomb from the Thunder Hall!"
Ma Tong cried out in alarm, hastily swinging his hammer to protect himself as he rapidly retreated.
Liao Chuan’s expression also changed. He shot backward, simultaneously firing an Arrow to try and offset some of the impact.
Chen Qing reacted instantly, drifting back like smoke. At the same time, he activated his Eight Extremes Vajra Body to weather part of the shockwave, feeling his qi and blood churn within him.
Luo Qianjue and his group, who had just arrived, were also forced to retreat repeatedly by the sudden explosion, channeling their energy to defend themselves.
Zhu River saw that he was trapped, his escape routes cut off. He knew that if he tried to hold onto the Mother of Destruction, his chances of survival today were nonexistent.
A flicker of unwillingness crossed his eyes, but in the end, the will to survive overwhelmed everything else.
He forcefully threw the green Mother of Destruction from his robes toward the empty space between Ma Tong and Liao Chuan, roaring hoarsely, "Fine, you can have it! Take it!"