Chapter 408 - 407: Waiting For You to Get Close
High in the sky, the flames of battle raged. Qin Ya faced his most perilous situation yet.
Dozens of Blood Slaves, baring fangs and brandishing claws, their eyes blood-red, lunged forward. Qin Ya gripped Ting Xiao, and a sharp Sword Qi soared into the sky as furious Thunder roared. Though the bodies of the Blood Slaves were tough, they could not withstand the might of a Spiritual Artifact!
Not far away, Qiann Feng, the bald old man, and the others looked on in surprise.
"I never expected this guy to have so many treasures. On top of that Ghost Face Mask, he even has a Spiritual Artifact. Tsk, tsk. He’s got quite a few cards up his sleeve."
The bald old man gave a sinister chuckle, a glint of greed in his eyes.
Beside him, Qiann Feng frowned and snorted. ’If this man wasn’t a Messenger for that great lord, why would I, with my Cultivation as a King, be so hesitant? I would’ve slapped him to death ages ago. Does he actually think he can hoard the treasures for himself?!’
"For a mere Sky-Controlling cultivator to make it this far is indeed impressive."
Qiann Feng said flatly, a hint of admiration in his voice. However, this did nothing to diminish his killing intent toward Qin Ya; instead, it only made him more resolute.
’When you make an enemy of a prodigy like this, you have to eliminate them as soon as possible!’
’Otherwise, if he’s allowed to mature, he’ll become a boundless threat in the future!’
"But this is as far as you go!"
As his words faded, Qiann Feng casually waved his palm. A vast, cloud-like energy gathered, infused with King’s True Intent, and instantly enveloped the entire space. The Palm Qi bore down with immense pressure!
Its power far surpassed that of any Celestial Human.
Even the Dharma Aspect of a Half-Step King would be utterly fragile before this palm. Qin Ya’s pupils shrank. The Four Symbols Mysteries and the Mysteries of Destruction manifested, forming a Power of Natural Destruction that he channeled into his Sword Qi. Amid a long roar, he slashed out!
Then, from his Storage Ring, he pulled out several Defensive Pseudo-Spiritual Artifacts he had plundered from Yun Province. He channeled his True Essence to activate them. Instantly, layer after layer of defensive light barriers materialized, forming a formidable shield. Lastly, he grabbed a handful of Healing Elixirs and shoved them into his mouth!
This entire sequence of actions was completed in an instant.
The onlookers couldn’t help but stare, dumbfounded. ’This guy has so many treasures!’
With a deafening BOOM, the Sword Qi and Palm Qi collided, creating a massive Energy Shock that swept out in all directions. More than a dozen Blood Slaves were caught in the blast; their bodies exploded, spraying fountains of blood as they were hurled hundreds of yards away, their fates unknown.
But before the might of a King, the Sword Qi couldn’t hold for long. In less than the span of a single breath, it fractured and, with a BANG, completely shattered. The cloud-like Palm Qi, its power only slightly diminished, continued its terrifying path toward Qin Ya!
CRACK! The first shield shattered on impact, dissolving into motes of light.
BOOM! The second shield fluctuated violently. It held on for a split second before it too exploded. By now, the Palm Qi had lost more than half its power!
It then smashed into the third shield. After a moment of fierce resistance, this one also shattered, and the remaining blast, with less than twenty percent of its original might, slammed into Qin Ya!
Instantly, the Scenic Landscapes on Qin Ya erupted in white light, desperately resisting the Palm Qi. Even so, the force of the impact alone shattered his bones and ruptured his internal organs. He violently spat out a mouthful of blood as his body was blasted hundreds of yards away.
Gritting his teeth, he instantly crushed the Elixirs in his mouth and swallowed. The immense Medicinal Power transformed into a great, warm current that surged through his body. Qin Ya felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring; the excruciating pain vanished by more than half, and his injuries began to mend.
’He blocked it! With a mere Sky-Controlling Cultivation, he actually blocked a palm strike from a King!’
The crowd was stunned, finding it utterly unbelievable.
"He... he actually blocked it."
"Damn it, how can one person have so many treasures?"
"A Spiritual Artifact, a mask, Defensive Pseudo-Spiritual Artifacts, Elixirs... What else is he hiding?"
"Even a King probably doesn’t have that many high-end items."
Everyone stared at Qin Ya, a strange light flashing in their eyes. They looked like ravenous demons gazing upon a massive Treasure Vault, eager to make their move.
But a bitter smile touched Qin Ya’s lips. ’The might of a King... it’s really something I can’t hope to match. Just a single palm strike forced me to use everything I have to resist. If he attacked with his full power, this battle would be over in a matter of breaths.’
’Kid, have you reached your limit?’
’No! Not yet!’
Qin Ya took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a frenzied War Intent. ’So what if he’s a King? If a King wants to kill me, I’ll make him pay a hefty price!’
Just then, several Half-Step Elders charged forward, leading a group of Blood Slaves. Qin Ya let out a long roar as a silvery-white light flashed. A towering, 180-foot-tall Dharma Aspect condensed around him, and his speed surged. Though it was somewhat suppressed by the enveloping True Intent, it was still not to be underestimated.
The Power of Nature flowed along his blade. Qin Ya’s footwork shifted, his movements becoming as elusive as a phantom. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen Blood Slave heads were lopped off and tumbled to the ground. At the same time, he was struck by several Elders. His Dharma Aspect shattered, and several of his ribs broke, but he showed no fear. He swallowed another Elixir and fought on!
"Hmph. Courting death!"
Qiann Feng sneered and took a step. That single step covered hundreds of yards, bringing him instantly to Qin Ya’s side. He struck out with a deceptively casual palm. Qin Ya’s pupils shrank as several protective light shields materialized around him. But before this palm, they were as fragile as paper. In the blink of an eye, they were torn apart and pierced through, and the attack slammed into Qin Ya!
"Cough, cough..."
Qin Ya’s sternum cracked, the bone shards piercing his internal organs. He coughed up two great mouthfuls of blood laced with organ fragments. Yet he fought to hold his ground, refusing to retreat. A slight smile curved his lips, and a brilliant light shone in his eyes. With a flash, several Jade Rings appeared in his hand.
"Finally... I was waiting for you to get close!"
Seeing the smile on Qin Ya’s lips, Qiann Feng’s eyelid twitched. A thread of unease coiled in his heart, shaking his composure. A flicker of shock crossed his eyes.
’This boy... he actually made me feel this way!’
With a series of CRACKS, Qin Ya crushed the Storage Rings in his hand. A dense, vast black fog exploded outward. The moment Qiann Feng saw the fog, the unease in his heart intensified. He tried to flash away, but he was the closest to the fog, and it erupted with a speed that far surpassed his imagination. There was no escape!
The black fog surged, instantly blanketing the world and enveloping everyone. Qin Ya immediately swallowed an antidote. At the same time, his figure shot forward, Ting Xiao Sword in hand. He unleashed his Fast Sword technique on the Blood Slaves, who were still stunned by the fog. In a flash, more than a dozen heads flew high, fountains of blood erupting, and the acrid stench of blood in the air grew even stronger.
"What is this?"
"This is... a Poisonous Fog!"
"Damn it, this Poisonous Fog is incredibly potent! I’ve sealed my acupoints, but it’s useless. It’s actually invading my body through my own True Essence!"
"This is bad, my True Essence is severely restricted! I... I can’t manifest my Dharma Aspect! What a terrifying Poisonous Fog! That guy actually had such a deadly weapon!"
"One trump card after another... just how many more tricks does he have up his sleeve?"
Qiann Feng’s expression was grim, and he was inwardly horrified. The potency of this Poisonous Fog was far beyond his imagination. Not only were the Half-Step Kings severely restricted, but even his own True Essence felt as if it were in shackles, making it incredibly difficult to circulate.
His combat strength instantly plummeted by more than thirty percent.
"Qin Ya, a trick like this won’t save your life!"