Chapter 37: Inner Sect Disciple

"It's you."

Li Qing's face was filled with shock upon seeing the cultivation technique employed by the man in black.

The massive surge of water-element mana presented a dark, blackish hue.

The moment the mana was unleashed, frost flowers instantly bloomed on the ground beneath the black-clad cultivator's feet.

The bone-chilling cold made even Li Qing feel uncomfortable.

He truly had never expected it.

The man in black before him was actually an inner disciple.

As soon as the man's technique was revealed, Li Qing immediately recognized it. This was a technique only accessible to inner disciples—the *Mystic Yin Water Control Scripture*.

It was a high-grade Profound-rank technique that required inner disciple status to practice.

Any high-grade Profound-rank technique could be cultivated all the way to the Nascent Soul stage, which spoke to its rarity.

"Jue Hen."

Li Qing quickly regained his composure, his eyes filled with killing intent.

The moment the black-clad man used the *Mystic Yin Water Control Scripture*, he could no longer hide his aura.

This person was precisely the late-stage Qi Refinement inner disciple from the Thousand Domain Boat.

Li Qing had already scouted this man's origins while aboard the boat.

The ruthlessness in Li Qing's eyes deepened.

He hadn't expected Wei Xuan to be able to summon a true genius.

But at this moment, Li Qing had no way out.

Regardless of this person's identity, he had to be left here.

He had to kill him; once his hidden strength was exposed, his secrets would become even harder to conceal.

If that happened, even his life would be in jeopardy.

He knew that from the moment Jue Hen's identity was exposed, only one of them could walk away alive.

*Huff! Huff!*

Facing Li Qing's powerful offensive, the surging black mana surrounding Jue Hen rapidly transformed into a shield.

Looking at the murderous gaze in Li Qing's eyes, Jue Hen couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

It was hard for him to believe that this outer disciple, who appeared to be only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, was actually a rare body cultivator whose hidden strength was not inferior to his own.

"How is this possible? This person is merely an ordinary outer disciple; how could he possess such talent and resources?"

If the facts weren't right in front of him, Jue Hen truly would have found it hard to believe.

*Boom! Bang!*

At that moment, a massive hand enveloped in purple lightning struck down.

The black mana shield collided with the surging lightning, erupting in a massive roar.

In the next instant, a large section of the black mana shield collapsed. However, due to the domineering nature of the Mystic Yin mana, the shield still managed to block Li Qing's first strike.

Seeing this, Jue Hen's expression relaxed slightly.

Facing Li Qing's sneak attack, he hadn't even bothered to use his own magical tools.

It was simply because Li Qing's movements had been too swift.

"I didn't expect you to be hiding so deeply."

Jue Hen looked at Li Qing with a face full of resentment.

In that previous moment, he had felt a life-and-death crisis unlike anything he had ever experienced.

As an inner disciple of the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect and a possessor of a Water-element Heavenally Spiritual Root, he had nearly met his end in such a humiliating fashion.

This massive sense of disparity was difficult for him to adjust to for a moment.

"In that case, just die!"

Jue Hen barked coldly, his face twisted with malice.

By now, he had long since cast aside any thoughts of the Foundation Establishment Pill on Li Qing's person.

He only wanted to use this man's life to wash away the shame and indignation in his heart.

Even if that Foundation Establishment Pill belonged to him, he no longer cared.

As a genius disciple like himself, the sect would naturally bestow Foundation Establishment Pills upon him.

Before this mission began, Wei Xuan had personally visited him, attempting to win his allegiance by using the secret of the Foundation Establishment Pill on Li Qing.

It just so happened that he also wanted to use Wei Xuan to do his bidding.

Furthermore, since he had to execute this mission, he had agreed.

Besides, a Foundation Establishment Pill would be a significant gain for him, as he was currently only at the Qi Refinement stage.

Moreover, since it was just a simple skirmish, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

Currently, the internal competition within the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect was brutal.

With the current recovery of worldly spiritual energy, although Heavenally Spiritual Roots were rare, they were no longer as highly valued by the sect as they once were.

*Crackling!*

A burst of thunderous explosions rang out.

Li Qing, with a ferocious expression, charged toward Jue Hen once again.

Seeing this, Jue Hen's face grew even more insulted and angry.

Even knowing his identity, this person remained so unscrupulous.

Jue Hen was not as simple as an ordinary late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator.

As a favored child of heaven with a Heavenally Spiritual Root, he practiced the *Mystic Yin Water Control Art*; his actual combat capability was not something an ordinary late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator could compare to.

Just as Jue Hen was about to summon his true magical tool—

*Swish!*

A streak of golden light, as fast as lightning, shot toward Jue Hen.

"This is..."

Jue Hen's expression changed drastically once more.

*Swish!*

The mana shield he relied on most was instantly torn open by a gap.

The golden light surged toward Jue Hen's head.

"First-grade high-tier talisman—Golden Essence Sword!"

Jue Hen immediately recognized the golden light approaching.

He was well aware of the devastating power of the Golden Essence Sword.

It was equivalent to a full-strength strike from a peak Qi Refinement cultivator.

Although his mana shield was peerless among those of the same rank, it was far from enough to withstand the Golden Essence Sword.

Taking advantage of the moment the mana shield provided cover, a blue light flew out from Jue Hen's storage bag.

It was a shimmering blue treasure mirror.

Judging by its aura, it was a high-grade defensive magical tool.

The green inscriptions around the mirror's body protruded outward, vividly depicting countless water-element creatures.

Facing the approaching Golden Essence Sword talisman, Jue Hen did not dare to be careless.

He frantically poured his internal mana into the blue treasure mirror.

*Hum!*

Nourished by the mana, the treasure mirror erupted with spiritual light.

A massive blue screen appeared before Jue Hen.

This powerful high-grade defensive tool was Jue Hen's true trump card for survival.

As long as he could hold off the attack of the Golden Essence Sword, he would have the chance to unleash his full strength against Li Qing.

*Sizzle! Sizzle!*

The Golden Essence Sword talisman collided head-on with the blue screen, producing a massive roar.

However, the offensive of the Golden Essence Sword talisman was successfully blocked.

The spiritual light on the talisman even began to dim.

Yet, in that brief moment, the defensive screen of the blue treasure mirror also became slightly transparent.

Seeing this, a look of joy appeared on Jue Hen's face.

Just as he was about to take out his offensive magical tool, a sudden sound reached his ears.

"Purple Thunder Palm!"

A massive thunderous palm descended from the sky, striking toward the blue screen.

Seeing the terrifying thunderous palm rushing toward him, Jue Hen hurriedly abandoned the thought of taking out his offensive tool.

He desperately poured all his internal mana into the blue treasure mirror.

If the screen shattered, he would die instantly.

The prerequisite for a counterattack was being able to withstand the opponent's strike.

*Thud!*

After the Purple Thunder Palm struck, the blue screen immediately became unstable.

The spiritual light on the blue treasure mirror grew much dimmer.

Just as the two sides fell into a stalemate, Li Qing flipped his hand, and two more talismans appeared.

They were the Flame Talismans he had purchased earlier.

"Go!"

The two Flame Talismans transformed into two massive balls of fire and crashed toward the blue screen.

(End of Chapter)