Chapter 36: The Man in Black

Outside the mine.

Li Qing deliberately brushed the dust off himself, maintaining an air of leisure and nonchalance.

Of course, he had also maintained a safe distance. Even if the man in black inside launched a sudden attack, he would have ample time to retreat.

On the other side.

Seeing Li Qing pacing around the vicinity of the mine, the man in black inside began to grow increasingly impatient.

"What is going on?"

"Could he have discovered something?" the hidden man in black thought to himself.

"Probably not. If he knew the situation, he certainly wouldn't dare come here. He likely hasn't taken the matter of the mine to heart and is just stalling for time..."

Recalling Li Qing's strength, the man decided to stop hiding.

*Swish!*

A streak of black light flew directly out from the spirit mine.

The dark, eerie glow was like a long-hidden venomous snake, lunging toward Li Qing's back with sinister ruthlessness.

Seeing this, a cold smirk surfaced in Li Qing's eyes; the opponent had taken the bait.

He feigned a look of panic and clumsily pulled the Black Tortoise Shield from his storage bag.

Upon activation of his magic power, the Black Tortoise Shield expanded to ten feet in size, firmly blocking the incoming sword light.

*Bang!*

Following a loud crash, the light shield emitted by the Black Tortoise Shield was shattered instantly.

In the next moment, the shield appeared unable to withstand the pressure and was sent flying backward.

A pale complexion appeared on Li Qing's face as his body was knocked to the ground.

*Thud.*

After falling, Li Qing looked severely injured, with traces of blood occasionally seeping from the corner of his mouth.

His most powerful method was his combat strength as a body cultivator. To resolve this matter as quickly as possible, he had to lure the man in black closer. Only then could he leverage the advantages of close-quarters combat.

"Who is it?!" Li Qing shouted toward the attacking cultivator with a look of "terror."

Seeing the other party in such a wretched state, the man in black stepped out of the mine and shook his head with disdain.

If it weren't for the need to hide his identity, he wouldn't have needed to hide at all. He had no doubts that Li Qing had been seriously injured by his sneak attack; the gap in strength between the late stage and the middle stage of Qi Refinement was massive, and the amount of magic power in their bodies was on entirely different levels.

"Li Qing, I have been waiting for you for a long time," a slightly raspy voice emerged from the black-clad cultivator.

"You know me?" Li Qing asked, feigning panic.

"Of course. I have been waiting for you right here," the man in black replied, his tone now carrying a hint of malice.

"I see. You are one of Wei Xuan's men?" Li Qing continued to probe for information, maintaining his composure.

"Heh, I didn't expect you to be such a smart person," the man in black said, a flash of surprise appearing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Li Qing to realize so quickly that this matter was connected to Wei Xuan. However, there was no longer a need to hide; the other party would certainly find out about this eventually.

"You dare treat me like this? Are you not worried that I will trade the Foundation Establishment Pill to someone else? When that happens, I will definitely report this to my sect!" Li Qing acted agitated, his chest heaving and his face growing increasingly pale.

"Stop your futile struggles. After today, you will never have the chance to cultivate again in this life," the man in black sneered, his voice filled with indifference and ruthlessness.

Lying on the ground, a chill suddenly rose in Li Qing's heart. The man in black had revealed Wei Xuan's plan. Wei Xuan didn't just want to teach Li Qing a lesson; he wanted to shatter Li Qing's dantian and sever his path to immortality. That way, the Foundation Establishment Pill would naturally become useless to him. It was an incredibly sinister scheme.

"You're dreaming! Even if you pierce my dantian, I will never cooperate with you to hand over the Foundation Establishment Pill!" Li Qing shouted sharply.

He was deliberately stalling for time, waiting for the man in black to slowly approach. He had already quietly gripped the Golden Essence Sword Talisman in his hand. Li Qing needed to find an opportunity for a single, killing blow.

"Is that so? Then we shall see if Fellow Daoist Li can withstand the power of the Heart-Piercing Worm with nothing but a mortal body," the man in black laughed loudly.

He could not wait to see the expression of pain and despair on this man's face once his dantian was destroyed. Then, he would allow the Heart-Piercing Worm to enter the man's body, letting him feel his heart being eaten away bite by bite. This was Wei Xuan's perfect plan: first, completely destroy Li Qing's will to cultivate, and then use the agony of the Heart-Piercing Worm to force his submission.

The black-robed cultivator stared at Li Qing with a cold, sharp gaze. As long as this man had the instinct to survive, once controlled by the Heart-Piercing Worm, he didn't believe the man wouldn't cooperate in transferring the Foundation Establishment Pill. As a specially refined Gu insect, the Heart-Piercing Worm was primarily designed to control mortals. Combined with other methods, a man in a mortal body would have no choice but to comply.

Watching Li Qing's continued struggle, the man in black felt even more exhilarated. He only needed one simple move to reap a massive reward.

With a wave of his hand, the black spirit sword that had appeared earlier reappeared above his head.

*Swish!*

The black spirit sword transformed into a bolt of lightning once more, thrusting toward Li Qing's dantian.

"Don't even think about it!" Li Qing cried out to the heavens in grief and indignation.

He feigned a desperate, final struggle. A surge of magic power erupted from his body as he lunged toward the man in black, appearing as though he were trying to dodge the black flying sword's assault.

Seeing this, the man in black sneered. This man was courting death, actually moving closer to him of his own accord. With a hand seal, the man in black caused the black flying sword to fly back and thrust toward Li Qing once again.

*An opportunity!*

Seeing the man in black getting closer and closer, a fierce light flashed in Li Qing's eyes.

"Rise!"

Li Qing's figure shot out instantly. The Black Tortoise Shield, which had previously fallen, began to glow brilliantly.

*Whoosh! Swish!*

The Black Tortoise Shield flashed with spiritual light, directly intercepting the black flying sword. In truth, the black spirit sword was merely an ordinary mid-grade magical tool; it could not instantly break through the defense of the Black Tortoise Shield.

Although Li Qing was only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, his long years of bitter cultivation, combined with the assistance of the Profound Water Spirit Fish, meant that the magic power in his dantian was deeper and more condensed than that of an average middle-stage Qi Refinement cultivator. He had intentionally acted as if his magic power were exhausted solely to lower the man in black's guard.

Li Qing's explosion happened in an instant. The man in black was momentarily unable to react.

*Boom!*

Purple lightning energy erupted from Li Qing's body. He charged forward at high speed, reaching the man in black in the blink of an eye.

"Die!"

Li Qing's expression was ferocious. He no longer possessed the weak and wretched appearance from moments ago. Supported by his massive blood and qi, Li Qing was like a god of slaughter, his palm—wrapped in purple lightning—striking toward the man in black.

Seeing this, the man in black's expression changed drastically. The arrogance in his eyes vanished. He clearly understood the consequences of allowing a body cultivator to get within close range. In the face of this crisis, he could no longer afford to hide his strength.

*Whoosh, whoosh!*

In an instant, the man in black unleashed his full magic power. As several surges of violent magic power emerged, the surrounding area instantly became bone-chillingly cold.