Chapter 48: Nothing More Than This

Ning Qi's figure was as ethereal as white clouds. Whether dodging astral qi or wielding the Longxiao Sword, his internal energy clung to the blade, shattering the incoming astral qi into pieces.

But at this moment, Tie Ying charged forward proactively with extreme speed.

Ning Qi shifted his stance accordingly.

With a light tap of his toes, his momentum changed abruptly. His gaze turned indifferent, and he lunged forward like a black dragon streaking through the night, his speed even surpassing that of Tie Ying.

The Ethereal Drifting Dragon Steps he had created was an unparalleled supreme technique; whether in flexible evasion or rapid sprinting, it excelled in every aspect. This sudden burst of speed caused Tie Ying's heart to skip a beat, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him.

But it was too late.

The two charged toward each other, covering the distance of dozens of yards in a single breath.

Looking at the indifferent middle-aged Taoist, Tie Ying felt a chill in his heart. However, in a narrow encounter, the brave prevail. He had confidence in his own Sky Eagle True Astral Qi; if he retreated now, his momentum would inevitably fall into a disadvantage, and he feared he might not only return empty-handed but fail to escape unscathed.

Three yards remained.

Tie Ying formed his palms into eagle claws. With a sharp *clang*, a pair of cold, piercing claws extended from each palm, shimmering with a ghostly light in the night sky.

He roared inwardly.

"Sky Eagle Claws!"

A ferocious expression crossed his eyes as waves of astral qi erupted from his body, tearing through the cold claws to instantly form two incomparably sharp eagle-claw-shaped astral energies. One could even hear the long cry of a sky eagle, shaking the very soul of the observer.

He had opened with a killing move!

Relying on this technique, Tie Ying had been invincible, having even slain experts of the Astral Origin Realm.

But Ning Qi was no ordinary man.

The influence brought by that sky eagle's cry had a negligible effect on him; his repeated experiences with near-death had forged a mental fortitude far surpassing those of his peers.

Staring at the eagle-claw true astral qi, Ning Qi's expression remained unchanged, as indifferent as ever.

Amidst Tie Ying's stunned gaze, Ning Qi gave a light swing. The Longxiao Sword struck from two yards away. To Tie Ying's shock, what surged from the sword was not astral qi, but rather a dual-colored red and blue internal energy that extended outward.

"Internal Yuan Realm?!"

Tie Ying found it absurd and wanted to burst into laughter. The fellow opposite him was merely a pig pretending to be a tiger—an Internal Yuan Realm expert actually managed to intimidate someone of his Astral Origin Realm.

But before his mocking laughter could escape, it was abruptly cut short.

Tie Ying's eyes widened, filled with intense disbelief.

The red and blue internal energy extended from the Longxiao Sword, breaking through the three-yard gap almost instantaneously.

Ning Qi swung the sword lightly.

Though he was three yards away, the internal energy had already arrived to kill.

Physical strength was even fused within it.

Tie Ying felt as if two massive mountains of ice and fire were crushing down upon him. The faint rumbling made his scalp tingle, and a thick, scorching heat rushed toward his face, accompanied by a heart-palpitating, extreme chill. He had never heard of such terrifying sword intent, and the internal energy was even more harrowing.

The Sky Eagle True Astral Qi was shattered without the slightest ability to resist.

The three-yard span of internal energy sword qi swept through everything in its path, continuing its strike.

Tie Ying's soul nearly fled his body. He had only just managed to raise his protective astral qi before his entire body froze in place.

He slowly lowered his head.

A terrifying wound extended from his left shoulder, slicing all the way across his right abdomen. Blood was about to spray out, but it was frozen by an extreme chill, forming droplets of frozen blood.

"What... what exactly is this?"

Tie Ying's eyes bulged. He struggled desperately to move his hands, but his life force was draining at a terrifying rate.

He could feel that the so-called internal energy was vibrating, rotating, and cutting. His protective astral qi was like brittle paper, shattered almost instantly.

You call this the Internal Yuan Realm?!

But he was destined never to receive an answer.

Ning Qi swung his sword again.

A single strike to the throat, a bloom of icy cold, and the blood that was about to erupt instantly solidified.

Tie Ying's corpse fell to the ground.

Ning Qi's eyes flickered slightly.

"This man is a bit weaker than I imagined."

The White Mist Realm... was it just nothing special?

Ning Qi gained a clearer understanding of his own strength.

In his first battle against an Astral Origin Realm expert, he was quite satisfied with the power of his Triple Cold Flame Sword, which had easily shattered the White Mist Realm's protective astral qi. Of course, it was also possible that the man before him was simply not particularly formidable within the White Mist Realm.

"I must go support Senior Brother and the others."

Ning Qi glanced at the corpse. There was no time to deal with it now, so he sprinted toward the martial arts arena, where the battle was still ongoing.

What he did not know was...

At the very moment he killed Tie Ying, the situation at the martial arts arena shifted.

Originally, Tie Long had been fighting several true disciples single-handedly and even had strength to spare. He occasionally threw out provocations, drawing everyone's full attention.

"Tsk tsk, people in Qingzhou say that the disciples of that old Taoist from Long Mountain are all talents. Seeing them today, I find they are nothing special."

But just as he finished that sentence, his expression changed drastically.

A faint, twisting pain radiated from his heart.

Disbelief flashed in his pupils.

"Second Brother is dead?!"

"How is that possible?!"

Lost in shock, Tie Long was nearly wounded by Ye Qinghe's sword light. Ye Qinghe cursed angrily

"Hiding your head at your age—you must be a useless coward who doesn't dare provoke my master. If I had practiced for a few more years, I would slaughter you like a dog!"

Tie Long threw a punch, his fist qi forcing the crowd back.

He didn't have time for verbal sparring; he only looked toward the direction of the Sutra Pavilion in horror, his heart churning with massive waves of shock.

When the Three Fiends of Tie Ling had encountered their fortuitous opportunity, they had obtained three Heart-Link Gu. Each of the three had swallowed one, which parasitized their bodies to enhance their martial cultivation.

Furthermore, if one of them died, the other two would be able to sense it.

And now.

Tie Ying's Heart-Link Gu was dead, which meant exactly what one could imagine.

"How is this possible? It hasn't been long since Second Brother left; he might not even have reached the Sutra Pavilion yet. How could he suddenly die? Does this mean Second Brother had almost no power to resist that person in the shadows?!"

A trace of fear surfaced in Tie Long's eyes.

To be able to insta-kill Second Brother with such strength—even if it were an ambush—was absolutely not to be underestimated.

"Is it another hidden expert from the Zhenwu Sect, or has the old Taoist of Long Mountain come out of seclusion?"

"Damn! That bastard Wang set us up!"

Tie Long gritted his teeth, feeling a chill in his bones.

Although he constantly referred to the man as the "old Taoist of Long Mountain," if they truly had to face him, they would run faster than anyone. The fame of the Long Mountain Taoist wasn't just hype; it was earned through one sword-kill after another!

The three of them combined wouldn't even be worth his notice.

The only reason they dared to run wild in the Zhenwu Sect was because they knew the Long Mountain Taoist was in deep seclusion and could not emerge.

"We have to retreat! Retreat immediately!"

Tie Long immediately felt the urge to withdraw. He had no intention of avenging Tie Ying; he had no idea what the background of that hidden expert was, and now the backlash from the Heart-Link Gu was causing his own strength to decline. He had to find a place to regulate his breath immediately.

If he continued to linger here, he might end up dying here as well.

Tie Long swung his fists repeatedly, sending out dragon-shaped astral qi in indiscriminate attacks, creating a continuous roar.

But Jiang Baishan and the others were no pushovers; they immediately saw through Tie Long's intent to retreat.

Though they didn't know what had happened, they certainly couldn't let this man leave easily.

Coming and going as one pleases?

What kind of place did they think the Zhenwu Sect was?

(End of Chapter)