Chapter 53: Purple Intent

...

"No, impossible!"

"You aren't Lin Zheyu! Who on earth are you!"

"Lin Zheyu has been practicing martial arts for less than half a year; it is impossible for him to possess such terrifying strength!"

"Who are you, and why are you impersonating Lin Zheyu to lure me out!"

Xing Jinglong shouted in interrogation.

He still could not believe that the powerhouse before him, whose strength was terrifyingly high, having reached the Blood-Qi Realm, was the Lin Zheyu he knew.

That storyteller who had been practicing martial arts for less than six months!

It was impossible!

Even for the direct descendants of the Xing family, who had used various precious medicines to temper their bones and muscles since childhood to build a foundation, and who had famous masters to guide them and an endless supply of resources as they grew, reaching the Blood-Qi Realm was not a guarantee.

Though the gap between the peak of the Viscera-Refining Realm and the Blood-Qi Realm seemed like a mere thin line, it had blocked countless martial artists.

To break through to the Blood-Qi Realm, one needed more than just full muscles and overflowing essence; one also needed a mental will strong enough to perceive blood-qi and, through mental fusion, condense blood-qi and essence into a new form: Blood-Qi!

Lin Zheyu had broken through his physical limits time and again, and his mental will had become resilient and powerful through the process of repeatedly shattering his own boundaries.

Only by being in that special state of "Source Power" could he break through so easily.

For an ordinary person, breaking through to the Blood-Qi Realm was dozens or even hundreds of times more difficult.

"Young Master, don't dwell on this, hurry and leave!"

Seeing Xing Jinglong falling into a stupor, standing frozen on the spot, Qiao Quan continued to shout loudly.

"Want to leave?"

"Too late!"

Lin Zheyu gave a cold smile.

A flying knife slid from his sleeve. With a forceful flick of his right hand, the blood-qi energy in his arm erupted violently.

With a *shriek*, the flying knife shot toward the center of Xing Jinglong's forehead at an astonishing speed.

"How dare you!"

Qiao Quan roared.

A special energy erupted within his body as he swung his long spear, parrying the incoming flying knife with a *ding*.

The massive force from the knife sent a numbing sensation through his arm.

Such incredible strength!

"What are you standing there for? Take the Young Master away!"

Qiao Quan bellowed, ordering the members of the Wuding Gang to pull Xing Jinglong away.

The veins on his body bulged, and an invisible special ability enveloped him, turning his skin a purplish hue.

The special energy condensed from essence, spirit, and killing intent was an external energy; although he could force its use with the help of the military formation, it placed immense pressure on him.

He was merely relying on the military formation to attain the strength of the Blood-Qi Realm; this special method would not last long.

A military formation composed of only ten elite soldiers had significant flaws and placed a heavy burden on the commander. Only a formation of over a hundred men was relatively complete and could greatly alleviate this burden.

"I don't know how you did it, but I roughly understand the principle."

"Your mission is complete. It is time to go on your way."

Lin Zheyu spoke indifferently, no longer hiding his strength.

The constraints of the Turtle Breath Technique were released, and the blood-qi in his body circulated rapidly.

Just now, he had been using the Turtle Breath Technique to hide his aura and minimize blood-qi fluctuations; now that it was released, his aura rose sharply.

"So strong... he's not just newly entered into the Blood-Qi Realm!"

Feeling the powerful blood-qi force emanating from the opponent's body, Qiao Quan was horrified.

This youth, who looked only sixteen or seventeen, possessed strength of such a level.

It was simply unheard of.

A Blood-Qi Realm martial artist in his teens—unbelievable!

On the way here, he had heard Xing Jinglong say that the target was a Bone-Forging Realm martial artist who specialized in leg techniques and possessed incredible speed.

After learning this, Qiao Quan had treated this trip as a mere excursion for relaxation.

But damn it, this bastard is in the Bone-Forging Realm??

If the situation weren't so critical, he would have wanted to grab Fatty Xing by the throat and demand a proper explanation.

"Who exactly are you, and why are you targeting Young Master Xing?"

Suppressing the horror in his heart, Qiao Quan asked in a heavy voice, "Has our Young Master offended you in some way? If you state it, we can offer apologies and compensation."

*Boom—*

Lin Zheyu did not reply.

He knew well the principle that villains die because they talk too much, and that one must deliver a finishing blow after killing.

The soil beneath his feet exploded as dense blood-qi was poured into his legs. Lin Zheyu's figure vanished in an instant.

"Such speed!"

Qiao Quan was secretly alarmed.

The special energy in his body erupted, and veins bulged all over.

As this special energy circulated through his body, complex purple patterns appeared on his skin, and a strange purple light flickered in his eyes.

*Bang!*

Qiao Quan thrust his long spear forward, positioning it in front of Xing Jinglong to block Lin Zheyu's incoming whip kick.

But Lin Zheyu's strength was immense. The dense blood-qi exploded upon impact, and the terrifying force transmitted through the spear, slamming into Xing Jinglong's body.

*Bang!*

*Crack, crack—*

Xing Jinglong watched the scene in horror, unable to dodge in time. With a scream, he was sent flying, crashing through two tree trunks before finally coming to a stop.

On his bloated body, his chest was caved in, his eyes bulged, and he spat blood; he was on the verge of death.

"You seek death!"

Qiao Quan roared, a terrifying killing intent erupting from him.

He reached into his waist pouch and threw a handful of red powder mixed with poisoned needles toward Lin Zheyu.

As a close friend of Zhao Wude, he had obtained many potent poisonous powders and darts from Old Zhao, which were now being put to good use.

"Poison!"

Lin Zheyu immediately held his breath and moved rapidly to avoid the poisoned needles and powder.

In the gap while he was dodging the powder, Qiao Quan—who had just been acting as if he were fighting to the death—actually turned and fled directly.

"This guy..."

Lin Zheyu was somewhat speechless.

He had thought the man was a loyal retainer intending to fight to the death because of Xing Jinglong's demise.

It turned out he had overthought it.

Activating the Golden Goose Technique, he pushed his speed to the limit and gave chase to Qiao Quan.

*Swish!*

*Swish, swish, swish!*

Several flying knives appeared in Lin Zheyu's hands. With a flick of his wrists, he shot them in all directions.

Although his technique with hidden weapons was crude, his immense strength combined with keen perception made it no problem to deal with the members of the Wuding Gang, who had not even reached the Viscera-Refining Realm.

The flying knives whistled through the air, accurately striking five fleeing Wuding Gang members and the Wind-Chasing Gray-Haired Mink that had been tracking his aura, piercing their skulls and killing them instantly.

"Where did this guy come from? Since when did Songyi City have such a powerful Blood-Qi Realm expert!"

Qiao Quan was filled with terror.

Even though he had reached the Blood-Qi Realm through the military formation, external aid was still just external aid. Facing a true Blood-Qi Realm martial artist, he had no chance of winning.

Unless the formation was a hundred-man elite formation; as long as the soldiers were strong enough, he would even dare to contend with someone in the Marrow-Refining Realm.

But it wasn't.

He only had ten elite soldiers by his side, and they weren't even true elites.

The special energy provided by these soldiers could only barely push him to the level of the Blood-Qi Realm. It was enough to bully a peak Viscera-Refining Realm martial artist, but against a true Blood-Qi Realm expert, it was utterly insufficient!

*Swish—*

*Swish, swish—*

Qiao Quan continuously threw poisoned darts, powder, and even poisonous insects behind him to interfere with Lin Zheyu's speed.

While the military formation was powerful, it was not fast. If not for the use of poison to interfere, he would have been caught by Lin Zheyu long ago.

But he was not Zhao Wude; he did not have many poisonous powders or hidden weapons prepared, and he soon ran out.

It was a pity that Zhao Wude had been killed in a sneak attack; otherwise, with the military formation combined with Old Zhao's poison techniques, they might have been able to escape safely even if they couldn't defeat the man before them.

"I have no grudge against you. Since Young Master Xing is already dead, why must you pursue me so relentlessly?" Qiao Quan said.

As he spoke, he casually scattered more red poisonous powder.

Lin Zheyu frowned and bypassed the red powder.

This man's methods of using poison were countless, with various poisoned darts, hidden weapons, and powders appearing one after another.

Lin Zheyu did not have much research into poisons. To prevent being poisoned, he did not dare to get too close.

"Then why bother running? Stop and let's talk," Lin Zheyu said.

"Heh!"

Qiao Quan let out a light scoff, and another handful of red powder was thrown—this was his last batch.

The surrounding leaves withered instantly upon contact with the powder. This poison was not only dangerous to inhale but would also corrode anything it touched.

Since he dared not get too close, Lin Zheyu reached into his waist pouch, pulled out dozens of flying knives, and shot them toward the ten soldiers forming the military formation.

*Swish!*

*Swish, swish!*

The knives flew toward the ten soldiers.

*Ding!*

*Ding, ding!*

Qiao Quan's figure moved rapidly, his long spear transforming into a blur of shadows, parrying the hidden weapons one by one.

After catching over twenty flying knives in succession, his arms felt numb and the skin of his palms cracked.

"Such powerful force!"

Qiao Quan's arms were numb.

After several consecutive bursts of energy, the special energy in his body began to weaken, and he had a bad premonition.

Qiao Quan looked at the soldiers; their condition was very wrong. Their faces were turning ashen, their eyes were losing focus, and they were nearing their limit.

The military formation consumed the essence, spirit, and vitality of the soldiers. If used for too long, it would overdraw their lives, leading to death from exhaustion of essence and spirit.

"This guy won't be able to hold on much longer," Lin Zheyu thought as he saw the soldiers' faces deteriorating.

In his perception, the life force of those ten soldiers was dropping rapidly; they would soon die from life-force exhaustion.

"Keep running. Why have you stopped?"

Lin Zheyu looked at the halted Qiao Quan and sneered coldly. He did not rush forward, fearing the man might suddenly throw more poison.

"Hmph!"

Qiao Quan's expression was incredibly grim, but he was no pushover. Since he couldn't escape, he would fight to the death. Even if he died, he wouldn't let the opponent go easily; he would tear a piece of flesh from them!

Hardening his heart, Qiao Quan's aura rose sharply.

Essence and spirit were rapidly extracted from the soldiers. The ten soldiers turned deathly pale, letting out screams and foaming at the mouth before collapsing weakly to the ground. Their essence and spirit were entirely drawn into Qiao Quan's body.

"What a bizarre method. This military formation is quite sinister!"

Lin Zheyu's eyes narrowed as he watched Qiao Quan's aura skyrocket. It wasn't because the opponent was stronger than him, but because the method was too eerie, much like a demonic path.

One by one, the soldiers fell to the ground, their breathing faint, nearing death.

Meanwhile, Qiao Quan's aura reached its peak. The purple patterns on his skin spread across his entire body, and his eyes glowed with a purple light.

His face became incredibly distorted.

Having sucked dry the essence and spirit of the soldiers, and without the military formation to act as a link or the soldiers to help share the burden, he had to bear the killing intent cultivated through years of slaughter by ten soldiers all at once.

The powerful killing intent affected his mind, making him somewhat frenzied.

Looking at the crazed Qiao Quan—with bulging veins, expanding muscles, purplish skin, and covered in purple patterns—Lin Zheyu recalled something Master Liang had once said

*'In this world, sometimes, humans are not much more virtuous than demons.'*

Though he had never truly seen a demon, Lin Zheyu felt that the man before him was exactly like one.

"Die!"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

"Kill!"

Qiao Quan said with a savage grin. The powerful killing intent had swallowed his reason, making him utterly insane.

Gripping the spear with both hands, he thrust toward the center of Lin Zheyu's forehead. He moved with extreme speed, appearing before Lin Zheyu with a *whoosh*.

Terrifying killing intent poured toward him along with the spear. This killing intent, condensed from the killing intent of ten veterans and Qiao Quan himself, was incredibly powerful and exerted immense pressure.

*Ding!*

The blade blocked the spear with a crisp sound.

A domineering fist momentum surged from Lin Zheyu to resist the killing intent. In the collision between the killing intent and the fist momentum, Lin Zheyu actually gained the upper hand, which made him value his fist momentum even more.

Flipping his wrist, the blade slid along the spear toward Qiao Quan's hand.

*Buzz!*

Qiao Quan gripped the spear, and a burst of strength from his hands caused the spear to vibrate, knocking the blade away from the shaft.

But Lin Zheyu would not let him have his way.

His right hand exerted force, throwing the precious blade toward Qiao Quan's chest with a *whoosh*. Simultaneously, he gripped the spear shaft with both hands, exploded with power from his waist, and delivered a spinning kick toward Qiao Quan's head.

Lin Zheyu's strongest and most powerful attack was his leg technique. The explosive power of his legs was truly staggering.

Although Qiao Quan had fallen into madness, his combat instincts remained extremely sharp. He dodged the sharp blade and discarded his spear, attempting to turn and flee.

But Lin Zheyu would not allow it. Using the Golden Goose Technique, he caught up to him within a few breaths.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

After several heavy, muffled sounds, Qiao Quan was kicked away, crashing through tree roots and trunks, spitting blood.

"Don't... don't kill me..."

"No matter what you... want... I'll..."

After most of the energy in his body was consumed, Qiao Quan regained a sliver of sanity, speaking weakly.

Lin Zheyu looked at him coldly, without approaching. He picked up the precious blade from the ground and threw it at Qiao Quan.

*Puff!*

The blade sank into Qiao Quan's chest, piercing through his heart and silencing him forever.

Qiao Quan's clenched right hand opened weakly, revealing white powder inside. Even before death, he had been thinking of poisoning Lin Zheyu.

"Poison again. Fortunately, I killed one of them in a sneak attack earlier, otherwise, it might have been possible for one of them to escape," Lin Zheyu thought.

He did not know much about poisons; facing a poison master, he needed to be extremely vigilant. Although his strength had reached the Blood-Qi Realm, he could only endure longer than an ordinary person. Against a highly potent poison, he would still be affected.

"After I return, I must find someone to systematically teach me about poisons. Even if I don't rely on poison to fight, I must know how to deal with it," Lin Zheyu mused.

This battle had revealed many of his flaws. Although he had changed his clothes and covered his face with cloth, he had still been seen through by a small animal.

"What kind of animal was that?"

Lin Zheyu picked up the dying Wind-Chasing Gray-Haired Mink that had been pierced by a flying knife. He did not recognize this creature. From the actions of the group just now, it was clear they had used this animal to track him.

He casually tossed the lifeless animal aside and walked toward the fallen soldiers.

"It is time to send you on your way."

Lin Zheyu looked at the ten soldiers. Their faces were deathly pale, their eyes sunken and lifeless, their breathing faint, but they still held a shred of life; they had not completely died.

"Is this the consequence of overusing the military formation?"

"Their essence and spirit were severely drained, exceeding the limits of what their bodies could endure. Even if I didn't kill them, they couldn't be saved."

After a careful examination, he could only shake his head slightly. The military formation was not omnipotent; overuse would lead to death from exhaustion of essence and spirit.

Lin Zheyu picked up the soldiers' blades from the ground and ended them one by one, sparing them from such painful suffering.

...

"One, two, three... nineteen in total."

"Huh? Where is the last one?"

Lin Zheyu counted the numbers. When he had been hiding, he had specifically counted how many people had come to prevent any stragglers from escaping.

"Oh, here you are. You're actually still alive."

Lin Zheyu searched around and found a man gasping for breath in a patch of grass. A flying knife was lodged in the back of the man's head, having entered about four centimeters behind his ear, with blood flowing profusely.

Despite such an injury, the man had not died and had even managed to crawl into the grass to hide.

"Spare... spare... my... life... I... I have... eighty... eighty-year-old... *cough*..."

The large man's eyes bulged as he looked at the knife in his chest, and he lost consciousness.

...

(End of Chapter)