Chapter 60 Mutual Appreciation

"Brother! No!"

"Nie Xiaojun! How dare you kill my brother!"

The great battle between the two sects was nearing its end.

In the sky, only two demonic beasts remained: Qin Zhenlin and Nie Xiaojun.

Looking at Qin Zhenlin’s hysterical expression, howling towards the sky in extreme grief, Nie Xiaojun spat out a mouthful of blood, yet he could not help but smile.

Even though his smile was somewhat wretched.

At this moment, his once-pristine white fur was already stained crimson with blood, making him look somewhat terrifying.

Beneath those massive patches of scarlet, several claw marks were still oozing blood.

His life force was also slipping away, bit by bit.

Although Qin Zhenlin appeared somewhat better on the surface, deep inside his body, his internal organs felt as turbulent as a churning river, causing him extreme discomfort.

"Your brother—I wanted to kill him over a year ago. Now, I have finally had my wish fulfilled!"

"Qin Zhenlin, today, only one of us can leave here alive!"

"But I believe that person will certainly not be you!"

Gazing at Nie Xiaojun’s riddled, battered body, and then at his confident expression, Qin Zhenlin’s heart suddenly shuddered.

Where on earth did this confidence come from?

"Nie Xiaojun, do not put on a bold front. Matters have come to this; could your condition possibly be better than mine?"

"You have driven me to a dead end. Are you prepared to bear the karmic consequences that will follow?"

Qin Zhenlin roared toward the heavens, venting the fury pent up in his heart.

This was simply too aggravating.

Having already broken through to the Ninth-Rank Great Demon realm, he had still been pushed to such a state by Nie Xiaojun, who was only at the Eighth-Rank. He felt utterly humiliated and repressed.

However, since this was the final moment anyway, Qin Zhenlin no longer intended to hold back his trump cards.

"Blazing Sun Saber Technique! Fifth Form: Piercing Saber!"

Suddenly, Nie Xiaojun felt as though he were facing a formidable enemy, his expression instantly freezing!

Within his field of vision, a massive saber scorched blazing red by intense flames materialized above Qin Zhenlin's head, its blade pointing directly at him!

At the sight of that crimson saber, a surge of terror welled up naturally in Nie Xiaojun's heart!

What terrifying power was this!

Looking up at Qin Zhenlin, the shock on Nie Xiaojun's face grew even more intense!

This Piercing Saber was actually condensed entirely from primordial spiritual power!

By unleashing this move, even if Qin Zhenlin managed to survive, his cultivation would plummet drastically, and he might even sustain severe injuries that would never heal for the rest of his life!

"Nie Xiaojun, cough, cough!"

"W-Well? Terrified now?"

"Didn't you just say that the one who survives would certainly not be me?"

"To kill you, I have, I have—cough, cough!"

"Made up, made up my mind!"

Finding it difficult to speak smoothly, Qin Zhenlin knew all too well how pathetic his own fate would be after unleashing this technique.

For a demonic beast, having one's cultivation completely crippled was no different from death.

Yet Qin Zhenlin lacked no courage to start over from scratch. Today, he only wanted Nie Xiaojun to die!

"Good! Very good!"

"Qin Zhenlin, if you weren't an enemy, perhaps we could have shared wine and enjoyed each other's company!"

"But today, since you insist on dying, I, too, shall hold nothing back."

"Break!"

With an angry roar, a surge of spiritual energy soared into the sky, completely enveloping Nie Xiaojun!

This wave of spiritual energy felt as though it had erupted from the depths of the earth, instantly plunging Nie Xiaojun into a pain akin to death by a thousand cuts!

Witnessing this scene, Qin Zhenlin, who had previously been supremely confident, was suddenly seized by a trace of panic.

Before he even had time to react, the unbelievable actually happened right before his eyes!

The blood staining Nie Xiaojun's fur began to evaporate; his gaze grew increasingly sharp, and his aura soared higher and higher!

Ninth-Rank Great Demon cultivation! He had actually completed his breakthrough within the span of a few breaths!

"Nie Xiaojun! This is no different from suicide!"

"Hahaha! What of suicide? It is true that my nascent demon-embryo is shattered! But if I can kill you, it proves the profundity of my fortune!"

"In the future, I will surely be able to forge my demon core anew!"

Just like Qin Zhenlin, Nie Xiaojun had cast thoughts of life and death to the wind at this moment.

To rapidly break through to the Ninth-Rank Great Demon realm, he had absorbed all the surrounding spiritual energy, forcing it violently into his meridians to complete the transformation!

Yet precisely because of this, he had also gambled away his future.

Before reaching the demon core realm, demonic beasts possessed a nascent demon-embryo lying dormant in their dantian.

Nie Xiaojun’s reckless action just now had used the violent spiritual energy to shatter that nascent demon-embryo, extinguishing any possibility of him ever forming a true demon core in the future.

Unless, as he claimed, immense fortuitous encounters awaited him down the road, his cultivation would, at best, be halted permanently at the Spirit Demon realm.

"Fine! Nie Xiaojun, I acknowledge you!"

"You are worthy of being called my match!"

"Let this single blow decide the victor!"

Sighing deeply, the immensely powerful Piercing Saber hovering above Qin Zhenlin's head tore through the void and struck straight at Nie Xiaojun!

A formidable opponent, even as an enemy, could evoke a sense of mutual admiration.

At this moment, Nie Xiaojun shared the exact same sentiment as Qin Zhenlin.

Yet an enemy was still an enemy, let alone a mortal foe.

Such sentimental thoughts vanished in a flash, and Nie Xiaojun’s gaze grew resolute.

"Heaven-Suppressing Seal! Falling Bell!"

The heavy chime of a bell resounded once more, growing so gargantuan that it seemed as though it would completely engulf this entire world.

By comparison, Qin Zhenlin’s Piercing Saber appeared exceedingly minuscule.

Yet though minuscule, its power was not the least bit inferior.

At the apex of the firmament, the bell descended.

Beneath the firmament, the saber rose!

In an instant, two terrifying forces collided solidly, erupting into a blinding radiance.

All creation seemed to fall silent at that moment, leaving no trace of vitality behind.

After an unknown passage of time, two massive figures drifted slowly downward through the air.

The only difference was that Nie Xiaojun remained conscious, though his entire body was utterly devoid of strength.

He smiled with difficulty, sensing that Qin Zhenlin had completely lost all signs of life.

Without a doubt, he had won this battle.

He wanted to speak, but he no longer possessed the strength.

Far away, beyond the periphery of the battlefield, four factions watched this scene with covetous eyes!

Suddenly, two dark figures darted out, one of them being Red-Fur!

"Demon Sovereign brother, will this actually work? If anything goes wrong, we're truly dead!"

"Fear what, you idiot! My plan is foolproof and will definitely intimidate those petty cowards!"

"Besides, didn't that white bird and the others make preparations as well? Aim high and the sky's the limit!"

"That logic makes sense, but what if they end up—"

"Enough nonsense! Hurry up!"

The Demon Sovereign glared at Glutton, then quickened his pace.

Though flying through the air, the Demon Sovereign kept the corners of his eyes constantly peeled, watching the three factions hiding in the shadows!

Sure enough, just as anticipated, no one came out; they were all watching and waiting! Everyone wanted to be the final mantis stalking the cicada!

Before long, the Demon Sovereign and Glutton arrived before the corpses of the demonic beasts.

By this time, Nie Xiaojun had long since passed out.

Looking at the demonic beasts below, Glutton hardened his heart and viciously began gnawing on the corpse of a demonic bull.

Delicious! And still warm! Yet Glutton couldn't feel happy about it at all!

The Demon Sovereign squatted down right behind him and started eating in the exact same manner.

"Great Evil Returns!"

"Ah~! My head! My stomach! Blech!"

Suddenly!

Glutton collapsed to his knees, clutching his head with both hands before sprawling flat onto the ground, struggling and screaming continuously.

Judging by his appearance, he was definitely not faking it!

"There's poison! This meat is poisonous! Ah~!"