Chapter 77: Mortal Combat

Ruyi Town, Xiaoyuan Village.

Daoist Huizhen and his junior brother Daoist Huixin stood respectfully to the side, heads lowered, while three others examined the corpses of Jin Yuan and her child.

Of these three, the leader was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He did not wear Daoist robes, but was dressed in stylish casual clothes, though his hair was tied in a traditional Daoist topknot.

Behind him stood a slightly younger man and woman, both dressed as fashionable urbanites, with no sign of the Daoist topknot.

“Senior brother, there’s definitely a lingering aura of blood fiend in the air. At this level, it’s about what Huizhen estimated—this person has at least eighty, if not a hundred, lives on his hands,” said the young man with an earring, consulting a bagua disk as he reported to the leader.

“Heh, senior brother, we’ve finally caught a big fish this time. The ones we’ve run into lately were just small fry—no challenge at all,” the woman, her hair dyed a light brown, laughed excitedly.

The leading youth nodded. “Don’t be careless. This kind of demon is ruthless. Once you find him, don’t hold back like before. If you can’t kill him, cripple him first.”

“Understood, senior brother,” the two replied.

The three quickly set off, using a special tracking method, leaving Daoist Huizhen to exhale deeply.

“Senior brother, will there be any trouble?” Huixin asked anxiously.

“What trouble could there be? Do you know who that was? That’s Qu Xiangtian, the genius of the First Daoist Temple. The other two aren’t simple either—Lu Jun and Kong Shuang, both top talents at the First Temple. That wandering doctor is just a wild practitioner. Didn’t you hear what Senior Brother Qu said? He won’t hold back. Besides, even if he says anything, who’d believe him?” Huizhen replied coldly.

...

The sky darkened as the wind howled across the Gobi like knives. Without a cloth wrapped around your face, the sand could strip the skin from your cheeks.

I had been calculating the ley lines with my compass for two hours, marking locations with stones. Only two points remained to trace the origin of the underground yin vein.

Just then, a surge of powerful magical force erupted.

Boom!

My heart skipped a beat. I shifted into Ghostly Step, dodging like a wraith.

Sand exploded into the air, blotting out the sky.

Blood Fiend Blade in hand, I watched the front coldly, fury rising within me.

Damn it! All the markers I’d painstakingly set over two hours were destroyed.

When the sand settled, three figures appeared, swiftly surrounding me.

Sensing their murderous intent, I narrowed my eyes. Who had I offended now?

“Demon! Die!” Kong Shuang shouted, thrusting a magical sword toward me.

Clang!

I swept up the Blood Fiend Blade to block, forming a Mountain Shaking Seal with my other hand and striking out.

Kong Shuang clearly didn’t expect such force even from a defensive block. Her wrist went numb, nearly losing her grip on the sword.

As my Mountain Shaking Seal shot forward, she was thrown into confusion.

At that moment, a sharp wind struck from behind. I twisted aside, withdrawing my seal just as it nearly grazed Kong Shuang’s chest.

“Scoundrel!” Kong Shuang’s face flushed with humiliation and rage.

“Kong Shuang, Lu Jun, block his retreat. I’ll handle this,” Qu Xiangtian ordered coldly. With a flick of his hand, a Universe Banner appeared, surging with powerful energy.

My pupils contracted. Qu Xiangtian was a mid-level Yin-Yang Master, at least fourth-rank, and his Universe Banner was a mid-tier artifact.

With a low shout, Qu Xiangtian stepped forward and instantly appeared before me, spinning the banner to envelop me.

I felt myself sucked into a formation, with countless attacks coming from every direction.

I dodged continuously, but the onslaught was endless. At this rate, my power would soon be exhausted.

Something was wrong! The Universe Banner’s duality of heaven and earth, yin and yang, supported each other for a flawless assault.

Wherever I retreated, yin and yang corresponded.

Unless...

I stopped abruptly, ignoring the incoming attacks. Gripping my blade with both hands, I struck the ground.

A crack split the earth beneath me, and the surrounding attacks vanished instantly.

Qu Xiangtian withdrew the banner, shock flickering in his eyes. “I’ll admit your strength is surprising. But this is as far as you go. Prepare to die.”

With a twist, the banner became a staff, writhing like a dragon, thrusting at my heart.

My eyes gleamed red with killing intent. The Blood Fiend Blade shrieked, morphing into a streak of crimson light.

Fiendish energy as shield, murderous aura as blade—unstoppable.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Two figures clashed at lightning speed, crimson and golden light exploding, shockwaves tearing through the air.

Lu Jun and Kong Shuang had planned to help, but found themselves unable to intervene and forced to retreat.

Impossible!

They were stunned. This demon was only a third-rank Yin-Yang Master, clearly not beyond that threshold, while Senior Brother Qu had been at the fourth rank for two years, ready to break through to the fifth.

Yet he could fight Qu Xiangtian to a standstill—unbelievable.

Boom!

I tasted blood and was flung backward, tumbling before crashing to the ground.

My clothes were shredded, dozens of cuts oozed blood, dying me red. But my killing intent peaked, making me look like a god of slaughter descended.

Qu Xiangtian staggered back two steps. He touched his face, finding a thin cut bleeding.

“Well done. For a third-rank Yin-Yang Master to injure me, you have reason to be proud. But it ends here,” Qu Xiangtian said icily.

Suddenly, he charged, staff crashing down like creation itself, power compressing the very air.

“Come forth!” I roared inwardly. The Nether Dragon’s Eye burned, and the spirits of the flood dragon, fierce ghosts, and toad demon all surged into the Blood Fiend Blade.

The blade now brimmed with fiendish, demonic, and ghostly energy.

“Kill!”

I slashed down with a roar.

The flood dragon howled, the toad roared, the ghosts wailed.

Boom!

I tumbled through the air like a broken kite, blood raining down.

Qu Xiangtian grunted, his left pinky twisted apart by the recoil.

Enraged, he darted after my falling body, staff aimed at my head.

In that desperate instant, I flicked my fingers, sending a finger-length magical sword shooting out.

As soon as it appeared, the sword shattered, releasing a blade of energy like a shooting star.

Time seemed to freeze. Terror twisted Qu Xiangtian’s face.

His staff shattered inch by inch, and the sword energy slashed toward his body.

At that moment, the jade pendant at his neck flashed, enveloping him in light.

Sword energy collided with the defensive formation, both shattering after a brief struggle.

Qu Xiangtian felt he’d been snatched from the jaws of death—the jade was his master’s talisman. Without it, he would have died.

But just then, he saw the demon spring up again, lunging at him.

He was still in midair, his body utterly spent.

“Palm Thunder!”

Gritting my teeth, I poured my last power into my palm, lightning crackling as I pressed it toward Qu Xiangtian.

Boom!

Qu Xiangtian screamed, eyes bulging, the flesh between his legs charred black.

I spat blood as I hit the ground, struggled upright, and laughed.

Lu Jun and Kong Shuang snapped out of their stupor, shouting as they rushed over.

Drenched in blood, I swept my gaze toward them.

They froze, their faces ashen, as if seeing a demon from hell.

Lacking the courage to advance, they grabbed the unconscious Qu Xiangtian and fled.

At that moment, even a ten-year-old with a knife could have finished me.

Damn it all!

I cursed inwardly, then collapsed backward.

The wind still howled, yellow sand burying me. Overhead, stars blanketed the sky in breathtaking beauty.

Then, the jade amulet on my chest flashed, and a translucent figure appeared—Li Ling’er’s spirit.

Li Ling’er lay beside me, holding me close. A gentle glow shimmered from her, sending points of light into my body.

I dreamed I lay in the desert, the sun scorching above, certain I’d become dried meat.

As my consciousness faded, I suddenly felt plunged into cool lake water.

I gulped down mouthfuls of water...

Thunder rumbled. I woke with a start to find daylight, rain pouring down, mixing with the sand and turning everything to mud.

I licked my parched lips and staggered upright.

I had to leave—if I waited longer, those who hunted me yesterday might return with reinforcements.

I didn’t know what was happening, but survival came first.

Taking a few steps, I realized my wounds had improved greatly. My spirit, drained by yesterday’s life-and-death battle, felt completely restored—no aftereffects at all.

No matter; it was a blessing.

In the raging storm, I staggered deeper into the Gobi.

Not long after I left, dozens of people arrived in the rain, searching the area inch by inch.