"So, we’re done talking?"

Zheng Yi’s firm refusal made Qi Yun shrug his shoulders as he slowly began to roll up his sleeves.

"What, you want to fight me?"

Seeing Qi Yun’s posture, a smile spread across Zheng Yi’s face.

"Very well. Then allow your Senior Brother to test your Cultivation!"

"Test?" Slowly raising his eyes, Qi Yun sneered. As he formed a Spell with his hands, a sudden breeze swept through the grotto.

"Test your mother!"

Qi Yun took a step forward and, with a BANG, his entire body exploded, dissolving into countless invisible streams of wind that instantly merged with the cavern’s chaotic airflow.

Zhou Hao had already triggered the traps in this place, rendering the so-called gates of life and death useless.

Despite Qi Yun’s insult, the smile on Zheng Yi’s face only grew wider.

’Which Demon Sect Cultivator hadn’t clawed their way up through filth and profanity?’

’He’d heard Curses a hundred times more vicious. A petty insult like that wasn’t even enough to make him frown.’

Seeing Qi Yun vanish into the wind, Zheng Yi’s gaze hardened. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a Copper Coin Sword.

The sword was the color of congealed blood and reeked of rust mixed with the stench of corpses. Embossed on the coins were reliefs of struggling human faces.

"Blood Spring to the Underworld, let karmic debt be shown;"

"Nine Fetters to bind the feet, Three Nails to seal the soul;"

"Decree of the endless abyss, a myriad evils to lock the soul!"

"Go!"

After chanting the Spell and activating the Magical Artifact, Zheng Yi pointed with his sword fingers. The Blood Sword hummed as it left its sheath. On its blade, ninety-nine Blood Coins spun halfway around, their holes turning into ghastly white eyes that stared directly at Qi Yun, who was in his Clear Wind state.

"Farewell, Junior Brother."

Zheng Yi nonchalantly uttered his farewell. With a flick of his wrist, the Bloodstained Copper Sword transformed into a horrifying torrent of blood, foul and pungent, pulsing with the power of the Peak of Qi Refining Sixth Layer. It ripped through the air with a ferocious, destructive aura, slashing ruthlessly toward the core of the flowing wind!

The power of this strike was comparable to an all-out attack from a Sixth Layer Qi Refining Cultivator.

There was no way Qi Yun, with his mere Qi Refining Third Layer Cultivation, could possibly withstand it!

As the torrent of blood-red Sword Aura slashed down, Zheng Yi could already picture Qi Yun being pulverized.

But in the very instant the torrent of blood-red Sword Aura was about to strike Qi Yun...

From the void, a wisp of Clear Wind suddenly coiled, nudging the attack aside at the very last second!

The torrent of Sword Aura, powerful enough to shatter mountains and split stone, bizarrely and inexplicably veered off its intended course.

BOOM—

The torrent of blood slammed viciously into the cavern wall!

The entire cavern shook violently!

Countless millstone-sized boulders crashed down, and dust billowed like a furious tide, instantly filling the entire grotto!

Triggering the evasive effect of the Clear Wind Technique forced Qi Yun out of his wind form. But he was already prepared; his hands were already forming a Spell. With a quick incantation and under Zheng Yi’s astonished gaze, he transformed back into a gust of Clear Wind and shot out of the cavern.

"M-missed?"

With a bewildered look, Zheng Yi recalled his Bloodstained Copper Sword and stared at the nearly collapsed cavern.

He would rather believe he had simply missed than believe Qi Yun had used some technique to divert the attack.

’A mere Qi Refining Third Layer... How is that possible?’

Staring at the Bloodstained Copper Sword in his hand, Zheng Yi turned and activated an Escape Skill to pursue Qi Yun.

A chase began once more amidst the dim forests of Piaohai Mountain.

Guided by the senses of his Bloodstained Copper Sword, Zheng Yi clung tightly to Qi Yun’s trail, giving him no chance to escape.

"Junior Brother, stop wasting your energy. Master has already sealed this Shiyi Realm.

You’re trapped like a turtle in a jar. Where can you possibly run?"

Before the words were even out of his mouth, the copper sword in his hand hummed once more.

Another ferocious torrent of blood-red Sword Aura shot through the air with a piercing shriek, aiming straight for Qi Yun’s back!

BOOM—

However, that uncanny wisp of Clear Wind appeared once more, like a shadow. It materialized just an instant before the Sword Aura made contact.

With another deft, gentle nudge, the incomparably powerful torrent of blood once again grazed past Qi Yun’s afterimage, slamming into the mountainside and leaving a deep crater!

Once is an accident!

Twice is a stark reality!

’This kid actually has a trick like this... It seems that, like Zhou Hao, his aptitude for Cultivation is average, but his talent for Magic is extraordinary. To think he could figure out such a technique.

What a shame, truly a shame!’

Though he sighed about what a shame it was, Zheng Yi showed no sign of mercy as he recalled his Bloodstained Copper Sword.

He refused to believe it.

He refused to believe that strange deflection technique could be used indefinitely.

This place was a sealed domain. He had plenty of time and True Qi.

He would wear this slippery brat down, even if it was a battle of attrition, until he was nothing but a pile of bloody paste.

For a time, Piaohai Mountain was filled with constant rumbling and flashes of blood-red light!

Terrifying torrents of blood-red Sword Aura fell like scythes, madly slashing and tearing the rugged cliffs and gnarled old trees to shreds, leaving horrifying gashes in the landscape.

Dust and splinters filled the air as the entire mountain trembled from the chase and relentless bombardment.

The chase continued for a long time.

Near the summit, Qi Yun’s True Qi was nearly depleted, and the two finally came to a stop.

"What, out of steam?" Zheng Yi stopped, perfectly composed, and watched Qi Yun with an amused gaze.

’A mere Qi Refining Third Layer, running for so long while being hunted by a cultivator at the Sixth Layer like me.’

’If this Shiyi Realm hadn’t been sealed...’

’...he might have actually gotten away.’

"No shit. Let’s see if you’d be exhausted if someone at Qi Refining Great Perfection was chasing you." Qi Yun’s breath was ragged as he took a deep gulp of air, desperately trying to recover his nearly depleted True Qi.

"Heh, fair enough.

But this farce ends here." With a faint smile, the Bloodstained Copper Sword in Zheng Yi’s hand hummed once more. Its ninety-nine ghastly white eyes stared intently at Qi Yun as bloody light began to seep from them, ready to form another attack.

"Yeah, it’s about time it ended."

Faced with Zheng Yi’s thick, undisguised killing intent, Qi Yun also broke into a smile.

Hm?

Seeing the smile on Qi Yun’s face, Zheng Yi frowned. A sense of unease crept over him.

’Strange. He’s only at the Qi Refining Third Layer. How can he make me feel like this?’

Sensing Zheng Yi’s hesitation, Qi Yun stopped holding back. He raised a hand and pointed above them, his eyes blazing.

"Senior Brother Zheng, you still don’t get it?"

Zheng Yi followed Qi Yun’s finger with his eyes, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

There, floating silently in the gray mist a hundred feet above their heads, was an immense golden coffin. Its surface was covered with ancient copper horns, and it was bound tightly by several pitch-black chains as thick as bowls.

So that was it. Qi Yun had led him on this long, chaotic chase all over the mountain just to get close to this Copper-Horned Golden Coffin.

The confusion on Zheng Yi’s face was instantly replaced by fury and alarm.

"You dare!"

"Why wouldn’t I dare!"

His defiant retort boomed like thunder. Qi Yun formed a sword seal, mustering what little True Qi he had left into a burst of Sword Qi, and slammed it against the Copper-Horned Golden Coffin!

DONG—

The Sword Qi struck the coffin’s heavy lid, letting out a deep thud that made the heart palpitate!

Heaven and Earth were plunged into a suffocating silence.

Staring at the Copper-Horned Golden Coffin, which had just been struck by Sword Qi, Zheng Yi felt cold sweat bead on his forehead.

One minute... Two minutes...

As the seconds ticked by, there was still no movement from the Copper-Horned Golden Coffin. It seemed Qi Yun’s strike hadn’t been enough to awaken the terrifying being slumbering within.

"Junior Brother, it seems your little plan has failed." The fear in his heart subsided, and Zheng Yi’s expression turned cold. He was about to step forward and seize this little brat who had scared him half to death.

KA-BOOM!

Without warning, the silent golden coffin exploded.

Countless heavy metal fragments shot out in all directions like shrapnel.

A rolling plume of black smoke, so thick with Corpse Qi it couldn’t be dispersed, shot toward the sky!

Then, a tall, stiff, terrifying figure wreathed in dense black qi slammed into the ground like a meteorite. The horrifying pressure made all of Piaohai Mountain tremble.

"Senior Brother, it’s your show now." A smile played on Qi Yun’s lips. Under Zheng Yi’s incredulous gaze, Qi Yun formed a Spell. A wisp of Sword Qi appeared and, shockingly, slashed across his own neck.

SLASH—

Blood sprayed. Qi Yun’s body fell backward to the ground. A pool of garish crimson rapidly spread beneath him. The light in his bright, resolute eyes visibly dimmed and went out.

Watching Qi Yun, who had just resolutely taken his own life, Zheng Yi stood frozen in stunned silence. He looked up at the sealed Shiyi Realm.

’I’m screwed.’

’Now I’m the turtle in the jar.’

...