Chapter 126: Only One Will Leave Alive

Chapter 126: Only One Will Leave Alive

Even though he had just emerged from the mountain cave, Chu Ning was cautious and sent his puppet bird ahead to scout the area.

Confirming that there were no significant changes in the cave since his last visit, Chu Ning slowly stepped out.

Then, he released Ling Xiaobai from the spirit beast bag.

He was counting on her to guide him outside.

As soon as she was set free, Ling Xiaobai cocked her head to the side without making a sound, but immediately transmitted her voice to Chu Ning, "There have been other cultivators here."

Chu Ning's expression froze, and his face turned serious upon hearing her words.

He had no doubt about Ling Xiaobai's keen sense of smell.

Previously, she had relied on the faint residual aura on Old Man Sun to find the Earth Spirit Spring along the way.

And when Chu Ning had altered his appearance using the Illusion Transformation Art, Ling Xiaobai had immediately recognized him.

Chu Ning suspected that she relied on her sensitive sense of smell to perceive auras.

Now, if Ling Xiaobai said someone had been here, it was undoubtedly true.

Chu Ning instantly released his spiritual sense, remaining vigilant and cautious as he carefully scanned the area.

However, his inspection of the cave revealed no one else.

Chu Ning cautiously approached the cave entrance and extended his spiritual sense outside.

"Hmm?"

Just as Chu Ning's spiritual sense was about to reach its limit of fifty meters outside the cave, a human figure appeared within its range.

"Peak of Refining Qi?"

Sensing the aura emanating from the figure, Chu Ning's expression changed slightly.

This was the first time he had encountered someone at the peak of Refining Qi since entering the Spirit Realm, which he found rather odd.

He had met three or four cultivators at that level back in the sect's training grounds.

But this person's face was unfamiliar.

Moreover, the aura emanating from this individual indicated that they had clearly been at the peak for some time.

Chu Ning's wariness eased slightly. If he hadn't guessed wrong, this person had probably been in the Spirit Realm all along.

That meant there was a good chance this person wasn't from the Yin Demon Sect.

As long as they were from the Green Creek Sect, things would be easier to handle.

After some thought, Chu Ning directed the puppet bird to fly outside, pretending to be aimlessly flying around.

It soon stopped at a spot not far above the handsome young man's head.

Chu Ning didn't want to blunder his way out and cause any misunderstandings, so he decided to let the other party make the first move.

The handsome young man immediately noticed the puppet bird, his expression shifting slightly before returning to normal. He stepped out from behind the boulder.

"Are you a fellow disciple from the sect?" he asked, a gentle smile on his face.

Chu Ning slowly emerged from the cave, and upon seeing the handsome young man, he gave a slight bow in greeting.

"Greetings, senior brother."

The handsome young man's eyes flickered with surprise at seeing Chu Ning's cultivation level of the seventh layer of Refining Qi.

"Are you a new disciple? What's your name?" he asked.

Hearing the young man's question, Chu Ning confirmed his earlier judgment and nodded, "Li Qun from the External Affairs Hall. Pleased to meet you, senior brother."

"Li Qun from the External Affairs Hall," the handsome young man repeated, his gaze fixed on Chu Ning.

"Are those Twin Birth Fruits of Flame and Wood in this cave picked by you?"

Chu Ning understood the other party's intentions and fell silent, contemplating his response.

He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't think of a good excuse.

If the other party insisted, Chu Ning would have to consider how much to offer.

As for the Fire Spirit Crystal, it was out of the question.

"Refining Qi Layer seven, not bad. Able to kill the Double-headed Scorpion," the handsome young man remarked, a smile still on his face.

But the next moment, he abruptly raised his hand, and a pillar of fire shot towards Chu Ning.

"However, you can go die now!" his voice rang out.

Chu Ning was prepared and immediately activated several defensive talismans.

"Chi! Chi!"

A series of sounds echoed as the defensive shields in front of Chu Ning shattered one by one.

Even though Chu Ning had only activated low-grade superior defensive talismans, his expression turned solemn.

This person's attack was powerful.

Chu Ning knew that the previous attack had been a casual test, but even so, he felt that it far surpassed the average ninth layer of Refining Qi.

This was no longer something that a typical cultivator at the peak of Refining Qi could achieve.

"Could this person be about to start foundation building?" he wondered.

Seeing that the handsome young man didn't immediately attack again but instead looked at him with a mocking smile, Chu Ning asked, "Senior brother, what do you mean by this? Why attack without even asking for an explanation?"

The handsome young man, who introduced himself as Shang Rui, chuckled at Chu Ning's question.

"Since you're about to die, I might as well tell you and let you die with clarity," he said.

"When you first entered the Spirit Realm, you probably hadn't reached the formation yet, so you wouldn't know that if you obtain the spirit essence of a spirit herb during the formation drive, you can temper your body and improve your talent, right?"

"Of course, only a handful of people are lucky enough to have such an opportunity. Most disciples are overwhelmed by the surge of spirit essence and end up exploding and dying.

I, Shang Rui, am one of those fortunate few."

Shang Rui's face was filled with pride as he continued, "With a Wood-Fire Earthly Spirit Root, I entered the inner sect. When I broke through to the peak of Refining Qi, I was assigned to the Spirit Realm.

And during the formation drive, I was incredibly lucky to be imbued with a wisp of spirit essence from a spirit herb.

After refining this spirit essence, it took me less than a month to reach the brink of foundation building."

"According to the sect's rules, once you obtain the spirit essence of a spirit herb, you must leave the Spirit Realm immediately, as your presence here could interfere with the sect's acquisition of the spirit herb.

Chu Ning watched Shang Rui's changing expressions and continued in a low voice, "Senior Brother, if you only wanted the Twin Birth Fruits, you could have just asked me for them. There was no need to try to kill me."

"Heh!" Shang Rui laughed and shook his head. "You don't understand the importance of this spirit species to the sect. It's a heavenly treasure that can help a Golden Core cultivator enter the Yuan Infant stage. Compared to such a treasure, my foundation building is a trivial matter. If the sect master knew that I obtained spirit essence qi and was still lingering in this spirit realm, and something unexpected happened midway, then I..."

"So you want to silence me?" Chu Ning's heart sank.

Shang Rui slowly nodded, his smile vanishing, and his gaze at Chu Ning turned cold and stern.

"For the junior disciple who provided me with this information, I had to go through a lot of trouble to disable him and prevent others from discovering that I eliminated him. Do you think I would let you leave alive?"

Hearing Shang Rui's words, Chu Ning sighed softly.

"So, between the two of us, only one will leave alive, and I have no choice in the matter?" Chu Ning asked.

Upon hearing this, a smile reappeared on Shang Rui's face, but it was filled with scorn.

"You, a Refining Qi Layer seven cultivator, don't find your words ridiculous?" Shang Rui scoffed.

"Not at all!" Chu Ning replied. As he spoke, he casually lifted his hand, and a long sword appeared in his grip. With a swift slash, a green glow shot toward Shang Rui.

"Cangmu Sword Art?" Shang Rui chuckled softly and casually lifted his hand, meeting the sword art with the same technique.

The two sword auras collided in midair, and even though Chu Ning was using a magic tool to enhance his attack, it was easily dispersed by Shang Rui's casual strike.

"Ordinary magic art attacks are ineffective against him," Chu Ning sighed inwardly, feeling the might of a cultivator at the peak of Refining Qi who was close to achieving foundation building for the first time.

Although he had intermediate-grade, mid-quality talismans, he didn't want to waste them unnecessarily. After all, his opponent might also have other tricks up his sleeve, and it would be better to save his resources for a swift and decisive battle.

Chu Ning sheathed his long sword, and a black shield appeared in his hand. With a flash of his body, he executed the Thunderstartling Step, rushing directly toward Shang Rui.

Shang Rui's expression turned slightly surprised, but he seemed to guess what Chu Ning was planning. He flashed to the side, avoiding the attack, and a layer of fiery protection appeared around his body. At the same time, he waved his hand, sending countless fireballs toward Chu Ning.

"Chi! Chi!" However, the fireballs were blocked a yard away from Chu Ning, who had already activated his defensive talismans.

Chu Ning's speed didn't diminish, and he continued to charge toward Shang Rui.

"Blazing Bracelet! Heavenly Canopy Fist!" Shang Rui was surprised by Chu Ning's swift approach.

But when he saw Chu Ning's right fist coming toward him, his expression didn't show any panic; instead, his scornful smile deepened.

In the next moment, Chu Ning's fist, enveloped in flames, struck Shang Rui's fiery protective shield.

However, to his slight surprise, the fire from his Blazing Bracelet didn't seem to have any effect on Shang Rui's protective shield. Instead, when the flames touched the red shield, they were absorbed.

"Playing with fire in front of me?" Shang Rui said mockingly.

"Bang!" Chu Ning ignored the taunt and continued his assault, driving his fist into the red defensive shield.

The shield trembled as if it might shatter at any moment.

This caught Shang Rui off guard.

"A body cultivator?" Shang Rui seemed to guess something and raised his right hand, condensing a stream of fire that he sent crashing down toward Chu Ning.

But Chu Ning didn't retreat; instead, he advanced even closer, using the black shield to block the stream of fire.

His right fist struck out again, this time without the enhancement of the Blazing Bracelet.

"Chi! Chi!" The sound of flames bursting filled the air.

Shang Rui's fiery protective shield shattered, and the fire from his attack was also blocked by the black shield.

At the same time, Chu Ning's body surged forward.

The black shield in his left hand, driven by the inertia of the charge, collided heavily with Shang Rui's body.

The impact sent Shang Rui flying backward.

Without the protection of his defensive shield, the force of the shield's blow caused Shang Rui to feel a sharp pain throughout his body.

"Damn it!" Shang Rui stabilized his body and felt his qi and spiritual power surging. This collision had injured him.

This unexpected development caused Shang Rui's expression to change drastically, as he had initially thought that dealing with Chu Ning would be a breeze.

"Die!" Shang Rui glared at Chu Ning, who was rushing toward him again, his patience worn thin.

He clapped his hands, and a long spear appeared.

In the next moment, fiery light flashed along the spear, and a powerful fire spiritual power permeated the surroundings.

"It's your honor to die under this top-grade magic tool, the Firebird Feather Spear!" Shang Rui declared as he slashed the spear toward Chu Ning.

A torrent of flames rushed toward Chu Ning.

"A top-grade magic tool?" Chu Ning's heart sank as he felt the power of the spear's attack.

Without hesitation, he immediately activated a mid-grade, mid-quality defensive talisman.

However, it seemed more like the Firebird Feather Spear was pulling him along in its wake.

The Firebird Feather Spear emitted a faint phoenix cry.

As Shang Rui ran, he saw that the wave of flames he had unleashed earlier struck Chu Ning's protective shield.

But to his surprise, the shield only rippled slightly and remained intact.

"A mid-grade, mid-quality defensive talisman?" Shang Rui exclaimed, a cold smile flashing across his face as he swung the spear, causing the flames to engulf Chu Ning's white shield.

In an instant, the mid-grade, mid-quality defensive talisman shattered under the force of the blow.

"So this is the power of a top-grade magic tool?" Chu Ning couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

Even this mid-grade, mid-quality defensive talisman, which could withstand magical attacks from a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was no match for Shang Rui's spear strike.

Chu Ning's heart sank, but his actions remained unwavering. Without hesitation, he channeled his spiritual power into the Earth Spirit Bracelet on his left hand.

Immediately, a layer of earthy yellow spiritual power enveloped his body, forming a protective shield.

Shang Rui had expected his spear to pierce through any defense, but now it was forcefully stopped by the yellow shield.

"How is this possible?" Shang Rui's face twisted in disbelief.

Even though the previous strike had been partially blocked by the defensive talisman, it was still an attack that shouldn't have been withstood by a typical defensive artifact.

"Hmph!" Shang Rui snorted coldly, channeling all his spiritual power into the spear.

Chu Ning's endless array of tricks made him instinctively wary.

He no longer cared what kind of defense Chu Ning had; as long as he kept up his relentless attacks, breaking through was only a matter of time.

However, at that moment, Shang Rui felt a chill run down his spine, and an inexplicable sense of danger washed over him.

This feeling usually only surfaced when he faced grave peril.

Shang Rui's gaze shifted to Chu Ning, and he saw that he now held a pitch-black dagger in his hand.

"What is that?"

Before Shang Rui could fully comprehend what he was seeing, the black dagger transformed into a beam of black light that shot towards him.

In an instant, a formidable force pressed down on him.

"Not good!"

Shang Rui's expression changed drastically, and he swiftly swung his spear, creating a wall of fire in front of him.

At the same time, he channeled his spiritual power, enveloping himself in a layer of flames—the same protective spell that had withstood Chu Ning's Blazing Bracelet and Heavenly Canopy Fist earlier.

Shang Rui's reaction was indeed swift, and although the black dagger wasn't exceptionally fast, he managed to set up two layers of defense in a short time.

However, all of these defenses seemed useless against the beam of black light.

The black beam pierced through the two layers of fire and, to Shang Rui's horror, passed through his neck as if his body didn't exist.

The next moment, the proud genius of the sect collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief as the flames surrounding him dissipated.

At the same time—

"Clang!"

The spear, now devoid of flames, fell to the ground.

"Amazing!"

Chu Ning stared at the clearly dead Shang Rui, then glanced at the black dagger embedded in the ground behind him. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

The defensive shield that had withstood the combined might of his Blazing Bracelet and Heavenly Canopy Fist was utterly powerless against the black dagger.

No, it had even penetrated Shang Rui's wall of fire.

Although the Firebird Feather Spear seemed more like an offensive artifact, the way Shang Rui had used it suggested that the wall of fire also provided some defensive capabilities.

Yet, despite these two layers of defense, the black dagger had sliced through them with ease.

"Tsk, a damaged treasure."

Chu Ning walked over to the black dagger and picked it up.

The dagger, which had drained half of his spiritual power with just one strike, now lay lifeless in his hand, devoid of any spiritual essence.

Chu Ning channeled a bit of spiritual power into it, but as expected, he couldn't infuse it at all.

He put the dagger back into his storage bag and breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's a pity that this damaged treasure has limited use and consumes too much spiritual power. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to worry at all when facing opponents below the Foundation Establishment stage.

Perhaps even a Foundation Establishment cultivator might not be able to completely defend against this damaged treasure."

With these thoughts running through his mind, Chu Ning chuckled softly and shook his head.

"It's already very good. If I didn't have this, killing Shang Rui would've been much more troublesome.

I would've had to use up most of those mid-grade talismans I have stored away."

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Chu Ning turned to look at Shang Rui's corpse, his expression turning solemn.

He hadn't expected that a talented dual spirit root disciple would become so formidable after reaching the peak of the Qi Refining realm.

However, the information Shang Rui had revealed earlier gave Chu Ning a lot to think about.

For example, Shang Rui mentioned that obtaining the spiritual essence of a spirit herb could rapidly enhance one's strength.

And this spirit herb was said to be beneficial even for a Golden Core cultivator aiming to reach the Yuan Infant stage.

Additionally, once one acquired the spiritual essence of a spirit herb, they had to leave the Spirit Realm immediately.

This piece of information completely changed Chu Ning's perspective.

He had been wondering how long he and the others would have to stay in the Spirit Realm before the sect would allow them to leave.

Now, Chu Ning knew at least one method—obtaining the spiritual essence of a spirit herb.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Chu Ning didn't pause in his actions.

He reached down and picked up the top-grade magic tool that lay next to Shang Rui's corpse.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end