Chapter 242: Overwhelming Dominance

"Nothing is impossible."

In the face of the black-robed figure's shock, Lu Qing curved his lips into a smile.

With a slight tremor of his wrist, he casually tossed the longbow in his hand onto a nearby stall by the street.

Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of boxing gloves.

The entire set was made of cowhide, with thousand-refined steel plates embedded in the striking surface—a handy creation crafted by Lu Qing when he was making arrows.

"However, your staff techniques do show some skill. It made me work a little harder than expected to block your attacks."

Lu Qing put on the gloves, his brow furrowing slightly as he recalled the previous blow. Despite channeling the power of the talisman in his glabella, he still felt a stinging pain in his fist.

Adjusting the gloves, he flexed his wrists, a satisfied look on his face as he gazed forward.

"But this works out perfectly, as I've recently come to understand some new insights that I've been eager to test out. I was worried you might be too injured to make for a suitable sparring partner.

Now it seems your strength has held up better than I anticipated, making you an ideal candidate for my experiment."

Lowering his body slightly, Lu Qing slowly pulled back his fist, a faint smile playing on his lips as he addressed the black-robed figure: "Old man, I hope you can last a while. It would be no fun if you were to die after just a few punches."

"You arrogant brat!"

The black-robed figure's face twisted with rage upon hearing Lu Qing's arrogant words.

While he was astonished by Lu Qing's strength, the clash had also revealed to him that Lu Qing had not yet cultivated his innate qi, and thus, was not a Transcendental Realm warrior.

Being humiliated by someone in the Post-Natal Realm had ignited his fury, and he lashed out with his staff, summoning a tempest of staff shadows that rained down on Lu Qing like a violent storm.

This time, the black-robed figure held nothing back, even igniting his innate qi and employing an explosive secret art, truly exerting all his might.

Forgetting his earlier intention to torture Lu Qing, his sole desire now was to crush him into a meat paste with this single move!

"Excellent, now this is getting interesting!"

Lu Qing remained unfazed by the onslaught of staff shadows, his eyes gleaming with battle intent.

With a slight mental nudge, a golden light flickered in his glabella, and the Earth Spirit Pearl began to slowly rotate.

In an instant, a faint golden light emanated from his skin.

An incredibly powerful force enveloped his body.

Empowered by this boundless strength, Lu Qing took a mighty step forward, causing the earth to crack beneath his feet. At the same time, his right fist, which had been tucked at his waist, suddenly vanished, only to reappear as it rocketed toward the countless staff shadows, carrying unimaginable force.

ROAR!!!

With the release of his punch, a powerful tiger's roar erupted from Lu Qing's body, reverberating throughout the entire town and shaking everything in its path.

The incredible speed of his fist caused the air in front of him to explode, condensing into a white mist as a mighty shockwave rippled outward, sweeping toward the countless staff shadows.

BOOM!!!

The ferocious force of the punch clashed with the black-robed figure's tempest of staff shadows.

On one side was the substantial staff shadows condensed from innate qi, and on the other was the sheer physical might of Lu Qing's body, forcibly warping and compressing the air to create a powerful shockwave.

Though their essences differed, both sides possessed overwhelming power.

As they collided, an even greater tempest was unleashed.

The violent storm currents ravaged the street, reducing the buildings on either side to rubble.

CLANG!

Amid the deafening explosion, guided by his keen spiritual sense, Lu Qing precisely located the black-robed figure within the storm of staff shadows. With a single punch, he struck the Divine Soldier staff that was hidden among the shadows.

Unimaginable power erupted from Lu Qing's body in layers, causing the Divine Soldier staff to bend violently.

The black-robed figure lost his grip on the staff, his body shaking violently as he was sent flying backward. The staff itself penetrated several buildings before disappearing from sight.

However, the black-robed figure had no concern for his lost weapon at that moment.

After Lu Qing's punch had sent his weapon flying, he took another step forward, his feet cracking the ground beneath him as he appeared in front of the black-robed figure in an instant.

"Wait!"

Seeing Lu Qing's icy gaze filled with killing intent, the black-robed figure, now unarmed and unstable in midair, felt a surge of fear. He quickly shouted, trying to stall for time.

"Die!"

But it was too late. Lu Qing's eyes turned cold, and his fists transformed into countless shadows that rained down on the black-robed figure's body.

POUND! POUND! POUND!

In the span of a single breath, Lu Qing unleashed a barrage of punches, the impacts echoing loudly. No one could count how many blows he had landed, but they had twisted and deformed the black-robed figure's transcendental body, leaving it frozen in midair, unable to fall.

Chapter: A Devilish Monster

Thud!

Lu Qing relentlessly pummeled his opponent for three full breaths before finally retracting his fists and coming to a halt.

As the barrage of punches ceased, the black-robed figure's body fell limply to the ground.

At this moment, his appearance could only be described as pitiful and wretched.

Below the neck, his entire body, including his limbs, was completely twisted and deformed, with not an inch of intact flesh remaining.

Even his bones and internal organs had been pulverized into a mushy mess, with not a single part left whole.

His body resembled a broken sack, lying limply on the ground, unable to even lift his head.

However, despite his dire state, the black-robed figure had not yet perished.

The strong willpower of a cultivator at the Small Success Stage of the Innate Realm allowed him to retain his consciousness even though his physical body was utterly devastated.

Yet, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Lu Qing had transformed from the previous anger to a mixture of disbelief and sheer terror.

He couldn't believe that he, a man who had roamed the world for most of his life, had been so easily defeated by a mere youth.

And the fear stemmed from the terrifying power and boxing technique that Lu Qing had just displayed.

In all his years, he had never witnessed such a ferocious boxing style.

It was truly unimaginable how Lu Qing, at such a young age, had managed to cultivate such formidable prowess.

"Is he even human?" The black-robed figure wondered, his perception of Lu Qing shifting from that of a mere boy to something akin to a monstrous entity.

"What a pity." Lu Qing stood before the black-robed figure, his gaze indifferent as he surveyed his defeated opponent.

"I thought you'd be able to withstand a few of my moves, giving me a chance to hone my boxing skills. But it seems I overestimated you.

For someone at the Small Success Stage of the Innate Realm, you are far weaker than I anticipated.

Perhaps I should have asked my master to show some mercy and spare your arm."

"Pfft!"

The black-robed figure, already overwhelmed with grief and fury, spat out a mouthful of blood upon hearing Lu Qing's words, his emotions spiraling out of control.

"What... what are you?" he asked, his voice laced with a mixture of dread and astonishment.

"Just a passerby." Lu Qing replied nonchalantly, "Do you know why I spared your life and didn't finish you off?"

"Why?" The black-robed figure was intrigued, finding Lu Qing's behavior peculiar.

Lu Qing had clearly possessed the ability to end his life during their clash but had deliberately avoided his head, choosing to leave him alive.

"Could it be that you intend to use my life as leverage to threaten my senior brother and force him to release your master?" The black-robed figure's eyes narrowed as a realization dawned on him.

"You've guessed correctly, young friend," he said, his voice strained as he struggled to speak. "My senior brother and I grew up together, and we are as close as brothers. If you use me as a bargaining chip, he will surely agree to your demands!"

Despite his crippled body, the black-robed figure clung to a fierce will to survive.

Having received the ancient Evil Cultivation inheritance, he knew that as long as his consciousness remained, there was always a chance for recovery.

Even in his current state, there was still hope for restoration.

With his senior brother's eventual mastery of the divine art and the aid of the Blood Soul Banner, he could regain his physical form.

Thus, as long as there was a glimmer of life, he would not give up.

"Exchange me for your master? Are you overestimating your senior brother's sentiments towards you?" Lu Qing countered with a mocking smile.

"The reason I spared your life is that I have something I want to show you, so you can die with your eyes wide open."

With that, Lu Qing tossed a jade pendant, which landed in front of the black-robed figure.

The black-robed figure's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the jade pendant, but Lu Qing's next words only added to his dismay.

"Yes, this is the very same jade pendant that your great-grandson, Mo Xuan, always carried with him. Oh, and I forgot to mention, he was the one I killed. I crushed his head into his chest with a single stomp, a rather pitiful end for him." Lu Qing stated calmly.

"It was you!" The black-robed figure's eyes widened further, his expression contorting with rage.

"You devil! You killed my Mo Xuan! I will never rest until I've exacted my vengeance upon you!"

The black-robed figure could no longer contain his emotions, and his head began to emit a powerful spiritual fluctuation.

His eyes blazed with fury, and his features twisted into a hideous mask, conveying his desire to devour Lu Qing alive.

"Angry, are we?" Lu Qing chuckled softly. "As expected, you humans are despicable to the core. When inflicting harm on others, you never show an ounce of compassion, but the moment the tables are turned, you feel anger and fear.

You are the epitome of baseness, no better than maggots."

"I will kill you! I will kill you!"

The black-robed figure's eyes burned with bloodlust, his body emanating an intense aura of resentment and killing intent, like a true malevolent ghost.

However, this had no effect on Lu Qing, nor did he immediately finish him off. Instead, he stood there quietly, as if waiting for something, letting his opponent rave on.

After more than ten breaths, Lu Qing's expression stirred, and he turned to the still-raving head and said, "That's enough. Stop pretending. Your senior brother is about to come out. Let's see if he can save you."

The black-robed figure's raging spiritual fluctuations abruptly ceased.

A startled and angry voice rang out within the blood light domain: "A Pre-Natal Realm field, a two-element sword intent of water and fire... How is this possible?"

At the same time, the blood light domain shone brilliantly, an overwhelmingly powerful sword intent suppressing the surroundings. A red and white two-colored sword qi soared into the sky, slicing the entire blood light domain in half.

As the blood light gradually faded, the scene within was revealed.

What greeted Lu Qing and the others' eyes was the ravaged street.

In the center stood two figures facing each other.

One held a blood-red banner, and the other, a longsword.

They were none other than the hook-nosed elder and the elderly physician.

However, compared to before, both of their appearances had changed significantly.

The elderly physician's face was smooth, his hair black, and his body exuded a sharp sword intent. His clothes were untouched, and he appeared decades younger, resembling a middle-aged man.

As for the hook-nosed elder, his state was much more pitiful.

Not only were his clothes torn to rags, but his whole body was also covered in bloody wounds. His hair was disheveled, and he breathed heavily, no longer carrying the slightest bit of his previous arrogance.

Even the Blood Soul Banner in his hand was broken in two, more than half of its surface torn away, completely ruined.

His life force had plummeted to the bottom, flickering as if about to go out at any moment.

"Senior brother!"

The black-robed figure's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of his senior brother's miserable state.

He couldn't accept that his senior brother, who possessed the Blood Soul Banner, had actually lost.

The hook-nosed elder sensed this spiritual fluctuation and turned, first surprised, then revealing a bitter smile.

"Junior brother, you lost as well? You two are truly monsters!"

After his bitter smile, the hook-nosed elder looked at the elderly physician: "Sir, I never expected that you would not only comprehend a complete Pre-Natal Realm field but also possess the sword intent of two opposing elements, water and fire, and be able to merge them perfectly, enhancing their power. In this battle, I admit defeat."

The hook-nosed elder was truly shocked to his core.

He never imagined that there would be such a freak in this world.

Despite being at the Small Success Stage of the Pre-Natal Realm, he had comprehended a complete Pre-Natal Realm field.

One must know that fields were something that only the most exceptional Pre-Natal Realm masters could achieve.

Moreover, not only did the elderly physician possess two completely opposite sword intents, but he could also perfectly merge them, enhancing their power.

Each of these facts completely overturned the hook-nosed elder's understanding of martial arts, leaving him astounded.

In the face of the hook-nosed elder's sincere admiration, the elderly physician remained silent, his gaze cold as he looked at his opponent.

Regarding this man who treated people's lives as insignificant and casually harmed others, he felt no need for conversation.

The hook-nosed elder didn't mind the elderly physician's attitude. The winner was king, and the loser could only accept their fate.

As the defeated party, he had no qualifications to care about such things.

"Sir, I admit my defeat in this battle, but there is one thing I'd like to understand before I die. May I ask where you are from, and how you learned about our plans to refine the Blood Soul Banner?"

The elderly physician's eyes flickered slightly, and he coldly uttered two words: "What business?"

"May I ask who you are and how you got the information about our plans to refine the Blood Soul Banner?"

This was something the hook-nosed elder couldn't figure out no matter how hard he racked his brains.

A supreme warrior like the elderly physician should never have been an unknown figure.

Yet, when he thought about all the Pre-Natal Realm warriors he knew, he couldn't find a single one who matched this man's description.

More importantly, how did such a powerful warrior happen to appear in Yunzhou and break their formation at the most critical moment of their Blood Soul Banner refinement?

What the hook-nosed elder couldn't fathom was that, in response to his question, the elderly physician had no intention of answering.

"A dying man shouldn't know so much. You cultivate evil arts and harm innocent lives. You deserve your fate. Now, die in peace."

With that, a sword light flashed, and the hook-nosed elder's head was sliced off.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end