Chapter 73: Jellyfish Fine Steel
Looking at the black flames rushing towards him, a glint flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes. The muscles in his legs instantly erupted with immense power, and he lunged sideways, narrowly dodging the deadly black flames.
“Swish!”
Zhang Zhiyuan's spiritual energy surged, and he instantly slapped his palm towards Song Changsheng's chest.
Song Changsheng didn't even look, retaliating with a punch.
Fist and palm collided with a roar, just like in their previous exchange. However, this time Song Changsheng retreated over ten steps, while Zhang Zhiyuan merely swayed slightly before steadying himself.
It seemed Zhang Zhiyuan held the absolute upper hand, but Zhang Zhiyuan himself felt a storm raging in his heart. He could sense that Song Changsheng had used pure physical strength this time.
His own palm strike had been with all his might, yet he didn't expect the opponent to only be slightly at a disadvantage.
“This person is truly terrifying. No wonder Chang Tianhua racked his brains to kill him. If he hadn't fallen into the trap, we wouldn't have had any chance of winning today,” Zhang Zhiyuan secretly marveled.
Song Changsheng's face flushed slightly, but he quickly composed himself. He stomped his leg backward, and his entire being instantly shot out like an arrow released from a bowstring, charging towards Chang Tianhua.
Although he couldn't use spiritual energy for now, his physical strength was still formidable.
“Courting death.” With a crisp snap, Chang Tianhua flicked open the folding fan in his hand, then forcefully swung it, scattering a handful of silver needles as fine as ox hairs.
Song Changsheng had seen this move long ago. He circulated his entire body's vital essence, took a deep breath, and then unleashed a powerful punch.
The punch roared, scattering the silver needles, which were laced with potent poison. Chang Tianhua's face fell in shock, and he quickly cast a spell.
Song Changsheng remained fearless, enduring the spell's impact on his body, swiftly closing in, and curling his palm into a claw, intending to capture Chang Tianhua.
Just as he was about to succeed, the black-robed man and Zhang Zhiyuan's attacks arrived one after another. One brandished a large saber, and the other swung a giant axe, both wielding impressive power.
A hint of regret flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes as he quickly disengaged and retreated. Although his physique was comparable to a magical tool, it hadn't reached the point where he could directly clash with them.
“Swish, swish, swish!”
Beams of dazzling spells struck where Song Changsheng had been standing. Song Changsheng weaved and dodged, easily evading them.
Suddenly, a black chain abruptly attacked him from behind. Song Changsheng tried to dodge, but the chain, like a maggot attached to a bone, clung to him relentlessly.
Song Changsheng was shocked and enraged, angrily throwing a punch.
Unexpectedly, the chain was as agile as a spiritual snake. It subtly shifted, not only dodging his punch but also wrapping itself around his arm.
Song Changsheng was greatly alarmed. If he were caught by this chain, all would truly be lost. He quickly circulated his vital essence, hoping to snap it.
To his surprise, the more force he used, the tighter the strange chain coiled. Intense pain shot through him, and Song Changsheng felt as if his arm was about to break.
“He's caught by my Demon-Binding Rope! Finish him now!” The black-robed man suddenly sat cross-legged on the ground, his aura weak and voice hoarse.
“Mountain-Cleaving, Earth-Splitting!”
Zhang Zhiyuan raised his giant axe high. A dazzling brilliance enveloped it, instantly making him appear incredibly tall, like a giant capable of splitting heaven and earth.
Song Changsheng was restricted by the black-robed man's Demon-Binding Rope, making this axe strike utterly unavoidable.
Just as he was about to rely on the Death Substitute Paper Doll on him to withstand this blow, he felt a warm current flow through his meridians, and the circulation of his spiritual energy instantly returned to normal.
A burst of light erupted in Song Changsheng's eyes. With a thought, his entire skeleton instantly glowed. The Yin-Yang Dual Polarity Formation was activated once more, and the black and white energies transformed into a pair of black and white scissors that met the incoming attack.
With a crisp "crack," to Zhang Zhiyuan's horrified gaze, the giant axe in his hand was cut in half, falling to the ground.
With his vital artifact destroyed, Zhang Zhiyuan immediately suffered a backlash, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. His aura plummeted in an instant. For a moment, everyone was shocked, even Chang Tianhua was stunned.
“You… what kind of secret art is this?” Zhang Zhiyuan looked at Song Changsheng, asking weakly. Even now, he thought it was some unknown secret art.
“A secret art to take your life!” Song Changsheng's tone was icy. With a tremor of spiritual energy in his body, the black chain wrapped around his arm instantly shattered inch by inch.
“Ho ho ho… I am utterly defeated.” A look of resignation appeared on Zhang Zhiyuan's face. He closed his eyelids, quietly awaiting death.
Song Changsheng flicked his finger, and a water arrow pierced through his head.
Zhang Zhiyuan, the current Eldest Brother of the Earthfire Sect, had fallen.
Song Changsheng didn't even spare a glance at his corpse and strode towards the black-robed man not far away. His current condition was also very poor, with no room left to resist.
Watching Song Changsheng approach step by step, the black-robed man reached out and removed his hood, revealing a face full of scars. He said calmly, “I never expected that you could make such a comeback in this situation. Our defeat is not unjust.”
“You were the one who gave that idiot the idea, weren't you? I have to say, that move truly taught me a good lesson. Tell me your name; I will remember it for life.”
This black-robed man always managed to put Song Changsheng in desperate situations at crucial moments. Even as an enemy, Song Changsheng still held great respect for him.
“Qiu Wengui.”
Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. So it was someone from the Qiu clan. No wonder his cultivation path was so different from the Earthfire Sect's.
“Farewell.”
Song Changsheng walked past him. Black and white energy swirled around his neck, instantly separating his head from his body.
Chang Tianhua watched this scene, his eyes wide with terror, his entire body trembling. He pointed at the approaching Song Changsheng, shouting in a fierce yet weak voice:
“You… you… do you know what you're doing?!”
“Oh?”
“These two, one is my sect's Eldest Senior Brother, and the other is one of the Qiu clan's Twin Geniuses. You actually dared to kill them.”
“Heh, so what? If others don't offend me, I don't offend others. If they come to kill me, they naturally must be prepared to be killed by me,” Song Changsheng said calmly.
“You… Song Changsheng, stop now. As long as you let me go, I will absolutely not reveal what happened today.”
Song Changsheng stopped in his tracks upon hearing this.
Chang Tianhua's heart swelled with joy, thinking he had been persuaded. He quickly pressed on while the iron was hot, saying, “As long as you let me go, all past grievances will be wiped clean. I will also ask my father to intercede for you. Whether it's the Qiu clan or Zhang Zhiyuan, it can all be forgotten.”
While his words sounded sincere, he thought viciously to himself, "As long as I get back, I'll make your life worse than death!"
Song Changsheng looked at Chang Tianhua, who was initially arrogant and now humble. A smile suddenly appeared on his impassive face, a fleeting smile that made Chang Tianhua's hair stand on end.
“Whether it was Zhang Zhiyuan or Qiu Wengui, they had no grudge against me. They shouldn't have died, but now they've died by my hand. Even at their last moments, neither of them begged to cling to life.
And you, the culprit, want to get away scot-free? Hehe, where in this world is there such a good thing?”
Song Changsheng's words, filled with killing intent, instantly sent a chill down Chang Tianhua's spine, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Chang Tianhua, feigning fierceness, shouted, “Do you really dare to kill me?! I am the Young Sect Master of the Earthfire Sect! My father is Chang Wudao! If you dare to kill me, my father will absolutely not let…”
His words were unfinished when a blood hole appeared on his forehead. His vision spun, and he weakly collapsed onto the cold ground, lifeless.
“If I don't kill you, do you expect me to wait for you to come kill me again?” Song Changsheng looked at Chang Tianhua, whose eyes were wide open in rage, his tone icy.
After collecting their Qiankun Bags and preparing to destroy the bodies, a dark blue necklace around Chang Tianhua's neck immediately caught Song Changsheng's attention.
Reaching out to take it off, it felt cold and heavy to the touch, emanating fluctuations of water spiritual energy. Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow slightly, then realized with sudden clarity, “So it's a necklace made of Jellyfish Fine Steel! No wonder the fire qi I left in him had no effect.”
Jellyfish Fine Steel is an extremely rare second-rank water-attribute spiritual material, even more precious than the Gui Water Essence he had obtained before. It contains a trace of Yin-cold qi, and wearing it is enough to suppress the trace of fire qi he had left behind.
For his beloved son, Chang Wudao had truly gone to great lengths, refining such a rare second-rank spiritual material into a first rank artifact just so he could bring it into the secret realm.
However, now it benefited Song Changsheng. He was currently looking for spiritual materials to re-refine his treasure gourd, and this Jellyfish Fine Steel was simply perfect.
After casting a few Fireball Arts to turn the bodies into ashes, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged and began to heal his injuries.
He had wasted so much time here that the competition for the Stalactite Spiritual Liquid was probably already over. Rushing there now would be pointless, so it was better to deal with his injuries first…
...
Meanwhile, in the cave that produced the Stalactite Spiritual Liquid, the situation was as Song Changsheng had expected. The disciples of the six major powers had already determined the victor through a tournament-style battles.
With the absence of strong contenders like Song Changsheng, Qiu Wengui, and Zhang Zhiyuan, this arena battle was a fierce contest, filled with excitement.
Song Lutong and Song Chang'an from the Song clan, Yu Xueqian from the Yu clan, Wang Qianqian from the Wang clan, and Li Hengzong from the Li clan all shone brightly in the arena. It wouldn't be long before their names became known throughout Ling Province.
And among them, the darkest dark horse was Song Lutong. Relying on his fearless charge and powerful physique, he managed to defeat all his competitors and obtain the Stalactite Spiritual Liquid.
Having gained the opportunity, Song Lutong immediately began to strut around again, deliberately parading in front of the Earthfire Sect and the Yu clan. His expression was as smug as could be.
“Hmph, it was just luck. What's there to be proud of? If our Young Sect Master and Eldest Senior Brother were here, how could this oaf be so rampant?” a disciple of the Earthfire Sect said coldly.
“What do you think Eldest Senior Brother and the others went to do? Could it really be to…” another person whispered.
“What are you two babbling about?” The eldest Earthfire Sect disciple turned back and glared at them, displeased.
The two shrunk their necks and immediately stopped talking, but anyone with eyes could clearly see that the disappearance of these few people must be related.
As for what they went to do, everyone in their hearts was as clear as a mirror…
(Chapter End)