His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he revealed a somewhat awkward, bitter smile.
“To be honest, Junior Brother, I made a mistake just now during cultivation. My spiritual power went off track, causing internal injuries. I've embarrassed myself before you.”
“Ah?!”
Lin Jingyu couldn't help but cry out in alarm. He rushed forward in a few hurried steps, seemingly concerned, and asked,
“Senior Brother, how’s your injury? Let me take a look!”
Seeing the anxious expression on the other’s face, Qi Hao actually felt a rare trace of warmth in his heart.
He waved his hand, his tone filled with the reassurance of an elder brother.
“It’s nothing serious. A few days of rest will do. But I’ve made you worry.”
However, just as Lin Jingyu's hand truly drew near, a glint of cunning flashed across Qi Hao’s eyes—too subtle to detect.
Now!
He decisively extended his right hand, seemingly naturally grasping the other’s wrist, while shouting sharply in his heart.
System! Bind Lin Jingyu!
Almost at the exact moment, strange ripples spread through the air around them.
Ding! Binding in progress…
Ding! Binding failed. Unknown energy interference, binding unsuccessful.
Qi Hao’s pupils contracted violently. He stared in disbelief at their clasped hands. What unknown energy? How could the binding fail?!
Meanwhile, in Lin Jingyu’s mind, a cold mechanical voice suddenly rang out.
Ding! Abnormal energy detected. Attempt to bind host detected. System has activated defense mechanism!
Lin Jingyu instantly understood what was happening. His long phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously, and a chilling smile curled his lips.
“Senior Brother, so that’s how it is……”
Before the words even finished, a strand of deep-blue spiritual power had already condensed in Lin Jingyu’s palm.
Under Qi Hao’s shocked gaze, the force shot out like an arrow, slamming directly into his chest.
The enormous impact launched Qi Hao’s entire body into the air. He crashed heavily into the rock behind him, a mouthful of fresh blood spraying from his lips, staining his robes crimson.
Qi Hao stared in disbelief at the once-gentle Junior Brother before him, a broken whisper escaping his throat.
“Why…?”
He couldn’t fathom it. The plan was flawless—why had it failed at the final moment?
But recalling the system’s earlier alert, a sudden realization flashed through Qi Hao’s mind.
His eyes widened in shock as he looked toward the fast-approaching Lin Jingyu.
At this moment, Lin Jingyu’s eyes brimmed with unmasked killing intent, and the aura radiating from his body was terrifyingly oppressive.
In that instant, Qi Hao’s heart sank. A bold thought emerged.
Could this Junior Brother… also be a transmigrator?!
Forcing himself to stabilize his stance, he shouted sternly,
“Lin Jingyu, you’re a transmigrator too?!”
Hearing this, Lin Jingyu’s movements paused. He let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with ruthless ferocity.
“That’s right! Too bad you found out too late—go die!”
Before the last word left his lips, he suddenly struck out with his palm. A fierce gust of wind howled forth, aiming straight for Qi Hao’s vital point, determined to end him on the spot.
Though Qi Hao had been severely injured by Lin Jingyu’s palm, he had already taken a healing pill to stabilize the wounds inflicted by Lu Xueqi.
As a cultivator at the Eighth Level of Jade Purity Realm, with years of accumulation at that stage, he was far from helpless.
Spiritual power surged around him, his eyes bursting with killing intent as he growled coldly.
“Fine! Fine! Fine! So even I, Qi Hao, have misjudged someone! If you want to kill me, then today I won’t let you live either!”
In an instant, both unleashed palms brimming with terrifying power.
As the palms clashed, a deafening “Boom!” erupted. The horrifying energy burst forth like a storm, carving a crater several meters deep into the ground.
The enormous shockwave sent both men flying backward, their faces paling instantly.
Upon landing, Lin Jingyu’s expression shifted slightly.
He had never expected that, even while gravely injured, Qi Hao would still be so formidable.
Even after being attacked by Lu Xueqi and ambushed by himself, Lin Jingyu could still fight him to a standstill.
Though Qi Hao had also suffered backlash, he secretly let out a breath of relief.
He keenly sensed that although Lin Jingyu had reached the Seventh Level of Jade Purity Realm, his strength was still a notch below his own.
Even with severe injuries, their current strength was evenly matched—neither could easily gain the upper hand for now.
Seeing this, a surge of confidence rose in Qi Hao’s heart.
After all, he had cultivated for many years, his foundation was solid, and his depth in Daoist arts far surpassed Lin Jingyu’s.
Just as Qi Hao steadied his stance, he fixed a cold gaze on Lin Jingyu and said in a deep voice,
“When did you transmigrate here? And how did you find me?”
Lin Jingyu sneered with disdain.
“I’ve been in this world for years. I replaced the original host back in Caomiao Village.”
“As for discovering you? Hahaha! You transmigrated just half a year ago. Your temperament completely changed, and you acted arrogantly without restraint. How could I not notice?”
“Not to mention, you went around spreading poems from your past life—weren’t you just telling the world: ‘I’m a transmigrator’? You idiot!”
These words hit Qi Hao like a hammer. His face turned ashen in an instant.
Until now, he had never imagined there could be another transmigrator in this world.
Weren’t transmigration novels always saying each world had only one Chosen One?
Why then, in his case, were there two transmigrators?
But when he looked at Lin Jingyu again, a cold, murderous light burst in his eyes.
‘This world’s Chosen One can only be me. There can only be one transmigrator! Today, I must kill Lin Jingyu!’
Lin Jingyu seemed to see through his thoughts and sneered,
“Qi Hao, it’s true that your cultivation is one level above mine. If you were at full strength, I wouldn’t be your match.”
“But now you’re gravely injured, and you still want to kill me? You’re dreaming!”
“Don’t forget—I have the Divine Weapon of the Nine Heavens, the Dragon-Slaying Sword. What do you have to fight me with?”
Qi Hao’s expression turned icy, and he snorted coldly.
“Lin Jingyu, don’t think that just because you hold the Dragon-Slaying Sword, you can beat me! I’ve cultivated for many years, my Dao arts are profound, my divine powers perfected—how could a greenhorn like you, with just a few years of practice, compare? Today, I will slay you here and now!”
Before the words finished, Qi Hao waved his right hand. The Ice Immortal Sword instantly unsheathed.
Its blade emitted a blinding frost-blue glow. Razor-sharp sword energy swept forth with bone-chilling cold, turning the surroundings into a realm of ice and snow in the blink of an eye.
A thin layer of frost spread rapidly outward from him as the center. Wherever it passed, grass and trees froze solid.
Lin Jingyu’s expression hardened. He likewise swung his right hand, and the Dragon-Slaying Sword erupted into existence.
From its emerald blade came an earth-shaking dragon’s roar.
Terrifying sword intent merged with the dragon’s cry, forming a tangible edge that seemed capable of shredding space and obliterating all things—its might was utterly terrifying.
Qi Hao stared at the Dragon-Slaying Sword in Lin Jingyu’s hand, his expression grim, but a surge of unwillingness welled up in his heart.
As the top disciple of Longshou Peak, he couldn’t believe Cang Song had handed this divine weapon to Lin Jingyu. Such blatant favoritism made Qi Hao harbor killing intent even toward Cang Song.
But he quickly suppressed the emotion.
As long as he killed Lin Jingyu today, the Dragon-Slaying Sword would eventually be his! With that thought, the flames of greed burned even more fiercely in his eyes.