Chapter 343: Yan Laomo

Opposite Qin Ming.

That gaunt, black-robed elder was wreathed in swirling demonic energy, unmistakably radiating the magical power of a Golden Core realm.

Qin Ming frowned at the sight, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Who are you?"

"What purpose do you have, sneaking here in such a deceitful manner?"

The black-robed elder let out a dry chuckle, his gaze locking onto Qin Ming: "Hehehe! I am Elder Yan—have you ever heard of me?"

Yan Laomo saw his true form revealed, yet Qin Ming showed no sign of panic—instead, he spoke calmly as if nothing were amiss.

He must have some kind of backing.

Yan Laomo could not help but shed a hint of contempt.

After all, Duanmu Sheng had warned him that a second-stage peak great beast guarded this island.

"But I've heard a third-stage elixir master has appeared here—his cultivation is only Foundation Establishment mid-stage. I'm in dire need of pills for my own cultivation, so I came to take some."

"Oh? You came to take them? Then try and see if you can," Qin Ming said, expressionless.

The moment he spoke.

Suddenly!

A streak of dark light, shimmering with a sinister shadow, struck Qin Ming's body with terrifying speed—faster than lightning.

CLANG!!

The dark light was a pitch-black skull-bladed knife, its hilt inlaid with a skull that moaned with chilling ghostly wails.

The instant the skull-bladed knife touched Qin Ming, a crimson true Gang appeared, spiritual runes flashing—his True Ultimate Body fully manifested.

The knife struck Qin Ming's body as if chopping a piece of impenetrable defensive magic treasure—its black blade wobbled like a drunkard and was flung back.

Yan Laomo's ambush, meant to be decisive, was so easily neutralized—he stared in shock: "Your body withstood a magic treasure?!!"

"You're definitely not ordinary! Even my Ghost Wail Blade can't harm you?!"

At that moment.

Yan Laomo suddenly realized—no wonder this brat had remained so calm all along; he'd been hiding his strength!

This Ghost Wail Blade was his life-bound magic treasure, nurtured for over a hundred years. He had killed countless cultivators during his demonic cultivation, spending immense effort to feed it with their blood and souls.

With each slash, it not only corrupted the enemy's magic treasures, but its ghostly wails could shatter the mind, specifically breaking through protective spiritual shields and defensive artifacts.

Countless souls had perished beneath this blade.

The Ghost Wail Blade was one of Yan Laomo's greatest sources of terror.

Even Golden Core cultivators avoided his life-bound treasure at all costs.

Yet now, he couldn't even pierce the opponent's flesh.

Yan Laomo's heart trembled—could a mere Foundation Establishment peak elixir master truly possess such power?

Something was deeply wrong. He sensed it—his expression darkened and shifted.

He immediately turned to flee.

"Came here to leave so easily?"

"Didn't you say you came to take my island's spirit pills?"

Qin Ming sneered, then waved his hand—a ripple stirred the air, and three massive spirit beast forms emerged, surrounding Yan Laomo in a triangular formation.

Instantly, heaven and earth darkened.

Three terrifying auras descended into the air—one so potent it made Yan Laomo's heart race in fear.

"Third-stage peak beast king!!!"

"Two second-stage peak great beasts!"

"Duanmu Sheng betrayed me!"

Yan Laomo screamed, thick black energy erupting from his body, turning into countless wisps of smoke as he tried to scatter and flee.

"Too many words."

Qin Ming's fingers curled in the air—a flash of green light revealed three three-inch-long nails in his right palm.

Crimson-gold spiritual runes surfaced on the Wood Emperor Nails, radiating terrifying power.

Within Qin Ming's dantian, his spiritual power surged like a raging tide, flooding endlessly into the three Wood Emperor Nails.

WUM—every spiritual rune ignited, radiating pure yang energy that warped the surrounding air.

"Golden Core-level spiritual power? Third-stage top-tier magic treasure!!"

"How is this possible?!"

Yan Laomo shrieked in disbelief from within the smoke, again sacrificing his cultivation to activate a forbidden technique—his body erupted in torrents of blood-red light, fleeing Qin Ming in a grotesque, twisted form.

As he fled, Yan Laomo gritted his teeth and hurled a black bone staff adorned with several strings of ink-black jade skulls.

Instantly.

The black bone staff swelled to over a hundred feet, roaring with ten thousand souls—countless ghostly entities poured from the mouths of the jade skulls.

This third-stage low-rank demonic artifact was found by accident in the Taihu Ruins—it could enhance its power by sacrificing cultivator souls.

With enough souls, it could even be upgraded beyond mid-rank.

Yan Laomo no longer cared about the cost—he only hoped these ghosts could delay Qin Ming for a moment, granting him a sliver of chance.

"Duanmu Sheng! Wait until I escape—I'll make you pay!"

"When I break free, I'll use your soul to light a lamp—and burn it for a thousand years!"

At this moment, Yan Laomo had cursed Duanmu Sheng a thousand times in his mind—yet the next instant.

SOO! SOO! SOO! The three Wood Emperor Nails in Qin Ming's palm vanished as if absorbed into the void.

PUNCH!

A ripple disturbed the air near the black bone staff—a verdant Wood Emperor Nail, spitting crimson-gold divine light, silently pierced through the staff.

Like molten lava falling on snow, the staff split open with a massive hole.

Simultaneously, the ghostly entities that touched the crimson-gold divine light of the Wood Emperor Nails instantly dissolved—vaporized on contact.

The black bone staff let out a mournful cry and snapped cleanly in two.

Qin Ming's gaze burned with intensity—his heart surged with excitement! This was the power of a top-tier magic treasure!

Nothing like an ordinary artifact could compare.

The other two Wood Emperor Nails, as if guided by locks, chased after one of the fleeing wisps of smoke.

In an instant.

"Ahh!"

Yan Laomo staggered out of the smoke, falling to the ground.

His face was deathly pale—he clutched a severed arm, staring at Qin Ming with utter despair.

"Third-stage spirit pet, third-stage top-tier magic treasure…"

"This guy's stronger than those old bastards in Xuanxi Valley!"

"How could Wei State have someone like this?!"

"I never thought… after decades of terrorizing the demonic path… I'd be undone in a ditch today…"

Yan Laomo knew—if he hadn't severed his own arm and activated the demonic substitution technique, he'd already be dead beneath those mysterious nails.

"Brother Qin, I was wrong before—my tone was harsh. I never meant to oppose you!"

"Please spare my life."

Yan Laomo begged.

"I prefer you when you were arrogant."

"Didn't you say you came to take my spirit pills?"

"And why did you just blame Duanmu Sheng? Did he give you some message?"

"He even disguised himself as Gu Qing to lure me out of the island."

Qin Ming looked at him as if he were already dead, speaking calmly.

"Yes, yes! It was him!"

Yan Laomo hurriedly agreed, his eyes darting nervously as he secretly plotted a way out.

"Hmm. Then you can die now."

As the words left his lips.

Qin Ming reached out again—three Wood Emperor Nails shot toward Yan Laomo.

Yan Laomo's eyes bulged with rage—he roared: "Brat! Do you truly mean to destroy us both?!"

He knew he had no chance of surviving the three top-tier magic treasures' strike.

With a mad look, he prepared to detonate his Golden Core and take Qin Ming with him.

But the three Wood Emperor Nails suddenly pierced through Yan Laomo's protective demonic aura, effortlessly cutting through his defensive artifacts.

They pierced straight through his skull, leaving three bloody holes.

Yan Laomo lost his breath—never even had time to detonate—his corpse tumbled lifelessly from the sky.

Qin Ming immediately cast a Thorns Spell—countless black vines wrapped around him, draining him into a dried corpse.

The Devouring Rat watched for a long while, then dug out a Golden Core from Yan Laomo's corpse and handed it to Qin Ming.

"Master, here's this too."

"Hehe!"

(End of Chapter)