Chapter 136: Qin Qianjue

This is a range-control thunder art, designed to restrict the Kuiniu’s movements and create an opening for the next strike!

“Roar!”

The Kuiniu let out an impatient low growl, its pale yellow force field erupting once more, trying to shatter the lightning chains.

But the thunder within this Wild Thunder Prison was extraordinarily condensed; the force field could not immediately dismantle it—the chains clung tightly, causing its movements to visibly stall.

“Now!” Qin Qianjue’s eyes blazed with sharp light—he knew the opportunity lasted but an instant!

He clasped his hands together, unleashing every last bit of his thunder spiritual energy without reserve, even drawing upon the primordial thunder force buried deep in his bloodline! A massive thunderball, over two meters in diameter and filled with destructive energy, rapidly coalesced above his head!

The surface of the thunderball was no longer merely blue-white—it faintly shimmered with a deep purple hue! This was the sign of Qin family thunder art reaching an exalted depth, touching upon a sliver of primordial law!

“Thunder Art Forbidden Technique—Purple Thunder of the Heavenly Vault!!”

Qin Qianjue roared, hurling the purple thunderball, forged from all his strength and conviction, straight at the temporarily restrained Kuiniu!

Where the purple thunderball passed, space groaned under unbearable strain; stray lightning arcs scorched blackened trails across the arena floor—its power far exceeded that of the previous Thousand Birds Piercing Spear!

With this strike, he had full confidence—even if it couldn’t instantly kill the Kuiniu, it would certainly cripple it!

Yet, just as the purple thunderball was about to strike the Kuiniu’s skull!

In that single cold eye of the Kuiniu, a flash of cunning triumph gleamed!

Yes—its earlier performance, the clumsy, mindless brute force it displayed, had all been a deception!

Facing this purple divine thunder capable of threatening its life, it remained calm, suddenly opening its massive, bloodied maw!

No roar. No demonic energy expelled.

But the instant it opened its mouth, an invisible field—strange enough to devour sound, light, and even… energy—erupted outward from its jaws!

Qin Qianjue’s immensely powerful Purple Thunder vanished the moment it entered this strange field—its glow dimmed rapidly, its size shrank swiftly, and the violent thunder energy within was forcibly siphoned away and annihilated by some invisible force!

In the blink of an eye, the Purple Thunder capable of crippling a common Catastrophe-Class beast vanished without a trace before the Kuiniu’s mouth—not even a ripple remained!

“What?!!” Qin Qianjue’s pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief, “This… what ability is this?! Absorbing thunder?!”

His greatest reliance, his strongest attack, had been so casually neutralized by the enemy?!

“Foolish human.” The Kuiniu’s voice dripped with mockery. “My kind was born in the Thunder Marsh, raised in the storm—why would we fear thunder? Your thunder arts are merely sustenance to me!”

It drew in a deep breath; the strange field that had devoured the Purple Thunder reversed and flowed back into its body. Its aura subtly strengthened.

“Now, it’s my turn!”

The Kuiniu locked its single eye on Qin Qianjue—shaken to his core by the destruction of his ultimate technique, his spiritual energy nearly depleted—and raised its single hoof once more!

But this time, it was no longer a simple war stomp.

Thick, concentrated earth-yellow light gathered upon its hoof, as if bearing the weight of the entire earth! A terrifying pressure, locking space and suffocating the air, descended!

“Talent Technique—Mountain Severing!”

The hoof came down—not stomping the ground, but striking through empty air, directly toward Qin Qianjue!

“Hum—!”

A condensed column of earth-yellow light, no more than a zhang thick, yet seemingly capable of crushing mountains and severing rivers, instantly appeared above Qin Qianjue’s head! Before the column even reached him, the crushing pressure had already solidified the space around him, pinning him in place—unable to move even a single finger!

No escape! No defense possible!

Qin Qianjue stared at the descending column of death, his eyes filled with resentment, fury, and a touch of resignation.

He had done all he could. Against absolute power disparity and the enemy’s strange absorption ability, his speed and thunder arts had been utterly nullified.

“Big brother… Grandfather… the Qin family… I… did not disgrace us…”

“Jiang Xia… Akatsuki Jin… the battles ahead… rely on Itachi…”

In this final moment, what flashed through his mind were not personal grudges, but his clan and his comrades.

He did not choose to self-detonate like Li Jiuyuan—his spiritual energy was nearly exhausted, and the Kuiniu’s Mountain Severing strike came too fast, granting him no time to gather strength.

He merely gathered his last remaining strength and will, and, facing the descending column, let out his final roar, hurling the last faint streak of thunder he could summon with unwavering resolve!

“Humanity… forever!!”

“Boom—!!!!”

The Mountain Severing column completely swallowed Qin Qianjue’s figure.

Terrifying energy erupted—the earth-yellow light devoured all.

When the light faded, the arena held only a bottomless crater shaped like a giant footprint, its edges still flickering with the annihilating force of earth law.

Qin Qianjue’s form had vanished—no corpse, no remains.

The fourth battle, ended.

The Kuiniu retracted its hoof, its single eye coldly scanning the crater, then turned and slowly descended from the arena.

Its body bore nothing but a few scorch marks from earlier lightning needles—practically unharmed.

“Fourth battle: Beast, Kuiniu, wins.”

The Law’s voice rang out, as indifferent as ever.

The human camp fell into dead silence.

Lost! Again lost!

And more thoroughly than the last! Qin Qianjue had poured everything—yet failed to even truly breach the enemy’s defenses, ultimately crushed without mercy!

A sense of despair and sorrow began to spread through the human camp.

Repeated defeats, the fall of top prodigies—every heart was shrouded in thick gloom.

Qin Hao clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into flesh, blood dripping between his fingers. He stared at the massive footprint crater on the arena, eyes bloodshot, yet forced himself to remain silent.

Qin Qianjue was his cousin. Though their relationship had never been close, their blood bond was undeniable—far stronger than his bond with Qin Wushang. His heart now burned with grief and rage.

Ye Ting slowly closed his eyes. Lu Wujiu’s thunder aura churned restlessly. Ye Qing’s face was expressionless, but the coldness in his eyes could freeze a soul.

Jiang Xia stared at the empty arena, his heart weighed down heavily.

Qin Qianjue’s death made him realize the brutality of this arena battle far exceeded his imagination.

The beasts were not only immensely powerful—they were cunning. Their selection of combatants and tactics had clearly been meticulously planned.

“Kuiniu… absorbs thunder…” Jiang Xia silently recorded this information. It would be crucial for any battle he might face ahead.