Chapter 74: 74. Chapter 74: Battle the Demon (In Honor of Alliance Master Elvin2016)

74. Chapter 74: Battle the Demon (In Honor of Alliance Master Elvin2016)

“What?”

The old man with the Long surname flushed red, as if unable to believe it.

He casually tossed aside the wreckage, then turned to the ox demon’s corpse and frantically searched: “Not here… How could there be no demon core?”

The old man with the Long surname whirled around: “Witch, you lied to me?!”

“Hehe… Old Man Long, I only deceived Zeng Yi.” Su Ye sneered: “But you’re about to become a ghost yourself…”

“I… become a ghost?”

The old Long man laughed coldly twice, about to speak again, when suddenly a sword’s hum echoed in his ear: “Gengjin Sword Qi—no good!”

He hastily raised his shield, still clutching several talismans in his hand.

But the golden light came too fast!

Almost as he raised his shield, a blade of light pierced through it and drove into the old Long man’s chest.

“You… aren’t dead?”

Blood poured from his mouth and nose; he struggled to turn and saw Mi Weidao, his clothes charred black.

“Old Man Long, you dared ambush me from behind with a second-rank thunder talisman while I was unguarded!”

Mi Weidao sneered: “If not for the ‘Escape-Death Talisman’ my master gave me, you’d have succeeded!”

He channeled his Qi, and countless Gengjin Sword Qi erupted from within the old Long man’s body, instantly slicing him into countless fragments.

“Cough… thanks for your help, Senior Brother.”

Su Ye stood up, pale-faced, her chest stained with blood, like a floating duckweed in the wind.

“Nonsense… I merely couldn’t bear to see this fool commit such a stupid act—buying the casket and returning the pearl.”

Mi Weidao flicked his finger, sending a fireball crashing onto the wreckage the old Long man had discarded.

The wreckage was instantly incinerated into ash.

Amid the ash, a dull gray storage bag emerged.

“No wonder this storage bag, impervious to low-grade magical artifacts, endured so long inside the Qingyan Ox’s stomach—this first-rank low-grade fireball technique could never harm it…”

Mi Weidao held the storage bag in his hand, sighing: “You’ve worked hard, Young Sister. Clearly, you knew this wreckage well—you knew it carried a storage bag with treasures inside… No wonder you were so eager. Though storage bags resist magical damage, they can still be corroded inside a second-rank beast’s stomach…”

In this world, storage bags were precious; only Foundation Establishment cultivators or those at the peak of Qi Condensation could afford them.

Once damaged, their contents vanished into the void.

Of course, there was another possibility—they’d be excreted and mixed with cow dung.

But no matter what, it all came back to this Qingyan Ox!

Since its owner was dead, Mi Weidao easily subjugated the storage bag. His spiritual sense probed inside, and his face instantly lit up with wild joy: “Is this it? Hahaha… My path to Foundation Establishment is complete!”

In his hand suddenly appeared a jade vial; inside, a crimson essence swirled, its radiance spilling even through the jade!

“Gan Yuan Fire Demon Essence! So Young Sister knew where this was hidden—no wonder you fought to the death… Compared to the mere fraction of a percent benefit from Dingzhen Pills, Gan Yuan Fire Demon Essence is the true Foundation Establishment opportunity!”

Mi Weidao looked at Su Ye: “Hahaha… You really thought I’d help you for some uncertain Dingzhen Pill? How could there be such a fool in this world?!”

Amid his laughter, he suddenly transformed into a blade of light and retreated swiftly.

Ssssh!

Two black flying swords pierced the ground where Mi Weidao had stood.

Su Ye’s robes fluttered as one after another black iron-feather swords materialized around her: “The Dao lies ahead—we must fight for it. Forgive me, Senior Brother… Iron Feather Swords, deploy!”

Seven Iron Feather Swords darted back and forth, forming a small sword array that trapped Mi Weidao within.

“Child’s play! You’re no sword cultivator—you don’t understand the true strength of sword cultivators!”

Mi Weidao swung his flying sword, and a golden rainbow surged skyward—a single sword, radiant and majestic, its momentum like a celestial arc!

In midair, the golden-red blade clashed with seven black streaks, sword qi exploding everywhere.

Clearly, though only one golden rainbow, it moved with uncanny agility, its sword qi icy and sharp, cutting down one Iron Feather Sword after another…

Clearly, even at the peak of Qi Condensation, the True Disciple of Qingxuan Sect was far beyond Su Ye’s reach.

“Today, I send you on your way, Young Sister. I feel no guilt—for the path to Foundation Establishment, what have I to regret?”

Mi Weidao formed a sword seal; a golden flying sword shot straight into the clouds, shattering the Iron Feather Sword Array into chaos.

He willed his spiritual sense to control the sword—to pierce Su Ye’s heart and end it all.

“I’ll fight you to the death!”

Su Ye’s body shimmered with spiritual light, her blood and aura swirling as if she were about to unleash a desperate last resort.

Seeing this, Mi Weidao immediately grew wary.

But then, several fireballs suddenly exploded behind him, blocked by a Golden Body Talisman.

“Hm?”

He whirled around and saw Han Qingyun: “You’re still alive?”

Han Qingyun now wore a light gauze that concealed his aura, and in his hands, low-grade talismans rained down on Mi Weidao like they cost nothing.

‘No, even if he’s alive, what can a mere Qi Condensation Stage One do?’

Mi Weidao’s thoughts raced; his flying sword spun and slashed toward Su Ye. Su Ye had just finished her hand seals—before her appeared a crimson blood flag, from which leapt a ghastly demon with blue face and fangs.

The demon’s face twisted in fury; its massive hand, covered in black-red scales, seized the golden sword mid-air!

At that moment, Han Qingyun hurled more low-grade talismans, exploding behind Mi Weidao.

“Low-grade talismans… Hm? This is… a second-rank pill thunder?”

Mi Weidao sneered, then suddenly noticed among the talismans a semi-transparent thunder pellet emitting terrifying energy—his face twisted in shock.

Pill thunder was a specialty of alchemists: capturing the explosive force of lightning and condensing it into a pellet, possessing immense destructive power.

A second-rank thunder pellet’s power surpassed many second-rank low-grade attack talismans!

He tried to recall his flying sword for defense—but it was trapped in the demon’s grasp.

There was no time to cast another spell.

And his last life-saving talisman had already been used…

Though it seemed slow, it was only a flash—second-rank pill thunder detonated.

The lightning tore through the Golden Body Talisman, destroyed Mi Weidao’s Qingxuan robe, and blew his upper body apart…

Plop!

A hand clutched the storage bag, falling beside Han Qingyun.

Han Qingyun didn’t even glance at it; he bowed respectfully to Su Ye: “Thank you, Young Mistress, for granting me the ‘Illusion Body Talisman’—it saved my life—and for supplying the pill thunder, aiding my revenge…”

How many magpies could there be in this world?

Even if these two peak Qi Condensation cultivators crippled each other, Han Qingyun, a mere Qi Condensation Stage One, could never snatch the spoils!

He survived only because Su Ye had secretly given him a second-rank Illusion Body Talisman from the start!

This talisman was an illusionary spell—capable of creating a phantom body to deceive enemies, lasting half an hour.

Han Qingyun had used it to fake his death, then hid beneath the aura-suppressing gauze, finally emerging to clinch victory.

“The storage bag beside your severed hand holds a Foundation Establishment treasure—do you want it?”

Su Ye formed hand seals, recalling the demon. Her aura weakened further; she suddenly spoke.

“Of course I want it… If I were Qi Condensation Stage Nine, I’d act without hesitation. But now I’m only Stage One…”

Han Qingyun smiled bitterly: “Besides, my elemental affinity is abysmal—I’ve long since lost hope of Foundation Establishment. Young Mistress, you’ve shown me and my sister great kindness. I, Han Qingyun, am no greedy, heartless scoundrel…”

“Good. I finally didn’t misjudge you.”

Su Ye pulled out a round, sky-blue pill and swallowed it.

Through the lifted veil, Han Qingyun saw a cherry-red mouth—pale, with little color.

He was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed.

A tall man in blue robes, back sheathed with a long sword, had appeared silently at the edge of the battlefield, picking up the old Long man’s storage bag.

“You? Fang Yun?!”

Su Ye shrieked and darted toward Han Qingyun.

“The rules for wanderers: share the spoils. Since I took this storage bag, I won’t harm you without cause.”

Fang Xing smiled gently.

But to Su Ye, it was more terrifying than any threat.

After all, this was the man who had wiped out the Thirteen Great Protectors of Tianxia Gang—a true peak Qi Condensation combatant!

And a body cultivator, with exceptional survivability!

His silent appearance here as the magpie revealed terrifying intelligence-gathering and tracking skills!

“Brother Fang… if you desire it, I’m willing to give you this vial of Gan Yuan Fire Demon Essence…”

Su Ye glanced at Fang Xing, gritted her teeth, and prepared to swallow this bitter pill.

Her mental and Qi reserves had been utterly drained from outwitting the old Long man and Mi Weidao.

Now fighting a fully rested “Fang Yun”? She’d lose without a doubt.

“I have little interest in this Foundation Establishment treasure, but its market value exceeds ten thousand spirit stones… How many bottles of Boiling Blood would that be worth?”

Fang Xing stared at Su Ye until she squirmed uneasily, then smiled.

He wasn’t a cultivator—Foundation Establishment treasures meant nothing to him.

Besides, his cooperation with Qingdan Fang had been good, and Su Ye had shown kindness to his younger brother Han Qingyun and Feiyue…

Well, even if Feiyue came, she wouldn’t recognize this “Fang Yun” as him—but he still intended to show a little goodwill.

“Boiling Blood?” Su Ye blinked, doubting such a cultivator could exist: “A Foundation Establishment treasure is worth ten thousand spirit stones. Split it half—your share is five thousand. Boiling Blood is two hundred spirit stones a bottle—that’s at least twenty-five bottles!”

“Very good.” Fang Xing knew Su Ye was treating the Foundation Establishment spiritual item as if it were spiritual stones to be split evenly—oh, Han Qingyun’s strength was too low to count as a person.

“Then, how can we ensure you won’t go back on your word?”

He raised another question.

After all, Su Ye had previously schemed against him; she must pay some price.

“There is a second-rank spiritual contract at Long Lao Gui’s place—I am willing to sign it!”

Su Ye immediately said: “I swear by my Dao heart that I will give you satisfactory compensation… and if I am fortunate enough to achieve Foundation Establishment, I will take you with me to escape from Qinglin Market!”

This second-rank spiritual contract imposed heavy penalties even on Foundation Establishment cultivators who broke it; a newly established cultivator might even regress back to Qi Condensation.

“Sounds good… by the way, let this boy be the witness.”

Fang Xing pointed at Han Qingyun, a faint curve forming at the corner of his mouth.