Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Come Out, All of You
Jiang Xu hid far off to the side, the corner of his mouth twitching.
With his Spiritual Eye Technique, he easily and clearly saw the last two groups of Tribulation Cultivators hiding nearby.
It was obvious they all wanted to be the ones to swoop in at the end.
Too bad they’d all ended up as mantises instead.
Jiang Xu looked toward Ji Shengliang.
He saw that the two up ahead were already locked in a fierce battle.
It turned out that at some point during his escape, Ji Shengliang had unleashed the Blood-Colored Small Knife, launching a sneak attack that caught his opponent off guard and left them severely wounded.
Ji Shengliang now had victory firmly in his grasp. Finishing off his opponent was just a matter of time.
...
Panting, Ji Shengliang tossed another Qi Condensing Pill into his mouth.
A Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivator was a great deal stronger than one at the Middle Stage.
With all their powerful Magic and Magical Artifacts, his opponent could still put up a strong fight even after being severely wounded.
As a result, Ji Shengliang still had to expend considerable effort to finally kill him.
"Phew! Finally dead!"
Ji Shengliang strode over, picked up the Storage Bag, then sent the corpse flying with a vicious kick. A moment later, a fireball incinerated the body, leaving only ashes.
"What an unlucky day! But at least I’m the one left standing at the end, hahaha—"
But halfway through, Ji Shengliang’s laughter died in his throat.
He felt several more spells streaking toward his back in a sneak attack.
"More of them..."
In a panic, Ji Shengliang slapped several Talismans onto his body. The resulting shield barely managed to block the incoming Magic.
He fell into despair.
This was the fourth group to come after him. ’Why is this happening?!’
This new Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivator was clearly wary of Ji Shengliang. He kept his distance, casting Magic and attacking with a black, hammer-shaped Magical Artifact, giving Ji Shengliang no end of grief.
’So many people coming after me in such a short time... This can’t be a coincidence!’
At this moment of life and death, Ji Shengliang’s mind raced.
’Someone must have set me up!’
’Could it be that wench? Did she find out I killed her husband and hire people to get revenge?’
’It makes sense, but if that were true, why aren’t they working together to kill me? Why come in waves?’
’Could it be that the Cultivators hunting me think there are too many people to split the Spirit Stones? Did they make a pact to come at me in batches? Is it a winner-take-all deal for whoever kills me first?’
The more Ji Shengliang thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. There was no other explanation.
"Damn it! I actually thought that bitch really wanted the Blazing Sunflower. It was all a plot to lure me out of the city and have me killed!"
"If I get out of this alive, just you watch how I’ll humiliate and toy with you and your daughter! I’ll flay you alive and rip out your bones! Even using your Divine Souls as lamp oil won’t be enough to quell my hatred!"
Having figured it out, Ji Shengliang turned to the Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivator and roared:
"Stop! You idiot, you’ve fallen for it!"
His opponent froze, confused. The spell forming in his hands slowed, but recalling Ji Shengliang’s earlier sneak attack, he remained on high alert.
"What are you talking about? Fallen for what? Are you just trying to stall for time to say your last words?"
Ji Shengliang sneered.
"Don’t think I don’t know your little game. Go on, what did she pay you? Whatever it is—not counting her body—I’ll double it!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Speechless, his opponent formed a hand seal for a Spell. Just as he was about to cast it, he heard Ji Shengliang shout:
"Come on out! I know you’re not the only one!"
"Huh???"
Hearing this, the man instantly grew more alert.
’There’s someone else?’
’What’s going on?’
He was the last Tribulation Cultivator to leave the city in pursuit of Ji Shengliang.
He had only witnessed the final moments of Ji Shengliang’s battle with the previous Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivator.
He hadn’t seen the first two groups battle Ji Shengliang.
That was why he’d chosen to launch his sneak attack right when Ji Shengliang was picking up the Storage Bag, at his moment of lowest vigilance.
...
After Ji Shengliang’s shout, nothing happened.
"Still hiding, are you?!"
Suddenly, Ji Shengliang slapped a piece of Talisman Paper onto himself and shot away at an astonishing speed!
Ji Shengliang moved too quickly. Furthermore, the Tribulation Cultivator he’d been facing was still pondering his words and couldn’t react in time to stop him.
"Trying to run?!"
BANG—!
A trident shot through the air and struck Ji Shengliang dead-on, slamming him into the ground!
"Pfft!"
Ji Shengliang lay sprawled on the ground, blood streaming from his mouth.
"It’s you, Zhao Qian! To think you’d also set your sights on this fat sheep!"
"Well, well, Shu Xitao. What a coincidence. Since you know he’s my prey, shouldn’t you be running off with your tail between your legs?"
Though not partners, the two Tribulation Cultivators knew each other.
Now, as they faced off, they were clearly wary of one another.
Both men glanced at Ji Shengliang. Seeing him lying motionless on the ground, apparently dead, they turned most of their attention back to each other.
"Zhao Qian, aren’t you breaking the code? I was clearly here first for this fat sheep. I had him half-beaten, and you swoop in to steal the prize?"
Zhao Qian gave a sly chuckle.
"Who says you were first? I’ve been waiting for an hour. This fat sheep is mine. Besides, if I hadn’t stepped in, he would’ve escaped!"
Seeing that neither had any intention of leaving, their expressions grew increasingly vicious.
This was, after all, a Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivator. Normally, they wouldn’t target someone so powerful.
Only because their target was completely spent did they dare to make a move.
What’s more, besides his own Storage Bag, he also had the bags from several other Tribulation Cultivators.
If this score was successful, the loot would probably be enough Spirit Stones to fund their Cultivation all the way to the Great Perfection of Qi Cultivation.
But as Zhao Qian and Shu Xitao faced off, neither of them noticed something.
A wisp of azure gas seeped out from under Ji Shengliang’s "corpse."
It dissipated into the air, becoming invisible.
...
Jiang Xu remained perfectly hidden.
His Light Body Spell was at the ready. If the two Tribulation Cultivators started fighting in his direction, Jiang Xu would retreat at top speed to prevent his Concealing Breath Spell from being disrupted.
As he watched, Jiang Xu suddenly felt that something was wrong.
His Magical Power felt sluggish, and a sense of weakness crept over his body.
The next moment, a stream of pale green Magical Power automatically circulated from the Cultivation Seed within his Qi Sea.
The Magical Power circulated once through Jiang Xu’s body, and he immediately felt clear-headed and refreshed. The discomfort vanished, and his Magical Power flowed normally again.
Startled, Jiang Xu carefully scanned the air with his Spiritual Eye Technique.
Only then did he discover faint, barely perceptible wisps of azure mist drifting in the air.
Jiang Xu then recalled the first time he had encountered Ji Shengliang, and how his victim had died—by poison!
HISS—!
’He’s not dead!’
