Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Exchanging Blows

"Not calling your sect brothers for help? Are you just going to let us beat you to death?"

Zhao Jingyu took a large step, his body glowing as he fully unleashed his Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation.

The Silver-Robed Cultivator’s expression darkened.

"A Body Refining Cultivator? When it comes to Body Refining Skills, the Xuandao Sect is far inferior to my Douchen!"

He took a step forward, releasing a dense Spiritual Qi that enveloped his body, its spiritual pressure immense.

The Silver-Robed Cultivator merely shook his robes, and they boomed like thunder.

Seeing this, Bai Mo took a step back, moving closer to the coffin behind him.

’Standing here, at least I won’t get caught in the crossfire.’

Wan Shenxiu, who was beside him, also retreated. The two exchanged a glance, their expressions blank.

The Silver-Robed Cultivator’s face twitched. He subtly glanced at the passage sealed by the Array.

’Just as I thought, there’s no movement outside. The sounds from in here aren’t getting out.’

"The three of you... where does your confidence come from?"

Zhao Jingyu sneered and charged forward.

"If you want to fight, then fight! What’s with all the talk?"

The Silver-Robed Cultivator saw his wide, sweeping fighting style and immediately felt relieved. Just as he was about to meet the attack, his vision suddenly went black.

The Pill Furnace manifested from Bai Mo’s Divine Thought appeared out of thin air, enveloping his head.

The next moment, however, Bai Mo’s face paled.

The Spiritual Qi surging around the Silver-Robed Cultivator’s body directly shattered and annihilated the Pill Furnace.

He flicked his wide sleeve, meeting Zhao Jingyu’s punch.

BAM!

When the fist and sleeve collided, most of the force in Zhao Jingyu’s punch was dissipated. He hadn’t even broken through the man’s protective energy.

Zhao Jingyu’s expression didn’t change. His cheeks twitched, and an object shot from his mouth, so fast that Bai Mo could only see a black blur.

A silver chain suddenly shot out from the Silver-Robed Cultivator’s sleeve. It spun twice, colliding with the flying dagger and creating a shower of sparks.

Having neutralized Zhao Jingyu’s attack, he was about to press his advantage when a curtain of water rose before him and rushed to envelop him.

With a flick of his eyes, the Silver-Robed Cultivator had already seen through its trick.

He allowed the water curtain to wash over him, then reached his hand inside, grabbed, and twisted.

Before the swirling, blade-like currents of water could even wear down his protective Spiritual Qi, he had already shattered the water curtain.

"An Array like this... the weakness is too obvious."

The Silver-Robed Cultivator’s confidence soared, and he looked at the three of them.

"I’ve heard that the Eldest Brother of the Xuandao Sect’s outer sect loves to support and guide his juniors. Looking at you now, it seems you were overlooked."

"Though I’m nothing special, I’d say I have some skill. Today, I’ll take it upon myself to teach you a lesson or two on his behalf."

Bai Mo and Wan Shenxiu exchanged a look, wondering how this man had come up with the idea of comparing himself to their Eldest Brother.

Their gazes met, then shifted almost imperceptibly toward the pool of water behind them.

A hint of disgust flickered in Wan Shenxiu’s eyes before vanishing.

Zhao Jingyu let out a muffled grunt.

"Junior Brothers, help me!"

At some point, he had slipped on a pair of silk gloves.

A sinister green light occasionally flashed from them.

Bai Mo once again started by conjuring the Pill Furnace to drop on the man’s head.

’It doesn’t have much killing power, but this technique is a good distraction. So far, no one has been able to avoid it.’

The Silver-Robed Cultivator instantly smashed the Pill Furnace to pieces, but was surprised to find his vision still shrouded in mist.

Wan Shenxiu’s Array had filled the enclosed space with a watery mist.

Foul winds occasionally blew from the earthen walls, stirring the mist into swirling vortexes.

Zhao Jingyu tore through the mist with both hands, clashing violently with the Silver-Robed Cultivator.

The brilliant green glow on the silk gloves told his opponent that they were poisoned, finally making the man a bit wary.

The percussive force of their blows and the eruption of Spiritual Qi whipped the mist into vortexes, sounding like a great flood dragon churning in the depths.

The occasional stray force that shot through the air and struck Bai Mo’s face stung sharply.

Together with Wan Shenxiu, the two of them stood calmly by the edge of the pool, watching the fight in the mist.

"Tsk, these Body Refining Cultivators are fated to be manual laborers."

Wan Shenxiu said nonchalantly.

"We’re really putting Brother Zhao through a lot."

The words had barely left his mouth when three thuds—THUD, THUD, THUD—were heard.

Immediately followed by Zhao Jingyu’s pained grunt.

"If we drag this out any longer, Brother Zhao is going to turn into a blood bag."

Bai Mo said, his expression turning serious as he flipped his hand over to reveal a Pill.

"Brother Wan, assist me."

In the mist, the Silver-Robed Cultivator steadily parried Zhao Jingyu’s attacks, but a sudden alarm bell went off in his mind.

He was horrified, and then his vision went black.

"Go!"

With a furious roar, the Spiritual Qi around his body exploded outward.

Zhao Jingyu faced this surge of Spiritual Qi, horrified.

’This is the Spiritual Qi of the Qi Refining Eighth Layer?’

Under the spiritual pressure, his facial features were crushed flat, and he could barely stay on his feet, about to be forced back.

At this critical moment, an immense force pushed against his lower back.

It was Wan Shenxiu, lending him the power of the Array.

Zhao Jingyu was stunned for a moment, thinking his junior brother was simply lending him a hand.

He opened his mouth and roared, summoning the same fierce determination from his training, and forced his way two steps closer to the Silver-Robed Cultivator.

"That’s enough."

Bai Mo’s pleased voice came from behind as a Pill shot past Zhao Jingyu’s ribs, flying straight toward the Silver-Robed Cultivator.

"The Five Obstacles Pill!"

Zhao Jingyu recognized the Pill, his pupils shrinking abruptly.

’So my junior brothers just wanted to use me as cover to safely get the Pill to the enemy.’

BOOM!

The next moment, forced by the spiritual pressure, the Pill exploded.

Billowing red-and-black smoke surged up, quickly displacing and dyeing the mist. Its corrosive power was extremely strong.

Bai Mo’s eyes widened, wanting to get a closer look at the Five Obstacles Pill’s effects.

Before he could watch for long, he saw Zhao Jingyu come rolling back like a cartwheel.

"Junior Brother."

Seeing the red-and-black smoke, Wan Shenxiu was horrified and quickly shouted a warning.

Bai Mo didn’t dare hesitate. He grabbed Zhao Jingyu as he flew past and jumped into the pool.

The red-and-black smoke swept past right behind them, filling the entire space.

In this sealed space, the effects of the Five Obstacles Pill were maximized.

The first to bear the brunt of it was, without a doubt, the Silver-Robed Cultivator.

As the smoke washed over him, the Spiritual Qi protecting his body dissolved as quickly as snow in boiling water under its corrosive fumes.

His protective layer of Spiritual Qi was broken in an instant.

The Silver-Robed Cultivator’s scalp went numb. The red-and-black smoke corroded his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, causing them to bleed.

He let out a world-shaking, blood-curdling scream.

Even Bai Mo and the other two in the pool heard the scream with perfect clarity.

Caught off guard in the pool, Zhao Jingyu swallowed a solid mouthful of water.

Only he knew the complex flavors within.

Without a moment to think, Zhao Jingyu popped his head out of the pool, his face green as he spat out the filthy water in his mouth.

The corrosive smoke outside had passed its peak concentration, but even so, Zhao Jingyu could still feel his Spiritual Qi being worn away.

Bai Mo and Wan Shenxiu, squatting in the pool, quickly tugged on Zhao Jingyu’s trouser leg, reminding him to take cover.

But Zhao Jingyu just shouted, "I have to watch."

Sure enough, just as he spoke, a figure wreathed in red-and-black smoke charged toward them at extreme speed.

Steeling himself, Zhao Jingyu roared, leaped up furiously, and collided with the figure.

At the moment of life and death, neither side held back.

After a few rapid thuds of flesh hitting flesh, Zhao Jingyu fell back into the pool, blood spraying from his mouth and nose.

The Silver-Robed Cultivator was knocked back by the blow. He failed to jump into the pool, instead landing on the bank with a THUD, flat on his back.

Zhao Jingyu stared at his silk gloves in disbelief. There were traces of blood on them.

’I wounded him?’

He couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. He knew full well what kind of poison his gloves were coated in.

’Doesn’t this mean victory is within my grasp?’

But the Silver-Robed Cultivator let out a great cry, turned, and fled.

The Array barrier, already corroded by the smoke, shattered at his charge, and he vanished into the distance in an instant.