Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Enemies on a Narrow Road
A giant bell formed in the void, a fiery projection that emitted a scorching aura, making anyone who drew near feel an oppressive, suffocating heat.
"This guy doesn’t play by the rules at all. For someone so strong, he’s surprisingly willing to use such a precious artifact!" Cheng Lu complained ceaselessly as he was nearly roasted by the great bell above, but his hands never stopped moving.
Li Nian’er was also speechless. She never imagined that Jiang Qi would use a treasured artifact just to flush them out of hiding.
As the Vermilion Bird Holy Soul, Xiao Xiao’s command over fire was far superior to others. Under the pressure of the fiery bell, she actually seemed to be handling it with ease. Seeing the cold sweat beading on the foreheads of her young master’s senior martial siblings, Xiao Xiao took a step forward. She took the lead, summoning all her Fire Attribute Energy. In that moment, a giant phantom of the Vermilion Bird enveloped her. As she moved, the phantom bird tilted its head to the sky and let out a long, clear cry like a phoenix.
The Vermilion Bird is the sovereign of all fire; its dignity was something no flame could easily violate. The moment its sacred fire appeared, the once-rampant flames of the great bell began to recede, showing signs of flickering out completely.
Jiang Qi’s eyes lit up as he looked down at the soaring Vermilion Bird Holy Soul. He hadn’t expected the obscure Ye Qingchen to have so many followers with such potential! One Qin Yue was already a surprise, and now there was another. A dangerous glint shone in Jiang Qi’s eyes, his gaze fixed on Xiao Xiao, unable to look away.
When Ye Qingchen heard Jiang Qi’s thoughts, alarm bells shrieked in his mind.
"Xiao Xiao, come back!" he yelled. He was no match for Jiang Qi right now. For Xiao Xiao to reveal her strength like this was to place herself in grave danger.
Xiao Xiao had diminished the bell’s power and expected a word of praise from her young master for bringing him honor. Instead, she received a scolding. The joy in her heart vanished in an instant, and she obediently stepped back behind the others.
With a burning fervor in his gaze, Jiang Qi raised his hand and retracted the fiery bell. He stared straight at Xiao Xiao, the greed on his face plain to see.
Li Nian’er’s figure flashed, and she moved to stand directly in front of Xiao Xiao.
"Saint Son Jiang, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. The Ye Qingchen you’re looking for isn’t here!"
"Heh... you know perfectly well whether he’s here or not. And this young lady, who might she be? A Vermilion Bird Holy Soul?! Truly rare. How about..."
Jiang Qi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his tone flippant. Before he could finish, Ye Qingchen stepped forward.
"I am Ye Qingchen!"
Jiang Qi fell silent, his cold gaze sweeping over Ye Qingchen from head to toe as a look of contempt appeared on his face.
"You’re Ye Qingchen?! Nothing more than the Second Layer of the Martial Emperor Realm, yet you managed to kill my subordinates. Quite the feat!" As he spoke, his eyes swept meaningfully over the others standing beside Ye Qingchen.
It was obvious that a mere Second Layer Martial Emperor couldn’t have pulled this off. The only possibility is that this group of people are his accomplices!
With this thought, Jiang Qi no longer held back. He leaped down from the stone wall in a single bound.
"Since you dared to kill my men, you should be prepared to leave your lives here!" As his voice fell, Jiang Qi showed no courtesy. He channeled his energy and attacked Ye Qingchen directly. A paltry Second Layer Martial Emperor required no effort at all. He could finish him in a single move!
Seeing this, Zhu Liang and the others could no longer stand by. They struck in unison, forming a defensive line in front of Ye Qingchen. Now that the two sides were in open conflict, all pretenses were dropped. If they allowed their junior brother to be bullied, they would be torn to shreds by their sectmates’ criticism when they returned.
Fighting a cultivator at the Ninth Level of the Martial Emperor Realm was a challenge, but with all of them together, they could at least hold him off until reinforcements arrived.
Jiang Qi had long since discerned their cultivation realms. Against him, no matter how many there were, they were like mayflies trying to shake a great tree. His attacks did not weaken in the slightest, each strike aimed precisely at their vitals.
In the midst of the battle, Ye Qingchen darted about like a wild monkey, weaving between his companions. His Fire Spirit Charm Shadow technique allowed him to move with blinding speed, leaving a trail of afterimages. Though his strength was insufficient, in Jiang Qi’s eyes, he was like an infuriating fly that could neither be swatted nor harmed.
Zhu Liang, Li Nian’er, and Cheng Lu attacked from the left, right, and above, their coordination seamless from long practice. Zhu Liang tossed a Metal Attribute sphere toward Li Nian’er, but Cheng Lu intercepted it mid-flight with a flip, redirecting it straight into Jiang Qi. In just a short time, a barrage of crackling explosions left Jiang Qi covered in dust.
Frustrated by their relentless and tricky tactics, Jiang Qi’s face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink. With a powerful leap, he broke free of their encirclement.
"You people are truly despicable, using such tactics!"
"Who cares about tactics, so long as they stop you from winning!" Cheng Lu’s retort was cheeky, and paired with his exceptionally punchable face, it made Jiang Qi gasp, nearly fainting from rage.
"Fine, fine, fine..." Jiang Qi was seething.
He had intended to deal with the smallest nuisance first before handling the bigger ones. But this group is simply asking to die!
Jiang Qi dusted off his robes. "Since you’re seeking death, I’ll be happy to send you on your way!"
He hadn’t used his full strength before, merely probing their abilities. He hadn’t expected them to be so troublesome, each one more difficult to deal with than the last.
Having made up his mind, Jiang Qi threw caution to the wind. He raised his Longsword and swung it down at the very center of their formation!
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed as the force of the Longsword carved a deep trench in the ground, cleanly separating the group. Before Zhu Liang, Ye Qingchen, and the others could even react, Jiang Qi raised his Longsword again, this time targeting Zhu Liang, the one with the highest cultivation.
A fierce killing intent swept over them. Zhu Liang hastily raised his own defenses to meet the attack.
There is a substantial gap between the Eighth Layer and the Ninth Level of the Martial Emperor Realm. The latter possesses a far more nimble and efficient control over the body’s various energies. One can unleash immense offensive power with minimal energy expenditure.
Without blinking, Jiang Qi brought his Longsword down. It collided with Zhu Liang’s defensive barrier, and in that instant, a massive amount of energy erupted from the point of impact, sending a shockwave that blasted away everything nearby.
Zhu Liang struggled to resist alone. His lips were pursed into a thin line, his features twisted in a fierce grimace as he channeled every last bit of energy to reinforce his Metal Attribute armor.
Seeing this, Jiang Qi smirked. "A one-level gap isn’t something you can withstand. I’ll let you see with your own eyes what the true difference between us is!"
Just moments ago, Jiang Qi had been toying with them like cats and dogs. Now, he was serious. He slightly increased the force behind his Longsword, and the armor that had been protecting Zhu Liang began to shatter with a series of loud CRACKS.
Although Zhu Liang anticipated this outcome and reacted swiftly, he was still forced back several steps.
