Chapter 666 - 268: Assassination (3)

The withered old man was stopped in his tracks by the sudden, formidable finger strike. His body swayed as he landed, his face a mask of horror. "Dingyue Sea-Suppressing Finger! You’re ’Four Symbols of Mountains and Rivers’ Deng Ziheng?!"

He never imagined that for an assassination attempt on a True Disciple, the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect would secretly dispatch a renowned True Essence Realm expert to guard him!

This completely upended their plans!

Deng Ziheng stood as steady as a rock, shielding Chen Qing. "I was wondering who it was," he said coldly. "So it’s you, the old bat who loves to hide in the shadows and use poison—’Thousand-Heart Poison Bat’ Mo River! You people from the Infinite Demon Sect are getting more and more pathetic!"

The Thousand-Heart Poison Bat, Mo River, was the Ninth Elder of the Demon Sect and had been infamous for a long time. Not only was he sinister and cruel, but he was also known for ambushing and killing members of the younger generation from the shadows, making him nearly impossible to guard against.

His identity exposed by Deng Ziheng, Mo River’s expression flickered. He then sent a voice transmission, "I will hold back Deng Ziheng. The rest of you, kill Chen Qing at any cost! For the one who brings me his head, I will personally petition the Sect Leader for a great commendation on your behalf!"

Upon hearing this, a fervent glint appeared in the eyes of Han Kui and the others.

Mo River looked at Deng Ziheng, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Deng Ziheng, I’d like to see just how much of your ’Four Symbols of Mountains and Rivers’ you’ve truly mastered!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, Mo River’s figure blurred, leaving a trail of afterimages. As his True Essence surged, black qi billowed around him, coalescing into several ferocious black bats. With ear-piercing shrieks, they were the first to lunge at Deng Ziheng.

At the same time, his withered hand curled into a claw. His fingernails instantly turned an eerie, glowing blue, exuding a foul, corrosive stench as he aimed straight for Deng Ziheng’s throat.

"You dare show off such petty tricks!" Deng Ziheng snorted. He stood his ground, facing the onslaught of illusory poison bats and the vicious claw strike without flinching.

An earthen-yellow True Essence, as heavy as a mountain, erupted from his body. His palms swept out in a circular motion, unleashing the Sea-Suppressing Palm.

The Palm Power was immense, like a vast ocean tide raising monstrous waves, yet it possessed a steady, overwhelming force that could suppress anything.

The illusory poison bats crashed into the force of his palm and, like snow in the sun, instantly disintegrated.

Without a change in his palm’s momentum, Deng Ziheng met Mo River’s venomous claw head-on.

BOOM!

As their palms collided, a deep thud echoed. The shockwave from the violent impact of their True Essence spread out in a ring, scraping three inches of earth from the surrounding ground and sending sand and stones flying through a cloud of dust.

Mo River felt an irresistible force surge toward him. The True Essence coating his claw wavered, on the verge of shattering. He was forced to slide back several steps, the horror in his eyes deepening.

Deng Ziheng, however, remained rooted to the spot, his robes whipping in the wind. He was clearly the more powerful of the two.

Almost at the exact moment Deng Ziheng and Mo River clashed, Han Kui and Zhao Chi, two experts at Astral Force Perfection, launched their assault on Chen Qing from both sides!

SWOOSH!

Han Kui wielded a Thick-Backed Mountain-Cutting Saber, his strikes heavy and powerful. Blood-colored Astral Qi coiled around the blade, exuding the brutal killing aura of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

A simple Powerful Slash of Hua Mountain, yet its ferocious Power made it seem unstoppable.

Meanwhile, with many of the other disciples succumbing to poison, the Demon Sect now held the advantage in numbers.

Luo Qianjue and He Shuang were pinned down by five Late-Stage Astral Force experts from the Demon Sect, trapped within a heavy encirclement and unable to escape.

Zhao Chi, on the other hand, crouched low. Black-purple Astral Qi rose from his fists like toxic flames as his knuckles emitted a series of ominous cracks. He threw a Netherworld Bone-Eroding Fist straight at Chen Qing’s center, the force of the punch treacherous and vicious, carrying a True Astral capable of corroding flesh and bone!

Facing a pincer attack from two masters, Chen Qing remained unfazed.

He took a profound step, advancing instead of retreating. The Profound Dragon Spear in his hand let out a low draconic roar.

True Martial Abyss!

The long spear danced, carving a perfect arc through the air. The afterimage it left was as heavy and majestic as a mountain, as if Emperor Zhenwu himself stood at the edge of an abyss, suppressing all evil from every direction.

This technique was both defensive and offensive. The Spear Momentum deftly deflected Han Kui’s Powerful Slash of Hua Mountain, while the heavy Spear Force caused the force of Zhao Chi’s vicious fist to falter for a moment. This created a fleeting opening for Chen Qing to counterattack.

The instant he deflected Han Kui’s blade, Chen Qing’s wrist flicked. The Profound Dragon Spear exploded into motion, transforming into a thunderclap that tore through the darkness as it shot straight toward Zhao Chi’s heart!

The Cyan Wood True Gang at the spear’s tip was channeled to its absolute peak, shining with a sharp golden light and burning with a scorching Fire Force. It was imbued with a brilliant Righteous Qi, capable of purging all evil, and its speed far surpassed anything Zhao Chi had anticipated.

Zhao Chi’s face paled. He scrambled to change his technique, crossing his fists in a desperate block as he explosively retreated.

BAM!

The Fist Edge and spear tip clashed violently, and the resulting Qi Force detonated.

Zhao Chi felt an explosive Power travel up his arms, making his blood churn and his knuckles scream in protest, feeling as if they would shatter. ’This kid has incredible strength!’ he thought, horrified.

In just two moves, Chen Qing had used his exquisite Spear Technique and immense strength to force back two battle-hardened experts of Astral Force Perfection.

But just then, another crisis erupted!

FWIP!

An almost inaudible whistle came from his rear flank. A Bone-Piercing Poison Needle, thin as a hair, shot out like a viper from the shadows, aimed straight at a vital point on Chen Qing’s back!

The timing was impeccable, striking just as Chen Qing’s Heart and Spirit were focused entirely on Han Kui and Zhao Chi.

The attacker was none other than Hu Yuning, who had been lying in wait.

However, having been honed by countless life-or-death battles, Chen Qing’s Spiritual Sense was exceptionally sharp!

The instant before the Poison Needle could strike, it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Acting on pure instinct, he spun and swung his spear!

Black Tortoise Shaking the Mountain!

Chen Qing spun, channeling his technique. The spear swept behind him, carrying the force of a colossal beast and the unyielding, Immovable momentum of a mountain!

TING!

With a crisp ring, the sinister Bone-Piercing Needle was struck cleanly by the Profound Dragon Spear. It was sent flying backward, twisted and deformed, embedding itself in a nearby tree trunk. The trunk immediately turned black and began to rot at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Chen Qing stood with his spear at the ready, his icy gaze sweeping over Han Kui, Zhao Chi, and the now-revealed Hu Yuning, who had him surrounded.

Hu Yuning looked at Chen Qing, her voice as cold as ice. "This kid is tough. Attack him together. Let’s end this quickly!"

Han Kui and Zhao Chi exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of gravity in the other’s eyes.

The auras of the three assassins instantly merged, and their killing intent became a tangible force that locked firmly onto Chen Qing.

....