Chapter 777 Mist Kill

Qi Yu snorted coldly. Her palms turned as black as ink, and as they moved, the very air seemed to freeze and corrode. She met the duo’s combined assault head-on.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A series of violent explosions erupted. The resulting shockwaves pressed a huge depression into the lake below, shattering reefs and churning the mist.

Having consumed the Red Soul Burning Essence Pills, Zhou Qianjun and Li Muyun were actually fighting Qi Yu to a standstill. They even seemed to be gaining the upper hand!

’What a potent elixir!’

Chen Qing marveled internally. The secret elixirs of the Cloud Water Upper Sect were truly astonishing.

But he knew full well that this kind of externally-fueled power burst couldn’t last long and would have severe side effects.

He held his breath and focused, his mind racing with calculations.

’When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits.’

This three-way melee was a godsent opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

Whether it was seizing the Seven-leaf Golden Lotus amidst the chaos or ambushing a weakened enemy, the possibilities were promising.

The key was timing, and... how to act right under the nose of the unfathomable Qi Yu.

Just as Chen Qing was contemplating his next move, the battlefield shifted once more!

Unable to secure a quick victory, a flash of impatience and icy killing intent crossed Qi Yu’s eyes. She bit her tongue sharply, spitting a mouthful of Essence Blood onto the five Unity Demons swirling around her.

"Five Ghosts United, Profound Evil Returning to the Origin!"

Following her cold cry, the five Unity Demons emitted a teeth-grinding sound as they merged. Dark energy surged wildly, and in an instant, they combined into one, transforming into a massive, thirty-foot-tall Ghost King with a green face, long fangs, and ethereal chains in its hands!

The Ghost King’s aura was monstrous, far exceeding the simple sum of the five previous Unity Demons. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and black ice crystals formed in the air. The terrifying pressure made even Zhou Qianjun and Li Muyun, who were empowered by the elixir, turn pale!

’Five Ghosts United... this woman has actually cultivated such a Great Divine Technique! We can’t fight her head-on!’

Li Muyun’s face was a mask of horror. He cast aside all other thoughts, his body transforming into a streak of light as he fled for his life in one direction without a moment’s hesitation.

A chill ran through the hearts of Zhou Qianjun and Liu Hanyan. At almost the same instant, they too fled desperately, each in a different direction.

’Trying to run? Leave something behind!’

Qi Yu’s eyes were glacial. She controlled the Ghost King, sending a claw strike toward each of the three fleeing figures!

Three incredibly dense black Ghost Claws tore through the void, accompanied by piercing shrieks, and pursued the trio at astonishing speed!

Zhou Qianjun roared, spinning around to slash out with dozens of Sword Astrals. The Sword Astrals clashed with the Ghost Claw, producing the sound of grinding metal, but they shattered one after another. The residual power of the claw still struck his back. He spat out a mouthful of blood and used the force of the impact to plunge into the dense fog at an even greater speed.

Li Muyun barely managed to deflect the attack’s trajectory, but the impact still left his blood and qi in turmoil. He plunged into the mist without a backward glance.

Liu Hanyan fared the worst. Her strength was slightly inferior, and though she did her utmost to resist, she was still grazed by the edge of the Ghost Claw. Her Protective True Essence flickered violently, her delicate body trembled, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she fled in a panic.

Lei Hong tried to give chase but was momentarily blocked by a final, sharp flash of sword light from Liu Hanyan. He could only watch helplessly as she escaped.

Just as the Ghost King finished its three strikes and its aura subsided slightly, Qi Yu’s gaze pierced through the heavy mist, landing precisely on Chen Qing’s hiding spot.

’Move!’

Alarm bells screamed in Chen Qing’s mind. Without hesitation, he slapped the Golden Feathered Eagle. He instantly transformed into a black shadow, speeding off in the general direction of Zhou Qianjun’s escape and quickly vanishing into the depths of the fog.

Qi Yu watched the direction Chen Qing had disappeared, her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn’t give chase immediately.

She flipped her hand, produced an elixir exuding a rich medicinal fragrance, and swallowed it to suppress the churning blood and qi from forcefully using her Secret Technique.

Her priority was to recover as quickly as possible, then completely subdue the Profound Nether Black Ox—which was now a spent force—and obtain the Seven-leaf Golden Lotus.

...

Zhou Qianjun fled for his life. He didn’t know how long he’d been flying, but he only dared to slow down after sensing no pursuers behind him.

He landed on a small, remote reef. The moment his feet were steady, he couldn’t stop himself from spitting out another mouthful of congealed blood. His aura instantly weakened to an extreme low.

The effects of the Red Soul Burning Essence Pill were rapidly fading. A powerful sense of weakness washed over him like a tide. Combined with the internal injuries from taking Qi Yu’s claw attack head-on, he now had less than a tenth of his strength remaining.

"Cough, cough... How can that Demoness from the Demon Sect be so strong? Her foundation is so solid. Aren’t most Demon Sect cultivation techniques supposed to be focused on quick gains, leading to unstable foundations?"

Zhou Qianjun’s face was filled with horror as he leaned against a cold reef, gasping for breath.

He had originally thought that their trio, empowered by the Burning Essence Pills, could at least force Qi Yu to retreat. He never imagined the gap in their power would be so immense.

’I must regroup with the Sect as soon as possible! We sent out a message before we left. By my calculations, the Elders should be arriving soon... It’s a pity about the Profound Nether Black Ox and the Seven-leaf Golden Lotus. But if I can lead the Elders to exterminate her, then with the credit from reporting this, getting one leaf of the Golden Lotus shouldn’t be a problem...’

He calculated his options while regulating his breathing.

However, just then, a sudden, inexplicable chill shot up his spine!

He snapped his head up to see a black shadow shoot out from the dense fog to his side like a phantom, its speed astonishing!

"Who’s there?!"

Zhou Qianjun was beside himself with terror. He tried to muster his remaining True Essence to dodge or block, but his body and reflexes were now unbearably slow.

THUMP!

A palm, covered in immense True Essence, landed squarely on his chest!

The crisp sound of shattering bones echoed as the violent Power instantly destroyed his heart meridian.

Zhou Qianjun’s eyes bulged. He stared in disbelief at the calm, emotionless face of the person before him.

"You... Chen Qing..."

His eyes were filled with shock and fury, but his gaze quickly dimmed. His body went limp and collapsed, his life extinguished.

This person was, of course, Chen Qing.

Now that a grudge had been formed, he was not naive enough to think the other party would simply let bygones be bygones.

At this moment, treacherous undercurrents churned in the depths of Longze Lake. The various powers were locked in a complex struggle. The Demon Sect, Cloud Water, and even all sorts of unsavory characters from Black Water City had been drawn in. Killing intent lurked everywhere, and chaos reigned.

These troubled waters were the perfect cover for his actions and for settling old scores.

Moreover, as a True Disciple that the Cloud Water Upper Sect had invested heavily in, Zhou Qianjun’s status was high, and his personal wealth was bound to be substantial.

Expressionless, Chen Qing quickly searched Zhou Qianjun’s body, taking his personal Jade Pendant, the aquamarine Spirit Treasure Long Sword, and all other valuables.

Immediately after, he released True Essence from his palm. A scorching current of air surged out, incinerating Zhou Qianjun’s corpse. With another palm strike, he sent the ashes into the dark lake below, destroying all evidence of the crime.

After doing all this, Chen Qing departed without a second thought. With a flicker, his figure once again merged into the boundless mist as if he had never been there.

About the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea after Chen Qing’s departure, several powerful auras sped toward this area from a distance.

The leader was a stern-faced middle-aged man dressed in a Cloud Patterned Water Robe. His aura was immense; he was clearly an expert who had completed five cycles of True Essence Refining!

Behind him followed two Cloud Water Sect Stewards whose auras were also formidable.

The middle-aged man hovered in mid-air, clutching a cracked and dim Jade Token in his hand. His expression was terrifyingly grim.

"Nephew Zhou’s Life Token... it’s shattered! His last remaining aura dissipated right around here!"

His voice was low, laced with irrepressible fury. "...Where is he? Who did this?!"

Just then, another sharp Escape Light cut through the mist and arrived swiftly, revealing a beautiful, stern-faced woman in a long cyan dress. When she sensed the aura in the area, her expression changed drastically.

"Senior Brother Zhao! Where is Nephew Zhou? I received the Help Request Talisman and came at once. Why can’t I sense his aura?" the beautiful woman asked urgently. She was another Elder from the Cloud Water Upper Sect who had rushed over after receiving the message, her cultivation also extraordinary.

The middle-aged man, addressed as Senior Brother Zhao, was Zhao Songtao. He took a deep breath, suppressing his rage, and showed the shattered Life Token to the woman. "Junior Sister Sun, you’re too late... Nephew Zhou... he has been killed! His Life Token is shattered, and his aura was extinguished here."

Upon hearing this, Sun Jingyi’s voice grew grave. "What?! Killed? How is that possible? Nephew Zhou’s strength was considerable. Even if he couldn’t defeat his opponent, could he not even escape? Who was it?"

Zhao Songtao said, "There are no clues, no traces. But no matter who it was, anyone who kills a True Disciple of our Cloud Water Upper Sect here will pay the price!"

Sun Jingyi nodded as well, a chilling light glinting in her beautiful eyes. "Nephew Zhou was a prodigy of our Cloud Water Sect’s generation. This matter absolutely cannot be dropped! We must investigate it to the very end!"

"Even if it’s the Demon Sect, they must give our Cloud Water Upper Sect an explanation!"

As night deepened, the chill over Longze Lake grew even heavier.

Figures cut through the mist one after another as more and more experts from the Cloud Water Upper Sect received the news and gathered from all directions.

.....