408 Inside the Illusion Realm
Unwavering, the old man’s face stayed the same. Yet, his energy aura grew gradually with the settling of his voice.
The dust around him stirred and started to float off the ground, much like the old man’s fluttering white hair. The latter danced in the wind, generating airwaves that spiraled up into the sky.
“The unique technique that Old Fei practices isn’t part of the Wuji Mountain teachings. It’s the extreme dao qi xuan technique,” explained the old man from the Thousand Divination Tower leisurely.
Neither he nor Liu Laicheng showed any signs of tension. They stood distant from each other, seemingly awaiting the outcome of the impending showdown between Qin Huai and the Wuji Mountain elder.
“As long as his innate qi remains, even at death’s door, he will retain his peak physical state,” the old man continued. “So, you’re not confronting a declining visceral prefecture realm expert, but rather one still in his prime.”
Despite his confusion as to why he would disclose such hidden knowledge to Qin Huai, the old man from the Thousand Divination Tower met his gaze confidently. As for the old man from Wuji Mountain, he seemed unbothered by his revelations — his confidence was evident as his aura intensified with the escalating airwaves.
Qin Huai stood his ground silently, his fists radiating with heated life energy gathering beneath his skin, a torrent of power primed to erupt.
“Old Fei’s guardian spirit item is a sphere of divine qi we found in a deity’s cave when we were young,” shared the man from the Thousand Divination Tower. “This divine qi can slice through anything in the world. When unleashed, it’s a formidable force even for reincarnated immortals.”
Qin Huai’s expression remained steady as he continued to harness his life energy. On the other hand, Liu Laicheng, standing nearby, couldn’t maintain his calm anymore.
“Divine qi? What a joke!” he burst out, scorn etched across his face. “That’s the stuff of legends, said to be the essence of a fallen deity. It’s notoriously powerful and immensely heavy.” He recollected passages from his sect’s ancient records. “A mere wisp of divine qi weighs over ten thousand pounds. Wouldn’t a sphere of it be as heavy as a mountain? It would be unbearable, not just for a visceral prefecture realm expert, but even those of higher realms.”
The more Liu Laicheng spoke, the more his conviction grew. Many young prodigies from Qingzhou City had been enthralled by such mythical tales in their early years, and of course, he claimed to be more familiar with this lore than with actual cultivation techniques.
“If your divine qi theory holds…then the deity you refer to must be a hoax!” Liu Laicheng stated confidently.
A chuckle escaped from the old man of the Thousand Divination Tower. He hadn’t anticipated that these youngsters would know so much about the legend. “A semi-divinity realm expert could eliminate a visceral prefecture realm expert instantly,” he sneered.
He and his sworn brother had faced countless perils together in their youth, and this sphere of divine qi had helped them eliminate numerous formidable foes. Unfortunately, only a meager amount of the divine qi remained. But it seemed fitting to use it to eliminate Zhou Cunzhong, who was a huge threat to their plans.
Boom!
Qin Huai and the old man from Wuji Mountain launched their attacks almost simultaneously. The sheer force of the attack seemed to push Qin Huai back several meters, as though a mountain was advancing towards him.
“Gokudo path, innate qi sea!”
Utilizing his technique, the old man from Wuji Mountain swung his fist, stirring up his internal life energy as if he were causing a sea to churn. This energy took on many forms, like a sword, spear, hammer, or even an entire army.
The ground was torn apart and surrounding trees were uprooted. Qin Huai, however, stepped forward. His body was strong enough to withstand this onslaught of energy.
His skin clung tightly to his muscles, veins visibly throbbing beneath. He launched a counterattack, his fists smashing through the threatening wave of energy.
However, blood began to seep from Qin Huai’s mouth and nose. The elder’s energy had penetrated his protective blood qi armor and infiltrated his body. If Qin Huai weren’t incredibly durable, his internal organs would have been destroyed by this force.
Despite this, the clash was only the result of a single punch from each of them. The initial ten-meter gap between them was now gone.
The old man’s eyes filled with murderous intent. He lifted his fist, gathering immense power at his fingertips. In contrast, Qin Huai’s fist seemed ordinary — his strategy was speed.
With a swift punch, Qin Huai used his illusion realm fist. His attack landed on the elder’s chest as lightly as a baby’s tap with a hammer.
The elder paused before breaking into a chuckle. “Hahaha… Did you exhaust all your strength just to get this close to me?” His eyes gleamed with deadly intent as he threw a punch.
But then… his fist swished through empty air.
Confused, the old man from Wuji Mountain gazed at the forest before him. He was surrounded by lush grass and blooming flowers. A gentle breeze blew, carrying away the bronze wall that had haunted him for decades from his vision. His punch seemed to have transported him to a paradise.
“What happened?” The old man from Wuji Mountain was taken aback. He immediately felt a sense of danger. His hair stood on end. No! He had been fooled!
Having been trapped in the bronze realm for over a century, the old man instantly understood what was happening. In a desperate attempt, he threw two punches into the void before him, but nothing happened.
Reacting swiftly, the old man activated the divine qi within him. Opening his mouth, he spewed out a silver light. The mystical force instantly twisted the entire illusion realm, creating a deafening sound of cracks.
Bang!
The world before him crumbled in an instant. The heavy smell of blood once again assaulted his nostrils, and the distant shouts of his old friend reached his ears.